I have a dream speech analysis
...leave with his audience. His use of the word ‘cannot’ rather than the slightly weaker contraction ‘can’t’ is also significant, in that it suggests ‘we must go on’ and a somewhat unstoppable nature, it is also slightly more formal and ‘serious’. It is also worthy of note in that he chooses cannot rather than ‘will not’ – this is something they simply must do, rather than there being any choice involved. This section of the speech makes use of antithesis: “We cannot be satisfied as long as a Negro in Mississippi cannot vote and a Negro in New York believes he has nothing for which to vote” (lines 6, 7, 8), and really powerful imagery: "justice rolls down like waters, and righteousness like a mighty stream.", which suggests something unstoppable, a torrent, this use of simile is particularly effective. In lines 10-16, King repeats the rhythm and grammatical structure of the sentences, which gives the audience the subtle impression that they know what is coming next, and thus convincing them that both he and they are thinking along the same lines. It also adds to the ‘spellbinding’ quality of this particular speech, which is made more apparent when it is heard rather than just read. In lines 16-19, King mentions all the states where his followers have come from, and in which inequality is a particular problem. By mentioning each state by name, he is personalising the address, but also demonstrating that he understands the specifics, and that he is not speaking to a faceless mass. He shows an acute awareness of audience. He uses anaphoric reference to past-described frustrations (line 21). King is careful not to use any euphemisms, but speaks directly, giving the impression of courage and honesty. This in turn, give credibility to what he is saying, and inspires trust and belief in him. He quotes from the bible (line 24) "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.", which also inspires confidence from a heavily religious American South audience. In addition to this, by quoting statements from the bible which apparently support his argument and his ‘dream’, he lends a huge amount of credibility to himself and his argument. It is almost like the ‘ultimate proof’ of the verity of his argument. In the next section of the speech, King again uses rhetorical repetition, this time with the statements which immortalised this speech ‘I have a dream’. In lines 23 to 39, he repeats this phrase eight times, each time building and building his expression, using the calm-to-storm delivery method that begins in a slow, professorial manner before swinging gradually and rhythmically to a dramatic climax. Within these statements he sets out his intentions; by describing his ‘dream’. King does this by starting in a very unassuming way, describing domestic situations, small things done differently, of slaves and slave owners eating together, which he builds until he is describing “every valley shall be exalted, and every hill and mountain shall be made low”. King uses opposites to illustrate the situation: “sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice” (lines 29 & 30), this again illustrating very clearly the difference between the situation then, and how he would like it to be. In lines 39-43, King again uses repetition to good effect, repeating the word ‘faith’ three times, and the word ‘together’ five times. This repetition again reinforces the inclusive nature of this speech, the impression of ‘togetherness’ and everyone being the same. It demonstrates clearly the process of equality, making it seem realistic and attainable- exactly what King wants it to appear to be. This section of the speech is where King is making clear that this is what must happen in order to achieve what he described previously in the speech. To achieve the dream, this is what must happen, they must (and will- the imperative is suggested) “work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together”. At the end of his speech (lines 49-60), King again comes back to naming states and places. He repersonalises the speech, giving ownership of the ‘dream’ back to the people, he names places: again giving the impression that he is knowledgeable, that he knows what he is talking about, and that he is applying it directly to his audience personally. In this last section, it is interesting that all the places he names are ‘high’ places; they are all mountains, peaks, and hills. By doing this he is ending on a high note, the entire speech has been a climb, building and building, almost like climbing a mountain, and this section signals to the audience that they have attained the summit. There is one particular phrase in line 59 which has proved contentious. The mention of “every hill and every molehill of Mississippi” to some is again an inclusive device, signalling that this is achievable to all, no matter how big or small (whether they dwell on a hill or a molehill), though different interpretations have also been offered. Throughout this speech King uses words...