Commentary on "I Have a Dream" by Martin Luther King

“I Have a Dream” is a public speech delivered by Martin Luther King, a prominent figure in American History, in which he calls for racial equality. Throughout his speech, Martin Luther King inspires and motivates his audience to create a social movement for the betterment of the standards of living for black people in America. The transcript deals with the themes of equality and freedom by using a variety of literary techniques. Social exclusion of the “Negro”, according to Martin Luther King, is holding back America from truly being “great”. He encourages those who are fighting for equality and freedom from the constraints of society to continue their struggle for the betterment of the entire black society. He seems to say that freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor, but it must be demanded by the oppressed. The theme of undying hope is also discussed as Martin Luther King encourages his viewers to be persistent in whatever they do. Direct addressal of the reader helps the orator to emotionally connect with the reader to have a greater impact on the audience. The speech begins with direct addressal of the reader to provide emotional connection and thereby enhance the motivational effect of the speech. The possessive pronoun “my” in the noun phrase “my friends” unites Martin Luther King with his audience and so has the ability to strengthen

  • Word count: 1982
  • Level: International Baccalaureate
  • Subject: Languages
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Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. : 'I Have a Dream'

Essay: Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. : 'I Have a Dream' Dr. Martin Luther King delivered his "I Have a Dream" speech to the thousands of African Americans who had marched on Washington, D.C. at the height of the Civil Rights Movement. The date of the speech was August 28, 1963, but it is one that will live for generations. Of course his purpose was to convince his audience on several fronts: he sought to persuade the black community to stand up for the rights afforded them under the Constitution, and he also sought to demonstrate to the white community that a "simple" black man could so effectively use powers of persuasion that they too would have reason to join the cause. He stated in his opening sentence that the event at which he spoke would "go down in history as the greatest demonstration for freedom in the history of our nation". His words were indeed true, and they certainly fit the event. The first point that Dr. King made in his speech was that of recalling for all the promise inherent in Abraham Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation. He refers to the hundred years span as "five score," recalling even the manner in which Lincoln himself had referred to the passage of time in his Gettysburg address. Of the Proclamation, King said, "This momentous decree came as a great beacon of light of hope to millions of Negro slaves, who had been seared in the flames of

  • Word count: 1208
  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: History
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Martin Luther King, Jr. "I Have a Dream" Speech Aug. 28, 1963

. 'There will be neither rest nor tranquility in America until the Negro is granted his citizenship rights. The whirlwinds of revolt will continue to shake the foundations of our nation until the bright day of justice emerges. But there is something that I must say to my people who stand on the warm threshold which leads into the palace of justice. In the process of gaining our rightful place we must not be guilty of wrongful deeds. Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred. We must forever conduct our struggle on the high plane of dignity and discipline. We must not allow our creative protest to degenerate into physical violence. Again and again we must rise to the majestic heights of meeting physical force with soul force'. Martin Luther King, Jr. "I Have a Dream" Speech Aug. 28, 1963 More than 40 years ago America was captivated with Martin Luther Kings breath-taking Speech ' I have a dream' from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. His Speech portrayed a none idealised American dream, but a demand for racial justice. Through his words, the nation was given vocabulary to understand and express the turbulent social and political situation at that time, in 1963. The key message in the speech was that everyone is born equal even though that wasn't the case in America then. He strongly argued in passionate way

  • Word count: 680
  • Level: University Degree
  • Subject: Historical and Philosophical studies
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Martin Luther King - Essay on his speech "I have a dream"

Essay I have a dream is a speech delivered by Martin Luther King on 3 August 1963 on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington. During a time of great struggle for the Black race, King's speech came as a call for equality across America. With s uch widespread media interest and over twenty thousand in attendance, King's style of spoken language and the non-verbal aspects of his speech were obviously greatly polished and perfected. The speech has gone down as one of the most significant in history and is a great example for many other orators and politicians today. One of King's great skills was his ability to create a positive rapport with his audience. He did this in many spoken and non-spoken ways. Immediately in the speech he begins with 'I am happy to join with you today', this is King's way of greeting the audience and making a connection between the 'audience' and 'speaker.' King's speech contains many other ways of creating a 'connection' with the audience referring to America as 'our nation' and saying; 'we refuse to believe...' and 'we must never...', here King is using personal pronouns to establish a bond with his audience, ensuring their confidence in him. King then ends his speech 'we are free at last' this shows to the audience that it is not only them fighting for freedom but King also. The speed of speech in this address also connects the audience as

  • Word count: 1572
  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: English
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Martin Luther King's "I have a dream" 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." Martin Luther King was a man who believes in equality between people. He mentions that equality and human rights are the only things that provide people to live freely and happy in a country. "All men are created equal" means nobody should be judged because of their color or their race. On this sentence he talks to all people in the world. He wants to mention the importance of the equality and justice. He also talks with a persuasive language with using "we hold these truths". He wants to be persuasive to accept his thoughts on people. * The sweltering summer of the Negro's legitimate discontent will not pass until there is an invigorating autumn of freedom and equality. In those times the America has a civil war between Negros and whites. Martin luther king wants to say that there will not be peace and happy world until black and white will be equal and free. He doesn't threat anybody but in a realistic way nobody is going to be calm if they cannot get what they deserve. Equality and freedom is a solution of happiness. He uses metaphoric language to explain his thoughts. In this sentence he talks to politicians. They are the ones who can provide the equality and freedom to all black and white people.

  • Word count: 616
  • Level: International Baccalaureate
  • Subject: Languages
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In what ways is I have a Dream by Martin Luther King Effective?

In what ways is " I have a Dream" by Martin Luther King Effective? Martin Luther King was an orator and had to put across his beliefs in an imaginative and emotionally suggestive way. Many of his audience had travelled far to listen to his speech. Many would also be irritable and uncomfortable in the hot august weather, He had to keep them occupied and inspire them in a way that would have positive resonance and not provoke anger and violence. His speech would be televised to the nation and must therefore have been suitable for a variety of audiences (his speech was not purely to be listened to by the black community) His speech was effective in achieving the above targets in the following way: The first example of this in the given excerpt of his speech that warms his audience to him is by using we (1st person plural). By this he is treating the group as a whole, as if they are one body that must help each other, very inclusive and warming, making everybody feel equal; it symbolizes brotherhood. 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

  • Word count: 674
  • Level: AS and A Level
  • Subject: Drama
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'I have a Dream' - analysis of Martin Luther King's speech.

Tereza Sokol, 2i Essay on MLK’s “I have a dream” speech May 2012 ________________ Essay on Martin Luther King, Jr.’s speech “I had a dream” (Answering question 1) Throughout Martin Luther King’s life he has written a series of speeches in connection to the Civil Rights Movement for the African-American people. Some more famous than others, but there is no doubt that most famous speech of them all, is the speech King prepared for the demonstration, known as the “March on Washington”, at the Lincoln Memorial on the 28th of august 1963 “I have a dream”. Besides the people, who participated in the demonstration and who he spoke directly to, the speech was televised on national television, so a broad audience indeed. King is famous for mastering the art of pure persuasion with the use of many rhetorical devices, imagery and allusions. Just a few lines[1] into the speech, is the first use of imagery. He describes the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation by Abraham Lincoln as the following: “… a great beacon light of hope to millions of Negro slaves, who had been seared in the flames of withering injustice” (Line 32-33, page 223) Here, the imagery emphasizes and clarifies the message in this phrase, not only because everyone has positive connotations with light and negative with flames, but also because King speaks from a Christian point

  • Word count: 922
  • Level: International Baccalaureate
  • Subject: Languages
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Martin Luther King, Jr. - Has the Dream Come True?

Martin Luther King, Jr. Has the Dream Come True? "I say to you, my friends, so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream. "I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of it's creed: "We hold these truth to be self-evident, that all men are created equal."...I have a dream today." Martin Luther King, Jr.'s famous speech still echoes in the minds of Americans today. Black and white alike can relate to his dream: that all men, no matter their color, are created in equality. On January 15, 1929, a boy named King came into the world with few cares. Little did anyone know that one day this young Michael (whose name was later changed to Martin) would be come a great orator and spokesperson for the African-Americans of the country of the United States. King attended segregated public schools in Georgia and graduated high school at 15. He later became a co-pastor of the Ebenezer Baptist Church with his father, Martin Luther King, Sr. Martin later attained a BA at Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia, in 1948. He went on to acquire a BD at Crozer Theological Seminary in Pennsylvania in 1951. In 1955, he met and married Coretta Scott. King's first presence in politics was a humble presidency position for the Montgomery Improvement Association - a black

  • Word count: 686
  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: History
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Martin Luther King.

1th February 2003 H/w Martin Luther King was born on January 15th 1929, in Atlanta, Georgia. He was the eldest son of Martin Luther King Sr, a Baptist minister, and Alberta Williams King. His father served as pastor of a large Atlanta church called Ebenezer Baptist, which was founded by Martin Luther King Jr's maternal grandfather. King Jr. was ordained as a Baptist minister at the age of 18. Martin Luther King attended local segregated public schools, where he excelled. He entered nearby Morehouse College at age 15 and graduated with a bachelor's degree in sociology in 1948. After graduating with honors from Crozer Theological Seminary in Pennsylvania in 1951, he went to Boston University, where he earned a doctoral degree in systematic theology in 1955. King had obvious public-speaking abilities-which became renowned as his stature grew in the Civil Rights Movement-developed slowly during his collegiate years. He won a second-place prize in a speech contest as an undergraduate at Morehouse, but received Cs in two public-speaking courses in his first year at Crozer. By the end of his third year at Crozer, however, professors were praising him for the powerful impression he made in public speeches and discussions. Throughout his education, Martin Luther King was exposed to

  • Word count: 1502
  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: History
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Martin Luther King's "I Have a Dream" speech analysis report

On August 28th, 1963, Civil Rights activist Martin Luther King stood on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, in Washington and delivered the iconic, memorable speech, “I Have a Dream”. At the time, there was many conflicts between black and white men in America. Black men were being treated unfairly, weren’t free, and weren’t treated equally. In the 1960s, King emerged as the leader of the Civil Rights Movement. He delivered this speech to inspire change in both black and white citizens of the United States in the Civil Rights era. The promise of the speech is that both sides accept change in a non-violent, yet effective way. King used a range of aspects including repetition, anaphora, assonance, alliteration, and other rhetorical techniques to convey his message that all people, black and white, were created equal. Throughout King’s speech, he keeps the audience focused and concentrated on his message by repeating key words from his theme of justice. In the first paragraph, he used the metaphors, ‘A beacon light of hope… ‘Seared in the flames of withering injustice’ showing how the Negro slaves were promised hope that this injustice would end with the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation. King repeats the theme of injustice ‘The Negro lives on a lonely island of poverty… in the midst of a vast ocean of material prosperity.’ King emphasises the

  • Word count: 744
  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: English
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