Category: Historical Figures

Introduction

It is not a secret that I have a Dream is the most famous, influential, and powerful speech of Martin Luther King. Its essence and concept consist of a vision of the future of the United States of America, where the white and black populations could coexist as equal citizens of their country. To date, the speech entitled I have a Dream is a universally recognized masterpiece of oratory, and many famous politicians have repeatedly considered it, polishing their rhetorical skills.

Rhetorical Analysis

Subject Matter and Goals of the Author

The main aspects of the authors speech are based on touching upon such issues as racial discrimination, inequality, and injustice towards a particular category of citizens. Martin Luther once said: I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed. King Jr. did not just recite, calling for reason, but touched listeners feelings and instilled his ideas and dream into their heads, which became common, and the nation began to believe in them.

The Authors Purpose and Audience

Consequently, the authors goal was to address fellow citizens and the countrys leadership with a description of a wonderful future, giving millions of African Americans a ray of hope. Moreover, King Jr.s speech was delivered in order to encourage the participants to further fight for their rights. Therefore, it was necessary to achieve broad opportunities for blacks in the United States and the future equal coexistence of Americans with different skin colors.

Place and Time

The speech I have a dream was delivered by M.L. King on August 28, 1963, at the end of the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. The very concept of speech was constructed so that Martin Luther King shared his dream with his comrades. He did not declare how it should be and what should be done but only talked about what he dreamed of. Nevertheless, the presentation of the speech does not detract from the impact of his theses on the audience.

Conclusion

Therefore, Martin Luther Kings speech I have a Dream is recognized as one of the best speeches of the XX century due to its vivid imagery, reasonableness, persuasiveness, and clear structure. The struggle against racial discrimination, segregation, and ignorance has filled America for almost the last century. Therefore, on August 28, 1963, many people gathered at the Washington Memorial to listen to Martin Luthers speech.

Work Cited

King, Jr., Martin Luther. I Have a Dream. American Rhetoric, Web.

Introduction

There are a number of speeches that were delivered by various people in the history of America. I Have a Dream is a speech in history that was conveyed by Martin Luther King at the Lincoln Memorial. King was compelled in his address to talk about black Americans who had not gotten liberty, about injustice and inequality since he was of the same race and understood their struggles (Bajri et al. 40). Even though slavery was abolished, African Americans are still not free. Slavery and its aftermath are always felt through discrimination in the United States. King uses powerful rhetoric to show African Americans a new direction and urges them to stand united. Being a great advocate of Mahatma Gandhis ideas, such as the necessity of non-violence, his wish was that blacks and whites could live together in harmony (Rocker 2). King imagined a future where people of color and whites shared space to create a society free from discrimination and a stronger nation. Kings powerful use of various literary devices is noticeable. This essay focuses on how King used literary devices such as rhetoric, pathos, ethos, logos, similes, metaphors, personification, and hyperbole to achieve his purpose of the speech.

Audience and Purpose

Martin Luther Kings speech was conveyed at the time of civic rights movements and turned out to be one of the most influential speeches. The public speech was delivered to a large number of civil rights supporters. His eloquence in speech was impeccably suited to both his primary and secondary addressees. King delivered his speech to thousands of people who came from diverse backgrounds. He referred to both whites and blacks as his friends, which made the address accessible because of its welcoming gesture. His listeners shared a common dream and racial impartiality. The discourse portrays Kings hope for justice and equal treatment of all people. The purpose of Martin Luthers speech was to call for economic and civil rights improvement and end racism in America (Rocker 1). I Have a Dream utilized several appeals to convince its audience of a need for interventions to end racial oppression. King correctly applied rhetorical appeals such as pathos, ethos, and logos.

Logos

The use of facts, reason, and figures to attract an audience is termed as logos. On several occasions, King utilized it in his speech as a means of persuasion. He used a metaphor of an uncashed check to address the plight of Black Americans to his audience (Henton). In paragraphs 4 and 5, King presents a cheque which is to be cashed only to find it has insufficient funds. He does not seem to believe that the bank of justice can be bankrupt (Henton). The analogy of the bad cheque requires the audience to use their logic. King refers to how African Americans cannot book a room in a hotel because of their skin color, which challenges the audiences logic of freedom. He proceeds to use history to appeal to the listeners (Henton). To exemplify the Declaration of Independence, King used a promissory note. In the declaration, all men, both white or black, had a guarantee of the inalienable rights of liberty, the pursuit of happiness, and life (Henton). However, being denied the right to freedom and justice, the Declaration of Independence failed to meet the expectations of African Americans. Thus, as King appeals to the addressees using history and analogy of the promissory note, he hopes the listeners could connect with the equivalence.

Pathos

Martin Luther King emoloyed pathos in I Have a Dream to affect the emotions of the congregation. Pathos is a quality in literature which can evoke sadness or pity (Bajri et al. 40). King invokes the prospective parents feelings when he urges their children not to be exposed to their self-hood. He awakened the listeners emotionally and they chanted about their future and generations to come (Bajri et al. 42). He explains how poor the living conditions of African Americans were, which evokes pity. His emotional appeal grows when he speaks about the blacks rights and liberty and how they have been denied (Bajri et al. 43). Martins speech grows with energy and passion as he proceeds. Moreover, it carries an urgent tone as he speaks about the various torture which African Americans have endured as they struggled for freedom and equality.

Ethos

Ethos describes the beliefs and ideals which distinguish a person, institution, or nation. Therefore, ethos can be referred to as an appeal to ethics (Rocker 4). King uses his authority as an activist of the civil rights to aim at Americas populations morality. He uses the documents which are fundamental to America such as the Constitution and Declaration of Independence to imprint the authority in his speech (Rocker 6). Luther believes that all people are equal and the treatment of black Americans is unjust. He pleads with the hearers to advocate for justice and equality, which are considered ethical principles. Martin Luther incorporates several biblical passages to plea to the listeners about the moral code. For instance, Kings says that both whites and blacks will join their hands and glorify the old Negro spiritually (Rocker 6). It is a clear illustration of the ethical principle that all people are equal and deserve parity despite their skin color.

Simile, Personification, and Metaphor

A simile is a literary device which involves comparing one thing with another. In I Have a Dream, Martin Luther King employed some similes to bring clarity. They are used to make the concepts of speech more potent by comparing them to other concepts. Josiah et al. quotes Kings saying, we will not be satisfied until justice rolls down like waters and righteous man like a mighty stream (43). Justice has been compared to waters. Martin Luther King uses personification to show the need for change. According to Josiah et al. the United States is personified by King when he says, he has a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of the creed (46). Josiah et al also state that King used the metaphors such as architects of our republic to compare the founding fathers with someone who creates buildings design (52). Clearly, Martin has utilized a number of literary devices especially the metaphors, similes, and personification to communicate distinctly with his listeners in a manner that they can relate.

Conclusion

In conclusion, I Have a Dream speech illustrates the way various literary devices have been used to achieve the purpose. However, the rhetorical appeals of ethos, logos, and pathos have been put to use majorly. Martin Luther argues why there should be equal treatment to all people despite the racial differences. His speech presents the demand for justice for black Americans. He tries to persuade the congregation by using figures, reason, and facts of the plight of blacks. Indeed, King perfectly used rhetorical devices to achieve his purpose in I Have a Dream.

Works Cited

Bajri, Ibtesam AbdulAziz, and Layla Mohammad Mariesel. Discourse Analysis on Martin Luther Kings Speech I Have a Dream. Journal of Linguistics and Literature, vol. 4, no. 1, 2020, pp. 4044.

Henton, Lesley. Why I Have A Dream Remains One Of Historys Greatest Speeches. Texas A&M Today, 2020.

Josiah, Ubong E., and Gift Oghenerho. Pragmatic Analyses of Martin Luther King (Jr)s Speech: I Have a DreamAn Introspective Prognosis. Journal of Education and Practice, vol. 6, no. 17, 2015, pp. 4352.

Rocker, Mandi. Martin Luther King Jr. Rhetorical Analysis. Emerging Writers, vol. 1, no. 14, 2018, pp. 17.

Introduction

The tribute speech to be analyzed was delivered by Former U.S president Barrack Obama during the memorial service for Nelson Mandela in December 2013. The speech highlights the achievements of Nelson Mandela, who was a freedom fighter for South Africa and its first president. The speaker is a respected international figure with a reputation for being a good orator. Nelson Mandelas memorial ceremony is a big event in South Africa that attracts all kinds of people from politicians to citizens. This speech will be analyzed in terms of content, structure, and delivery.

Main body

The speaker first acknowledges the audience that is cheering as he enters the stage. The orator then introduces his speech by recognizing the Mandela family and then the president of the country and other distinguished guests. This is important as a good talker has to recognize the guests available in terms of seniority while observing the necessary protocols. Speakers in public occasions involving government officials from various countries have to observe the protocols to avoid issues developing later. The speechs opening sentence draws the audience to the speech as the speaker notes that its an honor to be celebrating the life of Nelson Mandela with the audience (The Obama White House). The opening five sentences provide the intent of the presentation. The speaker highlights why Nelson Mandela deserves to be celebrated.

The opening sentences are memorable as the speaker uses the words His triumph was your triumph. Your dignity and your hope found expression in his life (The Obama White House). These words are important as they remind the audience, who are majority South Africans, about the fight for independence which was a tough period for the people. Tribute speeches have to include the characteristics of the person being remembered. In this case, the speaker highlights the life of the speaker from when he was a child up to when he became a freedom fighter. It is essential to provide positive characteristics that identify the positive traits that people identify with the speaker.

This is because a tribute speech is mainly intended in celebrating the life of the deceased. The speaker indicates the rise of Madiba from his childhood days herding cattle to the days he led a revolution against the apartheid system. The speaker even compares Mandela with Americas founding fathers, who are credited with holding the country together. His willingness to step away from power after one term also features in the speech.

Speech delivery is important as it can affect the way people perceive the words being said. In this case, the speaker makes appropriate pauses when moving from section to section. The pauses are essential as they help the audience follow the speaker as he moves from section to section (Brus). Also, the speaker makes eye contact with the audience when necessary, which is important. The tone is varied with the speaker opting to use loud and soft variations throughout the speech.

The audience engages with the speaker through loud cheers and clapping when an important point about Mandela is made. Throughout the speech, the crowd is excited and enthusiastic, which can be attributed to the way the speaker delivers the speech. In addition, the speakers tone when delivering is enthusiastic and happy which resonates well with the audience. The message of the speech is focused on Mandela and does not deviate from other issues. This is important as every speech has to be focused on the theme of the day. Therefore, in terms of delivery, the speaker was excellent, which is important when speaking in front of a mixed audience.

The speech is structured in a way that is easy to understand with simple and short sentences. The speech has an introductory paragraph that details the main theme for the speech. The body articulates the life of Mandela and the accomplishments he made throughout his life. The concluding paragraph points out what people can learn from the actions of Mandela. The speechs wording suits the occasion as its main theme is celebrating the life of Mandela.

After analyzing the wording of the speech, we can infer that the goal of the speaker was to motivate and persuade people to embrace the positive actions that were the epitome of Mandela. In every speech, the message is important which makes the speech excellent because it matched the message and the occasion. Additionally, the speech was delivered by a former U.S president and the first black American to be president.

Conclusion

In summary, every speech needs the right message, delivery, and structure. Structure helps ensure that the speaker achieves the primary objective of the speech. The content of a tribute speech has to match the occasion and have to include the accomplishments, lasting impact, and characteristics of the individual. In some cases, orators can include their experience with the person to add weight to the honor. Delivery matters because it can affect the perception of the audience, thereby limiting the impact of the message.

Work Cited

Brus, Rozemarijn. The Use of Filled and Unfilled Pauses by George W. Bush and Barack Obama. Utrecht University Repository. 2015. Web.

The Obama White House. President Obama Speaks at a Memorial Service for Nelson Mandela. YouTube, uploaded by The Obama White House. 2013. Web.

Literary devices are an important instrument to be used in a variety of speeches as a powerful tool for illustrating ones emotions and portraying different events. A famous spokesperson, Martin Luther King, used an array of literary allusions in his speech, I have a dream, which resonated deeply within the hearts of his listeners. To emphasize his points and incredibly impact the audience, King used such instruments as literary allusions, which allow referring to a particular event to improve the speakers influence. As such, when beginning his speech, King said, Five score years ago, a great American [&] signed the Emancipation Proclamation (King). Thus, King made an allusion to Lincolns Emancipation Proclamation, a speech that was delivered by the American President in 1963. By quoting Lincoln in front of the Presidents monument, King enhanced the power of his words and continued the Presidents fight against the discrimination against African-Americans.

Another allusion utilized by King was the reference to the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, two crucial documents in the history of America. As such, he says, When the architects of our republic wrote the magnificent words of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, they were signing a promissory note& (King). Considering that these regulations refer to all people as equal, King was highlighting the inequality in the evident segregation of the African-American community. Finally, King also uses a reference to a patriotic song well-recognized among the people of America. King says, My country, tis of thee, sweet land of liberty (King). He quotes the lines from the America, my country, tis of thee, reminding the public of the American ideas of liberty and freedom, as well as of nationalism.

Work Cited

King, M. L. (2022). Read Martin Luther King Jr.s I Have a Dream speech in its entirety. NPR. Web.