I've found the complete question online. It is as follows:
Read these excerpts.
Lincoln's "The Gettysburg Address."
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 here highly resolve that these 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 this earth.
Whitman's "O Captain! My Captain!".
My Captain does not answer, his lips are pale and still;
My father does not feel my arm, he has no pulse nor will;
The ship is anchor'd safe and sound, its voyage closed and done;
From fearful trip, the victor ship, comes in with object won;
Exult, O shores, and ring, O bells!
But I, with mournful tread,
Walk the deck my Captain lies,
Fallen cold and dead.
How does "The Gettysburg Address" and "O Captain! My Captain!" compare in their use of pathos (the use of emotional appeals to affect the audience's feelings)?
a) Neither the speech nor poem rely on the use of pathos.
b) Both the speech and poem are equal when it comes to the use of pathos.
c) The poem relies more on pathos than the speech does.
d) The speech relies more on pathos than the poem does
Answer:
The correct answer is letter c) the poem relies more on pathos than the speech does.
Explanation:
After analyzing both excerpts, we can conclude that Abraham Lincoln's speech does rely on pathos, but not as heavily as Walt Whitman's poem. Pathos is a rhetorical device in which the speaker appeals to the audience's emotions to convince them of his point of view, to provoke thought or a reaction. Lincoln's words do address people's emotions - he appeals to their empathy for the fallen soldiers, for the ones who died so that the country would have peace. He hopes that thought will move people enough to have them willing to keep on fighting for liberty and justice. When we read the poem, however, we see the speaker wants more than just empathy. He wants readers to be sad, to truly visualize the dead body of the captain, to deeply understand how empty victory felt after his death. The poem relies more on pathos than the speech does, with its vivid descriptions.
