Which of these rhetorical devices does thoreau use here
It does not keep the country free. It does not settle the West. It does not educate.
metaphor
rhyme
parallelism
similie
The rhetorical device used here by Thoreau is parallelism. This is seen in the repetition of the phrase "It does not" at the beginning of each sentence, emphasizing the lack of effectiveness of the mentioned actions.
In the given statement, Thoreau uses parallelism as a rhetorical device. Parallelism is the repetition of grammatical structures in successive clauses or sentences, and it is used here to emphasize the lack of positive outcomes resulting from a certain action or policy. Thoreau employs parallelism by repeating the phrase "It does not" at the beginning of each clause to emphasize the negative consequences of certain actions.
To determine which rhetorical device Thoreau uses in the given passage, let's break down the options and examine the passage closely.
1. Metaphor: A metaphor is a figure of speech that compares two things without using "like" or "as." It describes one thing as if it were another. In the given passage, there is no direct comparison being made between different things, so a metaphor is not present.
2. Rhyme: Rhyme refers to the repetition of similar sounds in words, usually occurring at the ends of lines in poetry or verses. There is no rhyme scheme evident in the passage, so rhyme is not being employed by Thoreau.
3. Parallelism: Parallelism is the repetition of similar grammatical structures or patterns within a sentence or among sentences. In the given passage, the repetition of the phrase "It does not" at the beginning of each sentence demonstrates parallelism. Thoreau is using this structure to emphasize the negative outcomes of the mentioned actions or events (keeping the country free, settling the West, and educating).
4. Simile: A simile is a figure of speech that compares two things using "like" or "as." In the passage, there are no explicit comparisons being made between different things, so a simile is not present.
Based on the analysis above, the rhetorical device used by Thoreau in the given passage is parallelism.