This famous speech by Martin Luther King, Jr, in 1963 is an example
             of structured and impassioned rhetoric that is also carefully designed to
             elicit a specific response and to appeal to a wide ranging audience. The
             use of language and stylistic devices in the speech serve to enforce the
             central massage, which is repeated and built on throughout in different
             contexts. The central thrust of the speech lies in the demand for freedom
             and equality for African Americans or the Negro' population. This is a
             carefully structured and controlled argument that begins with the necessity
             to rectify the injustices of the past and then, logically and emotionally,
             builds on the legitimacy of this demand. This is enforced by a veiled
             threat that the demand for equality is not to be taken lightly; which in
             turn is ameliorated by a reassurance that the speech is not a call to
             irresponsible actions. Lastly, the speech emphasizes that the issue of
             freedom and basic human rights for the Negro is related to the freedom of
             all in a harmonious and united society.
             Throughout the speech the use of language is concise and controlled
             and aimed at evoking specific responses. I will focus on the use of
             metaphor that dramatically enforces the central message. The analysis also
             focuses on the way in which the speech is constructed to appeal to the
             audience's sense of morality and justice and to allay any preconceptions or
             fears about radical black empowerment.
             The first paragraph encapsulates the intention of the speech, namely
             that while the Proclamation of Emancipation is a historical fact it is
             still not yet a fact in the daily lives of the Negro people. The immediate
             intention is to emphasize the legitimacy of what is to follow and to refute
             preconceptions relating to these demands. The sense of justice and
             legitimacy is emphasized by the use of historical/Biblical terminology and
             style to em...