Figurative Language Used by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

The figurative language and diction choices made by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in his “I Have a Dream” speech strengthens the connection of his claim to his intended audience by providing concrete and tangible examples to help grasp the complicated concepts.

Two examples of the figurative language used by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in his I have a dream speech are, for instance in paragraph four where he says to his fellow people “America has given the Negro people a bad check, a check which has come back marked “insufficient funds; or how in paragraph fourteen where he says, “This sweltering summer of the negro’s legitimate discontent will not pass until there is an invigorating autumn of freedom and equality.”

Two examples of the diction choices made by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in his I have a dream speech are, for instance in paragraph one he starts out like Lincoln by saying “Five score years ago”. Or in paragraph five where he speaks in the style of Lincoln again and says “we have also come to this hallowed spot to remind America of the fierce urgency of now.

One reason that proves that the figurative language and diction choices made by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in his I have a dream speech strengthens the connection of his claim to his intended audience is that he provides very concrete and tangible examples to help grasp the complicated concepts in his I have a dream speech.

Also the examples that he does provide are examples of things that the audience can all relate to. One example of the concrete and tangible evidence was where he had mentioned the sweltering summer that they experience in Washington D.C. every year.

Another is where he referred to their freedom and equality not being received as a check that has come back marked insufficient funds and justice as a bank.

This is how the figurative language and diction choices made by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in his “I Have a Dream” speech strengthens the connection of his claim to his intended audience by providing concrete and tangible examples to help grasp the complicated concepts.