First Inaugural Address by Abraham Lincoln Critical Analysis

This week I was assigned the First Inaugural Address by Abraham Lincoln. I will say that essay was very long to read. The main theme of the essay is apprehension. He spoke on issues that were going in in the country at the time. From slavery to the conflict between the North and the South with the Union and Confederate states. He states he wouldn’t get involved with slavery and that he wanted the leaders of the states to calm down the fighting.

One short story that shares a similar theme is This Land is Your Land by Woody Guthrie which is a song. Both works deal with issues in the United States. They are similar in the love for our country and the many issues that are going on. Guthrie is coming from a place of frustration of why are things being separated and people being told to leave when they belong on the land. Lincoln in his speech is saying the North and South are still apart of the United States the same land.

The rhetorical techniques are different in each essay and song. The address has the word Union mentioned over twenty times throughout the speech. The tone is medium and not aggressive. The song was created in an angry state of mind because of the unfair treatment that was happening. It has a sarcastic response to American culture.

References

Muller, Gilbert H. and John A. Williams. “Reading and Responding to Literature and Film.” ENGL 200: Composition and Literature. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2011. 2-18. Web. 12 August 2011.