Is anyone surprised that Douglass repeatedly calls up the image of chains in a speech about slavery? We're not. Chains are often used to symbolize slavery, in all kinds of contexts. Douglass mentio...

And no, we're not talking crosses, Stars of David, and crescents. We're talking about the U.S. of A. because Douglass envisions his listeners as worshippers of America. And he uses repeated religio...

Fair warning: this speech is not going to make you feel all warm and fuzzy about July 4th being a day full of fireworks, Rocket Pops, charred burgers, and repeated viewings of Independence Day.For...

This bit o' syntax is easy to get a hold of because it does exactly what you think it does: presents a bunch of grammatical parallels. (Think Julius Caesar's "I came, I saw, I conquered.")Douglass...

A rhetorical question is one a speaker asks without expecting the audience to answer. Think of questions-not-questions like:Are you serious? What were you thinking? Do you think I was born yesterda...

An allusion is a brief reference to something the audience is familiar with that allows the speaker to bring up all the related thoughts and feelings that go along with that reference. You know how...