...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...
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...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...
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...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...
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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...
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...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...
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...Thoughts On Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address Powerful Impact Right off the bat, Abraham Lincoln is letting us know exactly what he believes and where he stands. He’s telling us that this great nation was originally formed with the idea of liberty and equality among men in mind. President Lincoln was a man of great integrity and passion. His words moved most people of his time and still, to this day, move most us when we read his words. Yet, right now--as I type this, racism and inequality still exist. There’s still a subliminal civil war going on--but it’s not as cut-and-dry as North versus South. This prejudice hovers just above and slinks just below. We hardly notice it and like the first round of an alarm clock--we simply hit the snooze button, preventing the inevitable. Wake Up! The only thing that can destroy mankind is man not being kind. Yes, I just made that up. I’m listening to instrumental jazz and drinking Pinot Noir right now and it just came to me. I have two young children who are peacefully sleeping in their beds, yet I fear for their future. How do I combat that fear? I dedicate my energy to teaching my children to be self-sufficient, thoughtful, generous, sensitive, strong individuals. Not very easy--but I shall never give up. It’s not in my nature to give up. I’ve always been a fighter. Many people gave their lives for this country and I do not take that lightly. There is so much blood in the dirt that it makes me sad. It drags me down, and when I get to...
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...“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...
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... "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,...
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...Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address was very effective because it was simple and concise. His speech was clear and people got the point. His message was that the Americans had to remember the soldiers that fought in the Civil War for liberty and freedom. He called the citizens to finish the work the soldiers had so valiantly started. He ends by saying that we should make sure the men who died did not die in vain, but that they died with a purpose. Kennedy’s Inaugural Address was also effective because Kennedy used his speech to promote liberty and freedom, just like Lincoln. His message what that he wanted to strengthen the Americans and to support liberty. He created a sense of pride in his speech. His speech is very famous because of the words, “ask not what your country can do for you—ask what you can do for your country.” Reagan’s Address from the Brandenburg Gate was also very effective because he shows that he really cares about the Berliners and calls for freedom. He calls for Mr. Gorbachev to tear down the wall, which shows that he will not give up without a fight. He also calls for peace with the Soviet Union. Also, I especially thought his speech was very effective because he spoke German two times,...
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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...
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...Both the Gettysburg Address and the “I Have A Dream” speech have the same purpose but different outcomes. They have the same type of appeals, purpose, and tone. Appeals are things like logos, pathos, and ethos. The purpose is why the speeches were written, and the tone is the mood or attitude of the speech. Lincoln’s and King’s speeches use different appeals. In The Gettysburg Address, Lincoln states, “ It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us.” This is an ethical appeal because it shows that the speaker is trustworthy and knowledgeable. On the contrary, King states in his I Have a Dream speech, “ This momentous decree came as a great beacon light of hope to millions of slaves who had been seared...
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...Abraham Lincoln in his speech ‘The Gettysburg Address’ do inspire morale plus motivation towards Union soldiers through the use of the rhetorical devices like a concession, ethos, repetition, and diction. During this time, things were different and moved in a direction that was not appropriate. In the late 1800s, the American setting was not favorable for all men because it was a time of slavery. As a result, people felt that they were treated in a wrong manner, and this led to the beginning of the civil war. The American civil war in the 1860s claimed over 8000 soldiers who were buried without dignity in temporary graves. The Gettysburg Address was a speech aimed at inspiring Union soldiers based on rhetorical elements. As a matter...
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...The Battle of Gettysburg was the bloodiest battle of the American Civil War. It claimed heroes from both sides, and all have been hallowed by the American public and the numerous accounts of the battle itself. The Civil War, or perhaps the Second War for American Independence, took an undeniable toll on the country, and the Battle of Gettysburg was no exception. The public, as noted by the sixteenth president of the United States during the dedication of the national cemetery at Gettysburg, “will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here” (“The Gettysburg Address”). President Lincoln continues to describe these “honored dead” in a heroic light, and begs society that, “these dead shall not...
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...President Lincoln's Gettysburg Address, and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr's "I Have a Dream" speech address the theme of American democracy in many ways. Some similar ways, but others different. In both speeches they talk about how everyone needs to be equal, and treated fairly. Not everything in the two speeches are the same, but very similar. They both just want equality, and fairness between all. No matter what skin color, hair color, eyes. No matter what clothes you wear. We are all equal, and that's what everyone needs to know. That was the point of the two speeches. To give people hope, and motivation during hard times. I defiantly think that President Lincoln's speech was more to empower everyone, and make them feel less helpless. But,...
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...In “The Words That Remade The Country” (The Atlantic, 2016), Garry Wills recounts aftermath of Gettysburg, Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address, and the affects it had on the citizens of America. Wills first gives a background on the battle of Gettysburg and the planning of the battlefield dedication. In the summer of 1863, General Lee and the confederate army pushed north only to meet the union in Gettysburg. 50,000 people were killed and the confederates retreated. This was the bloodiest battle of the civil war, so the dedication of the cemetery was a big deal. David Wills, who has no relation to the author, was in charge of the ceremony and wanted the dedication to happen before the soldiers were buried. However when he reached out to the greatest...
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