What Are The Rhetorical Devices Used In The Gettysburg Address

Seven score and nine years ago, Abraham Lincoln, our sixteenth President of the United States of America, set off for Gettysburg in order to consecrate Gettysburg National Cemetery. In an uncharacteristically short speech-at least for the 1860s-Lincoln was able to reaffirm the values our Founding Fathers had laid down in the Declaration of Independence as well as the Constitution, and painted a vision of a unified United States where freedom and democracy would be the rule for all citizens. Lincoln utilized various rhetorical devices to make the Gettysburg Address accomplish two tasks in one. The first is to bring remembrance to the principals and morals for which the United States was built upon, second is to honor the brave soldiers who fought and died at Gettysburg and consecrate the land upon which they stood and finally was to sway those attending into giving their “…last full measure of devotion-” to ensure a nation that would remain built upon the concepts of liberty and democracy and continues to gain support for the cause of the war.. Seeking only to honor the dead and inspire the living, Lincoln ended up delivering one of the most powerful speeches in American-if not world-history.

In a huge room with many lively congressmen, stood Benjamin Franklin's speech presenter. This may be the government's only hope to have everyone sign and pass the Constitution. There were all different opinions on how to change and rearrange this constitution but Franklin's main goal was to get all the delegates to sign. Benjamin Franklin the author of “Speech in the Convention” (1787) builds his argument to persuade his audience of his respective claim by using concessions and allusions in order to convince the delegates at the constitutional convention to sign and pass the Constitution. Benjamin Franklin utilizes rhetorical device concessions to persuade his audience by admitting the Constitution has errors and anything man made is never

In “The Gettysburg Address,” Lincoln exploits juxtaposition and allusion to convey the need for unification of citizens based on equality and freedom.

In Abraham Lincoln’s Second Inaugural Address, President Lincoln addresses a divided nation. Both the Union and the Confederacy are bitter to each other towards the end of the war. However, Lincoln calls both the north and the south to set aside their issues that divided them in order to heal their broken nation. Lincoln uses a slew of rhetorical methods in his speech such as tone, diction, and syntax to further assist him in achieving his purpose of uniting the nation.

The use of repetition was one of the rhetorical devices used by Barack Obama in his speech, by mentioning some powerful words that advocate for for unity. Obama used phrases like “You and I,” and “Together, we.” He mentioned more than once the first sentence of the constitution of the United States “We, the people,” and declared that “Our Journey is not complete” (Klein) several times. These words reinforced his ideas of unity and evoked an image of that all Americans are equal and should have the same rights.

Repetition is the final key rhetorical device in the address. Two examples of repetition are in the opening statement of the Gettysburg Address which set the repetitious nature of the whole speech. Common expression, such as “we,” “our,” and “us,” is used to tie the entire address together, but this set of repletion is outweighed by the other. The word “dedicated” has been used in the speech to not only tie the entire speech together but to also appeal to pathos, an emotional appeal. The words “I” and “you” are absent from the speech, instead Lincoln uses words such as “we,” “our,” and “us,” to include the people of the Union and the Confederacy to unite both parties as a whole under the one

In his speech, Lincoln used a passionate and inclusive tone to give the impression that they were all equal and were at risk of losing the same things. This could inspire a feeling of unity between Lincoln and the audience. “…devoted altogether to saving the Union…” (paragraph 2). In this statement, Lincoln used both diction and sentence structure to impact his audience. He used emotionally charged words such as “devoted” and “saving” to express a sense of passion. He also used long sentences that would reiterate similar ideas to help get his point across. “…to bind up the nation’s wounds; to care for him who shall have borne the battle, and for his widow, and his orphan…” (paragraph 4). In this part of his address, Lincoln uses imagery, facts, and

In Patricks Henry's, "Speech to Virginia Convention," he persuades colonists that "Britain's insidious smile" blinds them from their dangerous attack. Henry further explains enslavery in Great Britain with considerable suffrage. By using metaphors, repetition, and pathos he tries to gain support from the declaration of war against Great Britain. Henry metaphorically calls the British response “a snare to your feet” also implying the image of a trap which will ensnare them.

President Abraham Lincoln orated a powerful persuasive speech in his Second Inaugural Address, just one month before the end of the Civil War. This speech shed light to his contemplation of the effects of the Civil War and provided his vision for the future of the nation. Lincoln’s address was written through a logical theme that focused on the unity of the country. He used religion, specific diction, and flat-out logical thinking to convey his message. The speech was given as the Civil War was ending, and President Lincoln wanted to provide a bit of light in a very dark time. He could have given the lengthy speech that the audience expected; but instead, he gave a short message of unity that fueled the United States for years to come.

On November 19 1863, the sitting president at that time, Abraham Lincoln, addressed the nation in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, where several soldiers were laid in their final resting place. The purpose of his address was to motivate United States citizens to overcome their conflicts and unite as a nation to ensure the nation’s future after the Civil War and honor the soldiers who died in Gettysburg; Lincoln effectively motivates his citizens through his utilization of the rhetorical devices such as syntax, pathos, and logos. During his historical address, Abraham Lincoln states “…we can not dedicate—we can not consecrate—we can not hallow—this ground.” (Lincoln).

Repetition is used in the address as well. Two examples of repetition are in the opening statement of the Gettysburg Address which set the repetitious nature of the whole speech. Common expressions, such as “we,” “our,” and “us,” are used to connect the entire address concurrently, but this set of repetition is outweighed by the other. The word “dedicated” has been used in the speech to not only tie the entire speech together but to also appeal to pathos, an emotional appeal. The words “I” and “you” are absent from the speech, instead Lincoln uses words such as “we,” “our,” and “us,” to include the people of the Union and the

1) Some commonalities in “ The Gettysburg Address,” and this is that they both use figurative language and rhetorical devices. For example in “The Gettysburg Address,” Lincoln uses parallelism. He uses parallelism when he says, “ that government of the people, by the people, for the people.” In the LT HOF Speech Tomlinson uses parallelism when he says, “ Let’s not slam the door on those who may look or sound different from us. Rather, let’s open it wide for those who believe in themselves, that anything is possible, and are willing to compete and take whatever risks necessary to work hard, to succeed When we open the door for others to compete, we fulfill the promise of ‘one Nation under God with liberty and justice for all.”

Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address (1863) gave inspiration to those who heard his inspiring words. Considering the torments that the Union and Confederacy laboriously endured, the speech he gave attempted to unify the American people through mutual interests. The interests called upon the ethos and pathos of the people and were presented using rhetorical devices to further illustrate the message of hope.

​Abraham Lincoln addressed the people of the United States in his writing “The Gettysburg Address.” Lincoln’s speech addresses how our nation dealt with the struggle of equality and humanity. Lincoln’s strong ideas and beliefs on humanity are shown in his speech: “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” (503).

Both speeches empower and encourage the audience, while igniting hope and strength. In order for these emotions of power and fight to occur, the rhetoric of such speeches must appeal to the ear, and have a flow that will allow for the maximum amount of emotion and power to be conveyed. Without order and flow, the fiery emotion will be lost in the choppy, unorganized prose. A rhythmic strategy used in each of these speeches is anaphora. Thomas Jefferson’s first inaugural address swiftly incorporated anaphora, “We have called by different names brethren of the same principle. We are all republicans: we are all federalists”, in the repetition of “we” in order to acquire an appealing rhythm of sentence flow, and to establish a significance of the empowering word “we”. Such use of anaphora allows the audience to get behind what Jefferson is saying and respond to his statements with more enthusiasm and acceptance. In a nifying speech, anaphora is used to elaborate and extend the strong assertions made to bring people together, as seen in Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I have a Dream” in which King begins eight consecutive sentence with “I have a dream”. This reinstitution of his statement contributes to the structure of organized, repetitive thought. As a result, King leaves his audience feeling in sync, making their own, “I have a dream” statements, and progressing towards