Allusions In Lincoln's Second Inaugural Address

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A month before the end of the American civil war, President Abraham Lincoln gave his second inaugural address to the nation. In his speech, Lincoln shifts the blame of starting the war towards the south through juxtaposing the northern and southern parties. But at the same time he also applies anaphora and biblical allusions to create a sense of unity between the two opposing sides in the hope that they can better their future together. Early on in his speech, Lincoln uses juxtaposition to contrast the northern and southern parties. He claims that the South “would make war rather than let the nation survive,” while the North “would accept war rather than let it parish, and the war came.” It was the South’s willingness to make war that juxtaposes