Introduction to “I have a Dream” speech Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his infamous “I Have a Dream Speech” on August 28, 1963 around the Abraham Lincoln memorial in Washington D.C. He gave this speech during The March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom event, which brought together many of prominent civil rights leaders and tens of thousands of marchers. They were gathered to press the United States government for equality (“Martin Luther King, Jr.”).

Purpose of King’s “I Have a dream speech” Dr. King’s purpose was to encourage change amongst all American people and the government. He was also hoping to refine the views different races and ethnic groups had towards one another (“I Have a Dream– Dr. Martin Luther King Jr”). His main purpose was to encourage the Federal government to take more actions to make sure deliberate actions were taken to restore racial equality (“ Martin Luther King, Jr). King was also very brace in the fact that throughout his speech he not only asked for things to change, but he demanded change. While demanding change, he also provided solutions to many problems that were taking place (“I Have a Dream– Dr. Martin Luther King Jr”).

Significance and importance of king’s “I have a dream speech” King’s speech is one of the most monumental speeches in history. It is so significant because it brought about the the1964 Civil Rights Act. “The1964 Civil Rights Act was a landmark legislation that outlawed discrimination based on race, religion, color, sex or national origin in relation to: voting, employment, and public services, such as transportation, throughout America” (“I Have a Dream– Dr. Martin Luther King Jr”) This civil rights act was what pushed America in the direction of racial equality.

Continued Importance and Significance Although many things happened after King gave this speech that assisted in moving towards the direction of racial equality, this speech is considered the stepping stone to comradery of America. King’s speech is also so memorable and significant because of the passion each person could sense in his voice. Speaking from his heart, King absolutely meant and believed in everything he said (Kakutani, “The Lasting Power of Dr. King’s Dream Speech”). The Civil Rights Movement had been going on for many years, and many of the leading Civil Rights leaders were ready for the change to take place.

Examples of Anaphora in King’s “I have a dream” speech King repeated the phrase “Let Freedom Ring: at the beginning of eight consecutive phrases. In these eight phrases, he talks about where all in the America freedom should ring from. Some that he lists are Georgia, Tennessee, California, Colorado, and New York. Dr. King did this to emphasize that racial equality and freedom should not just be in one part of America; he emphasized that freedom should be experienced every where in America. Another example of anaphora is where the title of King’s speech originated from. Near the end of his speech, King uses “I Have a Dream” at the beginning of five different phrases. He did this to emphasize to the people before him to highlight that this is what he hopes for America. This is where King offers several solutions. He continues to say “I Have a Dream” because it is so far from what America was then, but he hopes it will happen one day.

Examples of metaphors used

Example of Hypophora used

Example of ethos used

Examples of Parallelism used

Central Idea of King’s Speech In order for people to peacefully coexist, racial segregation needs to be diminished. As stated in the Constitution and Declaration of Independence, every man, no mater their race, are guaranteed equal rights, so no one should feel inferior or lower than another. His goal and central message is to ignite all men and women. Many people think he was specifically talking to black men and white men, but he was trying to unite all American people.

Works Cited "I Have a Dream – Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr." Maikeru, 2016, www.maikeru.cc/english_ihaveadream_martinlutherkingjr.htm. Accessed 6 Apr. 2017. Kakutani, Michiko. "The Lasting Power of Dr. King's Dream Speech." The New York Times - Breaking News, World News & Multimedia, 27 Aug. 2013, www.nytimes.com/2013/08/28/us/the-lasting-power-of-dr-kings-dream-speech.html. "Martin Luther King, Jr." National Archives, 23 Sept. 2016, www.archives.gov/nyc/exhibit/mlk.html. Accessed 6 Apr. 2017.