12. In what ways does Gorgias seem to provide a model for Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address? Are there specific connections of theme, diction, image, etc. that allow for a cogent comparison of these two brief eulogies? Perhaps unbeknownst to him, Lincoln engaged in the two thousand-year-old tradition of epitaphios logos, or a particular form of Greek eulogizing. Lincoln’s eulogy appears to consider aspects of Gorgias’, another example of epitaphios logos. Both eulogies use similar themes and diction. Furthermore, these two eulogies are alike in purpose; both Lincoln and Gorgias seek to honor the dead as heroes and assuage the living. The purpose of this paper is to discuss the connections of the two eulogies that allow a cogent comparison. Theme …show more content…
Lincoln’s Address also contains this, writing, “The world will little note, nor long remember, what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here.” By mentioning the actions of the soldiers at Gettysburg, Lincoln gives a speech of heroic deed. Similarly, Gorgias says, “O for the power to speak what I desire to say.” By feigning speechlessness, Gorgias frames the gravity of the soldiers’ heroism. Like Gorgias, Lincoln expresses how arbitrary his words are, since the world will soon forget them. According to Lincoln and Gorgias, their words are incapable of befitting the heroism of the soldiers, thus establishing …show more content…
Gorgias writes, “pious in their practice to the gods.” Gorgias describes the illustrious dead as pious, heroic in their religious activity. Similarly, Lincoln orates, “we cannot consecrate—we cannot hallow--this ground.” Lincoln again illustrates his inability to add to the situation; rather, the ultimate sacrifice of the soldiers is sacred enough. Both Gorgias and Lincoln describe the dead as either having been religious or having religious influence. Both orations are similar in how they treat the dead’s relationship with
Williams portrays Lincoln in a very positive light, allowing the reader to realize the greatness of Lincoln, in his compassion, strategy, statesmanship and lack of ego. Williams has provided numerous instances wherein he provides ample support to his arguments and facts. In spite of the unnecessary detail and verbosity that Williams sometimes uses, there is no doubt that this book is a remarkable insight into Lincoln’s persona.
To conclude, “The Gettysburg Address” and the “Funeral Oration” have comparable components such as tone, forms of rhetorical devices, and both similar and diverse themes. They take place in different places as well as different time periods. Also they have different purposes of getting to the point of continuing the war. Although, they have different ways of convincing, they both have an urge to continue the war, because it must be won. It absolutely must be won, in order for the countries in either time period to live freely, without fear of enslavement. Both also state the purpose of honoring those who accepted the risk of dying, so that we could be free and live in liberty. As Thomas Jefferson once said the natural progress of things is for liberty to yield, and for the government to gain ground.
Within a short amount of time after the election of Abraham Lincoln to the office of presidency, the south had seceded from the Union and brought on the beginning of the American Civil War. In 1863, the third year of the war, Lincoln had given a speech of the sacred battle ground at Gettysburg, most notably called the Gettysburg Address. In it, he expressed sincerity for those who fought and died there and most of all, proclaimed his aims of war itself. Walt Whitman, a celebrated poet of the time, traveled from hospital to hospital witnessing the operations of wounded soldiers and also the horrific scenes of death and amputation. His views were very much different than those of Abraham Lincoln and though not evident, were still noticeable in his writings. Last, none other than William T. Sherman himself, a Federal Army General, disclosed letters sent between him and the Confederate General, J. B. Hood and also letters sent between him and the mayor of Atlanta, James M. Calhoun. In them, he expresses his opinions about the war which, not-so-surprisingly, is very similar to Lincoln's.
Lincoln's style in this speech was inevitably persuasive. His rhetorical strategy appeals to not only the readers senses, but to their intellectual knowledge as w...
Neely, Mark Jr. The Last Best Hope of Earth: Abraham Lincoln and the Promise of America. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press, 1995.
On November 19, President Lincoln went to the battlefield to dedicate it as a military cemetery. He spoke for a short period of time delivering what is called the Gettysburg Address, surprising many present in the audience with its shortness and leaving others quite unimpressed, but over time the speech has come to symbolize democracy as we know it today (Funk & Wagnalls Encyclopedia Vol. 11 385).
Lincoln at Gettysburg: The Words That Remade America "Fourscore and seven years ago ." These are the first 5 of only two hundred seventy-two words that remade America. In Lincoln at Gettysburg: The Words That Remade America, the author, Gary Wills, informed us that Abraham Lincoln wanted equality among us and to unite as one. In Abraham Lincoln's own speech, he would not mention single individuals or even top officers. Everyone was considered as equal importance and was never any different. "Though we call Lincoln's text the Gettysburg Address, that title clearly belongs to Everett." 1 This is very true, which I think is interesting. Everett who was chosen by David Wills to commemorate the National Cemetery of Gettysburg, was supposed to be the speaker while Lincoln was only the dedicatory remarks speaker. Not only did Lincoln have the favorable speech, it was only three minutes while Everett's was two hours long. Lincoln also supposedly was not supposed to be there to speak; he actually just told a correspondent that he would be present. It's amazing to believe that a two hundred seventy-two word speech would say so much to thousands of people.
In Gettysburg, Pennsylvania in 1863, President Abraham Lincoln delivered one of the most famous Presidential Speeches of all time: “The Gettysburg Address.” In this address, Lincoln encourages his audience to preserve a united country and push for a new birth of freedom by making connections between the past, present, and future. Lincoln’s first and arguably most famous line, “Four score and seven years ago,” reestablished the Nation’s birthdate from the once recognized signing of the Constitution in 1788 to the signing of the Declaration of Independence in 1776. From that moment on this date, July 4, 1776, was officially recognized as the Nation’s date of inception, and allowed his audience to reach back to the days where Union and Confederate
Throughout the course of history, there have been many civil wars. In those civil wars, many persons fought and died in battles to defend their beliefs. In the aftermath of a major battle, a people’s morale is as shattered and broken as the bodies of those that were slain. Following the battle, a funeral is conducted in remembrance of the deceased. At these funerals a funeral oration is usually given by a well-known domestic public figure, such as when Abraham Lincoln gave his “Gettysburg Address” in 1863 AD and when Pericles gave his funeral oration to Athens in 431 BC. These speeches were made not only to put to rest the souls of the dead and the grief of those who knew them, but to give those people hope that their friends and loved ones did not die in vain and to remind them why their civil war was being fought.
Abraham Lincoln wrote one of the greatest speeches in American history known as the Gettysburg Address. It was not only used as a dedication to the fallen troops of the North and South, but as a speech to give the Union a reason to fight and attempt to unite the divided nation. The sixteenth president’s handling of his speech at Gettysburg demonstrated how the effectiveness of juxtaposition, repetition, and parallelism, could bring unity to a nation deeply divided on beliefs. His speech touched the hearts of many and indirectly put an end to the Civil War. Lincoln may have been considered a tyrant at the time but he was a great leader of a nation, a war, and a democracy.
An important element to analyze is Nast’s Cartoon of Lincolns. The way Nast’s cartoon portrays Lincoln are in two extremes, the first image to the left shows the North’s reaction to the President’s inaugural speech showing him holding palm branches and garlands of peace. The second frame however shows how the South viewed Lincoln, as a Roman garb and a helmeted warrior standing on a vanquished foe which represents the South. The expressions of the second image on both Lincolns face and the man laying on the floor shows a sense of hate and aggression towards one
In Gettysburg,Pennsylvania on November 19th, 1863, President Abraham Lincoln gave one of the most famous speeches in this county’s history. The ten sentence famous speech was given one of the bloodiest sites of the Civil
In the article, "Chiefly about War Matters," Hawthorne utilizes conspicuous imagery as well as an awe-struck tone to accentuate the fact that while Abraham Lincoln may have been physically unattractive, his strength of character made up for all of his superficial shortcomings due to the fact that he was intelligent and exceptionally insightful. Through his usage of illustrative imagery and a mystified tone, Hawthorne is able to emphasize the fact that Lincoln, re...
Beardsley, Frank. "American History: The American Civil War: Lincoln's Gettysburg Address (VOA Special English 2005-04-20)." Interesting Things for ESL/EFL Students (Fun English Study). Www.manythings.org. Web. 12 June 2011. .
Abraham Lincoln is well-educated man who uses powerful inspirational words in his speech the Gettysburg Address, and has received great success by using emotions or pathos in his speech. Pathos means to appeal emotionally to the heart and mind of an audience. In order for a speech to be successful, the audience must embrace the emotions that are within a speech. The orator not only needs to appeal to the heart but also to the mind of an audience and if the audience does not grasp these feelings, the result will be unsuccessful. However, in Lincolns’ case the use of intense emotions persuades the audience to empathize with him the painful and heart wrenching loss of the many lives on the battlefield during the Civil War. Lincoln gives reinforced concern for the victims using words such as “hallow,” “brave,” “unfinished work,” and “that these dead shall not die in vain” (Lincoln, 1635). Lincoln’s use of pathos shows compassion for the lives lost and exhibits that he is not just speaking for those who sacrificed themselves for a better future “…which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced,” but also t...