Literary Techniques of Martin Luther Kings I Have a Dream...

From the steps of the Lincoln Memorial more than forty years ago, Martin Luther King electrified America with his momentous I Have a Dream speech. This speech demanded racial justice towards the mistreated black community of America. The theme of the speech was that all humans were created equal and that this should be the case for the future of America. Kings words proved to touch the hearts of millions of people and gave the nation a vocabulary to express what was happening to the black Americans. This did not happen by chance. Martin Luther Kings speech was carefully constructed so it would have the most appropriate diction to propose his facts and ideas. His speech involved multiple different literary techniques which were very†¦show more content†¦He uses short sentences very frequently to drum his ideas into the audiences mind. A perfect example of these short sentences is when King says, ?This is our hope.? By making those four words a complete sentence, it emphasises the individual words and really persuades the audience towards his ideas. Another persuasive structural technique which King uses to captivate the audience is the length of his paragraphs. He signposts the beginnings and ends of his paragraphs very effectively throughout his speech using recurring ideas. An example of this is when he starts 8 consecutive paragraphs with the words, ?I have a dream?. This helps the audience to understand his speech and each of the different points he makes. Another structural aspect of his speech which makes it easy to listen to is the grouping of ideas. The major grouping of the ideas in the speech is in two parts. The beginning of the speech is about how black people were being mistreated at the time and how the Negro was, ?sadly crippled by the manacles of segregation and the chains of discrimination.? The second part of the speech however, was all about looking to the future. It was about his dream of a nation where people, ?will not be judged by the colour of their skin but by the content of their character.? This structure to his speech makes it easy to listen to and helps draw the audience in to him. Martin Luther King used diction very effectively to persuade theShow MoreRelatedA Comparison of Dr. Kings I Have a Dream Speech and Mandelas Glory and Hope Speech1347 Words   |  6 PagesI Have a Dream and Glory and Hope were two speeches given, respectively, by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Nelson Mandela at times of great need; at times when ignorance and racially-based hubris intertwined themselves in the sparse gaps of human understanding. At first glance, the facets of humanity and blanket tranquillity seem to be in natural accord. 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