Abraham Lincoln Speech Analysis

 “My friends: No one, not in my situation, can appreciate my feeling of sadness at this parting. To this place, and the kindness of these people, I owe everything. Here I have lived a quarter of  a century, and have passed from a young to an old man. Here my children have been born, and one is buried. I now leave, not knowing when or whether ever I may return, with a task before me greater than that which rested upon Washington. Without the assistance of that Divine Being who ever attended him, I canot succeed. With that assistance, I cannot fail. Trusting in Him who can go with me, and remain with you, and be everywhere for good, let us confidently hope that all will yet be well. To His care commending you, as I hope in your prayers you will commend me, I bid you an affectionate farewell.”

Just by reading the first two words we realize that Lincoln tried to talk to the people in a way that would give them confidence, by using the words "My friends", the  audience feels closer to Lincoln, as if they were friends, and what friends do is suppose to look out for each other. He then continues with the idea that he is one of them, and therefor they want the same thing. "I owe everything", making the audience believe that they are part of it what he is doing, and it makes a lot of sense, if I feel part of something I will support that, and believe in it. All of these ideas of home, is supported by the anaphora used, with the word "Here". By saying he grew up and has children there, one of them burried, he continues with the idea that he is one of them, that he is part of the big family, and the loved one he lost creates a sense of emotion on the audience, feeling sorry for the man. Later on he emphazises on the "Divine", who will protect him and every one of us, in order to succeed. "Trusting HIM who can go with me, and remain with you", a protection not only to him and his decisions, but also in us. Finally, every little aspect of the speech, creates a close enviornment with the audience, not only thanking them for helping him for his accomplishments, but to also trust him and his decisions, because he is one of us.

Paper 1 Skills and Practice: Register

When you get to analyse texts in your Paper 1 Exam, one of the elements you should refer to is the register the author uses to convey meaning. Here are some notions of register to keep in mind:

• REGISTER refers to the level of formality in a variety of language use. It varies from speaker to speaker.
• In general, speakers or writers vary their register for a particular purpose or in a particular setting.
• Speakers and writers vary language use through vocabulary, sentence structure and pronunciation (oral language).
• In an attempt to sound more formal, speakers and writers will be careful not to use slang, will be attentive for the use of “who” or “whom”, will avoid using contractions (such as “do not” instead of “don’t”), and will replace words like “mum” with “mother”
• Always consider the implied audience of a text: Who is the author addressing? Is it, for example, the author’s superiors, peers, a judge or an audience of young school children?

Use the following terms as a starting point. Is the register uptight or relaxed? Is it elegant? Is it academic?

1. FROZEN register is pre-determined or scripted language used in prescribed, often ritualistic contexts such as a court of law or a church.
2. FORMAL register is used in speeches and presentations, as opposed to discussion, that demands precise technical jargon.
3. CONSULTATIVE register is language more often used in dialogue that includes some off-hand, informal language, impromptu corrections and non-technical explanation.
4. CASUAL register is used in group discussions with friends that can include gaps, interruptions, pauses, errors and personal “inside” words.
5. INTIMATE register is used in private converstaion between close friends and family where tone, volume and unspoken hints or suggestions may be just as important as the denotation of words.

CLASSROOM TASK

How would you describe the register of the following statements?

• “Honoured guests, members of the board, Superintendent Johnson, and most importantly, graduates of the class of 2012, it is an honour to speak to you on this ocassion.” Formal Register
• “While I was pleasantly surprised by the menu selections for dinner service, I was disheartened by the lukewarm eggs at breakfast.” Formal Register
• “Yeah, right” Casual
• “I doubt it” Consultative Register
• “I’m tired of your rubbish” Intimate Register
• “I’m tired” Consultative Register

Truth Assumptions & Idioms and Ambiguity

Truth Assumptions 
The use of certain verbs can imply the actual or probable status of events in a statement. In the sentence “I know the dog died”, the verb “know” is FACTIVE as it assigns the death of the dog as true. In “I believe the dog died”, the verb “believe” is NON-FACTIVE as the clausal object (the dog died) may not be a true fact.

Are the following statements factive or non-factive?

1. I thought that today was your birthday. Non-Factive (thought)
2. I forgot that today was your birthday. Factive 
3. The teacher scolded me for not studying hard enough. Factive
4. The teacher acknowledged that I hadn’t really studied. Factive
5. The teacher realized the student had cheated. Factive
6. The teacher assumed that the student had cheated. Non-Factive (assumed)

Idioms and Ambiguity 
Meaning can often be complicated through the use of metaphors, idioms, or simply through ambiguous relationships between words. What are the actual meanings of the first two idioms below?

What are the possible meanings of the next ambiguous sentences?

1. Bite your tongue: To bite your tongue/Shut Up
2. Pull my leg: Someone who literally pulls my leg/trick someone
3. He is my English teacher: My teacher who teaches English/My teacher from England
4. I saw the person with a telescope. I saw someone through my telescope/I saw someone who was using a telescope
5. She doesn’t like short men or women. She doesnt like short men neither short women/She doesnt like short men or any type of women.