ipl-logo

Rhetorical Analysis Of Abigail Adams Letter To John Quincy Adams

592 Words3 Pages

Picture this: Your beloved spouse and son are traveling abroad on a year-long voyage. Your son had no interest in going, so you must draft a letter to convince him that it is worth the time. How would you approach this conundrum? In 1780, Abigail Adams write a letter to her son John Quincy Adams, who is traveling abroad with his father John Adams in France. Although John Quincy was hesitant to pursue this journey, Abigail eventually convinces him to proceed with the trip. In this 1780 letter, Abigail Adams not only commends John Quincy Adams for making the journey, but she also, through the utilization of rhetorical devices, such as allusions, metaphors, and antitheses, is able to advise her son on said journey. To begin, Abigail Adams enforces an extended metaphor by comparing her son’s travels to a flowing river. She reasons that the further from the source a river flows, the greater the amount of riches that will be acquired. By colliding these two contrasting concepts, Abigail Adams encourages John Quincy Adams through the idea that he’ll be awarded upon completion. If …show more content…

“Would Cicero have shone so distinguished an orator if he had not been roused, kindled, and inflamed by the tyranny of Catiline, Verres, and Mark Anthony?” As stated above, this allusion within the rhetorical question alludes to the events that occurred in the Roman Empire. During the Empire, the leader Cicero overthrew the tyrannic government led by the aforementioned Catiline, Verres, and Mark Antony. In other words, Adams projects the idea that strong leaders and public figures are only created after they experience times of anguish and struggle. By emphasizing this point, Abigail Adams, again, is able to inspire John Quincy Adams by almost incentivizing him to continue his voyage with the idea that he’ll be rewarded for completing

Show More
Related

Rhetorical Analysis Of Mary Ewald's Letter To Thomas

86 Words | 1 Pages

In the year of 1990 Mary Ewald, a concerned mother, wrote a letter to Iraqi president pleading for the return and release of her son Thomas. Throughout her letter Mary Ewald uses several rhetorical devices. Ewald makes appeals to ethos by stating she and her husbands credentials, she evokes emotion by discussing religion and her son, and she provides logical evidence with detail. Even though the mother is emotional she is able to write with intelligent diction and doesn't reveal a pleading tone until the

Read More

Abigail Adams Advice Rhetorical Devices

598 Words | 3 Pages

The meaning behind a mother’s advice to her children should be taken to heart. Despite John Quincy Adams’ young age, Abigail Adams presents him didactic advice to assist him in his future endeavors. Abigail Adams employs various rhetorical devices to support and expound on her advice; she tells John Quincy Adams to not waste the advantages he was doled in life and mentions how wisdom lies in experience thought the implementation of personification, extended metaphor, maternalistic diction, and allusion. Abigail Adams advice focused on John Quincy Adams applying himself and emphasized how he must take advantage of the privileges he has received.

Read More

Abigail Adams Letter Rhetorical Analysis Essay

615 Words | 3 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.

Read More

Rhetorical Analysis: John Quincy Adams

440 Words | 2 Pages

Building a new country takes bravery and courage. In this time period (when the U.S. was very trying to stand on its own) many famous political figures helped organize and support our country. One man was John Quincy Adams and he was going to be the president. He did not always possess the strength needed to keep our country going, but some great advice from his mom, Abigail Adams, helped. Adams used many rhetorical devices in her letter to her son to explain how trials and struggles can mold a man into a hero.

Read More

Abigail Adams My Dear Son Rhetorical Analysis

446 Words | 2 Pages

In 1780, eight years before the creation of the Constitution, Abigail Adams writes to her son John Quincy Adams, using many different rhetorical devices to advise him throughout his voyage across seas. As a mother, Adams’s concerns and prospects for the future are expressed to her son, who is growing old enough to begin to apply his own intelligence to the world. Mothers have always shared a similarity that is rooted in their compassion and tendencies to protect their children, and Adams is no different. Adams encourages her son through a series of rhetorical techniques. First, she displays her absolute love for him, using the phrase “my dear son” throughout the letter to continually show him that she is not scolding him; rather, she is trying to exhibit to him how much he means to her.

Read More

Analysis Of Letter To Her Daughter From The New White House By Abigail Adams

296 Words | 2 Pages

Abigail Adams likes the new surroundings and is maybe a bit overwhelmed. I know this because she says that the place is grand. In the text "Letter to Her Daughter from the New White House" it states, "The house is upon a grand and superb scale, requiring about thirty servants to attend and keep the apartments in proper order, and perform the ordinary business of the house and stable; and establishment very well proportioned to the President's salary. " This shows that Abigail Adams likes the new surroundings and maybe a bit overwhelmed because she says it's grand and superb which is words you would only use if you thought something was expensive or beautiful or something like that, and also she mentions thirty servants who keep the apartments

Read More

Analysis Of Letter To Her Son By John Quincy Adams

812 Words | 4 Pages

Every mother wants what the best for her child, even if that child may not believe so. In her letter to her son, John Quincy Adams, Abigail Adams addresses him during his travels in France and defends the rationale of her previous advice while providing her new advice, and partly demands, on the subjects of honor and duty. Abigail Adams uses emotional appeals in the form of personal repetition, flattering metaphors, and prideful personification in order to advise and persuade her son in his personal growth and appeal to his personal qualities, such as pride of honesty and knowledge, to spur his ambitions and actions. To start off the letter, after greeting him and explaining the occasion of her writing, Abigail uses personal repetition with the word “your,” before qualities and events with a positive connotation to appeal to John’s pride and leave him open to listen to more of her her advice, as she already successfully advised him in his trip to France. In only the second sentence of the letter, Abigail already throws in that her advice is, to John, “for your own benefit,” (5) later she speaks of, once again to John, “your knowledge,” (11) and finally, “your understanding,” (14).

Read More

Analysis Of Excerpts From Letters To John Adams By Abigail Adams

316 Words | 2 Pages

Being considerate of others is very important in throughout life. It is something that has existed in history since the beginning of time, and the article “Abigail Adams, Excerpts From Letters to John Adams about the Battle of Bunker Hill and Conditions in Boston” shows the way colonists were very considerate of each other. Abigail writes letters to her husband to let him know that she is okay so that he does not worry about her; she was being very considerate of him because during that time, war was taking place and she was letting him know that she was safe so that he would not worry about her well-being. She also shows herself very brave in her letters in order to make him feel that she is not going through as much difficult times as one

Read More

Abigail Adams Letter To My Son Analysis

604 Words | 3 Pages

Abigail states "Would Cicero have shone so distinguished an orator if her had not been roused, kindled, and enflamed in tyranny of catline, vernes and Mark Antony?". In this allusion she makes a reference to her son, indicating that if he is never aroused and pushed, then he will never know his full potential. This is also a rhetorical question asking John if he is willing to rise to the challenge of new experiences. Abigail Adams also alludes to the examples of her husband, who shares a large interest in politics. She references him saying " Nor it ought to be one at the least of your excitement toward exerting every power and faculty of your mind, that you have a parent who takes to large and active share in contest.".

Read More

Rhetorical Analysis Of Abigail Adams Letter To My Son

393 Words | 2 Pages

Abigail Adams is writing a letter to her son, John Quincy Adams. In this letter Adams is informing her son that he should use his wisdom and knowledge to help him throughout his trip abroad he is taking with his father, John Adams. Also known as the second president of the United States. Adams uses comparisons and pathos to encourage and advise her son while he is traveling abroad with his father. Adams establishes authority by using pathos throughout her letter.

Read More

Abigail Adams Letter To Her Son Rhetorical Analysis

515 Words | 3 Pages

The newly established land of America was attempting to break away from the mother country, England, to become the independent land that we know as the United States. The letter by Abigail Adam was written to her beloved son whom was traveling abroad with his father. Throughout the letter, Adams uses inspiring diction, allusions to historical figures, and well timed metaphors to encourage her son to be resilient and not shy away from any challenges that may face him. In the letter, Adams compares her son to other great leaders using allusions and metaphors.

Read More

Abigail Adams Letter To Her Son Analysis

664 Words | 3 Pages

Abigail Adams in the letter to her son, John Quincy Adams, suggests that he be brave and a great man. Adams supports her suggestion to John by explaining what he should do and that he should be strong, mentally, on the trip. The authors purpose is to encourage the son to be a strong man in order to last on the trip, do honor to their country, and become a great man in the future. The author writes in an inspirational tone for her son John Quincy Adams. She incorporates many different literary techniques in order to get the mood and tone across to her son.

Read More

A Rhetorical Analysis Of Abigail Adams Letter To John Quincy Adams

678 Words | 3 Pages

Abigail uses an Allusion about Cicero, and she knows her audience and she knows that her son will understand the meaning behind this allusion. The allusion was about Cicero, Catiline, Verres, and Mark Antony and the troubles that they faced. She uses this Allusion as an example of overcoming hardship, she then explains that even though that these great men had hardships they overcame them, and became who they are because of those hardships. She is trying to show how this voyage may look like a bad situation, but really it will help him in the future. She then also goes on to say “..wisdom and penetration are the fruit of experience…”(lines 35 and 36).

Read More

Rhetorical Analysis Of Abagail Adams Letter To Her Son

452 Words | 2 Pages

Abagail Adams wrote a letter to her son, John Adams, who is traveling abroad with his father. Abigail Adams, who was a women back then during the Revolutionary War, didn’t have much political rights. Adams was huge in politics and so was her son, second president of the United States. Adam's uses rhetorical devices to advice her son that he is the only person that can control his future and he must know how to pull through difficulty when it's being tested. To advice her son about this, she uses many rhetorical strategies.

Read More

Rhetorical Analysis Of Susan B. Anthony's Speech

991 Words | 4 Pages

For a very long time, the voting rights of the citizens have been a problem in the US. It started out with only men with land being able to vote, and then expanded to white men, and then to all men. However, women were never in the situation, they were disregarded and believed to not be worthy enough to have the same rights as men. They were essentially being treated as property, therefore having no rights. But, in Susan B. Anthony’s speech, she hits upon the point that women are just as righteous as men.

Read More

More about Rhetorical Analysis Of Abigail Adams Letter To John Quincy Adams

Related Topics

Open Document