Preview

A Review Of Kayne West's Song 'Heard Em Say'

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
642 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
A Review Of Kayne West's Song 'Heard Em Say'
"Wake up Mr. West!" Could it be that we still live in a world with segregation today? No I'm not dreaming this is real life. Reading the lyrics in Kayne West's song "Heard em say" was very literal, as well as the poem Harlem by Langston Hughes. Both of these have a lot of similarities. In the beginning of the poem it starts out with a question saying "What happens to a dream deferred?" meaning if you postpone or hold off on your dreams they will never come true. Just like Kayne west is singing in the first lyric of the song "And i heard 'em say, nothing's ever promised tomorrow today" This is my favorite line because it is the best advice to live by. Don't wait till tomorrow to do something because anything can happen the next day. Langston

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    Baptist minister and civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his “I Have a Dream” speech in front of civil rights supporters as a call to end racism in the United States as well as civil and economic rights for all races. In the introduction of the speech, he discussed the day that America’s forefathers signed the Emancipation Proclamation was a beacon of light for enslaved African Americans, as they would one day be free and seen as individuals rather than slaves. King states, “But one hundred years later, the Negro still is not free. One hundred years later, the life of the Negro is still sadly crippled by the manacles of segregation and the chains of discrimination.” Continuing, Dr. King believes that the origin of racial inequality lies solely with America and the refusal to view all races as equal, like the forefathers who wrote the Constitution and the Declaration of…

    • 915 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    In Kings 'I have a dream' speech, because of his diverse audience, he sends out somewhat of a mixed tone. He firmly rebukes those who would treat others unfairly while encouraging and uplifting those who would stand for justice. His speech is strewn with detailed metaphors such as his 'bank of justice', 'vaults of opportunity' and 'bad check' which prove in no uncertain terms that the 'Negro' population has been cheated; the 'manacles of segregation' and the 'chains of discrimination' make obvious his disdain for inequality. When speaking to or about those who would judge others because of the color of their skin, King uses a very accusatory diction in order to challenge his audience to make a change. King then alludes to the declaration of independence to validate his argument. Finally, King ends his speech with a strong yet compassionate message of hope and freedom. He plainly states that the time is near when the United States will be a land of peace and equality. Then gives a few final examples not only of the simplicity of equality but of the promising outcome. Altogether, King makes a strong argument for his cause.…

    • 448 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    In 1963 Martin Luther King gave the most powerful and famous speech in the history of the United States. 40 years later, no other speech has been able to overcome the effect that this speech has had on the American people generation after generation. Despite the fact that the message of the speech is perhaps the most enduring aspect of the speech, the rhetorical strategies Martin Luther King used were instrumental in captivating the attention of millions people then, and now. The purpose of “I have a dream” was to awaken awareness about the importance of equality and to transcend his vision through the use of pathos, ethos and biblical imagery, among other elements; these are the strategies that enabled him to compose a dialogue that is essentially as motivating as a work of poetry.…

    • 1053 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Martin Luther King Jr’s “I Have a Dream” speech is one of the greatest speeches of all time. He achieves this status because the speech is brilliantly written and flawlessly presented. The speech’s clear purpose is to persuade the audience of the problem that is segregation and to call people to fight for civil rights. King’s language is simple and direct, yet very powerful and well-chosen. The speech itself appears to be easily understood. However simple, it very impactful. He uses analogies throughout the speech, these prove the speech to be more accessible to everyday people. He also treats his audience with a huge amount of respect, acknowledging their troubles, as well as, encouraging them to keep going. His use of the phrase “I have a…

    • 247 Words
    • 1 Page
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    “I Have a Dream” Argument 9/17/2008 Martin Luther King Jr. delivered one of the most powerful, and riveting speeches of all time, on August 28, 1963, on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C. The speech was titled, “I Have a Dream” and King was later awarded a Nobel Peace Prize for his influential words. The speech is very organized and well researched, which makes it a very effective argumentative piece of writing. It has been described as “Sermon-like” due to his writing style, as King was a Baptist Minister. The speech is organized into two parts, which helps the reader (or listener, depending on if you’re reading the speech, or listening to the recording) retain the information and important parts that he wishes to get across to his audience. In the first part of the speech, King is reminding all Americans of all the racial injustice that is going on in our country. The language in the metaphors that King used in the first half of the writing are the most effective words I have ever read that instill the need for action, and also of the horrific conditions in which Negros have been forced to live. King writes, “…Negro slaves who had been seared in the flames of witheringinjustice. It came as a joyous daybreak to end the long night of captivity.” And then went on to write, “America has given the Negro people a bad check; a check which has come back marked “_insufficient funds_.” By using this type of language, King could reach out and urge action to anyone that listened. The second half of the speech is focused on painting the picture of racial integration and equality. The most famous paragraph of the entire speech lies in the second half of the writing. The repetition of the phrase, “I have a dream” before and after the statements are a cry out to the people of what this nation should be. Using this repetition, King keeps his audience involved in every word he has to say, because it offers them a new hope for a better life. King’s words are…

    • 685 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    On August 28, 1963, in Washington, D.C., Martin Luther King, Jr. delivered the prominent speech “I Have a Dream” at the Lincoln Memorial to over 250,000 civil rights supporters. King’s speech was compelling and potent; it moved everyone. Furthermore, he helped change the world where there is justice. He believed in the equality between whites and blacks and died believing it. In addition, he strongly believes freedom exists for the blacks. He states, “[The white’s] destiny is tied up with [the black’s] destiny.” This quote emphasizes the problem of injustice in this world, and it makes the audience move into action. King’s speech was widely known, due to the effective tone he creates throughout his speech. His use of literary tropes and syntactical schemes help make this formidable tone. King’s speech influences the whites and blacks to listen by using extensive anaphora, metaphor, and diction to create a tone of necessity in his “I Have a Dream” speech.…

    • 547 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Martin Luther King Jr. had a dream, he wanted all to be equal. He wanted no one to be ashamed of who they were. I have a dream that my America’s Got Talent audition went well and I get a call back. My dream has always been to be a professional singer like Ariana Grande or Beyoncé. I had been given an opportunity that I couldn't pass up. We were going to stay in a beautiful hotel, but we decided to stay home. We printed out my paperwork and went to sleep.…

    • 321 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Dr.King's Life

    • 2462 Words
    • 10 Pages

    “In a sense we have come to our nation’s capital to cash a check. when the architects of our republic wrote the magnificent words of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, they were signing a promissory note to which every American was to fall heir. this note was a promise that all men would be guaranteed the inalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. It is obvious today that America has defaulted on this promissory note insofar as her citizens of color are concerned. Instead of honoring this sacred obligation, America has given the negro people a bad check which has come back marked “insufficient funds.” but we…

    • 2462 Words
    • 10 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Martin Luther King Jr. was an activist for African-Americans and a leader of the Civil Rights movement during the 1960's. He is famously known for his "I have a dream" speech, which he delivered during his March on Washington in 1963. In the third paragraph of this well-known speech, King acknowledges the unwavering shadow that still lingers over "the Negro" in society. King's credibility is impregnable as he has lived through the difficulties that he speaks of and has been witness to them happening to others. As a "Negro" himself, King's words hold genuine and fierce meaning for all those that have been victim to segregation and discrimination. Multiple times in this paragraph, King emphasizes "one hundred years later," therefore also referring…

    • 289 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Since, Martin Luther King Jr. was a preacher, he formulated his speech to a clam and meaningful speech. The word ‘dream’ is of significance as well because it symbolized a process of thoughts. Henceforth, judgements of individuals with similar consequences tie together to better formulate the hypothesis to provide justice and equality for everyone. Therefore, in general the speech expressed the discrimination and racial inequality during his time. This is worthy of attention because Martin Luther King Jr. illustrates how the ideology of equality is a necessity for individuals to live life in harmony and peace. The speech exemplifies how lives of African- Americans are impacted do to the discriminations they face. There is a strain to abolish and disregard…

    • 1119 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    Racism was and is still a prominent issue. Therefore the line, “For the land of the free...” Americans proudly sing is evidently false. Many have addressed the subject of racial injustice, but did not have an impact like Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech and Harper Lee’s “To Kill a Mockingbird”.…

    • 686 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Langston Hughes Meaning

    • 354 Words
    • 2 Pages

    As an African American, living in a time when blacks are thought to be an inferior minority group, dreams and goals are difficult to realize. Hughes pertinently expresses his frustrations in his poem "Dream Deferred." As individuals read this poem, no matter the time period, they relate to the simple universal message expressed. The message expressed in a nutshell is that a postponed dream can, but not necessarily, end up not being accomplished.…

    • 354 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    I Have A Dream Allusions

    • 341 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., in his ever so memorable speech “I Have A Dream” utilizes allusions to historically significant documents such as Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address and Jefferson’s Declaration of Independence in order to prove the point that America was originally based off of all men being treated equally, yet not all civil rights are given to the African Americans. King is trying to truly convince all Americans, not just the audience listening to the speech in Washington, that African Americans should and will be treated as equals to whites. Abraham Lincoln gave the Gettysburg Address after the Civil War, saying, “Four score and seven years ago” (Lincoln); then, King in his address, says, “Five score years ago, a great American, in…

    • 341 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    “I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: "We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal." I have a dream that one day the state of Alabama, whose governor's lips are presently dripping with the words of interposition and nullification, will be transformed into a situation where little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls and walk together as sisters and brothers. I have a dream today.”…

    • 1028 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    The speech “I have a dream” by Martin Luther King is acknowledged as one of the best speeches ever delivered. His escalated rhetoric demanding racial justice and an integrated society became a slogan for the black community. King’s words proved to be the basis for understanding the social and political upheaval at the time and gave the nations people a voice of their own to express what was happening. The key message King hoped to get across in his speech was that all people are created equal and that it must be the case for the future of America. King’s speech was by no means improvised, it was well researched and in preparation he studied the Bible, The Gettysburg Address and the US Declaration of Independence as he alludes to all three in his address. The speech can only be described as a political work of poetry and a well delivered, unintentional, yet beautiful, sermon full of biblical language and imagery. As well as rhythm and frequent repetition, alliteration is a key device, used to hit home major points.…

    • 1332 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays