Martin Luther King's Speech Analysis

Martin Luther King Jr. was one of the most influential leaders of his time and played a crucial role in the African-American Civil Rights movement. Luther was a charismatic leader who took a firm stand against the oppressive and racist regime of the United States (US), devoting much of his life towards uniting the segregated African-American community of the US. His efforts to consolidate and harmonise the US into one country for all is reflected in many of his writings and speeches spanning his career. As a leader of his people, King took the stand to take radical measures to overcome the false promises of the sovereign government that had been addressing the issues of racial segregation through unimplemented transparent laws that did nothing …show more content…
King argues that all people are created equal and directly challenged the outdated and abhorrent views that upheld the false flag of racial superiority among White Americans. Luther’s speech was a passionate rhetoric that preached his views about the future. Furthermore his speech did not just leave a profound impression on the political and social atmosphere at the time, but it is still remembered as a timeless memoir of human equality and freedom. Certain key characteristics of the speech have helped uphold its inherent message through generations. The speech was well researched and laid in the midst of biblical allusion that provided it with its sermon like rhythm and tempo along with the wit to attract the attention to the audience of the time. Moreover, Martin imposed the quality of his verbal remark through alliteration and anaphoric repetition of key phrases and themes throughout the speech that helped emphasize its main points and in conjuncture with this, Martin skilfully employed concrete examples to back up his arguments and used metaphors to highlight the contrasting …show more content…
The 'dream' being that all of mankind can live together as equal under the umbrella of humanity. While America faced vast inequality, King proposed courageous change through dignified and peaceful protests. The speech marked the peak of civil disobedience and a turning point in the pursuit of justice for 'all of god's children'. King's speech can be divided into two halves, where the first one addresses the hypocrisy of the American dream as the bliss of national prosperity is only realised by the Whites. Whereas the African-Americans are further entrenched into poverty. The second half of the speech draws on 'the dark night of their captivity' despite the 'bright day of justice' to suggest that the future holds an Arcadian state of racial harmony where all members of the American society will be treated as one as this is the only way forward into the