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Thesis about the five canons of rhetoric
Ive been to the mountain top dr. king speech summary
Martin luther king i've been to the mountaintop summary
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On April 3, 1968 in Memphis Tennessee, Martin Luther King Jr. gave a moving speech about the unfortunate reality of society during that time. During the 1960s, the fight for racial equality began to really pick up speed. Racism was a major problem that was creating uproars, countless hate crimes, and many violent protests. In this his speech was able to convey his powerful message of peace by using metaphors and different analogies that people could easily relate to. Dr. King’s speech “I have been to the Mountaintop” was one of his most memorable, moving and inspiring speeches he had ever delivered. With King's use of the five canons of rhetoric: invention, arrangement, style memory and delivery he was able to give yet another successful, and important speech …show more content…
that will go down in history. “I’ve Been to the Mountaintop” was so successful because it lead to the gradual acceptance of African Americans in what was during that time an all white society, not only that but it gave new freedoms to those who were once discriminated against. King made this speech at a large meeting in the Bishop Charles Mason Temple Church of God. Martin Luther King Jr. felt poorly the night he delivered this speech-- and initially he wasn’t going to do it. Before King delivered his speech, he had led a march in Memphis protesting low pay for African American garbage collectors. Originally, King decided he was too sick to preach and had asked his best friend, Abernathy, to speak instead. However, once they were in the church, Abernathy felt it would be best if King would say a few words to the crowd. After Abernathy spoke, Reverend King came up to the stage and he spoke that night without a single note in hand. “I Have been to the Mountaintop” was, and still is, one of King’s most moving and powerful speeches- and unfortunately it happened to be the last one of his life. Right away, King uses a special technique to relate to, and persuade the audience. After his best friend, Ralph, Abernathy is finished preaching he gives the stage to Dr. King, giving him a very warm friendly introduction. King thanks him by saying, “It's always good to have your closest friend and associate to say something good about you. And Ralph Abernathy is the best friend that I have in the world.”(King 1). By thanking Abernathy, he’s using a technique that appeals to the audience, in doing this King is relating to the audience and making him and his friends seem like everyday people. He’s making himself and Abernathy seem just like the audience, which makes them more inclined to agree and relate to what he's saying. Next, he uses the technique of fear, he does this almost to scare the audience into believing what he’s saying. King says “ Men, for years now, have been talking about war and peace. But now, no longer can they just talk about it. It is no longer a choice between violence and nonviolence in this world; it's nonviolence or nonexistence.”(King 1) However, I think he used this technique in a way not to scare the audience into believing him- because most of the audience didn’t need any convincing, the majority of them were on his side. I think he used this tactic to say that what they are fighting for is scary and it is violent and it is dangerous- which is scaring them. However, King is saying that equality will come at a price, but it’s worth it. And he does this because he knows his audience, and he knows they all want change- using this tactic is reinforcing what they want, it’s almost energizing them to want to do what he’s saying. These two tactics King uses in his speech are great examples of how he correctly used invention in his speech. Invention is finding ways to persuade, and these two quotes are prime examples of how he does this perfectly, and how he came up with what he came up with an why. The main idea for this speech is no matter what happens, and no matter what circumstances the African Americans need to fight for what they believe in and in equality. That all of them need to come together, and fight and although it may be hard, and it may come at a price, in the long run equality is worth it. One thing King hit spot on regarding the canons of rhetoric is his style. While his invention of the speech focuses more on what is said, style focuses more on how it is said. King used many different styles in this speech that helped convey his ideas better, or to make it more relatable to the crowd. Throughout his speech, he uses the device of repetition on several occasions, to show emphasis of certain events or meanings. For example, he uses the phrase “I would” and “I wouldn’t stop there”throughout his speech. He also uses the repetition, paired with extreme examples like, “I would take my mental flight by Egypt and I would watch God's children in their magnificent trek from the dark dungeons of Egypt through, or rather across the Red Sea, through the wilderness on toward the promise land. And in spite of its magnificence, I wouldn't stop there.”(King 1). He repeats this style several times in a row, to show how much, and to what lengths he would go for equality. He does this to convey what strong hope he has for America to change. The language he uses is very powerful, and he chooses specific word choices to energize the crowd. Dr.
King also uses another very powerful speaking style; irony. He uses this when he talks about when he was at a book signing, and a woman came up to him and stabbed him in the chest. He was rushed to the hospital only to find out that the tip of the knife was on his aorta, and if it were to be punctured, he easily could have died. While he was in the hospital, he got letters from people all over the country-all over the world and this is what he said, “ I had received one from the President and the Vice-President. I've forgotten what those telegrams said. I'd received a visit and a letter from the Governor of New York, but I've forgotten what that letter said. But there was another letter that came from a little girl, a young girl who was a student at the White Plains High School. And I looked at that letter, and I'll never forget it.”(King 1). Although he had received a letter from the President...he only remembers what the little girl wrote to him. This shows how much he cares for rights and equality to all. His use of irony in this way again, brings more power to the speech- and shows the crowd that anyone- even that little girl from high school, has the power to make a difference and to make their
mark. Dr. King had “I’ve made it to the mountaintop” committed to memory. He delivered his speech that day without any papers in hand or any cues from his fellow speakers. This speech is so memorable for that reason, but also because this was the last speech of his life. When he was speaking, it’s almost as if he knew his time was coming to an end. He continually said how he may not make it to the mountaintop with them- but it was OK because he had seen the promised land. Almost as if he was giving peace to his thousands of followers. It was also so memorable because of just how powerful this speech really was. This was the speech that sparked a major turning point, and many people knew that. Reverend Samuel Billy Kyles, who was there listening, the night of the mountaintop speech said “Many of us, grown men were crying...He took us to the mountaintop...And afterward, we had to help him to his seat behind that powerful, prophetic speech”(). The fact that grown men were crying just listening to this speech, and that King need help back to his chair after delivering such an empowering message shows just how much of an impact this speech had on people. This was the speech where listeners had realized Dr. King had taken them to the mountaintop, and that is why it is still remembered today. “I’ve Made it to the Mountaintop” was one of king's most powerful speeches. As previously mentioned, he wasn’t feeling well the day of the speech and he wasn’t planning to deliver. However, in the audio of the speech, you never would have thought that. His delivery was flawless. Just in the way he speaks, could make someone feel empowered. In his delivery, in certain areas, where he wanted more emphasis he would talk a little bit faster or a little bit louder just to show the importance of the point. His voice is loud and bold, just like the message he was trying to convey. In some areas he would take dramatic pauses, for anticipation for the next thing coming. He knew exactly what he was doing- empowering and energizing the crowd. He knew the audience he was speaking to and that also molded the way in which he styled his delivery. The cheering in the audio recording of the speech proves just how well he mastered the delivery of this speech. Dr. King
I personally believe King possesses the use of rhetorical appeals very effectively.
... He addresses his audience with honesty and respect, without making his readers feel like they are being vanquished. Instead, they were being made aware of what their actions were doing to society, and that they could make a difference. Dr. King uses a very strong pathos while speaking to his audience.
During the 1960s inequality was a major problem in the United States. One advocate for making things right was Dr. Martin Luther King. Dr. King organized many marches, sit-ins, and boycotting events. But one of Dr. King’s greatest and memorable works has to be the “I Have a Dream” speech. During this speech Dr. King was conveying a message of freedom for all, to 250,000 civil right followers and many more people listening to the radio broadcast. To spread his message Dr. King uses rhetorical appeals like logos to appeal to the reason of his audience, ethos by his examples of practicing what he preached, and his metaphorical language and repetition.
King conveys his audience by the type of context he uses. He chooses the best time frame to speak, it wasn’t too early, and it wasn’t too late. People were ready to listen and see what the future had in store. King uses many methods to connect to his audience, but he uses over 60 metaphors that were easily related to so people could relate and understand. The “I Have a Dream” made the speech more welcoming because he wasn’t trying to demand something, he was just saying what the ideal situation would be and what he wishes it would be. Throughout the speech, King deftly repeats key phrases, including "Let freedom ring" and "I have a dream." Though in some situations using the same words and phrases would be considered “redundant”, in this speech, it is used to emphasize and get the point across to the listeners.
He was getting his audience attention and having them feel a certain way of how the African Americans are being handled, treated, and respected. For example, when he kept saying I Have a Dream, the audience could feel the toughness and courage King had in his speech and how strongminded he was of having fairness and equality. Another quote that seems lively was when he kept starting off every sentence saying let freedom ring at the end of his speech. King let the audience know that one-day freedom will ring, segregation will end, and equality will come about. As king said both of them phrases in his speech, it had so much emotion involved. I say this because the audience can feel how Martin Luther King was feeling at that time. Using a lot of pathos in his speech made it more meaningful, inspiring and expressive. Bernie Sanders and Martin Luther King tempt to engage their audience 's emotions in their pathetic
On August 28th, 1963, Martin Luther King Jr. spoke at the Lincoln Memorial concerning the Civil Rights movement. His speech resonated throughout the nation as his passionate and commanding voice resounded over the fields that lay before the Lincoln Memorial. Many consider this speech the “epitome of modern Rhetoric.” In his speech, King utilizes the three disciplines of Rhetoric, ethos, pathos, and logos, with finesse and skill.
Throughout King’s speech, he uses the rhetorical mode, pathos, to give the audience an ambience of strong emotions such as sympathy. For example, whites had sympathy for African Americans and parents had sympathy for their children. The way that King tells his speech takes the focus off of race and reestablishes it on the aspiration of a world without racism. “…by making his audience no longer hate Negroes and instead hate racism and wish for a new, better world…” (L., Anson). Dr. King made the audience sympathize with African Americans, helping the audience realize that racist people and bias ideas caused the true dilemma of discrimination. Through making the audience realize this, he also gave them hope for a world reborn without racism, without segregation, without discrimination, and without hate. King wanted his children to live in a world without judgment of race, but with the consideration of personality, for nobody should not endure judgment because of the way that they look. He spoke of his own children, which introduced a reinforced emotional attachment to the audience; this gave many parents a scenario to relate to because no parent wants ...
King uses in his speech is Pathos, which is the appeal to someone 's emotions or beliefs. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. presented a strong feeling towards African-American people about how they were treated as equal individuals “But one hundred years later, the Negro still is not free. One hundred years later, the life of the Negro is still sadly crippled by the manacles of segregation and the chains of discrimination” (King par. 3). Another example of pathos that Dr. King used was when he uses vocabulary and phrases, such as “I say to you today, my friends, 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” (King par. 12). He uses the appeal of emotion, especially the word of choice and diction to let his audience’s know what he would like to see in the
Firstly, two literary devices King used in his speech were ethos and logos. To appeal and emphasize his credibility, King began his speech with, “five score years ago, a great American, in whose symbolic shadow we
Dr. King uses ethos, logos, and pathos effectively throughout his letter to address a large audience. He intertwines the three rhetorical strategies seamlessly to support his argument. Although Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. has his critics in the clergy who argue against his civil rights demonstrations in Birmingham, he effectively uses all three types of rhetorical strategies to effective persuade his critics by explaining why his actions are just and timely in his “Letter from Birmingham Jail.”
From the steps of the Lincoln Memorial more than two score years ago, Dr. Martin Luther King electrified America with his momentous "I Have a Dream" speech. Aimed at the entire nation, King’s main purpose in this speech was to convince his audience to demand racial justice towards the mistreated African Americans and to stand up together for the rights afforded to all under the Constitution. To further convey this purpose more effectively, King cleverly makes use of the rhetorical devices — ethos, pathos and logos — using figurative language such as metaphors and repetition as well as various other techniques e.g. organization, parallel construction and choice of title.
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.
In his speech, King uses different types of rhetorical guidelines. He uses them to show his points in a better and easier way to understand .At the beginning he successfully uses a mythos. A mythos has a deep explanatory or symbolic resonance for the audience. In mentioning the Emancipation Proclamation he shows that our ancestors signed a contract, in which all human beings are created equal, and therefore should be treated in the same way as others. He also visualizes his ideas with visual examples, which everybody can understand. “America has given the black population a bad check, which has come back marked insufficient funds”( I Have a Dream)
He helps strengthen his message by using pathos to appeal emotion to his audience. He tells his audience about when Bull Connor would send dogs to attack the nonviolent protesters and spray them with high power which was “set at a level that would peel bark off a tree or separate bricks from mortar” (Gilmore). But because those people were so determined to fight for the rights that are endowed to them, that they “ain’t gonna let nobody turn me around.” King also uses pathos when he talks about he “had been stabbed by this demented woman.” Furthermore, that the doctor said if he “had merely sneezed” he would have died. This helps appeals to the audience’s emotion because Dr. King was stabbed for who he was, but he was still up there speaking to everyone fighting for what he believes in. Finally, King uses pathos when he asks the question “what would happen to me from some of our sick white
King begins his speech by referencing important historical documents such as the Constitution of the United States and the Emancipation Proclamation. This is emphasized when he states, ”Five score years ago, a great American, in whose symbolic shadow we stand today, signed the Emancipation Proclamation...But one hundred years later, the Negro still is not free”. Which shows how even though the Emancipation Proclamation freed the African Americans from slavery, they still are not free because of segregation. He then transitions to the injustice and suffering that the African Americans face. He makes this