On August 28th, 1963, Martin Luther King delivered his most fiery speech to shock the United States – “I Have a Dream.” “America has defaulted on this promissory note, insofar as her citizens of color are concerned,” a black rights advocate shouted from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial (King 1963, pp. 4). The speech is full of outrage and contains allusions to the Bible and the US Declaration of Independence. It is considered one of the best in the history of mankind. The main theses of King’s political speeches were not only the equalization of the rights of Whites and Blacks but also a more global idea – world peace for the sake of the prosperity of mankind.
The format of Martin Luther King’s speech is quite simple, as the entire text can be conditionally divided into two parts. The first part presents a picture of an American nightmare full of injustice and humiliation of human dignity. This part is about both the past and the present day, namely, August 28th, 1963. In addition, in the first part of his speech, King calls people to stand up for themselves and their dignity. The second part of the speech, however, is much more positive. It represents King’s view on the bright future of the United States, his dream, his hope and belief in equality and justice for all people, regardless of skin color.
Martin Luther King used a variety of rhetorical techniques, such as speech figures and tropes, in his speech. Among these techniques, allusions are the most prominent. For the first time, the allusion in King’s “I Have a Dream” speech is used immediately after the opening sentence, which is an homage to the Emancipation Proclamation of 1863. US President Abraham Lincoln abolished slavery with this proclamation. The reference is symbolic and carries a lot of meaning, setting the tone of the speech from the very beginning. “Five score years ago, a great American, in whose symbolic shadow we stand today, signed the Emancipation Proclamation,” said King (1963, pp. 2). This passage is also a starting point – the beginning of the story, indicating the date and place of the event.
Among English-speaking speakers, references to Shakespeare and the Bible were especially popular, which is exactly what Martin Luther King did in his speech. For example, King (1963) said: “This sweltering summer of the Negro’s legitimate discontent will not pass until there is an invigorating autumn of freedom and equality” (pp. 7). This is a very subtle allusion to the play by William Shakespeare, Richard III. Moreover, King often refers to the Bible in his speech, which, of course, is natural and not surprising because he was a pastor. “It came as a joyous daybreak to end the long night of their captivity” (King 1963, pp. 2), he announced right at the beginning of his speech. This is, in fact, an allusion to Psalm 31, verse 4: “Pull me out of the net that they have laid privily for me: for thou art my strength” (King James Bible 1769). Being a deeply religious person, King artfully weaved homages to Bible into his speech, which only helped him translate his idea to the masses in a more understandable and relatable way.
Although this historical event happened a long time ago, the general idea of King’s speech is modern and relevant to this day: it is impossible to win by responding with violence to violence. Martin Luther King’s insistent calls for unity and nonviolent action in response to oppression and brutality are worthy of deep respect and long memory. His speeches have become key moments in American history in the struggle for racial justice. And this particular, unique speech, “I Have a Dream,” is, indeed, a real rhetorical masterpiece, presented in a powerful and inspiring way.
Reference
King James Bible. (2017). King James Bible Online.
King, M. L. (1963).I Have a Dream. American rhetoric.