The Gettysburg Address
November 19, 1863
Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent a new nation, conceived in liberty and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.
Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation or any nation so conceived and so dedicated can long endure. We are met on a great battlefield of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of that field as a final resting-place for those who here gave their lives that that nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this. But in a larger sense, we cannot dedicate, we cannot consecrate, we cannot hallow this ground. The brave men, living and dead who struggled here have consecrated it far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us the living rather to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced.
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 the earth.
Identifying the "Shift": How does the focus of the text change from Sentence 1 to Sentence 2?
Vocabulary in Context: As used in line 1, the word "conceived" most nearly means:
Strategy: The ACT tests sentence structure and the use of punctuation for emphasis. Lincoln uses "Parallelism" (repeating grammatical structures) to build momentum.
The Sentence:
"But, in a larger sense, we can not dedicate [3]—we can not consecrate—we can not hallow [4]—this ground."
Punctuation Check
Strategy: Use the text to draw historical inferences about the "New Birth of Freedom."
"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 the earth."
Inferential Reasoning: In the final paragraph, Lincoln speaks of a "new birth of freedom." Based on your knowledge of the Reconstruction Era, which of the following best describes what this "new birth" implied for the US Constitution?
Part 4: Style and Tone
But in a larger sense, we cannot dedicate, we cannot consecrate, we cannot hallow this ground. The brave men, living and dead who struggled here have consecrated it far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us the living rather to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced.
Style and Tone: Lincoln writes: "The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here." If the author were to change the phrase "little note, nor long remember" to "not really pay attention to or think about for a long time," the sentence would:
Rubric: Score Description
Advanced (5-6) Uses specific quotes; explains how the metaphor (birth/death) connects to the theme (democracy). No summary—only analysis.
Proficient (3-4)Mentions the metaphor and uses one quote. Explains the meaning but may lean slightly into summarizing the speech.
Developing (1-2)Identifies that Lincoln talks about birth or death but fails to connect it to the Civil War being a "test." No quotes used.
Prompt: In the space below, analyze how Lincoln uses the metaphor of a "lifespan" (brought forth/birth, endure/life, perish/death) to argue that the Civil War is a test of democracy. Use at least two specific quotes from the text to support your claim.
Rhetorical Flow: Why does the author use dashes (—) in this sentence?
The "Big Picture": What is the primary purpose of the phrase "government of the people, by the people, for the people" in the concluding sentence?
Sentence Placement: Suppose the author’s goal was to emphasize that the battlefield is a sacred space. Where is the most logical place to emphasize this?