The Gettysburg Address by Abraham Lincoln: Rhetorical Analysis and Text of the Speech

Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address is one of the most influential and quoted speeches in the United States.

What is the secret of President Abraham Lincoln’s popularity? Perhaps the secret lies in the history of his life or tragic death, or perhaps in personal qualities, because he was a humane and sympathetic person, or in numerous political achievements.

Abraham Lincoln Is a Man of the People

Abraham Lincoln comes from a simple farm family. The boy did not have the opportunity to study, and even more to finish school. Abraham studied for less than a year, but during this time he learned to read and was very fond of books. 

Lincoln did not receive a formal education, but he was self-educated and read extensively. For example, to become a lawyer, Abraham studied law on his own and got the job he wanted.

In 1837, at the age of 23, Lincoln ran for the Illinois Legislature but was defeated. But this did not stop him.

Lincoln began to study science, he worked as a postmaster and surveyor. And after 3 years he ran again, and this time was elected to the State Legislative Assembly. It was the start of the political career of Abraham Lincoln.

Oratory talent, as well as an impeccable reputation, helped Lincoln become an authority among American citizens. He was a man of the people, a self-made man.

Did You Know? Some Interesting Facts About Abraham Lincoln

Some of the accomplishments of Abraham Lincoln during his reign:

1. Prevented the disintegration of the country during the civil war.
2. Lincoln laid the foundation for the emancipation of slaves.
3. The first transcontinental railway was built.
4. Created a new banking system and a network of national banks.
5. The agricultural problem has been solved. In every state, agricultural and technical colleges were established.

A few interesting facts about US President Abraham Lincoln:

• The iconic figure, political genius Abraham Lincoln, is popular not only among American citizens. Throughout the world, he is recognized as one of the greatest US presidents.
• Lincoln had the nickname “Uncle Abe” or “Honest Abe”. He just couldn’t lie.
• He was a successful lawyer with many years of experience and practice.
• Lincoln was the only president with less than 12 months of school education.
• Abraham Lincoln did not like hunting and fishing because of moral convictions (he did not want to kill animals, even for food).
• Abraham Lincoln was the first US president to be assassinated. 

Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address: Background to the Speech

President Lincoln was invited to speak at the dedication of the National Soldiers’ Cemetery in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. Just a few months ago (from July 1 to July 3, 1863), the bloodiest and most decisive battle of the Civil War took place at Gettysburg.

Abraham Lincoln was not the main speaker that day, November 19, 1863, so his speech was short: it consisted of 275 words (in other sources – 272 words) and lasted no more than 2 minutes. But this speech will forever go down in history as one of the most influential and greatest political speeches in the United States.

Lincoln received an invitation from David Wills to speak at the dedication of the cemetery on November 2, 1863. Just two weeks before the ceremony. While the main speaker, Edward Everett (Governor of Massachusetts, President of Harvard University) was invited in advance and even postponed the date of the ceremony for almost a month so that the speaker could thoroughly prepare.

Lincoln took the invitation to the ceremony as an excellent opportunity to once again address the American people with a statement, to strengthen the spirit and support people in a difficult time for the country. Therefore, the President prepared the speech carefully.

Abraham Lincoln managed to write half of the Gettysburg Address before his departure from the White House, before November 18th. And he finished writing the second part of the speech at night after meeting with William Henry Seward (American politician, twenty-fourth US Secretary of State), who accompanied Lincoln on a trip to Gettysburg.

Rhetorical Analysis of the Gettysburg Address

What Rhetorical Devices Did Abraham Lincoln Use in the Gettysburg Address

1. Abraham Lincoln begins the Gettysburg Address by giving the date in a biblical manner, using alliteration (the repetition of the same consonants in several words):

“Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation…”

2.”… our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.” – it is an allusion (reference) to the Declaration of Independence of the United States. 

3. The word “to dedicate” plays an important role in the Gettysburg Address. It is used in different variations: dedicated, we have come to dedicate, to be here dedicated to the great task, etc. 

Of course, Lincoln could not write a speech that would not correspond to the main reason and purpose for which people gathered that day in the cemetery at Gettysburg. Therefore, the mood and tone of speech are felt and accentuated by the word “dedicate”. 

4. “We have come to dedicate a portion of that field, as a final resting place for those who here gave their lives that that nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this.”

The original source of this phrase was found in the Bible, in the translation that Lincoln read and used for his speeches many times. 

Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address is simple and elegant at the same time.

5. Alliteration is used in this sentence (poor power):

The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract.

6. In the Gettysburg speech, the rhetorical device parallelism is used. 

Parallelism is the identical or the same construction of various words or sentences of the text: 

“… we can not dedicate—we can not consecrate—we can not hallow—this ground.” 

“The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here.”

7. In the Gettysburg speech, Lincoln uses another rhetorical device – lexical repetition. Lexical repetition is a stylistic figure that consists of the deliberate repetition of the same word or speech construction in a visible section of the text. 

Abraham Lincoln repeats the words: we, here, and nation. For example, the word here appears 8 times in the Gettysburg Address. 

More examples of lexical repetition from the text of the speech: “we can not dedicate—we can not consecrate—we can not hallow—this ground”. 

The pronoun we occupies a special place in the Gettysburg speech, occurs 10 times in the text, and serves as an amplifier. In the midst of the Civil War, Lincoln emphasizes commonality and indicates the unity of the American people, who were divided by war.

8. The metaphor is applied.

Metaphor is a hidden comparison, the use of words in a figurative sense based on similarity and analogy with the characteristics of some object or phenomenon:“…a new birth of freedom”. 

9. Another rhetorical device, the antithesis, is actively used in speech.

Antithesis is the opposition of words, concepts, and images that are interconnected by common features (contrast). 

Almost all speech is based on the contrast and comparison of concepts: 

• “We have come to dedicate a portion of that field, as a final resting place for those who here gave their lives that that nation might live.” 
• “The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here…” 
• “The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here.” 
• “dead” and “a new birth of freedom”. 

10. In last two sentences, Lincoln makes a call to action to continue the war and win:

“It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us—that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion—that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain—that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom—and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.”

Read also post “John F. Kennedy’s Inaugural Address: Rhetorical Analysis and Summary”.

Structure of the Gettysburg Address

The structure of the Gettysburg Address is quite simple and consists of 3 parts:

1. The past. This is a reference to US history and the country’s Declaration of Independence. This part includes the first sentence of the speech:

“Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.” 

2. The present. This part is devoted to the Battle of Gettysburg itself and to the situation in the country that was at the height of the civil war (these are sentences 2 – 8):

” Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure. We are met on a great battle-field of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of that field, as a final resting place for those who here gave their lives that that nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this.

But, in a larger sense, we can not dedicate—we can not consecrate—we can not hallow—this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here.

It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced.”

3. The future. In the final part, Lincoln showed a picture of the future: the formation of a new nation with the coordination of the interests of both – the people and the government. This part includes the last two sentences:

“It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us—that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion—that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain—that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom—and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.”

There are 10 sentences in the Gettysburg Address.

The main idea that Abraham Lincoln wanted to convey to the American people was that people not only listen to the president’s speech, nod in response, and go home. Lincoln demanded that Americans continue to fight for the ideas for which fought and gave lives soldiers and ordinary people in the battles of this bloody civil war.

Below is the full text of the Gettysburg Address by Abraham Lincoln.

Text of the Gettysburg Address by Abraham Lincoln

“Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.

Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure. We are met on a great battle-field of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of that field, as a final resting place for those who here gave their lives that that nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this.

But, in a larger sense, we can not dedicate—we can not consecrate—we can not hallow—this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us—that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion—that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain—that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom—and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.”

Used sources of information:

• history.com
• Harvard University “Rhetoric: The Art of Persuasive Writing and Public Speaking”
• lincolnbicentennial.org
• Image: telegraph.co.uk

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