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

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On the 28th day of August in 1963, Martin Luther King would make history through his “I Have A Dream” speech. It would be one of the first steps taken to fight the struggle for freedom and justice experienced by African-Americans in the United States, a ‘free’ and ‘equal’ country that is supposed to provide opportunities for all. Still, nearly 50 years later on July 19, 2013, former US President, Barack Obama would continue King’s fight. Both Martin Luther King’s “I Have A Dream” speech and former President Barack Obama’s “Remarks on Trayvon Martin Ruling” speech speak about the struggle for freedom and justice with their main strength being their use of rhetorical devices to support their arguments and exude their beliefs. Freedom and justice are inalienable rights that had to be fought for by African-Americans in the US because of the extremely unfair treatment they received. Such …show more content…

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. When King states, “I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, every hill and

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