I Have A Dream Speech

Nonfiction | Essay / Speech | Adult | Published in 1973

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Themes

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Literary Devices

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Literary Devices

Allusion

An allusion is an implied or indirect reference to another—typically well-recognized—text or event. Using allusions helps contextualize an author’s points by allowing the reader to connect it to something already known. Allusions can make a writer’s words or a story’s actions seem grander, as they link the events of a story or work to ancient myths, religious stories, or other famous works. They can also help unite the author and reader through a shared text or belief, making the story more relevant to the reader.

In “I Have a Dream,” King makes several allusions to the Bible, American history, and well-known songs. He liberally quotes the Bible and offers paraphrases of lines of scripture. King also directly quotes the Declaration of Independence and alludes to Abraham Lincoln’s speeches. The final part of the speech plays with the lyrics of “America (My Country ‘Tis of Thee)”—a patriotic song. King also brings up the words of a Black spiritual and suggests the song could also be a patriotic anthem once his dream is realized. In making these allusions, King connects his message to America’s promise and past, the need for spiritual redemption brought on by eliminating racism in society, and the renewed love of the country arising if America can be righted. The allusions help King create a timeless message but also amplify the power of his words by backing them with the words of noteworthy figures.

Anaphora

Anaphora is the repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of successive clauses or sentences. The term comes from the Greek for “to carry up and back” and is used in Biblical Psalms and is, therefore, a common device used in sermons. Anaphora helps create repetition inuring a rhythm to lull the reader or listener into an emotional state while also reminding them of the point being emphasized.

King uses anaphora in several places in the text. He lists the grievances preventing the marchers from being satisfied, opening each line with “We can never be satisfied.” And, in a reflection of those grievances, toward the end of the speech, King starts eight sentences in a row with “I have a dream.” These statements build onto each other, resulting in a climax of emotion. By repeating the phrase, King emphasizes the significance of his dream while drawing the audience’s anticipation of each separate aspect of the dream, combining each small phrase into one large dream. The repetition of the line helps make the phrase memorable—which it certainly has become for generations.

Metaphor

A metaphor is a figure of speech comparing two unrelated things in a non-literal way. In a metaphor, an author might say one thing is something else to make a comparison or provide symbolism. Through metaphor, an author can simplify a complicated topic, provide imagery, or add depth to a simple idea.

King uses several metaphors in “I Have a Dream.” The most prominent is the metaphor of the check. He says America has written Black people a “bad check” that cannot be cashed and the purpose of the march is to demand payment on that check. The metaphor simplifies the message of civil rights while also making it clear Black people are not demanding something they created alone but something that they were already promised. The check metaphor also highlights the demand for freedom and the demand for financial opportunities for Black people.

King also uses the metaphor of the American landscape to underscore the unnaturalness of racism and the transformative power of the civil rights movement. He suggests the movement will “transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood” by making “every hill and mountain” lower and every crooked place “straight.” By creating the metaphor of land transformation, King helps the audience picture the redemptive and transformational power of the civil rights movement.