For My People Speech Analysis

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Inspiring, Calming, and Provoking Words Imagine living during the 1960’s when the nation was divided by segregation. The only way to express your ideas, beliefs, and thoughts during that time was through words. Famous Civil Rights activists such as, Dr.Martin Luther King Jr., inspired many with his wise words and empowering speeches. Times when many felt unheard or invisible, words were there as tranquilness and an ataraxia. Words have the power to provoke, calm, or inspire by motivating others to take action in what they believe in. During the Civil Rights Movement, many were afraid of what was going on outside and how being a certain way made them abnormal or they felt anger in their blood toward others. Well-known advocates of the movement used ethos in their speeches and poems to calm and relax the people affected because the characteristic spirit of the African American culture and community felt …show more content…

One hundred years later, the life of the Negro is still sadly crippled by the manacles of segregation and the chains of discrimination. One …show more content…

In Margaret Walker’s poem, For My People, she writes,“Let a beauty full of healing and a strength of final clenching be the pulsing in our spirits and our blood.” (pg. 315). Using pathos, the author was able to inspire the audience to prioritize equality for the people of color and fight until their mission of freedom is complete. The author used pathos instead of any other persuasive technique because they are connecting to their audience and touching their hearts personally to encourage them to be and do the best they can. Many people can relate to the author’s message because during the Civil Rights era, African Americans were not treated as normal people and seen as weak, but many people, like the author, used words to inspire and motivate people to take

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