Seminal Documents
The Gettysburg Address
Vocab
Rhetorical Structure
100

What type of document is "The Gettysburg Address"?

Seminal document

100
Why does Linclon use conceive at the beginning and perish at the end? What does he want to say?
If we do not continue what we started, we will die.
100

What does detract mean?

take away from

100

Where on pg. 28 does Lincoln use parallel structure?

"and that government of the people, by the people, for the people shall not perish from the earth."

200

What is a seminal document?

documents that have great historical and literary significance.

200
Give examples for rhetoric devices used by Lincoln.

Repetition:nation-great-dedicate-consecrate-hallow

Parallel Structure: For the people-of the people-by the people/ We cannot dedicate-we cannot consecrate-we cannot hallow


200

What does perish mean?

to die or come to an end

200

We cannot dedicate , we cannot consecrate, we cannot hallow .... is an example of _________

Parallel Structure

300
What kind of themes does a seminal document usually have?
strong themes (freedom, equality, strength, democracy)
300
What was his call for action?
Win the Civil War
300

What does resolve mean?

to decide or become determined

300

All men are created equal is an example of _________


Allusion

(to The Declaration of Independence)

400

What ideas or concepts does a seminal document usually present?

fairness, justice, respect, honor

400
What were Lincoln's 2 purposes from delivering such a speech?
honor the dead and motivate the rest to continue without forgetting the main purpose of this war.
400

What does conceive mean?

to form or develop in the mind

400

What does the parallelism in "that government of the people, by the people, for the people" focus the audience's attention on?

the idea that the government is made, run, and for the citizens of the United States.

500

What makes the ideas presented in a seminal document interesting?

engaging ideas

presented in an original way

500

What is the unfinished work which Lincoln was talking about?

Winning the Civil War/ Keeping the country united

500

what does consecrate mean?

to dedicate as sacred

500

What does the parallelism of  "...we cannot dedicate--we cannot consecrate--we cannot hallow--this ground" focuses the audience's attention on what?

that the audience can't make that place holy or sacred because those who have died already did that.
600

What do themes and concepts in seminal documents encourage audiences to do?

take action

600
What are the themes he is introducing?
The ideals that the nation was built on and what needs to be taken to protect it from perishing.
600

what are two definitions of dedicate?

devote

open/unveil

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