...On the 28th day of August in 1963, at Lincoln Memorial in Washington, DC Martin Luther King once said, " I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: We hold these truths to be self evident, that all men are created equal." King believed that every one should be equal no matter race, religion, or background they are. On that day of King's speech a majority of African-Americans, which whom the speech was intended for, not only them but for whites who stood for equality. Also foreign citzens that wanted the same rights as Americans. Political Representitives were there because of JFK, all stood to listen to King that gave them hope that one day this would be true. Metaphorically,...
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...Rhetorical Analysis of Martin Luther King’s Speech “I Have a Dream” Likita M. Taylor ITT-Tech English 1320: Composition I November 12 2012 Rhetorical Analysis of Martin Luther King’s Speech “I Have a Dream” “I am happy to join with you today in what will go down in history as the greatest demonstration for freedom in the history of our nation.” These are the opening words of Martin Luther King’s “I have a dream speech”, which he predicted will be the foundation of the Civil Rights Movement and the turning point in finally ending segregation. Time and time again, his speech is credited as being “one of the most successful and most legendary speeches in United States history.”(Martin, 2010, 10 par 1). He was an astonishing, intelligent speaker who often relied on using strong rhetoric devices to get his message across. Through his articulate use of logos, pathos, and ethos, King was able to persuade his generation that "the Negro is not free.” (Martin 2001 par3). His speech became the rallying cry for civil rights and lives on to this day as a perpetual masterpiece. Before one can really understand the analysis of his speech, it is important to understand King’s arguments. His main point is that blacks are not free or equal according to the rights guaranteed by the Constitution. He argues that African-Americans must claim their full rights and demand liberation from inequality and suppression. King's audience is not only Black Americans, but his message...
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...Written Assignment 4: Essay on Barack Obama’s speech at the Groundbreaking Ceremony of the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. National Memorial (2006) Even when a life ends, a soul can manage to live on with the people who it has left behind. This can appear through memorable deeds that a life can have managed to make before it passes. The above is what Barack Obama’s speech at the Groundbreaking Ceremony of the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. National Memorial from 2006 is about. Through the use of many of the same rhetorical instruments that Martin Luther King used before him, Obama establishes not only what Martin Luther King meant to America but also what he means to Obama on a personal level. In the following, I will make a rhetorical analysis and interpretation of the speech. The speech can be described as being an occasion speech which means that Obama’s aim is for him to entertain his audience at the memorial, by interpreting his vision of Martin Luther King Jr. The speaker is Barack Obama who is an African-American senator and soon-to-be presidential candidate in the United States. The audience for his speech is the participating to the national memorial, but primarily the speech is meant for the African-American inhabitants. He entertains his audience by reminding them of the great things that King has accomplished for the African-Americans in the United States of America: “I will tell them that because he did these things, they live today with the freedom God intended...
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...Ali Alnasfan Mary Mullalond English 181 December 3, 2015 Literature Analysis: The Relation of the Works of African American Authors with Islam Introduction: The African American literature is full of enthralling stories, poems and riveting facts. The authors and poets have used various themes to express their depression, anger, plea and even hope. In this essay, various themes like racial discrimination, survival, honor and homeland will be discussed. Most of these themes that these authors have used in their work have a direct relation with the religion of Islam. All these themes have been discussed in Islam and the religion has provided answers to these problems. Following works will be discussed in the essay. 1. If we must die (poem) by Claude McKay 2. A Litany for Survival (poem) by Audre Lorde 3. I have a Dream (speech) by Martin Luther King Analysis # 1: If we must Die: Honor and honorable death is one such theme that is the main focus of the poem, “If we must die” by Claude Mackay. Claude McKay wants his people that are under threat from the white people and are being killed. He wants them to die nobly. Islam has given a huge distinction to the one who dies honorably i.e. in the way of Allah. This means if a person is doing something good, or is on his way to doing a going deed and dies, he dies a martyr. The Prophet [SAW] said: "Whoever fights to protect his wealth and is killed, he is a martyr. Whoever fights to protect himself, he is a martyr....
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... Chebarrie Haynes English 12 Sec. 71 Dec 8, 2015 Language and Its Power "Thanks to words, we have been able to rise above the brutes; but thanks to words we have often sunk to the level of the demons" (Huxley, pg). This quote means that depending on how they are used, words have the power to set people apart from one another. For example, Martin Luther King Jr. with his famous 'I Have a Dream' speech. However Huxley is also saying that words have the power to allow people to the level of the 'oppressors'.This is seen in Gloria Naylor's essay "The Meaning of a Word". I am also a believer of this doctrine. “Words start wars and end them"(Roy Williams, Web). A little over 50 years ago Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. stood on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial and delivered one of the memorable and influential speeches in history. During this time period, there were many civil rights movements occuring throughout the entire nation. The majority of African Americans in the U.S.A. especially in the south were faced with racial discrimination and Jim Crow Laws which allowed the legal segregation of black and white people even though "All men are created equal" (Thomas Jefferson, Web). These 'Laws' meant that colored people could not use the same bathrooms, parks, educational...
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...Rhetorical Analysis Paper Martin Luther King Jr.: I Have a Dream According to Aristotle, there are three ways for a speaker to persuade his audience: ethos, logos, and pathos ("American rhetoric: Aristotle's rhetoric - selected moments," n.d.). Aristotle noted that a speech should “engage both the rational and non-rational elements of the listener's soul” (Wardy, 1996, p. 63). The speaker must have credibility with their audience and appear fair, open-minded, honest, and knowledgeable (ethos). He/she must also have logical appeal with strong, valid arguments based on facts and, perhaps, with personal experience and observations (logos). And, finally, the speaker must emotionally appeal to the audience and create a personal connection to draw and hold their attention (pathos). Of the three, Aristotle believed that ideally arguments should be made with reason, or logic, alone (McKay & McKay, 2010). However, it is often a speaker’s emotional appeal that creates the personal connection, as well as captivates and motivates the audience … and few have done that better than the Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr. If you say the words “I have a dream”, Americans from age 18 to 80 immediately think of Martin Luther King Jr. They may not know the words achieved notoriety from a speech given at an equal rights march on Washington, DC in August 1963. They may not know that 250,000 blacks gathered at the National Mall to demand "jobs and freedom" (Hampson, 2013). Additionally, they...
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...Literary Techniques of Martin Luther King's I Have a Dream Speech Literary Techniques of Martin Luther King's I Have a Dream Speech Introduction Martin Luther King, Jr., a prominent civil rights leader, delivered a powerful speech at the historic March on Washington. The speech uses several literary techniques to engage the listener. In the speech, King especially likes to use repetition and metaphor to convey his ideas. These devices are the foundation of King?s unique and effective style. Repetition In I Have a Dream King uses repetition throughout. Repetition is a good tool to use to reinforce an important idea. In Dorothy Seyler?s Read, Reason, Write, she states: ?Some repetition of key words and phrases will occur in well-written and unified essays. Some writers, though, go beyond this technique of unified writing and use repetition to produce an effective cadence, like a drum beating in the background, keeping time with the speaker?s fist pounding the lectern for emphasis.? (58). King?s speech is a perfect representation of this. I say to you today, my friends, that in spite of the difficulties and frustrations of the moment, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream. I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: "We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal." I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia the sons of former slaves and the sons...
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...how Dr. King chooses to appeal to each of his audiences causes for the choices in language and the purpose of “Letter from a Birmingham Jail” and “I have a Dream” to differ. “Letter from Birmingham Jail” is addressed to white clergymen, and the purpose of the letter is to defend the demonstrations that were taking place. As Dr. King is trying to defend the demonstrations to these white clergymen, his language choice is quite interesting. One brilliant way that he chooses to defend the demonstrations is by appealing to the white men through his choice of Anglo terms. For instance, in the letter, Dr. King writes, “Just as the prophets of the eighth century century B.C. left their villages and carried their “thus saint the Lord” far beyond the boundaries of their home towns…I am compelled to carry the gospel of freedom beyond my own home town” (King). This choice of wording makes Dr. King’s argument stronger since as these white men disagree with Dr. King and his form of peaceful protest, the white clergymen will not be able to argue back because he is using religious references that if the white men chose to argue against, it would make them look like hypocrites (Eubank). While there are some differences between “Letter from Birmingham Jail” and the “I Have a Dream” speech, there are also similarities. One similarity that the two share is in how King is incredibly understanding of his audience and thus chooses the proper wording to keep his audience aware. The way that King argues...
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...Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech can be considered one of the greatest speeches in American history. Over 200,000 white and black Americans gathered in Washington D.C. on August 28, 1963 to hear Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. deliver this groundbreaking speech. This essay will analyze the speech for voice and rhetoric by showing King's main argument, how he supports that argument, identifying the language he used and the audience at whom it was directed. In addition, King argues that all men are equal and should be treated equal. Many times in his speech, King states how black citizens have been mistreated over the years. In the beginning of his speech King states "One hundred year later, the life of the Negro is still sadly crippled by the manacles of segregation and the chains of discrimination." King also states numerous times his dream for equality in the country. He says "I have a dream my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character." However, King uses many historical documents to support his argument. The first document he mentions is the Emancipation Proclamation. The Emancipation Proclamation was an executive order signed by President Lincoln freeing the slaves in the confederate states. It was the first step in equality for African-Americans. King also mentions the United States Constitution and the Declaration of Independence. He references these...
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...Evil. It is important to note for the analysis of this book that Nietzsche came from a materialist, or atheist background. In Beyond Good and Evil, the ethical model he promotes is one that is driven by power. The other writing I will look at is Martin Luther King, Jr's Letter from Birmingham Jail. Like Nietzsche, King was also very sophisticated....
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...The Leadership of Martin Luther King Jr. Abstract The visionary leadership of Martin Luther King Jr. influenced a nation, and ultimately affected a dramatic change in the area of Civil Rights. The achievements he accomplished in the arena of Human rights still serve as a platform for social change today, even decades after his death. Martin is hailed as a classic Charismatic and Transformational Leader, whose masterful rhetorical skills and personalized leadership empowered many Americans to stand up and claim their rights as American citizens. This paper will provide an analysis of Martin Luther King’s leadership style, and speak briefly about its development. We will discuss his background and the factors that greatly influenced his success as a leader. We will also cover Martin’s application of influence tactics, such as rational persuasion and inspirational appeals, and reveal an almost textbook ideal of leader, follower and situation dynamics. In general, we will discuss his vision and finally pinpoint the factors that ultimately led to his rise in power. “Always bear in mind that your resolution to succeed is more important than any other one thing.” Abraham Lincoln, U.S. President. Introduction Of all of the leadership styles that have been studied, observed and researched throughout the ages, Charismatic and Transformational Leadership, are cited as being the most powerful. Martin Luther King Jr. is definitely one of the most charismatic and transformational...
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...She studied philosophy at the university of Marburg. In 1928, she received a doctoral degree in philosophy at the university of Heidelberg. Fleeing the Nazis in Germany, she and her husband Heinrich Blücher, a philosophy professor, immigrated to the United States. She started to be recognised as an influential political thinker after the publication of her work “Origins of Totalitarianism” (1951). One of the topics that Arendt also studied in depth was the subject of violence, which links to our real life situation of the attacks on the Ariana Grande concert. She even published an analysis of the causes, the essence and significance of violence, in...
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...Pathos, logos, and ethos is clearly a tool and an instrument of writing that appeal to the seat of emotion, reason and ethnic. The strategy pays dividends to the extent that it calls to these three aspects of life to address issues. Scholars and majority writers in their scholarly and oratorical works have relied so much on the use of the rhetorical style of writing to construct pathos logos and ethos. “Letter from Birmingham Jail," by Martin Luther King Jr (Francisco, 23) is a profound example of this style at play. The three ideologies independently can survive any intellectual argument; they don’t have to work in tandem. This paper seeks to decipher the effect of using the rhetorical strategy to address racial injustice, and diverse religious ideology. Martin Luther employs the use of pathos and logos to create such a strong emotional appeal. To some extent, all human beings are caught in the inescapable network of mutuality. Martin Luther contends that whatever affects one person directly affect another indirectly. Martin Luther King Jr. in a sense achieves a deep sense of pathos by appealing to the logos. The emotional stylistic appeals clearly put the issues on steroids by drawing from particular aspects that cut across geographical location. The racial injustice is a threat to justice everywhere, including and not limited to Asia and Africa. Historically the world was on the verge of intellectual, emotional and radical forces that were about to shape the world...
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...Genaris Professor Ngoh Protest Literature 21th October 2015 Letter from Birmingham Jail-Rhetorical Analysis Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. wrote the “Letter from Birmingham Jail” in order to address the biggest issue in Birmingham and the United States at the time (racism) and to also address the critics he received from the clergymen. The letter discusses the great injustices happening toward the Black community in Birmingham and although it is primarily aimed at the clergymen King writes the letter for all to read. In his “Letter from Birmingham Jail,” Martin Luther King Jr. uses logos, alliteration/repetition, and ethos to back up his belief that nonviolent protesting and disobedience is the most effective means to protest anything that needs to be changed, in this case segregation. After reading King’s letter I, and almost anyone, would come to the conclusion that King is deeply motivated to help against any injustice in the US. Who else would go to such lengths if they didn’t? He knows how persuasive he can be by using his knowledge of the English language, and he uses this to speak out against people who doubt him (clergymen) and to incite a different way of thinking into the people in hopes of change. Dr. King’s letter is extremely effective because it provides an enormous amount of evidence to the reader that he and his company are being treated unjustly and also that King truly cares about making a change for the good of the city. It also re-directs attention to the...
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...Critical Analysis Essay “Letter from Birmingham Jail” In arguing, writers use different techniques to effectively convey their message to their intended audience. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s "Letter from Birmingham Jail" was a response to "A Call for Unity" by eight white clergymen in which King’s presence in Birmingham and his methods of public demonstration were questioned. King’s letter was not only a response to his presence in Birmingham, but he also used the opportunity to address the unjust proposals by the clergymen that Negroes wait for the legal system to abolish segregation and unjust laws. King uses rhetorical modes of persuasion such as ethos, pathos and logos to meticulously address and discredit the claims made by the eight white clergymen. Throughout his letter, King also makes many comparisons to effectively illustrate how the Negro pursuit of freedom was timely. To answer the question of his presence in Birmingham, King uses both ethos and pathos to explain why he is qualified to be present leading the demonstrations. To argue the perception of him being “an outsider coming in”, King first states that because he has organizational ties in Birmingham, he has an obligation to be available whenever he is needed. This statement discredits the notion that he is an outsider. To lay the foundation of his argument, King states, “But more basically, I am in Birmingham because injustice is here.” This statement is used to make King’s presence seem less personal...
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