Rhetorical Analysis Of Martin Luther King Jr. - 976 Words

Martin Luther King Jr. wrote numerous speeches in efforts to inspire the idea of non-violent protesting in hopes of eventually reaching racial equality. Under what conditions can a man with seemingly no connection to a local community step in and assume the mantle of leadership as a spokesman for a segment of that community’s population? In all of the speeches, one way or another, Dr. King used several different rhetorical devices in order to defend his own actions. In specific, two of his speeches, â€Å"I have a Dream† and â€Å"Letter from a Birmingham Jail† Dr. King used the rhetorical devices of anaphora, allusion, and diction to relay his thoughts of what is right, and also as a way to build a common ground with his audience. Though the rhetorical devices are shared between the two speeches, there are also several differences. The main difference between the two speeches is that in â€Å"I have a Dream† Dr. King is vocalizing his own ideas for wh at could become of the United States of America. In â€Å"Letter from a Birmingham Jail† Dr. King is responding to the clergymen’s letter regarding his braking of the law. The rhetorical devices as well as the speeches are similar, while the audience is the factor that changes the premise. In the speech â€Å"I have a Dream† Dr. King’s uses the rhetorical device of anaphora several times. The first time, Dr. King implores the audience to seize the moment by saying â€Å"Now is the time†¦Ã¢â‚¬  four times in the sixth paragraph. His second use ofShow MoreRelatedRhetorical Analysis Of Martin Luther King Jr.1046 Words   |  5 PagesRhetorical Analysis Essay Civil rights activist, Martin Luther King Jr. gave his memorable â€Å"I Have a Dream† speech while standing at the feet of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C. His uplifting speech is one of the most admired during the civil rights era and arguably one of the best in American history. On August 28th, 1963, Martin Luther King Jr. spoke about the true American dream: equality. Although the video of his oral spectacle is powerful, the written document portrays exactly howRead MoreThe Rhetorical Analysis Of Martin Luther King Jr.1139 Words   |  5 Pagesuse rhetorical devices and strategies to get their point across and try to convince the reader to believe in their perspective. It can also be used to get emotions from its readers, but that isn’t really the whole point of persuading someone. For instance, Martin Luther King Jr. uses an abundance of pathos in order to make the reader or clergymen feel sympathy towards the black people. Along with pathos, he uses lo gos and a bundle of hypophora. In order to obtain the goal of persuasion, Martin LutherRead MoreRhetorical Analysis Of Martin Luther King Jr847 Words   |  4 PagesMartin Luther King Jr and The Civil Rights Movement Martin Luther King Jr was a protestor who became the most important spokesperson and leader in the Civil Rights Movement.  He was a member of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People(NAACP) and in 1954, he decided to take a position as a preacher at Dexter Avenue Church in Montgomery, Alabama. King felt as though it was his moral duty to help the civil rights movement which is why he planned many activities that will helpRead MoreThe Rhetorical Analysis Of Martin Luther King Jr.728 Words   |  3 Pages Martin Luther King Jr. gives this speech on September 28, 1965. This time period was the heart of the Civil Rights movement in America. Slaves received their freedom at the end of the Civil War, in 1865. However, the battle for former slaves did not end there. 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Therefore, he was arrestedRead MoreRhetorical Analysis Of Martin Luther King Jr. Essay1996 Words   |  8 PagesIn 1963 Martin Luther King Jr. wrote a letter while incarcerated in Birmingham jail to eight clergymen in response to their letter known as â€Å" A Call For Unity.†   The letter asked for the halt of direct action type protest in Birmingham, Alabama that Martin Luther King was leading.   The letter has become known as one of the greatest works of argument in American history. Part of the reason for the letter’s notoriety and effectiveness is due to its eloquent use of pathos. King’s use of pathos in hisRead MoreThe Rhetorical Analysis Of Reverend Martin Luther King Jr.764 Words   |  4 PagesWhile sitting in a jail cell, Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. uses this time of reflection to write a letter to the 7 white church leaders in the south in rebuttal to their recent criticisms of the Civil Rights Movement. The letter comes after the recent protest in Birmingham, and the criticisms of his work form the Southern leaders. King crafts his argument in a cause and effect style to illustrate the direct problems or criticisms, and refutes these claims with substantial support in favor of hisRead MoreRhetorical Analysis Of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.769 Words   |  4 Pagesactivists in the nation such as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. After his assassination, people took their grief to the public and called for acts of violence to deal with the sudden loss. As their anger continued to rise, Cesar Chavez published an article, in which he urged people to com e to their senses and take a less violent approach to the situation. Chavez states that only through nonviolence will people continue to strive towards the peace that they and Dr. King have so long looked forward to. HeRead MoreRhetorical Analysis Of Martin Luther King Jr. s I Have A Dream 1132 Words   |  5 PagesMartin Luther King Jr. was the man who wrote the speech entitled â€Å"I have a dream† and presented it to nearly 250,000 people on August 23, 1963. In that speech, MLK Jr. used several different types of figurative language/rhetorical devices in order to convey his message to the people on a deeper level. These devices include personification, allusion, symbolism, hyperbole, metaphor, simile, and anaphora. Personification is a form of figurative language in which something has nonhuman human qualitiesRead MoreRhetorical Analysis Of I Have A Dream Speech By Martin Luther King Jr.815 Words   |  4 PagesMemorial more than two score years ago, Dr. Martin Luther King electrified America with his momentous I Have a Dream speech. Aimed at the entire nation, King’s main purpose in this speech was to convince his audience to demand racial justice towards the mistreated African Americans and to stand up together for the rights afforded to all under the Constitution. To further convey this purpose more effectively, King cleverly makes use of the rhetorical devices — ethos, pathos and logos — using figurative