MODULE 2 – LESSON 5 II.
LITERARY DEVICES
SEEKING JUSTICE FOR OTHERS
I. “I HAVE A DREAM” BY MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR.
 This is a public speech that was delivered by American civil
rights activist Martin Luther King, Jr. during the March on
Washington for Jobs and Freedom on August 28, 1963, in
which he called for civil and economic rights and an end to
racism in the United States.
 It expresses King’s notorious hope for America and the need for
change.
 He opens the speech by stating how happy he is to be with the
marchers, and emphasizes the historical significance of their
march by calling it “the greatest demonstration for freedom
in the history of our nation.”
 He talks about Abraham Lincoln signing the Emancipation
Proclamation one hundred years before the march. He calls
the proclamation “a joyous daybreak to end the long night of
their captivity,” where “their” refers to those who were
enslaved.
 He tackled the problems faced by African Americans in 1963,
saying that one hundred years later, they still are not free.
Instead, they are “sadly crippled by the manacles of
segregation and the chains of discrimination.”
 He also discussed the poverty endured by Black Americans.
 He stated that real legal change could be made without
resorting to violence. (Though there was much violence during
the Civil Rights movement, he was always for peace, and urged
others to protest peacefully, what he calls “the high plane of
dignity and discipline.”)
 King says his dream is “deeply rooted in the American dream” –
the equality in America.
 The speech emphasizes the need for black and white Americans
to work together.
 He talks about the importance of faith – it will help them in the
struggles they’ve faced, the struggles they still face, and those
struggles yet to come as they peacefully fight for liberty and
equality.
 King closes the speech with another iconic line: “When all of
God’s children, black men and white men, Jews and
Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join
hands and sing the words of the old Negr spiritual: ‘Free at
last! Free at last! Thank God Almighty, we are free at last!’”
1. REPETITION
 A literary device that repeats the same words or phrases a few
times to make an idea clearer and more memorable.
Example:
o If you think you can do it, you can do it.
o The politician declared, “We will fight come what may, we
will fight on all fronts, we will fight for a thousand years.”
2. PARALLELISM
 A literary device that use of components in a sentence that are
grammatically the same; or similar in their construction, sound,
meaning, or meter.
Example:
o Like father, like son.
o Easy come, easy go.
o To err is human; to forgive is divine.
3. METAPHOR
 A rhetorical figure of speech that compares two subjects without
the use of “like” or “as.”
 It asserts that one thing is the other or is a substitute for the
other thing.
Example:
o All the world’s a stage,
And all the men and women merely players.
4. ANALOGY
 A comparison in which an idea or a thing is compared to another
thing that is quite different from it.
 It aims at explaining that idea or thing by comparing it to
something that is familiar.
Example:
o Life is like a race. The one who keeps running wins the race,
and the one who stops to catch a breath loses.
o Just as a sword is the weapon of a warrior, a pen is the weapon
of a writer.
o How a doctor diagnoses diseases is like how a detective
investigates crimes.
o Just as a caterpillar comes out of its cocoon, so we must come
out of our comfort zone.
o You are as annoying as nails on a chalkboard.
 PRESENT CONDITIONALS
1. Present Real Conditional
FORM:
[If / When ... simple present ..., ... simple present ...]
[... simple present ... if / when ... simple present ...]
USE:
 The present real conditional (also called conditional 0) is used to talk
about what you normally do in real-life situations.
Examples:
o If I go to a friend's house for dinner, I usually take a bottle of
wine or some flowers.
o When I have a day off from work, I often go to the beach.
o If the weather is nice, she walks to work.
o Jerry helps me with my homework when he has time.
o I read if there is nothing on TV.
o A: What do you do when it rains?
B: I stay at home.
o A: Where do you stay if you go to Sydney?
B: I stay with my friends near the harbor.
IMPORTANT: If / When
 Both "if" and "when" are used in the present real conditional. Using
"if" suggests that something happens less frequently. Using "when"
suggests that something happens regularly.
Examples:
o When I have a day off from work, I usually go to the beach.
I regularly have days off from work.
o If I have a day off from work, I usually go to the beach.
I rarely have days off from work.
2. Present Unreal Conditional
FORM:
[If ... simple past ..., ... would + verb ...]
[... would + verb ... if ... simple past ...]
USE:
 The present unreal conditional (also called conditional 2) is used to
talk about what you would generally do in imaginary situations.
Examples:
o If I owned a car, I would drive to work. But I don't own a car.
o She would travel around the world if she had more money. But
she doesn't have much money.
o I would read more if I didn't watch so much TV.
o Mary would move to Japan if she spoke Japanese.
o If they worked harder, they would earn more money.
o A: What would you do if you won the lottery?
B: I would buy a house.
o A: Where would you live if you moved to the U.S.?
B: I would live in Seattle.
EXCEPTION If I were ...
 In the present unreal conditional, the form "was" is not considered
grammatically correct.
 In written English or in testing situations, you should always use
"were." However, in everyday conversation, "was" is often used.
Examples:
o If he were French, he would live in Paris.
o If she were rich, she would buy a yacht.
o I would play basketball if I were taller.
o I would buy that computer if it were cheaper.
o I would buy that computer if it was cheaper. Not Correct (But
often said in conversation.)
IMPORTANT Only use "If"
 Only the word "if" is used with the present unreal conditional because
you are discussing imaginary situations. "When" cannot be used.
Examples:
o I would buy that computer when it were cheaper. Not Correct
o I would buy that computer if it were cheaper. Correct
EXCEPTION Conditional with Modal Verbs
 There are some special conditional forms for modal verbs in English:
would + can = could
would + shall = should
would + may = might