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Analysis of martin luther king jr speech i have a dream
Analysis of martin luther king jr speech i have a dream
Martin luther king "i had a dream speech" analysis
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King’s “I have a dream” speech was delivered on August 28, 1963. He speaks against injustice towards the African Americans in America. He argues against the unfair treatment being given to the Negro community. Thousands of black and white Americans were present at the Lincoln Memorial where he delivered the great speech. King’s focus was on equality and non-discrimination in the nation. King stood as a mentor for the African Americans and encouraged the Negro community. King opens up by recognizing those joining him in the quest for the greatest freedom. He states that the emancipation proclamation brought forth light of hope to millions of Negro slaves who had been seared in the flames of withering injustice. He expressed how good it was to feel to end the captivity of the Negros but seems after a long period of time, they are still not free from bondage. He follows up using a phrase “we have come to our nation’s capital to cash a check”. He means that the past historical documents served as the bank which is supposedly to be cashed by everyone, all Americans to be precise both black and white. He throws more light in when he mentioned that the Declaration of Independence by Jefferson paved way for the inalienable rights of life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness in which all Americans are to enjoy but has been limited; African Americans are not given these rights to enjoy which brought about segregation. He laments on the state of the Negro community which ought to have been freed about one hundred years ago. He particularly uses the historical document which became of America’s freedom today to talk to the Americans and indirectly asking why freedom was not granted to the blacks. King approaches his speech with a fair and non... ... middle of paper ... ...rd, they will be able to transform a discord nation to a symphony of brotherhood”. He means that with Faith being applied, collectively, they would change the nation for the better and for good. Another example of logos is when ‘When America compared Negros to a bad check’. He furthers explain that when the Americans defaulted in giving the blacks freedom and rights. Martin Luther King changes everything around after delivering this great speech. He makes it clear to the African Americans that there is still hope and all Faith is not lost. He rebuked the ills of the American nation and and stood for Justice and equality amongst all. King uses a lot of effect in his speech. He uses Anaphora which is the continuous repetition of words. Examples of instances: “I have a Dream”, he uses that phrase more in his speech. He also uses the word “Now” and “We” in his speech.
King proceeds to the latter part of his speech by declaring the need for peaceful resistance. His analogies of man “carving highways of death in the stratosphere” (3) and how non peaceful defiance will contribute to “a civilization plunged into the abyss of annihilation” (3) soundly depicts his ideals of how African Americans should reach true freedom and equality only through pacifism. He mandates this passiveness in order to bring about change insightfully because his goal is not to wage war against their oppressors but to defeat the evil sentiment held by the nation. King’s remarkable aptitude and brilliant intuition in his dialogue enables the reader to appreciate and concede to his ideals.
On August 28, 1963, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. gave the historical I Have a Dream speech on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C for the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. With an audience of about 250,00 people from all racial backgrounds, Dr. King addressed discrimination, prejudice and police brutality against African Americans, and his hopes and dreams of freedom for all people in the United States. Dr. King needed to have a dream because of the mistreatment African
On August 28th, 1963, at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C, Martin Luther King Jr., spoke to roughly twenty-five thousands people attending the March on Washington for jobs and freedom. In Dr. King’s speech, “I Had a Dream”, he uses rhetorical devices to convey that all people are created equal and to educate the importance of the Civil Rights Movement.
In addressing and confronting the problem of injustices among the black Americans in the American society, particularly the violence that had happened in Birmingham, and generally, the inequality and racial prejudice happening in his American society, King argues his position by using both moral, social, and political references and logic for his arguments to be considered valid and agreeable.
He shows a lot of authority in the way he writes and speaks. King is trying to show everyone that he is well-educated and well-cultured. He shows strong leadership and well guidance to his fellow followers. “Some have asked, ‘Why didn’t you give the new administration time to act?’ The only answer that I can give inquiry is that new administration must be prodded about as much as the ongoing one before it acts. We will be sadly mistaken if we fed that election of Mr. Boutwell will bring the millennium to Birmingham.” (King 2) As King says “we will sadly be mistaken” he clarifies that he is speaking for all his followers and believers (King 2). King speaks on behave of his follow friends, group members, and believers. Also when King says, “The only answer that I can give inquiry is…” he shows hegemony because he is saying I. By him saying I can give inquiry, it shows that he does know what he is taking about and how he is well aware of the situation. Therefore, he can be trusted by others. “We know through painful experience that freedom is never voluntary given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed.” (King 2). In this statement, King allows us to understand and visualize the way it was for him and all African Americans. King takes matters into his own hands and deliberates the real way of life for them. He explains how most felt and how most had to gain respect for themselves. He explains that they have
...cism to the world and racial equality. Nearly 250,000 people gathered to listen to King's speech, who came from almost all the states in the U.S. The speech happened at the Lincoln memorial in Washington D.C. King prepared his speech until August 28, 1963. His speech had one part in it that was the most famous from the rest of the speech, the last part of the speech, "I Have a Dream". He stopped reading his written speech that he had on paper, and began his "I Have a Dream" speech that he used sometimes before during different speeches. One of the famous parts of his speeches were when he said " I have a dream that my four children will one day live in a nation not judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character." When his speech was over, he affected many people's lives, his speech started the racial equality he hoped for after he was done
King draws on three credible authorities for his speech: Abraham lincoln, the US Declaration and the bible. He begins by referring to abraham lincoln and his statue, before which he delivered the address. He alludes to the Emancipation Proclamation, Lincoln´s declaration that the slaves in the south were free, to establish the rights of blacks in America. He then quotes from the Declaration's assertion of ¨the inalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness¨.For what reason?Through multiple references to biblical passages, Christian hymns,and god, King builds his credibility by incorporating commonly held religious beliefs into his speech
Dr. King was a very intelligent man and is showed throughout his writing. A strategy he used is metaphor. In the fourth paragraph he talks about the African American people coming to the capital to cash a check. Dr. King is not talking about a literal check but a check that is no good. The no good check is a symbol of the Emancipation Proclamation being no good in terms of African Americans. It made them feel cheated and it was not fair for then to be guaranteed something and it not be put into effect. Yes slavery was illegal but the way they were being treated was the same. Different water fountains were still in place and many other things. They said thing shad to happen gradually but King denied that and said no.
In the beginning of King’s speech, he referred to the Emancipation Proclamation to say that it gave hope to African Americans, that all slaves will have their freedom just like how it was promised. In “The Declaration of Independence” by Thomas Jefferson, states, “ We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that are endowed by their Creator which certain inalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” (221). By the controversial issue between racism and equality, it was difficult to face the idea that slaves had a voice to stand forward to persist with a social change. Granted, this country was founded on equality and the notion that everyone should have the same opportunities. Unfortunately, as for African-Americans it was rather unjust for all men to be equal. Martin Luther King Jr, took the leading step in wanting to change social racism for equality. Henceforth, The Emancipation Proclamation was issued by president Abraham Lincoln which allowed salves living in states not under the Union to be free. Also, King discussed the Declaration of Independence to further strengthen his claim. For example, in his speech he delivers this quote, “This note was a promise that all men, yes, black men as well as white men, would be
Martin Luther King’s use of allusions to historical documents helps his message of equality hit home for his audience. Most of the allusions were geared more towards the white people that it was towards the blacks because it provided printed evidence from past documents that were written by white males. His first, “Five score years ago, a great American, in whose symbolic shadow we stand today, signed the Emancipation Proclamation” is an allusion to Abraham Lincoln and the Gettysburg Address. His first reference to the Declaration of Independence: “This note was a promise that all men, yes, black men as well as white men would be guaranteed the ‘unalienable rights’ of ‘Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness’.” Another quote King uses from the Declaration of Independence is not quite as publicized, King incidentally slips in, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.” King also makes a few allusions to the Bible; “...
Dr. King’s speech “I Have a Dream” is one of the most famous and important speeches ever given. On August 28, 1963 on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C Dr. King gave his speech to bring freedom to African Americans across the United States. The audience who Dr. King is talking to is the American People. To get the message out Dr. King uses logos, pathos, and ethos, by doing this he captivates an entire nation using just words.
Overall, Martin Luther King Jr. did a fantastic job in presenting a well developed speech to his audience, which helped expedite his dream of ending racial conflicts and bringing people of different race, color, and religion together. MLK’s main purpose was accomplished through his magnificent words that he left behind that day in the speech presentation. The stylistic technique’s helped make a huge impact towards people by making his speech much stronger to show ethics and credibility, emotion towards the audience, and logical reasoning which helped establish his integrity.
Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his “I Have A Dream Speech” very powerfully on August 28, 1963, which would therefore change the lives of African Americans for the better, forever. King delivered the most heart touching speech America has ever heard, and it would change everyone 's lives forever. King uses various ways including ethos and pathos to support this.
Overall, Martin Luther King’s purpose of this speech was to unite African Americans and Caucasians to fight together for the same cause, equal rights for all people no matter the color of their skin. To successfully convey this purpose, King employed several tools of persuasion in his speech. He did indeed present an example of what could qualify as the "greatest demonstration" of arguments for true freedom for all Americans. He employed the techniques of ethos, pathos and logos with such skill that his audience likely was only aware of a single steering man towards a national unity.
King begins his speech by referencing important historical documents such as the Constitution of the United States and the Emancipation Proclamation. This is emphasized when he states, ”Five score years ago, a great American, in whose symbolic shadow we stand today, signed the Emancipation Proclamation...But one hundred years later, the Negro still is not free”. Which shows how even though the Emancipation Proclamation freed the African Americans from slavery, they still are not free because of segregation. He then transitions to the injustice and suffering that the African Americans face. He makes this