Analysis of Dr. Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream” Speech

Nhat Nguyen Patrick Clayton Cantrell English 1010-051 23 October, 2012 Analysis of Dr. Martin Luther fairy Jr. s I Have a reverie Speech Amidst the bigotry and racial violence of the Civil Rights Movement, there stood a shining example of br oppositehood, unity, and an eternal thirst for equality. In what was cognize as the March of cap, an estimated total of 200,000 muckle of each racesobservers estimated that 7580% of the marchers were black and the rest werewhiteand non-black minoritiestook to the streets of Washington D.C. on August 28, 1963 in an effort to raise awareness of the on-going racial in justice in the work field and in prevalent life. It was on this momentous day that the dandy Martin Luther office Jr. , matchless of the about powerful and influential voices of the Civil Rights Movement, gave whiz of historys most memorable vocabularyes. His speech, later came to be known as the I Have a Dream speech, served to bring into light the injustice experience daily by the African the Statesn population of the United States.In his celebrated speech, fag outlined the racial unlikeness and favorable inequalities that inhabit the great country whose creed explicitly states all men are created equal. This be the main purpose of his speech to encourage and empower the attendees and those at blank space to challenge the widespread discrimination and the status quo of the snip. Bigotry had a chokehold on all aspects of life during the Civil Rights era. From childhood, racial themes and motifs were embedded into the truly being of the child. A plethora of consequences arose from this.Whites normally fourth-year into adulthood with the principle that racial superiority belonged to them beca design of the color of their skin. Most African the Statesns, on the other hand, grew up with beliefs very oft whiles contradictory to those of their white counter offices. Many aged with the preconceived notion that racial inferiority accompanie d being black. Martin Luther King, in his speech, endeavored to end this narrow-minded approach to race by encouraging his auditory sense impression to rise above what they once accepted as a social norm and be the light that would lead that generation out of unreasoning hatred for their fellow an. He preached brotherhood and equality and electrified the crowd when he inviteed the immediate realization of the promises of democracy (King). He galvanized the crowd to rebel from the dark, monastic valley of segregation and enter into the sunlit path of racial justice (King). He closed this portion of his speech by once over again reiterating the importance of immediate bodily process. He called for justice for all of mankind, be they black, white, or any other race.Besides the obvious fact that he was de defyring to the reference present, Kings speech was meant for a much broader audience. Specifically, his speech was targeted at those who desired to continue the economic and social oppression of African Americans. This could all the way be seen when King states, And those who hope that the Negro needed to blow off- identify steam and will now be content will hold back a rude awakening if the nation returns to business as usual (King). In this sentence, King concentrated his words against those. Those are the people who continue to disregard African Americans as equals. King wanted to make it known that he and millions a uniform would not quit until justice was dealt and democracy rang by dint of the land. In another explicit example, King talks directly to those again. there are those who are asking the devotees of civil rights, When will you be contented? (King). He goes on to answer this question by saying that he and other civil rights activists will never be satisfied so long as injustice and discrimination remain a same part of the United States culture.He ensured the people whose intentions were to physically, mentally, and economically de ter African Americans that America will not experience rest or tranquility until all black men, women, and children are granted their rights as citizens. The speech was as much a message to those oppressed as it was to the oppressors. Martin Luther Kings speech was well formatted with respect to harmony, with each prior point flowing harmoniously into the next. It was organized into two halves.The first half portrayed American order of magnitude as a cesspool of intolerance, racism, and close-mindedness, and it also revealed the incongruence between the themes of the American Dream and the suffering of African Americans. In the first half of the speech, King called for action to alleviate these overriding themes in American society. In his now is the time paragraph, King emphasized to the audience that the time for action is now and spurned gradualism. In his we can never be satisfied paragraph, he mountain the conditions that must be met before he and others like him can rest.Th e blurb half of the speech depicted the romance of a fairer, more unblemished union, free from the shackles of segregation and racial discord. In the most memorable part of the speech, Martin Luther King famously stopped reading from his written speech and began to speak earnestly of his dream concerning the future of America. In the part of the speech that became its namesake, King repeatedly bellows the phrase, I have a dream (King). In a brief 3-minute period, King gave one of historys most beautiful pieces of rhetoric, summoning boisterous cheers from the masses of people.King concluded his masterpiece by articulating to the crowd his vision of a democratic America, emancipated from the chains of prejudice. His dream was that individuals from all corners of societydifferent in color, culture, and beliefscould one day stack up together in unity with respect for one another. His comprehensive use of metaphors, imagery, and repeating served to persuade the audience to remain o ptimistic and faithful in the face of prejudice and despair. He appealed greatly to the crowds sense emotion and logic.He also masterfully employ anaphora and allusions on several(prenominal) occasions in his moving speech. From under the shadow of the Lincoln Memorial, King fittingly began his speech alluding to Lincolns famous Gettysburg Address. He started by saying five score years ago (King). This assisted in setting the mood for the rest of the speech and was particularly poignant since King was speaking from the steps on the Lincoln Memorial. King also alluded to the resolution of Independence when speaking of the unalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. This allusion powerfully reiterated Americas promise to all her people. There are several allusions to Biblical passages in the speech. Perhaps one of the most notable was when King warned the oppressors of civil rights that he and everyone who challenged discrimination will never surrender until j ustice rolls down like waters, and righteousness like a mighty stream (King). This was reference to Amos 524. It appealed impressively to the audiences emotions, stirring up shouts of hallelujah within the crowd. Metaphors were use throughout the speech to help emphasize and sometimes exaggerate the ppression experienced by the African American population during that era. King frequently compared discrimination to a desolate valley and the path to racial justice as a sunlit one. He would often describe oppression as a searing heat to intensify the pain that it caused. He described African Americans poor economic position as a lonely island of successfulnessin the midst of a vast ocean of material successfulness (King). This helped accentuate the situation that African Americans were in. King bodied anaphora and repetition in his speech in order to stress the importance of key themes.One of the lesser known anaphora used was Kings repetition of one hundred years later (King). Here, King referred to the fact that cytosine years after the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation, his people are relieve hampered by the weight of inequality. He repeated the phrase now is the time (King) in an attempt to inspire the audience to act immediately and to demand change that instance. The most famous and most often cited anaphora used was the repetition of the phrase I have a dream (King) In that passage King revealed his vision of a better tomorrow for America.He verbalize that even though he faces difficulties, he still maintained that dream. This helped to tone this portion of his speech tremendously. On August 28, 1963, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. gave one of historys most beautifully executed pieces of rhetoric. The language incorporated in the speech helped convey Kings message to America challenge discrimination and the status quo and strive for an equal society. This will live on as one of Kings greatest contributions to the packaging of civil rights. Today, it remains a significant part of Kings legacy.