A Vision Place of Souls

On October 3, 1889, General Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain once again returned to Gettysburg for the dedication of the Maine Monuments.  During the event, the now general gave a very moving speech that you can read online.

I decided, on this the anniversary of the event, to create a word cloud of the speech and found it very interesting.

What words stand out to you and why do you think this college professor used these words more than 25 years after the Civil War ended?

One of the most quoted portions of this speech is when he talks about the “Vision Place of Souls”

“In great deeds, something abides. On great fields, something stays. Forms change and pass; bodies disappear; but spirits linger, to consecrate ground for the vision-place of souls… generations that know us not and that we know not of, heart-drawn to see where and by whom great things were suffered and done for them, shall come to this deathless field, to ponder and dream; and lo! the shadow of a mighty presence shall wrap them in its bosom, and the power of the vision pass into their souls.”

This is another passage that you can use with your students to get them thinking about famous speeches and the words the authors chose.