Abigail Adams Letter Rhetorical Analysis Essay

615 Words3 Pages

Abigail Adams writes to her son, John Quincy Adams, informing him of lessons to learn from and experiences to cherish. She implements metaphorical language, contrasting connotative word choices and structurally repetitive phrases into her letter to evoke an encouraging attitude toward John Quincy Adams during his trip with his father in order to express her hopes for a safe voyage. Mrs. Adams mentions an author telling her about how John was the “judicious traveller” running through a stream going “through rich veins of mineral” (Adams 3). She highlights his strengths by comparing him to nature, portraying him as the stream that gathers minerals, in which the minerals represent John improving his character through tribulations, opportunities, mistakes, and learning experiences. …show more content…

Her intentions to motivate him along his journey are prevalent through her integration of “wisdom and penetration” and “retirement and leisure” in paragraph four, deliberately juxtaposing the two phrases in the same sentence. She implies that John should not slack off and absorbs all the wisdom given to him during his travels. Moreover, the motherly feelings give way to a strict and concerning tone, a universal way mothers encourage their children. Additionally, “when a mind is raised” it does not lay “dormant”, rather it will “wake” the greatness destined to be waiting for John and everything he will be capable of doing. The choice of “dormant” and “wake” are contrasting in the effect that suggests no mobility or movement, compared to lucidness and mindfulness of