And what have we to oppose them? Shall we try argument? Sir, we have been trying that for the last ten years. Have we anything new to offer upon the subject? Nothing. We have held the subject up in every light of which it is capable; but it has been all in vain. . . . We have petitioned, we have remonstrated; we have supplicated; we have prostrated ourselves before the throne, and have implored its interposition to arrest the tyrannical hands of the ministry and the Parliament.

Question

1. Give an example of a rhetorical question from the excerpt.

2. Give an example of restatement from the excerpt.
3. Is parallelism used in the above excerpt? Explain.

Answer 1

1. An example of a rhetorical question from the excerpt is: "And what have we to oppose them?"

2. An example of restatement from the excerpt is found in the phrases “we have petitioned,” “we have remonstrated,” “we have supplicated,” and “we have prostrated ourselves before the throne.” These expressions reiterate the various forms of appeals made to the authorities, emphasizing the effort that has been made repeatedly.

3. Yes, parallelism is used in the excerpt. This is evident in the repeated structure of the phrases that begin with "we have," which creates a rhythm and reinforces the sense of frustration and futility in their attempts. The parallel structure emphasizes the different methods of appeal and unifies them as part of the same struggle against oppression.