Theme: During Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. ’s “I have a dream” speech, there were many problems brought about concerning equality and freedom of the black population. What he wanted to get across to the people was that the United States was not abiding by its own laws and beliefs, so he wanted to get the theme of equality and racial justice across to his audience. This is considered his theme because this was the underlying message he wanted to get across to all those who heard and were impacted by his speech. Type of Speech: There are three types of speeches a presenter can make.
They are a persuasive speech, informative speech, or entertainment speech. I believe that MLK’s speech had concepts of all three types of speeches included in his speech. It was a persuasive speech because he was did not only preach to the black part of the audience, but also the white population and why they deserved equality and freedom. He was trying to convince the non-believers that the black people were and should be considered equal, and that it would not be a bad thing to see blacks and whites living everyday life together in equality.
It was also an informative speech because MLK was giving the crowd facts of what the American constitution stated and how the people were not being treated by that law. Most of all, this speech was an entertainment type of speech. It was extremely inspiring to Martin Luther King’s listeners. It gave the people hope that one day every there would be no racial injustices. He gave examples like black and white children playing with each other and also ancestors of slaves will be friendly with ancestors of slave owners, which gave the audience a huge picture of what MLK was inspiring them to look forward to.
Main Points: The first main point brought about in Dr. Martin Luther King’s speech was the right of equality. He spoke mainly about how black people do not only deserve to be equal; they have the right to be equal by law. He also said that all men, black or white, are guaranteed to the pursuit of happiness.
What he meant by this was that everyone deserves equal rights and not to be judged because of their race. He wanted to make sure that the people knew of the social injustices or inequalities that existed.The second main point I came across was the thought of integration. Martin Luther King created a vision when he spoke of integration and painted perfect picture for the listeners.
He envisioned how the future would be if everyone became integrated and how perfect everyone would get together if there were no racial biases. He emphasized on how blacks and whites would get along well together and it is an integral part of erasing racial inequalities. Support: MLK used a lot of references during his speech.He referred to the U. S.
constitution, the declaration of independence, the emancipation proclamation, the Gettysburg address, and the bible. Through the use of these documents. MLK proved everyone’s right to equality. It was important to use these references because these documents created the foundation of our country, which was not being followed.
Style: There was a lot of repetition and anaphors used in the speech. Some examples of the anaphors were the part when MLK repeated “I have a dream” at the beginning of each sentence.He also had a part of the speech where he repeated the phrase ‘100 years later” and “Let freedom ring” at the beginning of each statement. A lot of repetition of the words: freedom, equality, happiness, racial injustice, and struggle which strongly enforced MLK’s message throughout the speech.
Language: Almost every statement made by Martin Luther King was a comparison to something else. He used metaphors and similes in almost every other sentence. His comparisons were strong and compassionate comparisons that people could relate to.For example, “let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred.
” MLK was comparing a feeling to a physical action which always people to relate to what he is trying to say. By using these similes and metaphors, MLK’s speech sounded like a poem. His words flowed from sentence to sentence like he was speaking in stanzas with great rhythm.Delivery: Listening to Martin Luther King Jr. speak is comparable to being at church and listening to a priest during a sermon.
He spoke in a stern and strong tone with determination in his voice. His passion for the subject was revealed when he would raise his voice and unite his followers with cheers and applause. The crowd was moved by him and he had total control of when he wanted a reaction out of his listeners. The level of his voice motivated the listeners and made them believe that what he was saying would grant them their freedom and equality. The cheers and ecstatic screaming of the crowd proved how motivated and inspired they were by how MLK delivered his speech.
