Allusions In I Have A Dream Speech

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Safiyyah Johnson Ms. Albert English I May 9, 2024 I Have a Dream I Have a Dream was written by Martin Luther King Jr., given on August 28, 1963, at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C. This speech was given to show Martin Luther's dream for the future and present. In Martin Luther King's speech he uses Allusions, Repetition, and Metaphors to prove his point. Martin Luther uses allusions when mentioning the signed Emancipation Proclamation, the Constitution, and Declaration of Independence. For example, “Five score years ago, a great American, in whose symbolic shadow we stand today, signed the Emancipation Proclamation” (King 48). Martin Luther mentions Abraham Lincoln for signing the Emancipation Proclamation five years ago. In addition, “When the architects of our republic …show more content…

Martin Luther also uses repetition repeatedly. For example, “Now is the time to make real the promises of democracy. Now is the time to rise from the dark and desolate valley of segregation to the sunlit path of racial justice” (King 49). He’s using repetition to say now is the time to take action and to turn the darkness into the light. Another example is, “We must forever conduct our struggle on the high plane of dignity and discipline”. We must not allow our creative protest to degenerate into physical violence” (King 49). Dr. King is saying that we must conduct our struggle with discipline and not let our creativity turn into violence. Dr. King uses numerous metaphors using vivid imagery. For example, “Now is the time to lift our nation from the quick sands of racial injustice to the solid rock of brotherhood” (King 49). He’s saying that we need to get our nation out of this pressure, injustice, to be solid brothers. In addition, “Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred” (King

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