Lincoln's Second Inaugural Address Summary

This speech has just ten sentences and 272 words but Lincoln was able to use this speech to make a lasting impact that would not just be for the audience at Gettysburg, but will also be remembered throughout history. The speech conveyed was about the war and the beginning of the human rights and reasons why soldiers gave their lives. He reassured the benefits that the founding fathers had made during the declaration of independence and the constitution. Abraham Lincoln presumed that the war would end when there is a union victory but he also wants the people to know that if the country merges together as one,

Lincoln’s speech contained neither happiness nor sadness. Rather, the speech was a reflection of the causes and meaning of war. The speech was greeted with misunderstanding. Many thought Lincoln would provide a victory speech for the North or blame the South for the evil of slavery. Lincoln’ address only contains 703 words, which is also of the shortest inaugural addresses recorded. Throughout the address, Lincoln mentions God, the Scripture, and invokes prayer. Frederick Douglass, abolitionist leader, wrote in his journal, “The address sounded more like a sermon than a state paper” (Autobiographies, 802).

Throughout the entire speech Lincoln is very honest with the Americans he asserts, “... all thoughts were anxiously directed to and impending civil war.” By saying this Abraham means that we as a nation wanted this war, we wanted it so bad that all of our thoughts were about the war that was about to happen. “Neither party expected for the war the magnitude or the duration which it has already attained. Neither anticipated that the cause of the conflict might cease with, or even before, the conflict itself would cease.” He states that even though the Americans were thinking about the war and how to be successful during it they weren’t thinking of the repercussions that come after a war. No one was expecting for the war to have such an impact on the nation and because of this the nation was not ready for such a huge effect on our country. In order to reconstruct our nation Abraham Lincoln emphasizes that the nation must come together because without unity we will be unable to resolve our problems. Not only does Abraham Lincoln declare that we must unite but he uses unifying words such as ‘we’ and ‘us’ to emphasize the importance of being united. Abraham Lincoln states, “ … God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in…” this quotes supports the

After winning reelection in 1864, President Lincoln is still dealing with the struggles of the Civil War, now entering its fourth year and hoping to soon end it. On March 4, 1865 President Lincoln delivers a speech, Lincoln’s Second Inaugural Address, telling the people about the division that the nation is facing and the reason that the fighting is continuing. With the President’s literary elements, tone and diction, he expresses his purpose by giving thoughts of what the war has become and how in the end we can reunite as one nation.

In his Second Inaugural Address, President Abraham Lincoln shared a vision with the American people in the last month of the Civil War. He mentions the irony of this war and the effects it brings to the nation. Lincoln's use of rhetorical strategies opens the eyes of readers and reveals the reality of the war and its foolishness. He shares his desire and vision of unity with the American people in this address. The condition of the Unites States of America was a bloody state in where brethren. Lincoln uses this very same fact by revealing that "Both read the same Bible and pray to the same God." Lincoln also emphasizes the strange fact that "any men should dare to ask a just God's assistance in writing their bread for the sweat of other men's

In the Second Inaugural Address, Abraham Lincoln addresses the division of the nation and his positive anticipations for the future using pathos as the main rhetorical strategy. In Abraham’s speech, his purpose is to deprive both the North and the South’s appalling issues with one another. The two sides of the nation are distraught, which leads Lincoln to obtain the mind set of mending the broken nation and forming an optimistic future.

Lincoln opened up his address by explaining the progress made in the union. He explains that he has no current prediction because he is stuck worrying about the war, “with high hope for the future, no prediction in regard to it is ventured.”(Line 15). He mentions this to show his audience that the war is causing a major set back in American economy. He needs people to understand that this war could eventually ruin the country if nothing is done to stop it. He believes that the country could potentially be great, but this war could either make or break the nation. He understands that everyone wants to hear good news, but he wants Americans to know the harsh reality of this war. This will boost his credibility because he is not feeding the community

Though his second inaugural speech was among the shortest in history, Lincoln spoke volumes within it. The Civil War was not an easy one, and had an astounding amount of deaths, but despite the ups and downs, Lincoln persisted relentlessly with the importance of seeing the war through to the end. It is within his second inaugural speech that we can get a clear view into his psyche and understand a bit better why he was so passionate. Towards the end, he states,

Lincoln started off his address by talking about the past. He brings up the founding fathers and how they created this nation. The founding fathers had conceived in liberty and the proposition that all men are created equal, as it saids on lines two through three. Then after talking about the past, he talks about the present. That the Union is in a civil war and that the nation must stick together. He continues by saying “We have come to dedicate a portion of that field, as a final resting place for those who here gave their lives so that that nation might live” stated in the

Lincoln, the sixteenth president was capable of using his words to turn the war into states right into a much bigger picture; slavery. By turning the war about slavery, he easily ensured that no foreign country would recognize the South as an independent nation. This almost guaranteed the Union’s success in the war. Lincoln used many rhetorical devices to touch the hearts of its listeners boosting morale and finding reason behind the losses of countless lives. Abraham Lincoln gave a reverent and humbling speech for the soldiers who had given their lives at the battle of Gettysburg for the reform and advancement of the country.

Honest Abe lived up to his name in his second inaugural address. In Abraham Lincoln’s speech, he was blunt and hopeful. His purpose, which was to bring the country together and incite optimism is carried out through his syntax, application of pathos, and his arguments.

In my opinion, every word of this address has a purpose, a great eloquence without a verbose excess. The beauty and economy of speech in this oratory is something I greatly admire. Although a short speech, one can really sense Lincoln's feelings toward the sacrifices made by the soldiers, his dedication to the preservation of the United States and the righteousness of equality. Emancipation was something he struggled with early on. Lincoln, though no fan of slavery, was charged as president to first and foremost preserve the union. But here he declares that equality is something needed to be fought

In President Lincoln’s second inaugural address, Lincoln gave the nation hope for a life worth living for that was expected to come soon after the Civil War. During the Civil war the North and South were drawn apart. Both sides had different opinions on the war, but because they had no other option they were left to confront it. In his speech Lincoln gave the audience a feeling of hope and reassurance as he uses a confident and poised tone in order to regain the nation's trust and support. However, his use of rhetorical devices is the real prize winners in his speech.

The impending destruction of the Union was a grim reality President Abraham Lincoln had to face when he was elected in November of 1860. During the four months between President Lincoln’s election and Inauguration in March of 1861, seven southern states had already declared their secession, and elected Jefferson Davis as their confederate president. Tensions were high, and it was time for Lincoln to “end his silence.” The first inaugural address was to calm leaders of the southern slave states, and end the secession crisis by keeping them from dichotomizing the Union. Lincoln begins by addressing the southern slave states “I have no purpose, directly, or indirectly, to interfere with the institution of slavery in the states where it exists.

Lincoln could not have said more in his address without compromising his principles. In Lincoln's address he stated that all he wanted to do was bring together the Union and not bring up the issue of solving slavery. Moreover, Lincoln knew that if he talked too much about the issue with slavery that the South would not support him. Also, Lincoln wanted to stay away from a war with the South because he didn't want to start a riot about the South losing their slaves. Therefore Lincoln said just enough in his speech to maintain the Union and not talking a lot about the issue of slavery.