The undreamt off effects of Martin Luther's King speech

Martin Luther Kings I have a Dream

Everyone has a dream. So did Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. In his famous I have a dream speech. He addresses serious issues concerning the issues of civil rights. The reason this speech was so successful and memorable was because he addressed it to a mixed audience of more than 200,000 civil rights supporters. Anybody who agreed with what he stood for marched to the nations capital to hear this speech. Civil Rights supporters could not only understand what he was saying but also relate to the cause.

Martin Luther King Jr. made his speech so easy to understand because a lot of his audience may have been victims of slavery and many of them were just learning or still didnt know how to read. For that reason he had to put his speech into lament terms so that his audience could better understand his message. The devices that Martin Luther King used that made his speech such a success are repetition.

Get quality help now

writer-Charlotte

Verified writer

Proficient in: Martin Luther King I Have a Dream

4.7 (348)

“ Amazing as always, gave her a week to finish a big assignment and came through way ahead of time. ”

+84 relevant experts are online

Hire writer

For example, his use of I have a dream is constantly repeated. People often remember things that they hear over and over again. Not only did he repeat this phrase, but he also put it at the end of his speech, which is a very powerful tool in presenting an argument because people often remember most the last thing that they hear. It was not by accident that King, in writing this speech decided to repeat this particular phrase at the end of his speech.

Another device he uses that was very effective, is quotes from other famous speeches that were also successful, for example All men would be guaranteed the unalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Is a quote from Thomas Jeffersons Declaration of Independence. His quote of Thomas Jeffersons Declaration of Independence was also not a mistake, the reason for this was not only for the effectiveness, but because the march was planned to go from Selma, Alabama, to the state capital of Montgomery, more than 50 miles away.

The goal of the march was to draw national attention to the struggle for black voting rights in the state. Police beat and tear-gassed the marchers just outside of Selma, and televised scenes of the violence, on a day that came to be known as Bloody Sunday, resulted in an outpouring of support to continue the march. SCLC petitioned for and received a federal court order barring police from interfering with a renewed march to Montgomery. Two weeks after Bloody Sunday, more than 3,000 people, including a core of 300 marchers who would make the entire trip, set out toward Montgomery. They arrived in Montgomery five days later, where King addressed a rally of more than 20,000 people in front of the capital building.

This proved to be effective not only because he was quoting lines from famous speeches but also because he was at the nations capital, which proved to be symbolic. This device used was also not a mistake. Other contributing devices used were things such as metaphors and confidence when he spoke. He was very sure of himself, his message, and the point he wanted to get across to his marchers.