Analysis Of I Have A Dream Speech

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his speech at the “March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom.” He used a metaphor to give a more vivid description of how the emancipation Proclamation impacted the lives of African Americans. He said “This momentous decree came as a great beacon light of hope to millions of Negro slaves who had been seared in the flames of withering justice. It came as a joyous daybreak to end the long night of captivity.” (209)The statement “A joyous day break to end the long night of captivity” (209) is referring to the emancipation proclamation. The long night that King is referring to would be the many years that African-Americans were enslaved. King uses the rhetorical device of pathos to bring about emotion to the nation. He gives the image of oppressed beaten down slaves that have overcome slavery only to be denied their human rights once more. This was a very powerful opening marker for King because it sets the tone for the exact purpose of why he is delivering the speech. Another metaphor within the speech is when Kings says “It is obvious that America has defaulted on this promissory note insofar as her citizens of color are concerned. Instead of honoring this sacred obligation, America has given the Negro people a bad check; a check which has come back marked ‘insufficient funds’.” (209)This dynamic metaphor paints a realistic picture for Americans explaining how people of color are not being granted their equal

One hundred years after the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation to stop slavery, Martin Luther King, Jr. presented the “I Have a Dream” speech to thousands of people. The day Luther King, Jr.’s speech was the day of the March on Washington, which was for the support of the rights o colored citizens, and for the termination of segregation. King delivered this speech with a tone of hope and determination in order to convince colored people to fight for their rights and persuade the citizens that all lives matter and should be treated equally. He also delivered it in order to urge the rights these people deserved. Luther stood before all these people to express his thoughts on equality and the rights his people were stripped of. Kings’ audience consisted of the citizens of America that believed in equality for all races. In the “I Have a Dream” Speech, Martin Luther King, Jr used many metaphors, similes, analogies, Pathos, and Mythos to connect with his audience on a superior level and develop his tone.

Dr. King starts off his speech with a powerful message, “Five score years ago, a great American, in whose symbolic shadow we stand today, signed the Emancipation Proclamation. This momentous decree came as a great beacon light of hope to millions of Negro Slaves who had been seared in the flames of withering injustice. It came as a joyous daybreak to end the long night of their captivity.” His use of historical context and the use of a technique known as ethos would help draw in his audience and intrigue them to listen. By utilizing historical context, such as the Emancipation Proclamation, Gettysburg Address, the Constitution, and Declaration of Independence, Dr. King was able to embrace every aspect of what his speech was about. Dr. King states, “When the architects of our republic wrote the magnificent words of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, they were signing a promissory note to which every American was to fall heir. This note was a promise that all men, yes, black men as well as white men, would be guaranteed the ‘unalienable rights’ of ‘Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness.” Further, with the appropriate allusions, context and quotations Dr. King was able to gain lots of credibility with his speech. Thus, allowing his audience to gain his trust.

Martin Luther King Jr. gave a speech titled “I Have a Dream” on August 28, 1963, at the Lincoln Memorial, Washington D.C. In this speech, Dr. King is trying to persuade all races specifically Blacks and Whites to take action in order to gain freedom and harmony in the community. He tries to do this by using different techniques to appeal to his audience. It is shown that he uses pathos or emotional appeal throughout his speech. Also there are clear signs of logical appeal which is called logos. In addition, to logos and pathos, Dr. King uses ethical appeal to strengthen his argument. One of the key main techniques that Dr. King uses is figurative language which gives his speech more emphasis on why action is needed.

In the famous speech” I have a Dream” by Martin Luther King, he gave this sermon at March on Washington in 1963 to stop segregation and discrimination against African American and demanding their rights that the constitution and the declaration of independence promised to give to people which are that all men were created equal no matter what the color of their skin and they have the right to life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness. The speech created a movement people were not scared to stand up for what they believe in just like Martin Luther King.The speech has a very effective attention-getting device Martin Luther King was trying to get the attention of the audience by pointing out some political references such as the Emancipation Proclamation which gives the hope for millions of African American slaves to end their captivity and get their freedom, and he was also trying to get the attention of the audience by pointing out the main reason why the constitution was established, which is all the people are equal no matter from what race they are.He also used a lot of metaphor, visual words, familiar songs scripture, and literature to get the attention of the audience. The thesis in this speech I Have A Dream was very clear which was that all people should be equal, and that the African American should be able to live an equal life and to be part of the country in order to participate in everything that will make this country great and his dream to see all the people coming together black and white as one nation.The preview of the main point was disgusted in a very clear way by mentioning the declaration of independence which was a promissory note to all American that guaranteeing them the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. I think that the introduction was really good because he starts the speech with positive words.

On August 28th, 1963, civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr stood on the steps in front of the Lincoln Memorial and delivered his “I Have a Dream” speech. He spoke passionately for 17 minutes on his views about human equality for African Americans at one of the largest civil rights demonstrations in history. King played a major role in ending the segregation for African Americans. His rhetorical language left an impact on America. Through his use of appeals like ethos, logos, pathos, and other rhetorical techniques. He influenced Americans to believe in the notion that all men are created equal.

The primary purpose of Dr. King’s eloquent and dramatically delivered speech is that of persuasion. King’s claim is the Negro people are still not free one hundred years after President Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation. This warrant is supported by King’s effective emotional appeal to his African American audience. He supports this with the following: "but one hundred years later, the Negro still is not free.” This is emotional because after one hundred years of oppression, the African American community has still not achieved their cultural and economic potential according to King. He is endeavoring to persuade his audience, fellow minorities and

    The speech opens up with a very strong use of diction that creates a logical and emotional appeal on the audience. At this point, the speech already created an appeal of pathos. He then goes onto create a very logical appeal when stating that the Emancipation Proclamation of 1863 gave “hope to millions of Negro slave who had seared in the flames of withering injustice.” The Emancipation Proclamation was the first event where African Americans were increasing up the ladder of social hierarchy. Dr. King uses anaphora, the repetition of a word, to create and appeal of emotion and logic. He describes that it has been one hundred years after the Emancipation Proclamation but still “the life of the Negro is still badly crippled by the manacles of segregation and the chains of discrimination”,” the Negro lives on a lonely island of poverty in the midst of a vast

Born in Atlanta, Georgia on January 15th, 1929, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr had become an eminent leader of the Civil Rights Movement for African Americans. His commitment to nonviolent protests and resistance created him into a leader both politically and morally. Dr. Martin Luther King constructed and lead multiple efficient and sizable protests of the era for Civil Rights. He was also considered to be one of the strongest and most moving public speakers of modern time. Towards the end of the 1950’s, Dr. Martin Luther King was a well distinguished part of the Civil Rights Movement, leaving behind prime documentation and his legacy, before he was assassinated on April 4th, 1968. Both “I Have a Dream” and “The Letter From Birmingham Jail” display and represent persuasive.

Likewise, Dr. King stood in a place of great significance. Here, in front of the statue of President Lincoln, is where he will present his infamous “I Have a Dream” speech and it is evident of the great significance it represents. It was in 1863 that President Lincoln fought to abolish slavery and by coincidence, one hundred years later, Dr. King will be addressing more than 200,000 demonstrators fighting the same fight. On this day Dr. King will articulately responds to Governor Wallace’s speech that had taken place seven months prior. As the prominent Dr. King put it, “Now is the time to make justice a reality for all of God’s children” (archives.gov). In other words, Dr. King is stating, that equality and fair justice should not be based on, ethnicity, color, or status, but in essence we are all created equal and ought to live harmoniously.

During 1963, the country was experiencing political unrest due to the inequality of rights and segregation, therefore bringing two influential men of the South, Governor George C. Wallace and Dr. Martin Luther King, into the limelight. The Civil Rights Movement was attempting to have the law of segregation repealed in the southern states, for this reason Wallace presents his speech, “Segregation Today, Segregation Forever”. Dr. King recognized the need to respond to the governor’s declaration of denying the Negros of Alabama their unalienable rights, and he does so with his speech, “I have a dream….”. The two contending views presented attempted to move the people in the direction which the speakers believed was in the best interest of the country. The Kairos, Ethos, Logos and Pathos will be used to compare both speeches.

“I have a dream” is a renowned speech given by the late Martin Luther King Jr at the Lincoln Memorial in 1963 during the “March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom”, in front of a large audience of about 250000 people. In his speech, King speaks in favor of the Negro rights and appeals for a change in the situation of racial discrimination and poverty that people of color faced back in those days. With his moving and impactful words, King speaks for the Negros who faced injustice and still lived difficult lives in the chains of poverty and discrimination despite the official liberation of America by Abraham Lincoln, hundreds of years ago.

On august 28th, 1963, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr delivered a historical speech, “I Have a Dream” after the march on Washington. More than 200,000 people gathered at Lincoln Memorial where he spoke about the racial discrimination of African American in United States. Dr. King plays a vital role to establish an equality in United States and the Civil Rights Act of 1964. His skillful way of using rhetorical language in his speech left a huge impact on audience. The main purpose of the speech was to encourage and convince audience to stand and fight to overcome racial discrimination and segregation by effectively using ethos, pathos and logos.

King inspires those who support equal rights for all “ to rise up from the dark and desolate valley of segregation to the sunlit path of racial injustice”.and stand up for what they believe. He insists that people who believe in the cause to speak up and join together as one voice, to demand equal rights that they deserve. In addition King uses Light and Dark imagery to make a statement on how people have been waiting a long time to receive equality and the same freedom as everyone else. He does this by discussing the Emancipation Proclamation, and how “ It came as a joyous daybreak to end the long night of their captivity.

The marvelous use of ethos in this speech really brought out the problems that the blacks were faced with. The documents, government, and granted rights, said one thing but were they really meant for all? Even after the Emancipation Proclamation, Constitution, and Declaration of Independence, “the Negro still is not free”(“ American Rhetoric: Martin Luther King I Have a Dream”). All of these documents and promises made by the government about “freedom for all” wasn’t completely true because the blacks were given the same promise. They still had to sit in the back of the bus, and use different bathrooms, and go to segregated schools. King confronted the government about these unfair “rules” they produced by “ coming to cash this check”(“ American Rhetoric: Martin Luther King I Have a Dream”), meaning they have come to receive the promises they were given. The check was to give them “the riches of freedom” and “the security of justice“(“ American Rhetoric: Martin Luther King I Have a Dream”). He backs up his ethics by describing the real life actions he faced during the racist times like, physical violence and abusive