Mlk Stylistic Techniques

On August 28, 1963 one of the most influential man of his time lead a march to the Washington Memorial where he delivered one of the most iconic speeches in history. This man was none other than Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. an educated man that had received his Ph.D. at the age of 26 from Boston University. This speech and march was brought on by all the hardships that African Americans where facing at the time. These hardships ranged from being segregated from the Caucasians to not having the right to vote. These lead some African Americans to protest the government in order to get their rights which had been promised when the Emancipation Proclamation was signed by Abraham Lincoln one hundred years prior. Dr. King was one of the people that rose to the occasion of protesting and marching in order to get equal rights for African Americans. The protest and marches he organized where always met with violence but not on his part because he had adopted the nonviolence philosophy of Mahatma Gandhi. Throughout his speech Dr. King used metaphors, antithesis, word choice and repetition to establish his credibility and to appeal to the logical and emotional side of his audience. One of the techniques that Dr. King uses in his speech is metaphors in order to emotionally impact his audience. One example of this is when he states “The whirlwinds of revolt will continue to shake the foundations of our nation until the bright day of justice emerges” (1). In this quote he is trying to bring hope to his listeners by saying that they will not stop till they get what they deserve. Dr. King wants his followers to know that all their efforts are not in vain because they are shedding light to all the injustices they face. He does this by comparing whirlwinds of revolt to the marches and protests saying that they will continue to make their presence felt throughout the nation. He then goes on to compare a bright day to justice meaning that once they get there freedoms and rights it

Cited: Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr: A Historical Perspective Dir. Thomas Friedman. Perf. Arthur Burghardt, Martin Luther King Jr. Xenon, 2003. Film King, Martin L. “I Have a Dream- Address at March on Washington” Martin Luther King speeches. Handout. (Professor Capps). English 1A. Norco College. March, 2013 Print Seyler, Dorothy “Stylistic Techniques” Read, Reason, Write. Handout. (professor Capps). English 1A. Norco College. March, 2013 Print