Rhetorical Analysis Of Martin Luther King's I Have A Dream Speech

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On 28 August 1963, Martin Luther King Jr. took the podium at the Lincoln Memorial to make one of the most memorable speeches of all time, now fondly known as, ‘ I Have A Dream’. He begins by reminding the nation that the equal treatment of African Americans was long overdue. It had been exactly one hundred years since Abraham Lincoln signed the emancipation proclamation in 1863. Although African Americans were free, they now faced another problem, segregation. This segregation not only viewed them as lesser humans, but also inhibited their growth as a people. Martin Luther King Jr. speaks of the constitution, which should stand true for both black and white men and women. He used the parable of a bad check to show how African Americans were …show more content…

He recognized the pain and persecution that African Americans had been through and reminded them that not all white people were racist bigots, and used their presence at the rally as proof. Even though he discouraged them from violence, he encouraged them not to stand down until their rights were realized fully. His speech is dotted with scripture based lines, strategically placed to put his points across. “I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, every hill and mountain shall Onyango 2 be made low, the rough places will be made plain and the crooked places shall be made straight and the glory of the Lord will be revealed and all flesh shall see it together.” This, according to me, was the most powerful part of the speech. The valleys and mountains and crooked places were an indication of the state of America. He wanted the valleys (oppressed people) to be exalted and the mountains and hills (oppressors), to be made low and levelled. This speech is my favorite speech of all time. The points he put across were very important but the way he put them across was magnificent. His choice of words and poetic style of putting them together made the speech an all-time favorite for many. It is important to

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