The Speech.
On August the 28th 1963 more than 250,000 people including 50,000 whites, gathered to rally for “Jobs and Freedom.” Many people gave speeches including labour leaders such as Walter Neuther and film stars such as Sidney Poitier and Marlon Brando. Each speaker was given 15 minutes but undoubtedly the most famous speech was delivered by Martin Luther King.
King had originally prepared a relatively formal speech about the suffering endured by the African Americans whilst fighting for freedom. Instead encouraged by the words of one celebrity who said “Tell them about the dream Martin, tell them about the dream” he produced perhaps the most famous speech of the 20th Century. It was broadcast on National T.V and reported in every newspaper across America introducing it to a much broader audience than those 250,000 standing before him.
Julian Bond a civil rights campaigner and student of Martin summed up the importance and impact of the speech by saying “Kings dramatic 1963 I have a dream speech before the Lincoln Memorial cemented his place as first among equals in civil rights leadership.
In my opinion King used the speech to persuade, encourage and inspire rather trying to include an element of argument. I shall now prove this whilst analyising the speech.
Paragraph 1 on P 328 from “it came as a joyous – an appalling condition”.
King immediatly uses the word “we” to identify himself as just another one of the audience. He shows an understanding of their suffering at the same time as introducing a metaphor by saying “ The negro lives on a lonely island of poverty in the midst of a vast ocean of material prosperity” In this he refers to the poor blacks as the island surrounded by a vast ocean of relatively happy and successful whites. He also uses perhaps the most recurrent and important part of the speech saying ;
“One hundred years later, we must face the tragic fact that the Negro is still not free, one hundred years later the life of the Negro is still crippled by the manacles of segregation and the chains of discrimination, one hundred years later...”
He uses this repetition for dramatic effect and he will do this a lot during the speech. In this paragraph King is introducing the suffering that is still endured by African Americans today.
Paragraph 2 on page 328 from in a sense we have – tranquilizing drug of gradualism.
The main feature of this section is the extended metaphor, in this case he uses a cheque to describe the struggle for freedom.
“In a sense we have come to our nations capital to cash a cheque.” He spends some time talking about the declaration of independence and then continues the metaphor.
“It is obvious today that America has defaulted on this promissory note insofar as her citizens of colour are concerned. Instead of honouring this sacred obligation, America has given the Negro people a bad check; a check which has come back marked “insufficient funds.” But we refuse to believe that the bank of justice is bankrupt. We refuse to believe (repetition) that there are insufficient funds in the great vaults of opportunity of this nation. So we have come to cash this check – a check that will give us upon demand the riches of freedom and security of justice.”
This means he thinks that America has not lived up to its promise as far as African Americans are concerned. However at the same time he refuses to believe that freedom and justice cannot be obtained, that this bad cheque as he calls it cannot be cashed.
He continues to interact with the audience using we. He also emphasises the importance of acting now and that this is not the time to rest. He uses (the fierce urgency of now.) He is backed up by (Pirkel avot 1:150.) he says,
Hillel: If I am not for myself who will be for me? If I am myself alone what am I? If not now when?
The important part of this quote is highlighted. This is arguing for revolution (a fast change otherwise described as turning things upside down) he argues against waiting for evolution (gradual change over time) this is the message King is trying to get across. In the previous paragraph he talked about the lack of change evolution had brought over the past 100 years. Now he calls for gradualism to stop and peaceful revolution to start. He is trying to encourage and inspire with this paragraph.
Paragraph 3-4 on page 328-329 from Now is the time – we cannot work alone.
King starts the paragraph once again using repetition still trying to tell the audience of the “fierce urgency of now.” To do this he uses fairly short snappy sentences each with the words “Now is the time” at the beginning.
He refers to his crowd as “God’s children” this puts them as equals to white people. (Genesis 9:6) would offer them extra protection saying “One who spills the blood of another, his blood should be spilled, for in the image of God was the human made.” This is self explanatory. He refers to the crowd of people in front of him as “my people” to interact with the crowd.
He then uses a two of metaphors next to each other
“Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred”.
Here he is urging the audience to take a peaceful route. He continues to do this using a plane to describe the way they must conduct try and attain freedom.
“We must forever conduct our struggle on the high plane of dignity and disipline.”
King uses this paragraph to encourage, persuade and inspire. However he uses his language to inspire his audience most giving out positive signals like “63 is not an end but a beginning”
Paragraph 6 on page 330 from I am not unmindful – unearned suffering is redemptive.
In this paragraph King introduces the word you. He also says things like “persecution” and “trials and tribulations.” This is King trying to get across an idea of his understanding of their suffering.
He also tries to almost exagerate this suffering at the hands of the police force saying “Battered by the storms of persecution and staggered by the winds of police brutality. He uses this paragraph to show understanding and to create anger setting himself up nicely for the motivational of paragraphs to come.
Paragraph 7 on page 330 from Go back to Mississippi – let us not wallow in the valley of despair.
This is where King begins to change the mood convincing his audience that there is hope. He once again uses repetition. “Go back to Mississippi, go back to Alabama, go back to South Carolina, go back...”
This paragraph is used to turn the audiences mood around before the famous I have a dream part.
Paragraph 8 on page 330 – 331 from I say to you today – shall see it together.
The most famous part of the speech King really changes the mood of the speech here from what is wrong - what can be done.
He inspires and encourages his audience now. Here he uses repetition saying “I have a dream” nine times. His dream is mostly related to white and black people sitting side by side in harmony with one another, he uses several examples of this e.g “I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia the sons of former slaves and the suns of former slave-owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.”
In the last section of the I have dream section he says, “ the rough places will be made plains, and the crooked place will be made low. He may of got this from a religous quote. (Issaiah 40:4) says, “Let the rugged be made level and the ridges become plain” he also says “this is referring to the evil” in everyone.
Paragraph 9 – 10 on page 331 from this is our hope - sing with new meaning.
Here King follows up the dream by talking about the power of faith. He uses the words faith and hope so much in fact that they end up making up 6% of the words in the paragraph. He talks about how faith will take them through the suffering they will endure whilst trying to obtain freedom.
Paragraphs 11 12 13 on page 331 to 332 from And If America – We are free at last
In this closing section of the speech King talks about freedom ringing from every place in America (In fact he once more uses repetition In short phrases not unlike in paragraph 3 this time he says let freedom ring 7 times) he then goes onto talk about America finally being a great country when this is acheived to end the speech on a high.
