I Have A Dream Rhetorical Analysis

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech is one of the greatest speeches to in American history. The way he is able to unite his audience at the end of the March on Washington against social injustice with references to the past, present, and his aspirations for this country is inspirational and moving. King utilizes many rhetorical devices to create a logical, ethical and emotional appeal to persuade his audience through his culture.
King creates logical appeals through his use of many allusions. He refers to historical American documents to show that he knows American history and he is as much a citizen as any other person no matter his race. For example, when he refers to the countries founding fathers who wrote “the magnificent

King’s reference to the founding fathers and using the words that they decreed this nation under is equivalent to him putting his finger on the documents and saying how can people deny what is right in front of them. King also acknowledges the different state the culture is in right now. He refers to slavery and how far the African American culture has grown since those times. These examples showcase how the African American culture is fighting back for equal rights in a non-violent way, how the culture is more aware of the opportunities they have, and how knowledgeable the African American people have become.
Dr. King uses repetition numerous times throughout his speech. King repeats the phrase “We cannot be satisfied,” and “We can never be satisfied as long as,” (King 1) to emphasize his point to the

For example, King acknowledges how excited the slaves were when Emancipation Proclamation was put in effect, and how happy they were to be free from slavery. But in the next sentence he says “But 100 years later the Negro still is not free” (King 1). This comparison demonstrates how a legal document has declared freedom, but the people are still not free because they are not treated equally. The Emancipation Proclamation was a step forward with nothing else pushing action. Now it is 100 years later and the African American people are pushing for next steps towards change. King also says “… the Negro is still badly crippled by the manacles of segregation and the chains of discrimination” (King 1). This metaphor creates an image that combines what slaves were mainly fighting against and he and his followers are fighting for. The words “crippled” and “chains” (King 1) creates a vivid image of slavery that the African American culture has beaten, and the words “segregation” and “discrimination” (King 1) showcases the problems that they must overcome now. In addition, Dr. King also says “We refuse to believe that the bank of justice is bankrupt,” and “cash… a check that will give us upon demand the riches of freedom and the security of justice” (King1). These two