Rhetorical Analysis OfI Have A Dream By Martin Luther King

"I Have A Dream" is a mesmerizing speech by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. It was delivered to the thousands of Americans on August 28, 1963, during the March on Washington. Aimed at the entire nation, King’s main purpose in this speech was to convince his audience to demand racial justice towards the mistreated African Americans and to stand up together for the rights afforded to African American under the Constitution. To further convey this purpose more effectively, King cleverly makes use of the rhetorical devices — ethos, pathos and logos — using figurative language such as metaphors and repetition as well as various other techniques e.g. organization, parallel construction and choice of title.

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

“For years now I have hears the word ‘Wait’ has almost always meant ‘Never’.” (King, Pg. 2. Paragraph 11) This quote is one of the most important ones in this whole letter. He brings attention to how long the people of color had to wait for rights that were supposed to be made equally amongst everyone. For decades, the white majority within the government avoid basic rights because of a skin color. Everyone is the same on the inside so why did the government put this off for so long? This quote captures the harassment and the ignorance these people had to face in order to live equally in the “land of the

This was great rhetoric. King plays on Americans’ patriotism when he says, “We have waited for more than 340 years for our constitutional God-given rights. The nations of Asia and Africa are moving with jetlike speed toward gaining political independence, but we still creep at horse-and-buggy pace toward a cup of coffee at a lunch counter.” He makes it seem that those who are segregationists are backward people. Another great argument he makes is by showing the brutality African Americans must undergo. He says, “But when you have seen vicious mob s lynch your mothers and fathers at will and drown your sisters and brothers at whim; when you have seen hate-filled policemen curse, kick, and even kill your black brothers and sisters…then you will understand why we find it difficult to wait.” (King 47-48) King’s great arguments make it nearly impossible to ask African Americans to wait.

1. Dr. King is writing in response to a group of Alabama clergymen. He is writing them a letter because he is trying to defend his way of nonviolent protesting against racism and discrimination. 2. He starts off his argument by introducing why he is here and how it is his duty to be in Birmingham.

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

This speech was delivered in Washington by MLK. MLK wants the American people to treat blacks equally and not judge them by their skin color but by their character. He thinks this will bring America together. His philosophy makes more sense because his goal is to gain equal rights in a peaceful way which is why he says “I Have a Dream”, it also shows that he’s hoping that this will happen as a result of peaceful protests.

King uses various examples in history on how many colored people throughout history have done amazing attributions to America that not many non-colored Americans can have the honor to say that they have done something amazing .Kings examples, include how colored Americans were at Valley Forge with George Washington , how the first person to die in the revoltion was a colored man, and how one member who designed the capital of Washington D.C. was colored. All have in common the fact that they were all Black Americans but the most important thing is that these contributions are the most patriotism anyone has done for the United States of America. Martin Luther King states, "Negroes had done more than their share." It helps the audience by explaining to them that colored people have done many things to create a great nation. it moves the audience by describing how colored people have done so much for the country yet have not been recognized for their air share of making a great

On August 28th 1963, Civil Rights activist, Martin Luther King Jr. made his infamous “I Have a Dream” speech. In the speech, King confronts the mistreatment of the African American community and the lack of free will they contain in society. Throughout the mid-1900s, the Civil Rights Movement took place, influenced by centuries of cruelty towards the African Americans.. The most influential speech in the modern era was said in front of thousands of Civil Rights activists who all shared a common goal; to fight for the respect and to be treated as equals within the United States.

King’s letter, he addresses the concepts of rights, duty, and justice. Dr. King refers to rights as “God-given and constitutional.” Under the religion of Christianity, it is believed that everyone is the children of God, therefore if the rights are God-given, everyone is entitled to these rights. Also, all citizens of the United States of America are entitled to the rights given by the Constitution. The combination of the rights given by God and the rights given by the Constitution should result in equal rights for everyone, no matter the color of their skin. Very much like rights, everyone has the duty to honor the rights of all men and women, because these rights are privileges given by God and the Constitution. If it is ever felt that there is an unequal distribution of these rights, it is the duty of the people experiencing this inequality to demand the rights they deserve, and it is the duty of the people with power and authority to recognize the inequality taking place within the community and address these issues. Dr. King has notably written that, “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” Dr. King was placed in jail because of the injustice that was taking place in the community and the purpose of writing his letter from jail is to express the injustice his brothers and sisters are facing everyday of their lives. Having to fight for equal rights, something that the rest of the community takes for granted, is the injustice plaguing the society,

Martin Luther King’s speech was made after the March on Washington on August 28, 1963. He delivered the “I Have a dream” speech on the Lincoln Memorial steps. He verbalized this speech to millions of people blacks and whites. This is one of the greatest speeches because it has many elements like repetition, assonance and consonance, pathos, logos, and ethos.

This means that everyone has the right to be part of the American dream, not just whites, but blacks as well. This allusion helps King to establish authority in his speech because he is referencing something that was said by people with a large amount of

Dr. Martin Luther King delivered his "I Have a Dream" speech to the thousands of African Americans who had marched on Washington, D.C. at the height of the Civil Rights Movement. The date of the speech was August 28, 1963, but it is one that will live for generations. Of course his purpose was to convince his audience on several fronts: he sought to persuade the black community to stand up for the rights afforded them under the Constitution, and he also sought to demonstrate to the white community that a "simple" black man could so effectively use powers of persuasion that they too would have reason to join the cause. He stated in his opening sentence that the event at which he spoke

Throughout the whole speech there is a message of togetherness and brotherhood. King was not talking about black togetherness. He was talking about everyone in the world coming together to improve themselves and their surrounding environment. A few people finally began to realize that togetherness was needed to accomplish their goals. Some black people along with some white people began to join hands, voices, and souls to fight for the rights that every human being deserved.

“We cannot walk alone. And as we walk, we must make the pledge that we shall march ahead. We cannot turn back.” (King). In this statement in his speech he is saying how it will take more than just a white and black person saying they do not have each other. He is saying that they must learn to love one another because one side cannot do all the work. It requires teamwork and that is what America was lacking now. King had a sense of leadership to bring people together in this rough time of African Americans being a part of discrimination. He is claiming that although people are not fully working together to solve this major problem in America, if we all just try it will make it easier.