Rhetoric Discourse: Abraham Lincoln Vs. Emily Dickinson

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Mariel Pampin
Professor Delgado
February 5, 2015
Rhetoric Discourse: Abraham Lincoln vs. Emily Dickinson
The Civil War was a difficult time for the United States. The war was not easy on both sides of the Union. Throughout that time many people turn to rhetoric literature or a positive influence like the President of the United States, which was Abraham Lincoln at the time. He reached out to his people in his famous speech "Second Inaugural Address". Emily Dickinson did a similar thing but with poetry in her, "Success Is Counted Sweetest". The main focus of this essay will be describing the difference and similarity between each literature, should they belong in different literary categories, and do they employ all four resources.
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In other words, "Those who succeed never truly appreciate it, it is only those who fail, or who lack something, that can truly appreciate how wonderful it would be if they did succeed"(Gilbert). In contrast of Abraham Lincoln, Emily Dickinson appeals to those who have not experienced the true meaning of success. She also used Iambic Pentameter, which gave flow to the poem and made it memorable to the reader. The way she arranges her literary works is by stanzas and the way she uses the artistic devices by using metaphor such as, "To comprehend a nectar". "Nectar" is a metaphor for the sweetness of victory.
Although, they both have a wide range of difference; Abraham Lincoln's "Second Inaugural Address" and Emily Dickinson's "Success is Counted Sweetest" are still known as form of rhetoric. They each share their opinions and belief on the effects that the Civil War brought on their people. Both Lincoln and Dickinson recognized how divided the nation had become during the Civil War. Yet, they reached to different audience as explained in the previous