ipl-logo

Rhetorical Analysis Of Lincoln's Second Inaugural Address

799 Words4 Pages

President Abraham Lincoln uses a variety of rhetorical strategies in his Second Inaugural Address to pose an argument to the American people regarding the division in the country between the northern states and the southern states. Lincoln gives this address during the American Civil War, when politics were highly debated and there was a lot of disagreement. Lincoln calls for the people of America to overcome their differences to reunite as one whole nation once more. Lincoln begins his Second Inaugural Address by discussing the American Civil War and its ramifications. As Lincoln gives this speech the war is winding down, which is the reasoning behind the urgency for the unity which Lincoln calls for. Lincoln says “The progress of our arms …show more content…

He ends his hopeful message by saying “to do all which may achieve and cherish a just and lasting peace among ourselves and with all nations” (Lincoln). This final message from President Lincoln in his address clearly demonstrates his overarching purpose- to instill a sense of togetherness in the American people as a whole. It was purposeful when Lincoln ended his address with this message. It held a strong message of peace and bonding together so that Lincoln’s address would have a lasting impact on Americans. Lincoln uses optimistic diction when employing words such as "cherish" and "lasting peace" to convey a message of harmony. It is seen clearly in his word choice that Lincoln calls for a lasting and fair peace, but not only between the North and South. He also calls the American people to apply this concept of peace with other countries and in foreign policy. Throughout his Second Inaugural Address, President Abraham Lincoln employs a variety of rhetorical strategies to promote unity between Americans. As Lincoln once said, “A house divided against itself cannot stand.” Abraham Lincoln’s address to the American people can be applied in today’s current political climate. Sometimes, the country being one whole nation is more important than our own personal beliefs on current political issues. Even today, President Abraham Lincoln’s message of unity in his Second Inaugural Address rings

Show More
Related

  • Rhetorical Analysis Of Lincoln's Second Inaugural Address

    467 Words  | 2 Pages

    Gunnar Olson 7/12/17 Lincoln’s second inaugural address Abraham Lincoln’s second inaugural address was anchored in the president’s awareness of the Union citizens’ growing anxiety about the grave causes and effects of the then Civil war conflict. In order to compel Union citizens to stay motivated towards this restoration of the Union by excusing Confederate insurgents and seeing through the necessary war, Lincoln transitions between inclusive pronouns to binary diction to capture conflicting and shared beliefs among Americans, as well as allusions to God’s religion to portray the war as repayment for the act of slavery. In his Second Inaugural Address, Abraham Lincoln surprised his audience by not giving a speech regarding politics, but instead using harsh and then encouraging diction and biblical allusions to inspire Americans and show them that they need to continue to work for peace.

    Read More

  • President Lincoln's Second Inaugural Address

    98 Words  | 1 Pages

    In addition he delivered the Second Inaugural Address. President Lincoln’s Second Inaugural Address was carried out on March 4, 1865 during his second appearing as President of the United States. A point that was stated in his address was slavery. He reminded everyone how slavery was the main point of the Civil War and he felt and proposed it insulted GOD. Another point was about the war.

    Read More

  • Abraham Lincoln's Second Inaugural Address Rhetorical Analysis

    1485 Words  | 6 Pages

    “There were many cheers and many tears as this noble address was concluded” (White, 2014). The indication that the speech had a powerful impact on Lincoln’s audience is important to the assertion that he was moderate and neutral in his demeanor and actions toward the South as is shows the reaction that the audience had to what was being said and how it was said. It would have been easy to take the podium and point fingers where may would have agreed blame belonged. However, Lincoln took the opportunity to deliver a graceful yet direct address that seems to had drawn many people in his audience back to a state of consideration and emotion. If nothing else was accomplished by Lincoln’s second Inaugural Address, it gave the American public a glimpse of the sort of strength that Lincoln strove for America to achieve during his

    Read More

  • Lincoln Second Inaugural Speech Analysis

    629 Words  | 3 Pages

    The speech Abraham Lincoln gave on March 4th, 1865, titled the ‘Second Inaugural Speech’, was mainly political theology, in which he sought to address the major issues in which he would face in his presidency. His voice was very strong and clear, and he used diction, a passive voice, and a very well mannered tone in order to achieve the full purpose of his speech to the ‘fellow countrymen’. He achieves this effect very well, while speaking to both the North and the South about binding up the nation’s wounds that have stricken them in the core. The diction that Lincoln chooses to use displays that he is very educated, and that he wished to establish that he was speaking to both divided parts of the country, the north and the south, and that he planned on bringing the two together in his words.

    Read More

  • Lincoln's Second Inaugural Address Essay

    506 Words  | 3 Pages

    However, he also wished that it end peacefully. He wished that once the fighting had ceased and the war was declared over, that the North and South care for each other as they do their own people. But, a peace would be very difficult to achieve due to how long this war had been going on and how many lives were lost in this conflict. By this quote from the final lines of the Second Inaugural Address by Lincoln, “With malice toward none; with charity for all; with firmness in the right, as God gave 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,” Lincoln showed his true emotion and feelings about the war. He wanted nothing but peace.

    Read More

  • America Rhetorical Analysis Essay

    474 Words  | 2 Pages

    Lincoln 's main rhetorical appeal was the use of emotional language in using word such as dearm , best , last , and hope. Using these words to show how american needs to get back to it roots of why it was formed. To be a safe haven for people who are being persecuted not to persecute people because their look or act different from us. This also appeals you your ethos because irtt saying America’s not where it should be how can you help get it their. I agree at with this quote that at that point in time , but that were better now.

    Read More

  • Similarities Between The Union And The Confederacy

    709 Words  | 3 Pages

    However, the animosity between the two sides simmered beneath the surface of this exhaustion, and neither group felt entirely ready to abandon arms in light of peace. Thus, in his second inaugural address, Abraham Lincoln compels the ravaged people of the United States to abandon their animosity and use their shared sorrows as a source of unity. Lincoln highlights the similarities between the Union and the Confederacy to show them that unification overpowers separation. When appealing to the public, Lincoln exclusively uses indefinite pronouns, compelling both the Union and Confederacy to consider their shared characteristics. He clarifies that “all” had not only dreaded the war, but “sought to avert it,” partially absolving the Confederacy of complete blame for the Civil War.

    Read More

  • Alliteration In Lincoln's Second Inaugural Address

    632 Words  | 3 Pages

    One month prior to the end of the Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln gave his Second Inaugural Address. The address, spoken before his second term as president, was intended to give his views on the causes of the Civil War and to list reasons why the war started. In the speech, Lincoln addresses the reasons and causes of the war and tries to bring the North and South together. In order to convince the two to unite once more, Lincoln uses alliteration, allusion, synecdoche, and metonymy to make his point and purpose clear. Lincoln utilizes alliteration in order to achieve his purpose of uniting the two unions together.

    Read More

  • A House Divided Speech Analysis

    1358 Words  | 6 Pages

    Abraham Lincoln, a Senate candidate at the time, gave his famous “A House Divided” speech on June 16, 1858, in Illinois at the Republican State Convention. When Lincoln delivered the speech his immediate audience was the Illinois Republican Party, but after reading the speech one can see that it was intended for a much larger audience. His speech was intended to impact people of both parties, and to change the way the people thought. During Lincoln’s speech, he had a few main ideas that he was clearly trying to illustrate to his audience.

    Read More

  • Rhetorical Analysis Of Lincoln's Second Inaugural Address

    454 Words  | 2 Pages

    The widely admired 16th president of the United States, Abraham Lincoln is known for preserving the Union during the U.S. Civil War and the emancipation of slaves. Lincoln is idolized by many as one of America’s greatest heroes for his outstanding impact on the nation and as the savior of the Union. As the war was ending, Lincoln’s Union forces had slowly but effectively pushed the Confederate South into compliance and his aim in battling the South had been to hold the Union together, but a cultural abyss remained between the Southern states as they were forced to reunify and Northern states as they increasingly stumbled in their resolve to vanquish the Confederacy. In Abraham Lincoln’s Second Inaugural Address, he lectures about a divided nation and attempts to create a spirit of national unity and forgiveness and uses a variety of rhetorical strategies when doing so.

    Read More

  • Abraham Lincoln's Letter To Birmingham Jail Essay

    799 Words  | 4 Pages

    Abraham Lincoln and Martin Luther King Jr where two men with completely different life experiences who lived in different time periods. While their lives were 100 years apart, and they each held different positions and titles in society; they both worked for equality. Both of these great and historic individuals fought tirelessly to create social change in what we now recognize as human rights. Abraham Lincoln entered his second term as President with an inaugural speech on March 4th, 1865. It was short, and promised to continue to goal of his first term, while not directly said, there was almost an apologetic tone regarding the war, a war, that was not wanted, but was necessary to secure change.

    Read More

  • Rhetorical Analysis Of Lincoln's Inaugural Address

    676 Words  | 3 Pages

    At the beginning of Abraham Lincoln’s second term as the president of the United States, he was confronted with a severely split nation fighting in the bloodiest battle in American history. Lincoln had hoped that, by fighting the South and having them rejoin, he could keep the Union together. Although the Union troops eventually managed to force the Confederates to surrender, a cultural divide remained as the Confederate states were forced to reunite with the North and the North became more hesitant in their determination to subdue the South. Since governing a country in this state would be nearly impossible, Lincoln decided to address both the North and South in his speech by asking them to set aside their disagreements so that the split nation could be repaired. His speech, despite being very brief, connected with both sides through the use of ethos, logos, and pathos which helped him achieve his goal of keeping the

    Read More

  • Lincoln's Second Inaugural Address Rhetorical Analysis

    642 Words  | 3 Pages

    Lincoln urges the people to “strive on to finish the work we are in,” “to bind up the nation's wounds,” he is trying to get the United Sate Citizens to become one again to unite and be one strong country, showing that even after a huge war that the country can remain strong and unified and that this war will allow for a strong brotherhood in the US. Lincoln's Second Inaugural Address is significant because Lincoln offered and objective point of view. Lincoln did not speak of the unloyalty of the South nor did he praise the North. Rather, Lincoln used multiple points to show that the Unification should be the main focus of his speech not that the states should be divided because of

    Read More

  • Allusions In Lincoln's Second Inaugural Address

    236 Words  | 1 Pages

    In his Second Inaugural Address speech by Abraham Lincoln, incorporates biblical references and compares the North and South in order to bring them together and unite the country. Lincoln indirectly questions the ethics behind owning slaves by referring to the bible and reveals the South using God as an excuse for racism. Quoting the bible, Lincoln concludes that “He now wills to remove” implying that God wishes to abolish slavery. The former president convoys God to have “his own purposes” suggesting to leave the war in God's hands.

    Read More

  • Rhetorical Analysis Of The Gettysburg Address

    502 Words  | 3 Pages

    Abraham Lincoln in the speech, The Gettysburg Address, constructs a point of achieving a "just and lasting peace" between the North and South without retribution. Lincoln supports his assertion by justifying his beliefs of unity between the states. Lincoln's purpose is to influence the people to not allow what has been done to go to waste. He wants his audience to realize that this division will only persist if no one settles the current issues in society. Lincoln speaks in a sympathizing, determined tone to address the Americans who are mourning the loss of their loved ones and to the rest of Americans who he wants to see a change from.

    Read More

More about Rhetorical Analysis Of Lincoln's Second Inaugural Address

Open Document