The Gettysburg Address Analyze the Text

Identify Patterns Identify two examples of parallelism in the speech. How does Lincoln use parallel structure to persuade the audience to accept his message?

Lincoln uses parallel structure to persuade the audience to accept his message by ingraining the many sacrifices the men who fought for our country made into our heads, and comparing the Civil War to the Revolutionary War.

Analyze Why did Lincoln write and deliver the Gettysburg Address? What were his two main purposes? Explain using evidence from the speech.

Lincoln wrote and delivered the Gettysburg Address for the people of the American colonies understand that the civil war is destroying the simple ideals that their nation had been built upon. One of his two main purposes for writing and delivering this speech was to reinforce the fact that those men who gave their lives did not die in vain, "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," (Lines 18 - 21). The other main purpose for writing and delivering this speech was to remind the people that this war is betraying the ideals of the nation--he is saying that this war needs to come to a close, making America free once again. This is shown twice, one being in lines 1 - 6, "...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...can long endure." The other is stated in lines 21 - 23, "...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."

Infer What is "the unfinished work" of those who died (line 16)?

The "unfinished work" of those who died (line 16) was the task of bringing the war to a close. These men knew that when George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, and so many others built the empire of America, that they built it on equality and freedom for all. John Laurens was hellbent on ending slavery, for he knew that it was the only way for the nation to be truly free. The line, "we'll never be free until we end slavery" from the Tony-winning Broadway musical, Hamilton, always comes into my mind when discussing the civil war that this country endured. These men worked to see slavery abolished. Since they died, their work was left unfinished.

Identify Patterns The word dedicate is repeated several times in the speech. What does dedicate mean? What idea does Lincoln emphasize with the repetition of this word?

The definition of the repeated word, dedicate, is to devote (time, effort, or oneself) to a particular task or purpose. The idea that Lincoln emphasizes with the repetition of this word is the idea that the men who fought dedicated their lives to bettering this country, and uphold the ideals of the nation that were instated so many years ago.

Draw Conclusions Seminal U.S. documents often refer to themes and ideals that are important to the audience they address. What is the theme, or underlying message, of the Gettysburg Address? Are those themes still important today? Explain the underlying message and American ideals that the speech upholds.

The theme of the Gettysburg Address is that in the end, we are all separate but important parts of one body. That body is the experiment of America. In order for a body to run properly, its parts must come together and act as one, instead of acting out alone. We must come together in order to fight oppression and run smoothly. These themes are extremely important and shockingly relevant today, considering that it is 2016. We as a country should already have realized that we must come together and work as one instead of fighting each other. Is that not the reason why the improbable idea that is America was created 240 years ago?

Infer What does Lincoln mean when he refers to "a new birth of freedom" (line 22)? Explain your response with evidence from the text.

When he refers to "a new birth of freedom" (line 22), Lincoln means that once the war has finally ended, the nation will thrive under the notion that all men are created equal. There will be a new freedom for all once the war finishes and slavery is abolished.