A Bio through Speeches

The Eloquent President: A Portrayal of Lincoln through his Words by Ronald White isn't a comprehensive biography of Lincoln, but rather analyses of various speeches Lincoln's made during or before his presidency. While pretty accessible to people without an English or Communications background, it is more a rhetorical analysis than a standard biography. On the other hand, there's plenty of biographical detail for someone who wants snapshots at various figures or events of Lincoln's time, including Lincoln himself. For instance, White spends pretty significant time on emphasizing the partisan role of newspaper editors then (they didn't worry about media bias at that time because they didn't seem to see bias as a bad thing ;)).

However, in the end, the main emphasis is on analysis of Lincoln's speeches- his process in writing them, their relations to one another, their word structure. Two things that White did well in helping people appreciate the speeches are: 1) he'd stack up phrases one after another, sometimes with slight indents, to help people see how each phrase builds on the other and also to enhance their poetic quality; 2) he'd compare earlier and later speeches' line by line to help people see the progression of ideas from one speech to another.

White also picks a good selection of different speeches by Lincoln, all related. One of the primary themes is the progression of Lincoln's ideas on slavery. Another theme, if I understand it correctly, is Lincoln's move from rationalism to a deeper appreciation of divine will. The two intersect; Lincoln early in his presidency tries to avoid the topic of slavery, but toward the end of his presidency, sees the Civil War itself almost as divine punishment for America's sin of slavery. Hence, the selection of speeches doesn't just include Lincoln's major (and some minor) public addresses, but also Lincoln's private "Meditation on the Divine Will."

Like that private musing, many of the selections were not actual speeches given by Lincoln but addresses written by Lincoln to be read by someone else (for instance, a letter at a rally, or his addresses in Congress- at that time, presidents didn't give State of the Union speeches in person). However, White helps us appreciate how Lincoln, being attentive to speaking to an audience, wrote with a live audience in mind. Thus, even Lincoln's addresses are like speeches, especially in how he writes for the ear, rather than just writing for quiet reading.

Other than being an interesting study of Lincoln on its own, the book is also pretty good at helping a novice learn how to speak or write well. It's not written as a manual, so it's not something that can be picked up directly. But if someone had a mind to it, he could use the book as a reference while reading Lincoln's addresses, and in that way, develop a good speech and writing style.

One thing about Lincoln that makes his eloquence relevant to today's is that Lincoln liked plain speech, so his metaphors and his words were usually accessible to a lay audience. That's especially applicable in today's mass society, since today, people prefer plain to florid speech.