Rhetorical Analysis of Martin Luther King’s I Have a Dream Speech

Martin Luther King Junior stamps August the 28, 1963, as a historical landmark of equality for black Americans, ironically in the Lincoln Memorial. Not only does King proclaim equality, but the format in which his speech was composed, influenced writers for decades to come. King asserts the speech being “the greatest demonstration for freedom”, but the analysis of his use of figurative language shall be considered. Every rhetorical devices, overstatements, allusions, metaphors, and repetitions play a part in being the most effective speech to many Americans.

King constructs the “I Have a Dream” speech directly for black Americans in which they lack the true freedom of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. King ensures to stimulate the emotions for black Americans by using constant metaphors that convey difficulties only black citizens face. For instance, King continuously states the fact that even after one hundred years, the Negro are still not free, and that the Negro live in an island of poverty. With this claim, the audience roared, for they feel the isolation of poverty in a “free country”. Even though white citizens attended the presentation of King’s speech, his purpose was to arouse correlation to the truth that the Negro face. Throughout the speech, King uses the Ethos rhetorical device to persuade his audience into his proposition of equality. King uses historical examples as a backup to his propositions; therefore, he uses allusions to evoke an understanding to his metaphorical references. For instance, King refers back to the Declaration of Independence in which it was a promissory note for life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Since King used a historical fact, his proposition for equality is well supported and Kings persuasion is well believed. King then ties in a metaphor of “cashing in a check” to allow the audience to see the overthrow from the promise of the Declaration of Independence.

The constant use of historical references, or evidence, results to the audience trusting what he has to offer. Even though King uses his credibility to persuade the reader, his use of figurative language inspired his audience into persuasion, resulting to the Pathos rhetorical method. King continually refers to allusions in which correlate to God. Whenever the mention of faith appeared, the crowd went wild. King also stirred in the common emotion in which most parents face, which is the protection for their children. King states, “I have a dream that my four little children, will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.” This quote plays an important part to the speech by gaining the audience sensibility, leading them to trust his assertions. If a writer raises and lowers his voice to highlight a crucial claim, the audience suddenly becomes attentive to what the writer has to say. King uses this in his speech by raising his voice, like if he was praising on a Sunday morning. King also pauses for brief seconds, as if allowing the information to sink into the audience, waiting for a reaction. These small details effect the audience by understanding how effective King’s claim are. The audience felt the melancholy tone spreading across the Lincoln Memorial, in how saddening our country had become, and what they could do to change it.

Every pause in King’s words, historical references, allusions of faith, and metaphors all reflected back on the black Americans striving for a better change. The structure in how effective the essay was written allowed it to be the “greatest demonstration for freedom in the history of our nation”, as King himself ensures. Writers will look back to his speech in awe of how King had the audience open their eyes to the ugly truth in which our nation had allowed itself to become. Without the speech, our country would continue to be lost in the “manacles of segregation and the chains of discrimination”. The children of every race, except white, would have never known what it was to be free. Martin Luther King changed the system of America for the better, all by being able to convince his audience to take a look into reality.