Martin Luther King, Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" Speech

A very popular speech in history is the “I Have a Dream Speech”. This soul-stirring speech was the start of a new period in black history. Since Martin Luther King Jr spoke, the situation has become a lot different, but the fight continues. African Americans are still working to have the same rights. Nevertheless, King Jr implement his strong rhetoric to demonstrate his crowd a new way and to convince them to maintain joined. A very good exponent of Mahatma Gandhi’s idea of being passive and wanted both people of color and whites could coexist without fighting was King.

He visualized a better future for African Americans and a world in which whites and people of color could communal living and build a powerful society and nation free from prejudice. Millions of people discovered motivation and hope in King’s words. Martin Luther King Jr. presented this speech at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington DC on August 28, 1963. To come up with proof to all Americans that segregation and racism is not the expectation of America, King skilled uses Ethos, Pathos, and Logos in his speech.

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In his discourse, King often reminds acts in American history and makes mention of the leaders who placed the base of free America.

This attaches ethical attract to his talking. For example, he mentions Abraham Lincoln in his speech, “Five scores years ago, a great American, in whose symbolic shadow we stand today, signed the emancipation proclamation,” (King). The mention of Lincoln showed authority into it since he was an eminent and influential president.

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Lincoln authorize the Americans all over the civil war and obtained the faith of American people and began a new view of liberty. Martin Luther King is calling on the power of Lincoln and his perspective on civil war rights. This is giving a well-built ethos request and setting up trustworthiness with the spectators. Also, King utilizes the Declaration of Independence to appeal authority in his movement. He restates, “Unalienable rights of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness,” (Bible). King is saying that the American government has abandoned on the commitment to all American populations, and he is establishing his own reliability by taking advantage of the influence of an incredible American and constitution.

The utilization of pathos is impressive as King cames upon the emotional values of whites and people of color. To provoke a sentimental answer, he makes use of the bible, “And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together,” (Isaiah). King is utilizing the bible to give hope and trust in what he is expressing is verity, and that everybody will be on one’s feet. Also, the metaphors used all around his speech remain the people involved in his fight for getting the same rights. He says, “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 takes the American dream to engage to all American people. He is mentioning that his aspiration forms part of the American dream that everyone is worthy of having the liberty to dream. In addition, he mentions the fact that he is a father and wants more for his kids. He says. “I have a dream that my fourth 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 permitting the people to connect to him as a father, and the desire everyone keep for his/her children.

Updated: Mar 11, 2022
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Martin Luther King, Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" Speech. (2020, Sep 13). Retrieved from https://studymoose.com/martin-luther-king-jr-s-i-have-a-dream-speech-essay

Martin Luther King, Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" Speech essay
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