Alexandra Boeva

Martin Butler

Literature

08 03 2018

Martin Luther Speech Rationale

# 1: Skillfully and insightfully analyzed rhetorical devices.

Martin Luther King uses many metaphors in his speech; they are very well placed and they

help make the speech more compelling. The uses metaphors in nearly every single paragraph

in his speech. The metaphors he uses are usually used to add extra description to his words.

For example when he compared the Emancipation Proclamation to a beacon light of hope it

was moving because it is like the light that marks the way for new reforms. Or when the

compares where Negros live to a lonely island. This makes sense because they were

essentially alone in this because they were the majority of people who were discriminated

against.

Personification is also extensively used in his speech. He uses it to show that the challenges

of a Negro are the same challenges of the whole Negro population. For example when the

says “One hundred years later, the Negro lives on a lonely island of poverty in the midst of a

vast ocean of material prosperity.” He uses a singular Negro to talk about the whole

population. Also the uses the lonely to describe island which is powerful because that is how

the Negro people feel when they are discriminated against. Or when he describes the “check”

as bad. It makes senses because what Luther is trying to say is that America is trying to pay of

the Negros by giving them a check to cash in but not actually fixing the problem. That is why

I think the refers to it as a bad check.

Like most hyperboles King’s were used to make the sentence more emotional. For example
he regularly says “We can never be satisfied” this is a hyperbole because some people can be

satisfied by little changes. But what the meant to portray is that until the world is free of

racism there will be people fighting against it. This for me created two feelings the feeling of

fear that some leaders might have felt; to know that the people will not stop until you liberate

them. And the feeling of hope for the blacks all over the country. The fact that there is

someone that will look after you no matter what is comforting.

# 2: Skillfully and insightfully analyzed comparisons and contrasts.

Part of what made Martin Luther King’s speech so powerful is how he used contrast. He

showed us what was meant to be but that it didn’t happen. For example in the beginning he

talks about the Emancipation Proclamation this document was made to free the black people

in the south from their status as “Slaves”. He describes it as a momentous decree and a joyous

daybreak. But then he says but this didn’t actually help. The Negro people are still enslaved.

The way he elevated this document and then just made it seem worthless in the eyes of the

people is very powerful.

# 3: Correctly identified and skillfully analyzed persuasive techniques. (Ethos Logos

Pathos)

Martin Luther establishes credibility (Ethos) in the start of speech by addressing the

Gettysburg address and the Emancipation Proclamation. Also by making his speech were

Abraham Lincoln made his many years before him added to his credibility because it showed

that the understood the history of the nation and significant moments. This all helped with his

integrity throughout the speech, which in turn makes you believe the speech more. He uses

Pathos as well when he employs rhetorical devices it makes the speech more close to heart

because you can imagine what he is talking about better, or you can empathize with the
people. Also when he calls the people he is talking to to action. This makes you feel more

connected with the speech itself. Furthermore when he uses the phrase “I have a dream” that

is powerful because all parents have dreams for their children. And all people have dreams in

general so it helps him connect with the audience. Also the documents he chooses to address

are at the core of the American institution . So when he judges them it connects to all

Americans dead alive and not yet born which is also powerful. Subsequently the diction he

chooses to describe the situations like “crippled by the manacles of segregation and the

chains of discrimination” are colorful so it connects with more people and to make it more

interesting. Also when he says “even the state of Mississippi” it is powerful because that is

were a lot of the segregation during the 1900’s happened. So when he says that this state

could also be free of segregation it brings hope.