Rhetorical Devices In Martin Luther King's I Have A Dream

Words: 858
Pages: 4
Open Document
April 04, 1968 is the day the world lost one of its most inspirational and determined men to have ever roamed the face of the planet. The life of Martin Luther King Jr is most notably celebrated for being a strong leader that advocated nonviolent resistance to achieve equality and racial integration in the world. A talented speaker and influential man, Dr. King was able to sway millions to nonviolently protest the segregation of America during the 50’s and 60’s by tactful use of rhetorical devices. As seen in his “I Have A Dream” speech, Martin Luther King Jr employs purposeful repetition, metaphorical juxtaposition, and religious allusions to emotionally persuade millions of the reality of racial injustice in America. Throughout the entire duration of Martin Luther’s speech, he employs numerous examples of repetition to emphasize the racial injustice …show more content…
King makes several religious allusions that tie religious feelings to his ideas. Dr. King characterizes the audience and the whole nation as “God’s children- black men and white men”. King not only advocates for racial equality here by addressing both colors of man, but also ties the religious sacracy of God into his plea. By characterizing everyone has “God’s child”, King creates the implied notion that his ideas are inherently virtuous, simply by this allusion. The moral ethics of Christianity are tied now with King’s ideas as he further connects his ideas to Christianity. He states that it is “the glory of the Lord” that will reveal the nature of society and people will “thank God Almighty” when we are truly “free at last”. Again, King ties in the moral foundations of Christianity into his speech by alluding to God. By characterizing his actions as the works of God, Martin Luther King Jr subtly links the ethical nature of Christianity to the nature of his actions and speech. The use of allusion to Christianity allows Dr. King to reveal his ideas in righteous view to the
Show More

Related Documents: Rhetorical Devices In Martin Luther King's I Have A Dream

Rhetorical Devices Used In Dr. Martin Luther King's Speech

throughout history contain rhetorical devices to efficiently grab the audience's attention so writers can convey their message clearly and intelligently. Specific rhetorically advanced speeches include, “I Have a Dream” by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., “1961 Inaugural Address” by John F. Kennedy, “2009 Inaugural Address” by Barack Obama, “Four Freedoms Speech” by Franklin D. Roosevelt, and “War Message to Congress” by Woodrow Wilson. Each speaker relies on explicit rhetorical devices to enhance their speech…

Words 432 - Pages 2

Rhetorical Analysis Of Martin Luther King's Letter To Birmingham

16th 1963, Martin luther king Jr, so eloquently explained in his piece which is entitled “Letter to Birmingham”, it expresses the pain and the injustice of the life of a african amercan of this time period. He supports his claims by expressing his concerns for african americans. Then he goes on to explain how the police force treats the african americans unfairly and judges their character by the color of their skin. Finally to commend the hard working distressed people who still have hope or his…

Words 932 - Pages 4

Yes We Can Speech

In this essay I am going to compare and contrast the speeches of Barack Obama (‘Yes we can’) and Martin Luther King (I have a dream). When we talk about 'language', sometimes we mean speech (spoken language), sometimes writing (written language).Do you think is there any difference between spoken language and written language? Of course, speech is spoken and heard, while writing is written and read. There are many types of spoken languages such as news report, interview, speech, debates and conversations…

Words 1038 - Pages 5

Martin Luther King Rhetorical Analysis Essay

Dreaming About Freedom Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech is one of the most successful and most legendary speeches in United States history. Martin Luther King Jr. was a masterful speaker, who established a strong command of rhetorical strategies. By his eloquent use of ethos, logos, and pathos, as well as his command of presentation skills and rhetorical devices, King was able to persuade his generation that "the Negro is not free" (King 1). His speech became the rallying cry for…

Words 1391 - Pages 6

Mlk & Malcom X Compare/Contrast Essay

American history were Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X. They supported equal rights for every race, but when comparing MLK’s “I Have a Dream’ and Malcolm X’s “The Ballot or the Bullet,” one sees the similarities in their rhetorical styles and differences in their tone and message. As seen in “I Have a Dream,” MLK has a more civilized and peaceful solution to the nation’s problems; whereas in X’s he has a will to do whatever it may take to solve the problems. Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm…

Words 1064 - Pages 5

Analyzing Rhetorical Techniques Used In Martin Luther King's Speech

Honors 29 October 2015 I have a Dream In an era when few were inclined to hear, Martin Luther King, Jr. stood proudly. Martin Luther King, Jr's speech “I have a Dream” was very beneficial and inspirational for African Americans. Numerous factors affected the speech, the emotion behind his statement, delivering the speech on the monument of the Abraham Lincoln, the president who abolished slavery. To get the emotions from both sides of all Americans, King uses many rhetorical devices such as allusions…

Words 849 - Pages 4

I Have A Dream Speech Rhetorical Analysis

I Have A Dream Rhetorical Analysis Activist, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., was a man of many words. He was a man who possessed admirable qualities and demonstrated power with fine grace and composure. All who listened were transfixed by what he had to say. Dr. King made great strides for African Americans during the Civil Rights Movement of the 20th century, a time when blacks were segregated and subject to racial injustice. On the mark of 100 years following the Emancipation Proclamation that freed…

Words 741 - Pages 3

How Did Martin Luther King's I Have A Dream Speech

"The whirlwinds of revolt will continue to shake the foundations of our nation until the bright day of justice emerges." This moving statement is from Martin Luther King, Jr.'s speech, "I have a Dream". This speech was given in front of hundreds of thousands of people on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C., on August of 1963, where Dr. King was advocating civil rights and readdressing the racial injustice and unequal opportunity African Americans endured and additionally, voicing…

Words 558 - Pages 3

Martin Luther King Essay

was a huge issue in the United States. Although all blacks were supposed to be free, under a corrupt law system, blacks were victimized mercilessly. The most notable activist of them was Martin Luther King Jr. of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. Out of all of his civil rights efforts, the “I Have a Dream” speech, given on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial was something that changed history. His speech had a massive impact because it illustrated the racist problems of the time, and it also…

Words 938 - Pages 4

I Have A Dream Speech Thesis

still faced this issue heavily. Because of all this, blacks urged one another and civil rights activists began to arise. Southern Christian Leader Martin Luther King Jr. was the most notable activists of them all. He engaged in several movements containing protests and civil rights boycotts that furthered the movement of racial equality. King's "I Have a Dream" speech had a huge impact as it demonstrated the racial division of the time and appealed to the audience into sympathy. While doing this, he…

Words 1086 - Pages 5