USA HISTORY

Detailed explanation-1: -He and others came to Gettysburg to dedicate the cemetery ground, but Lincoln turns it around, stating that by struggling and spilling blood and dying on that battlefield, the soldiers themselves have already dedicated, hallowed, and consecrated (which all essentially mean “make something sacred or honored") the area.

Detailed explanation-2: -To consecrate means to declare something holy and hallow is its synonym. Lincoln is saying that the ground cannot be declared holy, because: The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract.

Detailed explanation-3: -According to Lincoln, why are they unable to “dedicate, ” “consecrate, ” or “hallow” the battlefield? Because they can’t honor it as much as the soldiers declared it sacred. The ground already was dedicated and hallow by those who took part in the battle especially those who died.

Detailed explanation-4: -We have come to dedicate a portion of that field, as a final resting place for those who here gave their lives that that nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this. But, in a larger sense, we can not dedicate-we can not consecrate3-we can not hallow-this ground.