Figures Of Speech I Have A Dream - 2022 Words

Andrew Fenn Date Submitted: 10/8/2014 COM 322 – Dr. Marcel Figures of Speech in â€Å"I Have a Dream† On August 28th, 1963, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. delivered his magnum opus â€Å"I Have a Dream† speech to a crowd of over 250,000 civil rights activists in front of the Lincoln Memorial. Even though the monologue clocks in at just over fifteen minutes in length, Dr. King’s words have been cemented as the catalyst for civil rights reform through his strategic implementation of rhetorical devices. Making a monumental impact in such a short amount of time requires careful selection of words and phrases that will enforce his thesis while remaining concise. While King captures his audience and empowers them through a combination of ethos, logos and pathos, this paper will focus on five fundamental figures of speech he implements throughout which ultimately give his rhetoric a more influential, enduring effect. The first literary device that Dr. King employs in his speech is allusion. Allusion refers to a â€Å"figurative or symbolic reference†, and he utilizes this device in the second sentence of his delivery. In 1863, President Abraham Lincoln dictated the Gettysburg Address in the wake of the American Civil War. His words conveyed the message presented in the preamble of the Declaration of Independence written â€Å"four score and seven years ago†, which states that â€Å"all men are created equal†. King channels this notion of political stagnancy in his speech by opening with â€Å"Five score yearsShow MoreRelatedRhetorical Analysis Of I Have A Dream Speech923 Words   |  4 Pagesto a pedestal and proceeds to speak a speech that will resonate in this country for years to come. Dr. King wrote his â€Å"I Have a Dream† speech for the March on Washington for which he presented his speech in front of thousands of Civil Rights protesters and activists. In this exhortation, Dr. King beats down the issues of human rights, Jim Crow laws, and racism with the rhetorical strategies of metaphors, anaphoras, and ethos. In King’s â€Å"I Have a Dream† speech, metaphors are used to illuminate theRead MoreDr. Martin Luther King Research Paper1430 Words   |  6 PagesCommunications Essay DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. SPEECH â€Å"I HAVE A DREAM† Martin Luther King Jr. was born on January 15 , 1929 and died on April 4, 1968. He was born Michael Luther King Jr. but decided to change his name to Martin. Both Martin Luther’s grandfather and father were pastors of the Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta. Martin Luther carried on the tradition and served as pastor from 1960-1968 (Nobel Prize, 1). He was a big part of the civil rights movement for his raceRead MoreMartin Luther King Jr. Is A Famous Figure In African American1416 Words   |  6 PagesMartin Luther King Jr. is a famous figure in African American and American history. He is one of the most celebrated African Americans who lead the Black Civil Rights Movement to fight for the equality and freedom for African Americans. The speech I Have a Dream is King’s most famous speech, which helped African Americans fight for their rights of equality. The I Have a Dream speech purpose was to seek equality among blacks and whites, while feminism discusses equality among men and women. TheRead MoreDr. King s Letter From Birmingham Jail1667 Words   |  7 Pageswas evident in the community, Dr. King delivered two of his most noted works called the â€Å"I have a Dream† speech and â€Å"Letter from Birmingham Jail† to the public. These two pieces, quickly following each other in succession, were literary works of Dr. King devoted to the cause of racial equality and used eclectic devices and appeals to achieve that goal. King’s purpose bolstered in his â€Å"Letter† and â€Å"Dream† speech by key rhetorical devices are supported by audience oriented diction and appeals. King’sRead MoreI Have A Dream Rhetorical Devices Essay1248 Words   |  5 PagesMartin Luther King Jr. gave his famous â€Å"I Have a Dream† speech in the front of the Lincoln memorial in Washington, D. C. Dr. King’s â€Å"I Have a Dream† speech uses many rhetorical devices to enhance the effectiveness of his message which states his want for freedom and racial equality for African Americans. Three rhetorical devices stand out prominently: imagery, allusion, and anaphora. Dr. King uses the rhetorical device imagery in his â€Å"I have a dream† speech. Imagery is the use of figurative languageRead MoreThe Swinging Sixties: A Time of Civil Resistance Essay987 Words   |  4 Pageslast† were the words of a legendary man who would later inspire change throughout the world. Through his panoply of work, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. challenged the popular idea of African Americans being of less status than â€Å"white men†. His I Have a Dream speech is recognized across the world, not only as inspiration for blacks everywhere, but also as a prime example of non-violent civic activism. King’s main objective was to achieve the equality that blacks had been deprived of. He discussed the issuesRead MoreCompare And Contrast The Gettysburg Address And I Have A Dream Speech1065 Words   |  5 Pagescity, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God’s children...will be able to join hands and sing†¦Ã¢â‚¬  This is the , slightly shortened, end quote of the famous I Have a Dream speech by. The Gettysburg address was a major turning point in American history for the topic of slavery. Martin Luther King Jrs I Have a Dream speech assisted in this Civil Rights movement. But, the question is, what all did they cause in our history? The reader is going to compare and contrast information from theRead MoreCritical Analysis of I Have Dream838 Words   |  4 PagesMartin Luther King s I Have a Dream: Critical Thinking Analysis Charles Briscoe PRST 3301 16 October 2012 In Martin Luther King Jr. s seminal 1963 speech I Have a Dream, King uses a number of critical thinking processes in order to present his argument. On the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, at the height of the Civil Rights Movement, King delivered a speech that is remembered now as one of the most significant pieces of oratory in the 20th century. His call was for blacks and whitesRead MoreDr. Martin Luther King: A Great Public Figure1392 Words   |  6 PagesCourage, strength, persuasion, and the way one speaks are only a few qualities of a great public figure. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. possessed these qualities and was a great public figure in the movement towards freedom for all in America. King went to college at the age of fifteen, ordained as a minister at age eighteen, and received his PHD at the age of twenty-six. He grew up in a time that segregated the African Americans from the whites, a place where he thought that all men were free, but trulyRead MoreLiterary Analysis of Langston Hughess A Dream Deferred1028 Words   |  4 Pagesthe themes, figures of speech, word placement, and flow of the piece, and A Dream Deferred, is no exception. In Langston Hughess poem, A Dream Deferred, the theme is that no really knows to dreams if they are not reached, and very realistic figures of speech help convey this idea; the poem can be surprisingly related to Mr. Hughess life through the subtitle and quotes from Langston himself. The meaning of, A Dream Deferred, is that no one really knows what happens to dreams that are not