Comparing and Contrasting the Writing Styles of.
Jonathan Edwards and Patrick Henry as found in.
Edwards" Sermon Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God,.
and Henry's speech to the Virginia Convention.
Since the beginning of the colonization of America in the early sixteen hundreds,.
American literature has grown by leaps and bounds. No matter how exciting the future.
of American literature, it is always important to study the unique origins from which.
contemporary writers have evolved. Take, for instance, the origins of persuasive.
writing and speech. Almost all contemporary persuasive speech can be traced back to.
two people, Jonathan Edwards and Patrick Henry. Despite different religious.
philosophies and backgrounds, Jonathan Edwards and Patrick Henry shared many.
characteristics in their persuasive writing techniques; this included the use of.
metaphors and allusions, and the overall appeal to the audience's emotions.
One of the most fundamental elements of Edwards" sermon was the use of.
metaphors and allusions throughout the work. These elements greatly enhanced the.
persuasive effect it had over his audience. One metaphor Edwards used to illustrate.
the precariousness of the unregenerate Christians" situation, described "The bow of.
God's wrath is bent. justice bends the arrow at your heart. and it is nothing but the.
mere pleasure of God. that keeps the arrow one moment from being drunk with your.
blood" (Edwards 80-81). He also used the metaphor that described God as holding the.
unregenerate Christians over the pit of hell, ".much as one holds a spider, or some.
loathsome insect over the fire." (Edwards 81). One allusion Edwards used referred to .
".that lake of burning brimstone.", which was an allusion to hell (Edwards 80). Both.
the metaphors and allusions Edwards used in his sermon, Sinners in the Hands of an.
Angry God, aided greatly in making it an extremely persuasive work.
Much like Edwards, Henry also used various metaphors and allusions to aid in.
