Repetition

Repetition - the simple repeating of a word, within a sentence or a poetical line, with no particular placement of the words, this is to make emphasis

“Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure.”


 * Repetition of the word nation and the word so in front of conceived and dedicated provide two examples of repetition
 * Lincoln uses these devices to reiterate his point that the union must stay intact and to drill his point into the people’s minds

“But, in a larger sense, we can not dedicate -- we can not consecrate -- we can not hallow -- this ground.”

· Repetition is used as “we can not” in front of three verbs · This device is once again used to clarify his point and make his speech flow more liquidly

“That government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.”


 * Used in order to put emphasis on the fact that Lincoln is reassuring the people that the Union will once again be intact by the end of the war
 * Puts confidence and self-esteem into the people

Questions: 1) Why does Lincoln mention "the people" so much in his speech?