I Have A Dream Rhetorical Analysis

In hopes of creating a better sense of credibility, which encourages people to accept his idea or “dream”, King mentions the Declaration of Independence. Dr. king makes himself credible by challenging what citizens known as the unalienable rights. Unalienable rights, are rights that cannot be taken away from a human being. They are considered rights given to people by God himself, when they are born. In the third paragraph he quotes, ‘the unalienable Rights of Life, Liberty and the pursuit of happiness. “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.” He uses the quote to show that the Supreme Court should be on his side. However, he then goes on to tell how even though it should be on his side it is not. “It is obvious today that America has defaulted on this promissory note.” He is stating that the American government has neglected their promise to ALL of the American people. By doing this he is asking the readers to ask themselves, why has America failed to reach the expectations of equality? Why is the injustice only occurring to blacks? And most importantly, What can be done to change this? In another attempt to appear more credible, King often times quotes the bible. His use of the bible can cause an emotional response, but

As King mentions on page 48,”It is obvious today that America has defaulted on this promissory note insofar as her citizens of color are concerned” (King 48). In this example, the readers learn that America did not keep it’s promise of equality among blacks and whites when in the earlier quote it talk about how America’s note has been discarded in the view of America’s citizens of color. This textual evidence suggests that the colored people of America haven’t received what they have been promised and that is why there is this problem in the present. King points out in his speech,”Now is the time to make real the promises of democracy now is the time to rise from the dark and desolate valley of segregation to the sunlit path of racial justice now is the time to lift our nation from the quicksands of racial injustice to the solid rock of brotherhood; now is the time to make justice a reality for all of God's children” (King 49). By looking at the words that King spoke that day, readers can assume that colored citizens of this supposedly free country are having less freedom than everyone else of no color. This is important to note on the grounds that if the path of

One of the rhetorical devices that King uses during his speech is biblical references. He uses biblical references to catch his audience’s attention. King states that the people devoted to equal civil rights will not be satisfied until “justice rolls down like waters, righteousness like a mighty stream”

Some may have viewed Dr. King's speech as threatening when he tells us "it would be fatal for the nation to overlook the urgency of the moment and to underestimate the determination of the Negro." Then goes on to tell us that we are in for a "rude awakening" if changes do not occur. Using the culture in 1963 Dr. King hinted at revolution but turned his words towards peace. The answer to gaining equality and freedom did not include "bitterness and hatred." As Dr. King speaks of the injustices he also speaks of trust and unity as one answer to the issues at hand. Dr. King is clear in his instruction to the audience by telling them that the only way for the Negro to succeed is through non-violence and faith that there will be a change in culture that would allow equal justice

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

addressed the biggest issue in the United States at the time; equality for minorities. Dr. King believed that a moral society would be one where all humans are seen to be equal, everyone would have the same privileges’ and racial groups would overcome their differences to unite all Americans and the principles that we share. Dr. King wanted Americans to take a non-violent approach to solving the problem. In the letter Dr. King discussed that for America to unite as one and minorities receive equality they must take the steps to do so, it would not just happen because they wanted it to. “We know through painful experience that freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed. Frankly, I have yet to engage in a direct-action campaign that was "well timed" in the view of those who have not suffered unduly from the disease of segregation. For years now I have heard the word "Wait!" It rings in the ear of every Negro with piercing familiarity. This "Wait" has almost always meant "Never." We must come to see, with one of our distinguished jurists, that "justice too long delayed is justice denied."(434) I infer that equality for minorities and the respect of others go hand in hand in accomplishing the goal of uniting the nation as one. If we do not teach respect, respect will never be

In Martin Luther King’s I Have a Dream speech, King makes use of an innumerable amount of rhetorical devices that augment the overall understanding and flow of the speech. King makes the audience feel an immense amount of emotion due to the outstanding use of pathos in his speech. King also generates a vast use of rhetorical devices including allusion, anaphora, and antithesis. The way that King conducted his speech adds to the comprehension and gives the effect that he wants to rise above the injustices of racism and segregation that so many people are subjected to on a daily basis.

In Dr. Martin Luther King’s speech: “I Have a Dream,” he argues that all people are created equal and racism should be eliminated. He supports his claim by first illustrating an image of the future he believes in by anaphorically saying “I have a dream.” He then addresses the black community by saying they need to take their rights, then he demands America to give the black community their rights, and finally tries to convince America broke their promise. King’s purpose is to explain the black Community’s problems in order to set them free from the prison that is their daily life in America. He establishes a hopeful tone that is meant to represent a promising future for black people, targeted at Whites,

“I Have a Dream,” by Martin Luther King Jr is one of the most powerful speeches in history. The speech contains many different types of rhetorical devices to help convince the readers to fight for equality and freedom, using devices such as allusion, imagery, anaphora and personification. An example of how powerful the speech with rhetorical devices such as imagery and allusion, is “This sweltering summer of the Negro’s legitimate discontent will not pass until there is an invigorating autumn of freedom and equality.” This part of the speech talks about how african americans are being treated wrongfully, and will not be content until there is freedom and equality for all men and women. The quote can talk about how freedom is a problem when

Dr. King makes a reference to the Declaration of Independence by citing "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness" and "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal." To show how no one has been able to live up to those standards mentioned in the Declaration of Independence. He also uses a biblical references. One is "I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted..." which comes out of Isaiah 40:4-5. Meaning everything will be equal in the eyes of God so the temporary situation, won’t quite last forever.

The speech Martin Luther King delivered contained one of the most prevalent messages of that time. Not only did he want his audience to recognize his thoughts and beliefs, but reiterate his message to promote change. King was demanding that now is the time to produce radical change and to give those who were being discriminated against the equality they deserved. King declared that all African Americans should receive the same rights and opportunities of society, regardless of his or her race. He expounded on this idea when he said, “Now is the time to make justice a reality for all of God’s children” (King A-8).

Civil rights activist, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., in his moving speech, “I Have a Dream”, emphasizes the importance of equality and lack of this in the country. During this speech, Dr. King exploits the world in a determined and hopeful tone, to convey his points of the importance of equality for all races. MLK makes his points memorable and effective to the audience by being a strong and creative speaker.

Over 50 years ago, at the Lincoln Memorial Martin Luther King Jr stated, “I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: ‘We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.’” Martin Luther King Jr’s “I Have a Dream” Speech was given due to the oppression and racial injustice of the African American people during this time and to encourage and demand their freedom. Martin Luther King is being a voice for the African American people and does this speech to convince the rest of the country that for America to move forward as a country all people of all races must be treated equally. He realizes that America is not as great a nation as it should be and wants to help America to make that next step to get there. Martin argued that this is due to the inequality between African American people and the rest of the people in America. The promises that were made earlier on when the African American slaves were first freed have not been met as far as freedom and justice. The inhumane treatment of the African American people was hindering them from being all they can be in this country. To address these issues, King believed that the people need to stand together for the rights that were given to all American people under the Constitution. Throughout his speech, ethics, emotion, and logic were used to help persuade the audience about the Civil Rights Movement. King utilized emotional appeals by bringing up the hardships that the African American people have gone through in America and logically using historical documents as evidence to show the freedoms and rights that have been kept away from African American people.

Dr. King uses his metaphor to show that the African American people will not give up or bow down until they are treated equally and have the same rights and freedom as the whites do, and until they get what they deserve, they will not lessen their frustration or their fight. With every section of Martin Luther King Jr.’s speech, he advances his argument by showing that he and everyone else that supports this movement will not stand by and let these cruel people treat others differently and unequally because of their skin color, and together, they can fight for equal rights and freedom for all men of all colors, not just whites.

| “And when this happens. . . we will be able to speed up that day when all of God’s children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual”