Literary Devices In The Declaration Of Independence

The Declaration of Independence is an important document in the history of the United States of America. The Declaration of Independence was drafted by Thomas Jefferson, who was nominated by peers such as John Adams, and was edited by the Congress to then be adopted on July 4, 1776. The goal of this document, at the time, was “to dissolve the political bands” that Britain, ruled by King George III, had on the colonies of America (Jefferson 340). Although the Declaration of Independence is a powerful document, it is important to identify the use of literary devices within, that aid in its supremacy.

Within the document, it is certain that King George III, was an unjust and tyrannical king. Thomas Jefferson carefully chose his words (diction)

to prove that these actions were cause enough for America to want independence from Britain. The statement made by Jefferson, “To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world” (Jefferson 341), Stephen E. Lucas explains “ the implication is that any such reader will see the “facts” as demonstrating beyond doubt that the king has sought to establish an absolute tyranny in America” (Lucas 5). This critical diction is to depict the rough actions of King George III. In the depiction of the war grievances, Jefferson uses verbs such as, “plundered,” “ravaged,” and “burnt” which are described by Lucas as “emotionally charged” (Lucas 6). Lucas talks about their placement within the Declaration of Independence being “vital to its rhetorical strategy” and the war grievances following the “abuses” and “usurpations” due to them being the last to occur from the behavior of the king. It is also important to note the importance of the “repeated petitions” that are said to be ignored or answered in “injury”. Jefferson makes claim that although it has been brought to the attention of the king repeated times, the king only answers in “injury” of America’s people. Jefferson says, “A prince whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a tyrant is unfit to be the ruler of a free people” (Jefferson 343).
The Declaration of Independence, when read aloud, does seem to repeat itself and this is one of the reasons it has so much power within.

It is important to bring to light the reasons for such repetition. Lucas states, “Each word it chosen and placed to achieve maximum impact” (Lucas 2). The list of charges against King George is surprisingly nonviolent in that “the tone of the works selected to address certain subjects constitutes a meaningful indication of the elevated moral character of the authors and their audience and, as such, is as much an intended teaching of the written work as are the subjects addressed” (Sorenson 223). Even though the king is unjust and cruel, Mr. Jefferson remains reserved in his choice of words as to not disrupt “elevated and refined moral sensibilities of the authors and the audience” says Sorenson (223). Alliteration in the piece including “British brethren”, “time to time,” “common kindred” etc. is “fortified by the heavy repetition of medial and terminal consonants” and “contributes greatly to harmony, cadence and eloquence of the Declaration” (Lucas7). Repetition plays a large role in making the Declaration easy to read and helps with the flow of verbiage giving the power not to the document itself, but to Mr. Jefferson and the skill of

penmanship.
Lastly, it is important to look into the paradox of the “pursuit of happiness” (Jefferson 340). Jon Mecham states, “Strictly personal happiness has its own paradoxes. Experience teaches us that the more aggressively we pursue it, the harder it can be to find” (Mecham 2). Jefferson believed this to be the one of the fundamental rights of men. This adds power to the Declaration of Independence by giving the reader something to hold on to in the actual pursuit of independence. By having the right to pursue one’s own happiness, whatever it may be, would make any man’s life in America worth living. To reject this thought, “The ultimate practical result is the inability to reasonable defend, in principle and therefore in practice, against political tyranny” (Sorenson 223). The pursuit of happiness is much more than the happiness of one individual. “It was an ultimate good, worth seeking for its own sake” (Mecham 2).
To conclude, The Declaration of Independence plays many roles in its main goal in separation from the tyranny of Britain. Thomas Jefferson took pen to parchment to speak for America as a whole and to release hold from the cruel King George III. The Founding Fathers wanted to create a place where people were free to do what they want and to pursue their dreams and did so by creating a skillfully crafted document in The Declaration of Independence.