Self-Assessment Essay Assignment

King use allusion by referring to other historical documents which deals with equality issues. In the first remark, he makes reference to the American Emancipation program put down five years ago. He says, “Five years ago, American signed the Emancipation program” (King par.2). These allusions were more directed to the towards the white listeners than the blacks as it provides textual evidence from historical documents that stated that people are equal and should have the pursuit of happiness and liberty. He also makes a few allusions about the Bible, “let us not satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the same cup of hatred and bitterness’’ (King par.8). King does not advocate for the equality-seeking listeners to use force or set up a battle for their freedom because it would give the whites a reason to fight. They would say that the blacks were starting a violent protest and needed a physical violence in retaliation to stop them. He was smart by reassuring his people that their freedom and destiny would not be in other people’s hands but their hands as they would be able to control their future.

King uses parallelism to excite his followers and make them feel that all races and religions are not better than the other (Graves, Kerry, 2004). In the last paragraph, King says, “when we let freedom ring, from every village and every hamlet, every state. We will speed up the day when all God’s children back men and white men, Jews, and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics will be in a position to join hands through the words of old Negro spiritual free at last...” Here King means that all religions are looked down upon and neglected by other faiths, and unless they stand at the equal level, they will all have problems with not being treated in similar measures. King also unites his supporters through parallelism by emphasizing the “go back.” He says, Go back to Mississippi and Alabama, go back to Carolina knowing that we will be free one day” (King par. 14). These words bring together his supporters giving them hope for freedom.

Another literary device that King use to influence his supporters is the use of metaphors. “One hundred years later, the Negro lives on a lonely island of poverty and in the midst of the ocean of prosperity” (King par.3). King shows from the beginning that as much as the blacks are let free from the bondage of slavery, their slavery is still in the chains of discrimination and segregation. When he speak about independence declaration and how it gave all Americans equal rights of liberty, happiness, and life, King says that American has given Negro people a bad check. A check that has come back marked “ insufficient funds’’ we refuse to believe on the fact that the bank of justice is called bankrupt” (King par 4 and 5). The check King is referring to is their right to equality that they feel it has not yet received. All of his metaphors are comparing the black discrimination against the whites.

The use of anaphora was present throughout his speech. I have a dream that one day the nation will rise and live the meaning of its creed, those men are created equal” (king par.18). He repeated “I have a dream” in the lines of his speech that arouse the audience’s emotion and give them hope for equality with the rest of other races. He uses the phrase, “I have a dream” twice as a paragraph on its own. The statement was spoken with strong emphases as it gave listeners the desire to change the current situation instead of continuing to be discriminated (Holland and Leslie, 2009). His speech would have another title but due to his use of anaphora that stressed these words, the speech entitled itself, “I Have a Dream.”

The use of hyperbole explains the seriousness of the matter of injustices. He believes that real and credible justice will only come when the whole society believes in freedom for all. He asserts that freedom is not for only white people but all Americans in every corner of the State. “...when this happens, we allow freedom to ring, we let it ring from every hamlet, every state and every city.We will be able to up that day when all of God’s people will be able to join hands and sing (King last paragraph). Apart from highlighting the seriousness of the matter, hyperbole is also used to unite the Africans that have been alienated by the white supremacy. King is passing the awakening call to end injustices by the whites.

King is using personification to cast American society as someone who has committed African-Americans wrong. He believes that those that are fighting for their civil rights are not fighting one person but rather an entire weak system rooted with historical injustices against the blacks in a dominant white society. He says, “ today that America has defaulted on his promissory note insofar as her colored citizens are concerned. Instead of American honoring this sacred obligation, she has given the Negro people a bad check, which has come back labeled insufficient funds” (King par. 4). This paragraph also means that blacks are put aside from the national cake just because of their skin color. He calls the government to honor the sacred obligation and treat all people equally irrespective of their skin complexion (Bobbitt, David, 2004).

Moreover, King uses synecdoche by representing the people as bodies of flesh. He continues to remind his listeners that the problems they undergo are due to their skin color. “We can never be satisfied as long as our bodies...cannot gain motels of highway...” (King par. 13). In addition, the King assures them that all these problems shall end one day, and all men will be the same. “I have a dream that every valley shall get exalted...the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight...and all flesh shall see it together.” (King par.24)

The king uses simile to demonstrate righteousness and the power of justice. He also puts special attention to the belief that equality is a natural thing that all men need in any society. “No, no we are not satisfied until justice rolls down like waters and righteousness resembled a mighty stream” (King par.13).

In conclusion, Martin Luther’s use of various stylistic features has helped to explain the message of “I Have a Dream’’ in a simpler manner. Despite the different colors on earth, all people should be treated equally because we have the same blood .

Works Cited

Bobbitt, David A. The Rhetoric of Redemption: Kenneth Burke's Redemption Drama and Martin Luther King, Jr.'s "i Have a Dream" Speech. Lanham: Rowman & Littefield Publishers, 2004. Print.

sGraves, Kerry A. I Have a Dream: The Story Behind Martin Luther King, Jr.'s Most Famous Speech. Philadelphia [Pa.: Chelsea Clubhouse, 2004. Print.

Holland, Leslie J. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s I Have a Dream Speech in Translation: What It Means. Mankato: Capstone Press, 2009. Print.

Lincoln, Abraham, and Tom Walker. Gettysburg Address. N.p., 2011. Print.