Rhetorical Devices In I Have A Dream Speech

Mr. Henry, knowing what he stood for, and what he wanted this great nation to be. Saw a way to accomplish his goals and used strong pathos to influence the emotions and opinions of congressmen. Mr. Henry was a very prominent founder of our country and will not soon be

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.

These two remarkable pieces of writing share common themes of rights and Freedom such as injustice, tone, and allusion in America. To begin with, in both Letter from Birmingham and Four freedom dr. King and Roosevelt use similar tones. In Letter from Birmingham jail, Dr. King tone comes off as noble and slightly angry.

Theodore Roosevelt’s speech “National Duties” calls for nationalism and unity, as it says that each individual must work hard and that individuals must work together. Furthermore, it works to motivate our nation by using two ideas – what a nation may leave behind and how a nation should conduct itself. The speech itself, although given while he was Vice President, accurately describes what his actions as president were, whether it be regarding nationalism, personal matters, or foreign diplomacy. His ideology of how a nation should act, seen in the phrase “speaking softly and carrying a big stick” works to motivate many, including our current military, because it focuses on civility backed with power. This idea of leadership style, combined with looking at what Theodore Roosevelt did during his presidency, is very similar to Trump’s way of leading our nation, although they came into office with different political experience.

John Fitzgerald Kennedy, another incredible man, affirmed in his inaugural address that he would do anything to insure “survival and success of liberty” for Americans and it cost him his life (jfklibrary). Beyond his wealth and power, Kennedy was always considerate of the common man. This essay will explain how both Martin Luther King Jr. and John F. Kennedy wanted to end segregation with faith and cooperation, but their ideas of achieving change were different; this essay will also connect their sacrifices, like going to jail or having the will to die, for the sake of the people.

Patrick Henry was born in 1736 and believed that the people should be free from the rule of the English Parliament. For example in the Speech in the Virginia Convention he says, “I ask gentlemen, sir, what means this martial array, if its purpose be not to force us to submission?” His words make it clear that the purpose of the martial law is to force people into submission. He then asks the audience, “Can gentlemen assign any other possible motive for it?” Both quotes are great examples of his skills in voice because he brings up the problem and then challenges them to find any other meaning behind the words.

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.

In a similar light, King addressed the speech ‘I have a dream’ to a peaceful mass gathering in Washington asking for change. The speech deemed racial segregation to be an inhumane practice that subdivides society into groups that essentially alienate them from the true sense of humanity; which is brotherhood. King argues that all people are created equal and directly challenged the outdated and abhorrent views that upheld the false flag of racial superiority among White Americans. Luther’s speech was a passionate rhetoric that preached his views about the future. Furthermore his speech did not

King repeatedly uses the phrase “when you” –eleven times approximately- in order to resonate with his critics the importance of action in bringing segregation to an end and allowing justice for all people of color. Each time he uses the statement “when you”, his argument builds up with greater fervor and passion giving him greater persuasive power over his audience as the repetition of the phrase cause an emotional effect on the readers as they begin to simulate their own experiences with that of what he is citing. Anaphora is also particularly useful in King’s favor as he employs this towards the beginning of the letter, therefore by repeating the phrase “when you” multiple times, it enhances the likelihood that his reader will remember not only what the read but how they felt by the end of the piece. The audience is actively drawn into King’s arguments due to a perception of membership, by being able to anticipate that the next line will repeat what has been said it builds resonance within the audience. King’s usage of anaphora throughout the essay (not just in this one particular quote) serves to effectively strengthen his argument and persuade his readers to abide by the four steps of peaceful protesting for which he is concerned on behalf of the Civil Rights movement.

“In expressing [his own emotions] with such powerful eloquence, in connecting strongly with the emotions of his listeners, and in convincing them to empathize with others, Dr. King demonstrated emotional intelligence decades before the concept had a name”(“Dr. Martin”). He demanded to end racism throughout the entire United States. King utilized repetition, metaphors, diction and rhetorical devices, that provokes ethos and pathos, throughout his speech in order to connect with his audience as well as to motivate them to stand up and fight for their freedom they well-deserve. One of the most used literary elements throughout Martin Luther King’s speech are diction, which leads to rhetorical devices such as, ethos, logos, and pathos.

King’s use of pathos helps him to advances his ideas. King is able to pull to his audience’s hearts by referring to the people who fight for desegregation as heroes. He states how these heroes “will be the James Merediths… old, oppressed, battered Negro women… young high school and college students, young ministers and… their elders” (King 4). King reminds his audience that there are many heroes in the world, and the heroes who fight for segregation will be young and old. King tells his audience they can be heroes, further developing King’s view of a socially free America.

Malcolm X’s use of such radical ideas and solutions to the civil rights problems of his day, and MLK’s use of historical examples they captivate their audience and through logos and convince them of their views. Malcolm X completely shatters his listeners’ beliefs, using a roundabout form of rhetoric: he uses harsh language that seems to degrade his audience, while, at the same time, he increases their self-confidence subconsciously through their emotions and through logos builds in their minds the necessity to fight for equality. MLK uses analogies and enthymeme to relate to his audience the importance of equality in order to construct logos in the mind of his audience and convince them of the logic behind back equality. Through the use of appropriate elements of logos, MLK and Malcolm X appeal to logos to make an effective

“... that all men will be guaranteed the “unalienable rights…” This is a quote known from the declaration of independence; “of Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” This document meant to be for all of the people (white or black), but of course it came down to only half of the people (white people). MLK Jr. was a leader, willing to help fight for everybody’s rights (white or black). A conflict occurred, that eventually America solved.

Let Freedom Ring Martin L. King Junior’s speech “I Have A Dream” was presented August 28, 1963 in Washington D.C. The speech references how African Americans were still not treated fairly. During his speech Mr. King stated “ But one hundred years later, we must face the tragic fact that the Negro is still not free.” This proves, Dr. King’s main point was to gain independence for the colored citizens of America. He mentions his goal is to form the country into a solid rock of brotherhood.

Martin Luther King Martin Luther King’s rhetoric speech “I Have a Dream” given in 1693, March on Washington, has noticeable different rhetorical devices that set this speech apart. Devices that Martin Luther King used to become the voice of thousands of people, making his beliefs immortal throughout the years. As for today, society embraces his ideas and he is, until now, the voice of those who could not stand up for themselves. He has such a good way to convert what he sees and believes into words that will later share a message to the word.