Nathan W.

Serafini
AP English
12/15/09

The KING of Persuasion

Perhaps one of the greatest speakers ever, Martin Luther King paints a vivid portrait of inequality
and corruption during his speech, "I have a Dream." He refers to this inequity as a "shameful
condition"(Pg 55), that he must "dramatize"(Pg 55). King also shows an explicit knowledge of
rhetorical devices during his speech by using analogies, metaphors, allusions, and rhetorical questions.
As a great speaker, King has the ability to pose a question to an audience, and expect for each
listener to ponder it. He asks, "When will you be satisfied?"(Pg 56), mocking the insistent moderates
of civil rights. King draws a very defined line in the sand, at the same time showing what side of it he
is on. His eloquent use of rhetorical questions puts emphasis on an already powerful speech.

A speaker must have multiple weapons in his literary arsenal, and King shows that he's no
exception. To help the readers visualize the "shameful condition" that he talks about, he uses very well
thought out metaphors throughout his speech. In direct reference to the emancipation proclamation,
King states "America has given the Negro people a bad check, a check that has came back marked
'insufficient funds.'"(Pg 55) Here King is explaining that freedom from slavery does not guarantee the
colored population racial equality.
King is not only good at placing rhetorical devices into his speech, he also has a very strong
understanding of what to say for his intended audience. King recognizes that the best speaking abilities
can go unnoticed in the wrong situation, and he uses a few hard hitting allusions to bind his speech.
Given at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, DC, King recalls a creed for his purposes; "We hold
these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal."(Pg 56) Every United States citizen
should realize that this was the resonating motto of our declaration of independence. By using this
allusion, he creates a situation where those in politics are forced to agree with his logic, lest they by
hypocritical.
In all situations, Dr. King is a great specimen of speaking qualities: any students studying
persuasive speaking should take a very close look at his work. He uses a very wide range of devices to
allow maximize accessibility to his audience, his variety serving as "handicapped ramps" to the
illiterate. These proclivities(habits) cause him to be one of the greatest speakers in the history of our
country.