Literary Analysis Of The Gettysburg Address

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The Gettysburg Address was presented by U.S President Abraham Lincoln on November 19th 1863. The speech was delivered during the American Civil War at the dedication of the Soldiers ' National Cemetery in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. The context of the speech is that four months earlier, Union armies defeated those of the Confederacy at the Battle of Gettysburg, which is widely recognized as the turning point in the war. The stated purpose of Lincoln’s speech was to dedicate a plot of land that would become the Soldier’s National Cemetery to honour the fallen. However, as the Civil War still raged he needed to extol liberty and honor in the people fighting in order for them to continue the fight. Lincoln used a range of techniques throughout his address including, referencing, contrast and repetition, which is what made it so effective. Lincoln implements a …show more content…

At the start of the last paragraph Lincoln says – “we can not dedicate—we can not consecrate—we can not hallow”. He uses this to emphasise that the people gathered there were not necessarily the most important and attention needs to be given to the sacrifices made by the soldiers. Throughout the speech words “we”, “here”, “dedicate” and “nation” are repeated. He uses “we” to make the audience aware that it is about America together and they are equal. “Here” is reiterated as is casts Gettysburg as the place they will propel forward from, “dedicate” is used for its power and “nation” is implemented to give a higher purpose. Repetition of “the people” at the closing of the speech assists in captivating the listeners as it reminds them that they are honouring those who gave "the ultimate sacrifice" did so for them. Lincoln’s implementation of repetition throughout the address emphasises his point of extolling honour in the soldiers and engages the audience and successfully encourages them to continue the

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