Rhetorical Analysis of Lincoln's Second Inaugural Address

Have you ever questioned why Abraham Lincoln's nickname was “Honest Abe”? Lincoln earned this reliable reputation through his straightforwardness, trustworthy charm, and  influential language. Honest Abe influenced many by his use of rhetorical devices. In Abraham Lincoln’s Second Inaugural Address, he uses many rhetorical and persuasive devices to unify and heal the nation from the Civil War. Lincoln takes his audience into account to persuade them into agreeing with him. A majority of his audience is very religious, so he focuses on religion to persuade his audience with  Biblical allusions. He also uses other rhetorical devices such as ethos, logos, and diction to help convey his message that the country must stay unified in order to be a strong nation. 

To expand on his message of being a strong nation, Lincoln says “Each looked for an easier triumph, and a result less fundamental and astounding. Both read the same Bible and pray to the same God, and each invokes His aid against the other. It may seem strange that any men should dare to ask a just God's assistance in wringing their bread from the sweat of other men's faces, but let us judge not, that we be not judged.” Lincoln is using ethos to help his audience remember that although the both Lincoln and the north are antislavery while south is pro slavery, the north and the south are both praying for the same thing, peace, which illustrates the similarities between them. It makes the audience believe that Lincoln views both the north and the south in the same way, although he is clearly more critical of the south. The way Lincoln uses ethos to create a trustworthy tone establishes his credibility. 

Similar to Lincoln’s use of ethos, Lincoln uses biblical allusions in an effort to bring the north and south together. “Woe unto the world because of offences; for it must be that offences come, but woe to that man by whom the offence cometh” (Matthew 18:7). This line in Lincoln's speech was quoted directly from the Bible. Lincoln is using this biblical allusion to illustrate that the north and south must both take responsibility for the original sin of slavery. Lincoln is mainly discussing the south. This will help the heavily religious, southern audience believe that it is sinful to own slaves, ultimately bringing peace.

Furthermore, Lincoln establishes his credibility by using logos. “One eighth of the whole population was colored slaves, not distributed generally over the Union, but localized in the southern part of it.” The logic and factual evidence, used by Lincoln, helps his speech seem more valid. It makes his speech seem more valid because since Lincoln uses facts, the audience will believe that he is most likely telling the truth. 

Moreover, to seem more knowledgeable, Lincoln used diction to seem more insightful and perceptive. “Each looked for an easier triumph, and a result less fundamental and astounding.” Lincoln's unusual word choice makes it obvious that he is intelligent. The use of diction compels the audience to refrain from questioning his education and think Lincoln has their best interests at heart because of the immense intelligence he has. 

All things considered, President Lincoln was a very intelligent man. His persuasive appeals most definitely aided in the creation of his nickname, “Honest Abe.” Centuries later, we know that Lincoln’s persuasive language and use of rhetorical devices were highly effective. His use of biblical allusions, ethos, logos, and diction in his Second Inaugural Address successfully encouraged the unification of the nation after being divided by the Civil War.