Evaluate Martin Luther King's "I have a dream speech" in terms of its rhetorical effectiveness. What are the tools MLK uses to engage his audience? Does he use them effectively? Comment on how he addresses both black and white communities in the speech.
Martin Luther King used images to engage his audience. He also talked about that time is now. That time is now and we can not wait any longer. He told his audience to go against bitterness and violence. Yes, he used his images effectively like, the statement of " a bad check and insufficent funds." He said that our time is now for the black people. And he said that we do not want violence, but we want peace to the white people. Freedom for both blacks and whites was meant for both. Martin Luther King's speech helped with his cause.
ReplyDeleteMartin Luther King made a great speech that day. Before I even begin on the speech itself, I just want to mention the scenery was helpful in the tone the speech. The scenery was perfect for this occasion. Now that I touched upon that, I would like to start with the speech. As far as rhetorical effectiveness goes, it was right on target. He began his speech with the emancipation of proclamation. He tells this first because he wanted to show people that this was passed by an American president who wanted to end slavery and segregation. He then goes on and says that this has not been fulfilled. He is trying the make the blind see. In other words he is trying to make people understand that segregation should not exist today, and of course, that it is wrong. Martin Luther king used great images to engage people in the audience, weather the people are white or black. It doesn't matter. But, what does matter is the message that he is trying to get through to the people. What truly gave me shivers were the repetitive phrases in the speech. After talking about the emancipation proclamation, he repeated the quote, "100 years later...” He started off calm, but each time he repeated it, and changed the meaning slightly, it built on intensity. He did this in various quotes throughout the entire speech. Near the end he started to repeat, "I have a dream...” He ended the speech by saying, "Let freedom ring". Now when I was watching this speech in class, I noticed that when it was closer to the end of the speech, I was fully engrossed in this speech. He really truly brought me into the speech, and enchanted me. Even though the speech was not specifically meant for me, it was still absolutely moving, and it was hard to take my eyes off of him, in the video. He just has this natural steady rhythm to his speech, which added to the atmosphere. It was a great thing to experience, even though it is still many years after the event. I think that his speech is not only pertaining to blacks and whites, but to everyone that roams the earth, and want to be free. He is an inspiration. In the speech he addresses the black people when he says that we should not have to deal with signs that say whites only. He engages white people when he talks about the emancipation proclamation, and when he is talking about his dream day. He is talking to both sides at that point.
ReplyDeleteMartin Luther King uses lots of detailed metaphors in his speech to really captivate the audience. The imagery in his speech is very relatable and vivid, such as the "sweltering heat of injustice". Because of this, I think he uses his "tools" effectively to engage his audience. Martin Luther King addresses both the black and white communities in his speech by pointing out how they can live peacefully together. He says things like "one day right there in Alabama little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers" and "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." to emphasize that every person of every race is equal.
ReplyDeleteMartin Luther King Jr. Used a lot of repetition and using this, he was able to 'paint a picture' for the public. One of the famous uses of repetition was the phrase "I have a Dream" in which he uses most effectively. Using this phrase, he states that segregation should not exist and that multiple races should live as one society. Some of these 'dreams' he uses are as follows:
ReplyDelete"one day, this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed"
"one day, on the red hills of Georgia, the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood."
"one day, even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice and oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice."
"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."
"one day, down in Alabama, little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers."
"one day every valley shall be exalted, and every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight. The glory of the Lord shall be revealed and all flesh shall see it together."
"I Have A Dream Today!"
MLK Jr. used many tools to support his speech,because he was a minister he decided to go the route of a sermon presentation, which i felt to be appropriate for the situation. He brought up many topics such as the Emancipation Proclamation. He said that the document was signed 100 years ago and its purpose has not been fulfilled 100 hundred years later. He constantly repeats, "100 years later" to emphasize his point and to get the crowd riled up. Another supporting fact point that he makes is back when the founding fathers created the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence. The documents said that all men were created equal and have all of the same inalienably rights, no matter what race or what color your skin is. MLK says that whenever we try to cash the check of freedom we are constantly told that that check is invalid, and there are insufficient funds to cash said check. How could the "Bank of Justice" and the "Vaults of Opportunity" be bankrupt? King also say that no matter what we will not resort to drinking from the cup of Bitterness and Hatred, to get their freedom. They will keep the peace and love that God has en-stored in all of them, that the white man has neglected.
ReplyDeleteBy far his biggest supporting detail is his famous "I Have a Dream" section of the speech. He says I have a dream that one day all men, Black and White will join in hands and sit at the table of brotherhood together. That his children will not be judged by the color of their skin but by their character. And finally he brought up the American Anthem, My Country Tis of Thee. He want freedom to ring for all people not just Whites, not just Blacks, but all people regardless of skin color.
Throughout his whole speech MLK brought up White communities but he never disrespected them, or threatened them. He shared his thought without being hostile.
In conclusion, I feel that MLK used his tools perfectly against the audience, he could not have done any better.
40 years ago, Martin Luther King inspired America with his ‘I Have A Dream’ speech from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial.His rhetoric speech inspired a want of racial justice and an equal society for all races, including blacks ans whites. His words were revolutionary for understanding the social and political outrages of the time and gave the nation a vocabulary lesson to prove it. He cites and incorporates the Bible, the Emancipation Proclamation and the US Declaration of Independence in his address to the American community.
ReplyDeleteThe speech was more of a work of poetry or a sermon with biblical language and imagery. As well as repetition, alliteration is used to tell key points.
The first half portrays not an ideal American dream but a picture of an American nightmare of racism and injustice. The second half of the speech shows the dream of a better future of racial harmony.
Throughout MLK Jr's speech, he is very rhetorical and repeats very important points in different ways each time. He first opens with repeating '100 years later' after the Emancipation Proclamation, saying that it hasn't been fulfilled after 100 years. Next, he repeats 'now is the time' with many different reasons and explanations following each one. He really emphasizes this stating that we've been ignoring this situation for so long that we need to do something about it now, not wait any longer. 'We cannot be satisfied' is his next repetitive statement, saying how blacks will not be content with the way the country is until there is equal freedom and justice for them. His most well-known rhetorical statement is 'I have a dream' during which he states many things he wants to see in the future - how blacks and whites will be equal, and people will not be judged by their skin color, but 'by the content of their character.' He finishes with repeating 'let freedom ring' from many various places in the US, meaning that he want freedom to be everywhere, throughout the whole country and for everyone.
ReplyDeleteEach statement he repeats, he has a different, yet similar point to support it. But, each time he repeats a statement, his voice grows stronger and builds the intensity and passion in what he is saying. By doing so, the audience hears his passion and understands each statement and opinion he provides. The audience is a mix of both blacks and whites. Knowing this, MLK Jr provides points that each race with understand. He has a way of speaking that makes blacks and white both think, 'hey, he's got a point. We need to do something about this.' To the blacks he says that we need freedom, life has been unfair for us for too long. On the other hand, he says to the whites that the freedom of blacks and whites are going to be linked together in the future and that they have nothing to be afraid of.
One of the tools he uses in his speech is that of repeating things over but saying something different right after that. Also as he is repeating the same phrase over and over he crescendos, he gets more firm, louder, and higher intensity in what he says. Other tools he uses are "now is the time", we cannot be satisfied, and finally "I have a dream". He uses all of these to their highest potential. They go right to the heart never stopping. You instantly feel what he feels that how effective he is. At first he is only talking to the black Americans but as the speech continues he brings white people up more and more often. Until finally he says something along the lines of I have a dream that black people and white people will join hands together.
ReplyDeleteMartin Luther king's speech, his tools that he used during this speech was metaphors that could describe how he and the rest of the black people felt. He uses repetition so he can remind people of the past deeds. Like for example he kept repeating "A 100 years ago" to show how long it took for the segregation. To show how they will not back down anymore that "They will not be satisfied". He used all of this to rally up all the black people for the freedom and peace. So he maybe known as not as secondary citizen but an equal in the america. "Midst of poverty", He wanted to see a nation that shows all men not just whites free. So that the blacks maybe about to enjoy "Life, Liberty and the pursuit of happiness".
ReplyDeleteThe key to any good speech or work of literature is rhetorics, which Martin Luther King Jr. makes great use of in his speech. He uses similes, repetition, analogies, and refers to other forms of literary works. The rhetorics King uses are effective in that they stay with the audience throughout the speech and inspire them. Each tool is effective its own way and appeals to both black and white communities. The strongest simile comes from the bible comparing justice and righteousness to water. This simile appeals to both black and white communities because religion is something both communities can have in common. Martin Luther King's use of repetition appears many times throughout his speech. The phrase "Now is the time" is repeated to motivate the audience and encourage them that it is time to change the discrimination against the black community. "We refuse to believe that there are insufficient funds in the great vaults of opportunity of this nation." King uses an analogy of america being bankrupt of justice for the black community, that the check written out in 1776 has bounced due to insufficient funds. Martin Luther King appeals to both black and white communities because he will address them individually and together about justice, taking a stand to end discrimination, and warning both communities of the consequences if they return to their "old ways."
ReplyDeleteRepetition is key throughout King's "I Have a Dream" speech. By using repetition, he thrusts the message into our brains so that it is committed to memory. Saying it just a single time would not have the imposing effect that it does on us today. Certain phrases repeated include "I have a Dream", "now is the time", and "this is the day". Dr. King also adds heavy metaphors to his speeches. They also have a powerful effect on the audience because it really displays his messages in a colorful way. They make it more interesting for the audience to agree with him. Throughout his speech, he is not only addressing black people, but whites as well. He does this very discreetly, only hinting at what race he is referring to.
DeleteThe " I HAVE A DREAM" speech was very powerful he used words that made it to be remember. He had for example that I thought that was important was the little black girlss holding hand with little white boys or something like that, that stayed with me in my head. I noticed that everyone aplused to that because he was basically saying we should be treated the same and not like the whites are higher and the blacks are lower class. I say he used his word properly and that he will never be forgotten for that speech. He made it so big that no one judges on who we are. I believe that there was no difference on how he described the white and black community. But I did notice when he said the word "black" it stood out to me because he wanted the people to hear it but not only that that's what he was fighting for and making statements thT they should be treated As equal as to the whites. I believe that his speech was proper and he used his word right and they weren't a waste of time.
ReplyDeleteMartin Luther King's famous speech in 1964 was not simply an inspiring outflow of emotion, it was an extremely well-formed intellectual argument. It followed a structure very strongly synonymous with that of Antony's famous speech in Shakespeare's 'Julius Caesar', throughout which the refrain 'Surely Brutus is an honorable man' grows and changes in meaning. King's speech is an extension of that, using many different phrases in repetition, not only to develop an argument, but to drive them into the heads of the people and to form an image sharp and clear. His approach to addressing black communities versus white communities is similarly brilliant: he cast the black man as a piteous creature, subjected to various injustices and humiliations, and alternately cast the white man as an oppressor and as a brother under God.
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