Read the excerpt from Lincoln's Second Inaugural Address. Neither party expected for the war the magnitude or the duration which it has already attained. Neither anticipated that the cause of the conflict might cease with or even before the conflict itself should cease. Which idea does Lincoln emphasize through the use of parallel structure?

Lincoln repeats the structure “Neither party…” and “Neither anticipated…” to show that both sides shared the same mistaken expectations about the war. Neither expected it to be so large or long, and neither foresaw how the cause of the conflict might end. This emphasizes the common ground between the opposing sides, not their different beliefs or the war’s casualties.

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