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I Have A Dream Rhetorical Analysis

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Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. -- preacher, orator, and acclaimed civil rights leader -- is possibly the best remembered for his effective speech, “I Have A Dream,” in which he expressed his ambition for peace and racial equality. The 17-minute speech was given to thousands of people at the Lincoln Memorial and televised live to millions on August 28, 1963. King urged America to acknowledge people of all races to be united and free. He used his knowledge as a preacher and used anaphora, parallelism, and historical references to grab the attention of his audience. King’s experience as a preacher and as a civil rights activist was evident in the artistry of the speech.
With King’s experience as a preacher, he has given numerous sermons in his lifetime. He has formed a technique that he continuously practices in his sermons, so his audience can relate to him and make the sermon more effective. His technique includes rhetorical devices such as anaphora and parallelism. An essential element of a preacher is being charismatic. This is a part of his technique because that charm is so compelling that it inspires devotion in others. King’s charisma also affects his …show more content…
utilized numerous rhetorical devices that made the speech so effective. However, a noteworthy reason why is believed to be due to paragraphs 15 to 22, the final segment of the speech. His extensive knowledge gave him the ability to speak spontaneously without fail in “I Have a Dream,” utilizing it as a device to ascertain his charm. In a biography of Dr. King, Stephan Oates deliberates how King and his aides “labored on his speech throughout the night,” yet completely deserted script when speaking and spoke from the heart (Oates, 1983). Taylor Branch claims in Parting the Waters, a study of King, that once he began speaking “extemporaneously,” “there was no alternative but to preach” (Lei, 1999). King’s education informed the speech while altering the way the audience perceived him to

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