Text and Context:
Martin Luther King, through his speech “I have a dream”, targets everyone: those who subject others to racial discrimination, those who remain impassive as they watch this subjugation and above all, those who follow him in their fight for equality. As a result of powerful rhetorical language and techniques, which are cleverly manipulated in his speech, he hopes to achieve a future where he and all of his race can live in harmony with the whites, respected not for their own ethnicity but for their character: as one should, must be regarded, as is elucidated in the metaphors “The state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with heat of injustice” and “an oasis of freedom and justice”, all of which fall under his “dream”.
Style and Structure:
On closer inspection of the speech, it is apparent that each and every element within it plays a salient role in its persuasiveness and in its rhetorical prowess. The speech is structured in a manner that makes understanding simple; sentences are not run-on and incomprehensible language is seldom used. Even in its simplicity, the speech’s mechanisms are complex. Disguised amongst the seemingly straightforward language, there are several examples of stylistic and figurative language. Chief among them are the numerous metaphors and the anaphora “I have a dream” which contribute significantly to the argument’s persuasive ability and its embodiment. Furthermore, both rhetoric devices are seen to be very relevant to the time period for reference to the State of Mississippi, which “swelters with the heat of oppression” is a robust example of powerful language, for only at the time, did those in Mississippi discriminate those of color.
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