Inspiring Rhetoric in I Have a Dream Speech

'I have a dream' is a famous speech delivered by Martin Luther King at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington on August 28, 1963, and it mainly focuses on the equality of black peoples. (Youtube) It has a great impact on the United States and even the world. The author wrote from the epoch-making significance of the 'Emancipation Proclamation', which naturally leads to the current status of black life. Thus, revealing the reasons for the parade and pointing out the purpose of the parade. The author then points out the urgency of the government to address this issue, emphasizing the determination and power of black people to act. At the same time, the author also reminded black compatriots to pay attention to the strategies and methods of struggle. Since it is a speech to organize a parade, the emphasis is on inspiring morale.

This speech is encouraging because of nonverbal communication and the application of rhetoric. Nonverbal communication refers to a person's appearance, manners, tone, tone, and expression. One of the elements of nonverbal communication is Kinesics, which is body language. Body language plays an important role in complementing, accenting, symbolizing or substituting utterance meaning. During Martin Luther King’s speeches, he used body language many times. For example, when it comes to important moments, he would turn his body and look around. In the 17-minute speech, he stood upright, giving a sense of solemn integrity. The meaning of his serious facial expression passed to the audience is: what he said is very valuable, and this matter is very important. In the end, he said that let the voice of freedom rang from everywhere, his hands were waving all the time. In the end, he clenched his fists and raised his hands, which gave great encouragement to the audience. He inspired the audience's feelings and made them firmly believed that the song of freedom would sound everywhere in the United States.

Rhetoric is the art of speaking or writing effectively. People can share ideas through the use of symbolic action. Symbols are words and things. Symbolic action is doing something with those symbols. During Martin Luther King’s speeches, he uses pathos to impress the audiences. Pathos is to resonate with the reader to make the reader accept the author's thinking. Energetic emotion is the main thread of this speech. He began his speech with the expectation of “end the long night of their captivity”, vividly depicting the current situation of black Americans and their inner desire. 

Then enthusiastically looked forward to “I have a dream”, during which the author was full of grief passionate emotion. (Martin Luther King) The author's feelings also infected audience. Finally, he combined dreams, new songs, and hymns, entrusting the speaker's grief and eagerness. This emotion reverberates in the interaction with the audience, infecting and sublimating the emotions of the audience, and receiving excellent results in the speech.