...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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...Rhetorical Analysis of Martin Luther King Jr.'s Letter from Birmingham Jail The nonviolent approach remains supreme as a way to achieve a peaceful resolution to conflict arising as a result of social, economical and political change in a contemporary society that has faced many of those challenges as a result of the fight for equality and social vices. This is because non-violent actions tend to create an atmosphere for peaceful negotiations and dialogue. In the case of Martin Luther King Jr in his letter from the Birmingham Jail, his idea was to create an atmosphere to frame the minds of his readers and clergymen of the situation in Birmingham caused by injustice and inequality. Martin Luther King Jr’s letter from Birmingham Jail was an icebreaker. The Letter intended to break the chains of segregation and injustice. The letter was written in the 1960s when African Americans were facing a series of injustices in the South as a result of racial segregation. This social injustice was seen in his letter when he used words such as “Negros,” to support his point. He said “ Negros have experienced grossly unjust treatment in the court. They have been more bombings of Negro homes and churches in Birmingham than in any other city in the nation. These are the hard brutal facts of the case. On the basis of these conditions, Negro leaders sought to negotiate with the city fathers. But the latter consistently refused to engage in good faith negations.”(Lee 215) These citations reiterate...
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...Final Rhetorical Analysis Martin Luther King, Jr. Was an African American, nonviolent, civil rights activist and leader from 1956 until his tragic passing in 1986. On August 28, 1963 King proudly presented his well-known “I Have a Dream” speech at the Lincoln Memorial during the March on Washington, one hundred years after former President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation as well as delivered his prominent speech, the Gettysburg Address. King’s purpose of his speech was an intended aspiration to aim at the white population to advocate for the justices of African Americans as well as to encourage the nation to not stand alone but together for the rights appointed to each citizen under the Constitution. King accomplishes his ambition for his speech as he uses different rhetorical devices with his audience such as: ethos, logos, and pathos, as well as using several different figurative language techniques that include, allusion, anaphora, diction, and metaphors. King begins his speech contended and determined, as he explains this specific day will be one remembered forever. His use of archaic...
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...King’s use of pathos created a personal connection with the audience. His pathos provoked rage and motivation, causing his readers to agree that the American Dream is alive, evolved and attainable. His targeted audience for this essay would be the middle to lower class, who themselves are either chancing the American Dream, or have lost all faith in it. He uses a sustainable emotion to create a personal connection with his readers, persuading them to agree and believe in his argument. “Many liberal economists and activists say that the American Dream is dead, but I say that it’s more alive and important than ever- and that it is the key to climbing out of the Great Recession, overcoming inequality and achieving true prosperity.” (611,1) The...
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...justify the protestor’s actions and fight for an end to segregation. King utilizes allusions to persuade his audience in a hopeful tone. King believes freedom will be won. He believes African Americans deserve freedom because they have a right to freedom: “We will win our freedom because the sacred heritage of our nation and the eternal will of God are embodied in our echoing demands” (1). He brings awareness to how African Americans continued to thrive despite times of hardship and opposition. King also believes African Americans deserve freedom because of how much they have done for the country. He states African Americans have been a part of the country since the very beginning: “Before the...
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...Paragraphs 15-19: Analyze the rhetoric of this very important section. What devices does King use and how effective are they? King’s purpose in this section was to explain to the clergymen why he was willing to break some laws because he believes them to be unjust and morally wrong. His position was the fact that unjust laws have no place in our society and need not be followed. He says he will accept all punishment coming from standing up to what is morally right. King uses juxtaposition of just and unjust laws throughout this section because he was explaining the difference. King uses appeal to authority, mainly prominent members of religion and philosophy, to further appeal to the clergymen. He also uses parallelism in some of his sentence structures (“Any law that uplifts human personality is just. Any law that degrades human personality is unjust.”) which further emphasizes his juxtaposition. Of course, King used the appeals, mainly logos and ethos in this section. He appeals to democratic ideals (“Can any law enacted under such circumstances be considered democratically structured?”), religious ideals (“segregation is not only politically, economically, and sociologically unsound, it is morally wrong and sinful.”), and justifiable arguments built on solid evidence from appeal to authority. By using these he makes his message more powerful and substantial. Exemplification...
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...To further demonstrate the need for change, King uses logos to provide logical explanation as to why these laws are unjust. He first begins by describing the very cause of unjust treatment; the segregation laws. He does this by using the words of St. Thomas Aquinas; a man whose words the clergymen believe in, to say that “any law that degrades human personality is unjust”. This is exactly what these laws do. He proves this by stating “segregation distorts the soul and damages personality”. Leaving the clergymen no choice but to realize that the laws are wrong thus urging his point that change must come now. The clergymen argue that “negotiation is a better path”, although King addresses that this point is valid, he reminds them that...
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...Dr. King’s rhetorical methods in paragraphs 11 and 12 of “Letter from a Birmingham Jail,” appeal to logic and are organized very linear. He mixes pathos with logos, for a convincing combination of emotionally appealing logic. Dr. King states a part of his linear argument and then backs it up, exemplified in this excerpt, “We have not made a single gain in Civil Rights without determined legal and nonviolent pressure… Reinhold Niebuhr has reminded us, groups tend to be more immoral than individuals.” Dr. Kings first point is that a civil rights gain will not be achieved unless it is demanded, then he backs his claims up with data. His next point is a counterargument to a claim his audience made, that the civil movement is not at the right time. Dr. King then proceeds to write that the oppressor will never feel it is the right time to give up it’s power, that African-Americans have waited for this movement for 340 years and it will never be the, “right,” time. Next, Martin Luther King, Jr. introduces a high dose of pathos into his next point, emotionally connecting his author through imagery description of racial injustices African-Americans endure in a segregated society, using, “when’” clauses to further pull in the audience. He closes out his appeal to one's emotion with the statement that the civil rights movement will not wait any longer, even if it means breaking the law. His final argument, is yet again and logical counter argument to the claim that breaking the law is wrong...
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...Martin Luther King, Jr wrote a one of time’s most memorable, yet powerful speech that touched American citizens all around the world and helped open their eyes to what could be a “perfect world.” He delivered the speech on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C., where nearly a quarter of a million people gathered around to hear him voice his opinion. During this time, he was considered a brave man, for he was black and racism was so harsh on the black community. Knowing this risk, he took a stand for the colored citizens. He became the most predominant leader in the Civil Rights Movements. Many hours of research and preparation went into the making of this speech. Martin Luther King, Jr designed his speech to leave an impact on people that would allow them to remember it. For example King states, “Five score years ago, a great American, in whose symbolic shadow we stand today, signed the Emancipation Proclamation.” Carefully choosing his words, he...
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...Renowned Nobel Peace Prize winner and celebrated orator, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr, in his zealous speech, "Remaining Awake Through a Great Revolution", illustrates and pleads for the growing need of active participation across a social revolution in America. Dr. King's purpose is to empower young African American college graduates and inspire positive involvement in the Civil Rights Movement through the promotion of non-violent means. He adopts an authoritative tone in order to persuade his prospective audience into taking action and elevating the rights of African Americans across the nation. Dr. King begins his speech to the college graduates by acknowledging the great challenge to remain awake through the social revolution and transformation from the "old order of slavery" to the "idea of freedom and human dignity". He appeals to their consciences by stating the obstacles faced by the graduates were to unify the races and dissolve racial barriers "in terms of a brotherhood". He calls for "moral and ethical commitments" in order to create "a brotherhood" because he aims to inspire educated African Americans into catapulting themselves from the bottom of the social ladder to racial equality...
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...Martin Luther King Jr. uses specific rhetorical devices to tap into the emotions of a diverse audience. Throughout his letter MLK uses several rhetorical devices to stress important points and to allow the readers empathize and understand with black people in America who were lacking the civil rights they deserved. MLK uses devices such as metaphor and symbolism to make the audience sympathize with colored people, specifically the colored people in Birmingham. This helps the reader to understand the consequences that these people forced to deal with due to the extreme racism in the South. King utilizes diction to make his metaphor more powerful, “your twenty million Negro brothers smothering in an airtight cage of poverty… (P.264)”. His word...
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...King uses metaphorical imagery to prove that equality is the foundation of a truly democratic society. King is able to persuade his audience to think beyond the literal with his idea that current conditions in America need to be changed in regards to freedom and equal rights. His repetitive metaphors provide liberal comparisons that do not distinguish between any color or race. When referring to the Emancipation Proclamation, he compares “a great beacon light of hope to millions of Negro slaves who had been seared in the flames of withering injustice.” King aims to set a hopeful tone for all those unfairly treated members of society, but instead contrasts light with freedom, provoking a sense of devastating inequality. When King distinguishes...
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...ITT-Technical University Rhetorical Analysis of Dr. Martin Luther Kings “I Have A Dream” (Revised) Introduction On August 28th 1963, on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington DC, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. gave the “I Have a Dream” speech which was addressed to not only the 200,000 white and black Americans but people all around the world. The “I Have A Dream” speech has been considered one of the most greatest and powerful speeches in history. Why was it given? Simply to rectify that all me were created equal despite their race or color. In this Analysis I will be explaining some literary terms he used as strategies in his speech, and also explain how Dr. King used two rhetorical patterns to help him support his argument, those two patters are Ethos, & Pathos. Strategies Dr. King used many literary terms in the “I Have a Dream” speech such as Alliteration, which is the repetition of sounds. For example he says, “I have a dream that 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.” The “c” in those three words of that sentence gives it a repetitive rhythm feel which will make that important part of the speech catch and memorable. Also from that same sentence he used Anaphora, which describes the most famous part of the speech, where in this case is “I Have a Dream”. Although he used it many times just buy naming this speech “I Have a Dream” it will make...
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...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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...regardless of their race or color. Even with this 15th amendment, the whites in the South had their own methods to keep African Americans from voting. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr, was one of the many civil rights activists, whose idea was to get racial equality by grabbing the public's attention of racism, joined in the fight for civil right movement for black Americans. Dr. King led peaceful protests and boycotts without violence to get the right to vote for all kind. There were many strategies to...
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