Compare I Have A Dream Speech By Sherman Alexie

The poem “Let America Be America Again” (658) is written by a famous writer by the name of Langston Hughes who is knowledgeable in American literature. Hughes writes this specific piece about the suffrages of what African Americans have encountered and uses a combination of ethos, pathos, and logos to express his thoughts. In the book Arguing About Literature: A Brief Guide by John Schilb and John Clifford gives a brief credibility description of Hughes to let readers knows he knows what he is talking about. He also uses history and emotion, both powerful strategies, to create a connection through his writing. Although he views majority of victims of poverty as African Americans, Hughes mentions others for those outside of the African American race can relate to this poem. In history and today’s society, people of all discrimination suffer powerlessness with lack of opportunity, equality, freedom, and fairness for immigration.

From the steps of the Lincoln Memorial more than forty years ago, Martin Luther King electrified America with his momentous "I Have a Dream" speech. This speech demanded racial justice towards the mistreated black community of America. The theme of the speech was that all humans were created equal and that this should be the case for the future of America. King's words proved to touch the hearts of millions of people and gave the nation a vocabulary to express what was happening to the black Americans. This did not happen by chance. Martin Luther King's speech was carefully constructed so it would have the most appropriate diction to propose his facts and ideas. His speech involved multiple different literary techniques which were very

Near the end of Martin Luther King’s speech a gospel singer Mahalia Jackson shouted to Dr. King saying, “Tell them about the dream, Martin”. At this point Dr. King stopped reading the speech and expressed his inner feelings saying “I have a dream..”(Mlk, 4). He continued to tell the crowd of his dream for the Negros to be free and equal and that they would be able to live happily and do as they pleased. He had a dream that America would live out the meaning of the constitution stating “We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal”. He tells the crowd that at the end “We are free at last”. Dr. King’s choice of words and the tone in which he delivers his speech is enticing and pleasing to the crowd of America.

It is now a competition of millions of selfish, greedy, and covetious people, searching for riches in America. Equally important, is a clear discrimination of people based on race, religion, class, and gender that is prominent in American society. These inequalities undermine the idea of an impartial ambition permitted to all. Renowned poet, Langston Hughes, discusses this in his poem "Let America Be America Again" when he says, "For all the dreams we’ve dreamed And all the songs we’ve sung And all the hopes we’ve held And all the flags we’ve hung, The millions who have nothing for our pay— Except the dream that’s almost dead (pg 44, line 55) He is arguing that no matter how hard they seem to try, people who are different, cannot get ahead. This poem was written in 1935, if the dream was gone then, it is most certainly not attainable today. Hughes writes "America never was America to me" throughout the poem; it really emphasizes the fact that equality (an essential part of the American Dream) is no longer something made available to various groups of people. In "the land of the free" white males have the upper-hand, cutting off of the dream from everyone else. In a different light, many argue that the American Dream is not dead, and is in fact thriving more now than ever. For example, many take this argument straight from the Declaration of Independence, which laid the foundation of the

The speaker actually asks the listener, interjecting the understated stanzas, to identify who they are with the question, "Say who are you that mumbles in the dark'?" (17). Now, the listener is free to speak of the many people living in this country who are not free and who are not equal. The respondent passionately expounds who they are: the poor white, the Negro, the red man, the immigrant, the young man, as well as those farmers, factory workers, and servants who built this country. Yet in spite of their many contributions to this land, they still view America as, "A dream-- / Still beckoning to me!" (52-53).

There are three themes that resonate while reading and listening to Dr. King’s “I Have a Dream” speech. The first theme is that there is a great need for equality in America for their black citizens. He deduced, “One hundred years later, the life of the Negro is still sadly crippled by the manacle of segregation and the chains of discrimination. One hundred years later, the Negro lives on a

I have a dream that one day everyone will understand what Martin Luther King Jr said in his infamous speech on August 28, 1963, and recognize the power and beauty in his words. In the “I Have a Dream” speech, Martin Luther King, Jr. persuades the citizens of the United States that they should no longer accept segregation, and all men should be created equal, as our Constitution states. In this fight though, we can not use violence, but use the power of words, and not stop until every human being is free. This speech was given in a time where black people were made to think that they were equal with white people, when in actuality, they were “separate but equal” which is not the same thing. This is when called segregation flourished and eventually, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. had enough of this injustice and he spoke out to the citizens of the United States and the world to fight for freedom. This speech used all of the rhetorical devices: ethos, logos, and pathos, and it used such powerful, discrete language that not only persuaded the reader, but entertained them, drawing in his audience after every word. Its rhythm made it stay with people, haunting them. He truly made it clear of the awful ways the African American people were being treated, connecting to them, making them feel something, making the reader want to listen to him and follow King with every step he took.

In his most iconic speech, “I Have a Dream,” King depicts a world without segregation, where “little children… will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.” Biblical allusions are carried out throughout this speech to increase credibility. Because of the strong religious sentiment apparent at that time, King

In Langston Hughes poem, “Let America Be America Again”, he describes the dream he has for America to exist at its fullest potential. His dream for freedom, equality, and true democracy is heard loud and clear throughout this work of art. However, the downfall is that America is yet to live up to the standards it so proudly “represents”. The issue roots in the gap between what America claims to be and what it actually is. In this poem, we see where this gap lies and the reality of America is revealed.

presented his most famous and notable speech. King’s “I Have a Dream Speech” moved not only America, but the whole world. King’s speech consisted of social views that blacks and whites would one day live in harmony and unity, regardless of skin color. “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.” - Martin Luther King Jr. (“I Have a Dream Speech”). His speech set a clear picture of what America should be, and what he hoped to be not only for himself, but future generations as

Martin Luther King Jr. gave his speech at Washington D.C in 1963 calling for a social reform after desegregation started Legally, the federal government have ruled that there should be no segregation and one race is not above the other, leading to his pathos and logos stance in his speech. Martin begins his speech with referring to Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation and that the african americans are still not free in this world. When he refers to the african americans not being free he means that in the society they are not equal to everyone. In his pathos statement he refers to the repetition of “I have a dream..” he relates the actions that are taken back to his children, “I have a dream that little children will one day live in a nation

In 1935, a famous poet by the name of Langston Hughes wrote a poem called “Let America be America Again.” (Hughes, Langston. "Let America Be America Again." Poets.org. Academy of American Poets, 25 Oct. 2016. Web. 28 Feb. 2017.) In this poem we notice the use of personification, repetition, and symbolism to understand the contrasts Hughes is making with the reality of America and the hopes he has for America.

In other words, the speaker is celebratory over each American carrying out their tasks and fulfilling their responsibilities; which allows for America to be established as a strong and productive country. In contrast, “Let America Be America Again,” has a bitter and angry tone which over time changes into hope. To explain, the speaker is upset over the lack of freedom and opportunity in the country everyone dreamed about, yet he is still hopeful that America can reach its potential. In addition, the poem includes metaphors such as, “let it be that great strong land of love” (Hughes); which evokes unity and equality. Similarly, in “I Hear America Singing,” the speaker compares the people’s work to music due to their strong work ethic. One may infer that the singing of America means that the country

Langston Hughes’s “Let America Be America Again” is a poem that could be endlessly applied to where America stands today. This poem illustrates the morals, ideas, and visions set forth by those who found this country and how America has begun straying from those principles. The poem expresses that America is made up of all walks of people and that no man should be crushed by those above him, but rather be given the same opportunity as those above him. Hughes desire to make America great again can be shared in some way or another by most Americans making this poem everlasting. “Let America Be America Again” has the personalization, the language, the connection shared by every American, and the rhyme to allow readers of every race, gender, or religious belief to be brought together as not only people but as Americans.

With the challenges that we, as the human race, have faced, we have also endured and conquered some of the easiest and most of the hardest issues that had risen in the past. With more opportunities opening up, there will also come more challenges. In Martin Luther King’s speech I Have a Dream, he was able to express the way he feels toward having the dream that one day everyone shall be united as one. By using repetition in the power of words, dedication and hard work, and other variables thrown in the mix of the speech, King was able to empower the people to make a stand and fight for the opportunity of equality and freedom.