Analysis of Lincoln's Speeches

Realism is a genre begun at the beginning of the nineteenth century by influential writers and leaders who began to incorporate the ideas into their speeches (Werlock). These ideas include representing causes and stories with facts and well as plays on emotions (Werlock). In this way the writer gains an emotional response while also using facts to prove those with more scientific or perhaps just skeptical minds, because some people just need proof no matter how convincing the argument may be on the emotional end.

In Lincoln's speeches, "Second Inaugural Address, March 4, 1865" and "The Gettysburg Address," he addresses these sentiments. During both speeches he plays upon facts in the different instances, and he also caters to the emotions of the people that he is trying to reach.

In "Second Inaugural Address, March 4, 1865", Lincoln addresses the divine teachings taught in the Bible that men have to pay for their actions and that true justice is always carried out by God in order to even out the score here on Earth (Lincoln, from "Second"). He talks about this in relation to the punishment that the Americans were being afforded because of their injustice in the system of slavery. Because they spent so long mistreating the slaves, two hundred and fifty years was the number referenced in his speech, then it would be natural that the people would then have to suffer two hundred and fifty years of punishment in order to remedy these injustices. Abraham Lincoln believed that the Civil War and the blood that was shed there was God's punishment for these injustices afforded to the African American slaves (Lincoln, from "Second").

In "The Gettysburg Address," Lincoln addresses the idea of patriotism and what men owe the men who sacrificed their own lives so that we could live in a free nation that stands on its principles (Lincoln, "Gettysburg"). This address was given on an actual battlefield, hence its title, "The Gettysburg Address." This speech was all about how nations that fight amongst themselves cannot endure. He goes on to detail how a nation can never repay the men who fought and struggled for their freed, but he says that the only way they can even attempt to do so is to continue to struggle for the cause that these men laid down their lives for in order to make sure that they would not have died in vain (Lincoln, "Gettysburg").

These speeches represented Realism in their setting and their content. Both were extremely relevant to the time period. Each of them addressed ideas that were happening that were extremely influential and important to the country, such as the Civil War that was happening during "Second Inaugural Address, March 4, 1865" (Lincoln, from "Second"). They also represented Realism by showing the heroes to be everyday American citizens and what they could do to help out their country and respect those who had come before them and struggled for their freedom. In "The Gettysburg Address," Lincoln simply referenced "the living" as the people who were responsible for carrying on the task laid before them (Lincoln, "Gettysburg"). It does not get more general than that, and there is no better way to encompass everyone. In this way his speech applied to every single person that heard it, which is an important aspect of Realism.

Lincoln, Abraham. from "Second Inaugural Address." Glencoe American Literature. comp. Wilhelm, Jeffery. McGraw Hill. Columbus, OH. 2009. pg 339.

Lincoln, Abraham. "Gettysburg Address Abraham Lincoln Civil War Speech." American Civil War History Timelines Battle Map Pictures. Web. 10 Feb. 2011.

Werlock, Abby H. P. "realism." The Facts On File Companion to the American Short Story, Second Edition. New York: Facts On File, Inc., 2009. Bloom's Literary Reference Online. Facts On File, Inc. http://www.fofweb.com/activelink2.asp?ItemID=WE54&SID=5&iPin= Gamshrtsty0575&SingleRecord=True (accessed February 14, 2011).