Savanna's Perspective on The Gettysburg Address

 Hi! I changed my font color, I know, I'm sorry for the confusion. But today in AP English we read The Gettysburg Address out together, and reviewed it.
I decided that since the last post was entirely negative, and Aristotle sucks, I'd let you hear me write in a good mood, about none other than my favorite president, Mr. Abraham Lincoln! *crowd goes insane* That's right, he wrote the Gettysburg Address. If you didn't know that... let me ask "Why exactly are you reading an AP English Blog? Are you one of those really bored internet dweebs? Or have you been living under a rock?"

The speech starts out "Four score and seven years ago..."
(yes, this is THAT speech, rock dwellers) Now if you didn't know, a score is actually 20 years, so everyone's favorite prez is actually saying "87 years ago" he just wanted to sound really awesome, which he accomplished well. He's referring to 1776, in which year, the Declaration of Independence was signed. In the beginning he uses the words dedicated and conceived a lot which makes me think that these were probably 2 of his favorite words. Good choice, Abe, dedicated is one of mine too!
Just kidding. He's actually using these words to invoke pathos, emotional response, from his audience. He must have read Aristotle too. He tells about the new country (America, duh) being in a "great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation, so concieved and dedicated, can long endure."

What he means here is that a nation based on the words "all men created equal" may have a hard time surviving. He was right. This country faces a lot of turmoil for those exact words. Just look at petitions of basically any kind. Back then, it was for African American rights. Now, it's for gay rights. So many arguments have been pulled from these words, yet so many wrongs have been righted because of them.

Lincoln then discussed how no matter what they do, they can not make Gettysburg a more hallowed ground than it already is, because of the sacrifices of American Soldiers on that soil. Then he says "The world will little note nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here."

OH THE IRONY! We'll remember Lincoln's words forever, although everyone has forgotten about the other speeches of that day. He tells us that we need to honor the men that died in Gettysburg, and he closes his short speech with what I call a VERY EPIC CLOSING LINE.

"It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us- that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion; that we highly resolve that those dead shall not have died in vain, 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 earth."

If you haven't ever read the whole speech, go read it, because it's an important part of history, and it's GOOD, and besides, it's short. Lincoln is awesome. Those guys in Gettysburg are awesome. Now go appreciate it.

Savanna out.