Gettysburg Address Rhetorical Devices

The Gettysburg Address was eloquently delivered by Abraham Lincoln November 19, 1863 at the National Cemetery in Gettysburg Pennsylvania. The Gettysburg Address was only about two minutes long and a mere 273 words, but is one the most respected, important and influential speeches in American history. This speech was given while one of the bloodiest wars in our nation’s history was still in full effect, the Civil War. Abraham Lincoln was of course the commander and chief at this time. The Gettysburg Address successfully invoked the importance of the Civil war, in which many had sacrificed their lives in an attempt to preserve the principle of human equality and the need for democracy governed by the people. The Gettysburg Address was very short, simple and concise. In just a few sentences Abraham Lincoln managed to sum up American history, democratic ideals as well as giving a new motive to keep up the fight, so those who have fallen “Will have not died in vain” (Hinson, 2013). Abraham Lincoln could have of course spoken for as long as he wanted, so why was the speech so short? Abraham chose his words wisely and intentionally made his speech short and simple so the audience would have a good grasp on the message he was trying to convey. Lincoln wrote the speech short and powerful, so his audience would feel an emotional attachment to why the war was necessary and the importance for …show more content…
The Gettysburg Address is revered as a masterpiece and is one of the greatest speeches ever written. Even though, the Gettysburg address was short, it clearly conveyed to the audience the importance of the Civil War. The speech wasn’t about one battle, slavery or even the Union versus the Confederacy. It was about the necessity for our nation to be governed by popular democracy, where all men are treated equal. The combination of sacrifices made by everyone involved was for the greater good for