Rhetorical Analysis: “I Have a Dream” by Martin Luther King, Jr.
ASSIGNMENT: During your reading and challenge questions, you learned about the art of persuading others, and you can use rhetorical appeals to convince your audience of your position. Before you begin writing your own persuasive content, it would be beneficial to analyze the effectiveness of another writer.
Using what you have learned, write a two-page rhetorical analysis on the effectiveness of an article.
Why speeches? A speech operates much like an essay: there will be an introduction, a body, and a closing. In addition, many speeches are given to persuade an audience: citizens, voters, etc. Some of the most memorable lines in history -- even a few that we discussed in our tutorials -- come from persuasive speeches. In each of the texts below, we can really see how powerful persuasion and rhetoric can be in the hands of a gifted writer and speaker.
In order to foster learning and growth, all essays you submit must be newly written specifically for this course. Any recycled work will be sent back with a 0, and you will be given one attempt to redo the Touchstone.
A. Assignment Guidelines
DIRECTIONS: For the bulk of your assignment, you will want to include your analysis of the text. However, it will be beneficial to provide context for your reader. Consider the following when writing your two-page summary:
Audience: Who was the original audience for this text?
Occasion: When/why was this text written?
Purpose: What is the author’s purpose? What does the author want the audience to learn?
Subject: What is this text about?
Tone: What is the tone? Is it formal? Celebratory? Casual? Somber?
Be sure to include the following:
1. Introduction In your introduction, provide a brief overview of the article (consider the questions listed above). Consider the author’s purpose, and if the author is effective in achieving that purpose.
2. Thesis Your thesis statement is one sentence that provides an overview of your essay. A thesis statement is not a question, and is something that you will debate/argue in the paper. For this essay, consider how the author uses rhetoric in the essay, and whether the essay is effective.
Sample Thesis Statement: In Smith’s article "On Recycling for the Future," the author uses a combination of logical and emotional appeals to effectively convince the reader that all communities should promote and support recycling.
Note that this thesis states the author and the title, a position (the author is effective) and names some specific rhetorical devices.
3. Body of the Essay: In the body of your essay, find specific examples in the text to support your points. If you want to argue that the author is effective in using rhetorical questions, then be sure to show the textual evidence in your paragraph. Identify the type of rhetorical device, and then explain how and to what effect the author uses this device.
4. Documentation: Remember whenever we use information from a source, we must cite that source. As you include your quotes and examples from the essay, include your citation. You should also include your reference at the end of the paper. You are only required to use the one source, the article you are analyzing, but if you use other sources, be sure to cite these as well.
5. Conclusion: In any conclusion, we need to summarize our paper and include one of the following:
a call to action
a final appeal
a solution
Perhaps after reading and analyzing this article, we want to have a call to action because the author is so effective on the topic. On the other hand, we could include a solution that the author is not effective in his or her purpose.
Keep in mind: Refer to the list below throughout the writing process. Do not submit your Touchstone until it meets these guidelines.
❒ Have you included an engaging introduction?
❒ Have you written a thesis with an overview of your paper and your purpose for writing?
❒ Have you included your background and context with the audience, purpose, and tone?
❒ Have you identified rhetorical devices?
❒ Have you analyzed how the author used these rhetorical devices?
❒ Have you included your documentation?
❒ Have you included a conclusion with a call to action, a final appeal, or a solution?
❒ Have you read over carefully for grammatical errors?
B. Reflection Questions Guidelines
DIRECTIONS: Below your assignment, include answers to all of the following reflection questions.
We use rhetoric all the time, perhaps without even realizing it, to persuade our audience to accept our point of view. These speeches were all historical events, but we use rhetoric in our daily lives as well. How have you used rhetoric in the past week? (2-3 sentences)
As we go through our course discussing the power of persuasion and write our own persuasive documents, what rhetorical strategies will you use to persuade your audience? (2-3 sentences)
What difficulties did you face while reading the text and analyzing for rhetorical effectiveness? How did you overcome these difficulties? (2-3 sentences)
Keep in mind: Refer to the list below throughout the reflection process. Do not submit your Touchstone until it meets these guidelines
❒ Have you answered all reflection questions thoughtfully and included insights, observations, and/or examples in all responses?
❒ Are your answers included on a separate page below the main assignment?
D. Requirements
The following requirements must be met for your submission to be graded:
Composition must be 2-3 pages (approximately 500-750 words).
Double-space the composition and use one-inch margins.
Use a readable 12-point font.
All writing must be appropriate for an academic context.
Composition must be original and written for this assignment.
Plagiarism of any kind is strictly prohibited.
Submission must include your name, the name of the course, the date, and the title of your composition.
Include all of the assignment components in a single file.
Acceptable file formats include .doc and .docx.
Rhetorical Analysis: I Have a Dream
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Rhetorical Analysis: I Have a Dream
Introduction and Context
“I Have a Dream” by Martin Luther King, Jr. is one of the most influential speeches in the history of the civil rights movement. Luther delivered the speech at Lincoln Memorial, Washington DC, on 28th August 1963. The audience was black and white people pushing for the freedom of Negro slaves. Luther came up with the speech to persuade the audience to participate in peaceful demonstrations to end racial discrimination and promote equality. The author wanted the audience to know that they have the right to freedom regardless of their racial, skin color, cultural, and ethnic differences. He used a somber tone to deliver the speech. The primary subject was the freedom of black people who were discriminated against by the dominant culture. In Luther’s speech, “I Have a Dream,” the author uses alliteration, logos, and pathos to effectively persuade the audience that they should not rest until all people have freedom without discrimination against specific communities.
Analysis of Rhetorical Devices
Luther uses alliteration or repetition of various words or phrases throughout his speech. For example, he repeats the phrases, “One hundred years later,” “Now is the time to,” “We can never be satisfied,” “Go back to,” “Let freedom ring from,” “I have a dream,” and “With this faith” (Luther, 1963). The repetition of these phrases promotes persuasion by creating an urgent need for action to facilitate freedom and equality. For instance, Luther made it clear that it had been a century since the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation, but still, Negro slaves were in captivity. In other words, the author made it clear that people have waited for an extended period, but there was no change.
Moreover, the author uses logos or logical arguments to convince his audience that there is ground for freedom and equality, but relevant authorities have been ignoring established policies. Luther depicts that “the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, they were signing a promissory note to which every American was to fall heir” (Luther, 1963). The note guaranteed all Americans “unalienable rights” of liberty, life, and the pursuit of happiness. However, all these promises have not been accomplished. Indeed, using logical arguments as rhetorical devices convince the audience by reminding them that they deserve to have the things they were promised. As such, af...