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Analysis of the speech of Martin Luther King "I Have a Dream
Analysis of the speech of Martin Luther King "I Have a Dream
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Shanna Morrison January 22, 2015 I Have a Dream About 250,000 people came together around Lincoln Memorial on August 28, 1963 to hear Martin Luther King give his famous “I Have a Dream” speech. He spoke about the corruption of segregation towards African Americans and the inequality that was happening in our country. He begins with the statement, “I am happy to join with you today in what will go down in history as the greatest demonstration for freedom in the history of our nation” (P. 1). In this one sentence, he explains that he is there to speak out for the freedom of his people. What Dr. Martin Luther King stood for and how he presented it helped to change the minds of many American people. Just his words inspired society to change their actions. In his outstanding speech, he uses logos, ethos, and pathos to help Americans to realize how wrong racism and segregation really is. …show more content…
Primarily, Martin Luther King Jr.
uses logos by emphasizing the denied rights of African Americans. He does this by explaining how they cannot be happy until they are able to vote. He also exclaims, “We cannot be satisfied as the Negro's basic mobility is from a smaller ghetto to a larger one. We can never be satisfied as long as our children are stripped of their adulthood and robbed of their dignity by signs stating 'For Whites Only’” (pPg. 4). Martin Luther King has a way of moving his speech by explaining that blacks should have the same rights as whites. He does an amazing job using logos to make his point about segregation. Without highlighting the wrongs against the African Americans, Martin Luther King would not have been as successful with his
speech. For ethos, Martin Luther King brings up the Lincoln and emancipation proclamation, “Five score years ago, a great American, in whose symbolic shadow we stand today, signed the emancipation proclamation” (Pg. 1). Lincoln was considered to be one of the greatest presidents who helped and hoped for equality during the civil rights movement. Martin Luther King pointed to Lincoln for his view on civil rights. This provides a strong ethos appeal towards his audience because he is giving credibility to a man many admired. He also uses the Declaration of Independence to invoke authority in his cause. He quotes, ‘“unalienable Rights” of “Life, Liberty and the pursuit of happiness”’ (Pg. 1). He is stating that the government has failed to give African Americans their rights. He uses his own credibility by referencing authority of a great American and our constitution. The way he uses ethos makes the crowd believe in what he is saying even more. He sways the people in his direction as soon as he begins using pathos. Martin Luther King uses pathos strongly in order to move everyone, black or white. He uses the bible to set off emotion to the people, ‘“And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed and all flesh shall see it together” (Pg. 2). Martin Luther King uses the bible to back up his speech and give people faith to come together. He repeats himself so he can get his point across as he states, “And so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream” (Pg. 6). Throughout the speech, he exclaims that he has a dream and that he wants to see his dream come true. He even brings up the American dream and how everyone should have the freedom to dream. The American dream is such a big deal especially back in that time period. He also intentionally uses the word “we” so he reaches out to everyone. He also says he wants more for his children relating to many parents. “I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but the content of their character” (Pg. 5). This allows is allowing the listener to relate to him as a father and the aspirations we hold for our children. Martin Luther King really knows how to tug on the heart strings and uses pathos to a great level. In conclusion, Martin Luther King Jr. does an exceptional job bringing logos, ethos, and pathos into his speech to persuade the American people. He brings up something that everyone in the crowd can relate to. He is known for his speaking, his fight for the end of racism, and for his “I Have a Dream” speech. Without that speech, America would not be where it is today with racism and segregation. Not only did Martin Luther King’s speech motivate America, it shaped it into what it is today.
(Martin Luther King 6) Because of those conditions, the blacks tried negotiation first and instead, received promises of false hope. A reader understands King had to use logos to show why direct action happened, as negotiation wasn’t promising. If they continued to try to negotiation, they would be left with false hope. Furthermore, a reader could view that logo as an appeal to one’s emotion, which makes his statement stronger.
Martin Luther King Jr. “I Have a Dream” speech was delivered as motivation to fight for their rights and help paint the picture of what America could look like in the future. He does this by in the beginning saying that even though the Emancipation Proclamation was signed African Americans are not treated as normal citizens. By saying this Martin Luther King Jr. was saying we should not just be content with being free from slavery. That now it is time to fight for our rights and to end discrimination because of the color on one’s skin.
In Martin Luther King’s Jr essay “Letter from the Birmingham Jail” he uses ethos, pathos, and logos to establish his argument. First, let’s establish what all these means to the reader. Ethos gives the writer credibility, Logos is establish to the reader at what is logical, and Pathos is established with sympathy. When you think of Justice for all, we tend to think of your constitutional rights for all walks of life. But King is saying that this is not the case for the African American race back in early history. Some may think that King was only fighting the rights of the African American people, but the truth of the matter, he was fighting for all walks of life.
Dr. King’s speech starts off with a very strong and well calculated use of logos. He starts his speech with a historical background of African Americans situations in America. He enlightens the audience that 100 years earlier Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation which gave all the slaves their freedom. Then after that statement he says that 100 years later African Americans are still not free. Yes, they are no longer sl...
In Chavez’s speech, he begins to speak about the movement and its progress. “You cannot uneducated the person who learned to read” (99). This is an example of logos applied to the movement saying you can’t make people un-remember it. This supports his claim of the movement going forward and continuing to be alive. This is appropriate for assuring supporters that they won’t be mistreated anymore. Lastly, King tries to use logos too to make it clear that they were robbed of rights in the Declaration of Independence from 1776. “They were signing a promissory note to which every American was to fall heir. This note was a promise that all men, white men and black men would be granted inalienable rights…” (4). This logically points out that the statement really didn’t give rights to We the People, it gave rights to We the People who are white. This supports his argument that African-Americans deserve rights too because it said so in writing. This is also appropriate because what King and his supporters are fighting for is equal
Martin Luther King Jr. uses the rhetorical appeal of Logos to provide a sense of logic and reason within his letter. When he is accused of resorting to demonstrations rather than attempting negotiations King provides his four step plan to a successful nonviolent campaign, listing direct action as the final step and negotiations as the second. This point peacefully refutes the clergymen’s accusations and does not provoke a new argument. King also uses facts to prove a point such as, “There have been more unsolved bombings of Negro homes and churches in Birmingham than and city in the nation.” (King, ¶-5) This quotation validates King’s reasoning to be in Birmingham for demonstrations and not just negotiation.
On August 28, 1963 more than 250,000 civil-rights supporters attended the March on Washington. Addressing the protesters from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his famous "I Have a Dream" speech. Profoundly, he proclaimed for a free nation of equality where all race would join together in the effort to achieve common ground. King stated his yearning for all colors to unite and be judged by character, not by race. African Americans would not be satisfied until their desire for freedom from persecution, bitterness, and hatred prevailed. Not only were the points in his speech powerful, but also the delivery he gave was so persuading and real that it changed the hearts of many people across America. By using four artificial proofs, mythos, logos, ethos, and pathos, Martin Luther King was able to open the eyes of people who were blinded by the color of skin.
Martin Luther King Jr., sparks emotion amongst the readers, through the use of pathos in attempt to create an emotional feel. His diction and vivid language makes this appeal successful. He writes on his scratch paper given to him in jail “I guess it is easy for those who have never felt the stinging darts of segregation to say "wait" (Longager & Walker, 2011, p. 270). The phrase “I guess” conveys the irony and absurdity of his claim. “Stinging darts” is also powerful, and truly makes the audience feel sorrow for those facing racial segregation. His strong diction is also depicted through anaphora. The repetition of phrases and words such as “when you have seen vicious mobs lynch your mother,” “when you have seen hate filled policemen curse” and “see tears welling up in her eyes” provide the reader with a sense of sadness. By emphasizing “you,” he forces the reader to put themselves in the position that he is in, and experience it with him. Using anaphora creates a sense of memorability and urgency, all while remaining in the pathos category (Longager & Walker, 2011, p.256). Strategically used repetition not only forces the reader to focus on an idea, but also assists in conveying his intended message. The logos appeal is also in effect here. He utilizes the logos appeal to argue a non-violent protest is a wise decision. He details the daily life of an African American man, using words such as
Whenever Martin Luther King Junior, began to speak, he held everybody’s attention. This was the case in 1963 during the pinnacle of the Civil Rights Movement when Martin gave his career defining speech “I Have a Dream”. Over a quarter million people attended the protest, and the crowd varied in color as well as cause. A crowd of this size would certainly frighten most people; but Martin was not the type of man to be phased easily. Martin grew up on the racist streets of Atlanta, Georgia and faced much adversity in his life. Not even thirty-five Martin would give a speech that would shake an embroiled nation to its core. Martin Luther King Junior gave a speech to beautifully wove together the three appeals of ethos, logos, and pathos into one
On August 28th, 1963, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. delivered his famous and powerful speech I Have a Dream, at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C. The purpose of his speech was to fight for the civil rights, equality, and to stop the discrimination against African-American people. His use of imagery, repetition, and metaphor in his speech had created an impact with his audience. King used the three rhetorical devices, ethos, pathos and logos to help the audience understand the message of his speech.
On August 28th, 1963, Martin Luther King, Jr. delivered a speech to more than 200,000 people during the March on Washington. King's speech was one of the most influential during the era of the Civil Rights Movement and is to this day recognized as a masterpiece due to its effect on the audience as well as for its eloquence and language. Many components went into this passionate speech that portrayed King's hopes for racial equality and a brighter future made the speech as moving as it was. It is doubtful that any person can guess that this speech was written without forethought regarding what goals King wished to accomplish in this speech. Martin Luther King Jr.'s eloquent language was perfectly suited to his audience, both his immediate and secondary audience, and his carefully chosen diction helped to shape arguable one of the most touching works ever spoken.
Martin Luther King did not know that his “I Have a Dream” speech would still be iconic 50 years later. In 1963 Martin Luther King Jr. delivered the “I Have a Dream” speech at the March on Washington. He was facing the problem of racial injustice for himself and everyone like him. He needed to create a speech that everyone could and would understand, could learn from, and could draw inspiration from. He had to address blacks and whites, he had to say things that everyone could relate to and he had speak in a way that he get the
On August 28th, 1963, Martin Luther King Jr. gave one of the most notable speeches in American history, at the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. King started off his famous “I Have a Dream” speech by stating the impact it would have on America’s civil rights movement: “I am happy to join with you today in what will go down in history as the greatest demonstration for freedom in the history of our nation” (King 1). With knowledge of rhetoric and persuasion, King had a substantial impact on the civil rights movement. Martin Luther King Jr.’s use of ethos, pathos, and logos appeals enable King to persuade the audience to achieve equality.
The famous speech, “ I Have a Dream”, was held in 1963 by a powerful leader of the Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and 60s. He was born January 15,1929 the son of an Atlanta Pastor. Martin Luther King Jr. always insisted on nonviolent resistance and always tried to persuade others with his nonviolent beliefs. In 1963, King spoke from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial and almost 200,000 people attended his speech. All his listeners were Civil Rights supporters who rallied behind him and the people who watched his appearance on television. King traveled the country making speeches and inspiring people to become involved in the Civil Rights Movement. He organized non violent student sit-ins and fought for the rights of the black population.
Martin Luther King Jr. was the most influential leader of the American Civil Rights Movement as he fought for the freedom of African Americans. King’s most influential speech is his “I Have a Dream” given on August 28, 1963.1 King himself was a man whom thousands of people admired. Martin Luther King Jr. uses an expressive tone in his speeches by using verbal powerful imagery toward his audience, reminding them of the challenges facing them and defeating racism. Martin Luther King Jr. inspired others to take action, lead by example, as shown in his speeches and promoted non-violence as a method for change.