The rhetorical device being used in the passage from "Common Sense" by Thomas Paine is a rhetorical question. The sentences pose questions that are meant to make a point rather than to elicit an answer, emphasizing the idea of self-protection and encouraging the audience to consider the implications of acting for themselves rather than for others.
Syntactical Devices Symbolism - an element that represents a different idea or theme Parallelism - one or more sentences with similar clauses, phrases, or grammatical structure Anaphora - the repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of a series of sentences Epistrophe - the repetition of a word or phrase at the end of a series of sentences Chiasmus - the repetition of a phrase in inverted order Syntax - sentence structure, length, and arrangement Diction - word choice, vocabulary Rhetorical Question - a question asked for impact or effect in proving a point What rhetorical device is being used in the following passage from "Common Sense" by Thomas Paine? "Wherefore, if we must hereafter protect ourselves, why not do it for ourselves? Why do it for another?" epistrophe rhetorical question diction
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