...Analysis: The Gettysburg Address One of the greatest and memorable battles in the American Civil War in the 1860s is called The Battle of Gettysburg. Over 8000 soldiers died and were buried in temporary graves without any dignity. That’s why they were reburied at the Gettysburg National Cemetery in July 1863. Edward Everett the main orator, orated for 2 hours at the dedication of the cemetery and reflected all of the details of the battle, whereas President Abraham Lincoln held a very short speech within 2 minutes, which today is the most memorable speech in the world. Its structure and message is so striking and timeless that even students at high schools have to learn it by heart. He starts his speech at the very first beginning, namely when the United States were found in 1776 with the Declaration of Independence, which he even quotes saying “that all men are created equal”. This gives his speech a good basic and foundation to rely on and picks up the idea of a great, equal nation, that contradicts by having fought such a war. However that may be, by saying they were all created equal he honors the fallen soldiers, as they honored this value as well and died for it. So you might say the civil war was fought to secure the American values such as freedom and equality. After that he goes on with talking about the present. He perceives the civil war as being a test “whether that nation can long endure”. And for him it seems like we passed the test, as many soldiers gave up...
Words: 609 - Pages: 3
...Rhetoric Essay In Abraham Lincoln’s speech, The Gettysburg Address,he inspires morale and motivation to the Union soldiers through the use of rhetorical devices such as diction, repetition, ethos, and concession. Lincoln in two to three minutes managed to honor those who had fallen, justify the reasons behind the Civil war, establish the principles upon this nation was founded upon, and influenced soldiers to finish what they have started. To bring unity between the North and South and most importantly to abolish the practice of slavery. Lincoln commences his speech by reminding the audience of the founding fathers vision referencing to the Declaration of Independence, “Fourscore and seven years ago”. Lincoln’s choice of diction portrays him as intelligent and knowledgeable, which asserts his ethos,in result an authoritative ambiance. He then goes on to say “our fathers brought forth on this continent a new nation”, adopting a less intimidating tone through the use of concession. Aware of the fact that the best way to connect with an audience is to have something in common. “Our fathers”, demonstrates diction being used to establish trust and unity between the audience and Lincoln. He then continues to say “brought forth on this continent a new nation”,which intensifies how this nation was conceived through the use of repetition. “Conceived in liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal”, Lincoln lays the foundation for his future statement...
Words: 260 - Pages: 2
...Abraham Lincoln’s “Gettysburg Address” has a strong and lasting influence on all those in attendance, including the friends and families of those who perished in the onslaught that occurred at Gettysburg. Lincoln memorialized those who lost their lives in the battle, while instilling a passion in the hearts of the remaining soldiers. Lincoln used pathos, repetition, and balanced phrasing to help him achieve his purpose. Many examples of emotional appeal can be found in the lines of the “Gettysburg Address.” Lincoln opens his speech by mentioning the ideals upon which this country was created. This reminded the audience of the freedom received with the writing of the “Declaration of Independence” and of victory over a conflicting power. Lincoln states “The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here.” This statement immortalizes the sacrifices that the fallen soldiers made and reminds the audience their loved ones died for a cause and their sacrifices will never be forgotten. Lincoln uses repetition throughout his speech for effect. Lincoln states that “we can not dedicate—we can not consecrate—we can not hallow—this ground.” Even though the words that he uses are synonymous, the repetition allows Lincoln to strengthen his point, that the sacrifice these men made vastly outweighs mere words alone. In the final sentence, Lincoln proclaims “that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom—and that government...
Words: 456 - Pages: 2
...“All men are created equal.” These are the five words Abraham Lincoln, the 16th President of the United States wanted to justify in his 1863 Gettysburg Address. With Lincoln's strong use of persuasive language, this speech changed the tide of the Civil War, and left a monumental stamp on American history. This use of hearty language, was presented in the form of structure, tone, allusion, figurative language, and diction. With these devices, Lincoln made sure to commemorate the lives lost in the Battle of Gettysburg and to legitimize that each citizen, dead or alive, is equally important to the progression of a better United States. To commence, Lincoln presents a sense of togetherness through the form of diction. In his speech, he refers...
Words: 383 - Pages: 2
... "The Gettysburg Address", the utilization of alliteration, repetion, and parallelism is examplified. Abraham Lincoln utilizes these rhetorical devices in order to honor the lives that were lost during the great battle of the Civil War and the importance of maintaining a nation that was conceived in liberty and equality. In the address, Abraham Lincoln exercises alliteration. By using alliteration he is able to obtain the audience's attention. Abraham Lincoln said, "Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation, conceived in Liberty and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal." By Abraham Lincoln repeating the use of the letter 'f' and the sound,...
Words: 413 - Pages: 2
...On November 19, 1863, four and a half months after the Confederacy lost to the Union at the Battle of Gettysburg, Abraham Lincoln delivered the Gettysburg Address. The speech was initially intended to honor fallen soldiers but became one of the most important, influential and famous speeches because of his patriotic emphasis. I choose to analyze this text as I feel Lincoln captured the ideals of the Declaration of Independence as well as the essence of America life. In my opinion, it is advice we need to consider in our present day. Lincoln hoped to provide a new perspective on the war as well as a reason to continue fighting for the cause. In addition, he was able to redirect a war concerned only with states’ rights to the broader humanitarian...
Words: 690 - Pages: 3
...Following the mass destruction of life on both the Union and Confederate sides of the Civil War, President Lincoln addressed thousands to dedicate a cemetery at the location of the Battle of Gettysburg to the men who fought there for freedom and equality. He utilizes parallelism syntax and asyndeton to urge his audiences to honor the sacrifices made by the fallen and to fight for the core values America was founded upon. To begin his argument, Lincoln has audiences acknowledge the monumental legacy Union soldiers have left for the living to carry on. He notes that the grounds of the Battle of Gettysburg cannot be affected by people living in the present, “…we cannot dedicate, we cannot consecrate, we cannot hallow this ground.” His words show...
Words: 534 - Pages: 3
...The Gettysburg Address is an important document portraying a significant event in American history. Lincoln uses techniques such as historical context, author's purpose, semantics, word choice, and audience response to develop his ideas proficiently. The Gettysburg Address was written by,” Abraham Lincoln,” while they were, “engaged in a great civil war.” It was written to honor those who had fallen and inspire those who were still going to fight, "It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced." It was written after the Gettysburg battle which was a turning point of the war. The North wanted the slaves to be free too, "shall have a new birth of freedom," and...
Words: 563 - Pages: 3
...Lincoln Analysis Lincoln was a righteous man who was very passionate about his ideals. He was passionate about abolishing slavery. His passion was shown through his words. He was a righteous man, he believed in equality for everyone. Looking back in history, many people refer to Abraham Lincoln as "honest Abe". He was truly one of the greatest leaders this nation had. Part of what made him such an incredible leader was his way of presenting himself. When Lincoln spoke, he always painted a picture with his words. He was a very good story teller. He did not use overly fancy words, he chose his words carefully and made sure that anyone of any education level could understand what he was saying. Another aspect that made Abraham an effective speaker is the length of his speeches. Lincoln did not bore his audience with two hour long speeches; he gave very brief but powerful and effective speeches. Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address is a very memorable speech. The speech’s opening, “fore score and seven years ago…” is a very poetic and eloquent way to start a speech. It is more interesting way of saying 87 years ago. He strikes a chord with his words when he is talking about those who have passed; by saying they essentially gave their lives so that our nation can live. In this specific speech, he repeats the words “we” which is him showing the nation that we all stand together. His repetition is so subtle that the audience does not realize he is doing it. In the Gettysburg address, Lincoln...
Words: 832 - Pages: 4
...Lincoln incorporates Pathos, Ethos, and Logos in the Gettysburg Address by grasping onto the soldiers’ emotions and motivating them to continue to fight for their fallen brothers. The Gettysburg Address appeals to the soldiers’ emotions and intellect while it appeals to Lincoln’s credibility. Lincoln states “It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us.” He instills the emotion of empowerment into the soldiers by inspiring the men to finish the war for their dead comrades. The speech empowers the soldiers because Lincoln wants his men aggressive and ready to fight. Lincoln is the president of the United States, and he shows credibility by proclaiming his gratitude towards his men. He wants his men to be cared...
Words: 311 - Pages: 2
...An Analysis of Longfellow's A Psalm of Life Henry Wadsworth Longfellow begins his poem "A Psalm of Life" with the same exuberance and enthusiasm that continues through most of the poem. He begs in the first stanza to be told "not in mournful numbers" about life. He states here that life doesn't abruptly end when one dies; rather, it extends into another after life. Longfellow values this dream of the afterlife immensely and seems to say that life can only be lived truly if one believes that the soul will continue to live long after the body dies. The second stanza continues with the same belief in afterlife that is present in the first. Longfellow states this clearly when he writes, "And the grave is not its goal." Meaning that, life doesn't end for people simply because they die; there is always something more to be hopeful and optimistic for. Longfellow begins discussing how humans must live their lives in constant anticipation for the next day under the belief that it will be better than each day before it: "But to act that each to-morrow / Find us farther than to-day." In the subsequent stanza, Longfellow asserts that there is never an infinite amount of time to live, but art that is created during one's life can be preserved indefinitely and live on long after its creator dies. In the following stanzas, Longfellow likens living in the world to fighting on a huge field of battle. He believes that people should lead heroic and courageous lives and not sit idle and remain...
Words: 1888 - Pages: 8
...Human Equality Kaleigh A. Butler ENGL-113-ND Willmore Kanyongo, PhD March 1, 2014 The analysis of Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I have a dream” speech, alongside with Abraham Lincoln’s “Gettysburg address”, reveals that both men had the same idea of human equality. What is the definition of human equality? This is a definition that was brought to the country’s attention by two great men of history. Nearly one hundred years separated two men that both had the same ideals of what human equality means in a free nation. They both came to the same ideal that was set by our founding fathers. All men were created equal and had the rights to liberty and justice, including the prosperity of the American Dream that so many fought for with demonstrations and the wars of our fathers. In 1863, Abraham Lincoln walked on the battlefield of Gettysburg and delivered the Gettysburg address. Compelled by the constitution and the Declaration of Independence, the ideals of the American nation were to be upheld to the highest regard for basic human life. The wars that were fought previously and the war that the President was going through in order to uphold the promises that the founding fathers promised all those living in the new nation. The civil war separated a single nation fighting one another based on the ideals that one man can own another man. This war lasted for 4 years in order to retain what both sides thought to be right. President Lincoln of the Union stated that we were...
Words: 1732 - Pages: 7
...Rafael Santana Mrs. Briggs English III/ period 1 20 August 2014 Summer Reading Assignment Part 1: 1) Inflammatory (adj.) – tending to arouse anger, hostility, passion, etc. Pg 133 “At first Peter insisted that they be deliberately inflammatory.” Lincoln’s speech in the Gettysburg Address was inflammatory to the South. 2) Melodramatic (adj.) – characteristic of exaggeration, sensationalized, or overemotional Pg 153 “’ that’s a bit melodramatic, isn’t it Valentine?’” Thomas is so melodramatic when it comes to getting hurt. 3) Inwardly (adv.) – a particular thought, feeling, or action registered or existing in the mind but not expressed to others Pg 196 “Bean sighed inwardly.” John was smiling inwardly at the grade he got on his math test. 4) Extricated (v.) – free from a constraint or difficulty Pg 45 “Every time, though, he extricated himself and went back, perhaps to a different spot, to get a different angle on the game.” It feels good to finally be extricated from all of my classes. 5) Ambition (n.) – a strong...
Words: 1173 - Pages: 5
...One of the most influential speeches in American History and it was only about three minutes long. It is one of the most recognizable speeches known to Americans, quoted often that even the beginning is enough to catch your attention. Starting with “Four scores and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation”, the speech mentions the founding fathers, back in 1776, signing the beginning of our glorious country. With a total count of two hundred and seventy-two words, the Gettysburg Address had a huge impact on the Civil War and country as a whole. The speech falls under the informative category because at the dedication ceremony he wanted to inform people mostly about the impact the Civil War had, but also the freedom and equality between men. “... we can not dedicate -- we can not consecrate -- we can not hallow -- this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have concentrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract.”. The message received from this part of the speech is...
Words: 742 - Pages: 3
...defining moment of the American Civil Rights Movement.[1] Beginning with a reference to the Emancipation Proclamation, which freed millions of slaves in 1863,[2] King examines that: "one hundred years later, the Negro still is not free".[3] At the end of the speech, King departed from his prepared text for a partly improvised peroration on the theme of "I have a dream", possibly prompted by Mahalia Jackson's cry: "Tell them about the dream, Martin!"[4] In this part of the speech, which most excited the listeners and has now become the most famous, King described his dreams of freedom and equality arising from a land of slavery and hatred.[5] The speech was ranked the top American speech of the 20th century by a 1999 poll of scholars of public address.[6] Contents [hide] * 1 Background * 1.1 Speech title and the writing process * 2 The speech * 2.1 Similarities and allusions * 3 Responses * 4 Legacy * 5 Copyright dispute * 6 Original copy of the speech * 7 References * 8 External links | -------------------------------------------------...
Words: 2912 - Pages: 12
