ipl-logo

Figurative Language In Martin Luther King Jr.'s I Have A Dream Speech

1110 Words5 Pages

Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech is one of the most well-known and critically acclaimed speeches of all time. Every child, every teenager, every adult has at some point in their lives heard King’s speech. They have heard the words “I have a dream” ring through the air. The success of King’s speech is not accidental by any means. King’s speech bears many of the hallmarks of a strong persuasive speech. King used robust figurative language to persuade his audience, to impress upon them the severity of the situation. The fact that king was a preacher also contributed to his speech in many ways. Some of these ways included that King was practiced in the art of persuasion, he carefully chose his language each week for his sermon, and was clearly comfortable delivering a speech after the many hours of practice being a preacher provided. King used figurative language to empower his speech in such as way that the audience could see, feel, and hear what King saw, felt, and hear. King provided vivid imagery, one aspect that Lucas …show more content…

In addition to building a strong cadence, it unifies a sequence of ideas, emphasizes an idea by stating it more than once, and helps create a strong emotional effect” (p. 231). In this case, King’s repeated use of “I have a dream” resulted in all of the above, especially the strong emotional effect. Martin Luther King used the repetition of “I have a dream” several times in his speech, including these times: 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 of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of

Show More
Related

  • Rhetorical Analysis Of Letter From Birmingham Jail By Martin Luther King Jr

    543 Words  | 3 Pages

    Another way he is expressing what he thinks is right is by using charged language or arose emotions, called pathos. King uses a very great amount of pathos to catch people's attention. “We can never be satisfied as long as our bodies, heavy with the fatigue of the travel, cannot gain lodging in motels of the highways and the hotels of the cities.” (King 263) fKing is getting the attention of his audience by giving his opinion and the making an emotional argument towards his

    Read More

  • Patrick Henry Ethos

    1514 Words  | 7 Pages

    Speeches Essay The major ideal held by both Martin Luther King Jr in I Have A Dream and Patrick Henry in Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death is freedom. Both spurred the on looking crowd to righteous applause. The significance of the speeches is exceedingly helped by their use of the rhetoric elements pathos, ethos, logos and the techniques repetition, anaphora, allusion, synecdoche, rhetorical questions and rhetoric. Pathos is the quality of an actual life experience. It can be helped along by the delivery of the speech and the emotional state of the audience.

    Read More

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

    551 Words  | 3 Pages

    Martin luther king wrote, “I have a dream” Which is the most compelling. This speech has a wide variety of rhetorical devices. The central idea of i have a dream it to persuade everyone to work together and be friends. In the speech “I have a dream” Martin luther king says, “The emancipation proclamation said that everyone is going to be equal, which is not true”

    Read More

  • Rhetorical Strategies In Martin Luther King's I Have A Dream Speech

    1212 Words  | 5 Pages

    Taking place on August 28, 1963, Martin Luther King Jr wrote one of the most rhetorically inspirational speeches that ever came upon us. “I Have a Dream Speech,” Dr. Martin Luther King Jr wrote this speech to the “March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom”. This speech was written and presented only by Martin Luther King Jr. As a civil rights modernizer, he dedicated his speech to not only black Americans but to all Americans therefore he could encourage the idea of equality.

    Read More

  • Rhetorical Devices In Martin Luther King's Speech

    356 Words  | 2 Pages

    In Martin Luther King JR’s speech ‘I Have A Dream’, he uses many different rhetorical devices to enhance the effectiveness of his speech. One rhetorical devices he uses a lot throughout his speech is repetition. By using repetition, he leaves the audience remembering the phrases he repeated adding to the power of his speech. What made the way he used repetition so powerful is that the phrases he repeated were a summary of the main points he was trying to make. This is significant in his persuasion power because if all the audience member walked away with was all the phrases he repeated throughout his speech they would have the message he was trying to give.

    Read More

  • Why Is Martin Luther King I Have A Dream Speech Effective

    1016 Words  | 5 Pages

    Luther King's I Have a Dream Speech). King described his dreams of freedom and equality arising from a land of slavery and hatred. King was able to. join Jefferson and Lincoln ranks of men who've shaped modern America with a single phrase. 50 years after the March on Washington we recognized that King was able to reshape the economic landscape for Black Americans.

    Read More

  • I Have A Dream Speech Rhetorical Analysis

    1037 Words  | 5 Pages

    Martin Luther King’s 1963 " I Have A Dream" speech was made after the March on Washington on August 28, 1963. This discourse is known as a standout amongst the most compelling bits of rhetoric in current history. This is one of the greatest speeches because it has many elements like repetition, assonance and consonance, pathos, logos, and ethos. As a pastor, his skills with public speaking were above par.

    Read More

  • Similarities Between Martin Luther King Jr And Malcolm X

    214 Words  | 1 Pages

    Both Martin Luther King Jr and Malcolm X used their speeches to advocate the rights of black people. Martin luther king Jr used a peaceful way to advocate for black rights without using violence, while Malcolm X believed that black people should stand up and fight back. Both civil right activist had two different ideas to approach the situation. The famous speech “I have a dream” by Martin Luther King Jr was more effective than the speech of Malcolm X in Los Angeles, due to a number of reasons, Martin Luther King Jr used assonance and Alliteration to make his speech sound poetic and Martin Luther King Jr. was very calm when he said the speech and that made his speech sound very hopeful.

    Read More

  • Rhetorical Analysis Of I Have A Dream Speech

    904 Words  | 4 Pages

    By using these rhetorical devices, King successfully inspired emotion in his audience and gave them hope for a possible bright future. We can see that Martine Luther King use several rhetorical devices within the speech to grab attention of the people who were engaged with the unjust oppression. First of all, in the beginning of his speech, he made a connection alluded to Lincoln’s speech ‘‘Five score years ago…’’ (Line 2.1, page1) this line referred to the Gettysburg Address, presenting by the United States president. King used it to enhance credibility primarily because of Lincoln’s high position related with civil rights.

    Read More

  • I Have A Dream Rhetorical Analysis

    457 Words  | 2 Pages

    Martin Luther King, Jr. was not only a preacher, but a Civil rights leader who fought for justice. In 1963, Martin Luther King, Jr. gave a speech in Washington D.C. titled, “I Have A Dream.” The central idea of his “I Have A Dream” speech was that even though the American government may have flaws, people should still fight for the rights which they were guaranteed by the American Government. Throughout the speech, Martin Luther King, Jr. used several literary and rhetorical devices such as repetition, allusions, and emotional appeal to convey his central idea.

    Read More

  • Martin Luther King's The March On Washington

    269 Words  | 2 Pages

    Martin Luther King was an African-American minister who led the Civil Rights Movement and fought against Jim Crow Laws. He was an excellent speaker who led one of the greatest demonstrations in the country called “ The March on Washington.” “ I Have a Dream” is one of his most famous speeches because of its style and structure. King used metaphors in his speech to sound more credible and to sound more convincing. One metaphor that King used was “transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood”.

    Read More

  • John Lewis 'A Rhetorical Analysis Of The Book' March

    1458 Words  | 6 Pages

    There was not any room for patience, only for change. Another captivating speaker is reputable Martin Luther King whom enticed a mass public with influential persuasive language. The iconic “I Have a Dream Speech” delivered at the March on Washington—same march John Lewis presented his speech—utilized a somewhat different approach. King’s speech depicted the life that was yearned for by so many.

    Read More

  • Use Of Rhetorical Devices In I Have A Dream Speech

    794 Words  | 4 Pages

    used allusion, metaphors, and repetitions in his speech to try to convince Americans to open up their door of selfishness and welcome change. Dr. King used metaphor to let people better understand things that they don’t necessarily know. KIng also used allusions to show people his ideas compared to theirs, and to make people remember certain things that those people said that goes against what the audience is doing. Finally, Dr. King used repetitions to show people something that is really important, and to remind them about things in the past that should be remembered. In the end, Martin Luther King Jr. “I have a dream” speech used many rhetorical devices to try to convince people to change their ways, open the doors of selfishness, and invite change.

    Read More

  • Rhetorical Elements Of Mlk's I Have A Dream Speech

    976 Words  | 4 Pages

    “I Have A Dream” “I Have A Dream”, a quote that many Americans hold dear to their hearts and a quote that is remembered and is associated with an unforgettable movement in history of the Untied States of America. From 1954-1968 one of the most memorable movements in history took place and will not be forgotten is the civil rights movement. Martin Luther King Jr. is one of the many greats remembered and recognized in the movement for being an influential leader of his time. Having given over 2000 speeches, MLK(Martin Luther King) has one particular speech that stands out from the many and it is his “I Have A Dream” speech. MLK’s message being about peace, unity, fairness and freedom for and to all people shines through in this speech.

    Read More

  • Compare And Contrast I Have A Dream And Martin Luther King Jr.

    719 Words  | 3 Pages

    Martin Luther King’s speech, “I Have a Dream” is vastly recognized as one of the best speeches ever given. His passionate demand for racial justice and an integrated society became popular throughout the Black community. His words proved to give the nation a new vocabulary to express what was happening to them. Martin was famously a pacifist, so in his speech, he advocated peaceful protesting and passively fighting against racial segregation.

    Read More

More about Figurative Language In Martin Luther King Jr.'s I Have A Dream Speech

Open Document