I Have A Dream Allusion Essay
References and Allusions to the Bible and Religious Texts in I Have a Dream
On August 28, 1963, many gathered for a political rally in Washington, DC. Known as the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, more than 200,000 people would assemble to hear various prayers, songs, and speeches, delivered by various politicians, entertainers, and civil rights leaders, including Martin Luther King Jr. In his famous I Have a Dream address, King frequently borrows from the bible and religious hymns, using religious text and biblical imagery to appeal to his audience, create a sense of unity, and to inspire hope and determination in his audience. King uses biblical text and allusion to appeal to the Christian subset of his audience. In the speech, he assures his audience that it is the right time for action, telling them to “rise from the dark and desolate valley of segregation to the sunlit path of racial justice,” and to “lift [their] nation from the quicksands of racial injustice to the solid rock of brotherhood,” (King). Here he references Isaiah 7:19, Psalm 40:2, and Matthew 7:24. He appeals to the Christian members of the audience by using these more subtle references that they would understand, including them in the scope of groups he speaks to. In using quieter biblical references King reaches out to Christian members of his audience that are experiencing the hardships of racism by showing them …show more content…
He also persuades listeners to work towards his goal of fighting against racial injustice. King is able to interest many different subsets of his audience, inspire feelings of harmony between separate groups, as well as encourage people to continue enduring hardships to reach equality. His aptitude for doing these things would lead to the passionate cry for an end to racial injustice becoming one of the most famous moments of the Civil Rights
On August 28, 1963, many gathered for a political rally in Washington, DC. Known as the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, more than 200,000 people would assemble to hear various prayers, songs, and speeches, delivered by various politicians, entertainers, and civil rights leaders, including Martin Luther King Jr. In his famous I Have a Dream address, King frequently borrows from the bible and religious hymns, using religious text and biblical imagery to appeal to his audience, create a sense of unity, and to inspire hope and determination in his audience. King uses biblical text and allusion to appeal to the Christian subset of his audience. In the speech, he assures his audience that it is the right time for action, telling them to “rise from the dark and desolate valley of segregation to the sunlit path of racial justice,” and to “lift [their] nation from the quicksands of racial injustice to the solid rock of brotherhood,” (King). Here he references Isaiah 7:19, Psalm 40:2, and Matthew 7:24. He appeals to the Christian members of the audience by using these more subtle references that they would understand, including them in the scope of groups he speaks to. In using quieter biblical references King reaches out to Christian members of his audience that are experiencing the hardships of racism by showing them …show more content…
He also persuades listeners to work towards his goal of fighting against racial injustice. King is able to interest many different subsets of his audience, inspire feelings of harmony between separate groups, as well as encourage people to continue enduring hardships to reach equality. His aptitude for doing these things would lead to the passionate cry for an end to racial injustice becoming one of the most famous moments of the Civil Rights