I have to analyze for rhetoric devices: The Speech at the Red Army Parade on the Red Square written and presented by Joseph Stalin on November 7,...

Joseph Stalin was a Soviet political leader when he delivered his speech at the Red Army parade. He used rhetorical devices like anaphora, metaphor, allusion, and hypophora to connect with his crowd and influence it to his way of thinking. 

Anaphora is the repetition of a word or phrase multiple times in close phrases. It helps emphasize a point or drive it home to the audience. Stalin uses this when he repeats the word Germany or German multiple times in one statement. He says:

• If one judges, not by the boastful assertions of the German propagandists, but by the actual position of Germany, it will not be difficult to understand that the German-fascist invaders are facing disaster. Hunger and impoverishment reign in Germany to-day; in four months of war Germany has lost four and a half million men; Germany is bleeding, her reserves of man-power are giving out, the spirit of indignation is spreading not only among the peoples of Europe who have fallen under the yoke of the German invaders but also among the German people themselves, who see no end to war. The German invaders are straining their last efforts. There is no doubt that Germany cannot sustain such a strain for long. Another few months, another half-year, perhaps another year, and Hitlerite Germany must burst under the pressure of her crimes.

Like most rhetorical devices, it calls a listener to identify with his position and also makes it a more eloquent statement. He also uses the phrase "German invaders" many times throughout his speech.

Metaphor is a comparison made between two things. Stalin uses this to equate the enemy of Russia to the devil, saying:

• The enemy is not so strong as some frightened little intellectuals picture him. The devil is not so terrible as he is painted.

Metaphors—like similies—can help a person contextualize an idea. We know the devil is bad. The enemy is like the devil: bad and necessary to fight against.

Allusion is an indirect reference, often to an event, a book, or a human being. Stalin makes several throughout his speech. For example:

• In the fire of war we forged the Red Army and converted our country into a military camp. The spirit of the great Lenin animated us at that time for the war against the interventionists. 

This references the past in Russia and refers in a broad sense to the Red Army created by Lenin during his time in office. It could have been used to help inflame patriotism in the listeners who were proud of their country's past. Stalin also makes reference to the "spirit of the great Lenin" two other times in his speech.

Hypophora occurs when a speaker asks a question and then immediately answers it. Stalin does this a couple times:

• And what happened? We routed the interventionists, recovered all our lost territory, and achieved victory.


• Who can deny that our Red Army has more than once put the vaunted German troops to panic flight? If one judges, not by the boastful assertions of the German propagandists, but by the actual position of Germany, it will not be difficult to understand that the German-fascist invaders are facing disaster.

Hypophoras lead a listener to feel that they have had their own question answered. A person hears the question, has the thought, and before they can evaluate the evidence and answer—the speaker provides a response.

Stalin used these rhetorical devices to help inflame and further control his listeners. Many dictators throughout history use the same rhetorical devices to deliver strong speeches that electrify crowds.