Decoding Rhetorical Devices in the Gettysburg Address

“The Gettysburg Address”, A Rhetorical Analysis

Shannon Edwards

Mid-America Christian University

“The Gettysburg Address”, A Rhetorical Analysis The Gettysburg Address by Andrew Lincoln was given on the battleground of Gettysburg Pennsylvania on November 19, 1863. The Battle of Gettysburg was fought from July 1-3, 1863, by Confederate and Union forces. This battle would ultimately become the largest battle fought in North America. “More than 51,000 were killed, wounded and missing” (Gettysburg.com). The dead lay on this battlefield up to the time that President Lincoln made his famous speak and dedicated the land as a national cemetery. In Mr. President’s speech, he uses all 3 rhetorical devices. Most prominently, however, was his use

Just by the nature of his title as President of the United States, Mr. Lincoln is automatically considered credible and knowledgeable. President Lincoln was known for his ability to command an audience. He also chose not to use fancy words in order to create a greater appeal to his audience. However, he also chose to use very meaningful words like “brave”, “honored”, and “devoted”. An example of logos in “The Gettysburg Address”, is the presentation of facts. “Our fathers brought forth on this continent a new nation conceived in liberty, and dedicated to proposition that all men are created equal” (Gettysburg.com). Logos is also evident in the fact that he gives his speech on the actual battlefield where the battle took place. Outside of those examples, there is not a lot of other logic used in this speech. This did not hinder the effectiveness of the speech. While “The Gettysburg Address” is short, it still remains one of the best-known speeches of our time. I credit this mostly to the pathos used in the speech. Even to this day, we can relate to what President Lincoln was trying to convey. We may no longer be involved in a civil war, however, we are still fighting battles as a country that should cause us to take pause and question the world around us. We need to ensure that, just as Lincoln said, “that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain”