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. He adopts an emotional tone in order to appeal to the vast audience.
Martin Luther King, Jr. was born in Atlanta, Georgia on January 15, 1929. At the age of 25, King earned a sociology degree and completed his Ph.D (A&E Networks Television). King’s charismatic and strong attitude helped him become a successful minister and the most famous civil-rights activists. On the day of August 28, 1963, Martin Luther King, Jr. gave his inspirational speech, I Have a Dream. Approximately 200,000 people gathered in front of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C. to watch King personally. An additional million listened on the radio and watched on television (Phibbs). In his speech, King spoke about the injustices of segregation and discrimination taking place in the nation toward African Americans. Speaking out for freedom,
In 1963 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. protested the racial segregation in Birmingham and got arrested. While he was in jail he read a newspaper and 8 white clergymen stated their opinion of him. That inspired his Letter From Birmingham Jail. After he got out he continued to protest and he wrote his I Have a Dream Speech. He spoke in front of about 10,000 people in Washington DC. in 1963. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. spoke his I Have a Dream Speech to try and grab the attention to anyone willing to listen. He did that to try and get the rights that the African American people deserve but don’t get. He also wrote his Letter From Birmingham Jail on April 6, 1963 to 8 white clergymen to reply to what they said about him for protesting racial segregation. They said that what he was doing was “unwise and untimely.” Both of the pieces writing had logos which is a logical appeal and pathos which is emotional appeal. In this essay I will compare the two pieces of writing that Martin Luther King Jr. wrote and how he used logos and pathos in both pieces.
Martin Luther King Jr, a remarkable American activist, has made his way into the hearts of thousands of individuals. Dr.King is widely known for his earth shattering “I have a dream” speech that he delivered over 40 years ago, in 1963. The speech made its first appearance during the March On Washington, one of the largest political rallies in American history that tackled various issues regarding civil rights for African Americans. Dr. King uses numerous persuasion techniques within his speech to enthrall his audience within his will to change the devastating realities African Americans must survive through.
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. King’s dialect showed the audience civil right issues, involving many rhetorical strategies using ethos, logos, and pathos, to a racially tempered crowd whom he viewed as different, but not equal.
He changes his tone from passive to passionate. He does this when he writes, "It was a step that rocked the richest, most powerful nation to its foundations" (King 96-97). It also uses a bit of strong imagery. He expresses that the first step toward equality as the earth moving and nations running with fear. The audience felt empowered by the sentence alone. Another rhetorical device is the common ground he establishes in his last sentence where he writes, "This is the story of Why We Can't Wait" (King 98-99). He uses the word 'We', connecting with the audience and ensuring them that together they will bring change to social conditions and attitudes. The third section is King's call for change.
A momentous day in history is exalted by the enthralling speech and resonating imagery of a man whom wanted to make a difference. Just over 100 years after the Emancipation Proclamation was implemented, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered a very riveting speech to over 250,000 Americans during the March on Washington, the nation’s largest demonstration of peaceful protest. With peace typically comes logic of which King very much emanated from his speech. With powerful rhetoric, King captivated an entire crowd and subsequently the entire nation with emphasizing while being freed from the travesty that was slavery people of color are still placed in chains by society’s gruesome yet commonplace demarcations. Deluged with remarkable linguistics, King’s rhetoric wholly epiphanized and unified a country that had been stricken with unrest by war and hate and thus became the epitome of the March on Washington and the summation of the Civil Rights Movement
“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. The effects of MLK’s dreams are still relevant today in America, as well as his hope and vision for the United States and its citizens.
"I have a dream" by Martin Luther King is one of the most well-known speeches that radically changed the landscape of the Civil Rights Movement due to the impact it had on the listeners in attendance as well as the articulate and fluent language. It was on the date August 28th, 1963 that Martin Luther King proudly presented his unforgettable speech in front of over 200,000 people assembled around the Lincoln Memorial during the March on Washington. To many African Americans in the 1960s, his speech was uplifting and encouraging. The factor motivating King to write this speech was that he saw how African Americans were not treated equally even though the Declaration of Independence stated that "all men are created equal, that they are endowed
Words can change the world in many ways. Many of those ways can really make an impact on a person’s life or mind set. In the speech “I Have A Dream” by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., it proved to solidify the peace and fairness that he aimed to gain in this country by ending segregation between black and white people. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. vividly painted his vision of a better future for people of all colors in America. His words of power and rhetoric had made Dr. King create the emotion of empowerment for his huge audience. The one technique that Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. uses is repetition.
Reputable leaders, such as Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X, played a significant role in raising awareness about the inequality African Americans and others faced, during the Civil Rights Movement. King is most well known as a skilled orator who encouraged nonviolence as a means to end racism. Malcolm X, on the other hand, was a strong advocate for an immediate end to racism and believed it should be ended by any means necessary. Each leader had a distinct air about him and a unique set of beliefs that set him apart from the other. Although both men wanted to achieve similar goals, their methods were different.
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr is known for his strategy of nonviolent civil disobedience, which he used to advance the civil rights of black Americans who had been treated as second-class citizens for more than a century. King was an American Baptist minister, activist, humanitarian, and leader in the African-American Civil Rights Movement. He was a man that persuaded people worldwide to follow him during the Civil Rights Movement. King was a very passionate, caring man. A great leader that pushed and motivated blacks to achieve equal rights for all. King was able to gain sympathy from people worldwide by using civil disobedience as a strategy. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was an effective leader because he was able to use civil disobedience as
Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr. were both two African American civil rights activists who were very prominent throughout history. They fought for what they believed in but in vastly different ways. Martin Luther King Jr. was born to a middle class family and was well educated. Malcolm X, on the other hand, grew up in a rather hostile environment with barely enough schooling. Both their speeches, “I Have a Dream” and “The Ballot or the Bullet” may have shared some common traits, but at the same time, differed greatly in various aspects.
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.
In 1963, Martin Luther King delivered one of the most influential and impactful speeches in history. King's I Have a Dream speech was consistently powerful assertions of emotional appeals, repetition and paradox.