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What Are The Rhetorical Strategies Used In I Have A Dream Speech

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Rhetorical strategies used in “I Have a Dream” In the Pathos Genre, You use emotional words to get an emotional response from your audience. “I Have a Dream” is a prime example of this. ”I say to you today my friends that in spite of the difficulties and frustrations of the moment I still have a dream” and “we can never be satisfied as long as our children are robbed of their dignity by signs stating for whites only” However, Pathos isn’t the only rhetorical strategy used in this amazing speech.

Analogies compare two things to make an argument. King uses this rhetorical device many times in his speech to let people understand further how oppressed the black community was at the time and in some ways still are. Some quotes that King uses to voice this are, “Now is the time to rise from the dark and desolate valley of segregation to the sunlit path of racial justice.” and “So we have come to cash this check, a check that will give us upon the demand of freedom and the security of justice”. …show more content…

King uses this rhetorical device when bringing up points in his speech. A few examples of King using this device are, “Now is the time to make real promises of democracy. Now is the time to rise from the dark and desolate valley of segregation to the sunlight path of racial justice. Now is the time to lift our nation from the quicksands of racial injustice to the solid rock of brotherhood. Now is the time to make justice a reality for all god’s children” and “With this faith, we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope. With this faith, we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nations into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood. with this faith, we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one

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King wants the audience to remember that segregation is not okay and that in order for things to be different something “ can and will be changed.” King uses repetition to make his audience comprehend and listen to what he has to say. King instructs the audience to “go back” to the states and “go back” to the slums and ghettos of our northern cities, as an example to spark their memory of our history and encourage them to take action. King also uses phrases such as “we can never be satisfied” and “we refuse to believe '' to show how America has wronged its people and must keep its promises in order for trust to be established. King repeated the phrase “now is the time” to show what he thinks America should be built on.

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King’s persuasive prowess in the speech is how he used logical and sensible arguments. A great example is when he states that their children are “stripped of their selfhood and robbed of their dignity” by segregation laws and policies (King). He is alluding to the fact that African American children feel singled out and embarrassed by the fact that they are segregated from the white children. Most parents would never want their children to suffer through that kind of embarrassment, and yet African Americans experience it daily. A second example of King using logic and reasoning is when he states, “But one hundred years later, the Negro is still not free.

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Rhetoric is a form of writing in which the author carefully chooses language that will connect with the audience and convince them of the author’s position. This can involve using the rhetorical triangle (ethos, pathos, logos) or other rhetorical devices, such as figurative language or irony. Rhetoric is used frequently by many public speakers, including one of the most important figures of the Civil Rights Movement – Martin Luther King, Jr. In his “I Have a Dream” speech, King employed various rhetorical devices to connect with his audience and convince them that the country must work towards giving African-American citizens equal rights and opportunities.

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When he does this he shows his wisdom and knowledge of the past. He mentions that Jefferson said “We hold these truths to be self evident, that all men are created equal . . ." and how his people have not received the same god-given rights that the white folk have. A big part of what King talks about is justice, and he uses past court cases in order to show people how he backs up his

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King also uses metaphors to compare the stability of the two sides, being racial injustice and brotherhood, to help the audience and the opposing sides to see his point and see why he is correct. As he states in paragraph four, the quick sand of racial injustice to the solid rock of brotherhood.” Dr. King uses things that everyone knows about, quick sand and rocks, to demonstrate how injustice is a trap and very unstable whereas brotherhood is solid, stable, and safe. Similar to using quick sand and rock, he utilizes darkness and light to also compare discrimination and segregation. In paragraph four Dr. King says, “rise from the dark and desolate valley of segregation to the sunlit path of racial justice.”

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