The Cambridge Companion to Abraham Lincoln

ISBN-13: 9780521193160 / Angielski / Twarda / 2012 / 235 str.

New York) Shirley Samuels (Cornell University

Opis

Abraham Lincoln's stature as an American cultural figure grows from his political legacy. In today's milieu, the speeches he delivered as the sixteenth president of the United States have become synonymous with American progress, values, and exceptionalism. But what makes Lincoln's language so effective? Highlighting matters of style, affect, nationalism, and history in nineteenth-century America, this collection examines the rhetorical power of Lincoln's prose from the earliest legal decision, stump speeches, anecdotes, and letters to the Gettysburg Address and the lingering power of the Second Inaugural Address. Through careful analysis of his correspondence with Civil War generals and his early poetry, the contributors, all literary critics, give readers a unique look into Lincoln's private life. Their essays also examine Lincoln's language in a larger sphere, including that of the Caribbean and Latin America, as well as Europe. Such a collection enables teachers, students, and readers of American history to assess the impact of this extraordinary writer and rare politician on the world's stage."

Spis treści

List of illustrations; List of contributors; Chronology; Introduction; 1. Rhetorically Lincoln: Abraham Lincoln and oratorical culture Ivy Wilson; 2. Abraham Lincoln and poetry Faith Barrett; 3. Seeing Lincoln: visual encounters Carol Payne; 4. The Gettysburg Address and the Second Inaugural Stephen Cushman; 5. Lincoln and the natural nation Timothy Sweet; 6. Abraham Lincoln and the American Indians Bethany Schneider; 7. Abraham Lincoln and the self-governing constitution Deak Nabers; 8. Abraham Lincoln and spiritual crisis Harold K. Bush; 9. Lincoln and England during the Civil War Paul Giles; 10. Lincoln in international memory Betsy Erkkila; 11. Lincoln in hemispheric relations Robert Fanuzzi; 12. Lincoln and the calling of the dead Anne Norton; Guide to further reading; Index.