A Rhetorical Analysis Of Martin Luther King's Speech

Zachary Blair
Honors English 11
Mrs. Tarnowski
24 January 2014
Martin Luther King Speech Analysis Dr. Martin Luther King Junior’s famous “I Have a Dream” speech which, he spoke to thousands of civil rights supporters has left a permanent mark in our country’s history. This unforgettable speech to improve life for African-Americans was incredibly effective. Through the use of metaphors, ethos, pathos, and non-verbals Martin Luther King made his speech reach the hearts of all his listeners. Martin Luther King used several metaphors in his speech to compare the lives of African-Americans to many other things. My first example is when he said “This momentous decree came as a great beacon light of hope to millions of Negro slaves who had been seared in the flames of withering injustice. It came as a joyous daybreak to end the long night of their captivity.” Just in these two lines alone King uses three metaphors. The first is when he compares the sense of hope slaves got when President Lincoln gave the Emancipation Proclamation to a beacon light. For the slaves, that speech filled them with hope that their lives would improve. The next metaphor he uses “Negro slaves who had been seared in the flames of withering injustice” means that the lives of black slaves were very hard because their country at that time did not grant them
freedom. The third metaphor compares the end of slavery to a “daybreak to end the long night” because the Emancipation Proclamation did just that. It ended slavery and gave everyone in the union freedom. Another metaphor king used is “the Negro lives on a lonely island of poverty in the midst of a vast ocean of material prosperity.” This line of Martin Luther King’s speech at this time was very true. African-Americans were poor and had to be separated from whites which excluded them from having good jobs, going to nice schools, or living in decent areas. Martin Luther King was also able to use ethos and pathos in this speech as well. He used ethos because he was one of the most important leaders of the Civil Rights Movement. Many saw him as the figurehead of this movement. King also used pathos several times in his speech. My first example of this would be when he says “Go back to Mississippi, go back to Alabama, go back to South Carolina, go back to Georgia, go back to Louisiana, go back to the slums and ghettos of our northern cities, knowing that somehow this situation can and will be changed.” He lists the states and areas of where many of his listeners and civil rights activists are from which really hits them emotionally because that is their home. Another instance of pathos would be when King states “I have a dream that one day… little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers.” This really hits a person at an emotional level because he is speaking of his hopes that one day children can love each other as family and be equal. Dr.
King also used several-verbals effectively which aided his speech. While speaking he had great posture and eye contact. King always was standing up straight and looking at the crowd. The tone of his voice throughout the speech also made it very effective. During the speech he would speak with great excitement and raise his voice, not to the point of yelling but enough to awaken and motivate his listeners. Martin Luther King’s gestures throughout the speech also helped him convey his message. He would move his hands and arms outward and with the combination of the gestures and tone of his voice he was able to excite the
crowd. Martin Luther King’s unforgettable “I Had a Dream” speech will always be one of the most important speeches in America’s history. By using metaphors, ethos, pathos, and non-verbals Dr. King made his speech very effective to his listeners then and now. This speech will always be one of the great symbols of the Civil Rights Movement because of how effective it truly was.