Effective use of Repetition

All throughout American history, African Americans have been discriminated for their racial background and ethnicity. Their have been many great leaders among the blacks who have stood up for their right to freedom; one such influential leader, Martin Luther King Jr., took an active role in fighting for this freedom for African Americans. On August 28, 1963, he gave one of America’s most famous speeches expressing his hope for a better future entitled, “I have a dream!” In this article, Martin Luther King Jr. is trying to persuade the white people to end racism by using repetition of specific statements throughout the speech. In this paper I will analyze the use of repetition and how useful and effective it was for Martin Luther King Jr. in making his point, that all men are created equal and that we all have the same freedom to enjoy life.
Repetition occurs when words or certain phrases are repeated throughout an article or speech to create stronger emphasis. The “I have a dream” speech contains several phrases that are repeated many times throughout the speech to stress the importance of the issues addressed. For example, King uses the phrase “One-hundred years later,” to emphasize that blacks are still being discriminated by white people, one-hundred years later. He also uses the term “negro” along with this phrase to emphasize the harsh reality of what the African-American’s are still enduring. After describing the many things that need to change he uses the phrase, “Now is the time” to emphasize what needs to happen now, to change what has been happening. Another repetitive term he uses is, “We cannot.” This ultimately shows his leadership in guiding and directing the blacks, helping them know what they should and shouldn’t do. Finally, he uses the phrases, “I have a dream,” and “Let freedom ring!” Both of these phrases are wonderful resolving statements, and offer hope to end black discrimination, to allow freedom for all men.
Martin Luther King’s use of repetition was very effective in helping him persuade his audience. Not only was his use of repetition effective, but his performance and how he addressed his speech was also extremely effective in creating an appeal to his audience. With his passionate, religious, preacher-like tone, he won the hearts of everyone in his audience and created within them a sense of hope and confidence. Without this tone, his use of repetition would not have had as great of an impact on his present and future listeners. Repetition, without an appropriate tone, is not as effective.