I Have A Dream Speech Seminar

Dr. King's speech is a powerful and effective piece of persuasive writing

because Dr. King frequently provides vivid imagery through a masterful
use of figurative language. A prime example of such is when Dr. King
says The Negro lives on a lonely island of poverty in the midst of vast
ocean of material prosperity. Which really puts this image in your mind
of all these people being left out of the great American dream that was
promised to them and every other American this was the promise of
freedom, justice, independence, security and equality which have been
taken away from them simply because of the color of their skin.
Examples of analogies and metaphors that are used in Dr. Kings speech
are:
The life of the Negro is sadly crippled by the manacles of segregation
in the chains of discrimination
The Negro lives on a lonely island of poverty in the midst of vast ocean
of material prosperity
The Negro is still languishing in the corners of American society
defines himself in exile in his own land
America has given the Negro people a bad check a check which has
come back marked insufficient funds
Tranquilizing drug of gradualism
Now is the time to rise from the dark and desolate valley of segregation
to the sunlit of racial justice
Now is the time to lift our nation from the quicksands of racial injustice

to the solid rock brotherhood."

Dr. King intended this message for all Americans. It was a message of
hope with the promise of freedom from segregation and an awakening to
those ignorant of the inalienable rights of equally to all men.

The words and phrases that are used repeatedly in this speech are:
Freedom (20 times)
We (30 times)
Our (17 times)
Dream (11 times)
Nation (10 times)
You (8 times)
Justice (8 times)
America (5 times)
American (4 times)
Injustice (3 times)
One hundred years later [paragraph 3]
Now is the time [paragraph 6]
We must [paragraph 8]
We can never (cannot) be satisfied [paragraph 13]
Go back to [paragraph 14]
I Have a Dream [paragraphs 16 through 24]
With this faith, [paragraph 26]

Let freedom ring (from) [paragraphs 27 through 41]

The tones in this speech are motivating and empowering.
Dr. King believes the US is not becoming the nation it set out to be
because the lingering filth of slavery known as segregation still denies
people their promised rights even after 100 years when the
Emancipation Proclamation was signed by Abraham Lincoln which
insured the abolishment of slavery and equality to all.

Dr. King is saying that this will be the beginning of freedom and
equality because Dr. King did not believe freedom and equality existed
if children can be stripped of their selfhood and robbed of their dignity
by a sign stating For Whites Only.