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Literary Devices In Dr. Martin Luther King's I Have A Dream Speech

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St. Clair, Ashlyn Mr. Shipp English 1, Block 1 5/24/2023 Devices of the Dream Dr. Martin Luther King wrote his speech, “I Have a Dream” with the intent to start a peaceful revolution to allow people of color to gain their rights and freedoms back. In order to accomplish this in his speech he used many literary devices including metaphors and allusions. This essay will be touching on some of the literary devices he used and how they affected the public upon hearing it. One example of a literary device that set the tone for the speech was when he said, “This momentous decree is a great beacon light of hope to millions…”, this metaphor was used to set a tone of aspiration. He says this because a beacon is most of the time a signal of guidance. A lighthouse is an example of a beacon which is used to guide ships away from obstacles. King is trying to guide the people away from violence and to protest in a harmonious way. …show more content…

Martin Luther King repeats the phrase, “I have a dream” at the start of every sentence in the paragraph. He uses the anaphora to emphasize his point and to create a bigger impact on the audience. After using that expression he would state something he one day wished to accomplish including, “I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. . . .” King wishes that his children would be able to grow up without feeling discriminated against, which he

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