Despite the fact that some proclaim Abraham Lincoln’s “The Gettysburg Address” uses antithesis in an efficient way, Martin Luther King Jr’s remarkable “I Have a Dream” speech exceptionally uses the rhetorical device of antithesis in two definite ways to achieve the overall goal of putting an end to racism.
Martin Luther King Jr.’s powerful and effective use of antithesis in his “I Have a Dream” speech is what fulfilled the overall goal of the speech; to appeal to the racial inequalities happening within the United States. The sentence “I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.” is a powerful use of antithesis that supports the overall claim. He contrasts two opposite ideas, character and skin color, which are parallel to each other. He also draws attention to the future by referencing his four children, and how he dreams of them to be treated. This example of antithesis that Martin Luther King Jr. incorporated also creates great significance on the idea of ending racism and what that will look like in the future. While this is a distinguished
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The rhetorical phrase “...and every hill and mountain should be low…” is a perfect example of how he uses antithesis in such a compelling way. Clearly, mountains and valleys are very tall things, but he is saying how they should be low. This is due to the fact that he is symbolizing mountains and valleys as real-life obstacles in the way of achieving racial justice for African Americans. By using antithesis here, he illuminates his appeal and overall goal to persuade American citizens to end racism. Although “I Have a Dream” superlatively uses antithesis, it is argued that “The Gettysburg Address” by Abraham Lincoln uses the rhetorical device more