Thomas Meade
November 8, y
Second Inaugural Address
In Comparison to Emily Dickinson’s Success Is Counted Sweetest
Both The Second Inaugural Address and Success is Counted Sweetest were referenced about the Civil War. Lincoln’s Second Inaugural Address took Socrate’s rhetorical approach in that Lincoln tried to influence the souls of his audience. Dickinson’s Success is Counted Sweetest was less direct to her audience but nonetheless conveyed her message go triumph being more significant to he who failed rather than to he who attained victory. The Civil War, according to Lincoln, was God’s will for punishment against the slavery committed. Lincoln speaks heavily about religion and his certainty that God brought the war given that, in reality, the North and South shared more common ground than they cared to admit. Lincoln develops a neutral view towards his audience in never saying “they, you, I”. But rather, always making references using “Both, us, we, neither, each” demonstrating the common ground among both parties, not just with similarities shared but shedding obvious light on the fact that even though the country had attempted to divide itself, it was still part of a whole. According to Dickinson’s poetry, the war was best understood by those who lost it. They savored it and clutched on to the triumph because they never attain it, ergo, they value it. Those who won the war did not experience the failure, thus, never fully appreciating the victory. As previously stated, Lincoln’s Second Inaugural Address used more of Socrates form of rhetoric, which is “an art of influencing the souls” as opposed to Plato’s rhetoric which was, “ the art of leading the soul towards truth through words and arguments”. Lincoln was successful in engaging his audience, consisting of the North and the South, and he never singles out either party. He includes himself in his references using “both, us, we, neither, each”. All the while, Lincoln