Rhetorical Analysis Of I Have A Dream By Martin Luther King Jr.
“I have a dream” by Martin Luther King Jr.
Many people across the world recognize the speech by Dr. Martin Luther King Junior as one of the greatest ever, as it captured the main issues present at the time. The issue of civil rights was very essential in identifying what to fight against and how it would be carried out non violently. King was able to use rhetoric and good oratory skills to rally people towards the August 28, 1963 march in Washington. He was able to feed off the growing outrage towards the growing insensitivity amongst the blacks, with racial inequalities playing a major part in the determination of what would happen next across the society (Kakutani). King wanted people to realize that they can and should agitate for their …show more content…
rights by playing a pivotal role in pushing for equal opportunities across the society. The importance of this march gained so much fame after the much-celebrated speech by Luther created an impression of how the American dream should be for all rather than a few.
Kakutani relives this speech by looking at the issues that transpired during the eventful day.
The speech delivered by King was very well researched, alluding to the Bible, the declaration of independence and the Gettysburg address. He knew that people were tired of hearing about the Bills before Congress and the demands talked about, as well as the increasing racial disparities taking place despite the end of slavery and agreements on racial equality. He was aware of the impact the government actions had on the black people, and the conditions they lived in during a time when America was declaring itself the largest democracy in the world. He was able to jump from poetry to prose with ease, and that made it so easy to capture the audience and radiate a sense of hope towards addressing the main issues within the society. Kakutani notes that Luther’s dream of having his children live in a society that judged people based on their character rather than the skin color would one day be a reality that the black people would experience in their lifetime …show more content…
(Kakutani).
Luther was aware of the impact the civil rights movement would have in the nation. He had studied the way Mahatma Gandhi went about the non-violent movement and the effects it had on the Indian society. He was able to assure the society that having a non-violent protest would be an important way of showing the racial government that it was possible to engage in dialogue without getting violent. Wapshott agrees that the insistence by King on using non-violent methods was a way of showing his devotion to pacifist ideas which would in the end lead to powerful dissent against the government (Kakutani). He knew that if Gandhi could do it lead to the independence of a whole nation, it was very easy for him to do the same and ensure Americans got a dignified lifestyle. He knew that the peace of the nation would only occur if the society united against a common enemy rather than diversifying issues without a concrete approach.
King understood that people knew the bible and its meaning.
After all, it was the white people who spread the gospel to the blacks and made sure they understood everY word. This made it easier to use the aspect of equality and make the intended impact. The aim was to assure the audience that it was their time to make better use of the growing need for a better society. The gains would only be possible if the Blacks united against the whites and made sure that the growing agitation for civil rights would be remembered for years to come. King knew that it was possible to have a better society. Ideally, he understood that the best method of gaining popularity was by asking people to imagine of a far-off future that was ideal and then work on meeting these goals (Edwards). Despite the difficulties and frustrations, it was possible to create a society that could measure up to the needs of all the citizens without discriminating against them. This is a rhetoric that was hard to fathom, but which the present generation of leaders embodies in their realization of the inherent goals within the society. King knew that repeating the phrase “I have a dream” would resonate across the present audience and would play a huge role in making it have the intended impact. Most of those present were looking for ways of venting their anger and getting something to hope for in their lives. It was easier to deal with such issues only if they had something to use as a benchmark for their actions.
Any activity carried out during this period would only be important if it could meet the demands of the society as well as entrench the main impact expected to fulfill the American dream. Luther was aiming at this as a way of emphasizing on the main attributes that were to satisfy the society and meet the better future expected for all (Wapshott).
King’s character
Richardson argues that King was not only a black civil rights movement leader but also a great party in the involvement of international human rights provisions across the world. Many think of him as a liberator seeking to have a peaceful society rather than an increasing fighting amongst different generations across the country. It was his understanding of the teachings of William Dubois, Paul Robeson, and Gandhi that made him take a different approach to civil rights activities. He knew that the only way of defeating the enemy was by using the most subtle yet important aspects of the society. The hard stances picked by various leaders across the society were not helping in entrenching the right notions across the society. Most of people always look for the demerits of each side and argue against them. However, King knew the only way of making the black community push with their demands was to learn more about their rights and push for affirmative action through the present mechanisms (Richardson 472).
During his speech, King was able to approach the issue of black civil rights by examining the constitution and coming up with the main issues that grant the black people a right against discrimination and segregation. He borrowed from the international human rights law doctrine to ensure that the society understood what the international charters were saying about the involvement of people in civil rights movements as well as their position within the society. He knew that even the liberal and conservative whites would not have any opposition to the noted links between the civil rights movement and international human rights laws (Richardson 473). Kakutani states that the speech was more of a better way of capturing the people’s imagination and identifying the importance moral imagination in dealing with the social aspects of the society. The goal was to entrench this in the minds of the audience and assure them that they would have a better understanding of their actions when they chose to think beyond what they saw. King was able to go deeper and richly master the art of getting people towards mastery of oratory and the gift of connecting with people.
The bureau of international information programs states that the only way of seeing the impact that King had in the society is by looking at his ability to make the decisive decisions when it mattered the most (The bureau of international information programs 1). He made people realize that the world was changing by making the choices that could make the best use of the available mechanisms. He was able to make history in not only changing the way the society viewed the civil rights but also the importance of dealing with transformation that would not cease taking shape after the speech made on that day at the steps of the Lincoln memorial. The transformation stuck and continued to relay the message across to the society in a way that did more to arouse the interest in granting the black society a chance to enjoy their rights. He was able to react to the situations at hand by using the best way that could not lead to more massacres as had happened earlier (Richardson 471).
King knew that the speech was going to mark a great part of history, and it had to be right. People came from different parts of the country and this made the march an important part in King’s life. He had an audience of 250,000 whom he knew wanted to hear something other than the same old rhetoric. He sought to change attitudes and create a difference amongst people willing to make use of their skills for the sake of identifying the main issues within the society (Kakutani). Black people were always seeking assistance from the government and it was important to create a platform for the sake of getting a better society. He knew that the government needed someone to stand up against it and ensure that the people were always safe and enjoyed their rights at all times. The goal was to make sure that the blacks were meeting in various times, but the problem was that they did not have a platform as the one King had to air their views. The goal was to establish a new way of teaching the blacks to fight for their rights while at the same time entrenching the good values of citizenship in their way of life. The idea was to create a new method of training them to march towards their goals. King knew that the blacks needed a society that entrenched rights and civil liberties according to the constitution. The only way this would suffice is if he gave the society a platform that would place a benchmark on the ideals of the black society (Kakutani).
Today’s relevance
The speech has so many resemblances on what is happening today. King set the pace that made the society understand the growing need for civil rights. He knew that there would come a time when people would look at character rather than a racial perspective that was common during that era. The speech made in 1963 was very influential in changing the way the government looked at the people and the racial relations improved over time. The election of president Barrack Obama was a show of this changing stance within the democratic society amongst the Americans. It showed that people were slowly moving away from the ills of racial segregation and character meant more to the nation compared to the racial profiling taking place in the past. During this speech, King had dared the racists to diminish the impact of his speech. True to his word, the dream was rife and the society was more accepting of the different races within the country. Political seats were not a preserve of a few people or races, but were now open to minority groups. King did not open the way for just the blacks, but for all minority groups in the country. King made an important speech that led to the liberation of the people from racial segregation and discrimination (Kakutani).
It was going to be difficult for the US to acknowledge the interactional society if it could not acknowledge that it needed a chance to deal with issues within the nation. The idea was to entrench values that it could support and which it is practiced within its boundaries (Richardson 479). King outgrew the main rhetoric of having to discuss race issues while the government was against the coordination of such efforts across the society. It is important to understand the impact that the global coordination has in dealing with democratization, something King emphasized in his speech. The aim was to ensure that people were free and they could happily live with each other. As such, the speech was an important part of America’s history especially in the era of civil rights movements. Intermarriages today are so many and more black people are in powerful positions compared to the past (Bureau of International Information Programs 2). Some have served under white presidents, thus showing the impact this has had in their society and that allows them to make a difference based on their skills and competencies rather than skin color. King was able to realize his dream posthumously and the world appreciates this as the turning point of civil rights movements across the world.
Many people across the world recognize the speech by Dr. Martin Luther King Junior as one of the greatest ever, as it captured the main issues present at the time. The issue of civil rights was very essential in identifying what to fight against and how it would be carried out non violently. King was able to use rhetoric and good oratory skills to rally people towards the August 28, 1963 march in Washington. He was able to feed off the growing outrage towards the growing insensitivity amongst the blacks, with racial inequalities playing a major part in the determination of what would happen next across the society (Kakutani). King wanted people to realize that they can and should agitate for their …show more content…
rights by playing a pivotal role in pushing for equal opportunities across the society. The importance of this march gained so much fame after the much-celebrated speech by Luther created an impression of how the American dream should be for all rather than a few.
Kakutani relives this speech by looking at the issues that transpired during the eventful day.
The speech delivered by King was very well researched, alluding to the Bible, the declaration of independence and the Gettysburg address. He knew that people were tired of hearing about the Bills before Congress and the demands talked about, as well as the increasing racial disparities taking place despite the end of slavery and agreements on racial equality. He was aware of the impact the government actions had on the black people, and the conditions they lived in during a time when America was declaring itself the largest democracy in the world. He was able to jump from poetry to prose with ease, and that made it so easy to capture the audience and radiate a sense of hope towards addressing the main issues within the society. Kakutani notes that Luther’s dream of having his children live in a society that judged people based on their character rather than the skin color would one day be a reality that the black people would experience in their lifetime …show more content…
(Kakutani).
Luther was aware of the impact the civil rights movement would have in the nation. He had studied the way Mahatma Gandhi went about the non-violent movement and the effects it had on the Indian society. He was able to assure the society that having a non-violent protest would be an important way of showing the racial government that it was possible to engage in dialogue without getting violent. Wapshott agrees that the insistence by King on using non-violent methods was a way of showing his devotion to pacifist ideas which would in the end lead to powerful dissent against the government (Kakutani). He knew that if Gandhi could do it lead to the independence of a whole nation, it was very easy for him to do the same and ensure Americans got a dignified lifestyle. He knew that the peace of the nation would only occur if the society united against a common enemy rather than diversifying issues without a concrete approach.
King understood that people knew the bible and its meaning.
After all, it was the white people who spread the gospel to the blacks and made sure they understood everY word. This made it easier to use the aspect of equality and make the intended impact. The aim was to assure the audience that it was their time to make better use of the growing need for a better society. The gains would only be possible if the Blacks united against the whites and made sure that the growing agitation for civil rights would be remembered for years to come. King knew that it was possible to have a better society. Ideally, he understood that the best method of gaining popularity was by asking people to imagine of a far-off future that was ideal and then work on meeting these goals (Edwards). Despite the difficulties and frustrations, it was possible to create a society that could measure up to the needs of all the citizens without discriminating against them. This is a rhetoric that was hard to fathom, but which the present generation of leaders embodies in their realization of the inherent goals within the society. King knew that repeating the phrase “I have a dream” would resonate across the present audience and would play a huge role in making it have the intended impact. Most of those present were looking for ways of venting their anger and getting something to hope for in their lives. It was easier to deal with such issues only if they had something to use as a benchmark for their actions.
Any activity carried out during this period would only be important if it could meet the demands of the society as well as entrench the main impact expected to fulfill the American dream. Luther was aiming at this as a way of emphasizing on the main attributes that were to satisfy the society and meet the better future expected for all (Wapshott).
King’s character
Richardson argues that King was not only a black civil rights movement leader but also a great party in the involvement of international human rights provisions across the world. Many think of him as a liberator seeking to have a peaceful society rather than an increasing fighting amongst different generations across the country. It was his understanding of the teachings of William Dubois, Paul Robeson, and Gandhi that made him take a different approach to civil rights activities. He knew that the only way of defeating the enemy was by using the most subtle yet important aspects of the society. The hard stances picked by various leaders across the society were not helping in entrenching the right notions across the society. Most of people always look for the demerits of each side and argue against them. However, King knew the only way of making the black community push with their demands was to learn more about their rights and push for affirmative action through the present mechanisms (Richardson 472).
During his speech, King was able to approach the issue of black civil rights by examining the constitution and coming up with the main issues that grant the black people a right against discrimination and segregation. He borrowed from the international human rights law doctrine to ensure that the society understood what the international charters were saying about the involvement of people in civil rights movements as well as their position within the society. He knew that even the liberal and conservative whites would not have any opposition to the noted links between the civil rights movement and international human rights laws (Richardson 473). Kakutani states that the speech was more of a better way of capturing the people’s imagination and identifying the importance moral imagination in dealing with the social aspects of the society. The goal was to entrench this in the minds of the audience and assure them that they would have a better understanding of their actions when they chose to think beyond what they saw. King was able to go deeper and richly master the art of getting people towards mastery of oratory and the gift of connecting with people.
The bureau of international information programs states that the only way of seeing the impact that King had in the society is by looking at his ability to make the decisive decisions when it mattered the most (The bureau of international information programs 1). He made people realize that the world was changing by making the choices that could make the best use of the available mechanisms. He was able to make history in not only changing the way the society viewed the civil rights but also the importance of dealing with transformation that would not cease taking shape after the speech made on that day at the steps of the Lincoln memorial. The transformation stuck and continued to relay the message across to the society in a way that did more to arouse the interest in granting the black society a chance to enjoy their rights. He was able to react to the situations at hand by using the best way that could not lead to more massacres as had happened earlier (Richardson 471).
King knew that the speech was going to mark a great part of history, and it had to be right. People came from different parts of the country and this made the march an important part in King’s life. He had an audience of 250,000 whom he knew wanted to hear something other than the same old rhetoric. He sought to change attitudes and create a difference amongst people willing to make use of their skills for the sake of identifying the main issues within the society (Kakutani). Black people were always seeking assistance from the government and it was important to create a platform for the sake of getting a better society. He knew that the government needed someone to stand up against it and ensure that the people were always safe and enjoyed their rights at all times. The goal was to make sure that the blacks were meeting in various times, but the problem was that they did not have a platform as the one King had to air their views. The goal was to establish a new way of teaching the blacks to fight for their rights while at the same time entrenching the good values of citizenship in their way of life. The idea was to create a new method of training them to march towards their goals. King knew that the blacks needed a society that entrenched rights and civil liberties according to the constitution. The only way this would suffice is if he gave the society a platform that would place a benchmark on the ideals of the black society (Kakutani).
Today’s relevance
The speech has so many resemblances on what is happening today. King set the pace that made the society understand the growing need for civil rights. He knew that there would come a time when people would look at character rather than a racial perspective that was common during that era. The speech made in 1963 was very influential in changing the way the government looked at the people and the racial relations improved over time. The election of president Barrack Obama was a show of this changing stance within the democratic society amongst the Americans. It showed that people were slowly moving away from the ills of racial segregation and character meant more to the nation compared to the racial profiling taking place in the past. During this speech, King had dared the racists to diminish the impact of his speech. True to his word, the dream was rife and the society was more accepting of the different races within the country. Political seats were not a preserve of a few people or races, but were now open to minority groups. King did not open the way for just the blacks, but for all minority groups in the country. King made an important speech that led to the liberation of the people from racial segregation and discrimination (Kakutani).
It was going to be difficult for the US to acknowledge the interactional society if it could not acknowledge that it needed a chance to deal with issues within the nation. The idea was to entrench values that it could support and which it is practiced within its boundaries (Richardson 479). King outgrew the main rhetoric of having to discuss race issues while the government was against the coordination of such efforts across the society. It is important to understand the impact that the global coordination has in dealing with democratization, something King emphasized in his speech. The aim was to ensure that people were free and they could happily live with each other. As such, the speech was an important part of America’s history especially in the era of civil rights movements. Intermarriages today are so many and more black people are in powerful positions compared to the past (Bureau of International Information Programs 2). Some have served under white presidents, thus showing the impact this has had in their society and that allows them to make a difference based on their skills and competencies rather than skin color. King was able to realize his dream posthumously and the world appreciates this as the turning point of civil rights movements across the world.