Student Question
Which words does Lincoln use to describe the Civil War in the "Gettysburg Address"?
Quick answer:
In the "Gettysburg Address," Lincoln describes the Civil War using terms like "a great civil war," "the unfinished work," and "the great task remaining before us." He refers to it as a "test" of the nation's endurance and as a "cause" requiring the "last full measure of devotion." These descriptions use metaphor and metonymy to convey the war's significance in testing the viability of a government dedicated to democracy.
[Students may ask one question per thread, so your questions were edited. We invite you to submit the others individually for additional answers.]
a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure.
here gave their lives that that nation might live
the unfinished work ... thus far so nobly advanced
the great task remaining before us
that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion
The words Lincoln uses to describe "a great civil war" in so compact a speech are mostly metaphor and metonymy thus difficult to pick out. The above quotations are all the descriptive references to the Civil War in Lincoln's speech. We'll talk about a couple of them.
In the first quotation, "a great civil war, testing whether that nation...," Lincoln describes the war in a metaphor as a "test" of the new...
Unlock This Answer Now
Start your 48-hour free trial and get ahead in class. Boost your grades with access to expert answers and top-tier study guides. Thousands of students are already mastering their assignments—don't miss out. Cancel anytime.
Already a member? Log in here.
nation's ability to endure. The quote explains that what is being tested is whether or not a nation (the U.S. or any other nation) that is conceived in and dedicated to the idea of government of, by and for the people can "long endure," or whether the republican democracy will be torn apart by conflicting ideologies. Ametaphor states an implied comparison between two things that are not alike. In this case, a "war" is not like a "test," yet in the figurative language of metaphor, "war" is better understood by being compared to a "test."
The phrase "the unfinished work" might be analyzed as a metonymy that stands for and represents "the great civil war." A metonymy is a general concept that represents and stands for a more specific idea. For instance, news reporters sometimes say "President Obama's government" and sometimes say "the White House." "The White House" is a metonymy that is a general concept representing and standing for a more specific idea. The specific idea is President Obama's government. After the next election, there will be a new president, but the White House will still be the seat of that president's government. Thus reporters will have the choice between the specific "President Someone's government" and the general "the White House." Thus in this sense of the general substituting for the specific, "the unfinished work" can be called a describing metonymy of the Civil War.
Other descriptors state that the Civil War is the means by which the "nation might live," or continue, endure; is a "great task" to undertake that is inescapably "before" them and awaiting them; is a great "cause" that requires full and complete devotion: "the last full measure of devotion."
References