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I Had A Dream Rhetorical Essay

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American Baptist minister and activist, Martin Luther King Jr., in his famous speech, “I Had a Dream”, highlights the broken and separated state that encompasses our country at that time in history. (Kirk) King’s intentions were to instill hope in his audience, including the African Americans, fighting for freedom from oppression. He portrays an inspiration filled tone, through multiple rhetorical devices, which motivates his audience to persevere in the tough battle against discrimination and segregation.
Martin Luther King starts his speech, by approaching the subject of the disarray in our country. He compares the ideal rights everyone is granted and should possess, to what dosage of equality is actually paid forward. He explains that the …show more content…

One of the strongest quotes he alludes to is “let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream”. This is used to convey that once we achieve justice it will be easier to maintain “the flow” because of the natural power behind it. The appeal of the equality being easy as a natural force, evokes support behind the idea of equality for all. King also uses this allusion to carve reactions derived from the mythos technique. The context of the influential statement from the bible represents a prophetic outlook of the sacrifices which is established by justice and fairness. This ultimately uses the virtues of the audience against them, by referencing religion, to admit the wrong doing that is taking part in our country. (White) Martin Luther King ends his speech on a strong, empowering note, by utilizes the rhetorical device of repetition in the last two paragraphs of his speech. King emphasizes “I have a dream” to imprint the effect of pathos. He relates and connects to the crowd by offering a personal addition to his overall focus of the speech. This then addition derives power from the current situation of the public fighting for a right we technically we already won. By using “I had a dream”, this appeals to the African American viewers’ confidence, which continues the respectful and noble fight for their

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