Gettysburg Address Rhetorical Devices

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The Gettysburg Address is instantly identified as one of the President’s finest presentations as well as one of the most acclaimed speeches in all of U.S. history. The speech of President Lincoln did not amass much publicity in the course of his lifetime. It was abandoned and absent to well-known recollection just before the U.S. centennial in 1876. Lincoln uses several rhetorical strategies to convey his point of view. The Gettysburg Address was declared by Lincoln at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania on November 19, 1863. Abraham Lincoln used the rhetorical strategies of anaphora, repetition, opposites, and pathos to convey the importance of honoring the deceased soldiers by maintaining the war effort until the equality of all men is achieved. The first rhetorical strategy used by Lincoln was an anaphora. The lines “we can not dedicate, we can not consecrate — we can not hallow” show us that he is looking looking past the audience surrounding him emphasizing that we are not the important ones. It helps us visualize the greater aspect of the Gettysburg Address, igniting a drive in us to push forward and defend the values that the nation was founded upon. This strategy helps Lincoln establish his point of view, and it attracts attention to the sacrifices that the veterans have brought forth. …show more content…

The line “of the people, by the people, for the people” indicates that the President is commemorating the soldiers who fought previously. This helps set a firm statement aiding in what Lincoln was trying to convey. This component in his speech emphasizes the gravity of Lincoln’s declaration and helps the audience absorb the moving words. The repetition of the word “people” makes the idea of fully committing ourselves to making a difference as those before us did genuinely possible. It creates a sense of determination that we are the ones in control of the