In his Second Inaugural Address, President Lincoln uses rhetorical strategies, careful word usage, and theological reasoning to express his views about the Civil War’s incentives and outcomes. The war cannot literally “[absorb] the attention” of the nation. Lincoln uses figurative language to emphasize how much the nation focused on the war. Lincoln has “high hopes” for America’s future. He uses the word “high” to express the intensity of his hopes. Lincoln uses alliteration to catch the readers’ attention. The nation “dreaded” the war, and wanted to “divide” its effects. Using words that begin with the same letter or sound creates rhythm. Lincoln continuall