On August 28th, 1963, Martin Luther King, Jr.

delivered a speech to more than 200,000

people during the March on Washington. King's speech was one of the most influential
during the era of the Civil Rights Movement and is to this day recognized as a
masterpiece due to its effect on the audience as well as for its eloquence and language.
Many components went into this passionate speech that portrayed King's hopes for racial
equality and a brighter future made the speech as moving as it was. It…

From the steps of the Lincoln Memorial more than two score years ago, Dr. Martin Luther
King electrified America with his momentous "I Have a Dream" speech. Aimed at the
entire nation, King’s main purpose in this speech was to convince his audience to
demand racial justice towards the mistreated African Americans and to stand up together
for the rights afforded to all under the Constitution. To further convey this purpose more
effectively, King cleverly makes use of the rhetorical devices — ethos, pathos and logos
— using figurative language such as metaphors and repetition as well as various other
techniques e.g. organization, parallel construction and choice of title.