Examples Of Syntax In Frederick Douglass

In this passage from the 1845 autobiography, Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, Douglass's preaches the vile cruelty of slavery, and the power dreams can have on a slave through the contradiction in syntax and figurative language between the third paragraph and rest of the passage serves. Douglass wants to appeal to their humanity, the difference between man and beast, and the difference between white and black. Frederick Douglass is known for his eloquent writing, but he can also change his style in the blink of an eye to convey a powerful message or a contradiction. An expert in syntax, can cleverly lead someone into a hidden message in the text which can be simply deduced through the sentence structure. In the passage, aside from paragraph 3, Douglass uses relatively normal length sentences that are commonly connected with non-fiction writing. This sets up a relatively bland, simple tone for the
In paragraph 3, he takes on a lamenting tone, a mournful tone that sings of the cruelty of slavery and the distant dream of freedom. His sentences become shorter and more impassioned showing his increase in emotional output and pouring out of his deepest pains into these sentences. Also, the punctuation transforms from the blais period, which conveys little to nothing, to an exclamation point. Douglass has coaxed his audience into a stupor and blow them away with the power and emotion he places behind every short, crisp, emotional sentence. The litany of pauses also creates a greater atmosphere within the narrative. In Martin Luther King's I have a dream speech, his pauses allowed for anticipation to rise and caused a huge undertow of enthusiasm at every pause. Both men are excellent speakers, who are fighting for the freedom of their people, and