RAE 11
Throughout history, countries have battled fore possessions whether that be: slavery,
land, military alliances, or the like. But in the end, all wars end and the countries involved
must pick themselves up from the ashes and establish a new status quo. In his second
inaugural address, US President Abraham Lincoln uses an appeal to unity, an appeal to
religion and an appeal to forgiveness in order to contemplate the effects of the war and
offer insight into his view for the future.
Throughout his address, Lincoln offers an appeal for the country to unify and rebuild
the shattered reality of civil war. Lincoln uses words like "both" and "each" to pose the
idea that "both parties deprecated war" and now "both" have a duty to society to "bind up
the nation's wounds." Lincoln uses these words in order to unite both the south and the
north to fulfill his overall vision of rebirth and rebuilding for the nation. Lincoln also
employs the use of anaphora through the word "neither." In three sentences in a row,
Lincoln begins with "neither" showing a common innocence among the "insurgents" and
"the union." Both had no idea the "magnitude or duration" that the conflict would cause
and therefore share a common unity of innocence. Lincoln also ends his address with the
words "we" and "us" to shift from the highly polarized society of north versus south to
his vision for a future of unity and rebirth for the United States.
Lincoln --secondly-- appeals to religion in his inaugural address to portray a scene of
rebuilding and rebirth he foresees for the country. Lincoln uses metonymy when he refers
to God as: "the Almighty," "he," and "Lord." This allows Lincoln to more efficiently
project his idea that God's will is not for "slavery" and "war" but for "peace" and
freedom. Lincoln also emphasizes that "God gives [the country] the right" to end the
"terrible war" and move towards "[achieving] a just and lasting peace." This allows
Lincoln to gain evidence for why he envisions the future as one of rebirth and rebuilding
for America.
Finally, Lincoln uses an appeal to forgiveness in order to contemplate the effects of
the civil war and offer his vision for the future. Lincoln through his use of an allusion to
dividedness and shared innocence argues that the future will be filled with rebirth and
rebuilding for America. Lincoln emphasizes that the issue of slavery "was a peculiar and
powerful interest" that divided the country and "caused war" between the "north and
south" but also that both sides knew little of the "magnitude or duration" of the conflict
they caused. Lincoln argues that for this reason, the nation is able to forgive each other
and work towards a future of rebuilding. Abraham Lincoln in his famous line: "with
malice towards none, with charity for all", embodies the idea that the future for America
is going to be filled with "charity" and light without anger and angst and without war.
Throughout his inaugural address-- US president-- Abraham Lincoln appeals to unity,
religion, and forgiveness in order to contemplate the effects of the civil war and to
provide his insight into the future of America. War can bring both destruction and chaos
but out of the ashes grows a new nation filled with equality and freedom.