I Have a Dream

On August 28, 1963, Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his “I Have A Dream” speech from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C. By using metaphors, repetition and allusions Martin Luther King manages to inspire the people. He encourages the American people to stand up for their freedom and finally “face the tragic fact that the Negro is still not free”.

MLK compares the segregation of African American’s to a bounced check. Like the money promised in a bounced check, freedom of the people was promised but never given. This demonstrates how absurd the fact that the American government hasn’t given the people freedom is. As well as expressing how crazy it is that the people haven’t done anything about this illogical claim of “insufficient funds”. Martin Luther King’s second metaphor is that of segregation with nature. With this comparison he is able to stress the harsh times the people deal with, it aids in motivation and shows the people how they can “rise from the dark and desolate valley of segregation to the sunlit path of racial justice”. This helps the American people realize they can “lift our nation from the quicksands of racial injustice”.

Repetition is a large component of Martin Luther King Junior’s speech. He repeats “I have a dream that one day”, in order to show the importance of his dream. His dream that “the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit together at a table of brotherhood”. This dream is important because it represents the dream of all of the African American people and by repeating it his claim becomes even more evident. MLK uses “with this faith” to emphasize the power