A Rhetorical Analysis Of Robert E. Lee's Letter

Confederate general, Robert E. Lee, in his letter, narrates his anguished thoughts pertaining to the conflicts between the North and South. Lee’s main objective is to express his extreme grief when seeing the Union in its current state of unease as well as to voice the plight of secession and ultimately civil war. He employs the uses of several rhetorical strategies including: doleful diction, hyperboles, and historical remembrance to efficaciously illustrate his feelings of melancholy towards troubles being faced by the country he loves dearly. Lee utilizes doleful diction in his letter through the incorporation of words that express the dreadful nature of emotions brought on by the possibility of a civil war. He describes a great misery through statements such as, “a Union that can only be maintained by swords . . . has no charm for me,” (Lee Lines 17-19) and, “I shall mourn for my country,” (Lee Line 19) as well as, “[I shall] share the miseries of my people,” (Lee Line 21) to transport readers to the same position characterized by grayness he currently resides in. Lee embeds such statements in his writing in order to appeal to the hearts of his audience so that they may understand his perspective on the situation at hand. In the integration of such woeful diction, Lee is able to provide readers …show more content…
He writes, “But I can anticipate no greater calamity for the country . . .” (Lee Line 5) as well as, “Secession is nothing but revolution,” (Lee Line 9) to amplify the hostility evoked by conflicts between the North and South. Lee utilizes hyperboles in order to designate his antipathy regarding disaffiliation of the Confederacy and civil war as the most popular opinion amongst his audience. By providing exaggerated claims, Lee creates a dramatic mood that is certain to engross readers and influence their thoughts on the validity of war within the