Question

Give a specific example of a rhetorical device used by in “Gettysburg Address” and explain why it counts as a rhetorical device

Answer 1

Answer:

“Fourscore and seven years ago our fathers brought forth, upon this continent, a new nation, conceived in liberty and dedicated to the proposition that ‘all men are created equal.’”

Explanation:

Here Lincoln is using Allusion, which is a reference to a time/event, person, place, or piece of literature that the author or speaker deems relevant to what they're talking about. Lincoln is using a double allusion, he is referencing a specific time and event and a group of people: the creation of the new nation by our founding fathers. He also references the Declaration of Independence by stating "all men are created equal."