I Have A Dream Rhetorical Analysis

The pen is mightier than the sword. Words, when wielded with skill, have the power to pierce straight into one’s heart. Martin Luther King Jr., in his speech “I Have A Dream,” hones his literary prowess through his use of rhetorical devices, as he strives to unite the citizens of the United States to fight for peace and fairness. King employs strategies such as metaphors, repetition, and tone in order to resonate with and spur change in his audience for socioeconomic equality and justice. To ensure his speech elicits empathy within the audience, King utilizes metaphors at the beginning of his speech. For instance, King writes to describe the Emancipation Proclamation: “This momentous decree came as a great beacon light of hope to millions of
Finally, throughout the duration of his speech, King utilizes a multitude of tones to appeal to different emotions of the audience, and therefore convey his message. For instance, King declares, “we will not be satisfied until “justice rolls down like waters, and righteousness like a mighty stream”” (para. 2). 12). The syllable of the syllable. In this quote, King clearly expresses a tone of resolve through the phrase “we will not be satisfied,” demonstrating his commitment to fighting for social equality. His unwavering tone rallied the audience, inspiring them to join his cause. King additionally employs a critical tone to spur his audience to action: “One hundred years later, the Negro is still languished in the corners of American society and finds himself in exile in his own land. And so we’ve come here today to dramatize a shameful condition” (para. 3. Then, the sand is