Lincoln begins the Gettysburg Address with the phrase: “Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent a new nation, conceived in Liberty.…” Which answer best explains Lincoln’s purpose in choosing such formal language? a. It lightens the solemnity of the occasion by adding some humor.

b. It adds majesty and weight to the speech and to the occasion.

c. It delivers factual detail that adds logic to his speech.

d. It conceals the real meaning of his words