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Valentina Limas

Belen Muñoz

5th Advanced

26 October 2023

Martin Luther King Jr: American Civil Rights Hero

Martin Luther King Jr, is regarded as one of the most influential figures when it comes to

America´s civil right movements history. His dedication not only resonated with African

American communities, but with all races, ages and cultures living in the United States at the

moment. Is his highly global known name and history what take me to write this essay, focusing

on two of his main speeches: “I Have A Dream” and an extract from “A Letter from Birmingham

Jail”. The first of these, often referred to as his most renowned speech, was delivered before an

audience of nearly 250,000 people in Washington D.C. on August 28, 1963, during a march

advocating for civil rights, and in this one he makes a call for an end to racial discrimination,

while he also promote nonviolent protests and embrace justice for America.Conversely, “Letter

From Birmingham Jail” which was written while King was imprisoned in Birmingham,

Alabama, and the letter defends the strategy of nonviolent resistance to racism and argues

against the idea that “Negros” should wait for justice to be granted to them gradually, as this

white religious group he was responding to said.

Nevertheless, the writings and orations of Dr. King are known not only for the significant

social movement they represent, but also for their utilization of persuasive literary techniques

and his remarkable verbal confidence. These elements were the ones that contributed to his
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extraordinary influence and persuasive power. In this paragraph we will be analyzing the literary

devices used in “I have a dream” and how they affect the way the speech is delivered to people.

Martin Luther King Jr. utilizes emotive language consistently in his speech to resonate with the

sentiments of his listeners. This literary device is called “pathos” and its used many times, for

instance: “little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and

white girls as sisters and brothers” (King). Here is where he appeals to the emotional sensibilities

of the audience, emphasizing the deep desire for racial peace. Other strategy used by King was

the tricolon, where he creates a three-grouped structure that makes his argument more organized

and memorable, we can se it when he claims “black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles,

Protestants and Catholics" (King). Both of these techniques have made this speech more of a

historical master piece for literature, as all devices that King used.

This following paragraph will be dedicated to the analysis of the narrative techniques employed

in the extract from “A Letter from Birmingham Jail” Which is also notable for its deep literary

fullness. In this extract, King uses one of the most known narrative techniques, the metaphor:

"cup of endurance runs over." (King), this metaphor shows the idea that there is a limit to

people's patience and that they can only tolerate suffering for certain time. Also, symbolism is

used to concretize the author's message. The phrase "plunged into the abyss of despair" is

symbolic of the extreme suffering and impossibility experienced by African Americans.

King's use of literary devices was helpful in his success as a civil rights leader. His

emotive language, tricolons, metaphors, and symbolism allowed him to connect with his

audience on a deeper way and to inspire them to take action. His words taught courage in those

who were fighting for justice and helped to sustain them through difficult times.
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Works Cited

King, Martin Luther. "I Have A Dream" March of Washington (1963)

King, Martin Luther. “A Letter from Birmingham Jail” April 16, 1963