Rhetorical Analysis Since the beginning of the Civil Rights Movement, Martin Luther King had been at the forefront of many peaceful protests. He was a leader to all of the oppressed African Americans of the time, and became very well known for his contributions to the movement and his passion for equality. This would later lead him to Oslo, Norway on December 10, 1964, where he would receive the Nobel Peace Prize for this courageous actions. At this prestigious event, Martin Luther King read his famous Acceptance Speech to the countless dignitaries who attended the event. He tells them of struggles the oppressed African American people still face, as well as who the real face of the movement was, all of those who stood for social justice.
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One of the most prevalent rhetorical devices used is diction. There are many words that are chosen specifically for the feeling they give to the speech. Some words that appear frequently throughout the speech are ones that refer to light and dark or day and night. Martin Luther King uses these because they often represent more than the amount of light in an area or the time of day. These words are generally also used as symbols of righteousness and oppression or peace and war. Another crucial word that appears in the beginning of the speech is “chains.” This word is significant because of the connotation around the word. In context, “… grinding poverty afflicts my people and chains them to the lowest rung of the economic ladder.” By using the word “chains,” he gives a potent feeling of imprisonment, as if there is no way for the African American people to escape, as though they were prisoners in their own …show more content…
For example, here is an abridged excerpt of one of the paragraphs in the speech, “I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word in reality… I believe that even amid today’s mortar bursts… I believe that the wounded justice… I have the audacity to believe… I believe… I still believe… I still believe that We Shall overcome.” Each time he repeats that he believes, his statements continue to increase in intensity and build. It gathers people’s attention and causes them to also feel his beliefs and want to assist his cause that he had already asserted, “… has not won the very peace and brotherhood which is the essence of the Nobel
One of the most prevalent rhetorical devices used is diction. There are many words that are chosen specifically for the feeling they give to the speech. Some words that appear frequently throughout the speech are ones that refer to light and dark or day and night. Martin Luther King uses these because they often represent more than the amount of light in an area or the time of day. These words are generally also used as symbols of righteousness and oppression or peace and war. Another crucial word that appears in the beginning of the speech is “chains.” This word is significant because of the connotation around the word. In context, “… grinding poverty afflicts my people and chains them to the lowest rung of the economic ladder.” By using the word “chains,” he gives a potent feeling of imprisonment, as if there is no way for the African American people to escape, as though they were prisoners in their own …show more content…
For example, here is an abridged excerpt of one of the paragraphs in the speech, “I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word in reality… I believe that even amid today’s mortar bursts… I believe that the wounded justice… I have the audacity to believe… I believe… I still believe… I still believe that We Shall overcome.” Each time he repeats that he believes, his statements continue to increase in intensity and build. It gathers people’s attention and causes them to also feel his beliefs and want to assist his cause that he had already asserted, “… has not won the very peace and brotherhood which is the essence of the Nobel