- Metaphors: Douglass frequently uses metaphors to compare one thing to another in a way that creates a powerful and memorable image. For example, in his famous speech "What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?", he compares the celebration of Independence Day to a "farce" and a "mockery" for slaves who continue to be oppressed.
- Similes: Douglass also uses similes to make comparisons between two things, but in a way that highlights their similarity rather than their identity. For example, he describes slavery as "the iron chain of slavery," which emphasizes the strength and constricting nature of slavery.
- Personification: Douglass uses personification to give human qualities to inanimate objects or abstract concepts. For example, in his speech "The Meaning of July Fourth for the Negro," he refers to the Constitution as a "glorious liberty document," which gives the document a sense of agency and importance.
- Hyperbole: Douglass sometimes uses hyperbole, or exaggeration, to emphasize a point or create a sense of urgency. For example, in his speech "The Fugitive Slave Law," he describes the law as "the most atrocious enactment that ever disgraced the statute-book of any nation," which conveys the intensity of his opposition to it.
- Irony: Douglass also uses irony in his speeches and writings, often to highlight the contradictions and hypocrisies of slavery and racial discrimination. For example, he points out that the Fourth of July, a holiday that celebrates freedom and equality, is not experienced as such by slaves.