Parallelisim

In Jefferson’s Declaration of Independence parallelism is used increase clarity and readability as well as to lend emphasis when needed. These things, in conjunction further the author’s overall purpose of persuasion in regard to the freedom of the colonists. The most obvious example of parallelism in the document is when Jefferson begins a series of successive sentences with the same word, also known as anaphora.

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. — That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, — That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it…”

Initially anaphora is seen in the second paragraph as Jefferson describes the basic rights of man, as they should naturally occur, a vital piece of his argument. Establishing this will eventually lend veracity to the rest of his arguments. Here clauses all begin with the word “that” and therefore they lend emphasis to one another and display importance through repetition. Also the clauses are all about the same length and therefore well balanced. A paragraph that flows well (balanced) and contains repetition to reestablish important points is essential to a persuasive argument. Another example of anaphora is when things are listed towards the middle of the document. Sentences beginning with “He has” are all displaying different ideas but are all going towards furthering one point (Britain has provided enough grievances for independence) and therefore parallel structure, in the form of repetition, is used to increase the flow of the read and keep the reader focused. By expressing ideas in the same grammatical form Jefferson is acknowledging that they are of equal importance, this is necessary for establishing the grievances of the colonists.

“For quartering large bodies of armed troops among us: For protecting them, by a mock Trial from punishment for any Murders which they should commit on the Inhabitants of these States: For cutting off our Trade with all parts of the world: For imposing Taxes on us without our Consent: For depriving us in many cases, of the benefit of Trial by Jury: For transporting us beyond Seas to be tried for pretended offences:”

Jefferson continues to use parallelism as he segways into his next set of grievances. This set he begins with “for” and the power and speed of the document continues to build as sentences become shorter. These quick bursts captivate the reader’s attention and continue to keep focus. Then, after a long chain of similar structures Jefferson breaks the pattern with:

“He is at this time transporting large Armies of foreign Mercenaries to compleat the works of death, desolation, and tyranny, already begun with circumstances of Cruelty & Perfidy scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous ages, and totally unworthy the Head of a civilized nation.”

This is using parallel structure in a different way. By having many similar structures preceding this grievance the fact that it is not similar draws attention to it. The idea here is that Jefferson wanted to call attention to the time at hand as well as the past.

“And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes, and our sacred Honor.”

Fittingly the document is put to a close with parallel structure. “Our” is repeated several times at the end to enforce the most important point of all. No lone individual can succeed against the British Empire but only a united force has a chance. Convincing someone that they are not alone in their struggle or that they will not be alone in their rebellion is critical to the movement as a whole.

1. Why do you think Jefferson never directly mentions the King's name?