The Battle of Gettysburg is remembered as one of the bloodiest battle in American History and cost almost 50,000 lives. The Union came out as the victors, yet as Lincoln stood before the crowd at Gettysburg no one rejoiced over this turning point in the war. Grief filled the nation and nationalism decreased as the war dragged on. Abraham Lincoln appeals to war patriotism and inspires his audience by highlighting the beliefs of the nation and the work that needs to be completed by the living in order to preserve democracy and the country. He uses urging tone and tactical diction that shift and work together to encourage the people of America to preserve the union.
Lincoln launches his speech with reminders of the fundamentals of the democratic …show more content…
Lincoln eulogizes the fallen soldiers and the grounds they are dedicating towards them. He exclaims that, “We can not dedicate -- we can not consecrate -- we can not hallow, this ground.” (Lincoln). Right away, Lincoln greets his audience with an assertive tone. He makes anaphoric use of “We can not” followed by a verb to stress the finalization of the statement. It is as if Lincoln refutes any possibility that the living can make the burial ground sacred because they have not put in the endeavors the soldiers have. The living nation has collectively failed to encourage the continuation of the war that can rescue the U.S. from perilous pressures. Seeing others success can evoke a competitive spirit out of a person and push them to strive for said achievements. This pathologically appeals to the audience’s sense of responsibility and motivates them to do what they can to support the war thus revitalizing public morale and giving power to the war effort. He furthers his point by using synonymous diction; “consecrate” and “hallow” both mean to reserve something as holy or special. This highlights the dead soldiers who, with bravery and selflessness, now hold the divine power to bless the land they patriotically fought on. Praising the death of soldiers as auspicious to the success of the war and the preservation of the U.S,
Lincoln launches his speech with reminders of the fundamentals of the democratic …show more content…
Lincoln eulogizes the fallen soldiers and the grounds they are dedicating towards them. He exclaims that, “We can not dedicate -- we can not consecrate -- we can not hallow, this ground.” (Lincoln). Right away, Lincoln greets his audience with an assertive tone. He makes anaphoric use of “We can not” followed by a verb to stress the finalization of the statement. It is as if Lincoln refutes any possibility that the living can make the burial ground sacred because they have not put in the endeavors the soldiers have. The living nation has collectively failed to encourage the continuation of the war that can rescue the U.S. from perilous pressures. Seeing others success can evoke a competitive spirit out of a person and push them to strive for said achievements. This pathologically appeals to the audience’s sense of responsibility and motivates them to do what they can to support the war thus revitalizing public morale and giving power to the war effort. He furthers his point by using synonymous diction; “consecrate” and “hallow” both mean to reserve something as holy or special. This highlights the dead soldiers who, with bravery and selflessness, now hold the divine power to bless the land they patriotically fought on. Praising the death of soldiers as auspicious to the success of the war and the preservation of the U.S,