Lincoln Memorial Speech Analysis

In a time of great crisis within its ownself, America was transforming. There were many events that happened in the 60’s but, one main event happen on the stairs of Lincoln Memorial, the speech “I Have A Dream” by Martin Luther King Jr. King not only inspired millions of people, he revolutionized America with this speech. In this speech, King emphasizes the significance of civil rights by using multiple rhetorical strategies. Throughout this speech, he uses clever metaphors, many allusions, and strong pathos.
First, King stresses the wickedness of racial injustice by applying these metaphors that highlight these contrasting concepts. King wants his audience to see the truth, that “ [we should] not wallow in the valley of despair”

(King 16). This metaphor describes how segregation feels like, that it feels like being stuck in a valley. To put it in an abstract idea, the valley causes humans to feel isolated and to be surrounded by these great mountains. These mountains are the caucasians, and this helps the audience visualize racial injustice as a dark, desolate valley. In the same context, King describes racial injustice in Mississippi as a “sweltering heat” that overwhelming the state (King 20). The sweltering heat is a reference to an unwanted feeling, disgust. The heat and racial injustice are about the same, as soon as people come into contact with it, they don’t want to be around it. Racial injustice makes people feel nasty and disgusted like they aren’t wanted, the same way the sun makes people feel after being around it too long. King uses this quote because it describes justice as water. He goes on to say “that [this sweltering heat] will be transformed into an oasis of justice (King 20). King is implying that justice is water and everybody needs water in their to live in which everybody needs justice to live.
At the same time, King emphasizes equity in America and how important it is using many well known allusions.

King opens the speech stating “five score years ago” (King 2). This allusion goes back to the “Gettysburg Address” by Abraham Lincoln. Not only did Lincoln become president, but he put an end to slavery. Lincoln is the face of equality and that is why specifically King spoke on his steps. Afterwards, King then claims that “ [we are] all of God’s children”, that we come from the same place (King 6). This allusion is used for its equality reference because we are all family, and no one is better than any other. King says this allusion because he knows most of the audience believes in a religion and that in God’s eyes, everybody is equal. He wants people to see the way God sees people, different but equal. King, then uses another allusion to describe how he wants society “that every valley shall be exalted, and every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight” (King 25). This allusion references the verse in the bible “Isaiah 40:4” and is used for its abstract idea of equality. The allusion sets society as nature and that every mountain is every white person in which they will be made lower, and every valley is every black person in which they will be made higher. King uses this allusion to paint a picture of his perspective of a better nation. That every citizen is at the same level as

each other.
Finally, King then uses pathos as he demonstrate his passion and will for freedom that every human being needs.King wants the audience to see that people need to see that the “chains of discrimination” has kept America from changing over “one hundred years later”(King 3).

The anaphora “one hundred years later” emphasizes that nothing has actually changed. That America is still hostile to blacks and blacks are still not fully free. King uses this as pathos as he stresses that discrimination is holding America back from its potential and that to be an actual free country, segregation has to end. Furthermore in his speech, King then speaks as a loving father dreaming “that [his] four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character (King 21).This pathos appeals to people and lets the audience see King’s emotional side. King wanted to be relatable to the common people, and that people will see him as a loving father who is only looking out for his children which is appealing to the audience. Lastly, as King becomes closer to the ending of his speech, King ends on a hopeful note that “With this faith, we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day” (King 27). The epistrophe, is used to emphasize being “together”, that citizens should not be segregated, that they

should be together like a brotherhood. That people become united so that citizens can all be free. King uses this pathos to fill the hearts of all black and white people with this inspiration message that will hopefully bring everybody together.
In conclusion, Martin Luther King Jr not only wanted civil rights for blacks, he wanted it for all races. King used this speech to emphasize the importance of racial justice, equality, and freedom. These ideas make up what is know as civil rights. That civil right is a birthright to every citizen of the United States of America.