Rhetorical And Literary Devices In Abraham Lincoln's Speech

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On November 19, 1863, President Abraham Lincoln delivered what is recognized to be one of the most powerful speeches in American history. In just less than three hundred words, Lincoln was able to eloquently express his thoughts in a way that will never be forgotten. Lincoln utilizes numerous rhetorical and literary devices in his speech; however, his use of repetition is what captures his central idea. Despite the fact that Lincoln’s speech was written in a short matter of time, it was well thought out. Lincoln carefully arranged his words and sentences, and chose words that were able to convey his ideas and feelings. Lincoln made his speech simple, yet affective. It is as simple as structuring his speech into three key parts—the past, present, …show more content…

His use of the word “we” is very impactful in his speech. It creates a bond with the audience. With this word, Lincoln implies that is not about him or them, but it is about all of them. It is about them coming together, and being unified. Lincoln repeats the word “here” a lot as well. By repeating this word, he declares Gettysburg the springboard that will help them move forward. The repetition of the word “here” goes hand-in-hand with his call to action. He tells the audience that he believes that the Civil War must go on and that they must finish the fight that the men who died already started. It is up to them to finish up the task. Lincoln’s use of the word “dedicate” means several things in his speech. He uses the word to acknowledge that the land they are standing on is being dedicated to those who lost their lives during the bloodiest war in history. He also uses this word to tell the audience that they should dedicate themselves to finishing up the war. Lastly, he repeats the word “nation” to remind the audience that their country was built on the ideas of liberty and equality, and that a war is worth fighting to uphold these ideals. The war is being fought to preserve the nation, to keep it whole, just as they, the people, should be a

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