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Allusion In I Have A Dream Speech

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On August 28, 1963, two hundred and fifty thousand Americans assembled at the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, to witness Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. present one of the most iconic speeches recognized in American history. In his “I Have a Dream” speech, King requested Black Americans receive their “unalienable rights of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness”, during a time of our Nation’s civil unrest. With a plea of biblical proportions, Dr. King called Americans to “let his people go” from their enslavement through segregation and discrimination; similar to the Bible’s Moses, he paints a picture of his people “languished in the corner of American society.” King’s clever use of biblical allusions, bible verses and biblical language reinforced his moral and emotional appeals that still captivate Americans today. “Now is the time to lift our nation from the quicksands of racial injustice to the solid rock of brotherhood”, is a perfect example of a King’s use of biblical allusion. Dr. King used Jesus’ …show more content…

King’s dream never became fully realized by him, but his “children” do live in a nation that upholds the creed: “We hold these truths to be self-evident that all men are created equal.” A popular quote: “Darkness cannot drive out darkness only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate only love can do that”, sum up his dream and hope for America. His words were always biblical, moral and moving. His charismatic-charm propelled others to stand in union. After his speech, King continued to promote peaceful resolutions to the injustice of blacks, and his love gained unlikely friends and supporters. Sadly, hate won, April 4, 1968, King was assassinated at the age of thirty-nine outside his hotel in Memphis, Tennessee. Without establishing himself as a philanthropic, morally conscience and Godly man, Dr. King wouldn’t have been as successful in creating a speech that will forever be associated with an important time in American

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