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Gettysburg Address Rhetorical Analysis Essay

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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 …show more content…
He addresses the audience directly to propose the duty that lies before them,”…dedicated to the great task remaining before us…that government of the people, by the people, for the people shall not perish from the earth.” Based on Lincoln’s diction, it can be seen that the “government of the people”, democracy, is in great peril around the world, and it is the living’s duty to uphold the system. The use of asyndeton through the omission of “and” between “by the people” and “for the people” resonates with the ears of audiences, as it places emphasis on the word “people”; thus, the people themselves must assume the duty of crafting a government which represents people on all spectrums with the equality and liberty they deserve. Because the people are failing to ensure these fundamental rights for their own brothers and sisters (seen by the violence rampant in the Civil War), Lincoln points out the tasks that lie ahead for audiences that still put faith in the founding principles of America. By insisting that democracy and peaceful coexistence lie in the responsibility of the people themselves, Lincoln establishes in his listeners a reason to fight for a more peaceful and just

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