...Martin Luther King Jr. was a very influential speaker during the Civil Rights Movement. Kings “I have a dream speech” impacted the country by speaking volume so people on many different levels. He spoke about the injustice in the country and how white and black people were not treated the same. King spoke in a very authorative tone that did not only African Americans but Caucasian people as well. He was very passionate and persuasive with his words by getting those certain people to consider that injustice was wrong. King appealed to everyone’s logic by using examples from the Constitution and his own experiences. He persuaded people to treat African Americans like they were humans and with respect. He adequately uses pathos in his speech. He impacts the public by using pathos to connect with their personal...
Words: 656 - Pages: 3
...Martin Luther is well known for his famous speech, "I Have a Dream". He delivered the speech in 1963 in Washington D.C. the theme of the speech was to describe the dream he had of a better America that was free from racial discrimination especially that of the black people. Luther begins his speech by illustrating the historical context of the injustices done to the black people due to their skin color. The introduction creates a base for the main theme of the speech where he shares his dream with the people about the America he wishes to see in the future. The discussion of the paper illustrates the effectiveness of the speech using the five canons of rhetoric. Invention The topic that Luther chooses is very captivating, and it is crucial to having a significant effect on the audience. First, the topic is in line with the current situations that are affecting the people. The people, therefore, feel they are part of what Luther is speaking about. The invention gives the black activists a future they are supposed to dream of. Secondly, the invention of the topic instills hope to the people. In a time of oppression and discrimination, the choice of the topic is efficient because it creates a sense of hope and a brighter future for the people. Connecting with the people's emotions determines the extent a speech has to the audience. Lastly, the topic motivates the audience to think about the future they would like to have. In the process of jogging their minds, they internalize...
Words: 885 - Pages: 4
...Literary Techniques of Martin Luther King's I Have a Dream Speech Literary Techniques of Martin Luther King's I Have a Dream Speech Introduction Martin Luther King, Jr., a prominent civil rights leader, delivered a powerful speech at the historic March on Washington. The speech uses several literary techniques to engage the listener. In the speech, King especially likes to use repetition and metaphor to convey his ideas. These devices are the foundation of King?s unique and effective style. Repetition In I Have a Dream King uses repetition throughout. Repetition is a good tool to use to reinforce an important idea. In Dorothy Seyler?s Read, Reason, Write, she states: ?Some repetition of key words and phrases will occur in well-written and unified essays. Some writers, though, go beyond this technique of unified writing and use repetition to produce an effective cadence, like a drum beating in the background, keeping time with the speaker?s fist pounding the lectern for emphasis.? (58). King?s speech is a perfect representation of this. I say to you today, my friends, that in spite of the difficulties and frustrations of the moment, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream. I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: "We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal." I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia the sons of former slaves and the sons...
Words: 2738 - Pages: 11
...Title | #2 Group AssignmentMartin Luther King Jr. - I Have A Dream | Due Date | Week 8 | Date Received | | DECLARATION | To be completed if this is an individual assignment: I declare that this assignment is my individual work. I have not worked collaboratively nor have I copied from any other student’s work or from any other source except where due acknowledgment is made explicitly in the text, nor has any part been written for me by another person. | Student ID | Student Name | Student Signature | Student 1 | | | | To be completed if this is a group assignment: We declare that this is a group assignment and that no part of this submission has been copied from any other student's work or from any other source except where due acknowledgment is made explicitly in the text, nor has any part been written for us by another person. | Student ID | Student Name | Student Signature | Student 1 | 4240138 | Danushka Nirmal De Silva | | Student 2 | 4235150 | Ngu Ing Sung | | Student 3 | 4237293 | Dashilla Ladaey | | Student 4 | 4237323 | Ahmad Akmal Afiq | | Student 5 | 100070566 | Lasse Svenning Jensen | | MARKER’S COMME Total Mark | | Marker’s Signature | | Date | | EXTENSION CERTIFICATE | This assignment has been given an extension by Unit Convenor | | Extended due date: | | Date Received | | Martin Luther King Jr. – I Have a Dream An analysis of a historically important leadership speech Words: (excl. front-page and...
Words: 2522 - Pages: 11
...“I Have a Dream” is a public speech delivered by Martin Luther King, a prominent figure in American History, in which he calls for racial equality. Throughout his speech, Martin Luther King inspires and motivates his audience to create a social movement for the betterment of the standards of living for black people in America. The transcript deals with the themes of equality and freedom by using a variety of literary techniques. Social exclusion of the “Negro”, according to Martin Luther King, is holding back America from truly being “great”. He encourages those who are fighting for equality and freedom from the constraints of society to continue their struggle for the betterment of the entire black society. He seems to say that freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor, but it must be demanded by the oppressed. The theme of undying hope is also discussed as Martin Luther King encourages his viewers to be persistent in whatever they do. Direct addressal of the reader helps the orator to emotionally connect with the reader to have a greater impact on the audience. The speech begins with direct addressal of the reader to provide emotional connection and thereby enhance the motivational effect of the speech. The possessive pronoun “my” in the noun phrase “my friends” unites Martin Luther King with his audience and so has the ability to strengthen the impact of his inspirational speech. The theme of hope is discussed through repetition of adverbs. The adverb “still” in...
Words: 1999 - Pages: 8
...Rhetorical Analysis of Martin Luther King’s Speech “I Have a Dream” Likita M. Taylor ITT-Tech English 1320: Composition I November 12 2012 Rhetorical Analysis of Martin Luther King’s Speech “I Have a Dream” “I am happy to join with you today in what will go down in history as the greatest demonstration for freedom in the history of our nation.” These are the opening words of Martin Luther King’s “I have a dream speech”, which he predicted will be the foundation of the Civil Rights Movement and the turning point in finally ending segregation. Time and time again, his speech is credited as being “one of the most successful and most legendary speeches in United States history.”(Martin, 2010, 10 par 1). He was an astonishing, intelligent speaker who often relied on using strong rhetoric devices to get his message across. Through his articulate use of logos, pathos, and ethos, King was able to persuade his generation that "the Negro is not free.” (Martin 2001 par3). His speech became the rallying cry for civil rights and lives on to this day as a perpetual masterpiece. Before one can really understand the analysis of his speech, it is important to understand King’s arguments. His main point is that blacks are not free or equal according to the rights guaranteed by the Constitution. He argues that African-Americans must claim their full rights and demand liberation from inequality and suppression. King's audience is not only Black Americans, but his message...
Words: 794 - Pages: 4
...------------------------------------------------- AMERICAN DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE Civil Rights Movement Deyana Faraj On the 4th of July 1776, 56 delegates to the Continental Congress signed a document that would not only declare independence of America from British colonial power but less than 200 years later, become the backbone of a new established America where the walls of discrimination and segregation would finally begin to deteriorate. The Declaration of Independence is a powerful document that has led to the development of equal rights and social justice within societies on a world context. More specifically, principles in this document were instrumental when argued by African American Civil Rights leaders in achieving equality and abolishing racial segregation and discrimination against African- Americans in the United States, during the African American Civil Rights Movement (1954-1968). Before the American Civil Rights Movement, laws known as Jim Crow laws had forced racial segregation of facilities and the prohibition of intermarriage. These laws were similar to the apartheid legislation and it became the law mainly in the south of America. Where there is inequality and injustice within a government, the people of the nation demand change. Since the Jim Crow laws were enacted, the laws that mandated racial segregation in public areas and the prohibition of intermarriage in the Southern United States were socially and morally unjust and this fuelled...
Words: 2034 - Pages: 9
...University Rhetorical Analysis of Dr. Martin Luther Kings “I Have A Dream” (Revised) Introduction On August 28th 1963, on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington DC, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. gave the “I Have a Dream” speech which was addressed to not only the 200,000 white and black Americans but people all around the world. The “I Have A Dream” speech has been considered one of the most greatest and powerful speeches in history. Why was it given? Simply to rectify that all me were created equal despite their race or color. In this Analysis I will be explaining some literary terms he used as strategies in his speech, and also explain how Dr. King used two rhetorical patterns to help him support his argument, those two patters are Ethos, & Pathos. Strategies Dr. King used many literary terms in the “I Have a Dream” speech such as Alliteration, which is the repetition of sounds. For example he says, “I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.” The “c” in those three words of that sentence gives it a repetitive rhythm feel which will make that important part of the speech catch and memorable. Also from that same sentence he used Anaphora, which describes the most famous part of the speech, where in this case is “I Have a Dream”. Although he used it many times just buy naming this speech “I Have a Dream” it will make everything he say after...
Words: 927 - Pages: 4
...Martin Luther King, Jr. once said, ‘“Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter’” (Luther and Melvin). Martin Luther King Jr., the man with a dream, fought through discrimination to enable United States citizens to live more peacefully. Due to his work during the Civil Rights Movement and his tragic death, Martin Luther King, Jr. left a legacy of equality in America. As a child Martin Luther King, Jr. experienced racial discrimination first hand. Due to his skin color, King’s “friends” refused to play with him at a young age (Dubovoy). King stood emotionally wounded for the rest of his life, when his own best friends betrayed him. King did not want his children or anyone to feel discriminated against due to their...
Words: 678 - Pages: 3
...Rhetorical Analysis Paper Martin Luther King Jr.: I Have a Dream According to Aristotle, there are three ways for a speaker to persuade his audience: ethos, logos, and pathos ("American rhetoric: Aristotle's rhetoric - selected moments," n.d.). Aristotle noted that a speech should “engage both the rational and non-rational elements of the listener's soul” (Wardy, 1996, p. 63). The speaker must have credibility with their audience and appear fair, open-minded, honest, and knowledgeable (ethos). He/she must also have logical appeal with strong, valid arguments based on facts and, perhaps, with personal experience and observations (logos). And, finally, the speaker must emotionally appeal to the audience and create a personal connection to draw and hold their attention (pathos). Of the three, Aristotle believed that ideally arguments should be made with reason, or logic, alone (McKay & McKay, 2010). However, it is often a speaker’s emotional appeal that creates the personal connection, as well as captivates and motivates the audience … and few have done that better than the Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr. If you say the words “I have a dream”, Americans from age 18 to 80 immediately think of Martin Luther King Jr. They may not know the words achieved notoriety from a speech given at an equal rights march on Washington, DC in August 1963. They may not know that 250,000 blacks gathered at the National Mall to demand "jobs and freedom" (Hampson, 2013). Additionally, they...
Words: 1178 - Pages: 5
...the Lincoln Memorial more than forty years ago, Martin Luther King captivated America with his historic "I Have a Dream" speech. This speech insisted racial integrity towards the wronged black community of America. The topic of the speech was that all individuals were created equal and from that day there needed to be a transformation in modern America. King's words demonstrated to touch the heaps of individuals and gave the country a language to express what was happening in the black community of American. Martin Luther King's speaking was cautiously created so it would have the most suitable delivery to suggest his facts and ideas. During that remarkable speech there are unseen, but apparent drops of propaganda....
Words: 619 - Pages: 3
...Jr.’s “I have a dream” Speech Martin Luther King Jr. gave a speech in front of the Lincoln Memorial during the 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, one hundred years after the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation, which outstandingly furthered the civil rights movement. At that time, racial segregation, police brutality, and other forms of racial inequality were terribly prominent in America. The speech successfully focused the country’s attention at the need for racial equality “Now” (King, I Have a Dream). King gave the speech in order to motivate his followers to peacefully continue to demonstrate, protest, and boycott until they were fully granted the equality and privileges that any other citizen was allowed to have. Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I have a dream” speech is his most notable, and one of the most influential of Twentieth-Century-America because of his excellent rhetorical use of repetition and anaphora, contrasting metaphors, and appropriate quotations and allusions throughout the speech. Martin Luther King Jr. used a profuse amount of repetition and anaphora throughout his speech. A subtle form of repetition, the repetition of singular words, was mainly used to emphasize key themes in the speech and keep them in the minds of the audience. Such repeated key themes were “freedom”, “justice” and “injustice”, “America” and “American”, and plural nouns such as “we” and “our”. Since the preceding words were repeated so frequently in the speech, they...
Words: 847 - Pages: 4
...the same treatment as Whites. ** I agree with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr’s thesis statement and his supporting ideas. Summary: In his speech, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. delivers a powerful message on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial on August 28, 1963. I have a dream is a speech in which Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. cultivates the powerful force of peace in people to act out in love towards racism. He is trying to reach the good in people and believes that love will be more effective than hate. TS: Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. effectively conveys his message of equality and non-violence by making an emotional appeal to Americans. EM: Dr. Martin Luther King Jr’s speech brought change to America, Americans were unified, and caused people to view others differently. I. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr’s speech brought change to America. A. People were moved by his emotions. B. It inspired equality in Americans. C. America yielded to peace. II. Americans were unified. B. Racism was reduced. C. Peace prevailed over violence. III. Caused people to view others differently. A. People changed their perspective. B. Race became less significant C. Humanity was changed by love. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s Speech I have a dream I have a dream speech by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. is recognized as one of the greatest speeches ever presented. Over 50 years ago, in August of 1963, Dr. King captivated America with his significant I have a dream speech powerfully given on the steps of...
Words: 938 - Pages: 4
...Analysis – I Have a Dream. A speech, that will be remembered by many and be passed down from generation to generation, had shaped the future of America by the time Martin Luther King had stepped off the stage on August 28th, as he called for an end to racism in the United States during the March on Washington in 1963. This was one of, if not, the most powerful speech America has seen to this day. A beautiful way to begin! Good job! Martin Luther King stood on that stage with confidence and determination to make a change in the United States of America and it was shown through this rhetorical masterpiece titled “I Have a Dream”. The first line of the speech makes the audience aware of not only how serious he is, but also how determined and sure he is that his speech will change the civil rights in the United States of America; he could not have been more right about it. From the very first line, Martin Luther King had his audiences’ undivided attention. “I am happy to join with you today in what will go down in history as the greatest demonstration for freedom in the history of our nation.” (Line 1-2, Page 1) His audience in this case would not only be his fellow Negroes who are still not free, but the rest of the Americans that attended the March on Washington. Little did he know that the whole world would be his audience… Good! In this first line we see him start off with using logos. He refers to the USA as “our” nation. We see this throughout the entire speech. It...
Words: 995 - Pages: 4
...------------------------------------------------- I Have a Dream From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia This article is about the Martin Luther King Jr. speech. For other uses, see I Have a Dream (disambiguation). Martin Luther King, Jr. delivering "I Have a Dream" at the 1963 Washington D.C. Civil Rights March. | "I Have a Dream"30-second sample from "I Have a Dream" speech by Martin Luther King, Jr. | Problems listening to this file? See media help. | "I Have a Dream" is a public speech by American activist Martin Luther King, Jr.. It was delivered by King on August 28, 1963, in which he called for an end to racism in the United States. Delivered to over 250,000 civil rights supporters from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial during the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, the speech was a defining moment of the American Civil Rights Movement.[1] Beginning with a reference to the Emancipation Proclamation, which freed millions of slaves in 1863,[2] King examines that: "one hundred years later, the Negro still is not free".[3] At the end of the speech, King departed from his prepared text for a partly improvised peroration on the theme of "I have a dream", possibly prompted by Mahalia Jackson's cry: "Tell them about the dream, Martin!"[4] In this part of the speech, which most excited the listeners and has now become the most famous, King described his dreams of freedom and equality arising from a land of slavery and hatred.[5] The speech was ranked the top American speech of the 20th century by...
Words: 2912 - Pages: 12
