Gettysburg Address

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A nation embattled in a barbaric war on its own land, President Abraham Lincoln made the trip to Gettysburg in November of 1863 to speak of a military cemetery that would be placed on the grounds where he stood; the graveyard was to be erected in memoriam of the soldiers who fought and died in the Battle of Gettysburg. Although it is simply two hundred and seventy-two words long, it remains one of the most exalted speeches ever given. The President uses several rhetorical devices to deliver a message to his listeners: a message that the young country could withstand and endure the war, sparking a feeling of patriotism in the people.
Abraham Lincoln uses numerous rhetorical devices to emphasize his point and better ingrain it in the minds of his audience. The President utilizes archaic diction through by opening his speech with, “Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth… a new nation, conceived in liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal." By applying archaic diction to his speech, Lincoln assures his audience tha...

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