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Lincoln's first inaugural address analysis
Lincoln's Second Inaugural Address Analysis
Lincoln's first inaugural address analysis
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Often of times, many of us speak without giving thought to how our words and the manner in which we speak will affect ourselves or another person. Regardless of how insignificant and harmless a few words and the tone we emphasize may seem, both hold power. In a moment, they have the power to either build up and give life or tear down and give death. In a moment, they have the power to shape and characterize the behaviors and values of both societies and individuals alike. In a single moment, they have the power to span beyond the individual who spoke it and cause, whether good or bad, repercussions that will affect a multitude of generations ahead. Yehuda Berg, a current author and a former co-owner of Kabbalah Centre said "Words have energy and power with the ability to help, to heal, to hinder, to hurt, to harm, to humiliate, and to humble." Which are all true, throughout the various examples given in history. When Abraham Lincoln delivered his Second Inaugural Address on March 4, 1865, his words and tone alike had a considerable positive impact, affecting not only the citizens then, but even society today. Whereby, some consider it to be “the greatest speech of any kind ever delivered in the United States.” (Lincoln). Lincoln said, “With malice toward none; with charity for all; with firmness in the right, as God gives us to see the right, let us …show more content…
The greatest breach of faith of all time was committed against us Germans. Let us take care that our people internally are never again in a position to be broken. Then no one in the world will threaten us. Then peace will either be maintained for our people or, if necessary, peace will be enforced. Then our people will bloom and flourish. Our people will be able to put their geniality, their ability, their diligence and steadfastness into the works of peace and human culture. This is our desire. We hope for it and we believe in it.”
John F Kennedy delivered one of the finest speeches on January 20, 1961 after being sworn into office. His inauguration speech was so powerful that it captured the entire nations attention, and quotes from it are still remembered by people today. It is one of the finest speeches ever written. It provides a strong appeal to pathos, ethos and logos, and it is because of this that people who never heard the speech can quote lines from it.
Looking back at the life of Abraham Lincoln, if you read about him before 1858, you wouldn’t think he would be such a predominant figure in American history today. It’s not till you learn about the election in 1860 and the events following that you learn what cemented this man, who would become our nations sixteenth president, into our nation’s history. If Lincoln had not won the election, perhaps our only memory of him would be his famous “House Divided” speech from the Illinois Republican Convention in 1858, but we learn from a young as, that isn’t the case. Lincoln went on the be the President during the bloodiest war in American history. Despite having little schooling as a child he would also write his own speeches before and during his
'With malice toward none, with charity for all, with firmness in the right as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in, to bind up the nation's wounds, to care for him who shall have borne the battle and for his widow and his orphan, to do all which may achieve and cherish a just and lasting peace among ourselves and with all nations.' In the delivery of Lincoln's 'Second Inaugural,' many were inspired by this uplifting and keen speech. It had been a long war, and Lincoln was concerned about the destruction that had taken place. Worn-out from seeing families torn apart and friendships eradicated, he interpreted his inaugural address. It was March of 1865, and the war, he believed, must come to an end before it was too late. The annihilation that had taken place was tragic, and Lincoln brawled for a closure. The 'Second Inaugural' was very influential, formal, and emotional.
Words hold great power and when used correctly can influence what people believe and how they act.
Many people believe verbal communication to be a very powerful way of expressing oneself. Words gain there power when the volume is raised and lowered alternatively to make a point. Additionally, the influence of speech can manifest itself in a number of ways. It can be used to humiliate, to intimidate, to flirt and to threaten, all of which are integral and pragmatic strategies to win a power struggle.
In Abraham Lincoln’s Second Inaugural Address, President Lincoln addresses a divided nation. Both the Union and the Confederacy are bitter to each other towards the end of the war. However, Lincoln calls both the north and the south to set aside their issues that divided them in order to heal their broken nation. Lincoln uses a slew of rhetorical methods in his speech such as tone, diction, and syntax to further assist him in achieving his purpose of uniting the nation.
In “The Gettysburg Address,” Abraham Lincoln reminds the nation of what they are fighting for. A reverent Lincoln commemorates the lives that were lost at the Gettysburg battle while using it as a cue of why the war is taking place. In a speech like no other, given on the site of one of the bloodiest battlefields of the Civil War in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, the 16th President of the United States reflects the utter freedom and equality the nation was raised upon. This speech is commemorated as one of the greatest speeches in American history because of its impact upon the nation in only a short two minutes of length. With no invitation to the memorable event until the last minute and surrounded by negative energy from the American people, Lincoln was able to enchant the multitude with his words of rhetoric. The Gettysburg Address is the epitome of rhetoric because of the
After reading “People First Language” by Kathie Snow, the first thing that came to my mind was the saying, “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.” I have never agreed with this saying because words can inflict pain just like sticks and stones. Words really do matter.
In our world some people forget that when they say something that is normal for them can have a strong emotion effect on other people. This world that we are living in has many horrible experiences that some people go through and they live with it. Some forget about it and live happy life, but other will never forget what they had in their life. For those people the topic about their bad experience can have a strong emotional effect. As for the speaker who started to speak about the topic can be nothing that he or she can connect to, but for the listener can have memory that he or she doesn’t want to be reminded. In 21 century people come up with trigger warning and micro aggressions to prohibit some world and expressions.
In the year of 1863 Abraham Lincoln gave a speech that was admirable for its content. This speech send a message to the nation, it showed that it had to become more open mind and soon be a nation within liberty. In Abraham’s Lincoln message he considered one of the most important thing to do was to finish the unfinished, to show devotion and to have a new birth for the nation.
On November 19, 1863, President Abraham Lincoln delivered ‘’The Gettysburg Address’’. Abraham Lincoln’s purpose in ‘’The Gettysburg Address’’ was to persuade listeners to finish what those who fought for died for by treating everyone else equally. ‘’The Gettysburg Address’’ is the most compelling speech due to its use of rhetorical
Hitler, for example, took over and convinced a country to do terrible deeds by using words. He was able to do this by saying certain words and saying them in a way that convinced and motivated people act in ways that they thought before to be morally wrong. We also elect our presidents in the US based off of what words they say and we agree with. The entire country watches our politicians give speeches and talk in debates to decide who they should vote for to the leader of the United States. We rely on what words our politicians say and we allow them to convince us just by the words that they use. Another example of words changing someone’s life is when a coach tells an athlete that he/she isn’t skilled enough to play on their team or at the level they coach at. The words that they use to tell the athlete why they aren’t skilled enough motivates them to work harder everyday. Then, when the athlete finally reaches their goal, they can say that they reached their goal because the words from the coach that motivated them. Thus, we as people give words so much power in the world, whether they impact a single person’s life or even influence an entire country that ends up changing the world
In Gettysburg National Cemetery, Lincoln delivered a speech which reaffirmed the values the Founding Fathers had established when the Declaration of Independence and Constitution was created. Lincoln had believed that the Civil War would end with a victory for the Union but wanted the states to realize that the United States should be unified and build on original American ideals in order to move on successfully. While delivering his speech, Lincoln used rhetorical appeals to move the audience into not giving up hope and to ensure a vision of unified United States for all citizens based on freedom and democracy. Lincoln delivered one of the most inspirational and powerful speech in American history.
On November 19, 1863, President Abraham Lincoln delivered what is recognized to be one of the most powerful speeches in American history. In just less than three hundred words, Lincoln was able to eloquently express his thoughts in a way that will never be forgotten. Lincoln utilizes numerous rhetorical and literary devices in his speech; however, his use of repetition is what captures his central idea.
“He thought--while his hand moved rapidly--what a power there was in words; later, for those who heard them, but first for the one who found them; a healing power, a solution, like the breaking of a barrier. (Ayn Rand, The Fountainhead)” Words have the power to deceive, uplift, communicate or penalize someone depending on how they are used. A silenced individual has the power to affect the way things are done in the society.