ipl-logo

Luther King Allusion

1255 Words6 Pages

Martin Luther King was a man that changed the world forever, he wanted freedom for all african americans and fought for it. Lincoln Memorial Address, The Nobel Peace Prize 1964 Acceptance Speech, I Have a Dream, and Give Us the Ballot these are just a few of the speeches used to achieve the freedom he and all of the oppressed desired. The legacy left by him will forever be remembered and celebrated but how did his speeches reach and change so many people's hearts. Mr. King's speeches left such a big impact because they brought out the true feelings and thoughts of not just african americans but all races even the white man.
Lincoln Memorial Address a speech that truly showed Martin Luther king's word play and his ability to use rhythm and rhyme …show more content…

“I refuse to accept the view that mankind is so tragically bound to the starless midnight of racism and war that the bright daybreak of peace and brotherhood can never become a reality”(King 27). Allusion is how he affects and reaches you; he says “the starless midnight of racism” alluding to no hope or light for the suffering people to reach for; he says this trying to explain the darkness racism represents. Martin Luther King uses allusion again as he accepts the award “I accept this award on behalf of the civil rights movement which is moving with determination and a majestic scorn for risk and danger to establish a reign of freedom and a rule of justice” (King 27). He uses the phrase “majestic scorn” to allude to hate and unacceptance of the risk and danger that it takes to reach their goals of peace and brotherhood. He uses allusion to add further meaning to his speech and draw you in, this shows the importance of the topic that is spoken on. “King Promises to stay in Montgomery and fight until justice runs “down like water, and righteousness like a mighty stream”(David Neumann). Allusion is utilized to define what King wants for justice and righteousness, comparing the direction he wishes for them to head to water and a mighty stream meaning in a fluent and strong path that adapts to any obstacle just as water adapts to any …show more content…

Bickford III, John H., and Theresa Byas states “Dr. King opposed prejudice, greed, and war” the I Have a Dream speech shows not only what he opposes but his aspirations as well. The words “I Have a Dream” (King 25) are being repeated again and again. These are the words that embody this speech and give it life. The repetition that is shown in this speech can be explained as dramatic and explicit. Martin Luther King notably repeated these words with the goal of drawing all the attention towards them. These words don't just prove something, they reflect the feelings and dreams of all African American present, past, and future. They aren't just the main attention for no good reason, they are followed by deeply described aspirations and dreams “ 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”. Creed “an authoritative formulation of the beliefs of a religious community” he doesn't say he wants the nation to give african americans freedom he goes deeper and holds the nation to its word that all men are created equal. He details his thoughts in a deeper, more impactful way and uses dramaticness and detail to draw you in and capture your

Show More
Related

  • Rhetorical Analysis Of Letter From Birmingham Jail

    982 Words  | 4 Pages

    King’s speech that stuck out to me. Dr. King choose to use charged language while speaking very often. For example, “ one hundred years later, the Negro live on a lonely island of poverty in the midst of a vast ocean of material prosperity”. This part of his speech reached out to many Negros since they could relate to “living on a lonely island of poverty”. It hits them emotionally and deep inside.

    Read More

  • Letter From Birmingham Jail Logos

    498 Words  | 2 Pages

    Dr. King uses all sorts of figurative language in his writing. He uses a form of persuasion known as logos and pathos. Logos is the appeal to logic, and pathos is the appeal to emotion. Dr. King’s “I Have a Dream Speech” took place during the March on Washington

    Read More

  • Mlk Rhetorical Devices

    615 Words  | 3 Pages

    But, how can a speech be so memorable? Martin Luther King’s speech “I Have a Dream”, was full of rhetoric devices, mainly to make the speech more appealing to those who were standing for his beliefs as well. The structure is well managed to those who are more likely to be the audience of this speech. In the beginning, standing the point that his people was discriminated by those who felt they were better, mostly seen at the time, negroes being discriminated by white people.

    Read More

  • How Did Martin Luther King Jr Impact The Notion Of Our Nation

    936 Words  | 4 Pages

    He also thrown in a lot of metaphors as well, such as having our republic drinking from the “Cup of bitterness and hatred.” He had as well put in a few anaphoras, repeating a lot of things he said to create more intense feeling in his speech. Martin Luther King’s speech had affected all of us, including the discriminators. The famous minister’s speech had a profusion of allusions referring to people in the past, especially people who helped construct our country. There were three I would like

    Read More

  • Rhetorical Analysis Of Martin Luther King Jr

    398 Words  | 2 Pages

    employs allusion to emphasize the historical progression of racism. For example, King illustrates,”... In whose symbolic shadow we stand today, signed the Emancipation Proclamation” (King 48). The Emancipation Proclamation freed the slaves of America, making it an important moment in history. King uses this allusion to show that eventually discrimination will no longer be an issue of our future.

    Read More

  • Rhetorical Analysis Of Martin Luther King Jr

    504 Words  | 3 Pages

    Martin Luther King Jr. was the greatest influence among both white and black people in 1959, during the Civil Rights Movement. Martin Luther King Jr. changed how the people viewed slavery and the rights of African Americans with his powerful speech. He brought to the people words of trust, power, and most importantly hope. In 1959 Martin Luther King dedicated himself to the principles of non-violence.

    Read More

  • Rhetorical Analysis Of Martin Luther King Jr

    772 Words  | 4 Pages

    Another use of allusion is when king states” and so let freedom ring from the prodigious hilltop of New Hampshire. Let freedom ring from ring from the mighty mountains of new york. Let freedom ring from the Hightning Alleghes of Pennsylvania”(32-39)When king mentions the phrase” let freedom ring” his words illustrate a vision of freedom and equality. When King says “Let freedom ring” from mountains in the states, he's emphasizing that change is here. King's use of allusion concludes that African Americans deserve freedom, and the people and the states need justice; white boys and black boys could hold hands and be

    Read More

  • Is Martin Luther King's Association With The Southern Baptist Church

    1253 Words  | 6 Pages

    As a devout Christian, King Jr. followed the Bible's commands, which formed the basis of his unwavering anti-violent protest. King wished for happier and more peaceful days not only for himself and his family but also for future African American generations. He would accomplish this through peaceful, restrained, and nonviolent protests. He frequently avoided the more violent protestors and encouraged all protesters to behave similarly to him, conducting in his I Have a Dream speech that “‘We [protestors] must not allow our creative protest to degenerate into physical violence’”. This nonviolent sense was firmly embedded in Dr. King's ideology and was a major factor in his success in civil rights.

    Read More

  • How Did Martin Luther King Jr Impact The Civil Rights Movement

    787 Words  | 4 Pages

    This speech provided a strong impact on America's ideas about race and equality. As seen in the quote, “And there will be neither rest nor tranquility in America until the Negro is granted citizenship rights. The whirlwinds of revolt will continue to shake the foundations of our nation until the bright day of justice emerges. ”(King,262) This quote from Martin Luther King Jr's speech displays that the people of America won't rest or stop revolting until the ideas of the American people have changed for the better.

    Read More

  • March On Washington Speech Rhetorical Analysis

    1236 Words  | 5 Pages

    Martin Luther King Jr. inexplicably opened the eyes of Americans across the nation with his role in the movement and his use of resonating imagery, excellent emotional appeal, powerful voice, and evocation of logic in his “I Have a Dream” speech. With such an enthralling rhetoric he gained a vast amount of support and exponentially increased the pride in standing up for what’s righteous and just. Exemplifying the throes of being a colored person, King evoked sympathy whilst simultaneously applying the valid logic that no human should be subjected to lesser standards. His rhetoric wholly changed American history that day and thus conveyed his ability to maintain equanimity throughout all of the

    Read More

  • The Rhetorical Analysis Of Martin Luther King's Speech

    946 Words  | 4 Pages

    Martin Luther King Jr., a minister and social activist, led the Civil Rights Movement in the United States from the mid-1950s until his death by assassination in 1968. He was an advocate for equality between all races and a civil and economic rights Activist. Because of his leadership, bravery and sacrifice to make the world a better place, Martin Luther King was awarded with the Nobel Peace Prize. His incredible public speaking skills and ability to properly get his message across can clearly be scene throughout the speech. Tone: Dr. King delivered his speech at the university of Oslo in Oslo Norway in front of a large group of people.

    Read More

  • Rhetorical Analysis Of I Have A Dream Speech

    914 Words  | 4 Pages

    Martin Luther King, Jr. was an extremely impactful activist during the Civil Rights Movement that gave over 2,500 speeches in his lifetime. Of these speeches, his most popular is his famous I Have a Dream speech that he gave on August 28, 1963 in Washington, D.C. during the March on Washington. Even famous speakers like Martin Luther King, Jr. use persuasive techniques to appeal to the different sides of their audiences. In order to appeal to his predominately African American audience, Martin Luther King, Jr. makes reference to Abraham Lincoln and his granting freedom to slaves by signing the Emancipation Proclamation.

    Read More

  • Martin Luther King's Speech Tone

    1111 Words  | 5 Pages

    At the 1963 March on Washington, American Baptist minister and activist Martin Luther King Jr. delivered one of his most famous speeches in history on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial at the height of the African American civil rights movement. King maintains an overall passionate tone throughout the speech, but in the beginning, he projected a more urgent, cautionary, earnest, and reverent tone to set the audience up for his message. Towards the end, his tone becomes more hopeful, optimistic, and uplifting to inspire his audience to listen to his message: take action against racial segregation and discrimination in a peaceful manner. Targeting black and white Americans with Christian beliefs, King exposes the American public to the injustice

    Read More

  • Purpose Of Martin Luther King's I Have A Dream Speech

    995 Words  | 4 Pages

    Here in this quote, he personifies the abstract qualities of freedom, bitterness, and hatred and uses them to represent something we "drink" of "thirst for". King uses this metaphor to teach us that we should not be bitter and have hatred if we want to ultimately achieve freedom. An example of the use of a simile is in the line "justice rolls down like waters and righteousness like a mighty stream". In this simile, he compares the idea of us all having justice to water in a stream. Lastly, King uses imagery in his speech.

    Read More

  • Martin Luther King's Speech: Critique

    1229 Words  | 5 Pages

    He incorporated a lot of biblical allusions to insist the audience that his speech is in accordance to the Bible, as King writes that he has a dream that one day, “every valley shall be exalted,” every hill and mountain “made low,” all rough places will be “plain” and crooked places “straight” and that the “glory of the Lord shall be revealed.” (Isaiah 40:4-5). On another occasion he paraphrased one of biblical statement “weeping may remain for a night, but rejoicing comes in the morning.” (Psalms 30:5 ) in his words as “It came as a joyous daybreak to end the long night of their captivity “cite .King’s allusions to past events help to create unite both races and inspire them to tackle this problem collectively as both colors experienced American history in some form or another. King not only references the Biblical allusions which emotionally appeal to people but also mentions legal statements like declaration of independence and Emancipation proclamation by mentioning “Five score years …” to refer to Abraham Lincoln’s address and “promissory note” to direct their attention towards their legal rights as mentioned in the constitution.

    Read More

More about Luther King Allusion

Open Document