Notes

Q.Based on the first sentence of the speech, what does Lincoln believe is noteworthy about the founding of the United States?
A.The United States was founded in ideals of liberty and equality.
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Q.According to Lincoln, how is the Civil War testing the United States?
A.The war is testing "whether that nation, or any nation so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure."
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What is the meaning of the sentence, "The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract"? Explore to see the suggested response.

The sentence expresses Lincoln's feeling of humility in the face of the great sacrifice the soldiers made. The site has already been consecrated by such a great sacrifice of lives that a speaker's words seem feeble in comparison.
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purpose
the reason for writing
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theme
the main message that an author wants to communicate to a reader
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rhetorical device
a technique that a writer or speaker uses to make a point; includes techniques such as parallel structure, allusion, repetition, figurative language, imagery, refrain, quotation, and first-person-plural mode of address
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phrase
a group of related words that acts as a single part of speech
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clause
a group of words that has a subject and a verb
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parallel structure
a rhetorical device in which similar words, phrases, or clauses are used to emphasize ideas
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allusion
a reference to a familiar literary or historical person or event, used to make an idea more easily understood
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denotation
the dictionary meaning of a word or phrase
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connotation
a shade of meaning in a word or phrase that makes it different from other words or phrases with similar meanings
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Tone
This is the attitude a speaker adopts toward what he or she is speaking about.
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Theses
A statement or theory that is put forward as a premise to be maintained or proved.
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