“Don’t follow the path. Go where there is no path and begin the trail. When you start a new trail equipped with courage, strength, and conviction, the only thing that can stop you is you!” (Ruby Bridges) Ruby Bridges was only six years old when she persevered as the first African-American child to desegregate an all-white elementary school in Louisiana in 1960. Only three years later Martin Luther King, Jr. would also follow that path with courage, strength, and conviction when he delivered his iconic speech “I Have a Dream” in Washington D.C. on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in 1963. Both Bridges and King were dedicated civil rights activists that fought to claim equality and freedom and to raise attention to the problem of discrimination and segregation in America. By analyzing this speech it is clear that Martin Luther King, Jr. motivated and captured his audience by using effective rhetorical strategies and persuasion. King’s compelling start of his famous “I Have a Dream Speech” set an authoritative tone when he said, “I am happy to join with you today in what will go down in history as the greatest demonstration for freedom in the history of our nation” (King 1). Using his knowledge of rhetoric including, metaphor, anaphora, allusion, and analogy King persuades his audience. King had a significant impact on the civil rights movement. King used ethos, pathos, and logos to entice his audience as he modeled hope and grace, gaining emotional trust.
Using ethos King increases his credibility with his audience. This can be seen when he states, “Five score years ago, a great American, in whose symbolic shadow we stand today, signed the Emancipation Proclamation.” Referring to his knowledge of Abraham Lincoln and the Gettysburg Address, King uses the reference that Lincoln was regarded as a strong figure who supported an antislavery amendment to the U.S. Constitution to achieve the audience’s trust in his ability to understand racial inequality. The use of ethos in his speech allows the audience to be swayed to believe that King is delivering factual information. The audience is also emotionally touched by King’s speech.
King appeals to the sentiment of the audience when he employs pathos and speaks passionately from the heart. “But 100 years later, the Negro still is not free. One hundred years later, the life of the Negro is still sadly crippled by the manacles of segregation and the chains of discrimination. One hundred years later, the Negro lives on a lonely island of poverty in the midst of a vast ocean of material prosperity. One hundred years later…” (King 2). Using pathos King awakens the emotion in the audience with his strong feelings about how African American people were treated. They are persuaded to believe that King himself feels and understands the importance and sadness of the lack of freedom for blacks. The audience is also introduced to sound reasoning.
Using logos to reach the audience’s logical side along with metaphorical language, King says, “America has given the Negro people a bad check, a check which has come back marked “insufficient fund”
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(King 3). King uses a metaphor comparing a check to a promise of freedom. The bad check, which means insufficient funds suggests the promise was broken and the blacks were cheated. Logically King is saying to the audience that America is not abiding by the Constitutional rule that all men are equal. The credible source, the Constitution which gives the basic right of freedom was promised. Using a metaphorical comparison allows king the ability to convey to the audience images that are easier to understand. Using logos helped convince the audience using a logical historical reference. Also effective is when King uses a reference to his argument.
King uses allusion as a literary device as a passing reference to create a context for his purpose. He uses a righteous tone when stating “ When the architects of our republic wrote the magnificent words of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, they were signing a promissory note to which every American was to fall heir. This note was a promise that all men - yes, black men as well as white men - would be guaranteed the unalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” (King 4). King alluded to the historical event of Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation which ended slavery. It’s symbolic that he gives his speech outside the capitol where the statue of President Abraham Lincoln stands holding the Emancipation Proclamation in his right hand. King points out that slavery has ended but blacks still don’t have equal rights guaranteed by the US Constitution, and Declaration of Independence. He is righteous when he conveys the unalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness that should be granted to both blacks and whites. Righteously delivering his speech gives the audience the impression that they deserve the equal rights that were promised under the law. The allusion which referred to an important event that was relevant to the argument and purpose of his speech helped the audience understand the importance of equality. Another device used to appeal to the audience is repetition.
King uses anaphora when he repeats “I have a dream…” (King 5). In eight successive sentences of his speech. King continues to gain the support of his listeners as he places great emphasis on these four words which represent his thoughts and feelings. Using the literary device anaphora he is hoping to inspire the audience to have the same dream, a vision of a better future for all people in America. Another device to provide the audience with a better understanding of the purpose of King’s speech is comparing two things to provide clarification.
King uses an analogy in his speech to help the audience make comparisons and understand. King expresses “With this faith, we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope.” (King 6). King compares despair to a mountain and hope which is a stone that is cut away from the mountain. He is connecting with his audience by relating that he has been in a place of pain and feeling hopelessness, but he also knows that there is hope which can be reached. This means through hard times if you persevere you can overcome obstacles and reach happiness. By using an analogy King successfully reaches his audience by allowing them to see what they are reaching for. He reminds them to move forward together to achieve the desired result of equality for all.
Martin Luther King Jr. was one of the most important influential leaders that fought along with African Americans against racial segregation during the Civil Rights Movement. His crucial role as a non-violent activist was to promote equality for all and end segregation. He is well known for his compelling speech “I Have a Dream” in which he successfully persuades his audience to persevere with him and courageously fight alongside him to procure their Constitutional right to equality and justice for all. With the use of effective rhetorical devices, King persuades his audience to imagine, understand, and connect with his thoughts and ideas. Together they had a substantial impact on the Civil Rights Movement. King effectively persuaded and motivated his audience to achieve equality for all Americans. Rhetoric
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