Throughout time, society will have witnessed many great speakers. However, there is one speaker of which no one has matched up to his caliber. It was not until August 28, 1963, that Martin Luther King delivered a speech that engraved an everlasting impression on mankind. The "I Have A Dream" speech is one continuing to be a prevalent piece of American culture and is just as prominent today as it was the day it was delivered on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. .
Martin Luther King Jr. not only contributed to American society, he also raised the bar on what is to be expected of a speech. He possessed such brilliance for words which is what made him legendary. He used such tools as repetition and imagery to depict his thoughts and convey emotions. King took advantage of the psychological effects people go through when they hear certain words or phrases. For example, he continually said, "Now is the time- in key parts of his speech. Using the word "now" in a repetitious way is thought provoking and instigative - the very essence of King's speech. .
Another tool King uses in his speech is imagery. Sporadically throughout his speech, King applies certain techniques of imagery to communicate to his audience. When he says, "This sweltering summer of the Negro's legitimate discontent will not pass until there is an invigorating autumn of freedom and equality," the audience will listen and then envision it. The audience will see a "sweltering summer" and they will see an "invigorating autumn". As a result, they will whole-heartedly identify with what King is saying and will apply it to themselves and society. .
During the Civil Rights Movement, anger was festering and frustration was polluting society. King endured these emotions, thus, he focused on these emotions in his speech. When King states in the beginning of his speech, "This momentous decree came as a great beacon of light of hope to millions of Negro slaves who had been seared in the flames of withering justice But one hundred years later, we must face the tragic fact that the Negro is still not free," the audience feels his agony because they feel it too.
