Rhetorical Analysis Of Mlk's Speech

Throughout the world, many speeches are delivered that convey an essential message to the minds of the audience. Similarly, a revolutionary man delivered a speech to embolden and assert the audience in dissidence against the intolerable discrimination as well as the segregation of African Americans. Martin Luther King Jr., a prominent figure in the history of Civil Rights, recited his famous speech, “I Have A Dream.” He stood for the ideas of social equality. Throughout his speech, he used extensive rhetorical strategies that made it effective for the audience.

In a period of time where few were willing to listen, Martin Luther King, Jr. stood proudly, gathered and held the attention of over 200,000 people. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech was very effective and motivational for African Americans in 1963. Many factors affected Kings’ speech in a very positive manner; the great emotion behind the words, delivering the speech on the steps of the memorial of the President who defeated slavery. And not only was this message beautifully written for the hope of African Americans, but the underlying message for white people, revolution and peace. To stimulate emotion from both parties of his listeners, King used a selection of rhetorical devices such as allusions to historical

MLK’s letter was directed toward the Clergymen who criticized his work and ideas, but his audience was geared towards white men in general.

Martin Luther King Jr. wrote numerous speeches in efforts to inspire the idea of non-violent protesting in hopes of eventually reaching racial equality. Under what conditions can a man with seemingly no connection to a local community step in and assume the mantle of leadership as a spokesman for a segment of that community’s population? In all of the speeches, one way or another, Dr. King used several different rhetorical devices in order to defend his own actions. In specific, two of his speeches, “I have a Dream” and “Letter from a Birmingham Jail” Dr. King used the rhetorical devices of anaphora, allusion, and diction to relay his thoughts of what is right, and also as a way to build a common ground with his audience. Though the rhetorical devices are shared between the two speeches, there are also several differences. The main difference between the two speeches is that in “I have a Dream” Dr. King is vocalizing his own ideas for what could become of the United States of America. In “Letter from a Birmingham Jail” Dr. King is responding to the clergymen’s letter regarding his braking of the law. The rhetorical devices as well as the speeches are similar, while the audience is the factor that changes the premise.

If I were at the Walk on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, MLK’s speech would have had a greater impact on me. In the MLK speech his tone brought in the audience and got them into the speech while in John Lewis’s speech he had the same tone and energy all the way through, so as a demonstrator I would have easily got bored.

Some might ask,“Why is Martin Luther King Jr. so important?” Martin Luther King Jr. marched to the Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C to give his “I Have A Dream” speech to a huge crowd. He also wrote a “Letter From Birmingham Jail” to eight white clergymen that didn’t agree with Kings beliefs. In both pieces of writing, he used logos and pathos to express to the listeners.

MLK knew that the nation would fall if we kept fighting. His solution averted a war between the races. During the Cold War, the Soviets would have loved the fighting that was taking place in America. Dr. King prevented violent actions that could have very seriously weakened America. Today, America has a remembrance

To begin, Martin Luther King Jr. was an African American rights activist and an impressive preacher. One day during a peaceful protest, he was arrested and sent to the Birmingham Jail. In jail, he wrote a detailed, metaphoric letter to the clergy men, speaking about the recent racism problems and how to fix it. He wrote page after page of issues, using several examples and many iconic phrases from history. Martin Luther King Jr. was not an uneducated fool, as many seen him. He knew that if he used ethos, pathos, and logos, he would get many people on his side, consisting his notable character known by the church, his ability to evoke sympathy, and his logical way to present this problem.

At the beginning of Martin Luther King’s speech, he says, “But one hundred years later, the Negro still is not free, one hundred years later, the life of the Negro is still sadly crippled by the manacles of segregation and the chains of discrimination…” (Martin Luther King speech, 1963, para. 3). King keeps saying “one hundred years later”, to show that no matter how much time passes, African Americans will never be equal to the whites. Even after the Emancipation Proclamation was signed. Logos is shown all throughout his “I have a dream” speech. He is letting the audience know that they have not been given equal opportunities, like the whites have been given.

I think that my group should use #RacialJustice as our hashtag. It connects both MLK’s speech as well as the personal connections aspect of our performance. MLK states during his speech that America has done the Negros a major injustice. He makes many references to justice and how he wants justice to be served to his race. It is also a connector to the personal connection aspect, as ‘racial justice’ does not specify race, but promotes equality and justice for all races. In the personal connection, the Claude Watson girls volleyball team is discriminated for being mostly asian. The hashtag promotes racial equality for Negros, Asians, and all races.

Logos means reason. Martin Luther King Jr. uses logos to show why he is delivering this speech and why he wants things to change. He is delivering this speech to show how many blacks and other races, that weren’t being treated equally, really didn’t have freedom like they should. “It would be fatal for the nation to overlook the urgency of the moment and to underestimate the determination of the Negro.” (King, M. L. Jr. (1963, Aug.28) Para 6) “Instead of honoring the sacred obligation, America has given the Negro people a bad check which has come back marked ‘insufficient funds.’” (King, M. L. Jr. (1963, Aug.28) Para 5) These quotes are just a couple of the logos quotes Martin Luther King said in his speech.

Abraham Lincoln said, “Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation, conceived in liberty and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.” Our founding fathers created this nation on the principle that everybody is entitled to justice, yet we continue to see inequality in the land of the free and Martin Luther King set out to fix that. “I Have a Dream” by MLK, is by far the more motivating and moving speech; with its figurative language, strong vocabulary, and unlimited determination, MLK makes the audience want to change the injustices that overwhelm the African Americans and earn them their equality. The primary ways Martin Luther King believes they can obtain their

The very iconic and sadly last speech made by the legendary Martin Luther King Jr. was perfectly exposing what white America was too scared to face. His outcry was battling against the politicians refusing to pass laws that would benefit the African American communities. His outcry was battling against the men in white hoods who lived lavish lives by ruining lives of the blacks. MLK was battling against the country that turned their backs to him and his community.The setting that sparked this speech all started on February 1, 1968, when two black employees were sadly killed by a malfunctioning truck during their job. The city's response to this incident was inconsiderate and highlighted how many business/work corporations were getting

Dr. King and Robert Kennedy were both influential leaders during the civil rights movement. The life of these two men were cut short by senseless acts of violence. The day after the assassination of Dr. King, Robert Kennedy gave his speech On the Mindless Menace of Violence. This speech touched on the unnecessary and senseless violence that was happening in our nation at the time. Dr. King’s I Have a Dream speech was given to express to citizens nationwide about the injustices happening to African Americans. His speech addressed the concerns and the dreams he had for our nation in the near future. Although, he did not get to see this dream take place, it is our duty as citizens to make this dream happen.

Martin luther king jr is from atlanta georgia in midtown.MLK died in memphis tennessee he was honored through his great deeds as a leader.He learned how to speak through his dad his dad was a reverend or a pastor who has to speak for hours.His speech I have a dream was on the march on washington was at the lincoln memorial in washington D.C.He works on having civil rights throughout all black and white people.He was a baptist and a minister before a civil rights speaker.MLK I have a dream speech touched many people and saved many lives some didn't realize he knows how it feels to be pushed off the bus.He was one of those people before he spoke out to people