Rhetorical Analysis Of Martin Luther King's I Have A Dream Speech

On August 28, 1963, Martin Luther King delivered a speech in front of 250.000 people that would change history forever. Many people accept his speech as one of the most life changing speeches spoken in all of time. Throughout his I Have a Dream speech, the use of metaphors effectively captivates his audience’s attention to take action towards his vision of equality; they assists the reader in understanding the dream King tries to convey. Martin Luther King begins his speech with a plethora of metaphors making the spectators feel sympathy for the way these slaves were sequestered. He starts off by comparing segregation to manacles and chains to discrimination. He says that the state of segregation can compare to the feeling of being shackled …show more content…
He makes a point about the lack of civil rights by using the banking metaphor. Slavery ended, but blacks have never truly regained the freedom their ancestors once had; blacks were continuously treated unequally. He states that the African American have received a “bad check” that has not given them the promise that all men receive according to the Constitution.. The check has been given to them, but it has not been cashed out yet. He suggests that the thousands of protesters have come to Washington to “cash the check” that has been given to them many years ago. He claims that the government has given the blacks a check with “insufficient funds” and a “promissory note” that has not yet been paid. The Emancipation Proclamation represents the check that has been given. The lack of people treating these slaves fairly is what is lacking in the …show more content…
He refers to the current state of Missouri as a “a desert state, sweltering with the heat of injustice and oppression”. He compares it to a desert because he says that the state of Missouri is not prospering since the blacks are not treated equally. Desert’s are often referred as places that do not have a purpose. King says that the lack of civil rights makes this state pointless; the lack of the Bill of Rights applying to all men makes Missouri a pointless part of the United States. With the desired action taking place, King believe the state can transform into an “oasis of freedom and justice.” An oasis represents a safe spot for replenishment on a long journey, the same way Missouri will be an oasis for the long journey of the blacks becoming free. King wants this state to not just apply civil rights, but become a homey place to the colored citizens where they can finally find peace and