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Similarities Between The Gettysburg Address And The I Have A Dream Speech

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A few score and many years ago, The Gettysburg Address and I Have a Dream speech were shared each by one of two extremely inspirational men. Abraham Lincoln was one of these men, as well as an idolized president. He gave The Gettysburg Address in 1863 at the National Cemetary in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. Dr. Martain Luther King Jr. was an equal rights activist as well as a catalyst for social change. Dr. King even recieved the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964 due to taking a non-violent stand against racial injustice. The I Have a Dream speech was given by Dr. King at the Lincoln Memorial in 1963. Both men presented speeches that fought for freedom and equality. Their speeches share many other similarities as well. One similarity between the two speeches is their purpose. Both The Gettysburg Address and the I Have a Dream speech were told to persuade it's recipients to change their minds on the topic of equality and freedom. These men wanted others to support their ideas and gain a clearer view on what needs to start happening in our country. Lincoln was …show more content…

Parallelism was used quite often in Lincoln's speech. One example of parallelism from The Gettysburg Address is "But, in a larger sense, we cannot dedicate—we cannot consecrate—we cannot hallow—this ground." Extended metaphors and repetition were the primary rhetorical devices used in King's speech. King used an extended metaphor to emphasize the issues that Negros are having. King says, "America has given the Negro people a bad check, a check which has come back marked 'insufficient funds.' But we refuse to believe that the bank of justice is bankrupt." King also used repetition to make sure his message is clear and gets through to his audience. Some phrases he repeats are "let freedom ring," "I have a dream," and "free at last." All of these rhetorical devices are contributors to why their speeches were

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