More handpicked essays just for you.
Literary devices in the famous dr. martin luther king jr speech
Martin Luther King Jr And The Civil Rights
Literary devices in the famous dr. martin luther king jr speech
Don’t take our word for it - see why 10 million students trust us with their essay needs.
Dr. King speech, “I have a dream” focuses on the termination of racism and African Americans having civil rights. The speech was delivered during the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom on August 28, 1963. To express his argument, he uses allusions, metaphors, and other literary devices. He fought for what he believed in and what African Americans needed. In Dr. King’s speech, he used metaphors to opinionate his argue and grasp the listeners’ attention. Halfway through his speech, he uses a metaphor in which he did not want his protesters to react with hatred. King stated, “Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred.” In that quote, Martin Luther King Jr wants his protesters to react in a non-violent way rather than reacting in a violent way for equality. He wanted the people in the crowd to know that they are there to protest for freedom and justice. Martin Luther also stated, “So we have come to cash this check — a check that will give us upon demand the riches of freedom and the security of justice.” This quote means that Dr. King and his protesters oppose an argument for their freedom and justice. …show more content…
To grasps his audience’s attention, he uses allusion to opinionate his argue.
At the very beginning he used an allusion to express where they were without mentioning it explicitly. Dr. King exclaimed, “Five score years ago, a great American, in whose symbolic shadow we stand today, signed the Emancipation Proclamation.” Dr. King’s opening phrase was an allusion to Abraham Lincoln's memorial in which he gave his speech at. At the end of his speech, he quotes an allusion. He also stated, “sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual: "Free at last! Free at last! Thank God Almighty, we are free at last.” In this quote, Dr. King quotes a bible song to end his
speech. Metaphors are used to compare one thing to another. He uses a metaphor to compare how African Americans was treated. Martin Luther exclaimed, “This momentous decree came as a great beacon light of hope to millions of Negro slaves who had been seared in the flames of withering injustice.” This quote is referring to the Emancipation Proclamation. The Emancipation Proclamation freed African Americans. Dr. King said, “It came as a joyous daybreak to end the long night of their captivity.” This quotes means that after a while of being slaves it was rapturous to be free. Dr. King was a very smart and courageous man, he used his platform to speech for the voiceless people. He was trying to ensure that every man and woman would be treated equally under the eyes of the law. To express his opinion, he uses allusions and metaphors. And until this day, Dr. King is still the most respected activist, and will always be honored, for his willingness to help others.
One device used throughout Dr. King’s speech is epistrophe. Epistrophe is the repetition of a word or words at the end of successive clauses or sentences. King applied this term when he stated, “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 3). Epistrophe is effective in this case because it puts emphasis on the fact that the Civil Rights Movement will always work together and will never forget or leave anybody behind to struggle alone. Without this term Dr. King loses a moment to unify the people and emphasis the importance that uniting together may one day bring freedom.
Martin Luther King, Jr., born on January 15, 1929, was well known for his nonviolent movement to bring justice and to an end to the segregation of the people in the United States back in the 1950s. With King being the leader of a peaceful protest, it failed to bring equally to the colored people. Martin Luther King, Jr. was labeled as an “outsider” who was “hatred and violence” and that his actions were “unwise and untimely” from the Public Statement by Eight Alabama Clergymen (clergymen). In response, on the day of April 16, 1963, he wrote the Letter from Birmingham Jail to declare and defense his movement was not “unwise and untimely” at all. To analyze his points, King used the powerful literary devices of pathos- use of an emotional appeal.ethos-
Dr. King’s speech starts off with a very strong and well calculated use of logos. He starts his speech with a historical background of African Americans situations in America. He enlightens the audience that 100 years earlier Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation which gave all the slaves their freedom. Then after that statement he says that 100 years later African Americans are still not free. Yes, they are no longer sl...
He starts of his speech by showing how the Emancipation of Proclamation was supposed to free them but didn’t. King says, “Five score years ago, a great American, in whose symbolic shadow we stand today, signed the Emancipation of Proclamation.” He then shows how the African Americans feel after this whole time of when they supposedly had their freedom. Dr. King shares, “One hundred years later, the Negro still languishes in th...
Including cultural legends such as the nations history of justice in his oration, Martin Luther King portrayed a style of mythos. King stated the fact that when our ancestors wrote the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, they signed a promissory note that would guarantee the inalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness to all men. At the beginning of his speech he also gave a symbolic example that they, in search for equality, have come to the nations capital to cash a check. "One that would provide riches of freedom and the security of justice." Martin Luther King established a common bond with so many protesters and citizens when he went on to say, "But we refuse to believe that the bank of justice is bankrupt…that there are insuffic...
In his speech he also uses many assonances and consonances. They are most occurring and mostly found at the end. One of them is “Free at last! Free at last! Thank God Almighty, we are free at last!” (King, M. L. Jr. (1963, Aug.28) Para 17) Others are “molehill of Mississippi”, “Lookout Mountain”, “curvaceous peaks of California”, and “Rockies of Colorado.” They all have the poetic feeling to them. (King, M. L. Jr. (1963, Aug.28) Para 16)
Dr. King first starts out all pumped up on a very light note. He is very optimistic about his speech in the very first line. However he bluntly addressed the issues of hardship, which African-Americans endured while America was beginning to become a stronger symbol of hope and freedom. He acknowledged the experience of wealth which his race became accustomed to, the ghetto poverty. He recognized the right of each color and pale man who contains the right to live, liberty, and the pursuit of true happiness. As bluntly as he began his speech, he boldly pointed out the Supreme Law of The Land- the Constitution - and quoted the Declaration of Independence as all.
Dr. King was talking to over 200,000 people who were with him when he made his speech and the millions of people who were at home watching on televisions. Dr. King used the Bible and the Declaration of Independence. He also chose to give the speech at the Lincoln Memorial, which is used as a symbol
Martin Luther King Jr’s most compelling point was that every person has the same rights
The author of the “I Have A Dream” speech is Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. King, known for his work in Civil Rights during the 1960s. In this informative speech, Dr. King inspires individuals to have a change in both white and black citizens during the Civil RIghts era in the United States. Moreover, the premise of the speech is that both sides of the discussion must accept change in a non-violent yet effective way. He spoke about the injustices of segregation and discrimination of black citizens that was occurring in our nation. As he opened, “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,” he explained what he was there to do for all citizens. He is
Martin Luther King's use of alluding to other historic documents, which also deal with equality issues, helped his speech reach the listener. These allusions were probably geared more towards the white listeners than it was towards the black because it provided textual evidence from past documents which stated that all men were created equal and all people should have the right to life liberty and the pursuit of happiness. King also makes a few allusions to the Bible; "Let us not seek to satisfy thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred," is the first allusion to the Bible in his speech.
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.”
Martin Luther King Junior’s famous speech “I have a Dream” has many amazing memorable references. For example one reference is “let freedom ring” which is in the last sentence before the last paragraph of his speech. Another reference according to Standord.edu is borrowed from a speech given by a minister by the name of Archibald Carey which was a politician and family friend of Mr. Kings. That speech was delivered on 8 July 8, 1952 at the Republican National Convention. One of the best references that Mr. King mentions in his speech is from the United States Constitution itself, he said “This note was a promise that all men, yes, black men as well as white men, would be guaranteed the “unalienable Rights” of “Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” I believe King was inspired by all the men he referenced in his speech therefore he decided to honor them by using their words to prove a point to his entire beloved country and all of it’s people.
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)
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