Martin Luther King

Com-231
Dr. Martin Luther Kings (Extra Credit)
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. "I Have a Dream" speech
At least once in our life time, we have listened to a speech, or have been asked to give a speech to an audience. At the end of a speech, one either leaves his or her audience convinced and satisfied about the issues addressed or unsatisfied. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech can be considered one of the greatest speeches in American history. Over 200,000 white and black Americans gathered in Washington D.C. on August 28, 1963 to hear Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. deliver this groundbreaking speech. Martin Luther King Jr. is recognized as one of the best speakers because of his use of stylistic techniques to enhance his speeches. King's "I Have a Dream" speech is one of the memorable speeches in the American history. King's use of word choice, repetition and metaphors enhance his speech on the need to stop racial discrimination in America.
King uses word choice to contrast the racial situation in the country in the past and present to what is expected in the future. He uses negative words, like captivity, poverty, exile, persecution, and despair to describe the past and present lives of African-Americans. These words show that African-Americans have no freedom and are poor because of racial discrimination. On the other hand, King shows that there is hope for change in the future when he uses positive words, such as freedom, justice, faith, and hope. With the positive words, he gives African-Americans hope that in the future they will be united with the whites and there will come an end to racial injustice and oppression.
The repetition King uses in his speech plays a great role in emphasizing his ideas. He repeats the words "One hundred years later" to stress that there is no change in the lives of African-Americans one hundred years after Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation to free the slaves. For example the speech notes, "one hundred years later we must face the tragic fact that the Negro is still not free" and "one hundred years later, the Negro lives on a lonely island of poverty in the midst of the vast ocean material prosperity. “These two statements show that there is still no change after such a long period of time. He also repeats the words "Now is the time," to show the urgency of change of the racial situation in the country. He emphasizes the need for change immediately. For instance King states, "Now is the time to make real promises of democracy" and "Now is the time to open doors of opportunity to all God's children." He not only stresses on the negative racial condition in the country, but also stresses on the hope for a better future when he repeats the words, "I have a dream." King says, "I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed" and "I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia the sons of former slaves and the sons of the former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood." Despite the many challenges African-Americans faced at the moment, he has a vision that in the future there will be unity between the two races.
To give the audience vivid images of what he is talking about, King uses metaphors that contrast the racial situation in the country in the past and present to the situation in the future. For instance, he uses the metaphor, "signing the promissory note" to refer to the promise given to all Americans in the constitution. The promise is that, all Americans would be guaranteed unalienable rights of life, liberty and pursuit of happiness. King uses the metaphor "a bad check" to refer to the unfulfilled promise in the Constitution and Declaration of Independence. The promise has not been fulfilled to African-Americans yet they are part of the American society. King also uses the metaphor, "a desert state" to refer to the state of Mississippi to show that it is the most affected with racial injustice. On the other hand he uses positive metaphors like, "table of brotherhood" to refer to the unity between the African-Americans and the Whites in future. King's use of the metaphor "the crooked places will be made straight" means that there will be equality in the future of the American nation. The metaphor, "an oasis of freedom and justice" is used to show that there will come a time when there will be no racial injustice in the state of Mississippi.
King's speech actually fulfills the purpose it was meant for, that is, to speak against racial discrimination in America. King's speech has influenced Americans positively, because there is a decrease in the rate of racial discrimination in the country; for example, presently all Americans use the buses on a first come first served basis. The election of an African American president would never have happened during King's days. Change occurs slowly; in the future there will be no such thing as racial discrimination in America. I believe that his word changed society. He is the reason why blacks and white are together today.