Rhetorical Analysis Of Abraham Lincoln 's Speech

On the anniversary of Lincoln’s assassination and the emancipation of slaves in D.C., on April 14, 1876, a memorial of Abraham Lincoln was put on full display. Frederick Douglass, a former slave and advocate of black citizens, gave an arousing address during the celebration. This speech is given 11 years after the assassination of Lincoln and during this time in the U.S. many political issues are arising. For instance, the government ordered all Native Americans onto the reservations on the western side of the United States causing many of them to fight back the government. The presidential election also had its despairing moments when the democratic nomination won the popular vote but then lost in the Electoral and many were still feeling the effects of the Lincoln’s assassination. The monument shows a black kneeling at Lincoln’s feet which Douglass had his issues with. He questioned why the man was not standing as a free man.

In his Second Inaugural Address, Abraham Lincoln provided one of the most memorable speeches in history that affected the way American citizens saw the war. The March 4th speech in 1865 gave more people hope for the country and allowed them to trust that God will help them through the Civil War. The people trusted Lincoln to help them through the situation because he had already served his first term as president, and the people knew he was trustworthy, so they re-elected him. Lincoln professionally used rhetorical appeals such as ethos pathos and logos to press his audience to agree, as well as tone to show his audience how importantly they should be taking the subject. Abraham’s Second Inaugural Address was an introduction to his plan for the United States for the next years he would be president, and much of it was a discussion about the Civil War and how they would bring it to an end.

The bloodiest war in American history, led by Abraham Lincoln for the north, and Jefferson Davis for the south, both presidents, but two different sides. Both garner for peace, yet one is willing to start a war, while the other is willing to accept it. This essay will compare and contrast the political, economical, and social outlooks on Lincoln’s and Davis’ Inaugural addresses throughout the civil war between the North and South. Slavery, laws, and state rights drove the South to start a war, and Lincoln received the war with open arms. Both sides wanted peace, but their means of achieving it and their leaders’ choices and beliefs differed greatly while still holding similarities.

Could the North and South ever come together again and unite as one nation after the Civil War? The purpose of Lincoln’s Second Inaugural Address was to offer his promising predictions for reconciliation with the South and his vision of the future. Lincoln utilizes strong and elevated diction to clearly articulate his vision for the future, with choices like “dreaded” and “sought”. Furthermore, Lincoln’s optimistic tone offers a beacon of hope, with examples like, “achieve and cherish a just and lasting peace among ourselves and with all nations,” and “to bind up the nation’s wounds”. The purpose of the address is achieved through parallelism and appeal to religion, too. Lincoln’s diction, one of his most powerful literary devices, is employed prominently throughout the entire passage.

Although James McPherson presents Lincoln as having numerous qualities that defined him as a brilliant leader, he wastes no time in revealing what he believes to be Lincoln’s greatest strength. In his Introduction, McPherson states regarding Lincoln’s political leadership: “In a civil war whose origins lay in a political conflict over the future of slavery and a political decision by certain states to secede, policy could never be separated from national strategy…. And neither policy nor national strategy could be separated from military strategy” (McPherson, p.6). Lincoln could not approach the war from a purely martial standpoint—instead, he needed to focus on the issues that caused it. For the catalyst of the war was also the tool for its solution; a war started by differing ideologies could only be resolved through the military application of ideology. This non-objective approach to the waging of the war almost resembles the inspired approach McPherson brings to his examination of Lincoln himself.

In order to persuade his audience that the war was just Lincoln appeals to  juxtaposition in his first paragraph. The juxtaposition that occurs in the first paragraph of Lincoln’s Second Inaugural Address when comparing the North and the South. Lincoln says, “ one of them would make war rather than let the nation survive, and the other would accept the war rather than let it perish, and war came.” Here he is stating that both are willing to fight making another point of why the war was just. In this sentence specifically Lincoln is blaming the North and South he is  stating that both sides must own the offense together and accept that the war was just. He does this so that the reader can see that he is not taking

To find a piece that is currently looked upon as a paragon of rhetorical strategies, scholars would look towards President Abraham Lincoln’s “Second Inaugural Address”. This speech was given at the start of his second presidential inauguration with the purpose of establishing his point of view on the war and its effects. To elaborate his thoughts and hopes for the future of the United States of America, Lincoln’s “Second Inaugural Address” is riddled with rhetorical strategies such as installation of self-credibility, deliberately designated diction, and carefully supplemented repetition to succeed in his desire to sway the audience towards his views.

On Saturday March 4th, 1865 president Abraham Lincoln, one month before the end of the Civil War, contemplates the effects of the Civil War and his vision for the future of the nation, through a series of rhetorical analysis rooting in logic. This being President Lincoln’s Second Inaugural Speech, the audience was expecting a lengthy speech on slavery, politics, and state rights. In return, they got a speech rooted in logic. War was “dreaded by all” and both parties “deprecated war.” The south wanted to “make war” instead of letting the “nation survive,” as the North wanted to “accept war” rather than “perish” it.

“One nation under God, indivisible” (Bellamy) is a motto that is lived by Americans every single day. Americans are a united force that can not be broken apart and will do anything for other fellow Americans. From the use of heart wrenching pathos in Lincoln’s Second Inaugural Address and The Quilt of a Country: Out of Many, One? by Anna Quindlen to the immaculate lighting in the beautifully famous painting George Washington Crossing the Delaware by Emanuel Gottlieb Leutze, we can see that American people will always unite and stick as one. Americans will stick together after a horrendous event has occurred or when there is beauty to rejoice about.

The United States, often referred to as a “melting pot,” is known for its extensive cultures. This paramount aspect of the Unites States makes it so unique yet it also happens to be the center of its many conflicts. America, although seemingly doubtful due to the vast amount of cultures and people, has been able to withstand conflicts and adversities because Americans have been able to learn from the country’s past and find a way to use their differences to come together.

Americans pleaded for peace with anxiousness during the 1860’s due to the hardship that was brought from the devastating Civil War. Because the war was so impactful, during and after, Abraham Lincoln resorts to the idea that a united nation may be the only resolution for the future of the country. During his second inauguration Abraham Lincoln gives a short yet effective speech promising to the Americans the reestablishment of tranquility for the Americans and their families by helping them seek for the correct guidance from God.

President Abraham Lincoln orated a powerful persuasive speech in his Second Inaugural Address, just one month before the end of the Civil War. This speech shed light to his contemplation of the effects of the Civil War and provided his vision for the future of the nation. Lincoln’s address was written through a logical theme that focused on the unity of the country. He used religion, specific diction, and flat-out logical thinking to convey his message. The speech was given as the Civil War was ending, and President Lincoln wanted to provide a bit of light in a very dark time. He could have given the lengthy speech that the audience expected; but instead, he gave a short message of unity that fueled the United States for years to come.

The Civil War was a period of racial injustice and a time of great loss for the people of America. During Abraham Lincoln’s Second Inaugural Address, he creates a moral framework for peace and reconciliation with the use of many rhetorical strategies. With a sincere but reflective tone, Abraham Lincoln highlights the reality of the troubled nation and the solution to all of the problems, which is unity. Lincoln repeats strong phrases to enhance the theme, references to a holy figure, and creates simple, yet structured ideas to achieve his purpose of reuniting the broken nation.

Instead of celebrating himself and glorifying the win, he reveals a solidarity reflected both the North and South. He speaks to the different sides as a whole as they both have gone through troubles and hardships. He further proves his consolidation by saying, “All dreaded it, all sought to avert it” and “both parties deprecated war, but one of them would make war rather than let the nation survive.” With these sentiments he shows that both sides had the same motivation to go into war in order to protect their own nation and to make it greater. This allows the reader to be able to look at the bigger image of how both sides shared similarites going into the

President Lincoln splits the Northern states and the Southern states. He does this by sundering the two sides over a topic stating that “one of them would make war…and the other would accept war” (Lincoln).The use of similar words and in the same order, emphasizes the contradictory beliefs of the North and South.