Rhetorical Analysis Of Martin Luther King's Speech

In Martin Luther King’s nonfiction speech, “I Have a Dream” he talks about the importance of racial equality and how to gain justice back. This speech is one of the most influential speeches in American history. This speech happened on August 28, 1963 in Washington, DC. King’s words were heard all over the nation and were very purposeful. Dr. King brought awareness to racial inequality and used storing metaphors to give his writing purpose and justification. The first way King adds purpose and develops his writing is by bringing awareness to racial inequality throughout America. Dr. King declares, “Now is the time to rise from the dark and desolate valley of segregation to the sunlit path of racial justice. Now is the time to lift our nation

One example of King’s metaphors is, “A great American in whose symbolic shadow we stand today, signed the Emancipation Proclamation. This momentous decree came as a great beacon light of hope to millions of Negro slaves…” King is talking about Abraham Lincoln abolishing slavery, yet 100 years later they are still treated poorly. King’s speech is said right in front of the Lincoln Memorial, which gives hope that better days are coming. He uses the words, “beacon light of hope” to reveal that this document was a future sign of hope for all slaves. The words, “momentous decree” indicate that there was momentum moving forward, not backward, with this document. If America had fulfilled its promise, King would not have had to do his speech. This further accelerates King’s words because it shows how weak the government is and shows how they look bad because of King’s movements. These factors give his words light and purpose for all people. In addition, this following quote shows another one of King’s metaphors. “We’ve come to our nation’s capital to cash a check. When the architects…wrote the…words of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, they were signing a promissory note to…every American…” This metaphor shows that african-americans have yet to be granted the equality that was guaranteed to them. King refers to the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence as promissory notes, but still this promise has yet to be satisfied. King says “every American,” not just a certain race. This shows how his words can impact anyone and how this law should be pledged to everyone. He uses the word “we’ve” to show that, unified, they have all come to fight for freedom. This use of metaphors help the people in the crowd, and in the nation, better visualize what King is saying. The words “cash a check” are used so that King can relate to other people with problems that have had