The “I Have A Dream” speech stands as a hallmark of inspirational and motivational speeches.
Imagine the weight that lay upon Dr. Martin Luther King while preparing his speech for almost a quarter million people who gathered for the Civil Rights March in 1963. His ideas weren’t new. His message wasn’t new. However, in 13 minutes and in approximately 1,500 words, Dr. King eloquently captured and expressed his follower’s frustrations, expectations, and dreams. He did this through mastery of the elements of effective public speaking.
In a previous post, we examined Dr. King’s mastery of metaphors. In this post, we’ll explore five more jewels of public speaking he utilized in this timeless speech. Incorporating just a couple of these in your next speech will elevate the impact on your audience.
Quotes from biographies, plays or literature
Examples from Dr. King’s speech:
- Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address: “Five Score Years Ago”
- The Constitution of the United States: “All men guaranteed the unalienable rights of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.”
- Songs: America the Beautiful – “ My Country Tis of thee…let freedom ring.”
- Bible: “Let us not wallow in the Valley of Despair.”
- An old Negro spiritual – “Free at last, Free at last…”
Repetition
Dr. King stamped words and phrases indelibly upon the minds of the listeners through repetition:
- “Now is the time.”
- “We can never be satisfied.”
- “Go back to…”
- “To ____together; to _____ together; to ______ together”
- “Let Freedom Ring”
- “I have a dream.”
Alliterations
Two or more words having the same initial sound or sound clustered in a phrase or line. Dr. King’s speech was almost poetic:
- “tranquilizing drugs of gradualism.”
- “dark and desolate.”
- “segregation…sunlit…sweltering summer.”
- “dignity, dissidence.”
- “marvelous new militancy.”
- “color of skin but context of
character .”
Contrast
Dr. King contrasted words and ideas throughout his speech:
- “Lonely island of poverty…vast ocean of prosperity”
- “Negro in Mississippi cannot vote, and the Negro in New York believes he has nothing for which to vote.”
- “Every valley exalted and every hill and mountain made low, rough places made plain and crooked places made straight .”
- “Dangling discord – symphony of brotherhood”
- “Lift our nation from the quicksand of racial injustice to the solid rock of Brotherhood.”
- “Sweltering with heat of injustice…heat of oppression…transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice.”
Passion
We do not need to ask if Dr. King was passionate about his message…
Passion for your message will automatically elevate its impact upon your listeners. No matter how well crafted your speech – even if it utilizes the previous tools, if you are not passionate about the content, it will fall short.
Thank You, Dr. King
For dedicating your life as the most visible spokesperson and leader in the civil rights movement.
