Question

Action from principle, the perception and the performance of right, changes things and relations. . . . It not only divides States and churches, it divides families; ay, it divides the individual, separating the diabolical in him from the divine. Which of these rhetorical devices does Thoreau most clearly use here? A. Ethos B. Rhetorical question C. Metaphor D. Parallelism

Answer 1

Answer: D. Parallelism

Parallelism refers to one or more sentences that have a similar grammatical structure. It also refers to the use of similar components in these sentences. The sentences that employ parallelism tend to resemble each other in their construction, sound, meaning or meter. This is a common literary device because it increases the persuasiveness of a text. It also adds balance and rhythm.

Answer 2

I think the correct answer from the choices listed above is option D. The rhetorical device that Thoreau most clearly use here would be Parallelism. It is the use of components in a sentence that are grammatically the same; or similar in their construction, sound, meaning or meter. Hope this answers the question.