A Rhetorical Analysis Of Abraham Lincoln's Speech

On November 19, 1863 the 16th President Abraham Lincoln recited a speech long to be remembered in the great nation of America. Lincoln makes major statements throughout the duration of the speech; He also shifts from the focus of honoring the soldiers with this ground to telling the people that “we” as the people need to honor this nation by committing to its survival. In this speech Lincoln states at the end of the second paragraph “We have come to dedicate a portion of that field, as a final resting place for those who here gave their lives that that nation might live.” Lincoln was trying to present to the people the reason for the gathering that day and their mission as “the people”. Lincoln says they are there to dedicate the grounds to the troops that fought
“we take increased devotion” by using the word “increased” Lincoln is saying we should what they did when push comes the shove but with ten-fold that devotion that they carried into battle with them. “That we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain” using that word resolve Lincoln keeps saying things supporting their gathering’s cause. The quote also shows Lincoln is also saying that they should have come to an absolute decision about the mission of keeping the nation alive and they should be determined to fulfill this mission. “That these dead shall not have died in Vain” was a great statement to motivate the people. Lincoln was saying that they should fulfill this mission so the soldiers did not die for nothing, saying that creates a lot of motivation for a cause of that degree. That sentence had two messages in one but each message supported its own cause. The third paragraph and final paragraph consisted of many messages to the people of America from Lincoln. The contradiction in his focus makes the messages even stronger by creating that confusion on the purpose of their gathering. Lincoln had a lot of support for the missions he proposed for the