Edmund Burke’s Metaphors of Conciliation

• In Event: Rhetorical Models of Democracy

Abstract

Edmund Burke crafted rhetorical metaphors of conciliation with the American Colonies, which he offered to a warmongering Parliament in the hopes of sustaining a lasting peace. An outspoken minority in the peace process, Burke's resounding metaphors defined the American spirit of freedom in a highly ethical and considerate manner. Though he could not ultimately reconstitute fraying ties, his metaphors deserve careful examination and analysis because he defended liberty that was not his own.

Author

• James Roberts, Oregon State Univ