...Speech Opinions Martin Luther King Jr.’s speech is an important guideline and goal of equality for the world to follow. Even if the performance, and the marching was staged as Malcolm X stated, the morals of the speech are still valuable and relevant in today’s society. However I agree with Malcolm’s dissatisfaction with the people watching the speech and some participating in the march. To throw away personal opinions and pretend to support a cause to seem “chic”, as Malcolm wrote, is disrespectful to the cause. It is also disappointing that money and publicity bring more people together than serious issues that need to be resolved. Even in the present time most people don’t care about other people’s suffering unless it affects them directly. Throughout history it is clearly shown that affecting a nation's money is a sure way to get some sort of change. For example, the United States would have had no interest in being involved with the Middle East if they didn’t have a rich oil supply. Because oil is a profitable and limited product, the United States ensures that the Middle Eastern countries’ affairs don’t affect oil fields. The only thing that matters is profitable oil, not human lives....
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...but the community battle goes on.”(Dorothy Day) “I have a Dream” by Martin Luther King Jr. is the most compelling speech. He used figurative language to help support his dream that all men will be able to be given the same treatment. Blacks won’t be satisfied until they are free. Martin Luther King Jr. uses imagery and diction to get to this point. This speech impacts all of American’s lives”...unspeakable horrors of police brutality…” (King, p2). This is diction because he uses words like unspeakable to explain that no one has any words to say about what the whites are doing and why they are doing it. “Negro in Mississippi cannot vote…”(King, p2). This is an example of imagery because it gives an example of where(Mississippi) and what(Blacks...
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...In his speech, Martin Luther King Jr. uses rhetoric to gain the confidence of his people, and tell the world that African American lives matter. King’s frustration is shown towards the laws that give black people minimal rights and disregards them as a protected class. By presenting his speech, King shows that he wants to see a change in the laws and a change in the system. King uses pathos and anaphora in his speech to stress that rights need to be given to the African American community. King has been fighting tirelessly to put laws in place to help African Americans. He shows determination and he does not show signs of giving in. Giving up is not an option for him because he says that “the whirlwinds of revolt will continue to shake...
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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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...Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” was a passionate and motivational speech to end racial segregation in the United States during the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom in 1963. Dr. King, Jr.’s speech was organized, heartfelt and credible, following the ancient appeals techniques: logos, pathos and ethos, to persuade the audience to take immediate action to end racial discrimination through passive resistance. The first section describes to organization of his speech and the use of historical references, analogies and repetition of keywords now, freedom and dream to relay the urgency to attain racial harmony. Then, the second section shows how using of the first person in his speech and describing his dream of racial equality for his children’s future life creates an emotional connection with the audience. Lastly, the third section describes how his persona as a father, pastor, victim and civil rights leader builds his integrity as a speaker. Dr. King, Jr. carefully organized his speech by first building his credibility by using historical references, then describing the trials and tribulations of the African-American community, and then ending with his dreams and hopes for freedom and racial equality. Dr. King, Jr. established the foundation of his speech with the reincarnation of the Emancipation Proclamation, issued by previous United States President Abraham Lincoln, and reiteration of words from the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence. In addition...
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...Jr.’s “I have a dream” Speech Martin Luther King Jr. gave a speech in front of the Lincoln Memorial during the 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, one hundred years after the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation, which outstandingly furthered the civil rights movement. At that time, racial segregation, police brutality, and other forms of racial inequality were terribly prominent in America. The speech successfully focused the country’s attention at the need for racial equality “Now” (King, I Have a Dream). King gave the speech in order to motivate his followers to peacefully continue to demonstrate, protest, and boycott until they were fully granted the equality and privileges that any other citizen was allowed to have. Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I have a dream” speech is his most notable, and one of the most influential of Twentieth-Century-America because of his excellent rhetorical use of repetition and anaphora, contrasting metaphors, and appropriate quotations and allusions throughout the speech. Martin Luther King Jr. used a profuse amount of repetition and anaphora throughout his speech. A subtle form of repetition, the repetition of singular words, was mainly used to emphasize key themes in the speech and keep them in the minds of the audience. Such repeated key themes were “freedom”, “justice” and “injustice”, “America” and “American”, and plural nouns such as “we” and “our”. Since the preceding words were repeated so frequently in the speech, they...
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...Martin Luther King Jr. once stated, “Darkness can’t drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate can’t drive out hate; only love can do that.” These lines stated by King are very crucial as it was said in a time period where these words were weighed heavily. King is known as a social activist who led the Civil Rights Movement during the mid-1950s. He has made many speeches throughout the Movement in which he is best known because of them. During the Civil Right Movement the main goal of it was to end racial inequality. According to Merriam Webster’s Dictionary inequality means, “an unfair situation in which some people have more rights or better opportunities than other people.” Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” is the most compelling...
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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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...Luther King Jr.’s I Have a Dream speech compare and contrast? Any half-sensible American should at least be able to tell you that they are all crucial pieces of America’s development as a nation, and that they all had different authors and intents. To compare and contrast them effectively, each piece’s purpose, the effect of the document/speech, and the author’s writing style must be analyzed. Each document was written under vastly differing circumstances. In 1776, the Declaration of Independence was constructed by our Founding Fathers to combat the oppressive power of King George and separate ties with Britain. In 1863 the Gettysburg Address was given by President...
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...by the colour of their skin, but by the content of their character.” This was famous and inspirational quote spoken by activist and pastor, Martin Luther King Jr. He played a major role in black history and fighting for equality for all races. When thinking of Martin Luther King Jr., another person with very similar qualities comes into mind, Former President, Barack Obama. Barack Obama was the 44th president of the United States who had many similar views and qualities to King’s. These two men have played a substantial role in shaping America into what it is today. Martin Luther King Jr. and Barack Obama both grew up in similar conditions and circumstances. They both raised in good conditions and grew up in households with their parents. Both men also came from middle class backgrounds. These two also graduated from some of the best universities in the Boston Area. Obama attended Harvard Law School in 1988 and graduated with great distinction in 1991. M.L.K. Jr. attended Boston University and was awarded his Ph.D. in 1955 when he was only 25 years old....
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...Martin Luther King, Jr. once said, ‘“Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter’” (Luther and Melvin). Martin Luther King Jr., the man with a dream, fought through discrimination to enable United States citizens to live more peacefully. Due to his work during the Civil Rights Movement and his tragic death, Martin Luther King, Jr. left a legacy of equality in America. As a child Martin Luther King, Jr. experienced racial discrimination first hand. Due to his skin color, King’s “friends” refused to play with him at a young age (Dubovoy). King stood emotionally wounded for the rest of his life, when his own best friends betrayed him. King did not want his children or anyone to feel discriminated against due to their...
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...X In 1960’s America, the Civil Rights Movement was divided. Both sides sought change for the black community but by different means, and to different ends. They were all frustrated and fed up with the oppression with which they were forced to live. Today we especially remember two iconic figures as a representative of each side. The two great civil rights leaders of the 1960’s, Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X, held diametrically opposed political philosophies. King was a pacifist, in the tradition of Gandhi before him. Malcolm X was a radical, who advocated for violence. Both, however, shared a common goal—real freedom for African Americans. Malcolm X’s speech, “The Ballot or the Bullet,” was a direct response to Martin Luther King Jr.’s famous “I Have a Dream” speech of a month before. The speech is directed at Americas black population. At this point in history black people in America often belonged to the country’s lowest social- and economic group. This meant that a large part of the black community had little to no education. Malcolm X adjusted his rhetoric accordingly. In Malcolm X’s attempt to reach and address this part of society he used different types of language. His use of negative connotations is an example of the low style language which appears in his speech. He used these connotations when he for example referred to white people as “crackers”. “The Ballot or the Bullet” is Malcolm X’s equivalent of King’s “I Have a Dream” speech. Its tone, unlike...
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...Martin Luther King Jr. delivered a speech on the 28th of August, 1963 at the Lincoln Memorial. The human activist, King, delivered the speech with emotion, passion, rhetoric, and logic. He employs three powerful rhetorical skills; ethos, pathos, and logos. King’s most powerful tool throughout his speech was his ability to capture his audience’s emotions, otherwise known as pathos. In the beginning of his speech, he lists the hardships of African American citizens living in 1960’s America. King’s speech was delivered in the most strategic way because he knew what to say and how to say it, in order to draw heartfelt sorrow from the crowd. During his speech, the activist mentions his children and how he dreams of them growing old in an equal world. Bringing his children into his speech was significantly powerful because children are easier to sympathize with than an adult. Children are innocent, naïve, inexperienced, and King knew that this could draw the audience’s emotions even more. King also uses repetition in his speech as he repeats “I have a dream..” several times. Personally, I could feel the emotion when I read the speech, but I can only imagine what it was like for someone experiencing it live. Along with his usage of pathos, King employs ethos, as a way of proving to the crowd that he is credible and reliable. King is well spoken and appears educated on American history; he refers to Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation and the Declaration of Independence. Also, he...
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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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...The speech “I Have a Dream” have 78 sentences in total, included 9 sentences with over 30 words in each. The longest sentence has 77 words; the shortest one has only 4 words. The whole speech consists of the mid to long length of sentences, which clearly stated the claim: improve the human right for African Americans. In a peer article written by Joe Ciesinski, he stated that Martin Luther King Jr. contrasts light and dark metaphors in his speech” (Ciesinski, p.18). In the first paragraph, the phrase “beacon light”, is a metaphor that referred to the Emancipation Proclamation that gives hope to the Negro slaves suffering from the injustice. The joyous daybreak is another metaphor of the and end the long-term of captivity. King chose the words...
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