In what ways is I have a Dream by Martin Luther King Effective?

The second example is by welcoming the white people of the congregation, encouraging them, rather than segregating them from the rest of the audience. It also puts a stop to the hostility that the white people in the congregation might have to face, In this first part of the exert he uses imaginative, emotive phrases, such as "soul force." This reinforces his point that this is not a violent movement and must be fought with soul and not physical violence. He also uses the phrase "inextricably bound to our freedom", this is very emotive, the audience know they must not give up and will strive until they achieve what they set out to accomplish. This emotive language is successful and therefore effective.

He then uses the phrase " as we walk." This is effective in reminding the people that it will not happen quickly, but slowly and steadily, that the road to victory is long.

Next he uses quotations of people against the movement, for example "There are those who are asking 'when will you be satisfied?', possibly to arouse a streak of anger, he uses this anger and turns it in to motivation. He uses other anger provoking phrasing following this, as if he wants to get the congregation fired up towards the end of the speech. For example, " the Negro is the victim of the unspeakable horrors of police brutality," brutality, this time being the anger provoking word.

Towards the middle of his speech he repeats the phrase " we cannot be satisfied" and builds us to a climax, this climax keeps his audience with baited breath until the end of this section.

" let us not wallow in the valley of despair" This encourages his people to turn their negativity into positive energy to be used in the fight for freedom that lays ahead.

He repeatedly uses these motivational phrases to keep the audience positive and motivated. If he, for example, spoke for a long time about the hardships the people had suffered, it might make the people too angry and promote violence in them. Or if he spent a long period speaking about the hardships and discomfort they would have to face, it might a depressing effect on the congregation (he obviously did not wish for this audience to feel depressed about the situation) He finishes with repeating his famous phrase " I have a dream" and repeating it, building up to his final climax. To finish on his desired note he motivates his people using emotive phrasing again, like "sweltering." Everybody knows how unpleasant it is to be sweltering with heat. He uses a common emotion. He also uses weather imagery, he catches a waft of feeling when he makes a comparison of the past and his dream for the future, by turning their oppression into an "oasis of freedom and justice"

"I have a dream "monosyllabic, short, motivating, inspirational, highly effective.

Charlie Matthews 10C 18/12/07

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