ipl-logo

Rhetorical Analysis Of March On Washington

1286 Words6 Pages

On August 28, 1963, over 200,000 US citizens congregated in Washington D.C. in a demonstration called the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom (“March on Washington”). The aim of the march was to draw attention to the plight of African-Americans within the nation while focusing specifically on equal employment. At this event Martin Luther King Jr. (MLK), a leader of the Southern Leadership Conference and an African-American civil rights activist, delivered a speech centering on racism in the United States. The main purpose of King’s speech was to demand racial justice and an equal and integrated society. He adopts an urgent and inspirational tone to appeal to his mixed audience of blacks and whites at the capital as well as those watching …show more content…

Eight different times MLK makes use of anaphora through his speech. In order of their usage King draws on anaphora when saying “One hundred years later…,” “Now is the time…,” “We must…,” “We can never (cannot) be satisfied…,” “Go back to…,” “I Have a Dream…,” “With this faith, …,” and “Let freedom ring (from) …” (King). Even without the rest of the speech the phrases that King continuously use tell his tale. One hundred years after African-Americans were supposed to be made free and equal they are still oppressed. Although, this can change if they act now, and they must act now for no other time is better. This change must be total and utter to satisfy African-Americans as they have been put down for so long and put up with so much suffering; so, they must go back now from where they came and be the change they wish to see. This is all a dream, but if there is belief in the dream it will come true and freedom will truly ring throughout the entirety of the land. This is the narrative King weaves and the emphasis attached to the repetition of the phrases makes the phrases more memorable and, by extension, MLK’s entire message more memorable. By making his message memorable King insures that his audience will remember his cries for equality and integration. What creed is given to the message is largely dependent upon the

Show More
Related

Rhetorical Analysis Of Why Should We March

528 Words | 3 Pages

In his article, “Why Should We March?” by A. Philip Randolph in 1942, he stressed the importance of winning World War II so that democracy may spread both abroad and within the United States of America in order to bring social equality regardless of race. He claims that if the United States were to lose the war, there would be no chance for African Americans to improve their social, economic, and political circumstances. His article promotes Black individuals to support the United States’ fight in World War II despite the controversial political landscape, and reminds his audience to look at how the war has already benefited racial equality in the U.S through the giving of defense jobs to African Americans. Randolph addresses the political climate at the time of his writing in 1942.

Read More

March On Washington For Jobs And Freedom Rhetorical Analysis

100 Words | 1 Pages

And the mid-twentieth century racism was a huge issue in the U.S. The most prominent was the racism of African Americans. Blacks were horribly. So then blacks made up civil rights activist and groups to change the system. The most known and noble activist was Martin Luther King.

Read More

Mlk Rhetorical Analysis Essay

463 Words | 2 Pages

King uses anaphora, repetition, allusion, and rhetorical devices to get more in depth with his audience. King uses repetition to persuade his audience to follow his dream and to make everyone equal. Through the words “justice, freedom, and equality,” King shows how strongly he feels about his dream and how he truly feels about segregation. The speech king tried his hardest to persuade his audience to advocate for equality for all races until it was achieved. King uses anaphora to show how much he cared for what he was doing.

Read More

Rhetorical Analysis Of March On Washington For Jobs And Freedom

847 Words | 4 Pages

One hundred years later, the life of the Negro is still sadly crippled by the manacles of segregation and the chains of discrimination,” (King). He uses the phrase “one hundred years later” to reference how it has been one hundred years since the Emancipation Proclamation. However, even one hundred years after this momentous occasion for African Americans, their lives have hardly changed for the better, as they are still held down by “the manacles of segregation and the chains of discrimination” which afflicted them all those years ago. These snippets from the speech make it evident how King often used cerebrally appealing arguments in order to convince people to help him fight for

Read More

Anaphora In Letter From Birmingham Jail

826 Words | 4 Pages

King repeated many of his words throughout the speech, but the words he chose to repeat had an impact on his entire address and left the audience thinking about certain things. For example, King repeats the words “we can never be satisfied as long as…” and “we cannot be satisfied as long as…” until he finishes that part of his speech with, “No, no we are not satisfied and we will not be satisfied until justice rolls down like waters and righteousness like a mighty stream” (King). He repeats “satisfied” over and over to tell the Black Americans they cannot settle any longer and that they have to higher their standards when thinking about their rights. King’s repeating of those same phrases not only makes those sentences memorable but also makes an impact on the audience. Another, for example, “I have a dream…”

Read More

Mlk Rhetoric

1960 Words | 8 Pages

MLK’s overall purpose of his speech was to stress the need of equality in America, and how African Americans deserve that equality. First, once describing his vision of future America, he repeatedly uses the phrase “I have a dream” (King). MLK is expressing his intense longing and desire for such a change. Through this repetition, the audience is able to grasp how meaningful equality is to MLK. It is not just a need, or want, it is a dream.

Read More

Martin Luther King Rhetorical Analysis Essay

643 Words | 3 Pages

used rhetorical devices. He used his specific, “now is the time,” anaphora to spur people into taking action right now and not wait any longer. Using his two metaphors, Dr. King wanted to open the eyes of everybody to see how the African American people had been surviving in impoverished conditions. Not only did Dr. King wished to emphasize and open the American people’s heart to segregation and injustice, he wanted them to be united, and be as one. To unite them as one during his speech he repeated words that included everybody, such as “we”, “our”, and “us”.

Read More

Emotional And Rhetorical Analysis Of Martin Luther King's Speech

806 Words | 4 Pages

of diction that creates a logical and emotional appeal on the audience. The main target of this speech is toward the African – American’s living in the United States. Martin Luther King Jr. opens up his speech stating that he is grateful for everyone who attended “the greatest demonstration of freedom”. At this point this speech is already creating an appeal of pathos.

Read More

Rhetorical Analysis Of Martin Luther King's I Have A Dream Speech

544 Words | 3 Pages

On August 28, 1963 on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, Martin Luther King Jr. gave one of the most influential speeches of all time. He spoke to thousands of people, and on one of the most debated issues of its time. It spoke to the hearts of many, and was a precursor to the Civil Rights Act of 1964. He used Lincoln’s ground-breaking Emancipation Proclamation; the Founding Father’s Declaration of Independence, that first broke our ties to Britain as we forged out on our own; and the patriotic song My Country ‘Tis of Thee. Martin Luther King’s

Read More

Does Martin Luther King Use Anaphora In I Have A Dream Speech

428 Words | 2 Pages

In Martin Luther King, Jr’s Speech, he uses rhetorical devices such as anaphora to emphasize his point that “Now is the time,” By repeating this phrase at the beginning of his sentences he adds to the importance and urgency of the matter, in this case a march. While delivering this speech King has to be careful in the way he persuades the audience, and the way his sentences are portrayed. The smallest miscommunication could lead the entire audience into an unbelievably large riot.

Read More

Rhetorical Analysis Of Martin Luther King's I Have A Dream Speech

777 Words | 4 Pages

In Martin Luther King’s “I Have A Dream” speech, rhetorical devices are highlighted to strengthen King’s argument. Anaphora and imagery are some of the strongest components of King's speech. The line “No, no, we are not satisfied, and we will not be satisfied until justice rolls down like waters, and righteousness like a mighty stream.” (King 17) showcases King’s rhetorical strengths. King repeats the line “We can never be satisfied” or other versions to relay his message clearly; African-Americans will never be content until they receive the inalienable rights of justice and freedom they deserve.

Read More

Analysis Of Martin Luther King's Speech: The March On Washington

689 Words | 3 Pages

uses figurative language which grabs the attention of the audience and makes the message he’s trying to get across even more protruding. For example, in paragraph 3, King says, “In a sense we’ve come to our nation’s capital to cash a check”. This metaphor compares rights and government. This literary device implies that MLK believes that now is the time to make a change and take action. He is saying that today they are coming to the government to get what they deserve, which is freedom, justice, and equality.

Read More

Metaphors In Martin Luther King's I Have A Dream

1007 Words | 5 Pages

On August 28, 1963, Martin Luther King Jr., a civil rights activist, delivered his renowned speech, "I Have a Dream" on the Lincoln Memorial located in Washington to millions of Americans. King relied on the use of metaphors, imagery, and anaphora to establish pathos; as well as to convey his wish to live in a country where everyone has equal civil and economic rights no matter their skin color. King employs many metaphors throughout his speech to disclose emotions that can only be represented by comparing two things. More specifically in the beginning of his speech he compares the lack of justice to a "check with insufficient funds.

Read More

Emotional Appeals In Mlk Speech

730 Words | 3 Pages

“...when you are harried by day and haunted by night by the fact that you are Negro, living constantly at tiptoe stance, never quite knowing what to expect next, and are plagued with inner fears and outer resentments; when you are forever fighting a degenerating sense of “nobodiness”- then you will understand why we find it difficult to wait. There comes a time when the cup of endurance runs over, and men are no longer willing to be plunged into the abyss of despair. I hope, sirs, you can understand our legitimate and unavoidable impatience.” (MLK, 276). King uses this strong sense of appeal to emotion to engross his readers and let them know how hard it is for them.

Read More

How Did Martin Luther King Use Rhetorical Devices In Five Years Ago

980 Words | 4 Pages

In August 1963, more than 50 years ago, Martin Luther King gave a speech that will be enshrined in the history forever. He purposely delivered the speech from the steps of the Lincoln memorial. Not only that he demanded racial justice, but he gave Americans as a nation a way to express how they feel. More importantly, his speech gave hope to the black community, the hope that they could all be equal one day. Martin Luther King’s writing is so specific.

Read More

More about Rhetorical Analysis Of March On Washington

Open Document