Lincoln's First Inaugural Address

In paragraph 5, Lincoln echoes the words of the oath of office of the President of the United States, in which the speaker pledges "to preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States." This type of rhetorical device is called

• an allusion

• a metaphor

• an analogy

• irony

What is the effect of the use of poetic devices, particularly alliteration and assonance, in the final paragraph?

• It makes the speech difficult to process on an analytical level.

• It makes the speech sound more controlled and robotic.

• It makes the speech pleasing to the ear and more memorable.

• It makes the speech appear patriotic rather than critical.

Read these sentences from the text. "We are not enemies, but friends. We must not be enemies.

Based on these sentences, what audience does Lincoln MOST likely intend to reach?

• members of Congress

• citizens of the South

• foreign leaders

• freed slaves

Which statement BEST summarizes Lincoln's position regarding the threat of civil war?

• The threat of war comes from the citizens, not the government.

• A civil war must be avoided at all costs, even if it means the nation is fractured.

• A civil war would force the government to recognize state's rights.

• The threat of war arises from the government's repeated injustices.

The use of repetition in the final paragraph helps emphasize Lincolns's purpose of

• urging both sides of the Union to work out a peaceful solution

• blaming the South for the rising political tensions in the nation

• assuring the North that he will keep the South from seceding

• persuading US citizens to put their trust in the government