President Abraham Lincoln asserts his concerns about war and the future of America in his “Second Inaugural Address” speech, delivered in eighteen sixty-five to the American people. In his speech, Lincoln admits the unforeseen duration of the Civil War and optimistically states his desires for it to cease. His tone throughout the speech is concerned and straightforward to show that American citizens should have a concern in the matter and make efforts to end the war. Abraham Lincoln’s use of rhetoric is what made this famous speech effective. Lincoln sets his straightforward tone right in the beginning of his speech. In his first sentence, he states, “At this second appearing to take the oath of the Presidential office there is less occasion …show more content…
It was around the time of that speech when the Civil War was just beginning; he is using this allusion to show the long duration of the continuing war, which was already four years in the making. He proceeds to finish this section of the speech, mentioning the start of the Civil War and the opposing sides. His use of passive voice when he says “and the war came” shows his thoughts on the war: he did not want it to happen. In the same closing sentence, Lincoln shows that, by speaking about both parties to blame, he is not focusing on accusations, but instead on exhibiting how this war has impacted the North and South, regardless of the state’s freedom status (Wevodau). Because he does not show any blame directly, it strengthens Lincoln’s message and consistent tone, only focusing on one …show more content…
In this next part of the speech, he admits that the Civil War lasted longer than expected (Lincoln). This supports his tone, as it shows he is not trying to distract from the issue at hand and gets right to the facts. He also brings in parallelism, as he notes, “Both read the same Bible and pray to the same God…” (Lincoln). He uses this to emphasize and tie in the fact that, regardless of North or South, everyone has the same general beliefs in God. He then continues to quote the Bible and asks a rhetorical question that brings the whole situation in a new
Rhetorical Analysis of FDR’s “First Inaugural Address” In a time of great fear, especially from a depression that had gripped the nation, many people were not sure where their next meal would come from, or even when it would come. Most of the Nation had lost a lot of trust in their governments’ abilities to lead and care for them, and were very hesitant to trust new leadership. It was in these conditions that a new leader was found, one that would lead the United Sates through its’ greatest test.
Abraham 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.
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
“Those who deny freedom to others deserve it not for themselves,” said Abraham Lincoln in reference to the slavery that plagued the Southern states. Abraham Lincoln, the sixteenth president of the United States, observed and protected the Union during the five-year Civil War that devastated the country from 1861 to 1865. Lincoln, however, was not only seen as a heroic leader during this war, but a cause for as to why it began, for many reasons. First, Lincoln’s inaugural address was a cause leading up to the Civil War.
When Lincoln gave his second inaugural address in 1865, he was speaking to the people of the North in the context of the Civil War. This was the rhetorical situation of Lincoln's speech. Lincoln's purpose was to encourage his audience to win the war and reestablish peace between the North and the South. Many people in both the North and the South had expected the war to be fairly short, but four years later, the country was still at war. For this reason, Lincoln might have worried about his audience losing motivation.
In paragraph nine he says,” I shall again give way to my entire confidence in your discernment and pursuit of the public good”. And in paragraph ten he says, “He has been pleased to favor the American people with opportunities for deliberating in perfect tranquillity, and dispositions for deciding with unparalleled unanimity on a form of government for the security of their union”. This may infer he has doubts about the new government. The vocabulary he uses throughout speech allows his words to be easily digestible to those in the audience, while also displaying his level of intelligence.
Lincoln had an approach before the war, between the Union and Confederates, to try to calm down the seceding states and bring them back to the Union. He spoke of how "the property, peace and security of no section are to be in anywise endangered by the now incoming Administration", which at the time seemed valid. He was working his best to avoid war, and seemed to make statements that would work, and had faith that the war was preventable. In Lincoln's Second Inaugural he mentioned how "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, and the war came" which is saying war was unavoidable. During his early presidency he seemed to firmly believe no war was an option, later while the war raged on, Lincoln admits war was unavoidable, which is a huge change for him considering how confident he seemed before the war, laying out how he wasn't a threat, he was to only uphold the
On paragraph 7 It says “However, Lincoln continues, God may want the war to continue until all the wealth earned from 250 years of slavery is drained. And he may want the war to continue until every drop of blood drawn from an enslaved person is paid for with a drop of soldier’s blood. Even if this is true, Lincoln says, God is still as just and righteous as he’s ever been. Lincoln then concludes with a call to peace.” Lincoln just wanted peace for everyone.
Though his speech is fervent with allusions to the Bible, when describing the judgement brought by the Civil War, he alludes to the Old Testament with the statement that ,”the judgements of the Lord are true and righteous altogether.” The allusion conjures images of a God that judged where the New Testament God forgave, and punished when his people sinned. Thus, Lincoln conveys the idea that, ultimately, God brought the war upon them, and they were to pay for the nation’s sins together. In addition, though Lincoln employs the passive voice throughout much of his speech, when describing the war he uses active voice. Rather than burdening either side with the weight of bringing the war, Lincoln states that “the war came,” giving it an omnipotent, self-aware nature.
Lincoln’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.
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.
On March 4, 1865 Abraham Lincoln delivered his second Inaugural Address. At the point of history where the Civil War was rearing its end. His speech mainly focuses on how both the North and the South were at fault, he shows this by using rhetorical devices and two rhetorical appeals logos pathos. Of the two rhetorical appeals Lincoln used logos had to be more dominant that pathos the other that he used. I say this because Lincoln used logos the whole speech while he only used pathos in the last paragraph.
President 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.
During the history of the United States there have been very respectable speakers Martin Luther King Jr. John F. Kennedy but perhaps no greater leader in American history came to addressing the country like Abraham Lincoln. In his Second Inaugural Address, Lincoln gave a short speech concerning the effect of the Civil War and his own personal vision for the future of the nation. In this speech Lincoln uses many different rhetorical strategies to convey his views of the Civil War to his audience.
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.