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Rhetorical Analysis Of The Gettysburg Address

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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 …show more content…
By utilizing parallelism throughout the Gettysburg Address, Lincoln carried his speech from a grim and regretful tone to a more moralizing and persuasive tone in hopes to bring a divided nation back together. He repeatedly used the word “we”, including himself humbly. Although the audience is there to honor the deceased, his spoken honesty and sympathy reassured his audience that their families and friends did not die in vain, but rather gave their lives to protect their ideals. Regardless of the shifting tones, Lincoln was able to build excitement and …show more content…
He was also able to show his dedication to becoming a united nation by stating “It is for us, the living, rather be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced.” (Lincoln, 1863) In addition, Lincoln stated "But in a larger sense, we cannot dedicate - we cannot consecrate - we cannot hallow - this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract." (Lincoln, 1863) By using this wording, Lincoln honored the fallen soldiers but also addressed the larger issue making his audiences feel as though they needed to fight for the soldier's sacrifices. Nonetheless, his compassion for the war was shown as he mourned the lives of all American soldiers lost, not differentiating between Union and Confederate

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