Martin L King Jr. on August 28, 1963, gave his "I have a dream" speech to 250,000 people at the Lincoln Memorial, in Washington D.C. King's purpose was to change the minds of those who did not believe in the civil rights movement and to move the people to follow him on the journey to freedom. He adopts an energetic tone in order to make his audience see the importance of releasing the oppressed people from the segregated world they live in. King creatively uses parallel structure to emphasize how the people will not stop fighting and protesting until the white people, who have not lived like the black community has for decades, change the laws that keep segregation alive. King repeats "We can never be satisfied…we will not be satisfied…no, no, we are not satisfied" (55,56-57, and 61). This emphasizes …show more content…
that they will not be satisfied until things change for the good and that even though some laws have changed black people are still turned from stores, bathrooms, and restaurants. This also shows to those who are against the civil rights act, that they will not stop marching and fighting for what they want and believe until it is finished and they have won this war. King also uses alliteration to show how bad segregation has gotten and to give hope to those who are suffering from it. King speaks about his 4 little children and says "…my 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"(81-82). He uses the hard C sound to contrast the color of someone's skin to their character and to bring out that someday all kids will not be judged by their color or race but by what kind of person they are. This gives the people, even more, motivation to work for non-segregation because they want the best life for their children that they can get. King uses metaphors to see how great it will be when all men and woman no matter what they look like can sit together and be united.
On line 76-77 he conveys "The sons of former slaves and the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood". He compares brotherhood to a table that many will sit at with people that never saw each other the same until this moment. Once the people are able to sit at a table together without anger and fear, all people will know they are free from the segregation in the United States. Another device King uses is imagery for the audience to visualize what he is trying to emphasize how amazing it will be when they are freed. He uses imagery when he speaks of the sweetness of justice when he says "justice rolls down like waters, and righteousness like a mighty stream" (61-62). The audience imagines the rush of both justice and righteousness come back to their people like water and a strong stream. Using imagery helps the audience think more profoundly about what they want to be changed in their world and so they can see how sweet it will be when segregation is
gone. King uses allusions to acknowledge the places that have strong segregation to show that those states need to change and to unite the country into letting freedom ring from every hill or mountain in their whole country. He alludes to many different states and shouts "let freedom ring from the prodigious hilltops of New Hampshire…mighty mountains of New York…heightening Alleghenies of Pennsylvania…snow-capped Rockies of Colorado…curvaceous slopes of California"(104-109). Each individual state is named so that the people in New Hampshire, New York, Pennsylvania, and everyone in the country to know that they need to have freedom ring from everywhere and anywhere. These allusions to all of these states unite the country so that all of the people know how non-segregation is important. Another argumentative device King uses is Pathos to give hope to those who have given up and to give spirit and passion those who still believe. He says to them "knowing that somehow this situation can and will be changed" (69-70). King promises the people who are listening that they will be freed and they will not have to go through segregation much longer. Even though they must still work hard this gives the audience hope that the situation can and will be changed. King uses many different devices of speech to move the audience to follow him to freedom. This speech, with the 250,000 people that listened affected the whole country and its march for freedom. It caused the people to look back and actually see all the things that were wrong with their country and want to change it.
In his Letter from Birmingham Jail, Martin Luther King Jr. uses his personal experience to convince others of the importance of revising the segregation laws that were in place during the 1960’s. In paragraphs 13 and 14 in particular, there is a lot of language used to persuade the reader’s opinions and emotions toward King’s argument. He does this not only to convince his fellow clergymen, but to inform others of the reality that African Americans faced in the 60’s. Right away in paragraph 13, King uses irony to give his earlier statements about freedom the sense of urgency that it needs: “For years now, I have heard the word ‘Wait!’. It rings in the ear of every Negro with piercing familiarity.
King gets his point across, that segregation is unfair and morally not right, and that man has a responsibility to act against unjust laws, by using many different strategies throughout the letter. He uses logos, pathos, and ethos to do so. While using these devices he shows emotion, gives logic to his reasoning’s and gives credibility as well. First and foremost, King calmly responded to the statement from the clergymen that his non-violent direct action was “unwise and untimely”. King logically does so by describing the situation where the negro leaders tried many times to negotiate with the city fathers to remove racial barriers, but the promises never held true.
talks about how African Americans in the South were being arrested and publicly chastened by the police force for their nonviolent protests. But, he extols these protests because of what they stand for. He says they “…preserve the evil system of segregation…I wish you had commended the Negro demonstrators of Birmingham for their sublime courage, their willingness to suffer, and their amazing discipline in the midst of the most inhuman provocation” (94). Because these people were aiming to end the discrimination they were facing, and did this in a peaceful manner that respected their Judeo-Christian values that all men are created equal, King saw it as exactly what this oppressed group needed. They needed a push of confidence to know that they were being treated unjustly, and that they did have the power to stand up to
On August 28, 1963, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. gave the historical I Have a Dream speech on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C for the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. With an audience of about 250,00 people from all racial backgrounds, Dr. King addressed discrimination, prejudice and police brutality against African Americans, and his hopes and dreams of freedom for all people in the United States. Dr. King needed to have a dream because of the mistreatment African
King directly compares people who favor segregation to Adolf Hitler, and people in favor of equality to the Hungarian freedom fighters. By assigning such a bold title to the people who favor segregation he forces them to think about their position in the civil rights movement and also helps them realize that their actions are comparable to those of Hitler. By comparing himself and other pro-civil rights activists to the Hungarian freedom fighters, he shows a sign of pride in knowing that what he is doing is right.
He compares their situation as being on a “lonely island of poverty” (2) in a “vast ocean of material prosperity” (2) which displays the atrocious position of colored people and further expands on this by describing how “The Negro is still at the bottom of the economic ladder” (2) which presents the injustice faced by these impoverished population. His adopting of these phrases is in order influence his audience to not only realize the harsh realities, but to prompt them to seek true freedom for everyone. The examples employed by King leave the reader with a sense of understanding of why King has his powerful ambitions.
The idea of the interconnectedness of all is seen in the third paragraph, where he notes that “injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere”. He explains that we are “caught in an inescapable network” and thus, we cannot “afford to live” in ignorance of injustice occurring outside of one’s hometown; however, inaction has caused a need for a “nonviolent campaign”. King expresses this as a four step process where all steps have been taken and proves that there is a need for change in the “the most thoroughly segregated city” in America. He uses strong language to explain the “grossly unjust” treatment and “ugly record of brutality” in Birmingham that the city fathers” continuously ignore. Despite being “victims of broken promises”, the Negro community “began a series of workshops on nonviolence” for a direct action program. King explains that they had planned the program so that it would bring a “pressure” for
With this intention in mind, he brings up the notion that unjust laws are meant to be broken if the person breaking them has accepted the consequences or if breaking the law is for the bettering of society. King believed that if you break a law that your conscience deemed unjust and accept the punishment in order to make people think about the injustice that the law set in place, you have the highest respect for the law. As stated in the prior paragraph, King refers to the voting system in the state of Alabama and how it is corrupt. The way laws are being voted upon make them unjust, and, therefore, set a baseline for them to be broken. Towards the end of the passage, King brings to light how the police officers were commended for their actions of keeping the protesters in “order and preventing violence”. The white community believed that all laws were just because they did not negatively affect their lives. The black community speaking out and protesting against laws they viewed as unjust were perceived as obscene by the white community. This point of view demonstrates Kings beliefs that unjust laws are breakable, because while the white community in Alabama saw such protests as obscene and unneeded, the rest of the country tuned in to watch everything unfold.
Dr. King is an emotional, inspiring and strong speaker. His " I Have A Dream" speech tugs a deep root war of emotions in every American’s heart; therefore, this speech is the perfect display of pathos. Even though pathos overwhelm logo and ethos, they also very much present in his speech.
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.
One of the most influential speeches ever given on the earth was given on a potiumat the Lincoln Momorial in Washington D.C on August 28th 1963. The great speech was given by Martin Luther King Jr. who deciatied his time on earth to prove that all people are equal. Martin Luther used different parts of the English language to enhance the meaning of his speech and bring out the details. The different rhetorical devices, allusions to historic documents, and metaphors seemed to have brought about the emotions that King was trying to arouse in his listeners. This helped him influence his listeners towards wanting equality for all and changing what was happening in the present so they didn't repeat things in the past .
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was considering America’s pre-eminent advocate of nonviolence during the Civil Rights movement. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. led a march in Washington, D.C to the steps of the Lincoln Memorial for occupation and sovereignty among all men. There where hundreds to thousands of black and white Americans gathered to hear Dr. King’s speech. The “I Have a Dream” speech was focused on equality and human rights. Novkov says that “the speech presents a particular vision of guilt for racial discrimination, purification through the crucible of the civil rights movement.”(2007) The speech expresses personal involvements and beliefs that Dr. King witnessed firsthand during the Civil Rights Movement. Dr. King takes a stand and maintains
The famous speech of Martin Luther King 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.
In 1963, a great man delivered a monumental speech, which would be recorded in history as the greatest demonstration for freedom in the history of the United States of America. The man was Martin Luther King Jr. The speech was titled I have a dream. This speech was given on August 28, 1963, in Washington D.C., during the March on Washington. Overall this speech was immaculate. It was free of error and free of any logical fallacies. It was a well-rounded and extremely inspiring speech, which addressed the opposition with boldness, honor, and gravity.
I Have a Dream was a speech given by Martin Luther King Jr. This speech was delivered on the afternoon of Wednesday, August 28, 1963, on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial during the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. The speech was intended for the 250,000 civil rights supporters that attended. The speech addressed the topic of equality for the African Americans and the White people. The purpose of the speech was to address the issues of segregation and racism as a whole. King speaks about the issues of racism and segregation in America during the 1960’s. He encourages the use of non-violent protests and to fight for equality to help America solve the issue.