Reflections on Lincoln and English Studies

Prime Minister Gordon Brown concluded a recent tribute to the current American president with these words: “When he speaks, he gives those who hear him confidence: not in him but in themselves. It was said of Cicero that when people heard him, they turned to one another and said, ‘Great speech’; but when Demosthenes spoke, people turned to one another and said, ‘Let’s march.’ All around the world people are marching with Barack Obama.” As is well known, this same president has himself identified with Abraham Lincoln, suggesting he is an ideal rhetorical model, one whose speeches retain both monumental political significance and ongoing literary value.