The Two Pieces Are Often Held To Represent Two Different Typ

The Two Pieces Are Often Held To Represent Two Different Types Of Disc

The two pieces are often held to represent two different types of discourse: Lincoln’s address is categorized as rhetoric, while Dickinson’s work fits best into the category of poetry. Considering the characteristics of rhetorical discourse and poetic expression, a detailed comparison reveals key distinctions and overlaps. This analysis examines whether Lincoln’s Second Inaugural Address and Dickinson’s poem "Success Is Counted Sweetest" employ the four linguistic resources—argument, appeal, arrangement, and artistic devices—and if these elements definitively position their works within separate literary categories.

Introduction

Discourse analysis divides written and spoken texts into categories based on their purpose, structure, and stylistic features. Rhetorical discourse, exemplified by Lincoln’s address, aims to persuade or inform using strategies designed to influence the audience. Conversely, poetry, exemplified by Dickinson’s work, emphasizes aesthetic qualities, emotional impact, and artistic expression over straightforward argumentation. This paper explores whether these two works fit neatly into these categories based on their use of argument, appeal, arrangement, and artistic devices, or whether their boundaries overlap.

Rhetorical Discourse in Lincoln’s Address

Lincoln’s Second Inaugural Address is a quintessential example of rhetoric aimed at unifying a fractured nation. Rhetorical discourse commonly employs logical argument, appeals to ethos, pathos, and logos, strategic arrangement of ideas, and rhetorical devices to persuade audiences. Lincoln employs logical argument when he reflects on the causes of the Civil War, emphasizing divine providence and moral judgment to justify the conflict. He appeals to ethos by positioning himself as a moral authority and a servant of the nation, and to pathos by invoking shared suffering and divine justice.

Lincoln’s arrangement of ideas progresses from an acknowledgment of the difficulty of his task to a reflection on divine justice, weaving historical context with moral reasoning. His use of artistic devices such as parallelism (“Both read the same Bible and pray to the same God”) and rhetorical questions engages the audience emotionally and intellectually. These elements are characteristic of effective rhetorical strategies aimed at persuading and comforting.

Poetry in Dickinson’s "Success Is Counted Sweetest"

In contrast, Dickinson’s poem employs poetic devices to evoke deep emotional responses and articulate complex ideas about victory and defeat. Poetry prioritizes aesthetic and artistic qualities through the use of metaphor (“Success is counted sweetest / By those who never succeed”), imagery, and structured form. The poem employs rhyme and meter intentionally to create musicality and emphasis. Dickinson’s use of paradox—suggesting that the unsuccessful understand victory more deeply—serves as an artistic device that conveys a nuanced perspective on achievement.

While less overtly argumentative, the poem engages in an exploration of human experience, emotion, and perception. Its arrangement—the concise quatrains and strategic placement of ideas—guides the reader through a reflection that is more introspective and emotionally resonant than it is designed to persuade. Artistic devices like metaphor and paradox are central to its expressive power and distinguish it as poetry.

Comparison of Resources in Lincoln and Dickinson

Both works utilize some or all of the four resources—argument, appeal, arrangement, and artistic devices—but to different extents and purposes. Lincoln’s address employs argumentation to shape moral and political consensus; appeals to ethos and theology forge shared moral ground; arrangement guides the logical flow of ideas; artistic devices reinforce the speech’s moral and emotional impact. Dickinson’s poem, on the other hand, integrates artistic devices such as metaphor, imagery, and rhyme to create an aesthetic experience that encapsulates complex emotional truths.

Lincoln’s discourse employs argument and appeals predominantly to persuade and rally the nation, emphasizing moral and divine authority. Dickinson’s poetry emphasizes artistic expression and emotional depth, less concerned with argument and persuasion and more with aesthetic resonance and individual perception. While Dickinson’s work may contain subtle argumentative elements, such as the inversion of victory and defeat, its primary function is artistic exploration rather than persuasion.

Do They Belong to Different Literary Categories?

Based on the criteria of purpose, structure, and style, Lincoln’s address fits firmly within the category of rhetoric—it aims to persuade, using argument, appeals, strategic arrangement, and rhetorical devices. Dickinson’s poem belongs to poetry, characterized by aesthetic qualities, artistic devices, and emotional resonance over explicit argumentation. Therefore, they demonstrate distinct features aligning them with their respective categories. However, overlaps exist—Lincoln’s speech employs poetic devices to enhance rhetorical impact, and Dickinson’s poetry may subtly employ argumentative or philosophical themes.

Ultimately, while both texts utilize the four resources to some degree, their predominant purposes—persuasion versus artistic expression—justify their classification into different literary genres, with the understanding that genres often interact and overlap in practice.

Conclusion

Lincoln’s Second Inaugural Address and Dickinson’s "Success Is Counted Sweetest" exemplify the distinct characteristics of rhetorical discourse and poetry, respectively. Their employment of argument, appeal, arrangement, and artistic devices diverges in purpose and style, validating their categorization within separate literary genres. Nevertheless, both pieces harness these resources to communicate profoundly, underscoring the fluidity and interconnectedness of literary forms.

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