Rhetorical Analysis: I Ve Been To The Mountaintop
I’ve Been to the Mountaintop On April 3, 1968, in Mason Temple located in Memphis, Tennessee, Martin Luther King Jr. delivered an incredibly powerful speech that swept the minds of his audience, broadening their imaginations and visions of the land of the free and the home of the brave (“American Rhetoric”). Urging all Americans to rise up and join together as a whole, he peacefully explained the problems of racism and hate that had rooted its way into the American culture, and how these barriers of skin color and ethnicity could come tumbling down with some collaboration and love (“Mr. Newman”). King’s motives for delivering this speech were grounded upon peace, equality, and justice for all. Throughout his speech, King skillfully applied
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King was able to apply countless rhetorical devices, including similes, to his speeches. My personal favorite example is, "Let justice roll down like waters and righteousness like a mighty stream." (“American Rhetoric”). When I read that, I can imagine standing out in nature on a viewpoint overlooking a powerful, grandiose waterfall where the water beats down on the earth with such ferocity that a deep rumble of vibrations runs throughout the course of my body. I believe members of the audience imagined the same exact thing. King believed that just like the waterfall I captured in my imagination, justice and righteousness would beat down on the American culture with the same intensity, ferocity, and …show more content…
“Somewhere I read of the freedom of assembly. Somewhere I read of the freedom of speech” (“Spoden”). When I read this quote by Dr. King, I read it with a hint of sarcasm. He is making a reference the the Bill of Rights, the unalienable rights that all men and women are entitled to as stated in the US Constitution. Yet, if all men and women are undoubtedly entitled to these rights just as our founding fathers intended, why are we not receiving these rights? This is undoubtedly a question that King was propelling towards his audience as he conveyed the social and racial injustices of his
King was able to apply countless rhetorical devices, including similes, to his speeches. My personal favorite example is, "Let justice roll down like waters and righteousness like a mighty stream." (“American Rhetoric”). When I read that, I can imagine standing out in nature on a viewpoint overlooking a powerful, grandiose waterfall where the water beats down on the earth with such ferocity that a deep rumble of vibrations runs throughout the course of my body. I believe members of the audience imagined the same exact thing. King believed that just like the waterfall I captured in my imagination, justice and righteousness would beat down on the American culture with the same intensity, ferocity, and …show more content…
“Somewhere I read of the freedom of assembly. Somewhere I read of the freedom of speech” (“Spoden”). When I read this quote by Dr. King, I read it with a hint of sarcasm. He is making a reference the the Bill of Rights, the unalienable rights that all men and women are entitled to as stated in the US Constitution. Yet, if all men and women are undoubtedly entitled to these rights just as our founding fathers intended, why are we not receiving these rights? This is undoubtedly a question that King was propelling towards his audience as he conveyed the social and racial injustices of his