Rhetorical Devices in Speeches

Which of the following is an example of anaphora in King’s speech?

• A) “I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed.”

• B) “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.”

• C) “Let freedom ring from the mighty mountains of New York.”

• D) “With this faith, we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope.”

Tags

CCSS.L.9-10.5

What rhetorical device is used in the phrase “one hundred years later”?

• A) Metaphor

• B) Hyperbole

• C) Anaphora

• D) Antithesis

Identify the antithesis in the following excerpt: “I have a dream that one day… the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.”

• A) “I have a dream”

• B) “sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners”

• C) “sit down together”

• D) “table of brotherhood”

Tags

CCSS.L.9-10.5

CCSS.RL.9-10.4

Which of the following lines contains a metaphor?

• A) “I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted.”

• B) “This is our hope.”

• C) “Let freedom ring.”

• D) “We cannot walk alone.”

Tags

CCSS.L.9-10.5

CCSS.RL.9-10.4

What is the purpose of the rhetorical question in the speech: “When will you be satisfied?”

• A) To seek an answer from the audience

• B) To emphasize the ongoing struggle for equality

• C) To introduce a new topic

• D) To conclude the speech

Tags

CCSS.RI.9-10.6

CCSS.SL.9-10.3

Which of the following is an example of hyperbole in King’s speech?

• A) “I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up.”

• B) “We will not be satisfied until justice rolls down like waters and righteousness like a mighty stream.”

• C) “Let freedom ring from every hill and molehill of Mississippi.”

• D) “This is our hope.”

Tags

CCSS.L.9-10.5

CCSS.RL.9-10.4

CCSS.RI.9-10.4

What rhetorical device is used in the phrase “the fierce urgency of now”?

• A) Metaphor

• B) Hyperbole

• C) Anaphora

• D) Antithesis

Tags

CCSS.L.9-10.5

CCSS.L.9-10.5A

Identify the anaphora in the following excerpt: “Go back to Mississippi, go back to Alabama, go back to South Carolina, go back to Georgia, go back to Louisiana, go back to the slums and ghettos of our northern cities, knowing that somehow this situation can and will be changed.”

• A) “Go back to”

• B) “knowing that somehow”

• C) “this situation can and will be changed”

• D) “slums and ghettos”

Tags

CCSS.L.9-10.5

CCSS.RL.9-10.4

Which of the following lines contains an antithesis?

• A) “I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted.”

• B) “With this faith, we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood.”

• C) “Let freedom ring from the mighty mountains of New York.”

• D) “We cannot walk alone.”

What is the effect of the hyperbole in the phrase “justice rolls down like waters and righteousness like a mighty stream”?

• A) To create a vivid image of justice and righteousness

• B) To provide a literal description of a natural event

• C) To downplay the importance of justice

• D) To introduce a new topic

Tags

CCSS.L.9-10.5

CCSS.RL.9-10.4

CCSS.RI.9-10.4