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Kendall Miller

Lisa Cook

Eng 1101

22 October 2021

An Acceptance of the Nobel Prize for Peace

A person of great power, whose legacy influenced and has taught advocacy, and racial

justice, among other topics to races of all kinds, Martin Luther King Jr. was a civil rights activist

whose powerful words created an enormous impact and influence on society. His achievements

are recognized and his legacy changed the injustice of racial inequality. From the Montgomery

Bus Boycott, to the president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), leading

The Brigham Campaign, and most famously known for being instrumental in organizing The

Great March on Washington which led to his famous speech that intensified the civil rights

movement. Martin Luther King Jr. deliberately spoke in great value, today this speech is

famously known as the “I Have A Dream '' speech given to millions across the country in

Washington D.C. With his valuable contributions, King was awarded a Nobel Prize for Peace

that holds a value that “is more precious than diamonds or silver or gold.” (King- Acceptance

Speech).

Martin Luther King Jr. accepted his Nobel Prize on December 10, 1964. Through his

speech, he appeals to the great value of using ethos to increase his credibility with his audience,

pathos to appeal to his audience's emotional side, and logos to appeal to his audience's logical
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side. Dr. King created great credibility and now is being awarded for his leadership, bravery, and

sacrifice to help make this world a better place. Martin Luther King spoke with great passion and

was a phenomenal public speaker. King’s capability of skills and the ability to properly get his

message across can clearly be seen through the speech. King stated with great credibility, “ I

accept this prize on behalf of all men who love peace and brotherhood.”(King- Acceptance

Speech). Referring to the thoughts of peace and brotherhood of men. King also stated, “ I accept

the Nobel Prize for Peace at a moment when 22 million Negroes of the United States of America

are engaged in a creative battle to end the long night of racial injustice. I accept this award on the

behalf of the civil rights movement which is moving with determination and a majestic scorn and

danger to establish a region of freedom and a rule of justice.”(King- Acceptance Speech). King

is grateful but establishes his integrity by being an advocate for equality between all races, and

both civil and economic rights. He was an advocate for equality and addressed this topic while

speaking on the behalf of colored people at the Lincoln Memorial when giving his “I Have a

Dream” speech, which later created an enormous impact and lead to an appraising award.

Martian Luther King Jr. had logical reasoning to help fight for the justice of others. He

addressed and thanked his audience for receiving this achievement by a Nobel Prize of Peace. He

was recognized for his hard work, bravery, and sacrifice. King stated this to his audience “ Your

Majesty, Your Royal Highness, Mr. President, Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen.” (King-

Acceptance Speech). King later went in-depth to execute and state his appreciation for the award,

but also explain how he will try to continue to fight for the rights and justice of others. King

referred to the Bible when stating, “And the lion and the lamb shall lie down together and every

man shall sit under his own vine and fig tree and none shall be afraid.” (King- Acceptance
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Speech). King’s true passion is expressed in his reflection of the two Bible verses as he shared

his beliefs in bringing everyone together no matter their skin color or ethnicity.

King’s content was not only to show great appreciation for such an honorable award

but was also another way to continue his fight for justice. His structure flows showing key details

of how he was grateful for such a memorable honor but his satisfaction is not fulfilled. MLK

didn’t only use ethos, pathos, and logos to explain himself to the audience, he used rhetorical and

figurative elements. Dr. King was a phenomenal public speaker with passion. With his deliberate

arrangement of words, he had mastered the extreme of pulling images into the minds of his

audience. Dr. King expressed anaphoras, metaphors, personification, and other figurative

languages. In particular, King used anaphora by stating not only “I refuse to accept” but also “ I

believe that” and “I still believe that” (King- Acceptance Speech). By using this form of

rhetorical device King is emphasizing his beliefs and the urgency of the impact of racial

inequality that is still in effect. King expressed the same feelings with the use of personification

and metaphors to show the powerful impact of everything. MLK’s supportive audience spreads

the meaning of his message about the Civil Rights Movement as his words effectively changed

history.

Martian Luther King was very effective in applying his meaning to the purpose. Dr.

King was not only an advocate for equality between races but was an advocate from the 1950s

till his assassination. King made an impact with his bravery and leadership allowing his message

to free flow and create an impact among his audience. The government and citizens recognized

King’s accomplishments by awarding him with a Nobel Prize for Peace. King’s speeches and

especially his “I have a dream” and his acceptance speech influenced me with great passion.
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King has this raw talent to pursue his audience with his use of words and rhetorical devices. His

ability to appeal is superb and is not excessive, but much more inspiring.

Work Cited

Jr. King, Martin, “Martin Luther King Jr.- Acceptance Speech”, The Nobel Peace Prize

1962, NobelPrize.org. (n.d.).