Rhetorical Analysis Of I Have A Dream

“Let freedom ring.” Freedom is all something we all value in life; unfortunately, it wasn’t just handed to all of us. In “I Have a Dream,” Martin Luther King Jr. tries to convince all of America that everyone should be treated with equality. This address is very compelling because it uses tone, repetition, and allusion to convey a point using both compassion and power. The first paragraph references to the Declaration of Independence and our unalienable rights as Americans, trying to argue his point. Next, MLK uses a great amount of wisdom to show that his people are in need of aid from the powers of our country. Finally, he demonstrates emphasis to strengthen his point even further. No speech can be complete without an emotional tie to a historical

has an outstanding amount of optimism and passion behind his words. This level of tone is beyond most others. In fact, it is almost as if Jesus himself spoke through this leader of equality and to all of America. “But we refuse to believe that the bank of justice is bankrupt. We refuse to believe that there are insufficient funds in the great vaults of opportunity of this nation” (King). His breathtaking words inspired each and every one of us to make a difference, and he wraps up this paragraph perfectly. “And so, we’ve come to cash this check, a check that will give us on demand the riches of freedom and the security of justice” (King). He compares a check to the acceptance of the rights of all people, that gives his people equality and all of America’s ‘unalienable rights.’ “And when this happens, when we allow freedom ring, when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God’s children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual…” (King). This ending really spoke to everyone listening because of the talk of equality among others, and harmony for all. Furthermore, Dr. King repeats impactful phrases to try and hook the

The use of this technique can be found in various other speeches because of its effectiveness on us men and women alike. This amount of power, passion, and emphasis strengthens his Ethos, Logos, and Pathos throughout his speech ultimately winning the vocal battle against all opposing him. “I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, and every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight; ‘and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed and all flesh shall see it together’” (King). This is just one of the many (8+) times he says, “I have a dream” making it clear that it is one of the main points that he wants people to remember when they go back to doing their daily routines. “With this faith, we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope. With this faith, we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood. With this faith, we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day” (King). With this faith, everyone could overcome any hurdles coming their way, just as Dr. King wisely told. “And if America is to be a great nation, this must become true. And so let freedom ring from the prodigious hilltops of New Hampshire. Let freedom ring from the