MLK Response

In the speech “ I have a dream” written by Martin Luther King, metaphors and hyperboles are used to evoke a sense of empathy and support from all Americans. Conveying a message that his dream of racial justice and freedom is for both blacks and whites. Luther compares the massive suffering of the African American community more relatable hardships such as "being bound in chains", "sweltering heat" and "a lonely island of poverty". These metaphors intertwined with hyperboles are far more easy to picture than racial oppression and police brutality.

 Furthermore, Luther uses repetition to emphasize on his message of freedom. With every point he tries to make Luther uses repetition to genuinely impact his audience. Such as "But one hundred years later, the Negro still is not free. One hundred years later, the life of the Negro is still sadly crippled by the manacles of segregation and the chains of discrimination. One hundred years later, the Negro lives on a lonely island of poverty in the midst of a vast ocean of material prosperity. One hundred years later, the Negro is still languished in the corners of American society and finds himself an exile in his own land. And so we’ve come here today to dramatize a shameful condition." Luther continually repeats one hundred years to show his audience that one hundred years after slavery the African-Americans still aren't free.