Rhetorical Analysis Of Dr. Martin Luther King's I Have A Dream

One of the most memorable and prolific speeches of the twentieth century was delivered on August 28, 1963 on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in our nation's capital. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. spoke of a dream in which the social norms at the time would shed away and life would take the form of the America originally envisioned by its founding fathers. It was this speech that portrayed the struggles of African Americans and the struggles of America as well. Furthermore, "I Have A Dream" expresses the need for the social acceptance and equality for not only African Americans, but also people of all gender, race, and religion.
Nevertheless, in criticizing this speech, the model for criticism must be appropriate; therefore, in choosing
He quotes lyrics from the song, "My Country Tis of Thee" to further imply the direction that America must take in order to live up to it motto. The third rhetorical device used is a device that plays with the sound of words. The device called a paronomasia, which is the use of words alike in sound but different in meaning, represents King's formulation of line three in paragraph twenty-four "…from the heightening Alleghenies of Pennsylvania. The fourth and fifth devices come in the same paragraphs, as paragraphs twenty-four through twenty-five, reflect both the use of anaphora and climax. A climax is the arrangement of words, phrases, or clauses in an order of increasing importance. At first glance, it appears that the "I Have A Dream" anaphora is an indication of climax, however, we see this actually beginning with paragraph twenty-three at "this is our hope". This next portion delivers a consistent pulse of emotion, while at the same time, falling under the rhetorical device of
King's establishment of common ground with the people, his use of images, and his use of rhetorical devices have all played a major role in the comprehension and conceptualization of his dream. The audience ought to have clearly been able to understand his dream, for they would have greatly benefited by it coming true. Furthermore, his images facilitate a plan in which America is to follow in order to prosper. His sense of imagery captured the struggles of the nation and reflected to those who knew that struggle that change was bound to happen. Furthermore, King's eloquent words reached millions and his dream was projected within their minds. For those that read the speech, the textual structure in which new ideas are introduce compliments each argument that he makes, therefore providing a sense stability throughout the entire speech. Nevertheless, "I Have A Dream" is a speech that galvanized the state of the nation, and in turn became blueprint in the restructuring of our