By Frank Coffman, wordsmith
Opening
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.
Archaism. Four scores and seven years ago to add nobility and authority.
Envelope alliteration. Four... fathers... forth... proposition...
Thesis
Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure.
Parallelism. In the use of the words nation, conceived and dedicated as in the first paragraph.
Argument
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 can not dedicate -- we can not consecrate -- we can not 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.
Anaphora. Repeated opening. Now we are engaged... We are met... We have come...
Polyptoton. Words derived from the same root are repeated. lives... live.
Tricola. we can not dedicate -- we can not consecrate -- we can not hallow...
Diminutio. "a great civil war", "a great battlefield of that war", "a portion of that field".
Call to action
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 --
Incremental paraphrasis. to be dedicated here to the unfinished work... to be here dedicated to the great task...
Chiasmus. Reversal of grammatical structures in successive phrases or clauses. for us the living rather... rather for us... / dedicated here... here dedicated.
Antithesis. we take... they gave...
Polyptoton. these dead... died...
Closing
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.
Metaphor. birth of freedom.Tetracola. that from these honored dead... that we here highly resolve... that this nation... and that governement...
Tricola. of the people, by the people, for the people
Envelope alliteration. people... for... people...
Epiphora. Repetition of a word or phrase at the end of successive clauses. of the people, by the people, for the people
