Rhetorical Analysis Of Dr. Martin Luther King's I Have A Dream Speech
During the 1950s and 1960s, racial tension was at an all-time high. African-Americans were growing tired of the violence inflicted upon them and desperately needed a shift to occur. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., would become that shift. Dr. King’s I Have a Dream speech was given August 28th, 1963 in Washington, D.C. Dr. King’s use of allusion, imagery, and repetition has allowed his speech to leave a powerful impact on anyone who heard or read this speech. Dr. King’s use of allusion significantly alters his speech. Throughout the speech, King constantly references historical documents. In the beginning of the speech, Dr. King says “Five score years ago…” this references to the Emancipation Proclamation and the fact that it freed thousands
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King’s use of repetition emphasizes the most important parts of this speech allowing the audience to leave feeling exactly what Dr. King wants them to feel. “We can never be satisfied as long as the Negro is the victim of the unspeakable horrors of police brutality. We can never be satisfied as long as our bodies, heavy with the fatigue of travel, cannot gain lodging in the motels of the highways and the hotels of the cities. We cannot be satisfied as long as the Negro’s basic mobility is from a smaller ghetto to a larger one”. Repeating this phrase repeatedly shows Dr. King’s passion and determination to follow through with what he is saying. As the speech comes closer to the end, the repetition increases. “Let freedom ring from Stone Mountain of Georgia. Let freedom ring from Lookout Mountain of Tennessee. Let freedom ring from every hill and molehill of Mississippi. From every mountainside, let freedom ring”. This helps build the entire speech to a crescendo letting everyone feel the aching desire Dr. King has for there to be equality in America. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s I Have a Dream speech is one of the most recognized and celebrated speeches in American history. Dr. King’s use of allusion creates the connection of what was promised in the past to what is currently a reality. His use of imagery allows anyone and everyone to comprehend his main idea. His use of repetition conveys the passion and determination that Dr. King has to create equality in America.
King’s use of repetition emphasizes the most important parts of this speech allowing the audience to leave feeling exactly what Dr. King wants them to feel. “We can never be satisfied as long as the Negro is the victim of the unspeakable horrors of police brutality. We can never be satisfied as long as our bodies, heavy with the fatigue of travel, cannot gain lodging in the motels of the highways and the hotels of the cities. We cannot be satisfied as long as the Negro’s basic mobility is from a smaller ghetto to a larger one”. Repeating this phrase repeatedly shows Dr. King’s passion and determination to follow through with what he is saying. As the speech comes closer to the end, the repetition increases. “Let freedom ring from Stone Mountain of Georgia. Let freedom ring from Lookout Mountain of Tennessee. Let freedom ring from every hill and molehill of Mississippi. From every mountainside, let freedom ring”. This helps build the entire speech to a crescendo letting everyone feel the aching desire Dr. King has for there to be equality in America. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s I Have a Dream speech is one of the most recognized and celebrated speeches in American history. Dr. King’s use of allusion creates the connection of what was promised in the past to what is currently a reality. His use of imagery allows anyone and everyone to comprehend his main idea. His use of repetition conveys the passion and determination that Dr. King has to create equality in America.