Rhetorical Analysis Of Martin Luther King's I Have A Dream Speech

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It has been over 50 years, and Martin Luther King’s ‘I Have A Dream’ speech is considered to be one of history’s greatest speech ever given. In August 1963, Martin Luther King inspired America with his rhetoric outcry of an integrated society and racial justice. His words proved to be a benchmark for understanding the social and political disturbance in America. His speech became rallying cry for the black community and has endured for generations of Americans. The key message in the speech is that all people are created equal. He proclaimed passionately and powerfully. King was philosophical and as a minister he referenced The Bible and also The Gettysburg Address and the US Declaration of Independence in his speech. So, I will at a look at his strategies and techniques that made this speech one of the most memorable speeches ever to be…show more content…
Repeating the words sets a pattern, and further emphasize the pattern and increase the rhetorical effect. “I have a dream” is repeated in eight sequential sentences, and is one of the most often cited examples of anaphora. He also used “One hundred years later…”, “Now is the time…”, “Let freedom ring (from) …”, “We must…”, “We can never be satisfied…”, and “Go back to…”. These key phrases highlight his narrative through repetition and makes these phrases more memorable, thus making the speech more unforgettable. Repetition of key “themes” throughout the body of your speech is a ways to use repetition. It is almost like anaphora, but it can be used in a more subtle way. If we were to analyze the frequency of words used in King’s speech, we will find a patterns appear. The most commonly used noun is freedom, one of the primary themes of the speech. King also used “we” and “our” to set a tone of unity. Also used “you”, “nation”, “America”, and “American” to set the responsibility in our nation citizens’ for change. And finally “dream” to set hope for that
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