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Examples Of Rhetorical Devices In I Have A Dream Speech

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Rhetorical devices are a part of many great speeches and essays. Most people just read or listen to the speech or essay, not realizing the rhetorical device which enhances the feelings and introspection received from the piece of literature. Imagine a speech where there was no hidden or deeper meaning, no relation or connection to listeners’ personal life. It would be boring and everyone would lose interest. Rhetorical devices are used by great orators such as Martin Luther King Jr., Franklin D. Roosevelt, and Lin-Manuel Miranda to draw the audience into really evaluating and hearing the deeper meaning in their speeches. The first orator, Martin Luther King Jr., used rhetorical devices in his most famous speech “I have a Dream”. His speech …show more content…

He was not trying to fix a huge problem or gain freedom for everyone. Miranda wanted students to tell their stories. He used many example about how telling their story could help them. He told how the musicals he wrote helped him find whom he really was. Rhetorical devices played a large part in his speech. Miranda frequently used rhetorical questions. For example, he said “ Your stories are essential. Don’t believe me?” Miranda asked the question because he wanted them to think about their values and what they could do with their life. Miranda could have just told them plainly but he made it more personal by using the rhetorical questions. Throughout his whole speech, he expressed his main idea with repetition. He mentioned little parts of his musical Hamilton to show his story. His story revolved around music and he wanted the college students to realize they could tell their stories in many different ways. Rhetorical devices made Lin-Manuel Miranda speech more relatable. Rhetorical devices can be used in a right or wrong way. Martin Luther King Jr., Franklin D. Roosevelt, and Lin-Manuel Miranda all managed to use it to their advantage. They mixed sentences, thoughts, and word images together and were able to use them effectively to express themselves to their audiences. Three very different topics, all using rhetorical devices, got people to truly understand their visions. Whether it was for freedom, an inaugural

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