A Rhetorical Analysis Of I Have A Dream Speech

King used pathos and logos as well as ethos in his speech to appeal to the audience in a more emotional way. He mostly attempts to appeal to the audiences’ emotions, fears, and desires. When King repeats with the infamously famous quote, “I have a dream,” he stresses a sense of sympathy and hope towards the African American population during that time period. King states that the, “Negro…finds himself in exile in his own land.” In this phrase, King yields compassion as one can see when he emphasizes the unfair treatment and the alienation of the African Americans. King also uses highly connotative language so that he could evoke an emotional response to the audience by saying words such as, “chains of discrimination” and “oppression” to reinforce the need to change. He not only uses words to get to the saddening side of his audience, but King also uses an uplifting tone to motivate and inspire his audience by using positive diction, using words such as “freedom,” “majestic,” and “brotherhood.” Furthermore, King appeals to logos through his use of analogies; for example, “America has given the Negro people a bad check, a check which has come back marked ‘insufficient funds.’” This analogy applies to logos by using a form of reasoning since he appeals to the basic concept of money and the frustration of receiving a “bad check.” Not only does King like to appeal to his audience, but he also uses rich metaphors to convey his message across American

Dr. King used pathos and logos as well as ethos in his speech to appeal to the audience in a more emotional way. He mostly attempts to appeal to the audiences’ emotions, fears, and desires. When King repeats with the infamously famous quote, “I have a dream,” he stresses a sense of sympathy and hope towards the African American population during that time period. King states that the, “Negro…finds himself in exile in his own land.” In this phrase, King yields compassion as one can see when he emphasizes the unfair treatment and alienation of the African Americans. King also uses highly connotative language so that he could evoke a, emotional response to the audience such as, “chains of discrimination” and “oppression” to reinforce the need

In the most paramount time of racism in America, there a voice that enacted a call for change. Martin Luther King was a Baptist minister and social activist who spent countless years, fighting for a civil rights. It was on the date of August 28th, 1963, on the steps of the Lincoln memorial is where King made his leap of faith and spoke out on the injustice of African Americans. His dream for African Americans to be equal, appealed to the emotions of his audience. The desire to live a civil life and not be oppressed was felt by many. Martin Luther King delivered a speech that would immensely make an impact on the country.

He used it a lot at the end of his speech when saying and emphasizing on the words “I have a dream” to help express how he feels. While he was giving his speech, king made sure to make pauses to express how important the next words he was going to say was. He wanted what was best for the future. He wants the world to understand that one day whites and blacks will be able to do this without judgement. King provides a human appeal as well when he talks about his children meaning everyone growing up that thy will be able to live a better life without all the hatred and crime going

Martin Luther King delivered his I Have a Dream speech to not only America but to the world (Martin Luther King I Have a Dream Speech). From that day forward his words would echo through time, inspiring those of all races for generations to come. He was able to rally the hearts of many while simultaneously representing his firm position for equal rights. Dr. Martin Luther King flawlessly applied ethos, pathos, and logos in his speech to trigger a change in mind and hearts of the American people in order to motivate a nation into action, ultimately achieving his dreams of a truly free America for all

He does this by using strong language and imagery to reinforce his ideas. First, he does this by starting each sentence with “I have a dream.” Perhaps the most recognized verse of the entire speech is when King states “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.” This statement appeals to the emotional side of every person in the audience by connecting with them on a level deeper than just professional. He is just a father who wants more for his children and this statement allows the listener to think about what aspirations they hold for their children and connect with King on a deep, personal level. He continues to connect with the audience with other “I have a dream” statements but then ends with “. . . we will be able to speed up that day when all of God’s children, black men and white men . . . will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual:” to once again connect the audience with God and what He would want for everyone and to also serve as a message of hope that one day America can live by the truths that it claims to be

King’s speech focused on a message of the equality that every person should have and that no one should be treated as a lesser person. Dr. King wants to get rid of segregation and hate towards blacks. He wanted his words to influence all the people that are racist against blacks to make them believe that blacks should also have the same rights that whites do. Dr. King appealed to his audience’s emotions by using quotes from the bible and important documents such as the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence. Dr. King called his listeners to take action and do something about the racism.

Late in the summer of 1963, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. gave one of the most controversial speeches in American history. His goal was to make all men and women both civilly and economically equal with nonviolent protests, courtly worded speeches, and pacifistic marches. Since his time African Americans have been granted more freedoms, but they have not yet reached equality of the white man. A comparison of his America and America today would reveal that his dream has yet become a reality, and the bad check of yesterday has yet to be refunded. Dr. King butters up his speech with an astonishing metaphorical language, a phraseology that can be interpreted in two different ways, and a call to come together.

He talked of “the unspeakable horrors of police brutality” and how some of his audience had been recently released from jail for which they had entered because of peaceful protest. Doctor King stated that “a check has been given but it cannot be cashed.” The concept of America setting it’s foundation on equality but then socially and physically enslaving people based only on the color of their skin becomes hypocritical. King refused to let this continue to stain the history of the great country of

King uses pathos to get through to the crowd and to show them that beneath the surface segregation is more damaging than they ever imagined, and really drives this point across to the audience when he says, “We can never be satisfied as long as our children are stripped of their selfhood and robbed of their dignity by signs saying For Whites Only.” (Pg. 49-50, lines 76-78) Euchner interviews many people who were in the audience for King’s speech, and one such man- Harold Brogg- recounts the experience with undeniable accuracy. Euchner states at one point that, “That brief phrase…strikes Harold Brogg ‘like and electric shock.’” (pg. 61, lines 228-229.) Many of those watching the speech can understand where Harold Brogg is coming from, which shows King’s artful use of pathos. His emotional and strikingly personal statement is relatable by all, evoking sympathy and outrage all while revealing the ugly truth behind

Religion is a common ground that he shares with his audience. He is giving his speech at a church, which means that his listeners are devout Christians. Alluding to the Bible is an effective way to be relatable, as his audience is interested in God and takes his references to heart. Dr. King alludes to the Exodus, “I would take my mental flight by Egypt, and I would watch God's children in their magnificent trek from the dark dungeons of Egypt through, or rather, across the Red Sea, through the wilderness, on toward the Promised Land.” In using this passage from the Bible, he is comparing the blacks’ struggle for justice to the struggle to escape Egypt in the Bible.

Declaration of Independence in their own document of freedom, we refused to recognize them. Instead, we decided to support France in its re-conquest of her former colony.” (Dr King Jr,)

“We may all have come in different ships, but we’re in the same boat now,” said Martin Luther King Jr. on August 28, 1963. On this day, Martin Luther King Jr presented one of the most rhetorically inspiring speeches delivered to-date. King gave his iconic “I have a dream” speech at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington talking about jobs and freedom. King’s speech is known for its sweeping oratory, with a few phrases standing out and quoted frequently (Clardy). When King first began the speech, he imposed that his speech would go down as the greatest demonstration for freedom in American history.

One of the ways he does this is by saying, “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.(King)”. He causes this emotional reaction by adding a dynamic of family in the speech by referencing his own family, his children. Another way he gets an emotion reaction from the audience is by saying, “I have a dream that one day, down in Alabama, with its vicious racists, with its governor having his lips dripping with the words of "interposition" and "nullification" -- one day right there in Alabama little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers.(King)”. This causes an emotional reaction because he references children again and people can relate to this because everyone has a family. He also doesn’t want children to have to through the racism and injustices he had to go through.

Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech is one of the most memorable in U.S. History. This speech in particular had a coherent vision for the blacks and other unrepresented individuals. Many people were touched by King's veridical words. The sound of his influential words inspired many to this day. The "I Have a Dream" speech had a massive impact due to the tense social mood of the time.