Diction In I Have A Dream Speech

King references back to the magnificent words of the Constitution/Declaration of Independence, the Emancipation Proclamation and biblical verses. This helped the people perceive his passion for freedom and equality. He appeals to their ethics and values by quoting the Declaration of Independence “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.” He called for the equality of blacks as is promised to all citizens in the sacred Declaration of Independence. King says “Five score years ago” at the beginning of his address which rounds back one hundred years ago to Abraham lincoln's symbolic “Four Score”speech and ties in with the signing of Emancipation Proclamation which significance was of great importance to African american slaves because it gave them their freedom from slavery. “ it came to a joyous daybreak to end the long night of their captivity” his biblical reference gives hope to the people like the bible gives hope to those that believe they can be saved by God. Now is the time, they must take a step toward equality together as a

I have a dream that one day everyone will understand what Martin Luther King Jr said in his infamous speech on August 28, 1963, and recognize the power and beauty in his words. In the “I Have a Dream” speech, Martin Luther King, Jr. persuades the citizens of the United States that they should no longer accept segregation, and all men should be created equal, as our Constitution states. In this fight though, we can not use violence, but use the power of words, and not stop until every human being is free. This speech was given in a time where black people were made to think that they were equal with white people, when in actuality, they were “separate but equal” which is not the same thing. This is when called segregation flourished and eventually, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. had enough of this injustice and he spoke out to the citizens of the United States and the world to fight for freedom. This speech used all of the rhetorical devices: ethos, logos, and pathos, and it used such powerful, discrete language that not only persuaded the reader, but entertained them, drawing in his audience after every word. Its rhythm made it stay with people, haunting them. He truly made it clear of the awful ways the African American people were being treated, connecting to them, making them feel something, making the reader want to listen to him and follow King with every step he took.

On August 28th 1963, Martin Luther King gave his first “I have a dream” speech. He presented his speech at the Lincoln Memorial to make a point about the injustices of segregation and how to stop all the racism against African Americans. He wants to show that one day everyone will be free and be able to participate in obstacles no matter what your skin color is. King uses ethos, pathos and logos throughout his speech to help grab the audience’s attention and make them want to do as he says.

Martin Luther king Jr. was a man of very powerful and influential words. He used this gifts to inspire and provoke, not just African Americans, but people from all over the U.S. In the speech, “I Have a Dream” Dr. King stated, “I have a dream that one day,

He does this by opening his speech with, “Five score years ago, a great American, in whose symbolic shadow we stand today, signed the Emancipation Proclamation.” He chose to open his speech by alluding to Abraham Lincoln, because he freed the Negros in the south and played a major role in abolishing slavery all together. In the Emancipation Proclamation, Lincoln declares that all slaves located in states rebelling against the federal government during the Civil War shall be free. “Lincoln called the emancipation ‘a fit and necessary war measure for suppressing said rebellion,’ (Blight 105). This action “slowly but surely transformed the scale and meaning of the Civil War… (101). He further establishes his credibility by quoting the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, two historical documents that guarantee all citizens of the United States of America equal rights and opportunities regardless of race. From the beginning of his speech to the end, King continuously repeats “we,” and by doing this he is allowing his audience to know that they must work together in the fight for equality because “things can and will be

“I have a dream” is a renowned speech given by the late Martin Luther King Jr at the Lincoln Memorial in 1963 during the “March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom”, in front of a large audience of about 250000 people. In his speech, King speaks in favor of the Negro rights and appeals for a change in the situation of racial discrimination and poverty that people of color faced back in those days. With his moving and impactful words, King speaks for the Negros who faced injustice and still lived difficult lives in the chains of poverty and discrimination despite the official liberation of America by Abraham Lincoln, hundreds of years ago.

“I have a dream” by Martin Luther King Jr. is one of the most powerful and influential speech in history. He gave the speech on August 28,1963 at the Lincoln Memorial, where over 200,000 people had gathered. Martin Luther King Jr. was the leader of the civil right in the United State. In the speech, he spoke about the injustice of segregation and discrimination of African Americans that was taking place in the US nation at the time. The speech is an important step in the civil rights movement, because without it, his views on freedom and equality would never reach the hearts of the America people. He masterly use ethos, pathos, and logos in his rhetoric to the right proof to all Americans that racism and segregation is not the intended foundation of America.

The United States of America was and still is a contradictory statement because of the long history of systematic oppression and racism. At the age of 35, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was a catalyst for the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s. On the footsteps of the Lincoln memorial, Dr. King delivered the famous “I Have a Dream” speech and outlined his vision for a united, United States of America. Dr. King uses personal anecdotes to convey his ‘dream’, vivid imagery, and several rhetorical devices to make a compelling speech to his audience.

The speech begins with a compelling use of diction to create a sense of emotional and logical appeal to the audience. He uses strong words to show the conditions in which the blacks have been put under. By using emotionally connotative words like “the Negro is still badly crippled” to describe the conditions in which the blacks have been put through,(king par.8) “we have come here to dramatize the shameful conditions” to connect his audiences to his main intentions and key concerns. These are emotive words that are meant to passionately conjure the feelings of outrage at the situation of the African-American. These words are intended to make his audiences question their reality, see the need for change and gain the passion for soldiering on with the civil rights clamor. Throughout his speech, the powerful diction is meant to emphasize on the structural injustices. He uses positive diction like “freedom” and “brotherhood”(king par. 27) to give hope to his audiences.

“I have a Dream” speech symbolized the chaos in 1963; Martin Luther King Jr. used it to give hope to the hundreds of thousands of African-Americans who marched for freedom, and also to create a vision of better times to come. At the same times, he was able to make the white people feel embarrassed by their actions. He started his speech by saying “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 country” (121). King Jr. conveys very strongly to his audience at the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, in DC, that their presence would bring out big changes for African-Americans, and it would never be forgotten. Once again he gives the audience signs by his words that there is hope ahead. King Jr. talks directly about the living conditions of the blacks, “the life of the Negro is still crippled by the manacles of segregation and the chains of discrimination” and that the African-Americans are living “on a lonely island of poverty in the midst of a vast ocean of material prosperity” (121). This insinuates to the whites the living conditions of the blacks, and at the same time makes his audience,

Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. gave his famous “I Have a Dream” speech in 1963, which addressed the injustice and oppression of African-Americans by white men and women. During the time of the Civil Rights movement, King dreams of a time when “little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers”. The purpose of the speech was to open the eyes of all Americans of the hatred that African-Americans experience every single day and he calls a stop to racism. King emphasizes to the United States government that the black community needs more rights that will put them at an equal level as the white community. In order to reach the audience in a meaningful way, King uses rhetorical devices that accentuates his message.

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr's “I Have a Dream” takes place in 1963 from the Lincoln Memorial during the ‘March on Washington’. More than 250,000 people attended this rally for freedom and equality and held witness as King addressed them in his inspirational speech. King’s purpose of this speech was to use the art of rhetoric to build emotion and encourage change within his community. He used rhetorical devices such as metaphors and allusions to shed a light on the prejudice and discrimination that black Americans face everyday. His tone remained solemn yet hopeful for a new tomorrow as he encouraged his fellow Americans to take action and actively fight the prejudice in a peaceful and dignified manner.

I think one of the most crucial aspects to King’s speech was his fundamental message to create a union between people of all races. I think the most admirable part is how the focus is directed on the urgency of black American’s rights, and not on those responsible for the

Engulfed by a throng of people and sweat highlighting the contour of his face, Martin Luther King Jr., delivered one of the most exemplary speeches till this day. "I Have a Dream," essentially proclaims that African Americans should not be stripped of their equality and freedom opposed to their white brothers. King's aspirations have resonated with many as the American dream. Although the dream is universal, today America grapples with creating a utopia where all of God's children do not see color or creed. Martin Luther King Jr., begins his speech by saying, "Five score years ago.

“I have a dream,” perhaps some of the most widely known words that will always be remembered in our nation’s history. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. not only had a way with his powerful words, but also with the way that he carried himself in a professional and highly educated manner. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. used several rhetorical devices in his, “I have a dream speech,” but none more powerful than the point he was trying to convey to the African American community and to the nation that was listening. He would not stop until African Americans had justice, real freedom, and rights. His “I have a dream speech” took place at the