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The role of martin luther king jr
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Martin Luther King Jr. addressed followers of the civil rights movement on the 3rd day of April in the year 1968. The speech Martin Luther King Jr. delivered has been titled “I’ve Been to the Mountaintop.” Throughout his speech Dr. King Jr. uses a variety of literary devices and emotional appeal such as, anaphora, allusion, repetition, eloquent language, and ethos, in order to create an impactful and determinant opening statement to those gathered before him in Memphis, Tennessee. Martin Luther King Jr. commences his speech with the use of repetition in order to set the tone of his argument and elaborate on his efforts to come. Dr. King Jr. repeats the phrase “But I wouldn’t stop there” in the last sentence of each paragraph, paragraphs 2-8, to not only connect the ideas at hand but also to emphasize his mentality on the “age [he] would like to live in.” Dr. King is speaking to the crowd gathered about what he would do if he could change the time period in which he lived and how it would change his life. He used repetition specifically so that he can connect the variety of time periods he would have enjoyed to live in. King also uses anaphora throughout his opening words in order to provide the same sense of …show more content…
repetition but to refer back to a central, main idea. King uses anaphora in paragraph two, as well as many other paragraphs, with the phrase “ something is happening,” ”Something is happening in Memphis; something is happening in our world.” Dr. King uses the original statement of “something is happening” to create a foundation for a formidable stance. Due to the powerful ethos of Martin Luther King Jr., people are more likely to listen and adhere to his beliefs when he states and explains a problem amongst society. Martin Luther King Jr. uses his knowledge of world history and eloquent language in within his opening words in order to express characteristics catering to the ethos of himself toward his audience. King uses phrases such as “I would move on by Greece, and take my mind to Mount Olympus,” “I would go on even to the great heyday of the Roman Empire,” and “I would come on up even to 1863 and watch a vacillating president by the name of Abraham Lincoln” to prove his knowledge of world history and chronology. He implicitly asserts his wisdom and life experience when he talks of a variety of historical events he wished to have lived through. He also includes eloquent language such as the words “vacillating,” aethetic,” and “eloquent” to display his level of scholastic ability. His wisdom and life experience builds a strong ethos and allows his audience to trust his word and decisions as well as to focus closely on the entirety of his speech. Dr. King Jr. uses the historical events not only to convey his knowledge but also to draw to allusions. Martin Luther King Jr.
provides a series of allusions within the first eight paragraphs in order to display his determination to not only become a better person, but to also discuss characteristics that would promote and further improve the quality of society. King ends each description of historical event with the impact it had on society he would witness such as “[discussing] the great and eternal issues of reality,” “developments around [the Roman Empire], through various emperors and leaders,” and the impact the “Renaissance [had on] cultural and aesthetic life of man.” The same allusions to historical events provide lessons he would take from living in that time period. These allusions help Dr. King Jr. push change in society to his
audience. Martin Luther King Jr. incorporates repetition, anaphora, ethos, eloquent language, and allusion to create a beautiful and powerful opening to a timeless speech. King successfully addresses his views and asserts his stance on society by using this variety of literary devices and rhetoric. The opening paragraphs create a well-developed foundation for the body paragraphs and conclusion of his speech “I’ve Been to the Mountaintop.”
It is no secret that Martin Luther King Jr. did great things. We have learned in school that he was a leader in the movement to desegregate the South. He has served as a role model for people across the globe. But even though Martin did change the world for the better, it was not without hardships. We gathered new information on Dr. King in the essay, “Heeding the Call” by Diana Childress. From his childhood to his last days, Martin faced massive opposition. Still, all of these challenges brought Martin the wisdom and idealism he used throughout his life.
In Martin Luther King Jr. “I Have a Dream” speech; he used a bunch of repetition such as a hundred years later; I have a dream; we must; and let freedom ring. When doing this it makes the reader understand that the author is trying to get his point across. He used
This idea of “waiting” has been presented to them for years, yet change has not happened. Therefore, the need to fight for justice is a right that they have as American people. In his letter, specifically throughout paragraphs 13 and 14, King expresses his urgency through many different rhetorical devices such as metaphors, periodic sentences and anaphora. These rhetorical devices work together to create the powerful tone and structure of his letter. In other words, the period sentence is formed by anaphora, which is further strengthened by emotional metaphors. Essentially, Martin Luther King hoped to establish the necessity of fighting for freedom rights rather than waiting for no change to
King opens his speech by urging the African American population to be active and aware. He utilizes recurrent phrases in his speech suggesting that it is vital to “remain awake” (1) during revolutions expressing that people must intervene to acquire justice in all aspects of their lives, and by claiming that it is detrimental
King’s ability to communicate the plight of the disenfranchised of American society helped galvanize a generation and change the social fabric of an entire nation. Works Cited King Jr., Martin L. “Letter From Birmingham Jail”. A World of Ideas. Ed. Lee A. Jacobus, Ph.D. Boston/New York: Bedford/St. Martin, J.D. & Co., 1998.
Both Old Major and Martin Luther King Jr used repetition in their speeches. In a speech the repetition or restatement of an idea at intervals not only promotes clarity but encourages the acceptance of an idea. Old Major uses repetition to help the audience understand the message that he is trying to get across. Old Major repeats “Comrades” in his speech (Orwell 6-7). By doing this he is making the animals apart of the speech, as if they have a purpose, and for them to fight for what they feel is right. Not only does Old Major use repetition in his speech, so does Martin luther King Jr in the “I have a dream” speech. “Now” is repeated to unify the audience, Martin Luther King Jr is inferring that now i...
Martin Luther King uses a lot of repetition in his speech. They are scattered throughout but very close. One of the repetitions in his speech is “I have a dream.” He uses this phrase to show what he sees in the future of America. One of the phrases he uses with it is: “I have a dream that one day this nation will and live out the true meaning of its creed: we hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal.” Another is “I have a dream that my four 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 nature. I have a dream today.” (King, M. L. Jr. (1963, Aug.28) Para 12) Two other repetitions he uses is “Let freedom ring” and “Free at last.” (King, M. L. Jr. (1963, Aug.28) Para 16&17)
Dr. KING: "My goal was to draw on traditional American values and deep traditional Christian values in the cause of civil rights and to use the mass media. I knew that television was now putting daily events right into people's living rooms every single day, and if I could shape the way the black movement was presented it would have a powerful effect on public opinion. I used television, in effect, to force white America to think, to face up to what it really wanted the country to be. I knew that Americans are not willing to stand by with all this injustice existing?
King peacefully pleads for racial tolerance and the end of segregation by appealing to the better side of white Americans. His attempt to persuade America about the justice of his cause, and to gain support for the civil rights movement was emotionally moving. He spoke to all races, but his rhetoric was patriotic, and culturally similar to, and focused on African-Americans. He was able to make practical use of a history many Americans are proud of. The use of repetition reinforced his words making it simpler and more straightforward to follow. His speech remains powerful because it is still relevant today, like economic injustices and stereotyping. This reading can be applied to remedying current issues of stereotyping, racism, and discrimination by changing white racial resentment and eliminating racial
Martin Luther King, Jr was an exceptional orator who knew how to persuade an audience into adopting his own beliefs and changing their perspectives through the way he weaved language techniques into his speeches. To add further impact, he delivered his message in a dominant, strong, emotional way in order to show that the African-American society were not afraid to fight against the unjustly treatment they endured for so long and that they weren’t taking no for an answer in regards to civil rights.
Martin Luther King, Jr. was a minister and a social activist. He was known as the man who led the Civil rights movement. He applied philosophy, religion, and laws in his arguments. He quotes the clergymen when they say his activities are “unwise and untimely” (King 411) The clergymen are pretty much saying King should have waited. He goes against that statement by saying, “Actually time is neutral; it can be used either destructively or constructively” (King 418). Ultimately King was responding to the clergymen’s letter and addressing the problem of segregation. King utilizes literary and rhetorical strategies in order to get his point across and he does it
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.
and many more. Dr . King uses repetition many times during the speech to get his message across like
Repetition is useful to show the audience the importance of the subject and the urgency to react. King’s historic speech in 1963 has held great symbolic value not only for the African Americans, but also for all of the equal rights supporters of every age and race. He was the first one who really fought for the same rights of African Americans and therefore inspired other people to live his dream and to continue his work for racial equality. Work Cited King, Martin Luther Jr. “I Have a Dream”.
Dr. King had been one of the greatest leading person during the 21st century. Fifty years later till this day, the message he has portrayed, is still being reviewed today. The ideas that King had brought along in his speeches would still be relevant to civil problems that are occurring in the United States currently. One of the most incredible moments in his life at the time was when he conveyed his tendency from human rights onto the stage of the world; educating the listeners, while obtaining the Nobel Peace Prize Award.