Rhetorical Analysis Of I Have A Dream By Martin Luther King Jr.

“I have a dream” by Martin Luther King Jr.
Many people across the world recognize the speech by Dr. Martin Luther King Junior as one of the greatest ever, as it captured the main issues present at the time. The issue of civil rights was very essential in identifying what to fight against and how it would be carried out non violently. King was able to use rhetoric and good oratory skills to rally people towards the August 28, 1963 march in Washington. He was able to feed off the growing outrage towards the growing insensitivity amongst the blacks, with racial inequalities playing a major part in the determination of what would happen next across the society (Kakutani). King wanted people to realize that they can and should agitate for their
The speech delivered by King was very well researched, alluding to the Bible, the declaration of independence and the Gettysburg address. He knew that people were tired of hearing about the Bills before Congress and the demands talked about, as well as the increasing racial disparities taking place despite the end of slavery and agreements on racial equality. He was aware of the impact the government actions had on the black people, and the conditions they lived in during a time when America was declaring itself the largest democracy in the world. He was able to jump from poetry to prose with ease, and that made it so easy to capture the audience and radiate a sense of hope towards addressing the main issues within the society. Kakutani notes that Luther’s dream of having his children live in a society that judged people based on their character rather than the skin color would one day be a reality that the black people would experience in their lifetime
After all, it was the white people who spread the gospel to the blacks and made sure they understood everY word. This made it easier to use the aspect of equality and make the intended impact. The aim was to assure the audience that it was their time to make better use of the growing need for a better society. The gains would only be possible if the Blacks united against the whites and made sure that the growing agitation for civil rights would be remembered for years to come. King knew that it was possible to have a better society. Ideally, he understood that the best method of gaining popularity was by asking people to imagine of a far-off future that was ideal and then work on meeting these goals (Edwards). Despite the difficulties and frustrations, it was possible to create a society that could measure up to the needs of all the citizens without discriminating against them. This is a rhetoric that was hard to fathom, but which the present generation of leaders embodies in their realization of the inherent goals within the society. King knew that repeating the phrase “I have a dream” would resonate across the present audience and would play a huge role in making it have the intended impact. Most of those present were looking for ways of venting their anger and getting something to hope for in their lives. It was easier to deal with such issues only if they had something to use as a benchmark for their actions.