Rhetorical Devices Used In I Have A Dream Speech

Words: 889
Pages: 4
Open Document
During the early 1900’s, racism and discrimination were both a daily struggle for African Americans throughout America. Being raised during that time period, the civil right’s advocate was not ignorant to inequality and hate crimes. However, after realizing and understanding that the colored Americans were being violated of the civil rights promised to them in the Civil Rights Act of 1866, he no longer wanted to sit around and wait for a change to be made. Martin Luther King Jr's “I Have a Dream” speech, given on August 10, 1970, was a peaceful demand for racial justice and an integrated society. King’s mastery of rhetoric devices used in his speech, his aspiration for his American dream, and his experience as a civil rights leader were all …show more content…
King is renowned for his work as a civil rights leader, and it all began with the Montgomery bus boycott in 1956 (McGill, 2005). Dr. King helped organized a boycott and he even got hundreds of citizens to participate (McGill, 2005). In his speech, he states, "There are those who are asking the devotees of civil rights, "When will you be satisfied?" We can never be satisfied as long as the Negro is the victim of the unspeakable horrors of police brutality. We can never be satisfied as long as our bodies, heavy with the fatigue of travel, cannot gain lodging in the motels of the highways and the hotels of the cities". Dr. King and other civil rights leaders'' will not stop until there is equality in America. The words he spoke in this portion of his speech were not only from his point of view as a civil rights leader, but from all of the devoted civil rights leaders views. Dr. King went on to describe the things in America that were inequitable, and he encouraged African Americans to not give up. He had faith that the difficulties could be overcome, and he shared his faith with the world. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. undoubtedly gave a brilliant speech that ultimately transformed America. Although Dr. King was assassinated before he could see the change he helped to make, his dream did not die with him. It was not a painless journey, but America today is just what Dr.King envisioned. Americans of all races attend the same schools, eat at the same restaurants, drink from the
Show More

Related Documents: Rhetorical Devices Used In I Have A Dream Speech

Analyzing Speeches LA Essay

Activities Write a response for each of the following activities. Check the Evaluation section at the end of this document to make sure you have met the expected criteria for the assignment. When you have finished, submit your work to your teacher. 1. Comparing Speeches a. Read President Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address and Martin Luther King Jr.’s I Have a Dream speech. What emotions do you feel while reading these speeches? What elements of the speeches evoke these emotions? Type your response here: The…

Words 1914 - Pages 8

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

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, inevitably…

Words 432 - Pages 2

Letter From Birmingham Jail

There are many ways one could compare and contrast “I have a Dream” and “Letter From Birmingham Jail,” by Martin Luther King. In these texts, King uses analogies, repetition, and rhetorical questions. He uses analogies in many different ways between the two texts and some compare and contrast to each other. In each of the text he also uses rhetorical questions and repetition that can compare and contrast. Some of the analogies, questions, and repetition are very similar to each other, but others…

Words 1028 - Pages 5

Martin Luther King Rhetorical Devices

“I Have a Dream” and “Glory and Hope” All around the world, there have been many incredible speeches. Two incredible speeches are “I Have a Dream” by Martin Luther King Jr. and “Glory and Hope” by Nelson Mandela. Both of these speakers use rhetorical devices, which are techniques used by speakers to achieve a particular effect. They are used to persuade or influence. One of these rhetorical devices that they both use is repetition, which is a writer's intentional reuse of sound, word, phrase, or…

Words 576 - Pages 3

Rhetorical Devices

Rhetorical devices can be used to draw people to opinions. See how Martin Luther King Jr. did this with his “I Have a Dream” speech. Martin Luther King Jr. gave a concise speech about how African Americans suffered in trying to recognize their freedom in a culture controlled by inequality and discrimination. He welcomed the white group’s and African-American group’s participation to show the backing from multiple races, for civil rights. The people at the speech came to Washington to demand equality…

Words 136 - Pages 1

Rhetorical Analysis Of Martin Luther King's Letter To Birmingham

the hard working distressed people who still have hope or his words “the real heroes”. Through King’s use of Pathos, ethos and Tone, and rhetorical tools he effectively persuades the nation. Which he tries to illustrate to everyone that there is an issue that needs to change but, he offers hope for and assurance for the young african americans generations to come. First I must to start off by interrupting Martin Luther King’s tone. In this letter I felt he was overwhelmed, but his tone also conveyed…

Words 932 - Pages 4

Martin Luther King Rhetorical Analysis Essay

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 civil rights…

Words 1391 - Pages 6

Martin Luther King Essay

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 made the people made the audience feel sympathetic towards the African-American population. The most important of any speech is its structure, something which King does extremely well in his speech. He does this by showing the plight of the Negroes…

Words 938 - Pages 4

Mlk & Malcom X Compare/Contrast Essay

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 X use the same rhetorical strategies to enhance their message in their speeches. One device or strategy is repetition…

Words 1064 - Pages 5

Comparison Of I Have A Dream And George Vi's Wartime Speech?

Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream” speech and King George VI’s wartime speech both have a meaningful place in history, as they equally well-written and similar in many aspects. The first comparison between the speeches are how they were adjusted based on the speaker’s ability to speak. MLK is a confident and strong speaker, who knew how to use his voice captivate an audience. Thus, MLK’s speech was adjusted to include many rhetorical devices such as repetition, alliteration, allusions, and metaphors…

Words 489 - Pages 2