Abraham Lincoln's Second Inaugural Address Essay

Improved Essays
Abraham Lincoln is widely recognized as one of the greatest speech writers in the history of the United States due to his firm, disciplined approach to the craft of writing. Lincoln’s second inaugural address demonstrates his incredible ability to bind together divided people through his unyielding grasp on rhetoric and diction, using these devices to move and persuade. By uniting the two forces under the same beliefs, consequences and difficult path to healing, Lincoln attempts to bring together the North and South as brothers again and heal the wounds inflicted by the Civil War.
Lincoln strived to re-establish the North and South as brothers again by uniting the two divided forces under the same God, and the same fundamental beliefs. He appealed

Related Documents

  • Decent Essays

    What should be done in the next four years? This is the main question that is brought up in President Lincoln’s second Inaugural Address. He was able to use the rhetorical strategies of the facts, emotions, and his credibility to achieve his purpose of making the United States of America better than it was with more unity. Lincoln first decided to talk about the progress. “The progress of our arms...is… reasonable satisfactory and encouraging to all.”…

    • 375 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Decent Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Lincoln was in favor of having the same united nation that America was for years until tensions within the country started to split it. In Lincoln's second inaugural, he wants to persuade his fellow Americans that the union of the nation is the best way they can handle the war. He manages to make a stupendous Address by using multiple language choices within it. These language choices consist of unifying diction, consolidating parallel structure, allusions from the Bible, and an optimistic tone.…

    • 773 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    President Abraham Lincoln is one of the most eloquent and effective speech writers to have ever taken office. Ronald C. White Jr. presents Lincoln's Greatest Speech as an argument that Lincoln's Second Inaugural Address is in fact Lincoln's greatest speech. Through Lincoln's Greatest Speech, White applies several literary techniques to his writing in order to present an effective argument to his audience. The arguments he presents in his book uncover a deeper meaning of Lincoln's speech in a captivating way. White uses the techniques of dramatization, parallelism, and format to convince his audience of the importance and significance of Lincoln's Second Inaugural Address that make it Lincoln's "greatest speech".…

    • 731 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Every president is questioned and faced with numerous protesters to their actions and decisions while in office. Two prominent figures in history challenged Lincoln and his administration’s reign while in office, especially with the content he shared during the Gettysburg Address. Charles Adams and Stephen Klugewicz both held strong, differing opinions about Lincoln’s success and what truly caused the Civil War. Charles Adams strongly advocated for the South’s case during the Civil War. Adams noted throughout his article how the North strictly wanted preserve the ties between the two sides for economic benefit, rather than for the case they claimed – unity.…

    • 382 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Decent Essays

    President Abraham Lincoln was a very articulate man and the Gettysburg Address, while rather short, is extremely powerful. This speech clearly expresses his morals and ideals for the nation and his fellow Americans. Lincoln never calls for a Northern victory because he is striving for more than mere battle victory. He mentions all soldiers who sacrificed for the nation and conveying a larger…

    • 64 Words
    • 1 Pages
    Decent Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Lincoln achieved his purpose when giving the Second Inaugural Address and surprised his audience with it. He used many rhetorical strategies when giving this address. He discusses the difference between the North and South, and how they also compare (Examples: difference is how the North did not have slaves and the South did. Then compared is how both sides saw God the same way). Lincoln talks about the effects of the Civil War and how God is the answer for ending the war and ending slavery.…

    • 717 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The Healing of the Divided States; How Lincoln Unified a Nation On March 4, 1865, Abraham Lincoln appeared before his fellow countrymen to be sworn in, taking presidential office for the second time. The capitol building stood before an ocean of American citizens from various demographics, ready to take in his words of wisdom. However, Lincoln had more to say than merely recognizing himself to again be the leader of the American people. He talked about an event that deeply distressed the state of the nation- the Civil War.…

    • 633 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    At first, Lincoln tried to avoid the topic of slavery. In fact, in his first inaugural speech, he said he would not force the emancipation of slaves onto southerners, but would also not allow it to expand to the western United States. With this notion, states began to seceded from the Union and war began to break out between the north and the south. As the war progressed and more states seceded, Lincoln began to fear he would lose the war. He was losing his funding, a large number of soldiers were dying, and the soldiers morale on the battlefield was extremely low.…

    • 1522 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    In Abraham Lincoln’s Second Inaugural Address, he uses many rhetorical devices to appeal to our ethos, pathos, and logos. Through this he expresses his feeling about the Civil War; the motivation which made it come about and the outcome of the war. At this point the country had been a war for four years and tensions are high; President Lincoln has been reelected into his second term prepared to give a speech that will hopefully bring the nation back together so that they can “bind up the nation’s wounds”. Due to the fact that this is his second address, he felt that this one didn’t need to be as long, but it still had to be powerful. With Lincoln’s use of emotion, logic and respect of authorities, he creates a feeling of national unity and helps to once again unite the North and South.…

    • 931 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Strategic or Reactive: The transformation of Lincoln’s rhetoric during his presidency From an Illinois lawyer, to the 16th president of the United States, Abraham Lincoln is one of the most celebrated historical and political figures of all time. He led the United States through its civil war and paved the way to the abolition of slavery. Not only a proficient politician, but also an amazing rhetorician, Lincoln is the author of some of the most memorable speeches and letters in the American history such as: the Gettysburg Address, Emancipation Proclamation, his first and second Inaugural Addresses and so on. His distinct writing style has a restrained, legalistic, calmed tone and most importantly, passive. David Herbert Donald, an American historian, two times Pulitzer Prize winner and best known for his biography of Abraham Lincoln, argues mainly about this aspect of Lincoln’s rhetoric.…

    • 859 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    This speech inspired the people to carry on the legacy of the soldiers and finish what they started, ending the war and uniting the nation once more. Abraham Lincoln was a significant aspect of the Civil War, whose words and actions inspired many to unite the country and abolish slavery once and…

    • 798 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    Abraham Lincoln is well-known for being one of the most successful presidents of all time. Because of the time period that he was president in, he was forced to deal with a very challenging issue: handling slavery and the civil war. Throughout Lincoln’s presidency, he delivered numerous speeches on the topic of slavery and tried his best to keep the United States together. Two of his most famous speeches came during his two inaugural addresses when he became president. Although his tone and purpose were different for each of his inaugural addresses, both conveyed similar ideas and used similar rhetorical devices.…

    • 1038 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Lincoln’s Second Inaugural Address was a seminal document in our nation’s history. Lincoln used the opportunity to try and bring a wounded nation back together, employing several rhetorical strategies in his speech. Lincoln wrote his Second Inaugural Address himself. He had already been president for one term and had just been re-elected. He could have used the speech to celebrate himself and his efforts in the war, which was nearly over.…

    • 760 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    The Strength of Words Together How many times do parents, teachers, or friends give instructions or ask a favor in return of nothing other than the casual nod? Their words hushed by the blandness of their rhetoric. Individuals carry many responsibilities and jobs to live life. Their day-to-day schedule ever changing by the abruptness and difficulties life brings.…

    • 1483 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    John Fitzgerald Kennedy was one the most beloved presidents of the United States. He was the youngest U.S. president and the first Roman Catholic president. There is much to be said about this man and his legacy. We hear his humility in his inaugural speech and feel the admiration of family and friends shared in Eleanor Clift’s article, “Inside Kennedy’s Inauguration, 50 Years On.” Two different perspectives, yet both reveal the qualities of a man who loved his family, his country and inspired all.…

    • 867 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays