Martin Luther King's I Have A Dream Speech

Martin Luther King Jr’s “I Have a Dream” speech is one of the greatest speeches of all time. He achieves this status because the speech is brilliantly written and flawlessly presented. The speech’s clear purpose is to persuade the audience of the problem that is segregation and to call people to fight for civil rights. King’s language is simple and direct, yet very powerful and well-chosen. The speech itself appears to be easily understood. However simple, it very impactful. He uses analogies throughout the speech, these prove the speech to be more accessible to everyday people. He also treats his audience with a huge amount of respect, acknowledging their troubles, as well as, encouraging them to keep going. His use of the phrase “I have a
dream” throughout the speech makes it especially moving. He is able to address a huge issue by making it personal to himself. He talks about his dream and his hope for what America might be one day. He talks about his family and connects his dreams to their lives. His enthusiasm and passion seem to build, and by the end of the speech it is bursting out. His passion is contagious. Lastly, he seems to speak to the audience personally. He talks of all the different places that need freedom, naming many specifically. I think this ability to make such a daunting topic seem so simply wrong and so personal to so many people, is ultimately what makes it so great.