Rhetorical Analysis Of Martin Luther Kings Speech

On August 28, 1963, Martin Luther King Jr delivered one of the most influential speeches in American history. America was in the thick of the Civil Rights Movement, and Martin Luther King Jr desperately wanted to mend the deep tear in our country. King stood on the Lincoln memorial, and impacted the nation with his words. King spoke about the injustices of segregation and discrimination of African Americans that was taking place in the United States at that time. In his first statement King wrote, â€Å"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 was determined to unite as one, and cure our country of racial injustice through this speech, and†¦show more content†¦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. It is obvious today that America has defaulte d on this promissory note, insofar as her citizens of color are concerned. The inclusion of the Declaration of Independence was so vital in King’s speech, because there are so many people, in America, that live and die by it. Incorporating this allusion into the speech created a sense that people need to stand by their country and fight for the people inside it. King’s speech is also unique in a way, because of its emotional appeal to the audience, and the country. By creating a connection, and an emotional response, King is able to make his argument more convincing. King writes, Now is the time to make real the promises of democracy. Now is the time to rise from the dark and desolate valley of segregation to the sunlit path of racial justice. Now is the time to lift our nation from the quicksands of racial justice to the solid rock of brotherhood. Now is the time to make justice a reality for all of Gods children. King uses imagery, metaphors, and anaphoric language t o make his point very clear. Repeating, â€Å"now is the time†, shows how King, and the country, were ready for a change, and they were not going to wait any longer. King is comparing segregation to a dark, desolate valley, and racialShow MoreRelatedThe Rhetorical Analysis Of Martin Luther Kings Speech895 Words   |  4 Pagesfor change. Martin Luther King was a Baptist minister and social activist who spent countless years, fighting for a civil rights. It was on the date of August 28th, 1963, on the steps of the Lincoln memorial is where King made his leap of faith and spoke out on the injustice of African Americans. His dream for African Americans to be equal, appealed to the emotions of his audience. The desire to live a civil life and not be oppressed was felt by many. Martin Luther King delivered a speech that wouldRead MoreRhetorical Analysis Of Martin Luther Kings I Have A Dream Speech1230 Words   |  5 Pages Rhetorical Analysis Essay on Martin Luther King’s â€Å"I have a dream† speech Professor Hailemarkos Worke ENGL 102 Sefra Belay September 29, 2017 Rhetorical Analysis Essay In Washington DC, on August 28, 1963 was the day that Martin Luther King, Jr. gave his â€Å"I have a dream† speech. According to Kennedy X.J., et al. in their book, The Brief Bedford Reader, Martin Luther King was an American Baptist minister who became the first president of the Southern Christian Leadership ConferenceRead MoreRhetorical Analysis Of Martin Luther Kings I Have A Dream Speech724 Words   |  3 PagesRhetorical Analysis M.L.K â€Å"I have a dream† Speech On August 28th 1963, Civil Rights activist, Martin Luther King Jr. made his infamous â€Å"I Have a Dream† speech. In the speech, King confronts the mistreatment of the African American community and the lack of free will they contain in society. Throughout the mid-1900s, the Civil Rights Movement took place, influenced by centuries of cruelty towards the African Americans.. The most influential speech in the modern era was said in front of thousands ofRead MoreRhetorical Situation Analysis of Martin Luther Kings Dream Speech744 Words   |  3 PagesWashington D.C., Martin Luther King, Jr. delivered a 17-minute public speech to over 200,000 supporters of the Civil Rights Movement. King’s â€Å"I Have a Dream† speech was a response to continued racial bias nearly 100 years after the end of slavery and a call to action, meant to unify the country in the fight to end segregation. King used his time at the historic event to urge Americans, of all races, to work toge ther throughout the country to ensure equality for all citizens. Though King’s delivery ofRead MoreRhetorical Analysis of Martin Luther Kings I Have A Dream Speech810 Words   |  4 Pages Martin Luther King’s speech was made after the March on Washington on August 28, 1963. He delivered the â€Å"I Have a dream† speech on the Lincoln Memorial steps. He verbalized this speech to millions of people blacks and whites. This is one of the greatest speeches because it has many elements like repetition, assonance and consonance, pathos, logos, and ethos. Repetition in M.L.K.’s Speech Martin Luther King uses a lot of repetition in his speech. They are scattered throughout but veryRead MoreRhetorical Analysis of Martin Luther Kings I Have A Dream Speech852 Words   |  4 Pagesmesmerizing speech by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. It was delivered to the thousands of Americans on August 28, 1963, during the March on Washington. Aimed at the entire nation, King’s main purpose in this speech was to convince his audience to demand racial justice towards the mistreated African Americans and to stand up together for the rights afforded to African American under the Constitution. To further convey this purpose more effectively, King cleverly makes use of the rhetorical devices — ethosRead More Rhetorical Analysis of Martin Luther Kings I Have A Dream Speech987 Words   |  4 PagesIn a period of time where few were willing to listen, Martin Luther King, Jr. stood proudly, gathered and held the attention of over 200,000 people. Martin Luther King, Jr.’ s â€Å"I Have a Dream† speech was very effective and motivational for African Americans in 1963. Many factors affected Kings’ speech in a very positive manner; the great emotion behind the words, delivering the speech on the steps of the memorial of the President who defeated slavery. And not only was this message beautifully writtenRead MoreRhetorical Analysis of Martin Luther Kings I Have A Dream Speech1409 Words   |  6 Pages More than 40 years ago, in August 1963, Martin Luther King electrified America with his momentous ‘I Have A Dream’ speech, dramatically delivered from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. His soaring rhetoric demanding racial justice and an integrated society became a mantra for the black community and is as familiar to subsequent generations of Americans as the US Declaration of Independence. His words proved to be a touchstone for understanding the social and political upheaval of the timeRead More Rhetorical Analysis of Martin Luther Kings I Have A Dream Speech1751 Words   |  8 PagesMartin Luther King Jr.’s â€Å"I Have a Dream† speech was made to thousands of people at the Washington Monument while facing the Lincoln Memorial on August 28, 1963. Dr. King called upon Americas to consider all people, both black and white, to be united, undivided and free. His rhetoric harkened back a hundred years past when the Emancipation Proclamation was enacted during Abraham Lincoln’s term as president which abolished slavery and allowed all people living in America to be equal and have equalRead MoreRhetorical Analysis of Martin Luther Kings I Have A Dream Speech1089 Words   |  5 PagesThe famous â€Å"I Have a Dream† speech delivered by Martin Luther King, Jr. at the historic March in Washington in August 1963 effectively urged the US government to take actions and to finally set up equality between the black and white people in America. Although there were many factors that contributed to the success of the speech, it was primarily King’s masterly use of different rhetorical instruments that encouraged Kennedy and his team to take further steps towards racial equality. King effectively