Dr King's March Speech Analysis

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

King’s speech; he puts himself in everyone else’s shoes by saying, “I am happy to join with you today.” By doing this, he captures their attention by telling them that “today will go down in history as the greatest demonstration for freedom in the history of our nation.” Now that the audience is fully engaged, he moves towards the sole purpose of his speech. He does this by saying that after the Emancipation Proclamation was signed, “100 years later the Negro still is not free.” He goes on to continue to list some of the issues which still occur today and ends his introduction with saying “now is the time” to start action. The body of his speech is primarily made up of the summarization of injustice that the African American people face. He brings up the fact that some people are unable to vote and the police brutality’s which of course support his argument. He makes it personal by giving his insight of his hopes and dreams for the future by stating that his kids will “not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.” The speech’s conclusion properly reviews Martin Luther King Jr.’s points and stimulates the emotions of the audience. He does this by using the repetition of the phrase “let freedom ring” to rejoin with the audience and really emphasizes his belief of the importance of freedom and injustice. Finally, the last line of his speech, “all of God 's children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and

King’s use of many rhetorical devices in these three paragraphs of “Letter from Birmingham Jail” solidify his conviction that segregation needs to be quelled immediately. Dr. King’s explanations justify the demonstrations and protests that he is participating in. Although this was a letter meant for clergymen, Dr. King simultaneously taught all of America a very important lesson: justice is a universal natural right, and when it is denied, it needs to be demanded. Racial equality is the form of justice in this case, as segregation was the culprit that divided society into two racial groups. Thus, Dr. King successfully advocated civil rights through this letter with powerful, clever

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 Martin Luther King Jr’s famous speech, King uses Logos and Pathos to express the Negroes’ fight for fair treatment. “When the architects of our republic wrote the magnificent words of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence… 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.’” (pg. 261-262, P4) This quote from MLK’s powerful speech used Logos by presenting a logical and convincing fact. It states how our founding fathers wrote the freedom of African Americans in the same legendary documents that we follow and live by today, not just white people, but all men are created equal. Other than using Logos to appeal to his large audience in front of the Lincoln Memorial, he also presented a large amount of emotional phrases

“Five score years ago, a great American, in whose symbolic shadow we stand today, signed the Emancipation Proclamation.” -MLK. He adverted to the Emancipation Proclamation. Lincoln's declaration to liberate black slaves in America. He then quotes from the Declaration's claim of "the inalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness." With several references to biblical passages, Christian verses, and God, King develops his credibility by including generally held religious beliefs into his speech.

Martin Luther King Jr. once stated “We may have all come on different ships, but we’re in the same boat now”. King’s basis was racial equality for all Americans. King spoke in many places throughout the United States from 1963 until 1968 when he was assassinated. He fought for African Americans’ rights when no one else would. Ultimately, he enlisted the support of white Americans and eventually won rights for the African American people, but sadly it was not until the 1970’s, two years after King’s assassination, that black people were finally able to enjoy the rights King helped win with the Civil Rights Act of 1964. These rights would not have been possible without King’s “Letter From Birmingham Jail” which he wrote in compliance to the white clergy calling his civil disobedience “untimely and unwise.” The civil disobedience the white clergy is talking about is the one that he and many other activists including children were arrested for protesting without a permit. Although King wields a plethora of appeals and devices, pathos and allusion are the most powerful because these play on the audience's guilt and reference related historical events that denounce the oppressors’ racist ways.

For over a century, the topic of racial equality has been one that has resulted in much discord, and even a war. The African Americans, one of the most persecuted races in America, were forced to work as slaves and were repeatedly separated from the white people because they had a different skin color. After much effort, slavery was outlawed after the Civil War by the Emancipation Proclamation, but segregation still lived on. Blacks continued to be singled out and given unequal rights, such as not being allowed to attend the same school or drink from the same water fountain as a white person. This was soon prohibited, but not completely abolished, after Martin Luther King Jr. led non violent direct action, such as marches and protests, to demonstrate to the government

Dr. King hopes that African-American will one day be free from discrimination, racism, and segregation. He also hopes that African-American will not be judged by their skin, but rather by their personality and character. Dr. King dreams that African-American will one day be allowed to sit in the same dining room as White American. He also dreams that the state of Mississippi and Georgia will abolish discrimination and segregation. He also hopes that African-American and White American will be equal to each other. He also hopes that African-American will have the same rights as White American. Martin Luther King also hopes that African-American will be employed at the same job as White American. He also hopes that African-American will be allowed to vote and to be treated the same as White American. Dr. King also hopes that African-American will not be beaten by the police. He also hopes that America will be a place of freedom for people of all racial and religious background. He also wishes that African-American will not be denied services. His speech also warns his audience about the black nationalism movement. He tells his audience that they should not let the black nationalism movement changes and distorts their views about the white allies of the

MLK Use of Rhetoric “Letter from Birmingham jail” and “I Have a dream” by Dr. Martin Luther King are both significant to the civil rights movement. In 1963 and 1964 Dr. Martin Luther King delivered two of the most authentic pieces known to time. He wrote the pieces with such charisma combining deeply rooted emotion and passion for civil rights. Both his speech and letter express his obsession for the nation to look past the color of their neighbors skin but to look at the content of their character. Kings use of rhetoric in these two selections contrasts because his purpose is not the same.

We have all heard Martin Luther King’s famous speech, I have a Dream. His main goal was to convince everyone across the country to comprehend racial equality and to reinforce a solution for those individuals already engaged in the Civil Rights movement. You could say his speech was part of what made the movement successful. By him taking a stand, much attention was put into the problems that were going on. He was and still is viewed as an important leader who was an activist in the Civil Rights Movement. Here we will basically dissect parts of his speech and define the points he was making and trying to make. Throughout the paper, you will see how Dr. King uses Ethos, Pathos, and Logos to show his audience and make them feel what went on.

After reading and analyzing Dr.Kings “Remaining Awake during a Revolution” commencement speech that he presented at Oberlin College during his graduation ceremony; he wanted the people to have a good visual on what he was explaining and talking about. King wanted to inform the people about what was going; so he used allusions, statics, and logos.

The grievances occurring in 1963 weren’t supposed to still be an issue to African Americans. Dr. King references the Emancipation Proclamation and tells of the injustice still being reaped. They were given rights in the Constitution, but their daily lives tell another story. African Americans were still encountering racism through forms of employment and schooling. Dr. King wants to be given what they were promised: equality.

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.

King is extremely emotive in his speech, and uses incredibly descriptive and poetic phrasing to demonstrate the eloquence of his argument. His use of words like "Now" and "today" imply a great need for immediate action regarding civil rights; the fact that he is so well-spoken is intentionally utilized in the speech to lend credence to his words. Given the stereotype at the time that blacks were unintelligent and uneducated, King 's responsibility to show the capabilities of black rhetoric was great. King, as a religious man, brings spirituality into the speech itself, but not in a self-aggrandizing way; he merely states that racial justice should be done as it is according to God 's will.