27 pages • 54 minutes read
Cross of Gold
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Literary Devices
Figurative Language
The most common device in “Cross of Gold” is figurative language, or phrasing that takes on meaning beyond the literal definition of the words. Most of Bryan’s figurative language uses are allusions. He relies on his audience’s knowledge of outside sources such as Christian symbolism. The title of the speech, “Cross of Gold,” comes from the last line of the speech where he says that his political opponents “shall not crucify mankind on a cross of gold” (206), thus comparing the working class to Jesus. Bryan also incorporates metaphors into the speech. He often references historical figures as well such as his extended comparison between McKinley and Napoleon. Bryan implies that McKinley’s popularity is waning as did Napoleons, saying, “He can hear with ever increasing distinctness the sound of the waves as they beat upon the lonely shores of St. Helena” (204). He references the island where Napoleon was exiled after his loss at the Battle of Waterloo and where he later died.
Parallelism
Bryan makes frequent use of parallelism to emphasize his ideas. Parallelism refers to the use of syntactically coordinated words, phrases, clauses, sentences, or paragraphs to emphasize meanings and point out relationships. One example comes from his discussion of the definition of “businessman.” Each example incorporates the phrase “as much a businessman as” (for example: “the farmer who goes forth in the morning and toils all day” and “the man who goes upon the Board of Trade and bets upon the price of grain”) (200). This repeated use of the phrase creates a rhythm to his argument and highlights the similarity between the rural and privileged populations. He also uses parallelism when he says he is speaking for these rural “businessmen.” He says, “we have petitioned”, “we have entreated”, and “we have begged” (200). He uses the repeated “we have” to create his rhythm and escalates the intensity of the verb used to describe the action. This emphasizes how long this fight has gone on and how it continues to remain unfinished.
Rebuttal
Bryan crafts the middle part of the speech into a series of rebuttals. He presents the arguments of his opponents before pointing out the problems with their claims. While the rest of the speech contains appeals to the audience’s emotions, these sections emphasize reason and argumentation. He raises the counterarguments based on what the other person or persons said before. One example is in response to the previous speakers’ concerns about the income tax. The argument, he says, is that “they tell us that the income tax ought not to be brought in here” and “they say we passed an unconstitutional law” (203). Bryan rebuts this claim, saying, “The income tax was not unconstitutional when it was passed […] It did not become unconstitutional until one judge changed his mind; and we cannot be expected to know when a judge will change his mind” (203). He argues against all the points raised by the gold-supporting democrats and by McKinley in this fashion by repeating their arguments and providing direct counterpoints.
Pathos
In combination with his logical appeals, Bryan makes use of pathos, a rhetorical element that appeals to the audience’s emotions. Many of the delegates were already on the side of bimetallism. The speech does not attempt to change their minds. Instead, he used a combination of striking images and emotionally charged language to engage them and make them rally behind him. One way he employs pathos is through his depiction of the rural people, as when he says, “[W]e say not one word against those who live upon the Atlantic Coast; but those hardy pioneers who braved all the dangers of the wilderness […] are as deserving of the consideration of this party as any people in this country” (200). He uses pathos in his conclusion when he says that allowing the supporters of gold to bow to the standards of international trade “is the issue of 1776 over again” (206). His mention of the American Revolution is intended to rile up the audience by appealing to their history.
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