Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech can be considered one of the greatest speeches in American history. Over 200,000 white and black Americans gathered in Washington D.C. on August 28, 1963 to hear Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. deliver this groundbreaking speech.
King argues that all men are equal and should be treated equal. Many times in his speech, King states how black citizens have been mistreated over the years. In the beginning of his speech King states "One hundred year later, the life of the Negro is still sadly crippled by the manacles of segregation and the chains of discrimination." King also states numerous times his dream for equality in the country. He says "I have a dream my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character."
King uses many historical documents to support his argument. He references these documents and our found father's promise of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness for all men, "black men as well as white men."
The voice of the writer is sophisticated. King uses many large and descriptive words in his speech, rather than short and direct words. Through out the speech, King uses numerous metaphors such as "America has given the Negro a bad check, which has come back marked 'insufficient funds.'" Another technique used in the speech is repetition. King repeats the lines "I have a dream", "With this faith" and "Let freedom ring" throughout his speech.
The speech is directed towards King's fellow Americans. Throughout the speech, King uses the words "we" and "our" when referring to others. King is not speaking specifically to white Americans or black Americans, but to the country as a whole, as supported by " Must not lead us to a distrust of all white people, for many of our white brothers, as evidenced by their presence today, have come to realize that their destiny is tied to ours." And the line "We cannot walk alone."
After the analysis it is obvious why over 200,000 people gathered peacefully in Washington D.C. to listen to Dr. King deliver his speech.
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