Rhetorical Analysis Of Lincoln's Second Inaugural Address

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Lincoln’s speeches are usually short, but very meaningful. During Lincoln’s Second Inaugural Address, Abraham Lincoln used critical diction to provoke a saddened tone and a juxtaposition of the two sides of the war in order to raise awareness within the citizens of America to continue to work for peace. Throughout the speech Lincoln’s diction was carefully thought of. He does not want to use contrary words or completely censure the South. Instead of saying “war”, Lincoln prefers “great contest”. The word war has many negative inferences that cause rage and uneasiness within humans. Lincoln does not want to stimulate any mixed feelings in his speech. A “contest” has a somewhat impartial connotation. Rather maintaining a peaceful emotion in