Speech to the Virginia Convention

Patrick Henry's famous "Speech to the Virginia Convention" was delivered to the Second Virginia Convention on March 23, 1775. Among those present at the convention were Thomas Jefferson and George...

Patrick Henry begins the speech with pathos, saying that he regards the matter before the convention as “nothing less than a question of freedom or slavery.” The emotive language continues as he...

The most famous expression from Patrick Henry's speech to the Virginia Convention—“Give me liberty or give me death”—perfectly encapsulates the importance that he and many other Americans at the...

Henry is a figurative writer who uses several metaphors in his speech. He says, for example, that the colonists are listening to "the song of that siren till she transforms us into beasts." The...

Logos is one of the three pillars of argument in classical Greek rhetoric. To be effective arguments must appeal to emotions (pathos), credibility (ethos), and logic (logos). Logos consist of the...

Patrick Henry was one of the leading orators of the Revolutionary generation, and in this speech, he certainly makes use of both appeals to reason and appeals to emotion. (Indeed, his argumentation...

Patrick Henry’s “Speech to the Virginia Convention” is full of highly effective rhetorical devices, including the following: Alternation of long sentences and short sentences, so that the short...

As Patrick Henry was doubtless aware, his "Speech to the Virginia Convention" constituted nothing less than an act of treason against the British colonial authorities. In openly inciting the...

In his famous speech to the Virginia Convention, Patrick Henry is replying to those delegates who argued that some kind of amicable settlement between Great Britain and her American colonies could...

As you might already know, there is no authoritative record of Patrick Henry’s rather famous 1775 speech. There are no known transcripts or notes of his speech. What we know about his speech comes...

Patrick Henry acknowledges that many people say the colonies are too weak to take on such a formidable adversary as Britain; however, he argues that the colonies simply cannot wait until they...

Patrick Henry's speech is liberally sprinkled with biblical quotations and allusions, and this rhetorical question is one of them. As a rhetorical question, this interrogatory implies a negative...

Patrick Henry uses anaphora, the repetition of a sequence of words at the beginning of sentences, when he describes how the colonies have attempted to negotiate with their sovereign: We have...

In what is probably Patrick Henry’s most famous speech, his Speech to the Virginia Convention, he begins by addressing “Mr. President.” But the speech was given in 1775, before the United States...

Rhetoric is the art of persuasion. As such, it's inevitably a very important component of public speaking, especially during periods of great political tumult. Patrick Henry's famous speech to the...

In formal rhetoric there are three types of claims, and Henry's speech contains examples of all of them. The first kind of claim is the claim of fact; it is an assertion that something is true or...

In his powerful, dramatic speech to the Virginia Convention, Patrick Henry wants to instill a sense of urgency in his listeners. The time for vacillation is over; there is no longer any point in...

Parallelism means that two parts of a sentence have the same or a very similar grammatical structure. This is true in Patrick Henry's statement, "Give me liberty or give me death." On either side...

Patrick Henry uses many metaphors throughout his "Speech to the Virginia Convention." In one prominent example, he mixes a metaphor with an allusion when he compares the temptation for American...

Patrick Henry believed that war between the American colonies and the British was inevitable. He tells his audience to "Ask yourselves how this gracious reception of our petition comports with...

In his speech to the Virginia House of Burgesses, Patrick Henry advocates revolt against Great Britain. Henry's argument to separate from Britain is not what many of the colonists desire, but...

The first indication in Henry's speech as to the urgency of his message is when he declares, "This is no time for ceremony." Henry is here indicating that the subject of his speech is too important...

Unfortunately there is no consistent paragraphing in Patrick Henry's "Speech Before the Virginia COnvention," but he addresses the issue of being unable to win the war after this line which...

Patrick Henry used his speech to the Virginia Convention to argue that the colonies should go to war with Britain if they truly wanted an end to the oppressive policies of King George III. Henry...

An analogy is a comparison between two things for the purpose of illumination or clarity. In his speech before the Virginia Convention, Patrick Henry several times compares not fighting for freedom...

I don't have your copy of the speech, so I don't know which lines you're referring to, but the speech is peppered with biblical allusions, not to mention outright appeals to God as being higher...

The purpose of Patrick Henry's "Speech to the Virginia Convention" was to persuade his audience, the Virginia colonial legislature, of the inevitability and desirability of seceding from the...

The second paragraph of Henry's speech examines the context within which the inherent resistance to Colonial change is evident. For Henry, there is a contingent of individuals that are unwilling...

Patrick Henry makes use of several allusions—indirect references to an event, text, person, etc.—in order to borrow the weight and emotional tenor of the original. He asks the president, "[...] I...

In his speech to the Virginia Convention, Patrick Henry's aim is to win over his audience to his point of view, and accordingly he uses many rhetorical devices commonly used to increase an orator's...

Early in his speech, Henry declares, "I know of no way of judging of the future but by the past." This is an entirely logical point; the future is unknowable, but in situations where a precedent...

In the first two paragraphs of Patrick Henry's speech, Henry makes it clear that he does not feel able to remain silent, since he feels so passionately about the subject. He assures the House that...

In a beautiful run of parallel structure, Patrick Henry describes what the colonies have done in their ongoing attempts to negotiate with the British: "We have petitioned; we have remonstrated; we...

Patrick Henry's chief argument in the "Speech in the Virginia Convention" is that it would be futile for the Virginia Colony to try to negotiate any further with the British. He reminds his...

Patrick Henry uses a skillful combination of pathos (an appeal to an audience's emotions) and logos (persuasion by reason) in his famous speech to the Virginia Convention. In terms of the former,...

When Patrick Henry addresses the Virginia Convention, he does so with at least a little trepidation, for he is about to speak words and ideas that could be considered treasonous. He begins his...

In his legendary address to the Second Virginia Convention, Patrick Henry lays out two broad points to convince his audience that armed conflict is the only option going forward: First, the...

Restatement is when a writer or speaker rewrites or recasts a previous point in a different way. This is a useful rhetorical device for amplifying or emphasizing an important idea. If an audience...

The first two lines of The Speech to the Virginia Convention are: "Mr. President: No man thinks more highly than I do of the patriotism, as well as abilities of the very worthy gentlemen who have...

Patrick Henry's opening remarks help us understand what the previous speakers had said that day in 1775: "MR. PRESIDENT: No man thinks more highly than I do of the patriotism, as well as...

Patrick Henry strongly advocates for using physical force against England, declaring that, though we may prefer peace, "The war is actually begun!" already. He points out that men elsewhere in the...

"To Arms, To Arms," was the cry that apparently echoed through the audience after Henry's speech. Henry was able to articulate the deep seeded colonial rage that existed at the notion of British...

Not only did Patrick Henry structure his "Speech to the Virginia Convention" using the four parts of a classical argument, but he also used powerful rhetorical devices to persuade his listeners...

An inductive argument is a line of reasoning employed in order to show the likelihood of its outcome occurring. In this powerful speech, Patrick Henry is keen to prove that liberty is the most...

According to Patrick Henry, the colonists cannot lose because they are "armed in the holy cause of liberty" and the just God will preside over their destiny. Henry tells the convention that if...

Rhetorical questions are made to stress a point or create a dramatic effect rather than raise inquiries to be answered. They are commonly used in speeches and debates in the hope of inspiring...

Speakers use ethos to establish credibility, proving to the audience that they can be trusted. Patrick Henry does this in his “Speech to the Virginia Convention” when he notes that his “feet are...

Patrick Henry thinks that the colonists can be strong if they make good use of all of the talents and fortitude that God has given them. In his "Speech to the Virginia Convention," he says that...

In his "Speech to the Virginia Convention," Patrick Henry shares a number of his beliefs regarding the relationship between the 13 colonies and Great Britain. Henry also shares his belief that the...

In his speech in the Virginia Convention, Henry asks over twenty rhetorical questions. Rhetorical questions are meant to engage listeners and focus them on a point--to produce active listeners who...