Preview

Metaphors In Martin Luther King's Speech

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
663 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Metaphors In Martin Luther King's Speech
II. Topic Sentence: Martin Luther King used Metaphors through all throughout his speech for one reason. To make his audience get an idea of how something that is beyond their power can be compared to something that is relatable.
A. Example, Reason, Detail, or Fact from the text: For example, in the text King compares how injustice to a boil. He says “Like a boil, that can never be cured as long as it is covered up but must be opened with all its pus-flowing ugliness to the natural medicines of air and light,”. And he continues on talking about how just like a boil “injustice must likewise be exposed, with all of the tension its exposing creates, to the light of human conscience.”
B. Explanation: What he is doing by creating this relation between
…show more content…
Example, Reason, Detail, or Fact from the text: In another part of the letter he talks about, how the power of churches has changed overtime. He says, “There was a time when the Church was very powerful ... In those days the Church was not merely a thermometer that recorded the ideas and principles of popular opinion; it was a thermostat that transformed the mores of society. ”
D. Explanation: What King means by this, is that in previous centuries, Churches had the most power. They were able to make large political, economical, decisions even for the king. However, as time passed on churches lose power and have simply become a place where people bring all their troubles where they expect to be fixed. And the Churches are forced to adapt to the environment they are in.
III. Topic Sentence: Along with metaphors, king used Allusions in his writing. Although there isn’t as many as metaphors they are harder to find. He used these Allusions to make people think about the past and how people before them responded.
A. Example, Reason, Detail, or Fact from the text: On of the major examples of people that he indirectly mentions is, HItler. He talks about how “everything Hitler did in Germany was "legal" and everything the Hungarian freedom fighters did in Hungary was "illegal."”. Now this lets whoever is reading the letter think about the past and question things that other

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Better Essays

    He uses emotional aspects, specific supports, such as when he mentions that he understands the “natural impatience” of the ones who are dealing directly with the problem (¶ Clergymen 5). The appeal for people’s emotions is a warrant that he uses to persuade his readers. A warrant can be found when the author states “hatred and violence have no sanction in our religious and political traditions” is an approach to back-up his warrant (¶ Clergymen 5).…

    • 1245 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Dr. King was a Babtist minister and had been advocating nonviolence and civil disobedience. He utilized many things in his approach to the speech. The powerful setting of the Lincon monument, the man who ended slavery, his appeal to both head and heart, his vivid and metaphorical use on language, use of contrast, reenforcment and repetition, his call to action, and he ends on a powerful and hopeful note. "Free at last, free at last, Great god a-mighty, we are free at…

    • 83 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    When Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. wrote this part of his speech he intended to deliver a message instilling rebellion in his audience. Recognizing that no one likes to be talked down to, his is use of words that were not commonly used by those he spoke to, were carefully crafted to convey a feeling of respect for his audience. Because he was a Baptist pastor, he freely uses biblical references. Through the use of negative terms such as “yolk of oppression” and “negative freedom” Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. discounted options to what he terms as “peaceful resistance”. Such resistance is, according to him, different from passivity and he explains how this is not the same as acceptance of oppression. Mid speech, Dr. King allows the speech the…

    • 217 Words
    • 1 Page
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    One of the main rhetorical devices that King uses is pathos for whites to understand what happens to the oppressed. For instance, to show the clergymen are wrong for saying his actions are “unwise and untimely,”he uses sombre diction such as “victims, broken, shadow, and deep disappointment” to indicate that his community has already waited and were brought to a dead end. The sentences are used to make the reader feel guilty with pity for their hopes that were shattered. Another example that represents that his protest is wise and show the readers that what has been going on is personal and needs to be stopped is when he states, “when you have seen vicious mobs lynch your mothers and fathers at will and drown your brothers and sisters at whim;…

    • 274 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Martin Luther King, was a man of equal and respectful treatment. In 1963, with a frustrating yet respectful tone, King gave a speech “I have a Dream” which had the intriguing purpose to inform the nation on how African-americans should be granted the same freedom with no violence. This speech was presented in front of 250,000 people, mainly those who were for King’s cause. While listening to this speech the main rhetorical device, metaphor, is presented.…

    • 405 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Martin Luther King Jr. persuades the reader of the value of civil disobedience by using logos and allusions. He uses logos in the quote: "We have some eighty-five affiliate organizations" (6). This persuades the reader with logos because then there are eighty-five organizations supporting him, it seems logical that what he is doing is right. King also utilizes allusion in his speech: "Jesus Christ... Apostle Paul... Lord... Saint Thomas Aquinas" (6-7). This persuades the reader because the names listed are very well known figures the average person…

    • 88 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Metaphors are another useful rhetorical method that King uses, metaphors are important to help audiences fully understand an idea as it compares an idea with something the audience is familiar with, which is important to bring out ethos. King uses a series of more difficult metaphors in the middle of his speech. He claims that by “the Constitution and Declaration of Independence,” the men that signed the Constitution were signing a promissory note that all men, whatever skin color, would be guaranteed the same rights and treated equally. Later on, King uses the metaphors “battered by the storms of persecution” and the “winds of police brutality.” (American rhetoric 2) These two metaphors both relate to ethos as the first metaphor begs the ethic…

    • 186 Words
    • 1 Page
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Genre is the framework that the academic writing will be based on, and it is similar to a format where things can be expected to be appear at a certain point in writing. Genre is often determined by the rhetorical situation and can be change to increase the readability and complexity of an academic writing. Audience is part of a big rhetorical situation because rhetorical situation consists of many other factors like constraints, issue. Audience can changes the languages of the paper to adapt to the selected group of people. With restricted audience can sometimes affect the effectiveness of the paper. Rhetorical situation will the most important term to explain because it is the deciding factor for both genre and audience. Rhetorical situation is a situation where it demands a response according to Lloyd Bitzer.…

    • 569 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Martin Luther King Jr. uses a metaphor in his speech when he explains that, “The bank of justice is bankrupt.” He compares a “bank of justice,” to the American government and “bankruptcy” to an insufficient amount of justice in America. Bankruptcy is filed when there is inadequate resources to support an organization. This insufficiency is being compared to injustice for the Black people of America. Furthermore, King Jr. wants to acknowledge that equality and justice can and should be given to the Blacks.…

    • 244 Words
    • 1 Page
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    In this letter, Martin Luther King utilizes both the rhetorical field of religion, and the rhetorical element of audience as a combination to support his arguments against the clergymen and the white moderate's view of the civil rights movement as a whole. \…

    • 1026 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    In the High Middle Ages of Europe, a particular argument over the appointment of churchmen turned into a general struggle for leadership in Christian society. During this time, Henry IV was emperor of Germany and Gregory VII was the Pope. The controversy between these men brought about many issues. In 1706, these issues are brought up in a long letter written by Henry IV. He addresses this letter to the Pope (Noble 250).…

    • 458 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    I carefully read each letter myself. Some of them are serious in tone, discussing the meaning of life, invoking the supremacy of the soul, the mystery of every existence. And by a curious reversal, the people who focus most closely on these fundamental questions tend to be people I had known only superficially. Their small talk had masked hidden depths. Had I been blind and deaf, or does it take the harsh light of disaster to show a person's true nature?”…

    • 565 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Review the key literary terms and concepts presented throughout Chapters 1 and 2. (See the end of each chapter for a glossary of terms.) Choose at least four of these terms to discuss in your post. Then, find examples of these concepts in the readings from this week. Explain how these examples demonstrate each literary concept as well as the effect which the given technique or form has on a reading of the respective text.…

    • 459 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    6. LIST OF SIGNIFICANT SUBJECTS AND PEOPLE IN THE TEXT, AND ALLUSIONS/CONNECTIONS TO OTHER PEOPLE, PLACES, PLAYS, OR LITERARY SYMBOLS OR ARCHETYPES.…

    • 1744 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    Gentlemen, Your Verdict

    • 733 Words
    • 3 Pages

    An example of allusion in this story would be Torpedoman Preece recalling the events on the submarine.…

    • 733 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays