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The Declaration Of Independence Is The Founding Document Of American History

Decent Essays

The Declaration of Independence is the founding document of American history and has

been included among one of the best documents to be written in the history of the United States

of America. This declaration basically has five parts though not distinctively labeled. These parts

are the introduction, preamble, the Indictment of King George III, the denunciation of the British

people and the conclusion. The writers of this document are able to pass their message across

through the use of language and rhetoric devises. Under language, the diction or word choice,

sentence structure or syntax and figurative language is used.

Imagery is used in the first paragraph where the image of colonists throwing off the

bands with which they have been connected to their mother country is drawn. A reader can see

the detachment taking place. What the writers mean here is that the laws and nature of God have

been taken away from the people. Personification is also another figurative language used where

prudence is personified to emphasize that the writers are prudent indeed. Metonymy is also used

where “candid world” is used to mean the world community will be honest and open enough to

see the justice of the colonists’ position.

The parallel sentence structure is seen in the first paragraph and it creates a rich sonorous

cadence. When the writers are stating the truths in which their democracy is based, all the clauses

begin with “that”; “…that all men are

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