Abraham Lincoln, the sixteenth president of America, composed legal arguments, speeches and love stories where words mattered most. Lincoln used his language as a vehicle for both expressing his complex feelings and ideas as well as an instrument of empowerment and persuasion. The most interesting facts about Lincoln is that although many American presidents come from educated and prominent homes, Lincoln did not. He grew up in the backwoods of Kentucky and then Indiana where he rarely enjoyed the privilege of having full-time schooling. Despite this fact, Lincoln rose in the society to become a shop owner then a lawyer and the president of US (Thomas, 2008). Although Lincoln was not privileged to have the formal education he achieved all this by teaching himself. He used to read whatever he could get his hands on and then transcribe his favorite passages and quotes from the works he read.  In addition, he could recite long poems at will and also seemed to know the entire Bible by his heart. Therefore, these life-changing events and practices from his early life greatly influence his writings.

Lincoln was greatly affected by the historical and political issue of the time that largely influenced his writings. For instance, the finest writings of Lincoln grew out of the trails of war that were unified by their efforts to discern the mysterious will of God within the unfolding bloody history. Therefore, the happenings of the civil war affected the writing style of Lincoln. He struggled to discern what role abolition and slavery played in the historic conflict (Basler & Sandburg, 2008). Through his addresses, he was able to give insights and addresses on slavery and conflict together with leadership quotes that have shaped the American literature.

Lincoln understanding of other literary works from different authors influenced his writing. For example, it is evidenced that Lincoln loved poetry, especially for Robert Burns and Shakespeare. The two remain the most perennial favorites of Lincoln who influenced his leadership and writing style. Lincoln could quote the verses of Burn by the hour since both their lives presented an interesting parallel in that they were born to obscurity and poverty and then rising to the heights of popularity and fame through long years of handwork. Therefore Lincoln was greatly associated with Burn who is also an American writer of the time since he found a kindred spirit in him where his works spoke to Lincoln's heart disappointments, sorrows and innermost yearnings that they had both experienced in their backgrounds (Basler & Sandburg, 2008). It is believed that to cope as well as understand his melancholic disposition, Lincoln turned to poetry with its stirring, rhythmic and sometimes haunting words. Some of the American authors who literary works influenced Lincoln include; Aesop, Leonard Bacon, Robert Burns, Lord Byron, Shakespeare, Mill and William Scott among others.

As noted earlier, the literary works of Lincoln composed legal arguments, poets, quotes, speeches and love stories. In the American literature, the speeches of Lincoln are highly regarded as the point of reference among them being the Gettysburg address of 1863 as he delivered an address and honored the fallen soldiers in their quest for liberty and equality during the civil war. Some of the major poetry works written by Lincoln include; my child I see again, the bear hunt, memory, To Rosa and the suicide's soliloquy (Thomas, 2008). In addition, Lincoln also authored the greatest books in American literature such as speeches and writings, on war, the Gettysburg address, the Lincoln-Douglas debate and the unfinished revolution. The major motifs or themes addressed by Lincoln in his works included; slavery, visions of America, politics, duty, sadness, memory and the past, fate and free will and death.

The popularity of Lincoln began in his early days where the public was highly receptive to his principles, eloquence, and respects for the rule of law. Lincoln highly respected public opinion which was highly tied to his public language respect. He was a very careful and detailed speaker who would seldom make any idle comments in the public for the sake of talking to hear himself or to just gratify his audience. As a literary figure, Lincoln was keen on details, capture the emotions and feelings of the audience, and covered the daily occurrence in his life and those of the Americans. The contributions of Abraham Lincoln through his oratory and writings laid the basic foundation for the development of the American literature today. Among other authors such as Robert E. Lee, Abraham Lincoln left behind the pattern of Christian heroes that through their works acted upon the stage of liberation and war in history (Fussell, 2015). Lincoln brought the sense in American literature during his time by showing the importance of rationality in writings that were guided by the principles of equality, liberty, and justice.

It is evident from the discussions above about the literary works of Lincoln that like any other national works of literature, the American literature was shaped by the country's history that produced it such as slavery and civil war. Therefore, the development of American literature has been molded by various factors such as the two world wars, internal conflicts, the rise of industry and science as well as changes in ways of feeling and thinking (Fussell,  2015). Abraham Lincoln has left a vast of legacy writings that remains famous in the history of America. In my opinion, he is one of the American greatest and marvelous writer who wrote the humblest letters to the greatest speeches of all time such as the emancipation proclamation, the Gettysburg address and the inaugural address. He memorably crafted his sentences in that they resonate across the years. For instance, in the Gettysburg address, he pointed out that "fourscore and seven years ago, our fathers brought forth on this continent a new nation, conceived in liberty and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal."  (Basler  & Sandburg, 2008). Therefore, Lincoln was not only a historian and prolific American writer but a man whose works has continued to shape and influence the American literature.