Gettysburg Address: Duty Quotes

Lincoln was so good that even his less famous lines end up influencing American culture. While being respectful and deferential to the soldiers who gave their lives at Gettysburg, the president also stressed that there was much work to still be done. Complacency was their greatest enemy, and Lincoln wanted to make sure people kept up the war effort.

The use of repetition in this short speech was effective as Lincoln again hammered home that, even in the wake of this great victory, winning was not a sure thing. It was up to each person to contribute to "the great task," i.e., beating the Confederacy.

And here was Lincoln shaming the nation into action by pointing to the ultimate sacrifice of the fallen troops. It was a matter of duty and honor to carry on the legacy of those who had died and make sure that it was not for naught.