Li1 Li Rhetorical analysis of the “I have a dream” speech by Martin Luther King Jr. In the middle of the twentieth century, racism was at the center stage in the United States, where most white citizens discriminated their African American counterparts (Holland). Although at the time all blacks were supposed to be free, they were under a polluted law system, where they were victimized endless. Due to this situation, many civil rights activists and groups started rising as an effort by the blacks to eliminate the discrimination (Bobbitt). Amongst all the activists, the most prominent was Martin Luther King Jr., who was from the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC). However, out of all of his protests the “I have a dream” speech had the most impact to a point where his opponents saw him as a threat. The speech was held on March 1963 during the Washington for jobs and freedom and was held on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial (Holland). The speech had much impact because Martin Luther King Jr. used rhetorical structures that were effective in presenting the racists problems that provoked most of the audience to feel sympathy for the blacks and provided hope for the oppressed African Americans (Martin Luther King). Martin Luther King Jr. utilized the tense social mood of the era in his speech, and thus it had such a massive impact as it gave other black activists a vision for the future. The “I have a dream” speech was successful in making the whites feel ashamed of the course. In his seventeen minutes speech, it is quite clear that King was addressing different audiences; the blacks, the whites, the militant blacks and the racists supremacists. King structured his speech in such a way that it was appealing to all the targeted audience (Bobbitt). The speech came strong because King supported it with rhetoric modes (ethos, logos, and pathos) which he later reinforced using schemes and rhetorical tropes (Holland). For this reason, the three strategies that will be discussed in the analysis are; rhetorical modes, rhetorical tropes, and schemes. The structure of a speech and King was recognized this is because he shows the truth of the civil rights movements, the plight of the blacks and presents hope in the future. He recognized that the speech was supposed to be appealing to all the different audience and thus structured it extremely well (Martin Luther King). In his address, King starts by presenting the problem to his audience, he helps them to visualize the problems the African Americans were going through, and thoroughly describes their condition (Bobbitt). He claims that “the life of the Negro is still sadly crippled by the manacles of segregation and the chains of discrimination.” He also states that “the Negro lives on a lonely island of poverty in the midst of a vast ocean of material prosperity.” King also says that “the Negro still languishes in the corners of American society and finds himself an exile in his land.” It help ...

1. Li1
Li
Rhetorical analysis of the “I have a dream” speech by Martin
Luther King Jr.
In the middle of the twentieth century, racism was at the center
stage in the United States, where most white citizens
discriminated their African American counterparts (Holland).
Although at the time all blacks were supposed to be free, they
were under a polluted law system, where they were victimized
endless. Due to this situation, many civil rights activists and
groups started rising as an effort by the blacks to eliminate the
discrimination (Bobbitt). Amongst all the activists, the most
prominent was Martin Luther King Jr., who was from the
Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC). However,
out of all of his protests the “I have a dream” speech had the
most impact to a point where his opponents saw him as a threat.
The speech was held on March 1963 during the Washington for
jobs and freedom and was held on the steps of the Lincoln
Memorial (Holland). The speech had much impact because
Martin Luther King Jr. used rhetorical structures that were
effective in presenting the racists problems that provoked most
of the audience to feel sympathy for the blacks and provided
hope for the oppressed African Americans (Martin Luther
King).
Martin Luther King Jr. utilized the tense social mood of the era
in his speech, and thus it had such a massive impact as it gave
other black activists a vision for the future. The “I have a
dream” speech was successful in making the whites feel
ashamed of the course. In his seventeen minutes speech, it is
quite clear that King was addressing different audiences; the
blacks, the whites, the militant blacks and the racists
supremacists. King structured his speech in such a way that it

2. was appealing to all the targeted audience (Bobbitt). The speech
came strong because King supported it with rhetoric modes
(ethos, logos, and pathos) which he later reinforced using
schemes and rhetorical tropes (Holland). For this reason, the
three strategies that will be discussed in the analysis are;
rhetorical modes, rhetorical tropes, and schemes. The structure
of a speech and King was recognized this is because he shows
the truth of the civil rights movements, the plight of the blacks
and presents hope in the future. He recognized that the speech
was supposed to be appealing to all the different audience and
thus structured it extremely well (Martin Luther King).
In his address, King starts by presenting the problem to his
audience, he helps them to visualize the problems the African
Americans were going through, and thoroughly describes their
condition (Bobbitt). He claims that “the life of the Negro is still
sadly crippled by the manacles of segregation and the chains of
discrimination.” He also states that “the Negro lives on a lonely
island of poverty in the midst of a vast ocean of material
prosperity.” King also says that “the Negro still languishes in
the corners of American society and finds himself an exile in
his land.” It helps the whites in realizing the terrible plight the
blacks are in; it also strikes the hearts of most African
Americans because they feel that they are represented (Bobbitt).
The speech makes the whites feel as if it is their faults that the
blacks are in this terrible plight (Martin Luther King). He makes
the whites feel that the suffering is not due to the failures of the
blacks because he says they are denied their constitutional
rights. Most individuals had lost confidence in the movement
because it lead to violence, and King being a public face of the
movement tried to stop this (Martin Luther King). He stating
that “In the process of gaining our rightful place, we must not
be guilty of wrongful deeds, We must not drink from the cup of
bitterness and hatred.” “We must not allow our creative protest
to degenerate into physical violence (Holland). We must rise to
the majestic heights of meeting physical force with soul force”.
King understands that it is crucial to give the blacks hope for

3. the future.At the end of his speech he stated that “I have a
dream that 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.” In his speech
he uses rhetorical modes, one of which is pathos where he
utilizes the audience emotions so that they no longer hate each
other but rather a racism (Martin Luther King). King manages to
make the audience sympathize with the African Americans, hate
racism and creates hope for a better future. He states that the
blacks are stranded on a “lonely island of poverty” which stirs
the audience emotions.
He also claims that racists feel like a “dark and desolate valley”
and “justice is a sunlit path.” (Bobbitt) King utilizes pathos by
stating that “our children are stripped of their self-hood and
robbed of their dignity by signs stating: "For Whites Only."”
King also utilizes the other two rhetorical modes by claiming
that the Constitution was clear that all men white or black were
to grant same rights (Bobbitt). However, the society did not
keep its promise and King states that “America has given the
Negro people a bad check, a check that has come back marked
"insufficient funds.” King uses logos in the speech where he
states that “a great American in whose symbolic shadow we
stand today, signed the Emancipation Proclamation.” Where he
referred to Lincoln, who signed that all blacks are free and
should not be associated or treated as property (Bobbitt).
Other than rhetorical modes, King uses schemes in his speech.
In particular, he uses epistrophe when he states “With this faith
we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle
together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together,
knowing that we will be free one day.” (Bobbitt) He wanted to
inform the members of the movement that none of them will
ever be left behind alone and that the will always work together.
Another scheme used is anaphora when he says “One hundred
years later” and “Now is the time” repeatedly in a paragraph
(Bobbitt). He aims to emphasize his point to the audience; a
good example is when the Negros are asked when they will be

4. satisfied, and he replies, “We will not be satisfied.” He intends
to emphasize that they will not stop until the discrimination
against blacks is eliminated. He also repeats “I have a dream”
severally, meaning that he sees a new America which will be
free from racism (Holland).
King also uses parallelism in his speech where he states that
“riches of freedom and security of justice” and “justice rolls
down like waters and righteousness like a mighty stream.” By
repeating the two statements next to each other, King expresses
the fact that African Americans want freedom and justice. Using
parallelism King emphasizes the importance of liberty when he
repeats “let freedom ring” and “from (American place name).”
King also uses antithesis by saying “the Negro lives on a lonely
island of poverty in the midst of a vast ocean of material
prosperity.” (Martin Luther King) He was trying to emphasize
that the Negros have been left behind and ignored while the rest
of the state moves to success and fortune (Holland).
King also uses tropes in his speech, where he alludes such
works as the Bible, Shakespeare’s “Richard 3” and Lincoln’s
Gettysburg Address (Martin Luther King). By quoting the Bible,
he presents his ideas with what is considered as righteous by
most people, and it reminds them of the important parts of the
past (Bobbitt). An example is where he says “justice rolls down
like waters and righteousness like a mighty stream.” Which is
direct from the Bible (Amos 5:24). King also quotes from Isaiah
40:4-5 “I have a dream that 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.” (Bobbitt) It was relevant to use the Bible in his
speech because the larger part of the population in the 1960s
were church goers and thus the Bible was holy (Holland).
Thus, the audience felt that king’s speech was righteous because
it had its base from the Bible and thus most people would
support his vision (Martin Luther King). Gettysburg Address by
Lincoln was also discussing human rights, and also, Lincoln
were seen to support the blacks in America. He says “five score

5. years ago” which is similar to the statements in the Address
“four scores and seven years ago.” King also says, “summer of
the Negro’s legitimate discontent will not pass until there is an
invigorating autumn of freedom and equality.” Which alludes
from the Shakespeare's “Richard 111” which is play involving
two brothers who have been in conflict for long and thus he
tries to convince the audience that blacks and whites are
brothers (Holland). King also uses metaphors when he says “In
a sense we've come to our nation's capital to cash a check” and
“America has given the Negro people a bad check, a check that
has come back marked "insufficient funds.” He also uses
rhetorical questions such as “when will you be satisfied.”
(Bobbitt)
Conclusion
Martin Luther King Jr. gave one of his strongest and best
speech during one of the most popular marches in history in
1963 during the march on for jobs and freedom. During these
times, racism and segregation were at the toll of the American
society. The discrimination made most of the lives of the blacks
unbearable, but the king’s “I have a dream” speech caused an
impact that changed all this. The speech gave most blacks hope
for the future; it provoked them not to give up on the fight for
justice and freedom (Bobbitt). The speech also made most
whites to be ashamed of their actions, and they changed their
thinking about the blacks, and they wanted to give the society a
new start. The impact of the speech was massive that even today
it continues to inspire generations to let go of their racism and
advocate for colorblindness (Martin Luther King). The speech
had heartwarming content and on top, the author managed to
combine rhetorical modes, rhetorical tropes and schemes in the
speech which made it well-structured and thus it was able to
touch most of the Americans.

6. Works Cited
Bobbitt, David A. The rhetoric of redemption : Kenneth Burke's
redemption drama and Martin Luther King, Jr.'s "I have a
dream" speech. Lanham, Md: Rowman & Littefield Publishers,
2004. Print book.
Holland, Leslie J. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s I have a dream
speech in translation : what it really means. Mankato, Minn:
Capstone Press, 2009. Print book.
Martin Luther King, Jr. I have a dream. New York: Scholastic
Press, 1997. Print book.
Rhetorical analysis Prewriting
All the prewriting assignment should follow the Rhetorical
analysis essay(in the file).
First prewriting:(Two page)
By now, you should have picked an article you will analyze for
the Rhetorical Analysis Paper. Read it carefully several times,
annotating the text carefully. Highlight key words and passages.
Try to label the strategies the author uses to make his or her
argument. In a document, list examples of how the author makes
ethical, emotional, and logical appeals. How does the author’s
use of diction, figurative language, tone, and other strategies
create the three different types of appeals? Try to be as specific
as you can. You will be able to refer to these notes when you
begin drafting your paper.

7. Second assignment: (one page)
a one-page (single spaced) reflective memo addressed to your
instructor on the writing process that describes the challenges
you found in writing your paper, your paper’s strengths and
weaknesses, and what you learned about writing and how it will
help you in the future