ipl-logo

How Does Martin Luther King Use Pathos In I Have A Dream

886 Words4 Pages

He wrote “Letter from a Birmingham Jail” and wrote his famous “I Have a Dream” speech. He was an American Baptist minister and activist who became the biggest visible spokesperson and leader in the civil rights movement. This man was Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. In both of his writings, he used pathos and logos to appeal to the audience and fit the occasion. Logos, or logical appeal, uses a clear line of reasoning supported by evidence, such as facts or data. Pathos, or emotional appeal, uses loaded or charged language and other devices to arouse emotions. Using these, he influenced people to follow him. If he would not have spoken up, the world could have ended up still being segregated today. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. used pathos and logos in his speech to draw in people so …show more content…

Martin Luther King, Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech had a great deal of logos and pathos appeals to persuade his audience to speak out against segregation and to give all men the rights they deserve. He often gave a clear line of reasoning supported by evidence in his speech, like when he says: “This note was a promise that all men, yes, black men as well as white men, would be guaranteed the “unalienable Rights” of “Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.”... America has defaulted on this promissory note, ... given the Negro people a bad check… which has come back marked “insufficient funds.” (King para. 4) He used logos here to explain that even though the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence promised all men to have equal rights, they did not follow it. When they tried to obtain the rights they were supposed to have from the beginning, no one would give

Show More
Related
156 Words | 1 Pages

In paragraph 15, Dr. King's rhetoric helped to advance his purpose in writing the letter. Dr. King uses logos in paragraph 15 to show his reasoning on the matter of justice, in order to move people to act on this important matter. This paragraph helps the reader to see the importance of "acting quickly" in regards to justice because in that time, justice was hard to achieve. As Dr. king states "for more than 340 years for our constitutional and God given rights". Several people have expressed a sense of inessential thinking towards the matter. For people who have "never felt the stinging darts of segregation" it is easy for them "to say, "Wait", and this is why Dr. King has to stress his point to another level in order for them to understand.

Read More
180 Words | 1 Pages

Perhaps the most prominent similarity between King's and Malcolm's speeches is the use of pathos. They appealed to the audience's emotions to persuade their audience to join their movement and concede their beliefs. Martin Luther King and Malcolm X both spoke in a way that brought fear, pity, and sadness out of their audience by speaking of the evil of segregation and slavery. In his “I Have a Dream” speech, King used words and phrases with negative connotations such as "crippled", "languished", and "unspeakable horrors" to convey how difficult it is for an African-American person to live in a racially unjust society. He uses these words so people of other races will empathize with the hardships of black citizens.

Read More
93 Words | 1 Pages

COLLAPSE Dr.King was a real king, especially when he stand among 200,000 African-American to announce the ''I Have A Dream speech. The way Dr. King Incorporate pathos in his famous speech is by putting a lot of emotions in his speech while he was announcing it in front of everyone. The way Dr. King kept say ''I Have A Dream'' The people who were standing among him felt all the strength king had in his speech. Dr. King also showed in his speech how he did not like the way they treated

Read More
907 Words | 4 Pages

During the Civil Rights Movement, African Americans were often oppressed and denied their constitutional rights, such as the right to protest. A prominent leader of the Civil Rights Movement was Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., who was a powerful and persuasive writer and speaker. King delivered the famous speech, “I Have a Dream” during the march for freedom on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. He also wrote, “Letter From Birmingham Jail” while he was jailed for protests. King wrote his famous letter in the margins of a newspaper in response to eight white clergymen who criticized his work.

Read More
563 Words | 3 Pages

“The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy” (King, Jr.). Martin Luther King Jr. exceeded this “measure of a man” during his civil rights acts as a strong soldier in a very volatile time. During this time of “challenge and controversy” King made himself heard in his famous “I Have a Dream” speech. In some of his civil rights acts that occurred in Birmingham, resulted in him ending up in jail. During his time in jail, he wrote his also famous “Letter From Birmingham Jail.”

Read More
291 Words | 2 Pages

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and congressman Robert Kennedy tried to inspire people who listened to or read their speeches or letters to stand against segregation worldwide by using powerful words that had meaning behind them. In Dr. King's “Letter From Birmingham Jail” he states, “We know through painful experience that freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed.” This quote inspires many people who read his letter by providing very powerful words which allow the reader to feel strongly about the stand for freedom. Another way Dr. King used strong words to inspire people is by stating in his “I Have a Dream” speech, “Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of

Read More
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
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
595 Words | 3 Pages

“And if America is to be a great nation, this must become true.” (MLK, 264).  Martin Luther King Jr. was a recognized activist in terms of supporting complete freedom for African Americans.   He was a well known author and public speaker who served as a shred of hope for many during the dark times in which racial prejudice was exercised.

Read More
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.

Read More
970 Words | 4 Pages

Martin Luther King, Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech had a great deal of logos and pathos appeals to persuade his audience to speak out against segregation and to give all men the rights they deserve. He gave many reasons in his speech to make the audience excited and want to take action, like when he says: “This note was a promise that all men, yes, black men as well as white men, would be guaranteed the “unalienable Rights” of “Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.”... America has defaulted on this promissory note, ... given the Negro people a bad check… which has come back marked “insufficient funds.” (King para. 4)

Read More
719 Words | 3 Pages

Martin Luther King’s speech, “I Have a Dream” is vastly recognized as one of the best speeches ever given. His passionate demand for racial justice and an integrated society became popular throughout the Black community. His words proved to give the nation a new vocabulary to express what was happening to them. Martin was famously a pacifist, so in his speech, he advocated peaceful protesting and passively fighting against racial segregation.

Read More
920 Words | 4 Pages

In the two stories written by Martin Luther King Jr. “I Have A Dream”, and “Letter From Birmingham Jail” were two stories that truly impacted history. These two readings talk about one being about King Jr. tell his speech on the footsteps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C., about him having a dream, where blacks and whites can unite. In both writings by King Jr., mostly in his “I Have A Dream” speech, King Jr. uses a lot of persuasive techniques, mostly pathos.

Read More
961 Words | 4 Pages

The Civil Rights Movement was a big thing for the United states and we as Americans will always remember Martin Luther King Jr. for helping lead the people and inspire change and bring hope. The speech “ I Have a Dream” by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was an important gathering of people at the Lincoln Memorial. A huge crowd gathered to listen to his powerful speech which helped to inspire change. Martin Luther King also wrote a letter to eight white clergymen named “Letter From Birmingham Jail” the letter was written in in his jail cell which he was in for marching and protests. In both of these texts Dr. King used pathos and logos to inspire change and reach out to the people during the civil rights movements.

Read More
853 Words | 4 Pages

The “I Have a Dream” speech is well known throughout history to be one of the most famous speeches to be on the subject of civil rights. Throughout the entirety of “I Have a Dream”, Dr. King uses pathos more than logos. “We can never be satisfied as long as the Negro is victim of the unspeakable horrors of police brutality. We can never be satisfied as long as our bodies, heavy with the fatigue of travel, cannot gain lodging in the motels of the highways and the hotels of the cities.”

Read More

More about How Does Martin Luther King Use Pathos In I Have A Dream

Open Document