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I Have A Dream


            Everybody has a dream, but not every one of them will come true. One of the most famous quotes in modern time, and also one of the most influential speeches ever given on the earth was given on a podium the Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C on August 28th 1963. The great speech was given by Martin Luther King Jr. who dedicated his time on earth to prove that all people are equal. King used different parts of the English language to enhance the meaning of his speech and bring out the details. The different rhetorical devices, allusions to historic documents, and metaphors seemed to have brought about the emotions that King was trying to arouse in his listeners. This helped him influence his listeners towards wanting equality for all and changing what was happening in the present so they didn't repeat things in the past.
             The very title of his speech "I Have a Dream" was probably taken from his use of anaphora (using the same word at the beginning of successive clauses or sentences) which was present throughout his speech. "I have a dream that one day the nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed that all men are created equal." For the next few lines of his speech he repeated these words, "I have a dream," which helped arouse emotion in his audience and give them hope. This hope was that they would one day be treated as equals and walk side by side with the all other races. King uses his phrase "I have a dream today," twice as its own paragraph. This statement was probably spoken with great emphasis since it gave the listeners the desire to change "today" instead of continuing to be discriminated against. Martin Luther King's speech could have very well been titled something else but because of his use of anaphora which strongly emphasized these words it earned itself the title "I Have a Dream." .
             King's use of alluding to other historic documents, which also deal with equality issues, helped his speech reach the listener.


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