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how does this knowledge equip you to engage the selection before you read it?

The address’s title indicates the place Lincoln delivered the speech and suggests that he will have something to say about the battle at Gettysburg. Readers can assume that he will also address the larger conflict between the North and the South.

(1) The biographical note reveals that Lincoln (1809–1865) lived his life between two important events in our history. He was born shortly after our country was founded and died just after the concluding battle of the conflict that threatened to tear it apart. He felt

that the nation and its founding principles were in danger of failing. As the 16th President of the United States, he was well-prepared and qualified to reflect on the importance of Gettysburg and the dedication of the cemetery there. (2) The publication information indicates that Lincoln delivered his speech on November 19, 1863, about four and a half months after the battle at Gettysburg was fought. The purpose of his speech was to dedicate the new national cemetery at that site. (3) The rhetorical highlights advise you to pay particular attention to how Lincoln uses diction and tone to enhance both his purpose and sense of the occasion.

The writing prompt asks you to reflect on what you already know about the Gettysburg Address and then consider the importance and effectiveness of speeches in general, particularly those of a political nature. After reading Lincoln’s address, you can compare your initial reflections with your reactions to Lincoln’s speech now.

Step 2: Read the Selection

Always read the selection at least twice, no matter how long it is. The first reading gives you a chance to get acquainted with the essay and to form your first impressions of it. With the first reading, you want to get an overall sense of what the writer is saying, keeping in mind the essay’s title and the facts that you know about the writer from the essay’s headnote. The essay will offer you information, ideas, and arguments — some you may have expected, some you may not have expected. As you read, you may find yourself modifying your sense of the writer’s message and purpose. Does the writer reveal a bias? Any unsupported opinions? If there are any words that you do not recognize, circle them so that you can look them up later in a dictionary. Put question marks alongside any passages that are not immediately clear. You may, in fact, want to delay most of your annotating until a second reading so that your first reading can be fast and free.

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Step 3: Reread the Selection

Your second reading should be quite different from the first. You will know what the essay is about, where it is going, and how it gets there. Now you can relate the parts of the essay more accurately to the whole. Use your second reading to test your first impressions against the words on the page, developing and deepening your sense of how the essay is written and how well. Because you now have a general understanding of the essay, you can pay special attention to the author’s purpose and means of achieving that purpose. You can also determine whether the writer reveals a bias and whether the writer adequately supports his or her opinions. (For more information about detecting a writer’s bias and determining how well the writer supports his or her opinions, see pp. 601–2.) Finally, you can look for features of organization and style that you can learn from and adapt to your own work.

Step 4: Annotate the Text with Marginal Notes

When you annotate a text, you should do more than simply underline or highlight important points to remember. It is easy to highlight so much that the efforts of your highlighting can become almost meaningless because you forget why you highlighted the passages in the first place. Instead, as you read, write down your thoughts in the margins or on a separate piece of paper. (See p. 46 for Lincoln’s “Gettysburg Address” with student annotations.) Mark the selection’s main point when you find it stated directly. Look for the pattern or patterns of development the author uses to explore and support that point, and jot the information down. If you disagree with a statement or conclusion, object in the margin: “No!” If you feel skeptical, indicate that response: “Why?” or “Explain.” If you are impressed by an argument or turn of phrase, compliment the writer: “Good point!” Place vertical lines or stars in the margin to indicate important points.

Jot down whatever marginal notes come to mind. Most readers combine brief responses written in the margins with underlining, circling, highlighting, stars, or question marks. Refer to the What to Annotate in a Text box for some suggestions of elements you may want to mark to help you record your responses as you read.