Preview

The Gettysburg Address Rhetorical Devices

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
386 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
The Gettysburg Address Rhetorical Devices
The Gettysburg Adress of Abraham Lincoln written on November 19, 1863 has helped his tone during the speech with the use of three rhetorical devices, such as : repetition, antithesis, and parallelism. His goal is to explain why it is important to honor the dead with increased devotion. Lincoln is honoring those who gave the ultimate sacrafice. With the tone of confidence and determination he managed to bring up a powerful speech with a powerful voice.

One example of repetition in his speech to help reflect his tone was when he stated, " of the people, by the people, for the people." This demonstrates how it is quite a delinerate use of repeating the term of " the people", meaning, Lincoln is honoring of those who gave " the ultimate sacrafice".
Continue Reading
View Writing Issues

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    Rhetorical Techniques Used In Abraham Lincoln's 'Gettysburg Address'
    • 195 Words
    • 1 Page

    Rhetorical Techniques Used In Abraham Lincoln's 'Gettysburg Address'

    Although many remember him as the President who ended slavery and preserved the Union, Abraham Lincoln was also a very gifted political prose writer. Lincoln wrote many powerful and memorable speeches, but arguably his most famous speech is the 272-word “Gettysburg Address,” which he delivered at a dedication ceremony for the first national cemetery at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. Throughout the entire speech, Lincoln masterfully utilizes several rhetorical techniques, especially the use of repetition. He repeats two separate patterns of grammar in his address. For example, to start his third paragraph Lincoln writes, “But in a larger sense, we can not dedicate—we can not consecrate—we can not hallow—this ground,” and to finish that same paragraph,…

    • 195 Words
    • 1 Page
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Gettysburg Address Rhetorical Analysis Essay
    • 252 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Gettysburg Address Rhetorical Analysis Essay

    Constraint: Northern states opinion on anti-slavery, the time frame of the speech and how he gave the speech.…

    • 252 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    The Gettysburg Adress Rhetorical Analysis
    • 213 Words
    • 1 Page

    The Gettysburg Adress Rhetorical Analysis

    Repetition, one of the many rhetoric devices found within the speech, has been included in the text by Lincoln to emphasize an idea. For example, "that government of the people, by the people, for the people...." Abraham Lincoln used this device to emphasize the idea that the people are what make up the nation. Therefore, Lincoln communicated with the audience using repetition, so he can achieve his purpose.…

    • 213 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Lincoln's Second Address Rhetorical Analysis
    • 262 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Lincoln's Second Address Rhetorical Analysis

    In his speech, Lincoln uses a varied syntax to get his point across, using a combination of short and complex sentences to engage the reader. For example, when he states “The Almighty has his own purposes,” this makes the reader ponder about what those purposes could be, due to the short and simple syntax the sentence displays. The statement adds to the effectiveness…

    • 262 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    The Gettysburg Address Rhetorical Analysis
    • 336 Words
    • 2 Pages

    The Gettysburg Address Rhetorical Analysis

    In Abraham Lincoln’s speech “The Gettysburg Address”, he explains why the great civil war was fought and keeps on urging the public to continue fighting. His argument developed through rhetorical devices of juxtaposition, repetition, and diction. His purpose in speaking is to encourage the American population to go on battle in order to unite the nation and keep their pride. His primary audience is the American public, especially those with the capability to fight.…

    • 336 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Rhetorical Analysis Of Gettysburg Address
    • 349 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Rhetorical Analysis Of Gettysburg Address

    In addition, Lincolns powerful message is devoted to “us” in the nation, about the memorable Battle of Gettysburg. He claims that the…

    • 349 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Rhetorical Analysis Of The Gettysburg Address
    • 184 Words
    • 1 Page

    Rhetorical Analysis Of The Gettysburg Address

    The central message of Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address is that us the people can not let those brave men and women die in vein. We must continue to fight for liberty, and freedom for all. This nation was built on the conundrum that we could all live in unity and in equality for all, so years later on the line we have to continue to fight for it and never let all this hard work; all the lives lost and blood shed go to waste. In the speech Mr. Lincoln states, the juxtaposition and uses the literacy device pathos in the line “those who gave their lives that that nation might live”, this means that those who fought in the war gave their lives so that other people can live. Which gives meaning to the central message that the fight must continue.…

    • 184 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Gettysburg Address Rhetorical Analysis Essay
    • 419 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Gettysburg Address Rhetorical Analysis Essay

    First of all, Lincoln exercises the literary device, antithesis, to deliver an emotional appeal. For example, he states "... as a final resting place for those who here gave their live so that a nation might live." As for, the words "gave their lives", meaning dead, and "might live", meaning still alive, contradict each other stating that in order for something to have survive, something had to die. In this particular address, in order for America, the nation, to be still standing is due to the men who died in the battlefield. That is to say, this example of antithesis reminds the people that there was blood and sacrifices in order for the nation to have survived.…

    • 419 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Gettysburg Portfolio
    • 358 Words
    • 1 Page

    Gettysburg Portfolio

    In the Gettysburg Address, Lincoln repeats several key words that focus his speech on the tragedy at hand, as well as the need to continue the fight and the need for unity. Lincoln uses the word “we” several times to promote wholeness, one of the key themes of his speech. He states “We are met on a great battle field of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of it, as a final resting place for those who here gave their lives that the nation might live. It is all together fitting and proper that we should do this.” His use of the word we not only focuses on unity, but it also works to create a bond with his audience. Lincoln then shift his focus to draw attention to how the living can honor the dead by continuing to fight. He asserts “It is for us the living rather to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us—that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion…” He is specifically addressing the living soldiers in order to encourage them to continue the fight so that the dead would be remembered. He also repeat the word “us” to, again, show accord and support for the soldiers. In the final lines of his speech Lincoln repeats the word “people” to express that without the people there is no nation, which goes back to his theme of unity. Repetition was only one of the many rhetorical devices used by Lincoln in order to boost morale and show solidarity.…

    • 358 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Gettysburg Address Rhetorical Devices
    • 1003 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Gettysburg Address Rhetorical Devices

    To truly convince one’s audience to agree, one must make a connection with them. The people were there to hear a speech about the lives lost at the battle and Lincoln did just that while using emotional connections to impact the audience. This is shown in his phrase, “We have come to dedicate a portion of that field as a final resting place for those who here gave their lives, that the nation might live It is all together fitting and proper that we should do this.” In this phrase Lincoln addressing the lives lost and how important it is the mourn them. Lincoln understood the grief the people were feeling for their losses and affects of the war, he wanted the audience to know that he felt their grief as well. Lincoln appeals to the audience’s grief by telling them that these lives were lost for a reason, for the life of the nation. He made the audience feel that those people’s deaths did not belong to the people that killed them, but their deaths meant something to the good of the nation, that their lives and deaths were worthy. Lincoln also involves the audience in the worthiness of their lives by saying, “It is for us, the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here.... That we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain.” Lincoln puts it on the audience to continue the war so that those who had died would not have died for nothing.…

    • 1003 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Sacrifice In The Gettysburg Address
    • 516 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Sacrifice In The Gettysburg Address

    President Abraham Lincoln delivers a speech at the dedication of the National Cemetery of Gettysburg in Pennsylvania on November 19, 1863. Pennsylvania was the site where the brutal battles of the Civil War were taken place. He was dedicated to the proposition that all men were created equally and soldiers that died for that cause should obviously continue to fight. The sacrifices that were made during the Civil War were the beginning of a new freedom to the land, preservation of the Union, which was created in 1776 and self-government for the most part. However, the boasting of the Union created in 1776 was tested to see if the Union would survive or if it would “perish from the earth” (Lincoln 3). The soldiers that died during the Battle…

    • 516 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Rhetorical Analysis/ Gettysburg Address
    • 282 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Rhetorical Analysis/ Gettysburg Address

    Lincoln never uses the words “I,” or “you,” to address his audience, but instead uses “we,” “our,” and “us,” to establish ethos and connect with the audience -- the North and the South. He repeats these words through out the entire speech, using similar diction to tie the whole piece together. The phrase “… a final resting place for those who here gave their lives…” demonstrates the use of ethos, as well as pathos, since the vast majority of the audience had suffered the loss of a family member, further developing Lincoln’s bond with the audience.…

    • 282 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    The Gettysburg Address: Turning Point Of The Civil War
    • 282 Words
    • 2 Pages

    The Gettysburg Address: Turning Point Of The Civil War

    Abraham Lincoln delivered the Gettysburg Address on November 19, 1863 to signify the dedication to the soldiers that lost their lives in the Gettysburg battle which took place during the Civil War. This war was important to Lincoln because he believed it signified new beginnings to the U.S. with terms of freedom. Keeping in mind that the Gettysburg battle was the turning point for the war since this was the time that things started to finally look good for the North. In the reading it says, "At Gettysburg, he identified the nations mission with the principal that "all men are created equal," spoke of the war as bringing about a "new birth of freedom." In this Lincoln believes that there is a new idea that slaves are free and all men are created…

    • 282 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    The Gettysburg Address During The Civil War
    • 1079 Words
    • 5 Pages

    The Gettysburg Address During The Civil War

    Gettysburg Address (1863) The year is 1860, and a relatively new country, The United States of America, is distressed. Divided, they argued. The Southern States felt that it was their given right to have slaves, and the northern states felt as if it was something of the past.…

    • 1079 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Abaraham Lincoln's Speech Analysis
    • 232 Words
    • 1 Page

    Abaraham Lincoln's Speech Analysis

    Lincoln also uses repetition in his speech to grab out attention ,for example he says"of the people,by the people ,for the people". Using repetition it repeats certain words or phrases and by doing that we are able to identify…

    • 232 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More

Related Topics