On the steps of Lincoln Memorial on August 28, 1963, Martin Luther King Jr. declaimed his views about human equality for African Americans at one of the largest civil rights demonstrations in history. Over 250,000 people stood before King in Washington, D.C. at this rally. This great civil rights leader played a pivotal role in ending the segregation for African Americans and helping inspire the Civil Rights Act of 1964. His rhetorical language left an impact on America. Through his use of appeals, tropes, schemes, and propaganda techniques, he influenced Americans to believe in the notion that all men are created equal. Martin Luther King Jr. relies heavily on pathos and ethos to convey his message of equality. In his speech, he alludes to …show more content…
He also uses highly connotative words to evoke an emotional response in the audience such as, “chains of discrimination” and “oppression” to reinforce the need for change. He also uplifts his audience through positive diction using words such as “freedom,” “majestic,” and “brotherhood” to motivate and inspire his audience. He also appeals to logos through his use of analogies: “America has given the Negro people a bad check, a check which has come back marked ‘insufficient funds.’” This analogy uses logic as a form of reasoning because he appeals to the basic concept of money and the frustration of receiving a “bad check.” Besides connecting to the audience through appeals, Martin Luther King Jr. also uses rich metaphors to convey his …show more content…
creates imagery through tropes to persuade the reader to think beyond the literal. For example, his use of metaphors provide rich comparisons: when referring to the Emancipation Proclamation, he says, “a joyous daybreak to end the long night of their captivity.” By referring to the time of day, he evokes the sense of relief that the daybreak provides after a long night or period of slavery. While he understates the time period of the long night of slavery, his stress on the daybreak shows the audience a relief or break from the harsh night. He continues his theme of nature in his metaphor that he will