Rhetorical Devices In Lincoln's Gettysburg Address

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Gettysburg Address Rhetorical Devices In Lincoln’s “Gettysburg Address” he is speaking to the very emotional nation after many people had just died during the Civil War, he needed to speak to nation to remind them that the sacrifices made by those in the Civil War will not be forgotten and that they must continue with what the war was fought for. He first starts off by referring to how the nation was started then continues to discuss the losses that have occurred from the Civil War and why they should move on while still remembering what the war was fought for. His strong use of rhetorical devices emphasises the goals they must aim for and reassures the nation that they are together in reconstruction by referring to events from the war to …show more content…

“Four score and seven years ago our fathers...”, (464) Lincoln was asking his audience to go back and discover that the country's foundation was not the constitution nor the election of the first president, George Washington, but the signing of the Declaration of Independance in 1776 by our founding fathers was the starting point of the nation.tg The rhetorical device repetition is also used in Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address. We already know that his speech is being delivered at the memorial with thousands of people in attendance. When Lincoln says, “.. of the people, by the people, for the people…” (465), we can conclude that his is referring to the people that are in attendance of listening to his momentous speech. Lincoln is telling his fellow citizens that freedom is coming and “the people” will be granted all rights of it. Lincoln also uses the rhetorical device, personification, during the the beginning of the speech when he talks about the founding fathers.“ Our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation, conceived in Liberty…”(464). In the excerpt, Lincoln is discussing the past and how it relates to America after the Civil War. Lincoln also uses personification later in his speech when he talks about the world. “.. but it [world] can never forget what they did here.” (465) Here, Lincoln is discussing that the world can not forget about the many soldiers who died