A Comparison Of The Gettysburg Address By Essay Example
A Comparison Of The Gettysburg Address By Essay Example

A Comparison Of The Gettysburg Address By Essay Example

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  • Pages: 2 (331 words)
  • Published: November 2, 2017
  • Type: Essay
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Both speeches, which I seek to compare, were profound and insightful in nature. They projected the message of a democratic revolution to a sizable audience, and both speakers held great significance in their individual capacities. In this segment, I aim to elucidate the motivation behind both speeches.

Comparing the famous speeches of AL and MLK, we see that they both aimed to promote change and equality. Although delivered a century apart, AL's speech after the Civil War emphasized freedom and democracy as being "by the people and for the people." In contrast, MLK's speech in 1963 sought to motivate black Americans by highlighting injustice due to segregation and discrimination.

The language used by each speaker differed. AL frequently used "we" to emphasize national unity and repeated "consecrate" (to make holy) and "dedicate" for emphasis. His speech was short but d

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irect. On the other hand, MLK employed persuasive language with metaphors and repetition of key phrases such as "the life of the Negro is still sadly crippled by the manacles of segregation and chains of discrimination," making his longer speech more powerful.

When examining MLK's speech, it becomes apparent that he also utilizes the word "we". However, the language in MLK's speech is more multifaceted and diverse. This is exemplified by terms such as "withering" and "beacon". Additionally, MLK's speech features numerous descriptive phrases that provide a sense of realism, such as "languished in the corners" and "the tranquilizing drug of gradualism." These phrases give a vivid depiction of the message he wishes to convey. While Lincoln directed his speech towards soldiers who had fought for their country and were likely fair-skinned, MLK addressed a broader audience that include

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people of color and white people. Through sentences like "now is the time to make the real promises of democracy," he references white people, who were likely the only individuals in positions of power due to racial biases. Despite their differences, both speeches are respectable in their own right.

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