Gettysburg Address Case

In the Gettysburg Address, Abraham Lincoln mentions the idea of preserving the union and “any nation so conceived and so dedicated can long endure”. Lincoln also discusses the sacrifices of the north and south, and how “We have come to dedicate a portion of that field as a final resting place for those who here have given their lives that the nation might live.”

The Purpose of the Gettysburg Address is to dedicate to the soldiers who have lost their lives in the war and “rather to be dedicated to the great task remaining for us- that from those honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion: that we highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain.”

Most of all, the style of the Gettysburg Address makes it unique. Because  of uses of Parallel Structure, Antithesis, and appropriate Diction, many critics may argue that it sounds confusing ad fake, however its unique style not only makes it persuasive but also leaves an impact on the audience. For Example Lincoln uses parallel structure  to emphasize that we should not forget this event. “We can not dedicate — we can not consecrate — we can not hallow — this ground” Lincoln also use antithesis to compare “what we say here” to “what they did here”.  Lastly Lincoln uses formal diction to “dedicate a task” for us.

To summarize, the Gettysburg address not only gets it’s point across which is to dedicate to the soldiers who fought in the war, but also manage to do it with it’s unique style, by using figures of speech to emphasize certain parts of it.

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their creator with certain inalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.”

This part of the Declaration of Independence is the most hypocritical. Although Thomas Jefferson writes that “all men are created equal”, he himself owns slaves. What exactly does the term “certain inalienable rights mean?” Does it mean getting paid 5 dollars an hour for strenuous jobs? Does it mean picking cotton under extreme heat for a lifetime? It never occurred to me that working under minimum wages and being enslaved, is “the pursuit of happiness”.

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