Assignment: I Have A Dream

Elizabeth Provost

Briefly, consider the effectiveness of King's opening and closing statements.

In his opening paragraphs, King references the Gettysburg Address as well as the
Emancipation Proclamation, the Constitution, and Declaration of Independence. These
intellectual references give his words weight and credibility; they ground his speech in
significant historical context.
He ends on a good note. Gives people hope of a better future. It is a powerful ending that really
encompases the honesty and truthfullness of King’s address.
“One day right there in Alabama little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with
little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers.”

How does he maintain audience interest during the body of his speech?
The reasons why people relate and find a connection with his speech is because they draw
energy and passion from him as he does the same from his audience. It is a healthy
conversation that includes everyone listening and generates change for the better. The
authenticity of his speeches and his ability to provide context for his work are also crucial in
keeping interest. Listeners are able to trust him and accept his honesty. People from around the
world found a particularly poignant message in King’s plea for racial tolerance and his
declaration that ​“the life of the Negro is still sadly crippled by the manacles of segregation and
the chains of discrimination.”

What aspects of the speech clearly demonstrate that this speaker is aware that his words
will be heard and not read?
If his speech had been written, it would not have been as powerful as the spoken word. His
passion was the key to his message. It is what created this powerful message that lasted
through the decades. Reading an audience is a systematic and cumulative endeavor
unavailable to the writer. However, if an individual were to read his speech they would still feel
empowered, maybe not as much, but still enough to understand his message. Hearing his
speech, this many years later, through online recordings, is still a reminder to all of us the power
of the spoken word.

Find at least three examples of rhetorical devices used by King in his speech?
Repetition: ​“Now is the time to make real the promises of democracy. Now is the time to rise
from the dark and desolate valley of segregation to the sunlit path of racial justice. Now is the
time to lift our nation from the quicksands of racial injustice to the solid rock of brotherhood. Now
is the time to make justice a reality for all of God’s children.”

He repeats key themes throughout his speech: freedom (repeated 20 times).

He references to historical events. Including: Lincoln’s famous Gettysburg Address speech,

United States Declaration of Independence, Biblical allusions.
He uses metaphors to demonstrate contrast. “the Negro lives on a lonely island of poverty in the
midst of a vast ocean of material prosperity”.

How does King's cultural background influence the content of the speech?
Martin Luther King Jr. was influenced by many different people, such as his father who instilled
in him religious beliefs, and by the peaceful teachings of Gandhi. His childhood was also
significant in building his belief system. For example, when he was a young boy, when a white
playmate that he had known for three years was told he could no longer play with King due to
his skin color, he was shocked. This was his first realization of a race problem.
Throughout his life, his father, his academic influences, his religious, and cultural beliefs really
shaped who he became and what he advocated for. What he spoke about was also greatly
influenced by his travels and the segregation and problems that he experienced in various parts
of the world.