Rhetorical Analysis Of Lincoln's First Inaugural Address
Lincoln’s Rhetoric at his First Inauguration Lincoln’s “first inaugural address” was a final plea for unity before four more states would secede from the union and begin the most devastating war in our nations history. In this essay I will show the various rhetorical methods he used, and lay bare the arguments he brought forth over 8 score years ago. Before we get into his speech, however, it’s important to briefly discuss the context in which this speech was taking place. The year was 1861, and debate between the north and south over slavery was approaching its peak. Seven states had already seceded from the union, and six more were waving, and this speech was Lincolns final opportunity to avoid the civil war that had been building since …show more content…
The Government will not assail you. You can have no conflict without being yourselves the aggressors. You have no oath registered in heaven to destroy the Government, while I shall have the most solemn one to "preserve, protect, and defend it." I am loath to close. We are not enemies, but friends. We must not be enemies. Though passion may have strained it must not break our bonds of affection. The mystic chords of memory, stretching from every battlefield and patriot grave to every living heart and hearthstone all over this broad land, will yet swell the chorus of the Union, when again touched, as surely they will be, by the better angels of our nature.” The change of the final line from a threat of the sword if they choose to rebel, to a poetic plea for peace that puts the impetus of war on the secessionists, shows more than any other section of the speech that southern acceptance of unity is his ultimate goal. He touches on his previous idea of separating himself from the government, stating that he has a solemn oath to protect it, while maintaining that the government is not the enemy and will not be the aggressor. Even the themes in the last paragraph harken back to an earlier time of unity and enforce Lincolns claim as the embodiment of the founders vision. The mystic chords of memory are remarkably similar to Madison’s many cords of affection the connect all American’s together, and the structure of the argument is nearly identical (Hubbel, 1931, p. 551). It’s with this final plea that Lincoln finishes his speech, and can only hope that it was enough to prevent a catastrophic loss of
Lincoln's Second Inaugural Address Rhetorical Devices
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Rhetorical Devices In Lincoln's Second Inaugural Address
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Rhetorical Analysis Of Lincoln's Second Inaugural Address
467 Words | 2 PagesGunnar 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.
Rhetorical Analysis Of Lincoln's Second Inaugural Address
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Lincoln's First Inaugural Address Analysis
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Rhetorical Devices In Lincoln's First Inaugural Address
494 Words | 2 PagesLincoln begins his address by establishing the distinct time in which his inauguration arrives. Lincoln, using ethos, acknowledges that “public declarations have been constantly called forth… The progress of our arms…is as well known to the public as to myself” (7-11). Lincoln establishes that he has already been transparent with the country about the progress of the war, employing the collective pronoun “our arms” and communal identifies such as the “public” (4-6). Lincoln continues to use more inclusive language as he revisits the growing factionalism of the nation during his first inaugural address: “four years ago, all thoughts were anxiously directed to an impending civil war.
Rhetorical Analysis Of Abraham Lincoln's Inaugural Address
642 Words | 3 PagesAbraham Lincoln, the president of the United States addresses the nation on the date of March 4th, 1865, in order to address the Civil War. He responds to the war crisis by stating, and publicizing that the slaves needed to be free before the Civil War occurred. The war, as said by Abraham Lincoln, not only caused a split in unity between the states and citizens, but he also believed it to be a punishment delivered by God because of the treatment of the slaves. Lincoln is able to get his argument across successfully through the use of juxtapositions, allusions religion, and the use of pronouns (at the end of the speech), to create a sense of unity within the country. President Abraham Lincoln does not only address the effects and problems with the Civil War, but also what encouraged the conflict.
Rhetorical Analysis Of Lincoln's Second Inaugural Address
967 Words | 4 PagesIn Abraham Lincoln’s childhood, he went to school when he was 6, 7, 11, 13 and 15. This schooling added up to less than a year (“A Real Education”). The former President was mostly self-taught and had limited access to books. Despite this, his speeches are sophisticated, moving and memorable. Chief among these speeches is the Second Inaugural Address of 1865.
A Rhetorical Analysis Of Lincoln Inaugural Address
570 Words | 3 PagesIn response to Lincoln Inaugural Address ( March 4, 1885) his audience are described as individuals who assumes a long and lengthy political speech regarding the core problems of slavery as well as states rights existing in a nation as a whole. Instead president Lincoln speech is entwined with inspiration and hope, to mend our crippled nation which has been trampled on from the outcomes of the Civil war. However, Lincoln is able to compose his the speech by producing an atmosphere, one in which is struck by tragedy, terror and agony. Lincoln Inaugural address hopes to gain the audience attention to right the wrong of our nation on our behalf, that we must tend to our beloved nation when needed, since we are partly to take responsibly in response to the effects of the war.
Lincoln's Second Inaugural Address Rhetorical Analysis Essay
492 Words | 2 PagesLincoln’s Second Inaugural Address Rhetorical Analysis The purpose of this speech is detailed in the time period. This speech was written/spoken at the end of the American Civil war. It is President Lincoln’s way of putting a tentative end to the war and a start to the recovery period. He is still oppressing the south in his diction when he states “Both parties deprecated war: but one of them would make war rather than let the nation survive; and the other would accept war rather than let it perish.
Rhetorical Analysis Of Lincoln's Second Inaugural Address
799 Words | 4 PagesPresident 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.
Rhetorical Analysis Of Lincoln's Inaugural Address
464 Words | 2 PagesPresident Abraham Lincoln, in his inaugural address, addresses the topic of the civil war and its effects on the nation and argues that America could be unified once more. He supports his claim by using massive amounts of parallel structure and strong word choice. Lincoln ‘s purpose is to contemplate the effects of the civil war in order to unite the broken America once again. He adopts a very hopeful tone for his audience, the readers of the inaugural address and others interested in the topic of American history and the civil war.
Lincoln's Second Inaugural Address Rhetorical Analysis
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Rhetorical Analysis Of The Gettysburg Address
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