Martin Luther King's Speech

America is known to be the land of the free and home of the brave. She provides numerous amounts of opportunities for her citizens and is considered one of the greatest countries to exist. However, even though she grants opportunities, not everyone is treated equally. People, such as African Americans, are still fighting for their freedom even after slavery was abolished in 1865. On August 28, 1963, Martin Luther King Jr. publicized his famous and powerful speech at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. He advocated before an immense crowd whom cried out in hope for King’s moving words. King spoke about his blatant hope for America and the necessity of change that needs to occur. During this period, America was facing challenges when it

He carries on the phrase, “one hundred years later,” to emphasize the necessity of racial justice. For instance, King stirred the audience with, “one hundred years later, the Negro lives on a lonely island of poverty in the midst of a vast ocean of material prosperity.” He helps those who do not experience racism realize that African Americans have not lived a privileged life as they do. In addition, King continues to apply the phrase “I Have a Dream,” which ultimately became the title of his famous speech. “I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: ‘We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.’” In this phrase, he refers to the Declaration of Independence. Ironically, not all men were “created equal in the U.S.” since those of color were still suffering from racial injustices and discrimination. This served to deliver the message of racism. He also shares personal dreams with his audience that impresses them. He dreamed that his “four little children would one day live in a nation where they would not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.” With the strong implementation of anaphora, King effectively makes his audience feel empathy for those of color and fight for

Martin Luther King successfully addresses all his beliefs and wishes blended in the use of metaphors, anaphora, and allusions to create the appeal of pathos. His effective use of rhetorical devices clearly allows him to captivate his audience’s emotions by “hitting” them with the dark and naked truths of racial injustice of their fellow citizens. King exploits the unfulfilled promises of the land and manifest how African Americans are deprived from their rights. Flash forward to 2018, and those promises are yet not fulfilled. His speech is congested with rhetorical devices and figurative language that truly captivate any reader’s attention with cases that prove how unfair America can be, regardless of documentations that state equality among all. Dr. King most certainly still generates an impact in our world today with his influential