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Declaration Of Independence

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How does the Declaration of Independence, the Gettysburg Address, and Martin Luther King Jr.’s I Have a Dream speech compare and contrast? Any half-sensible American should at least be able to tell you that they are all crucial pieces of America’s development as a nation, and that they all had different authors and intents. To compare and contrast them effectively, each piece’s purpose, the effect of the document/speech, and the author’s writing style must be analyzed. Each document was written under vastly differing circumstances. In 1776, the Declaration of Independence was constructed by our Founding Fathers to combat the oppressive power of King George and separate ties with Britain. In 1863 the Gettysburg Address was given by President …show more content…
A variety of literary devices are used in each to emphasize points, as well as the use of Ethos, Logos, and Pathos. The Declaration of Independence uses Logos in its arguably most important section: the reasoning for leaving Great Britain because of the long list of King George’s inequities. Repetition is used heavily in this segment, each of the twenty-seven inequities starting with “He has” or “For,” emphasizing each point. In the Gettysburg Address, its author and deliverer President Abraham Lincoln uses Pathos to great effect, emotionally drawing in his audience by referencing the fallen soldiers who died and were in the very cemetery the speech was given. His usage of a third is one of the most famous quotes in American history, “Of the people, by the people, for the people.” In Martin Luther King Jr.’s I Have a Dream speech, King uses Ethos more dominantly than the Declaration of Independence or the Gettysburg Address to make his point. He appeals to his audience by citing the authority of President Abraham Lincoln (whose massive statue was towering behind him, literally staring into his audience) and referring to the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation. “Five score years ago, a great American, in whose symbolic shadow we stand today, signed the Emancipation Proclamation.” King cites divine authority as well, with his allusion to the Bible, “The rough places will be made plain… the glory of the Lord shall be revealed.” He also references the Declaration of Independence’s “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” The Declaration of Independence, the Gettysburg Address, and the I Have a Dream speech all have their different points, purposes, effects, and argumentative and writing styles. Yet, they all share a special place in the heart of America, for without any of these works of patriotism and social justice, we wouldn’t have the America

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