Evaluating the Use of Rhetoric

Question 1 • IA-English Language Arts 11 A

Which excerpt from the text contains an example of antithesis?

Answer

“That standard is now unfurled; and long may it float, unhurt by the spoliations of time or the missiles of a desperate foe . . .”

“I deem the publication of my original Prospectus unnecessary, as it has obtained a wide circulation.”

“The apathy of the people is enough to make every statue leap from its pedestal, and to hasten the resurrection of the dead.”

“. . . not perniciously, but beneficially—not as a curse, but as a blessing; and posterity will bear testimony that I was right.”

Explanation

Antithesis places contrasting ideas in a balanced structure to emphasize their difference. Choice D contrasts “perniciously” with “beneficially” and “a curse” with “a blessing,” using parallel phrasing to sharpen the oppositions. The other excerpts do not set up contrasting ideas in this way.

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