I have a dream free essay sample

What indicates that Kings words were meant primarily for an audience of listeners, and only secondarily for a reading audience? To hear these indications, try reading the speech aloud. What uses of parallelism do you notice? This essay has analyzed Dr. Kings I have a Dream speech for voice and rhetoric, through the analysis of his argument, how he supports that argument, the voice he uses in the speech and the audience at whom the speech is directed. It is obvious why over 200,000 people gathered peacefully in Washington D. C. to listen to Dr.  King deliver his speech. When we let freedom ring, when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of Gods children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands in the words of the old Negro spiritual, Free at last! thank God almighty, we are free at last! This entire last paragraph of Kings speech is an example of parallelism. We will write a custom essay sample on I have a dream or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page This shows that all of these different races and religions are no better than the other. Where in the speech does King acknowledge that not all of his listeners are African American? â€Å"It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream. †Here, in this sentence after announcing the theme, Dr. King continues to broaden the appeal of the speech to include all people, not only the blacks in the audience. With this single sentence he tells the rest of America that he and his followers believe in the same things as they do, and that there is no reason to fear. 3. How much emphasis does King place on the past? How much does he place on the future? On the past, there are 3 point he placed. Namely phrases from the Declaration of Independence, patriotic and religious documents and he also drew from the Bible in the Dream speech, focusing particularly on the tales that mirrored the political climate of the 1960s. 100 years after Lincoln stood before him, and that his message was to let freedom ring. He also want:That all men are created equal, we will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of character. The ethical appeal of Kings argument. Where in the speech, for instance, does he present himself as reasonable despite his passion? To what extant does his personal authority lend power to his words? His use of pathos is incredible as he strikes emotional values of both black and white people. His use of the bible causes an emotional response, ‘â€Å"And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed and all flesh shall see it together. † He is using the bible to provide a belief and faith in what he is saying is truth, and that all people will stand together. His use of metaphors throughout his speech is keeps his audience engaged in his fight for freedom, he states â€Å"And so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream. † (King) He uses the American dream to appeal to all Americans. He is saying that his dream is part of the American dream that we all deserve to have the freedom to dream. He also uses the appeal that he is a father and that he wants more for his children. â€Å"I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but the content of their character. † (King) This is allowing the listener to relate to him as a father and the aspirations we hold for our children. It provides a human appeal and uses pathos. He also uses logos in his analogies. When he states, â€Å"America has given the Negro people a bad check, a check which has come back marked ‘insufficient funds. ’† (King) His analogy is using logic as a form of reasoning. He reasons is that everyone understands money and that the listener is able to relate to being handed a bad check. 5. MIXED METHODS The description in paragraphs 2 and 4 depends on metaphor , a figure of speech in which one thing is said to be another thing. How do the metaphors in theses paragraphs work for Kings purpose? The second paragraph of the speech starts with â€Å"Five score years ago†, an allusion to Abraham Lincolns Gettysburg address. This is particularly poignant due to the fact that the speech was given on the steps of his memorial. A memorial to the president who passed the emancipation proclamation. Martin Luther King Jr. continues with comparing this (the emancipation proclamation) â€Å"momentous decree† to a â€Å"great beacon light† to those who had â€Å"been seared in the flames of withering injustice† in an example of a simile and then a metaphor. The metaphor is expanded to call the proclamation â€Å"a joyous daybreak† to a â€Å"long night. † The metaphors help prove Kings point through contrasting two abstract concepts through tangible things. The last sentence of the second paragraph is the first of many references to the bible. In comparing Psalms â€Å"For his anger is but for a moment; his favor is for a lifetime. Weeping may linger for the night, but joy comes with the morning† to Kings line â€Å" It came as a joyous daybreak to end the long night of their captivity† the parallels can be seen. The use of biblical references helps link the work of MLK to the bible and divine things. Southerners being in the â€Å"bible belt† and dominantly Christian, this reference to the bible strikes home to these slaveholders. I Have a Dream free essay sample This speech took place in Washington, D. C in the shadow of the Lincoln Memorial where hundreds of thousands of black and white Americans gathered to hear MLK make history. In his speech, MLK frequently called for an immediate end to segregation, and spoke of the injustices that blacks have faced in their fight for equality. This speech had a profound effect on the Civil Rights Movement, because only a short time after this speech was delivered, the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965 were passed, proving the true significance of this speech. MLK’s speeches and peaceful demonstrations incited change in the hearts and minds of Americans nationwide. He took an enormous risk in delivering this speech, knowing that many white folks, as well as the US government would surely want his head for delivering a speech such as this one. However, he stood tall and brave, and inspired an entire nation to change. We will write a custom essay sample on I Have a Dream or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Therefore, through MLK’s masterful use of allusion, metaphors, ethos, pathos, and rhetorical questions, he was able to prove to all Americans that racism and segregation are not the intended foundations of America. As MLK delivered his speech on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial he alluded to Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address, saying, â€Å"Five score years ago, a great American, in whose symbolic shadow we stand today, signed the Emancipation Proclamation. † MLK’s reference to Lincoln established authority into his speech. Lincoln was a very powerful who played a critical role in shaping America in his time as President. He empowered the American people throughout the civil war, gained the trust of America and established a new sense of freedom that would live on until today. MLK is invoking the authority of Lincoln to strengthen his own view on civil rights. Therefore, this quote provides a strong appeal to ethos, and establishes credibility with his audience. MLK also alludes to the Declaration of Independence to bring authority to his cause for racial equality as he quotes, ‘â€Å"unalienable Rights† of â€Å"Life, Liberty and the pursuit of happiness. † The utilization of this quote is for the purpose of showing that MLK has a supreme authority on his side. He is stating that the American government has not lived up to this promise to all American citizens, and has neglected to safeguard its authority. By doing so, he establishes his credibility, by referring to the authority of a great American, and our own Constitution. Metaphors, another useful rhetorical device, are essential to help audiences fully understand an idea. It compares an idea with something the audience is familiar with, which brings about feelings such as ethos and pathos. MLK used metaphors to further address his point to the audience in a clear, create, and concise manor. He uses a plethora of fairly complicated metaphors in his speech, claiming that by â€Å"the Constitution and Declaration of Independence,† the forefathers of America were â€Å"signing a promissory note† that all men, regardless of the color of their skin, were to be granted equal rights. MLK then goes on to say on behalf of the blacks, the US government has given them a â€Å"bad check,† a bad check that does not promise them the same rights that have been given to the white population. Later on, MLK says that many equal rights activists and the passive, quiet ones too tired to fight, have been â€Å"battered by the storms of persecution† and the â€Å"winds of police brutality. † Through this metaphor, MLK displays the supporters of the Jim Crow laws, laws that destroyed the lives of many southern African-Americans, in a negative way. Both of these metaphors are related to ethos, because the first metaphor relates to the human ethic of keeping promises between one another. Meanwhile, the second metaphor speaks of torture, something that evokes pathos in the reader, who can feel the pain of African-Americans in their fight for freedom. Finally, MLK utilizes a variety of metaphors when affirming that with faith, it is possible to alter the â€Å"jangling discords† of the segregated US, and transform it into a â€Å"beautiful symphony of brotherhood. † This metaphor, on the other hand, is related to alliteration, as the audience immediately feels good because the euphony created by this word choice. These metaphors used by MLK are aimed to make the audience, as well as the world, recognize that continued racial injustice would lead to complete chaos in the future, while racial equality will lead to a beautiful society for centuries to come. Therefore, MLK convinced the world that by giving blacks equal rights, the entire nation as a whole would greatly benefit. MLK utilized a series of rhetorical questions, as well as ethos and pathos, to enhance the meaning of his speech. He used the rhetorical question, â€Å"When will you be satisfied? † in order to stir up the feelings of black folks in attendance. When in the middle section of his speech, MLK says that whites ask black activists when blacks will be satisfied with their position in society. He then answers this question by stating that blacks will not be satisfied as long as long as social equality is not achieved. MLK then conjures up the feelings of blacks in the crowd with his rhetorical question, by including the various examples of racial injustices towards black citizens when he answers himself. This is intended to display pathos, as it is very effective in bringing upon the anger and frustration felt by the large majority of black citizens in the crowd. Therefore, the rhetorical question is useful to MLK, as it excites African-American’s feelings towards racism. In turn, this inspires them to do everything possible to end the injustices they have been endured for the past centuries. Through MLK’s masterful use of allusion, metaphors, ethos, pathos, and rhetorical questions, he was able to prove to all Americans that racism and segregation are not the intended foundations of America. MLK’s most famous speech was the â€Å"I Have a Dream† speech given in 1963 during one of the most famous marches in history, the 200,000-strong â€Å"March on Washington For Jobs and Freedom. † At the time, America was in the grips of racism and segregation, making the lives of many blacks a living hell. â€Å"I Have a Dream,† however, played a major step into changing that. It managed to inspire a generation of blacks to never give up and made thousands of white Americans bitterly ashamed of their actions, forging a new start for society. Even now, it continues to make generations of people, not just Americans, give up their racist beliefs and advocate for social equality. Without MLK, America would be most likely heavily segregated today. Other than the speech’s heartwarming and moving content, King’s effective use of allusion, metaphors, ethos, pathos, and rhetorical questions clearly reveal the reason why â€Å"I Have a Dream† is a masterpiece of rhetoric. His excellent ability to blend his stirring rhetoric, with exquisite use of literary devices persuaded hundreds of thousands of people to support the blacks instead of treating them unfairly, and is why this speech changed the course of American history for centuries to come.