On 28 th August 1963, Martin Luther King delivered one of the most iconic speeches in modern history. Dubbed, 'I have a dream,' King expressed his views and the plight of all blacks living in the United States: their political liberty and access to a better life. The speech inspires anyone that reads it today, not just for the emotive issue it captures but also its artistic nature. It is an epitome of how to use examples and metaphors to great effect.
In his opening remarks, King alludes to the origin of their plight: the emancipation proclamation, which was enacted by Abraham Lincoln. King was making the address from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, a venue most appropriate for the speech. The shadow was not merely a literal allusion, but it was a metaphor since the black population was yet to see the light from the efforts of the American statesman a hundred years later. King also uses numerous examples, such as, “…let freedom ring from the hilltops of New Hampshire…” (McIntire, 2001). He chooses to highlight areas in which the oppression of minorities, especially African Americans, was still prevalent. He repeats the phrase 'let freedom ring' to underline the gravitas of his speech. He needed to ensure that he delivered both the words and the emotions to his fellow crusaders and the oppressive authorities against whom they were demonstrating. Throughout his speech, King uses such many examples and metaphors to show that his address was not about ideology, but about the bitter reality.
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Martin Luther King's message is relevant even today. The world is full of various types of oppression and discrimination, whether it is because of race, sex, or class. The address can find a place in the minds of every caring citizen in the world because it was not about African Americans in the mid-twentieth century; it was for all people facing social and political injustices.
Reference
McIntire, S. (Ed.). (2001). American Heritage Book of Great American Speeches for Young People. New York: John Wiley & Sons.
