- An apostrophe is when the speaker detaches themselves from the audience and addresses the speech to a third party, such as an inanimate object. (Ex. “… an apostrophe to the moving multitude of ships…”)
2. To whom does Douglass address his apostrophe and for what purpose?
- Douglass addresses his apostrophe to the sailing ships in order to display a comparison between a slave’s perceptions on ships to a freeman’s. While it is appealing for a freeman to see a ship, it only evokes Douglass of the afflictions that slaves encountered.
3. What figures of speech and literary devices are used within the apostrophe?
- Personification (Ex: “…I would pour out my soul's complaint…”) (Ex: “My thoughts would compel utterance…”)