What are the rhetorical elements?
Before we can answer the question we must first define and find out how to identify each of the rhetorical elements within the answer choices.
- Alliteration - The occurrence of a sound or letter in the beginning of connected words. E.g. I like chewy colorful candy.
- Simile - A comparison using the word "like" or "as" E.g. She was as strong as a rhino.
- Metaphor - A comparison that lacks the word "like" or "as" E.g. She is as strong as a rhino.
- Allusion - A meaningful reference that doesn't explicitly mention the reference. E.g. Someone going on a diet refers to chocolate as their kryptonite. Although it's not explicitly stated, they are referring to the movie superman, where kryptonite is superman's weakness. Here the author alludes to chocolate being their weakness or "kryptonite"
- Periodic sentences - A sentence where the main clause (independent clause) is at the end of the sentence. E.g. To prove that you can do what you say you are gonna do, that is truly amazing. Here, the main clause in bold is at the end of the sentence rather than the beginning of the sentence.
- Anaphora - The repetition of a word or phrase. E.g. In Martin Luther King Jr's speech I have a dream, the phrase "I have a dream" is repeated to create a more dramatic effect.
Using the definitions to identify the answer.
If we read the passage from the speech we can easily detect one of these rhetorical elements. Notice how the word "when" is the first word in every sentence. This is exactly what an anaphora is. The use of the word "when" creates a more dramatic tone and appeals to readers emotions.
The rhetorical element, periodic sentences, are also found within the passage. For example, in “When the New York Giants, a team you would give your right arm to beat, and vice versa, sends you a gift - that's something," the end of the sentence is the main clause of the sentence. It can make sense by itself and without it the other clause isn't complete.
Why the other answer choices are not correct.
Automatically, we could eliminate both answer choices a and b as nothing is being compared to in the passage. That would mean that there are no similes or metaphors so a and b cannot be correct.
The correct answer is C Periodic Sentences and Anaphora.