19 pages • 38-minute read
Gettysburg Address
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Essay Topics
Lincoln begins his address by referring to three things: a date in the past, “our fathers,” and “a new nation.” Who are these fathers, what nation does Lincoln refer to, and why is the date he mentions so meaningful?
What was the purpose of the ceremony at which Lincoln gave his address? Why is this context important?
How, according to Lincoln, does the “great civil war” test the founding ideals of the United States?
Who “gave their lives that this nation might live”? How did their sacrifice save the country?
Why does Lincoln insist that the living “cannot hallow this ground”? What are the connotations of the word “hallow,” and how do these play into Lincoln’s argument?
What is it about the war deaths that can “consecrate” the battlefield?
Give two or three examples of repetition in the speech and explain their purpose.
List two examples of religious words or phrases that Lincoln uses. Why does he use these expressions?
What is the “unfinished work” that the battle was fought to advance? How does Lincoln understand the United States’ purpose as a country?
When Lincoln speaks of a “new birth of freedom,” what does he mean?
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