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Did Martin Luther King Use Rhetorical Devices In I Have A Dream Speech

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Two score and fourteen years ago, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. made a momentous speech that went down in history, which was the “I have a dream speech. This speech sought out the best in everyone along with changing the minds of Americans starting a revolution for freedom. Martin Luther King did this through the use of rhetorical devices. Nevertheless, rhetorical devices are powerful tools when it comes to motivating action from an audience. Martin Luther King Jr. is not the only spokesmen to use these devices. President Abraham Lincoln used rhetorical devices in his “Gettysburg Address” speech. First of all, Abraham Lincoln’s use with rhetorical devices show how he has united his audience. In Lincoln’s speech, “The Gettysburg Address”, he says “But in a larger sense, we cannot dedicate - we cannot consecrate - we cannot hallow - this ground” which is a perfect example of anaphora parallelism. Lincoln uses …show more content…

In the “I Have a Dream” speech, he says “One hundred years later, the life of the Negro is still sadly crippled by the manacles of segregation and the chains of discrimination.” which uses a metaphor that relates segregation and discrimination to the manacles and chains. Moreover, shows that segregation is an ongoing problem which negatively affects the black community. If Dr. King just address it as a problem, we wouldn’t get the same effect. However, since he said that they were chained and manacles, he is able to impact his audience and show them how big of a deal segregation is. Another quote that shows Dr. King’s use with rhetorical devices is when he repeats the phrase “I have a dream…” This quote is a form of repetition which shows his audience that the world that his peaceful vision of a world where blacks can be friends with whites is a dream when it should have been a reality. The impacts of this repetition are immense that wakes all of us up that we have to treat everyone

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MLK also uses rhetorical devices to persuade the audience. MLK states In Letter To Birmingham Jail, “Why direct action, why sit-ins, marches, and so forth?” (King 7) MLK used rhetorical questions so the audience would have to think to themselves. MLK is showing the audience that by doing these actions is the only way they will be heard.

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The speech “I Have A Dream” by Martin Luther King was the most compelling because he used 3 of the rhetorical devices. MLK used logos, pathos, and ethos. He used logos by appealing to the audience’s ethics by saying pieces of evidence that he thinks is for the best. He used pathos by appealing to the audience's emotions and giving examples that hit home and we can give sympathy to them. He used ethos by appealing to the audience’s logic, he used pieces of evidence like important documents from the past and he uses that to support his side.

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624 Words | 3 Pages

Martin Luther King Jr. was a leader in the African American Civil Rights movement in the 1960s, he was known for his nonviolent movements and methods of protesting. This involved many African American citizens to take verbal and physical abuse from the police and not being able to do anything about it. He used his words to inspire the nation into taking action, instead of promoting violence. Dr. King gave his “I Have a Dream” speech in front of thousands of United States citizen from all different backgrounds at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington. Kings uses ethos to point out why segregation was unjust and to justify why African Americans deserves the same rights as the white citizens of the United States.

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Martin Luther King convinced his audience to stand up and fight for their rights; he used persuasion in a strategic way to up rise African Americans not only in the audience that day but across America into today. By using multiple emotive words, analogies and figurative language he created a beautiful persuasive Rhetoric speech that will be studied and referenced for years to come without disagreement there would be no conflict, and no real opportunity to gather people the way he did and influence people the way he did. This is obviously one of the best rhetoric speeches known in

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804 Words | 4 Pages

On August 28th, 1963, Martin Luther King Jr gave us one of one of the most rhetorically moving speeches ever given. Titled as the “I Have a Dream Speech,” he read this speech to the “March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom”. As a civil right mover he gave this great speech to all Americans (black and white) so that he could give off the idea of equality on the same level. Because of his crowd of mix races King made sure to make his speech imploring to all no matter what the race that they may be. He uses metaphorical imagery, powerful diction,and symbolism to create an impact on the audience.

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“In expressing [his own emotions] with such powerful eloquence, in connecting strongly with the emotions of his listeners, and in convincing them to empathize with others, Dr. King demonstrated emotional intelligence decades before the concept had a name”(“Dr. Martin”). He demanded to end racism throughout the entire United States. King utilized repetition, metaphors, diction and rhetorical devices, that provokes ethos and pathos, throughout his speech in order to connect with his audience as well as to motivate them to stand up and fight for their freedom they well-deserve. One of the most used literary elements throughout Martin Luther King’s speech are diction, which leads to rhetorical devices such as, ethos, logos, and pathos.

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835 Words | 4 Pages

Martin Luther King Jr. was one of the most influential figures of the American civil rights movement. Famous for his prowess with words, King was known for writing powerful texts throughout his life. Two of his most famous compositions were his “I Have A Dream” speech and his “Letter From Birmingham Jail”. Although King uses many styles of writing effectively, his writings with pathos are the most prominent. Since “I Have A Dream” uses more pathos than “Letter From Birmingham Jail”, “I Have A Dream” was more effective at inspiring change.

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Martin Luther King Jr. is one of the most influential African-American activists in American History and was a key participant in the Civil Rights movement, the goal of which was to provide full civil rights to all rights in America. MLK has written many, many speeches and letters in favor of the Civil Rights movement in America, the most famous of them being his legendary “I Have a Dream” Speech and the monumental “Letter from Birmingham Jail”. To attempt to gain support for his cause, MLK employs the use of emotional appeals, also known as pathos, and logical appeals, also known as logos, which aid to stir emotion and reasoning in the listener. It is more than obvious that MLK tends to tug at the heartstrings of his listeners with his emotionally charged language essential to his success. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. uses more powerful and plentiful examples of pathos in his literature, examples of which being his “I Have a Dream” speech and his “Letter from Birmingham Jail”, than logos due to the more powerful emotional connection they carry which can convince his listeners to sympathize with his civil rights movement.

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Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech is one of the most well-known and critically acclaimed speeches of all time. Every child, every teenager, every adult has at some point in their lives heard King’s speech. They have heard the words “I have a dream” ring through the air. The success of King’s speech is not accidental by any means. King’s speech bears many of the hallmarks of a strong persuasive speech.

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In Martin Luther King Jr.’s “Letter From Birmingham Jail” and “I Have a Dream” speech he uses many different rhetorical devices. He uses rhetorical devices such as repetition, analogy, and rhetorical questions. In each writing, he uses the devices for many different purposes. These purposes can be similar, or different. In short, Martin Luther King Jr. includes rhetorical devices in his writing.

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642 Words | 3 Pages

In 1963, Martin Luther King delivered one of the most influential and impactful speeches in history. King's I Have a Dream speech was consistently powerful assertions of emotional appeals, repetition and paradox. In King’s speech, he utilizes pathos to build a relationship between his black and white audience. This is evident through his references to both  black and white children and the history of slavery which appealed to the audience members of the older generation.

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853 Words | 4 Pages

Martin Luther King Jr. was an important figure in gaining civil rights throughout the 1960’s and he’s very deserving of that title as seen in both his “I Have a Dream” speech and his “Letter from Birmingham Jail” letter. In both of these writings Dr. King uses logos - logical persuasion - and pathos - emotional appeal - to change the opinions of people who were for segregation and against civil rights. Although King was arrested for a nonviolent protest, he still found a way to justify his actions with the use of logos and pathos. MLK uses both ways to gain the attention and agreement of the audience but, he uses pathos not just more, but in a more relatable way in order to appeal to his audience.

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Shortly afterwards he was both criticized and applauded for his actions in the protest. During this time, King decided to write a letter to address those who questioned his actions. In his “Letter from a Birmingham Jail,” Martin Luther King effectively used the rhetorical strategy of describing to achieve his purpose of defending his reason for protesting, a model that can be applied to the upcoming portfolio project. Rhetorical Strategy In his letter, King uses several rhetorical strategies, however one that stood out to me if the strategy of describing.

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761 Words | 4 Pages

In 1962 President John F. Kennedy held a press conference in which he informed the audience on his stance for the rising steel prices. Kennedy not only wanted to inform the audience, he wanted to get them on his side of the argument. He wanted to show the audience that the rising steel prices were going to have a negative impact on the nation. To do this Kennedy used some of the rhetoric strategies and tools. He used periodic sentences, anaphora, and diction.

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On August 28, 1963, at the March on Washington, Martin Luther King Jr. delivered a speech entitled "I Have a Dream". The purpose of Martin Luther King 's speech was to make Americans of all racial backgrounds aware of the racial, civil, and economic inequality that was taking place in the United States. Martin Luther King 's speech was intended to bring awareness of the problem of inequality and to give Americans hope and faith that one day everyone, black and white, would be equal. King states in his speech that when Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863, it gave hope to millions that had experienced injustice and inequality, and his expectation was to bring hope to Americans by delivering this speech just as Lincoln

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