......Subsequent mass demonstrations culminated in the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom on August 28, 1963, in which more than 250,000 protesters gathered in Washington, D. C. It was on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial where King delivered his famous “I Have a Dream” speech.
King is known as a charismatic orator. His way of persuading people was to use the power of words instead of physical violence. Words were his weapon and he knew how to use them. The same year after he had delivered this speech, he received the title “Man of the Year” by Time magazine. One year later, he was given the Nobel Peace Price. This paper deals with “I Have a Dream”, as a post-modern political speech in terms of classical rhetoric. “Martin Luther King, Jr. (January 15, 1929 – April 4, 1968), was one of the pivotal leaders of the American civil rights movement.” After attending Morehouse College in Atlanta, King went on to study at Crozer Theological Seminary in Pennsylvania and Boston University, where he deepened his understanding of theological scholarship and explored Mahatma Gandhi's nonviolent strategy for social change. On December 5, 1955, after civil rights activist Rosa Parks refused to comply with Montgomery's segregation policy on buses, black residents launched a bus boycott and elected King president of the newly-formed Montgomery Improvement Association. The boycott continued throughout 1956 and King gained national prominence for his role in the campaign. In December 1956, the United States Supreme Court declared Alabama's segregation laws unconstitutional and Montgomery buses were desegregated. Seeking to build upon the success in Montgomery, King and other southern black ministers founded the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) in 1957. In the spring of 1963, King and SCLC led mass demonstrations in Birmingham, Alabama, where local white police officials were known for their violent opposition to integration. Clashes between unarmed black demonstrators and police armed with dogs and fire hoses generated newspaper headlines throughout the world. President Kennedy responded to the Birmingham protests by submitting broad civil rights legislation to Congress, which led to the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)
- Introduction
- "I Have a Dream"
- Rhetorical Genre
- Structure
- Figures of Speech
- Syntax
- Pragmatics
- Semantics
- Summary
- Sources
- Primary Sources
- Secondary Sources
Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)
This paper examines Martin Luther King Jr.'s famous "I Have a Dream" speech as a post-modern political speech through the lens of classical rhetoric. It analyzes the speech's structure, language, and rhetorical techniques to understand how King effectively persuaded his audience and advanced his cause.
- The application of classical rhetorical principles to a modern political speech
- The analysis of King's use of figures of speech and rhetorical devices
- The exploration of the speech's structure and organization
- The examination of the speech's persuasive strategies and its impact on the Civil Rights Movement
- The contextualization of King's speech within the broader historical and political landscape of the 1960s
Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)
- Introduction: This chapter provides a brief overview of Martin Luther King Jr.'s life and his role in the Civil Rights Movement. It introduces the context for his "I Have a Dream" speech and highlights its significance within the movement.
- "I Have a Dream": This chapter delves into the analysis of the speech, focusing on its genre, structure, figures of speech, and rhetorical strategies. The chapter examines how King's use of language and delivery techniques effectively conveyed his message and resonated with his audience.
- Summary: This chapter summarizes the main points and arguments presented in the analysis of the speech.
Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)
The core keywords and focus topics of this text include classical rhetoric, political speech, post-modern rhetoric, "I Have a Dream" speech, Martin Luther King Jr., Civil Rights Movement, persuasive strategies, rhetorical devices, figures of speech, structure, genre, and delivery.
- Quote paper
- Ismail Durgut (Author), 2008, "I Have a Dream", Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/90948
