The Declaration of Independence

Thomas JeffersonNonfiction | Essay / Speech | Adult | Published in 1776

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Literary Devices

Metonymy

Metonymy is a type of metaphorical language in which an object is used to refer to another that is closely related to it. The term originates from a Greek phrase that means “change of name,” and the use of metonymy allows writers to shorten a longer term or simply avoid repetition. For example, a writer might refer to “the White House” rather than “the executive branch of the United States federal government.” The use of the White House conveys the same meaning but gives the reader something easier to visualize.

In the Declaration of Independence, the repeated use of “he” is a metonym for the King of Great Britain, which itself is a metonym for the government of Great Britain as a whole. Similarly, at the end of the text, the colonists absolve themselves of all Allegiance to the British “Crown,” another metonym for the British government. By using metonymy, Jefferson shortens the text while also creating clear images for the reader. Rather than railing against the government in the abstract, he makes the reader outraged at the abuses of one man, even when those abuses were committed by several men, including the British Parliament. This device stirs the emotions of the reader by making specific items and individuals stand for an entire system of government.

Juxtaposition

Juxtaposition is a literary device that highlights a contrast between two subjects or characters. Generally, a writer will place two characters or ideas side by side and let the reader see how they are different or similar. The effect of juxtaposition is that the readers can see contrast for themselves. Juxtaposition is used throughout the Declaration of Independence, although often implicitly rather than explicitly. The list of grievances, for instance, by listing what is tyrannical suggests that the colonists will create a government that is not tyrannical. If the king and his actions are bad, their opposite must be good.

Additionally, much of the text centers on the notion that Americans are separate from British subjects, as if to say that the colonies are already independent. Near the beginning of the Declaration, the signers refer to the king’s “Tyranny over these States” which implies that there is a difference between America and the other parts of Great Britain. The text also uses inclusive language throughout, using “we” and “us” to refer to the colonists and “they” and “them” to refer to the rest of Great Britain. The paragraph about attempts the colonists have made to appeal to “our British brethren” seems to imply a common identity. However, since other British subjects were “deaf” to the colonists’ complaints, the colonists must “hold them, as [they] hold the rest of mankind, Enemies in War, in Peace Friends.” The colonists’ belief in the existing separation from their supposed countrymen serves further to highlight the differences between the two nations and the naturalness of declaring independence.

Parallelism

Parallelism is the repeated use of similar words or grammatical structures in a text. The use of parallelism can help a reader understand contradictory terms or pick out the most important themes of a work. It also establishes a repetitive grammatical structure and lulls the reader into the rhythm of the text and, by extension, the argument.

The Declaration of Independence uses parallelism in several places. Individual sentences like “Our repeated Petitions have been answered only by repeated injury” and the long sentence that opens the second paragraph with its repeated use of “that” make use of parallelism by literally repeating the same word in the same place throughout a sentence. Similarly, the long list of grievances that makes up the middle section of the text is parallel in form. Each item in the list starts with “he has” or “for.” The repetition highlights the point that the king has abused his power and makes the reader feel almost dazed by the lyrical flow of the text. Parallelism also makes the list seem both unified and all encompassing. While one complaint could be dismissed, the sheer monotony of the parallel grievances makes the argument more powerful and persuasive.