ipl-logo

Martin Luther King Jr Civil Rights Speech Analysis

1078 Words5 Pages

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was very well known for his huge part in the Civil Rights Movement. One of Dr. King’s most known part in the Civil Rights Movement was the Montgomery Bus Boycott. The Montgomery Bus Boycott was when the people participating in the Civil Right Movement would not take the public bus in protest for the African Americans who had to ride in the back of the bus. Dr. King was a pacifist which means all his protests and marchers were no violent. He grew up in Atlanta, Georgia as a Southern Baptist, and his father was a minister. He went to college at the age of 15 and earned his doctorate hence the name Dr. King. Dr. King was very influenced by Mahatma Gandhi. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. would participate and lead marches, strikes, boycotts, …show more content…

King. gave his “I Have A Dream” speech on August 28, 1963 there was about 300,000 people attending the march. In Dr. King 's speech he used many literary elements like similes, metaphors, and allusions.
In Dr. King 's “I Have A Dream” speech there is more than just a Civil Rights speech. In the speech there are many types of literary elements like similes and metaphors. A simile is a comparison between two things using like or as and a metaphor is a comparison between two things which is not literally possible. Dr. King used similes and metaphors to make literal and nonliteral comparisons between things. These similes and metaphors help by encouraging or give hope to African Americans. An example of a simile in Dr. King 's “I Have A Dream” speech is “ This momentous decree came as a great beacon of light of hope to millions of Negro”. That simile refers to when Abe Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation that gave hope to all African Americans because the Emancipation Proclamation was what abolished slavery in the United States. Another example of a simile in Dr. King 's “I Have A Dream” speech is “ We will not be

Show More
Related

  • Compare And Contrast Martin Luther King And Malcolm X

    1692 Words  | 7 Pages

    The leadership style of Martin Luther King Jr. earned him to be recognized as the face of the Civil Rights movement. Therefore, Malcolm X should have changed his leadership style to work with Martin Luther King Jr. because his way of fighting for civil rights was strategically thought out and ultimately effective. Martin Luther King Jr. was an American Baptist minister and activist who became the most visible spokesperson and leader in the Civil Rights movement. He was born in Atlanta, Georgia to Reverend Martin Luther King Sr. and Alberta Williams King. Martin Luther King Jr. came from a line of pastors in his family, and from the beginning, he was on his way to becoming one himself (Martin Luther King Jr.).

    Read More

  • Annotated Bibliography: I Have A Dream By Martin Luther King Jr.

    766 Words  | 4 Pages

    Marisol Jaslyn Pena Professor Caleb Camacho English 1302 February 15, 2017 Annotated bibliography Argument: The next future generation must be persuaded to stand up for what they believe in and not be too scared to make a change in the world. They need to leave their mark in the world.

    Read More

  • Compare And Contrast Transcendentalism And Martin Luther King

    565 Words  | 3 Pages

    His father was a Baptist minister, as was his grandfather, and Martin Luther grew up to be the third minister in the family. He was a bright and intelligent young man, being the valedictorian in his high school class, attending college, and earning a doctorate degree. Of course, Martin experienced racial segregation throughout his lifetime, which led him to become involved in the civil rights movement. Influenced by Gandhi’s actions in India, he led many peaceful protests, such as the Montgomery Bus Boycott, in hopes of ending segregation. Martin Luther King believed in racial and ethical equality, nonviolent protests, and love and peace.

    Read More

  • Similarities Between I Have A Dream And Martin Luther King

    835 Words  | 4 Pages

    King 's “I Have A Dream” speech is arguably one of the most famous speeches in American history. It’s popularity and influence would mostly be attributed to Kings excellent use of pathos throughout the speech. Although both logos and pathos can be found in “I Have A Dream”, the lines containing pathos are much more poignant. For example, possibly the most famous line from Dr. King 's speech 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." (King 263).

    Read More

  • The Rhetorical Analysis Of Martin Luther King's Speech

    946 Words  | 4 Pages

    Martin Luther King Jr., a minister and social activist, led the Civil Rights Movement in the United States from the mid-1950s until his death by assassination in 1968. He was an advocate for equality between all races and a civil and economic rights Activist. Because of his leadership, bravery and sacrifice to make the world a better place, Martin Luther King was awarded with the Nobel Peace Prize. His incredible public speaking skills and ability to properly get his message across can clearly be scene throughout the speech. Tone: Dr. King delivered his speech at the university of Oslo in Oslo Norway in front of a large group of people.

    Read More

  • Logos In Dr. King's I Have A Dream By Martin Luther King

    853 Words  | 4 Pages

    The “I Have a Dream” speech is well known throughout history to be one of the most famous speeches to be on the subject of civil rights. Throughout the entirety of “I Have a Dream”, Dr. King uses pathos more than logos. “We can never be satisfied as long as the Negro is 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.”

    Read More

  • Rhetorical Analysis Of I Have A Dream Speech

    914 Words  | 4 Pages

    Martin Luther King, Jr. was an extremely impactful activist during the Civil Rights Movement that gave over 2,500 speeches in his lifetime. Of these speeches, his most popular is his famous I Have a Dream speech that he gave on August 28, 1963 in Washington, D.C. during the March on Washington. Even famous speakers like Martin Luther King, Jr. use persuasive techniques to appeal to the different sides of their audiences. In order to appeal to his predominately African American audience, Martin Luther King, Jr. makes reference to Abraham Lincoln and his granting freedom to slaves by signing the Emancipation Proclamation.

    Read More

  • I Have A Dream Speech Rhetorical Essay

    804 Words  | 4 Pages

    On August 28th, 1963, Martin Luther King Jr gave us one of one of the most rhetorically moving speeches ever given. Titled as the “I Have a Dream Speech,” he read this speech to the “March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom”. As a civil right mover he gave this great speech to all Americans (black and white) so that he could give off the idea of equality on the same level. Because of his crowd of mix races King made sure to make his speech imploring to all no matter what the race that they may be. He uses metaphorical imagery, powerful diction,and symbolism to create an impact on the audience.

    Read More

  • Analysis Of Martin Luther King Letter From Birmingham Jail

    1522 Words  | 7 Pages

    A Letter From Birmingham Jail Martin Luther King Jr. is a name that will never be forgotten, and that will go down in the books for all of time. He was foremost a civil rights activist throughout the 1950s and 1960s. during his lifetime, which lasted from January of 1929 to April of 1968, Martin Luther King Jr. was an American Baptist minister and a social activist and was known for his non- violent protests. He believed that all people, no matter the color, have a moral responsibility to break unjust laws and to take a direct action rather than waiting forever for justice to come through and finally be resolved. In the Spring of 1963, Martin Luther King Jr. stated in a speech that Birmingham was among one of the most segregated cities in the world.

    Read More

  • Allusions In I Have A Dream

    722 Words  | 3 Pages

    “I Have a Dream” by Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. on August 28, 1963 gave many examples of metaphors and allusions to build his argument. Such as alluding where they are located, comparing the treatment that African Americans were getting to handcuffs and restraints, comparing racial injustice to quick sand, and comparing brotherhood to a solid rock. These examples add support to back up his argument of how terrible the Africans Americans were being treated. Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. uses metaphors and allusions to enhance his speech and make his point clear. To begin Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. uses allusions to tell where they are while he is giving the speech.

    Read More

  • Rhetorical Analysis Of Martin Luther King Jr.'s I Have A Dream Speech

    624 Words  | 3 Pages

    Martin Luther King Jr. was a leader in the African American Civil Rights movement in the 1960s, he was known for his nonviolent movements and methods of protesting. This involved many African American citizens to take verbal and physical abuse from the police and not being able to do anything about it. He used his words to inspire the nation into taking action, instead of promoting violence. Dr. King gave his “I Have a Dream” speech in front of thousands of United States citizen from all different backgrounds at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington. Kings uses ethos to point out why segregation was unjust and to justify why African Americans deserves the same rights as the white citizens of the United States.

    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

  • Malcolm X Leadership Style

    1690 Words  | 7 Pages

    He grew up with a deeply rooted determination to obtain equal rights for all American citizens. He led many protests and gave extremely motivating speeches that eventually made him the most known Civil Rights leader. “Martin Luther King Jr. emerged as the head of a movement for justice and equality that branched out from Montgomery and swept through the south” (ramsees7). This established the success in his accomplishments within the marches

    Read More

  • Martin Luther King's Speech Summary

    261 Words  | 2 Pages

    In Martin Luther King’s famous speech, King argued for freedom of African Americans by using metaphors to illustrate the serious effects and tolerance of discrimination in society. To motivate the public to take action, King created a scenario on how the Africans were treated amongst their white peers. “ the negro lives on a lonely island of poverty in the midst of a vast ocean of material prosperity” Moreover, King used a metaphor to highlight the ignorance of African Americans by representing their isolation as an “island of poverty”. In addition, he represented the white people’s capability of wealth in the perspective of an African American as being “in the midst of a vast ocean of material prosperity”. In other words, the effects of

    Read More

  • Purpose Of Martin Luther King's I Have A Dream Speech

    995 Words  | 4 Pages

    Martin Luther King 's uses various literary devices such as metaphors, personification, similes, and imagery in his speech so that his audience would be able to better understand and visual what he is saying. An example of a metaphor in King 's speech is when he compares the deprivation of African American rights with "a bad check that has come back from the bank of injustice marked with insufficient funds". He states that we must cash a check that will give us the riches of freedom and security of justice. This metaphor is referring to the freedom and rights that African American 's deserve and are promised but are not given. An example of personification in his speech is "Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred.

    Read More

More about Martin Luther King Jr Civil Rights Speech Analysis

Open Document