USA HISTORY

Lincoln’s short speech begins, famously, with the words “Four score and seven years ago.” This is an example of what rhetorical device?

(A) repetition

(B) loaded words

(C) ** allusion

(D) parallelism

Concept note-1: -Gettysburg Address rhetorical analysis. Lincoln’s address starts with an allusion to when the Declaration of Independence was signed. Beginning with the phrase, “Four score and seven years ago…” he was referencing the year of 1776, which was 87 years ago (Lincoln).

Concept note-2: -For instance, “four score and seven years ago” refers to the Declaration of Independence of 1776, an intentional allusion to equality and liberty for all people. Lincoln masters imagery in words such as “honored dead.”

Concept note-3: -He stated his speech off with an allusion. “Four score and seven years ago” (Lincoln 1). Lincoln refers to the American Revolution using an allusion to date 1776, the year the Declaration of Independence was signed.

Concept note-4: -“The Gettysburg Address” by Abraham Lincoln is remarkable through the use of rhetorical devices like allusion, antithesis, and tricolon.