Question

we watch and we hope as we see positive changes taking place. there are some, i know, in your society who fear that change will bring only disruption and discontinuity, who fear to embrace the hope of the future - sometimes it takes faith.... but change would not mean rejection of the past. like a tree growing strong through the seasons, rooted in the earth and drawing life from the sun, so, too, positive change must be rooted in traditional values. - address at moscow state university ronald reagan what type of rhetorical device does reagan use in this passage? what is the effect of the rhetorical device?

Explanation:

• Rhetorical Device: Reagan uses a metaphor. He compares positive change to a tree growing strong through the seasons, rooted in the Earth and drawing life from the sun. A metaphor is a figure of speech that makes an implicit, implied, or hidden comparison between two things that are unrelated but share some common characteristics.
• Effect of the Rhetorical Device: The metaphor makes the concept of positive change more vivid and understandable. It helps the audience visualize change as something natural (like a tree's growth), stable (rooted in the Earth, which can represent traditional values here), and life - giving (drawing life from the sun). It also softens the fear some might have about change by presenting it as a natural and positive process, similar to a tree's healthy development.

Answer:

• Rhetorical Device: Metaphor
• Effect of the Rhetorical Device: It makes the concept of positive change vivid, understandable, and presents it as a natural, stable, and life - giving process, reducing fear associated with change.