Answer: Try this, but don't copy and paste this word for word unless you want to fail :P
During the time when slavery divided the United States, there were many abolitionists who fought against the unfair, inhumane and immoral treatment of human beings. One of whom was Maria W. Stewart, an African American educator and writer. In 1832, she gave a lecture in Boston, Massachusetts speaking against the institution of slavery. In her lecture, Stewart effectively uses metaphors and diction to convey her reasons why she would rather choose death than to be a lifelong slave.
Metaphorically, Stewart insists that being a lifelong slave is likened to a barren mind, and the “scorching sands of Arabia, [which] produces nothing; or, like the uncultivated soil, brings forth thorns and thistles” (line 41). Essentially, Stewart implies that slavery is soul-draining, because slaves are expected to obey without question and endure cruel treatments. Slaves have no opportunity to grow and enjoy simple qualities of life, because it is expected that they understand their place at the bottom of the social hierarchy.
Stewart’s word choice also describes the hardships of slavery, and paints a depressing picture of life in slavery. She explains that “Continual hard labor irritates our tempers and sours our dispositions; the whole system becomes worn out with toil and fatigue; nature herself becomes almost exhausted” (line 44). Using words such as “toil”, “fatigue”, and “exhausted” brings to light the fact that slavery is a depressing experience, much to the disbelief of whites, who believed that slavery was humane and a pleasant experience.
Diction and metaphors were the basis of Stewart’s rhetorical strategy. Her message provided a better understanding of the necessity for reform and racial equality, a need that supplied the impetus for Stewart's rhetoric. Her lecture helped support her stance on slavery and, as a black woman, earn the respect that all people deserve.