A Rhetorical Analysis Of Martin Luther King's Speech
Zachary Blair
Honors English 11
Mrs. Tarnowski
24 January 2014
Martin Luther King Speech Analysis Dr. Martin Luther King Junior’s famous “I Have a Dream” speech which, he spoke to thousands of civil rights supporters has left a permanent mark in our country’s history. This unforgettable speech to improve life for African-Americans was incredibly effective. Through the use of metaphors, ethos, pathos, and non-verbals Martin Luther King made his speech reach the hearts of all his listeners. Martin Luther King used several metaphors in his speech to compare the lives of African-Americans to many other things. My first example is when he said “This momentous decree came as a great beacon light of hope to millions of Negro slaves who had been seared in the flames of withering injustice. It came as a joyous daybreak to end the long night of their captivity.” Just in these two lines alone King uses three metaphors. The first is when he compares the sense of hope slaves got when President Lincoln gave the Emancipation Proclamation to a beacon light. For the slaves, that speech filled them with hope that their lives would improve. The next metaphor he uses “Negro slaves who had been seared in the flames of withering injustice” means that the lives of black slaves were very hard because their country at that time did not grant them …show more content…
King also used several-verbals effectively which aided his speech. While speaking he had great posture and eye contact. King always was standing up straight and looking at the crowd. The tone of his voice throughout the speech also made it very effective. During the speech he would speak with great excitement and raise his voice, not to the point of yelling but enough to awaken and motivate his listeners. Martin Luther King’s gestures throughout the speech also helped him convey his message. He would move his hands and arms outward and with the combination of the gestures and tone of his voice he was able to excite the
Honors English 11
Mrs. Tarnowski
24 January 2014
Martin Luther King Speech Analysis Dr. Martin Luther King Junior’s famous “I Have a Dream” speech which, he spoke to thousands of civil rights supporters has left a permanent mark in our country’s history. This unforgettable speech to improve life for African-Americans was incredibly effective. Through the use of metaphors, ethos, pathos, and non-verbals Martin Luther King made his speech reach the hearts of all his listeners. Martin Luther King used several metaphors in his speech to compare the lives of African-Americans to many other things. My first example is when he said “This momentous decree came as a great beacon light of hope to millions of Negro slaves who had been seared in the flames of withering injustice. It came as a joyous daybreak to end the long night of their captivity.” Just in these two lines alone King uses three metaphors. The first is when he compares the sense of hope slaves got when President Lincoln gave the Emancipation Proclamation to a beacon light. For the slaves, that speech filled them with hope that their lives would improve. The next metaphor he uses “Negro slaves who had been seared in the flames of withering injustice” means that the lives of black slaves were very hard because their country at that time did not grant them …show more content…
King also used several-verbals effectively which aided his speech. While speaking he had great posture and eye contact. King always was standing up straight and looking at the crowd. The tone of his voice throughout the speech also made it very effective. During the speech he would speak with great excitement and raise his voice, not to the point of yelling but enough to awaken and motivate his listeners. Martin Luther King’s gestures throughout the speech also helped him convey his message. He would move his hands and arms outward and with the combination of the gestures and tone of his voice he was able to excite the