A speech of allusion

On August 28 1963, during a civil rights march, Martin Luther King Jr. delivered an inspiring speech from the steps of the Lincoln memorial. This speech could be considered one of the greatest speeches of the 20^th century, if not of all time. It called to attention the rights of every American citizen and inspired a change within our country. In this speech, Martin Luther King Jr. is trying to persuade all Americans, black and white, to coexist harmoniously by using the rhetoric tool of allusion. In this essay I will analyze the use of allusion and discuss why it made this particular speech so effective.

If nothing else this speech evokes emotion in all who hear or read it. It is full of powerful statements which make the viewer/listener realize the unfairness of treatment given to the blacks at this time. It makes all realize that this is an urgent issue that needed to be addressed. "It would be fatal for the nation to overlook the urgency of the moment. This sweltering summer of the Negro's legitimate discontent will not pass until there is an invigorating autumn of freedom and equality. Nineteen sixty-three is not an end, but a beginning. Those who hope that the Negro needed to blow off steam and will now be content will have a rude awakening if the nation returns to business as usual." Logos comes in the form of pointing out the rights which America claimed to give to all, but had withheld from some. "I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: 'We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.'" Although these appeals were extremely effective we see that they were made effective only because the use of allusion. By referring to things such as the bible, The Declaration of Independence, The constitution, and the Gettysburg address he was able to reach every listener in the form of common ground. The constitution, for example, states that all men are created equal. By bringing this up King had emphasized the fact that this is not happening and he has legal proof that it should be happening.

Allusion was very effective in this speech. By pulling from many sources Martin Luther King Jr. was able to relate to everyone. He was able to appeal to logos by using government documents and was able to appeal to ethos by using the bible. This truly was a great speech that inspired many.