One August afternoon, at the height of racial segregation, a man stood at Lincoln memorial with hopes to demolish racism, not with violence, but with words of peace. With little more than four words, magnificent applause spread amongst thousands of racial justice supporters who began to feel even more empowered and passionate about the cause than ever before. “I Have a Dream,” has become one of the most revolutionary speeches of all time, and it’s deliverer, Martin Luther King Jr., has left a legacy to last for many years . Through the use of vivid imagery, allusion, and elevated and poetic diction, a carefully crafted work of art was born, and King was able to effectively appeal to his audience and encourage Americans to fight for equality
…show more content…
Diction acts as the keystone of the speech. It sets the tone and in many ways is the key factor in whether the audience takes the scenario seriously or not. Elevated diction paints King as a man who has faith in his audience by not talking down to them. The choice of morbid diction in some areas and serene diction in others steers the direction of thought. Near the beginning of the speech, he outlines the dark world of segregation through the lense of the black man, and then transitions into a bright society of freedom in which he hopes to one day witness. “I have a dream,” has become a mantra of sorts for the black community and that is all thanks to diction. “I have” has an aura of power and hope attached to it. The “dream” aspect of the slogan also has the same sort of free and hopeful connotation. Even the fact that he used “a,” and took his time to separately explain each dream, rather than say “some” and explain them all at once has an effect. It’s highly doubtful that if he had said, “I had some thoughts” instead of “I have a dream” that the speech would’ve been nearly as successful.
Racial segregation, although still a prominent human rights issue today, is slowly dying out. King and his rhetoric never get old and the speech has the same effect on people generations later. The rhetorical strategies used truly are effective in encouraging racial justice and promoting peaceful problem solving. From beautiful and almost hypnotic imagery, to relatable references, to ornate yet simple diction, it’s no wonder the crowd was left rallying and chanting thoughts of harmony and nonviolence. King, to this day, goes down as one of the greatest persuasive and influential writers of all
Diction acts as the keystone of the speech. It sets the tone and in many ways is the key factor in whether the audience takes the scenario seriously or not. Elevated diction paints King as a man who has faith in his audience by not talking down to them. The choice of morbid diction in some areas and serene diction in others steers the direction of thought. Near the beginning of the speech, he outlines the dark world of segregation through the lense of the black man, and then transitions into a bright society of freedom in which he hopes to one day witness. “I have a dream,” has become a mantra of sorts for the black community and that is all thanks to diction. “I have” has an aura of power and hope attached to it. The “dream” aspect of the slogan also has the same sort of free and hopeful connotation. Even the fact that he used “a,” and took his time to separately explain each dream, rather than say “some” and explain them all at once has an effect. It’s highly doubtful that if he had said, “I had some thoughts” instead of “I have a dream” that the speech would’ve been nearly as successful.
Racial segregation, although still a prominent human rights issue today, is slowly dying out. King and his rhetoric never get old and the speech has the same effect on people generations later. The rhetorical strategies used truly are effective in encouraging racial justice and promoting peaceful problem solving. From beautiful and almost hypnotic imagery, to relatable references, to ornate yet simple diction, it’s no wonder the crowd was left rallying and chanting thoughts of harmony and nonviolence. King, to this day, goes down as one of the greatest persuasive and influential writers of all