The Gettysburg Address

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The Gettysburg Address

• Analysis of Rhetoric

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We will look at

• Organization of the Gettysburg Address
• The Six Arguments of the Gettysburg Address
• Stylistic Analysis of the Gettysburg Address

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Organization of the Gettysburg Address

• The first part provides the basis on which the
  remainder of the speech depends...the birth of
  the nation. (in the past)
• 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.

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Organization of the Gettysburg Address

• The second part indicates the present (or just
  completed) testing of that nation...now grown to
  young manhood....a time of sacrifice (by
  individual young men) for the protection of the
  child-nation.

• 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 battlefield 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 cannot dedicate,
  we cannot consecrate, we cannot 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.

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Organization of the Gettysburg Address

• The third, and final part sets forth the task for
  the listeners...and for the future...the nation
  has survived this first major test, now we must
  work to see it's resurrection from the ashes of
  the battlefields, and it's growth to the full
  promise of maturity.

• 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.

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1st Argument of the Gettysburg Address

• This nation was a new creation...a child of the
  age of enlightenment and social compact. This
  18th century ideal must survive the test of time
  if it is to prove viable.

• 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 battlefield of that war.

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2nd Argument of the Gettysburg Address

• Anything worthy of survival is worth fighting for
  so, with this country.
• This is an enthymeme
• An argument consisting of only two propositions,
  an antecedent and consequent deduced from it a
  syllogism with one premise omitted as, We are
  dependent therefore we should be humble. Here
  the major proposition is suppressed. The complete
  syllogism would be Dependent creatures should
  be humble we are dependent creatures therefore
  we should be humble. - dictionary.com

• we cannot dedicate, we cannot consecrate, we
  cannot 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.
• from these honored dead we take increased
  devotion to that cause for which they gave the
  last full measure of devotion

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3rd Argument of the Gettysburg Address

• Deeds count more than words....but a sacred oath,
  dedicating ourselves to a task, aligns words with
  deeds.
• 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.

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4th Argument of the Gettysburg Address

• Those who have died can (and have) "passed the
  torch" to those who survive, who then owe a duty
  to continue carrying it.
• Metaphor of torch is implied, not directly used

• 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

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5th Argument of the Gettysburg Address

• Mission of the North is ordained and blessed by
  God, or divine providence
• It is the moral and Christian duty to continue
  the quest
• Seen in use of words like consecrate, hallow,
  and devotion
• Phrase under God was added as an afterthought.

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6th Argument of the Gettysburg Address

• The speech is short and direct
• This implies attention should not be paid to the
  here and now, but to the future of the country
• The important event is not the dedication, but
  the cause

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Stylistic Analysis of the Gettysburg Address

• Fourscore and seven years ago
• Biblical reference analogue to "three score year
  and ten" which was the "allotted span" of a human
  life.
• Lincoln is pointing out that this nation has
  outlived the life of one human, but is still
  young...at the end of the speech we will see the
  rebirth, or regeneration of the country.

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Stylistic Analysis of the Gettysburg Address

• our fathers brought forth on this continent a
  new nation, conceived in liberty and dedicated to
  the proposition that all men are created equal.
• The preceding metaphors depict the founding of
  the nation in terms of a birth, with the framers
  of the constitution the fathers, and liberty the
  mother.
• This implies that the nation is alive...and a
  child, still growing and learning, and in need of
  protection.
• Thus, the further implication is that the
  secession of the southern states is tantamount to
  child murder!

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Stylistic Analysis of the Gettysburg Address

• 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 battlefield of that war.
• Here, Lincoln transitions from the past (the
  nations origins) to the present (the war).
• He clearly defines the abstract purpose of the
  war for the first time.

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Stylistic Analysis of the Gettysburg Address

• 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.
• This further defines the purpose of the event and
  the war itself
• This passage (and others) reflect Lincolns
  knowledge of classical rhetoric
• The next slide discusses the paralells with
  Pericless speech

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Stylistic Analysis of the Gettysburg Address The
Speech of Pericles

• Following the Battle of Marathon, Pericles, the
  Athenian ruler, was asked to give the official
  funeral oration for the Athenian soldiers who
  died in the battle against the invading Persian
  Army. He took the opportunity not only to praise
  the dead, but Athens itself.
• Click here for text of Pericless speech

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Stylistic Analysis of the Gettysburg Address The
Speech of Pericles

• Note these familiar sounding phrases
• I will speak first of our ancestors, for it is
  right and seemly that now, when we are lamenting
  the dead, a tribute should be paid to their
  memory
• But if they were worthy of praise, still more
  were our fathers
• And we ourselves assembled here today
• Methinks that a death such as theirs has been
  the true measure of a man's worth it may be the
  first revelation of his virtues, but is at any
  rate their final seal
• I would have you day by day fix your eyes upon
  the greatness of Athens reflect that this
  empire has been acquired by men who knew their
  duty and had the courage to do it, who in the
  hour of conflict had the fear of dishonor always
  present to them, and who freely gave their
  lives to her as the fairest offering which they
  could present at her feast.

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Stylistic Analysis of the Gettysburg Address The
Speech of Pericles

• Clearly, Lincoln used his self-taught knowledge
  of classical rhetoric to find inspiration for his
  words at Gettysburg

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Stylistic Analysis of the Gettysburg Address

• But in a larger sense, we cannot dedicate, we
  cannot consecrate, we cannot hallow this ground.
  The brave men, living and dead who struggled here
  have consecrated it far above our poor power to
  add or detract
• Here, the religious terminology is fitting for
  the occasion, which is indeed a
  dedication/consecration but it also identifies
  the deaths as a sacrifice (note the same root as
  sacred!) given to ensure the safety of the
  nation/child.

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Stylistic Analysis of the Gettysburg Address

• The world will little note nor long remember
  what we say here, but it can never forget what
  they did here.
• "But" sets the two clauses of the sentence in
  direct opposition to one another. "But" frames
  the two clauses in contrast, so implying that the
  world's response is equally contrasted between
  the word and the deed. Further, the contradiction
  inherent in the "but" implies that the world
  considers deeds more important than words...an
  irony, since we actually tend to forget deeds
  that are not commemorated in words!

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Stylistic Analysis of the Gettysburg Address

• 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
• Passive voice here! Used to show passivity of the
  listeners. Lincoln includes himself in the group
  (us).
• Also, note the repetition with reversal above,
  the second phrase gaining strength from
  repetition and also from association of
  incremental proportions (first) with unfinished
  work, (second) from great task
• This reversal of wording adds to the rhythm of
  the speech and paints a road map for the listener

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Stylistic Analysis of the Gettysburg Address

• that from these honored dead we take increased
  devotion to that cause for which they gave the
  last full measure of devotion
• Read this passage as we take-they give we are
  still passive, they are the heroes who commit
  great deeds

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Stylistic Analysis of theGettysburg Address

• 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
• The birth and parenting metaphors redirect the
  deed of sacrifice to the "task" of devotion to
  the cause...certainly a lesser demand than giving
  one's life, so it is something that can
  justifiably be demanded of the audience for the
  speech and will ensure the survival of the child
• Everyone in the audience now becomes the parents
  of that child..

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Stylistic Analysis of theGettysburg Address

• and that government of the people, by the people,
  for the people shall not perish from the earth.
• A dramatic edict for the audience
• Lincoln is speaking to several groups here
  Northerners, Southerners, and foreign nations
• Implication that child can perish lends urgency
  to the war, and desperation for the fight

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The Address in Lincolns Handwriting
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Gettysburg Address Read

• https//www.youtube.com/watch?vBvA0J_2ZpIQ