23. lliteration
The repetition of sounds makes the speech more catchy
and memorable.
In a sense we have come to our nations capital to cash
a check.
We cannot be satisfied as long as a Negro in Mississippi
cannot vote and a Negro in New York believes he
has nothing for which to vote. No, no
I have a dream that my four little children will one day live
in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of
their skin but by the content of their character.
Alliteration
In a sense we have come to our nations capital to cash a check.
We cannot be satisfied as long as a Negro in Mississippi cannot vote
and a Negro in New York believes he has nothing for which to
vote. No, no
I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation
where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by
the content of their character.
Line ?
25. Metaphor
King equates light with freedom through the speech. Here are two
examples:
This momentous decree came as a great beacon light of hope to millions of
Negro slaves who had been seared in the flames of withering injustice. It
came as a joyous daybreak to end the long night of their captivity.
Now is the time to rise from the dark and desolate valley of segregation to
the sunlit path of racial justice.
Line 5
26. Metaphor
In the 3rd and 4th paragraph, King plays with the
extended metaphor of extending a check.
In a sense we have come to our nations capital to
cash a check (This check metaphor continues)
Line 15
27. A Metaphor
With this faith we will be able to transform the jangling
discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of
brotherhood.
There are many more metaphor examples. Could you find
them all?
Line 106
29. Hyperbole
And when this happens, when we allow freedom to ring,
when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from
every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that
day when all of Gods children, black men and white men,
Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to
join hands and sing.
Line 141
30. Personification
It is obvious today that America has defaulted
on this promissory note insofar as her citizens
of color are concerned. Instead of honoring
this sacred obligation, America has given the
Negro people a bad check, a check which has
come back marked insufficient funds.
Line 21
31. Simile
No, no, we are not satisfied, and we
will not be satisfied until justice rolls
down like waters and righteousness
like a mighty stream.
Line 68
40. Pg. 662
What evidence does king provide to support
the claim that the negro still is not free?
*lonely island of poverty
*finds himself in exile
41. Pg. 662
Lines 3-7: What event took place 100 years before
king gave this speech?
The Emancipation Proclamation when a
document was signed by president Lincoln
setting the slaves free.
42. Pg. 662
Lines 8 -20: What does king say about the historic
importance of the event at which he is speaking?
The importance of it is that it comes after 100
years of the Emancipation Proclamation.
43. Pg. 664
Lines 29-38: What rhetorical device does
king use, and what is the effect of using
it?
Repetition of Now is the time
44. Pg. 664
Lines 39-44: In terms of content and
emotion, what is the purpose of this
paragraph?
He wants to cause tension.
45. Pg. 664
Lines 39-44: How does King use tone to
appeal to his audience?
The tone is revolutionary.
46. Pg. 665
Line 51: What action does King oppose?
He opposes physical violence.
47. Pg. 665
Line 53-58: According to King, what thoughts
should the negro community have and not
have toward white people?
*not to distrust all the white people
*the future of the black people is bound to
the future of the white people; no one
needs to walk alone.
48. Pg. 665
Line 52: What does he mean when he uses the
term SOUL FORCE?
They need to also believe in what they
stand for.
49. Pg. 665
Lines 45-58: What does king say to show that
whites and blacks in his audience must work
together?
their freedom is inextricably bound to our
freedom
50. Pg. 665
How do these lines both send a message to
king`s followers and gain the support of the
audience?
51. Pg. 666
Lines 65 -70: Identify the examples of racial
injustice that King provides as strong, relevant,
and credible evidence to share his views.
52. Pg. 666
Lines71 -92: What examples of parallel
grammatical structures help make the
expression of ideas memorable?
53. Pg. 666
Line 81-102: Why do you think these lines are
most important in making this speech
significant in the American history?
57. Others
What are the themes of the speech?
Segregation, freedom, equality,
fairness,
58. Complete the speech:
I have a ___________ that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: We
hold these ___________ to be self-evident: that all men are ____________ equal. I have a dream that one
day on the red hills of Georgia the sons of former __________ and the sons of former slave owners will be
able to_________ down together at a table of brotherhood. I have a dream that one day even the state
of_________________, a desert ____________, sweltering with the heat of injustice and _____________,
will be transformed into an oasis of ___________ and justice. I have a dream that my four ______________
will one day live in ______________ where they will not be ___________ by the color of their
_________________ but by the content of their ___________________. I have a dream today.