Analysis of Rhetorical Figures in Martin Luther King's 'I Have A Dream'.
ABSTRACT
I Have a Dream merupakan salah satu pidato terkenal karya Martin Luther
King, Jr.. Pidato tesebut dibawakan pada saat aksi massa terjadi di Lincoln Memorial,
Washington D.C. pada tanggal 28 Agustus 1963. Pidato ini sangat berpengaruh di
Amerika pada abad ke-20, karena isinya yang merujuk pada diskriminasi, kebebasan
dan kesetaraan ras khususnya bagi orang hitam di Amerika.
Dalam menganalisis data, saya menggunakan teori Stylistics yang menekankan
pada penggunaan bahasa dan gaya bahasa dalam teks. Teori tersebut mencakup
beberapa bidang kajian, salah satunya adalah Rhetorical Figures. Dalam skripsi ini,
saya akan membahas jenis-jenis Rhetorical Figures yang digunakan dalam pidato
tersebut. Saya menemukan dua jenis Rhetorical Figures yang sangat dominan dalam
pidato ini. Pertama adalah penggunaan pengulangan (repetition) dan yang kedua adalah
penggunaan metafora.
Hasil analisis menunjukkan bahwa Martin Luther King, Jr. menggunakan 8 data
pengulangan dan 14 data metafora dalam pidatonya. Penggunaan keduanya ternyata
memiliki peranan yang sangat penting, terutama dalam penyampaian pesan dan tujuan
secara lebih efektif kepada pendengar. Selain itu, pengulangan dan metafora adalah
metode yang dipilih oleh Martin Luther King, Jr. untuk membuat pidato tersebut lebih
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indah dalam variasi bentuk katanya. Pada akhirnya penelitian ini diharapkan dapat
bermanfaat bagi masyarakat luas agar dapat berkomunikasi dengan lebih efektif,
menarik, dan mendidik.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT ...............................................................................................
i
TABLE OF CONTENTS ................................................................................................
ii
ABSTRACT ...................................................................................................................... iv
CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION
Background of the Study ......................................................................................
Statement of the Problem .......................................................................................
Purpose of the Study .............................................................................................
Method of Research ..............................................................................................
Organization of the Thesis .....................................................................................
CHAPTER TWO: THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK ..............................................
1
4
4
4
5
6
CHAPTER THREE: ANALYSIS OF RHETORICAL FIGURES
IN MARTIN LUTHER KING’S I HAVE A DREAM ...................................... 11
CHAPTER FOUR: CONCLUSION .............................................................................. 40
BIBLIOGRAPHY ..........................................................................................................
45
APPENDICES ................................................................................................................... 48
The Text of I Have a Dream ................................................................................... 48
Table 1. List of Topics ............................................................................................. 55
Table 2. List of Repetition ....................................................................................... 55
Table 3. List Given Information and New Information of Paragraph 3 ................... 56
Table 4. List of Negative Diction ............................................................................. 57
Table 5. List of Given Information and New Information of Paragraph 5 .............. 58
Table 6. List of Given Information and New Information of Paragraph 6 .............. 58
Table 7. List of Given Information and New Information of Paragraph 8 .............. 59
Table 8. List of Given Information and New Information of Paragraph 13 ............. 59
Table 9. List of Given Information and New Information of Paragraph 17-24 ....... 61
Table 10. List of Given Information and New Information of Paragraph 26 .......... 61
Table 11. List of Given Information and New Information of Paragraph 31-40 ..... 62
Table 12. List of Metaphors ...................................................................................... 64
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Table 12. List of Metaphors illustrating the Negro’s condition
before the decree is made .......................................................................... 65
Table 8. List of Metaphors illustrating the Negro’s condition
after the decree is made ............................................................................. 65
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APPENDICES
Martin Luther King, Jr.’ I Have a Dream
(1) I am happy to join with you today in what will go down in history as the greatest
demonstration for freedom in the history of our nation.
(2) Five score years ago, a great American, in whose symbolic shadow we stand today,
signed the Emancipation Proclamation. This momentous decree came as a great beacon
light of hope to millions of Negro slaves who had been seared in the flames of withering
injustice. It came as a joyous daybreak to end the long night of their captivity.
(3) 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
languishing in the corners of American society and finds himself an exile in his own land.
So we have come here today to dramatize a shameful condition.
(4) In a sense we have come to our nation's capital to cash a check. When the architects of
our republic wrote the magnificent words of the Constitution and the Declaration of
Independence, they were signing a promissory note to which every American was to fall
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heir. This note was a promise that all men, yes, black men as well as white men, would be
guaranteed the unalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. It is
obvious today that America has defaulted on this promissory note insofar as her citizens
of color are concerned. Instead of honoring this sacred obligation, America has given the
Negro people a bad check, a check which has come back marked "insufficient funds."
(5) But we refuse to believe that the bank of justice is bankrupt. We refuse to believe that
there are insufficient funds in the great vaults of opportunity of this nation. So we have
come to cash this check -- a check that will give us upon demand the riches of freedom
and the security of justice.
(6) We have also come to this hallowed spot to remind America of the fierce urgency of
now. This is no time to engage in the luxury of cooling off or to take the tranquilizing
drug of gradualism. Now is the time to make real the promises of democracy. Now is the
time to rise from the dark and desolate valley of segregation to the sunlit path of racial
justice. Now is the time to lift our nation from the quick sands of racial injustice to the
solid rock of brotherhood. Now is the time to make justice a reality for all of God's
children.
(7) It would be fatal for the nation to overlook the urgency of the moment. This
sweltering summer of the Negro's legitimate discontent will not pass until there is an
invigorating autumn of freedom and equality. Nineteen sixty-three is not an end, but a
beginning. Those who hope that the Negro needed to blow off steam and will now be
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content will have a rude awakening if the nation returns to business as usual. There will
be neither rest nor tranquility in America until the Negro is granted his citizenship rights.
The whirlwinds of revolt will continue to shake the foundations of our nation until the
bright day of justice emerges.
(8) But there is something that I must say to my people who stand on the warm threshold
which leads into the palace of justice: In the process of gaining our rightful place we must
not be guilty of wrongful deeds. Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by
drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred. We must forever conduct our struggle on
the high plane of dignity and discipline. We must not allow our creative protest to
degenerate into physical violence. Again and again we must rise to the majestic heights of
meeting physical force with soul force.
(9) The marvelous new militancy which has engulfed the Negro community must not lead
us to a distrust of all white people, for many of our white brothers, as evidenced by their
presence here today, have come to realize that their destiny is tied up with our destiny.
They have come to realize that their freedom is inextricably bound to our freedom.
(10) We cannot walk alone.
(11) As we walk, we must make the pledge that we shall always march ahead.
(12) We cannot turn back.
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(13) There are those who are asking the devotees of civil rights, "When will you be
satisfied?" We can never be satisfied as long as the Negro is the victim of the unspeakable
horrors of police brutality. We can never be satisfied, as long as our bodies, heavy with
the fatigue of travel, cannot gain lodging in the motels of the highways and the hotels of
the cities. We cannot be satisfied as long as the Negro's basic mobility is from a smaller
ghetto to a larger one. We can never be satisfied as long as our children are stripped of
their selfhood and robbed of their dignity by signs stating "For Whites Only". We cannot
be satisfied as long as a Negro in Mississippi cannot vote and a Negro in New York
believes he has nothing for which to vote. No, no, we are not satisfied, and we will not be
satisfied until justice rolls down like waters and righteousness like a mighty stream.
(14) I am not unmindful that some of you have come here out of great trials and
tribulations. Some of you have come fresh from narrow jail cells. And some of you have
come from areas where your quest -- quest for freedom left you battered by the storms of
persecution and staggered by the winds of police brutality. You have been the veterans of
creative suffering. Continue to work with the faith that unearned suffering is redemptive.
Go back to Mississippi, go back to Alabama, go back to South Carolina, go back to
Georgia, go back to Louisiana, go back to the slums and ghettos of our northern cities,
knowing that somehow this situation can and will be changed.
(15) Let us not wallow in the valley of despair. I say to you today, my friends.
(16) And so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a
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dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream.
(17) I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of
its creed: "We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal."
(18) I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia the sons of former slaves and
the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of
brotherhood.
(19) I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the
heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis
of freedom and justice.
(20) I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they
will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.
(21) I have a dream today!
(22) I have a dream that one day, down in Alabama, with its vicious racists, with its
governor having his lips dripping with the words of “interposition” and “nullification” -one day right there in Alabama, little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands
with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers.
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(23) I have a dream today.
(24) I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, every hill and mountain
shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be
made straight; and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed,” and all flesh shall see it
together.”
(25) This is our hope, and this is the faith that I go back to the South with.
(26) With this faith, we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of
hope. With this faith, we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation
into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood. With this faith, we will be able to work
together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for
freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day.
(27) And this will be the day -- this will be the day when all of God's children will be able
to sing with a new meaning:
(28) "My country, 'tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing.
(29) Land where my fathers died, land of the pilgrim's pride,
(30) from every mountainside, let freedom ring!"
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(31) And if America is to be a great nation this must become true.
(32) So let freedom ring from the prodigious hilltops of New Hampshire.
(33) Let freedom ring from the mighty mountains of New York.
(34) Let freedom ring from the heightening Alleghenies of Pennsylvania.
(35) Let freedom ring from the snowcapped Rockies of Colorado.
(36) Let freedom ring from the curvaceous slopes of California.
(37) But not only that:
(38) Let freedom ring from Stone Mountain of Georgia.
(39) Let freedom ring from Lookout Mountain of Tennessee.
(40) Let freedom ring from every hill and molehill of Mississippi.
(41) From every mountainside, let freedom ring.
(42) And when this happens, when we allow freedom to ring, when we let it ring from
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every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed
up that day 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 in the words of the old
Negro spiritual:
"Free at last! Free at last!
Thank God Almighty, we are free at last!"
LIST OF TABLES
Table 1. List of Topics
No.
1
Repetition
Topic
In the beginning of the speech
King tells the hearer about the
(paragraph 3)
historical background. He repeats what
situation they are facing now and why
it should be corrected.
2
In the middle of the speech King starts to explain the goals, as well
(paragraph 5,6,8,13,14)
as giving the solution of how to
change the condition by proposing,
demanding, and persuading.
3
Last part of the speech
King tries to visualize and convince
(paragraph 17-24, 28, 30-36, the hearer about the main goal.
38-40)
Table 2. List of Repetition
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Paragraph
Repetition
3
One hundred years later …
5
We refuse to believe …
6
Now is the time …
8
We must … we must not …
13
Will you be satisfied…
14
Go back to…
17-24
I have a dream…
28
With this faith…
30-36, 38-40
Let the freedom
42
Free at last…
Table 3. List of Given Information and New Information of Paragraph 3
Clause
1
Given Information
New Information
(The Repeated Phrase)
(End-focus)
But one hundred years the Negro still is not free.
later,
2
One hundred years later,
the life of the Negro is still sadly
crippled
by
segregation
the
and
manacles
the
chains
of
of
discrimination
3
One hundred years later,
the Negro lives on a lonely island of
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poverty in the midst of a vast ocean of
material prosperity.
4
One hundred years later,
the Negro is still languishing in the
corners of American society and finds
himself an exile in his own land.
Table 4. List of Negative Diction
No.
Negative Diction
1.
not free
2.
sadly crippled
3.
a lonely
4.
Poverty
5.
Languished
6.
an exile
Table 5. List of Given Information and New Information of Paragraph 5
Clause Given Information
(The Repeated Phrase)
1
But we refuse to believe
2
We refuse to believe,
New Information
(End-focus)
that the bank of justice is bankrupt
that there are insufficient funds in the
great vaults of opportunity of this
nation
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Table 6. List of Given Information and New Information of Paragraph 6
Given Information
(The Repeated Phrase)
New Information
1.
Now is the time
to make real the promises of democracy.
2.
Now is the time
to rise from the dark and desolate valley
Clause
of segregation to the sunlit path of racial
justice
3.
Now is the time
to lift our nation from the quick sands of
racial injustice to the solid rock of
brotherhood.
4.
Now is the time
to make justice a reality for all of God's
children .
Table 7. List of Given Information and New Information of Paragraph 8
Given Information
Clause
(The Repeated Phrase)
2
We must not
3
We must
New Information
be guilty of wrongful deeds.
forever conduct our struggle on the high plane of
dignity and discipline
4
We must not
allow our creative protest to degenerate into
physical violence.
5
We must
rise to the majestic heights of meeting physical
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force with soul force
Table 8. List of Given Information and New Information of Paragraph 13
Given Information
Clause
2
(The Repeated Phrase)
New Information
We can never be satisfied
as long as the Negro is the victim of the
unspeakable horrors of police brutality.
3
We can never be satisfied
as long as our bodies, heavy with the fatigue
of travel, cannot gain lodging in the motels
of the highways and the hotels of the cities
4
We cannot be satisfied
as long as the Negro's basic mobility is from
a smaller ghetto to a larger one.
5.
We can never be satisfied
as long as our children are stripped of their
selfhood and robbed of their dignity by signs
stating "For Whites Only".
6.
We cannot be satisfied
as long as a Negro in Mississippi cannot vote
and a Negro in New York believes he has
nothing for which to vote.
Table 9. List of Given Information and New Information of Paragraph 17-24
Given Information
Clause
(The Repeated Phrase)
New Information
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1.
I have a dream
that one day this nation will rise up and live
out the true meaning of its creed: "We hold
these truths to be self-evident: that all men are
created equal.".
2.
I have a dream
that one day on the red hills of Georgia the
sons of former slaves and the sons of former
slave owners will be able to sit down together
at the table of brotherhood
3.
I have a dream
that one day even the state of Mississippi, a
state sweltering with the heat of injustice,
sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be
transformed into an oasis of freedom and
justice.
4.
I have a dream
that my four little children will one day live in
a nation where they will not be judged by the
color of their skin but by the content of their
character.
5.
I have a dream
today!
6.
I have a dream
that one day, down in Alabama, with its
vicious racists, with its governor having his
lips dripping with the words of “interposition”
and “nullification” -- one day right there in
Alabama, little black boys and black girls will
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be able to join hands with little white boys and
white girls as sisters and brothers.
7.
I have a dream
today.
8
I have a dream
that one day every valley shall be exalted,
every hill and mountain shall be made low, the
rough places will be made plain, and the
crooked places will be made straight; and the
glory of the Lord shall be revealed,” and all
flesh shall see it together.”
Table 10. List of Given Information and New Information of Paragraph 26
Given Information
Clause
1
(The Repeated Phrase)
New Information
With this faith,
we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair
a stone of hope.
2
With this faith,
we will be able to transform the jangling discords of
our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood.
3
With this faith,
we will be able to work together, to pray together, to
struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for
freedom together, knowing that we will be free one
day.
Table 11. List of Given Information and New Information of Paragraph 31-40
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Given Information
Clause
(The Repeated Phrase)
New Information
1.
let freedom ring
from the prodigious hilltops of New
Hampshire.
2.
Let freedom ring
from the mighty mountains of New York
3.
Let freedom ring
from the heightening Alleghenies of
Pennsylvania.
Let freedom ring
4.
from
the
snowcapped
Rockies
of
Colorado.
5.
Let freedom ring
from the curvaceous slopes of California.
6.
Let freedom ring
from Stone Mountain of Georgia.
7.
Let freedom ring
from Lookout Mountain of Tennessee.
8
Let freedom ring
from
every
hill
and
molehill
of
Mississippi.
Table 12. List of Metaphors
No.
Paragraph
Metaphors
1.
2
This momentous decree came as a great beacon light of
hope to millions of Negro slaves who had been seared
in the flames of withering injustice.
2.
2
It came as a joyous daybreak to end the long night of
their captivity
3.
3
one hundred years later, the life of the Negro is still
sadly crippled by the manacles of segregation and the
chains of discrimination;
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4.
3
one hundred years later, the Negro lives on a lonely
island of poverty in the midst of a vast ocean of material
prosperity
5.
6
This is no time to engage in the luxury of cooling off or
to take the tranquilizing drug of gradualism.
6.
6
now is the time to rise from the dark and desolate valley
of segregation to the sunlit path of racial justice;
7.
6
now is the time to lift our nation from the quicksands of
racial injustice to the solid rock of brotherhood;
8.
7
This sweltering summer of the Negro’s legitimate
discontent will not pass until there is an invigorating
autumn of freedom and equality.
9.
7
The whirlwinds of revolt will continue to shake the
foundations of our nation until the bright day of justice
emerges
10.
8
But there is something that I must say to my people who
stand on the warm threshold which leads into the palace
of justice.
11.
8
Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by
drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred
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12
19
I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi,
a [desert] state sweltering with the heat of injustice,
sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be
transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice.
13.
26
With this faith we will be able to hew out of the
mountain of despair a stone of hope.
14.
26
With this faith we will be able to transform the jangling
discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of
brotherhood.
Table 13. List of Metaphors illustrating the Negro’s condition before the decree
is made
No.
Before the decree
Paragraph
1.
flames of withering injustice
2
2.
the long night of their captivity
2
3
crippled by the manacles of segregation
3
4
the chains of discrimination;
3
5
a lonely island of poverty in the midst of a
3
vast ocean of material prosperity
6
the whirlwinds of revolt
7
7
jangling discords of our nation
26
8
quicksands of racial injustice
6
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9
sweltering summer of the Negro’s legitimate
7
discontent
10
mountain of despair
26
11
the dark and desolate valley of segregation
6
12
sweltering with the heat of injustice
19
13
sweltering with the heat of oppression
19
Table 14. List of metaphors illustrating the Negro’s condition after the decree is
made.
No.
After the Decree
Paragraph
1.
the sunlit path of racial justice.
6
2.
the solid rock of brotherhood.
6
3.
an oasis of freedom and justice.
19
4.
a beautiful symphony of brotherhood
26
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CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
Background of the Study
Communication is a vital aspect of human life. It is like a bridge that relates one
person to another. We can communicate and exchange the information concerning
thoughts, opinions or feelings. Yet, whether people can communicate with others through
many ways depends on the context, participants and the goals as well.
In our daily life, we may communicate the same idea in different styles of
speaking. It depends on the relationship between the speaker and hearer, the situation, the
time, etc. For example, we may find two sentences like this: “Thank you for not littering
here” and “Do not litter here”. If we really pay attention to these two sentences, we will
draw the same conclusion that the message is about the prohibition of littering.
Nevertheless, the styles of the language used to deliver the message are totally different.
The styles of communication determine how effectively the message will be received by
the hearer.
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Out of the many styles of communication, a speaker has to choose one of the best
styles in delivering the message appropriately. There must be a reason why we decide to
choose one style of communication to others. It is arguable why a speaker chooses certain
words and not other words in one text. The speaker has to decide the choice of the style
that he or she uses for a special purpose or intention.
According to Leech (12) style is the linguistic characteristic of a particular text. In
Linguistics, there is one study which deals with the style of language, namely Stylistics.
Stylistics, simply defined as “the (linguistic) study of style, describes what use is made of
language” (Leech 13). By studying Stylistics, we are able to explain something explicitly
or implicitly, so that we will understand specifically “how language serves a particular
artistic function” (Leech 13).
Rhetoric is one of the topics in Stylistics. Rhetoric deals with some features of
language that create "the art or skill of effective communication.” (Leech 210) By using
rhetoric in our communication, we will achieve such communicative ends at a different
level. Not only can we make the communication successful in transferring our ideas but
we can also produce effective and beautiful form of communication. Besides, when one
tries to communicate one‟s ideas through writing, one must think more deeply, as it is
intended to be read by others who have different ways of thinking. The reader may not
see something exactly as the writer sees.
Actually, it is not a difficult thing to find some examples of the rhetorical figures
in our daily life. There are many kinds of rhetorical figures. Examples of rhetorical
figures can be found in speeches, advertisements, song lyrics or any texts. A writer must
make a text “interesting, clear, persuasive, and memorable, so that they will pay attention
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to, understand, believe, and remember the ideas it communicates.” (Harris para.5).
I am interested in analyzing the rhetorical figures in Martin Luther King‟s I Have
a Dream as the topic of my thesis. Martin Luther King, Jr. was not only a prominent
American civil rights activist, but also a social reformer and an author. He is often
referred to as the inspiration of human rights icon since he fought so hard for equality for
all without changing to violence or aggression. Besides, he also becomes the youngest
person to receive the Nobel Peace Prize for his work to end racial segregation, and racial
discrimination using non-violent methods in 1964. (“Biography of Martin Luther, Jr.”)
Related to his good achievement, he changes the course of history by delivering I
Have a Dream, which is one of the most influential speeches of the American history.
This speech is delivered on August 28, 1963, to more than 200,000 people gathered
during a huge demonstration before the Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C. called the
“March on Washington”, the demonstration was organized on the 100th anniversary of
the Emancipation Proclamation to call attention to the wrongs suffered by African
Americans and to push for federal legislation to bring about change (“I Have a DreamBackground”). Realizing how powerful the speech is, I am interested in analyzing the
rhetorical figures used in the speech and how they give a color and impact to the speech.
I find the topic exciting because there are many special forms of rhetorical figures that
Martin Luther King used in this speech for different purposes and reasons. I intend to
analyze some dominant figures properly to get a clearer picture of the speech.
The topic of Stylistics is significant because it encourages us to be more critical in
understanding an effective way of communicating an idea. Thus, when reading a text, we
will learn to take a deeper meaning through some of the rhetorical figures that are used in
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the text. Besides learning how to comprehend the context of the text, we can also learn to
appreciate the form or style of the language so that we can get pleasure from the artistic
value of the speech. Moreover, we can also be encouraged to think „out of the box‟ in
dealing with the issue of stylistics. In short, hopefully we are able to communicate better
on a meaningful level.
(868 words)
Statement of the Problem
Based on the topic that I choose, I would like to discuss the following two
problems:
1. What are the rhetorical figures that Martin Luther King, Jr. uses in the speech I
Have a Dream?
2. What is King‟s purpose of using such rhetorical figures in the speech?
Purpose of the Study
In this thesis, I would like to show:
1. The rhetorical figures that Martin Luther King, Jr. uses in the speech I Have a Dream.
2. The King‟s purpose of using the rhetorical figures in the speech.
Method of Research
The method I use in writing this thesis is divided into four steps. First, I begin the
research by searching the text as the source of data that I am going to analyze. Second, I
decide the scope of Linguistics and the approaches to discuss the data. Third, I analyze
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the types and the effects of the rhetorical figures found in the speech. Finally, I write the
research report.
Organization of the Thesis
This thesis consists of four chapters. Chapter One, the Introduction, contains the
Background of the Study, Statement of the Problem, Purpose of the Study, Method of
Research, and Organization of the Thesis. Chapter Two, the Theoretical Framework,
provides the linguistic theories used to discuss the rhetorical figures of the speech.
Chapter Three, the Analysis, contains the discussion on the rhetorical figures used in
Martin Luther King‟s I Have a Dream. Chapter Four, the Conclusion, presents my
personal opinion and comments on the findings. The thesis ends with the Bibliography
and Appendices.
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BIBLIOGRAPHY
Primary Text:
MLKOnline. I Have a Dream Speech, 2010. Web. 10 February 2011.
References:
Adams, John Paul. “Rhetorical Figures.” 26 January 2010. Web. 10 February 2011.
African Americans Slavery. National Park Service Civil War Soldiers and Sailors
System. 19 May 1998. Web. 17 May 2011.
“Captivity.” Oxford Advanced Learner’s 7th ed. Online Dictionary. Oxford Advanced
Online, 2011. Web. 6 July 2011.
”Crippled” Oxford Advanced Learner’s 7th ed. Online Dictionary. Oxford Advanced
Online, 2011. Web. 6 July 2011.
“Despair.” Oxford Advanced Learner’s 7th ed. Online Dictionary. Oxford Advanced
Online, 2011. Web. 6 July 2011.
“Discord.” Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary. Merriam-Webster Online, 2011. Web.
20 July 2011.
Eldenmuller, Michelle E. “Top 100 American Speeches Online Speech Bank.” 21 June
2001. Web. 16 Jan 2011.
Harris, Robert A. “A Handbook of Rhetorical Devices.” 24 Dec. 2009. Web. 23
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February 2011.
“Island” Oxford Advanced Learner’s 7th ed. Online Dictionary. Oxford Advanced
Online, 2011. Web. 6 July 2011.
“Injustice.” Oxford Advanced Learner’s 7th ed. Online Dictionary. Oxford
Advanced
Online, 2011. Web. 6 July 2011.
”Jangling.” Oxford Advanced Learner’s 7th ed. Online Dictionary. Oxford Advanced
Online, 2011. Web. 6 July 2011.
Leech, Geoffrey N., Michael H Short. Style in Fiction. London and New York:
Longman, 1994. Print.
Lonely.” Oxford Advanced Learner’s 7th ed. Online Dictionary. Oxford
Advanced
Online, 2011. Web. 6 July 2011.
Mangrum, Charles T., Stephen S. Strichart. “What is Metaphor?” 30 November
2010.
Web. 22 February 2011.
Martin Luther King Bibliography. U.S Government Research Papers, 2011. Web. 15 Feb
2011.
“Night.” Oxford Advanced Learner’s 7th ed. Online Dictionary. Oxford Advanced
Online, 2011. Web. 6 July 2011.
“Quicksand.” Oxford Advanced Learner’s 7th ed. Online Dictionary. Oxford Advanced
Online, 2011. Web. 6 July 2011.
“Revolt.” Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary. Merriam-Webster Online, 2011. Web. 20
July 2011.
Soukhanov, Anne H. The American Heritage Dictionary. Third ed. Boston:
Houghton
Mifflin Company, 1996. Print
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“Sweltering.” Oxford Advanced Learner’s 7th ed. Online Dictionary. Oxford
Advanced
Online, 2011. Web. 6 July 2011.
“Valley.” Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary. Merriam-Webster Online, 2011. Web. 20
July 2011.
“Valley.” Oxford Advanced Learner’s 7th ed. Online Dictionary. Oxford Advanced Online,
2011. Web. 6 July 2011.
Verdonk, Peter. Stylistics. Fifth ed. Oxford: Oxford University Press 2002, 2010. Print.
“Whirlwind.” Oxford Advanced Learner’s 7th ed. Online Dictionary. Oxford
Advanced
Online, 2011. Web. 6 July 2011.
“Withering.” Oxford Advanced Learner’s 7th ed. Online Dictionary. Oxford
Advanced
Online, 2011. Web. 6 July 2011.
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I Have a Dream merupakan salah satu pidato terkenal karya Martin Luther
King, Jr.. Pidato tesebut dibawakan pada saat aksi massa terjadi di Lincoln Memorial,
Washington D.C. pada tanggal 28 Agustus 1963. Pidato ini sangat berpengaruh di
Amerika pada abad ke-20, karena isinya yang merujuk pada diskriminasi, kebebasan
dan kesetaraan ras khususnya bagi orang hitam di Amerika.
Dalam menganalisis data, saya menggunakan teori Stylistics yang menekankan
pada penggunaan bahasa dan gaya bahasa dalam teks. Teori tersebut mencakup
beberapa bidang kajian, salah satunya adalah Rhetorical Figures. Dalam skripsi ini,
saya akan membahas jenis-jenis Rhetorical Figures yang digunakan dalam pidato
tersebut. Saya menemukan dua jenis Rhetorical Figures yang sangat dominan dalam
pidato ini. Pertama adalah penggunaan pengulangan (repetition) dan yang kedua adalah
penggunaan metafora.
Hasil analisis menunjukkan bahwa Martin Luther King, Jr. menggunakan 8 data
pengulangan dan 14 data metafora dalam pidatonya. Penggunaan keduanya ternyata
memiliki peranan yang sangat penting, terutama dalam penyampaian pesan dan tujuan
secara lebih efektif kepada pendengar. Selain itu, pengulangan dan metafora adalah
metode yang dipilih oleh Martin Luther King, Jr. untuk membuat pidato tersebut lebih
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indah dalam variasi bentuk katanya. Pada akhirnya penelitian ini diharapkan dapat
bermanfaat bagi masyarakat luas agar dapat berkomunikasi dengan lebih efektif,
menarik, dan mendidik.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT ...............................................................................................
i
TABLE OF CONTENTS ................................................................................................
ii
ABSTRACT ...................................................................................................................... iv
CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION
Background of the Study ......................................................................................
Statement of the Problem .......................................................................................
Purpose of the Study .............................................................................................
Method of Research ..............................................................................................
Organization of the Thesis .....................................................................................
CHAPTER TWO: THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK ..............................................
1
4
4
4
5
6
CHAPTER THREE: ANALYSIS OF RHETORICAL FIGURES
IN MARTIN LUTHER KING’S I HAVE A DREAM ...................................... 11
CHAPTER FOUR: CONCLUSION .............................................................................. 40
BIBLIOGRAPHY ..........................................................................................................
45
APPENDICES ................................................................................................................... 48
The Text of I Have a Dream ................................................................................... 48
Table 1. List of Topics ............................................................................................. 55
Table 2. List of Repetition ....................................................................................... 55
Table 3. List Given Information and New Information of Paragraph 3 ................... 56
Table 4. List of Negative Diction ............................................................................. 57
Table 5. List of Given Information and New Information of Paragraph 5 .............. 58
Table 6. List of Given Information and New Information of Paragraph 6 .............. 58
Table 7. List of Given Information and New Information of Paragraph 8 .............. 59
Table 8. List of Given Information and New Information of Paragraph 13 ............. 59
Table 9. List of Given Information and New Information of Paragraph 17-24 ....... 61
Table 10. List of Given Information and New Information of Paragraph 26 .......... 61
Table 11. List of Given Information and New Information of Paragraph 31-40 ..... 62
Table 12. List of Metaphors ...................................................................................... 64
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Table 12. List of Metaphors illustrating the Negro’s condition
before the decree is made .......................................................................... 65
Table 8. List of Metaphors illustrating the Negro’s condition
after the decree is made ............................................................................. 65
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APPENDICES
Martin Luther King, Jr.’ I Have a Dream
(1) I am happy to join with you today in what will go down in history as the greatest
demonstration for freedom in the history of our nation.
(2) Five score years ago, a great American, in whose symbolic shadow we stand today,
signed the Emancipation Proclamation. This momentous decree came as a great beacon
light of hope to millions of Negro slaves who had been seared in the flames of withering
injustice. It came as a joyous daybreak to end the long night of their captivity.
(3) 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
languishing in the corners of American society and finds himself an exile in his own land.
So we have come here today to dramatize a shameful condition.
(4) In a sense we have come to our nation's capital to cash a check. When the architects of
our republic wrote the magnificent words of the Constitution and the Declaration of
Independence, they were signing a promissory note to which every American was to fall
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heir. This note was a promise that all men, yes, black men as well as white men, would be
guaranteed the unalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. It is
obvious today that America has defaulted on this promissory note insofar as her citizens
of color are concerned. Instead of honoring this sacred obligation, America has given the
Negro people a bad check, a check which has come back marked "insufficient funds."
(5) But we refuse to believe that the bank of justice is bankrupt. We refuse to believe that
there are insufficient funds in the great vaults of opportunity of this nation. So we have
come to cash this check -- a check that will give us upon demand the riches of freedom
and the security of justice.
(6) We have also come to this hallowed spot to remind America of the fierce urgency of
now. This is no time to engage in the luxury of cooling off or to take the tranquilizing
drug of gradualism. Now is the time to make real the promises of democracy. Now is the
time to rise from the dark and desolate valley of segregation to the sunlit path of racial
justice. Now is the time to lift our nation from the quick sands of racial injustice to the
solid rock of brotherhood. Now is the time to make justice a reality for all of God's
children.
(7) It would be fatal for the nation to overlook the urgency of the moment. This
sweltering summer of the Negro's legitimate discontent will not pass until there is an
invigorating autumn of freedom and equality. Nineteen sixty-three is not an end, but a
beginning. Those who hope that the Negro needed to blow off steam and will now be
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content will have a rude awakening if the nation returns to business as usual. There will
be neither rest nor tranquility in America until the Negro is granted his citizenship rights.
The whirlwinds of revolt will continue to shake the foundations of our nation until the
bright day of justice emerges.
(8) But there is something that I must say to my people who stand on the warm threshold
which leads into the palace of justice: In the process of gaining our rightful place we must
not be guilty of wrongful deeds. Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by
drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred. We must forever conduct our struggle on
the high plane of dignity and discipline. We must not allow our creative protest to
degenerate into physical violence. Again and again we must rise to the majestic heights of
meeting physical force with soul force.
(9) The marvelous new militancy which has engulfed the Negro community must not lead
us to a distrust of all white people, for many of our white brothers, as evidenced by their
presence here today, have come to realize that their destiny is tied up with our destiny.
They have come to realize that their freedom is inextricably bound to our freedom.
(10) We cannot walk alone.
(11) As we walk, we must make the pledge that we shall always march ahead.
(12) We cannot turn back.
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(13) There are those who are asking the devotees of civil rights, "When will you be
satisfied?" We can never be satisfied as long as the Negro is the victim of the unspeakable
horrors of police brutality. We can never be satisfied, as long as our bodies, heavy with
the fatigue of travel, cannot gain lodging in the motels of the highways and the hotels of
the cities. We cannot be satisfied as long as the Negro's basic mobility is from a smaller
ghetto to a larger one. We can never be satisfied as long as our children are stripped of
their selfhood and robbed of their dignity by signs stating "For Whites Only". We cannot
be satisfied as long as a Negro in Mississippi cannot vote and a Negro in New York
believes he has nothing for which to vote. No, no, we are not satisfied, and we will not be
satisfied until justice rolls down like waters and righteousness like a mighty stream.
(14) I am not unmindful that some of you have come here out of great trials and
tribulations. Some of you have come fresh from narrow jail cells. And some of you have
come from areas where your quest -- quest for freedom left you battered by the storms of
persecution and staggered by the winds of police brutality. You have been the veterans of
creative suffering. Continue to work with the faith that unearned suffering is redemptive.
Go back to Mississippi, go back to Alabama, go back to South Carolina, go back to
Georgia, go back to Louisiana, go back to the slums and ghettos of our northern cities,
knowing that somehow this situation can and will be changed.
(15) Let us not wallow in the valley of despair. I say to you today, my friends.
(16) And so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a
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dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream.
(17) I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of
its creed: "We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal."
(18) I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia the sons of former slaves and
the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of
brotherhood.
(19) I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the
heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis
of freedom and justice.
(20) I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they
will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.
(21) I have a dream today!
(22) I have a dream that one day, down in Alabama, with its vicious racists, with its
governor having his lips dripping with the words of “interposition” and “nullification” -one day right there in Alabama, little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands
with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers.
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(23) I have a dream today.
(24) I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, every hill and mountain
shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be
made straight; and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed,” and all flesh shall see it
together.”
(25) This is our hope, and this is the faith that I go back to the South with.
(26) With this faith, we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of
hope. With this faith, we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation
into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood. With this faith, we will be able to work
together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for
freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day.
(27) And this will be the day -- this will be the day when all of God's children will be able
to sing with a new meaning:
(28) "My country, 'tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing.
(29) Land where my fathers died, land of the pilgrim's pride,
(30) from every mountainside, let freedom ring!"
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(31) And if America is to be a great nation this must become true.
(32) So let freedom ring from the prodigious hilltops of New Hampshire.
(33) Let freedom ring from the mighty mountains of New York.
(34) Let freedom ring from the heightening Alleghenies of Pennsylvania.
(35) Let freedom ring from the snowcapped Rockies of Colorado.
(36) Let freedom ring from the curvaceous slopes of California.
(37) But not only that:
(38) Let freedom ring from Stone Mountain of Georgia.
(39) Let freedom ring from Lookout Mountain of Tennessee.
(40) Let freedom ring from every hill and molehill of Mississippi.
(41) From every mountainside, let freedom ring.
(42) And when this happens, when we allow freedom to ring, when we let it ring from
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every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed
up that day 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 in the words of the old
Negro spiritual:
"Free at last! Free at last!
Thank God Almighty, we are free at last!"
LIST OF TABLES
Table 1. List of Topics
No.
1
Repetition
Topic
In the beginning of the speech
King tells the hearer about the
(paragraph 3)
historical background. He repeats what
situation they are facing now and why
it should be corrected.
2
In the middle of the speech King starts to explain the goals, as well
(paragraph 5,6,8,13,14)
as giving the solution of how to
change the condition by proposing,
demanding, and persuading.
3
Last part of the speech
King tries to visualize and convince
(paragraph 17-24, 28, 30-36, the hearer about the main goal.
38-40)
Table 2. List of Repetition
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Paragraph
Repetition
3
One hundred years later …
5
We refuse to believe …
6
Now is the time …
8
We must … we must not …
13
Will you be satisfied…
14
Go back to…
17-24
I have a dream…
28
With this faith…
30-36, 38-40
Let the freedom
42
Free at last…
Table 3. List of Given Information and New Information of Paragraph 3
Clause
1
Given Information
New Information
(The Repeated Phrase)
(End-focus)
But one hundred years the Negro still is not free.
later,
2
One hundred years later,
the life of the Negro is still sadly
crippled
by
segregation
the
and
manacles
the
chains
of
of
discrimination
3
One hundred years later,
the Negro lives on a lonely island of
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poverty in the midst of a vast ocean of
material prosperity.
4
One hundred years later,
the Negro is still languishing in the
corners of American society and finds
himself an exile in his own land.
Table 4. List of Negative Diction
No.
Negative Diction
1.
not free
2.
sadly crippled
3.
a lonely
4.
Poverty
5.
Languished
6.
an exile
Table 5. List of Given Information and New Information of Paragraph 5
Clause Given Information
(The Repeated Phrase)
1
But we refuse to believe
2
We refuse to believe,
New Information
(End-focus)
that the bank of justice is bankrupt
that there are insufficient funds in the
great vaults of opportunity of this
nation
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Table 6. List of Given Information and New Information of Paragraph 6
Given Information
(The Repeated Phrase)
New Information
1.
Now is the time
to make real the promises of democracy.
2.
Now is the time
to rise from the dark and desolate valley
Clause
of segregation to the sunlit path of racial
justice
3.
Now is the time
to lift our nation from the quick sands of
racial injustice to the solid rock of
brotherhood.
4.
Now is the time
to make justice a reality for all of God's
children .
Table 7. List of Given Information and New Information of Paragraph 8
Given Information
Clause
(The Repeated Phrase)
2
We must not
3
We must
New Information
be guilty of wrongful deeds.
forever conduct our struggle on the high plane of
dignity and discipline
4
We must not
allow our creative protest to degenerate into
physical violence.
5
We must
rise to the majestic heights of meeting physical
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force with soul force
Table 8. List of Given Information and New Information of Paragraph 13
Given Information
Clause
2
(The Repeated Phrase)
New Information
We can never be satisfied
as long as the Negro is the victim of the
unspeakable horrors of police brutality.
3
We can never be satisfied
as long as our bodies, heavy with the fatigue
of travel, cannot gain lodging in the motels
of the highways and the hotels of the cities
4
We cannot be satisfied
as long as the Negro's basic mobility is from
a smaller ghetto to a larger one.
5.
We can never be satisfied
as long as our children are stripped of their
selfhood and robbed of their dignity by signs
stating "For Whites Only".
6.
We cannot be satisfied
as long as a Negro in Mississippi cannot vote
and a Negro in New York believes he has
nothing for which to vote.
Table 9. List of Given Information and New Information of Paragraph 17-24
Given Information
Clause
(The Repeated Phrase)
New Information
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1.
I have a dream
that one day this nation will rise up and live
out the true meaning of its creed: "We hold
these truths to be self-evident: that all men are
created equal.".
2.
I have a dream
that one day on the red hills of Georgia the
sons of former slaves and the sons of former
slave owners will be able to sit down together
at the table of brotherhood
3.
I have a dream
that one day even the state of Mississippi, a
state sweltering with the heat of injustice,
sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be
transformed into an oasis of freedom and
justice.
4.
I have a dream
that my four little children will one day live in
a nation where they will not be judged by the
color of their skin but by the content of their
character.
5.
I have a dream
today!
6.
I have a dream
that one day, down in Alabama, with its
vicious racists, with its governor having his
lips dripping with the words of “interposition”
and “nullification” -- one day right there in
Alabama, little black boys and black girls will
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be able to join hands with little white boys and
white girls as sisters and brothers.
7.
I have a dream
today.
8
I have a dream
that one day every valley shall be exalted,
every hill and mountain shall be made low, the
rough places will be made plain, and the
crooked places will be made straight; and the
glory of the Lord shall be revealed,” and all
flesh shall see it together.”
Table 10. List of Given Information and New Information of Paragraph 26
Given Information
Clause
1
(The Repeated Phrase)
New Information
With this faith,
we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair
a stone of hope.
2
With this faith,
we will be able to transform the jangling discords of
our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood.
3
With this faith,
we will be able to work together, to pray together, to
struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for
freedom together, knowing that we will be free one
day.
Table 11. List of Given Information and New Information of Paragraph 31-40
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Given Information
Clause
(The Repeated Phrase)
New Information
1.
let freedom ring
from the prodigious hilltops of New
Hampshire.
2.
Let freedom ring
from the mighty mountains of New York
3.
Let freedom ring
from the heightening Alleghenies of
Pennsylvania.
Let freedom ring
4.
from
the
snowcapped
Rockies
of
Colorado.
5.
Let freedom ring
from the curvaceous slopes of California.
6.
Let freedom ring
from Stone Mountain of Georgia.
7.
Let freedom ring
from Lookout Mountain of Tennessee.
8
Let freedom ring
from
every
hill
and
molehill
of
Mississippi.
Table 12. List of Metaphors
No.
Paragraph
Metaphors
1.
2
This momentous decree came as a great beacon light of
hope to millions of Negro slaves who had been seared
in the flames of withering injustice.
2.
2
It came as a joyous daybreak to end the long night of
their captivity
3.
3
one hundred years later, the life of the Negro is still
sadly crippled by the manacles of segregation and the
chains of discrimination;
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4.
3
one hundred years later, the Negro lives on a lonely
island of poverty in the midst of a vast ocean of material
prosperity
5.
6
This is no time to engage in the luxury of cooling off or
to take the tranquilizing drug of gradualism.
6.
6
now is the time to rise from the dark and desolate valley
of segregation to the sunlit path of racial justice;
7.
6
now is the time to lift our nation from the quicksands of
racial injustice to the solid rock of brotherhood;
8.
7
This sweltering summer of the Negro’s legitimate
discontent will not pass until there is an invigorating
autumn of freedom and equality.
9.
7
The whirlwinds of revolt will continue to shake the
foundations of our nation until the bright day of justice
emerges
10.
8
But there is something that I must say to my people who
stand on the warm threshold which leads into the palace
of justice.
11.
8
Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by
drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred
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12
19
I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi,
a [desert] state sweltering with the heat of injustice,
sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be
transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice.
13.
26
With this faith we will be able to hew out of the
mountain of despair a stone of hope.
14.
26
With this faith we will be able to transform the jangling
discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of
brotherhood.
Table 13. List of Metaphors illustrating the Negro’s condition before the decree
is made
No.
Before the decree
Paragraph
1.
flames of withering injustice
2
2.
the long night of their captivity
2
3
crippled by the manacles of segregation
3
4
the chains of discrimination;
3
5
a lonely island of poverty in the midst of a
3
vast ocean of material prosperity
6
the whirlwinds of revolt
7
7
jangling discords of our nation
26
8
quicksands of racial injustice
6
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9
sweltering summer of the Negro’s legitimate
7
discontent
10
mountain of despair
26
11
the dark and desolate valley of segregation
6
12
sweltering with the heat of injustice
19
13
sweltering with the heat of oppression
19
Table 14. List of metaphors illustrating the Negro’s condition after the decree is
made.
No.
After the Decree
Paragraph
1.
the sunlit path of racial justice.
6
2.
the solid rock of brotherhood.
6
3.
an oasis of freedom and justice.
19
4.
a beautiful symphony of brotherhood
26
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CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
Background of the Study
Communication is a vital aspect of human life. It is like a bridge that relates one
person to another. We can communicate and exchange the information concerning
thoughts, opinions or feelings. Yet, whether people can communicate with others through
many ways depends on the context, participants and the goals as well.
In our daily life, we may communicate the same idea in different styles of
speaking. It depends on the relationship between the speaker and hearer, the situation, the
time, etc. For example, we may find two sentences like this: “Thank you for not littering
here” and “Do not litter here”. If we really pay attention to these two sentences, we will
draw the same conclusion that the message is about the prohibition of littering.
Nevertheless, the styles of the language used to deliver the message are totally different.
The styles of communication determine how effectively the message will be received by
the hearer.
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Out of the many styles of communication, a speaker has to choose one of the best
styles in delivering the message appropriately. There must be a reason why we decide to
choose one style of communication to others. It is arguable why a speaker chooses certain
words and not other words in one text. The speaker has to decide the choice of the style
that he or she uses for a special purpose or intention.
According to Leech (12) style is the linguistic characteristic of a particular text. In
Linguistics, there is one study which deals with the style of language, namely Stylistics.
Stylistics, simply defined as “the (linguistic) study of style, describes what use is made of
language” (Leech 13). By studying Stylistics, we are able to explain something explicitly
or implicitly, so that we will understand specifically “how language serves a particular
artistic function” (Leech 13).
Rhetoric is one of the topics in Stylistics. Rhetoric deals with some features of
language that create "the art or skill of effective communication.” (Leech 210) By using
rhetoric in our communication, we will achieve such communicative ends at a different
level. Not only can we make the communication successful in transferring our ideas but
we can also produce effective and beautiful form of communication. Besides, when one
tries to communicate one‟s ideas through writing, one must think more deeply, as it is
intended to be read by others who have different ways of thinking. The reader may not
see something exactly as the writer sees.
Actually, it is not a difficult thing to find some examples of the rhetorical figures
in our daily life. There are many kinds of rhetorical figures. Examples of rhetorical
figures can be found in speeches, advertisements, song lyrics or any texts. A writer must
make a text “interesting, clear, persuasive, and memorable, so that they will pay attention
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to, understand, believe, and remember the ideas it communicates.” (Harris para.5).
I am interested in analyzing the rhetorical figures in Martin Luther King‟s I Have
a Dream as the topic of my thesis. Martin Luther King, Jr. was not only a prominent
American civil rights activist, but also a social reformer and an author. He is often
referred to as the inspiration of human rights icon since he fought so hard for equality for
all without changing to violence or aggression. Besides, he also becomes the youngest
person to receive the Nobel Peace Prize for his work to end racial segregation, and racial
discrimination using non-violent methods in 1964. (“Biography of Martin Luther, Jr.”)
Related to his good achievement, he changes the course of history by delivering I
Have a Dream, which is one of the most influential speeches of the American history.
This speech is delivered on August 28, 1963, to more than 200,000 people gathered
during a huge demonstration before the Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C. called the
“March on Washington”, the demonstration was organized on the 100th anniversary of
the Emancipation Proclamation to call attention to the wrongs suffered by African
Americans and to push for federal legislation to bring about change (“I Have a DreamBackground”). Realizing how powerful the speech is, I am interested in analyzing the
rhetorical figures used in the speech and how they give a color and impact to the speech.
I find the topic exciting because there are many special forms of rhetorical figures that
Martin Luther King used in this speech for different purposes and reasons. I intend to
analyze some dominant figures properly to get a clearer picture of the speech.
The topic of Stylistics is significant because it encourages us to be more critical in
understanding an effective way of communicating an idea. Thus, when reading a text, we
will learn to take a deeper meaning through some of the rhetorical figures that are used in
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the text. Besides learning how to comprehend the context of the text, we can also learn to
appreciate the form or style of the language so that we can get pleasure from the artistic
value of the speech. Moreover, we can also be encouraged to think „out of the box‟ in
dealing with the issue of stylistics. In short, hopefully we are able to communicate better
on a meaningful level.
(868 words)
Statement of the Problem
Based on the topic that I choose, I would like to discuss the following two
problems:
1. What are the rhetorical figures that Martin Luther King, Jr. uses in the speech I
Have a Dream?
2. What is King‟s purpose of using such rhetorical figures in the speech?
Purpose of the Study
In this thesis, I would like to show:
1. The rhetorical figures that Martin Luther King, Jr. uses in the speech I Have a Dream.
2. The King‟s purpose of using the rhetorical figures in the speech.
Method of Research
The method I use in writing this thesis is divided into four steps. First, I begin the
research by searching the text as the source of data that I am going to analyze. Second, I
decide the scope of Linguistics and the approaches to discuss the data. Third, I analyze
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the types and the effects of the rhetorical figures found in the speech. Finally, I write the
research report.
Organization of the Thesis
This thesis consists of four chapters. Chapter One, the Introduction, contains the
Background of the Study, Statement of the Problem, Purpose of the Study, Method of
Research, and Organization of the Thesis. Chapter Two, the Theoretical Framework,
provides the linguistic theories used to discuss the rhetorical figures of the speech.
Chapter Three, the Analysis, contains the discussion on the rhetorical figures used in
Martin Luther King‟s I Have a Dream. Chapter Four, the Conclusion, presents my
personal opinion and comments on the findings. The thesis ends with the Bibliography
and Appendices.
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BIBLIOGRAPHY
Primary Text:
MLKOnline. I Have a Dream Speech, 2010. Web. 10 February 2011.
References:
Adams, John Paul. “Rhetorical Figures.” 26 January 2010. Web. 10 February 2011.
African Americans Slavery. National Park Service Civil War Soldiers and Sailors
System. 19 May 1998. Web. 17 May 2011.
“Captivity.” Oxford Advanced Learner’s 7th ed. Online Dictionary. Oxford Advanced
Online, 2011. Web. 6 July 2011.
”Crippled” Oxford Advanced Learner’s 7th ed. Online Dictionary. Oxford Advanced
Online, 2011. Web. 6 July 2011.
“Despair.” Oxford Advanced Learner’s 7th ed. Online Dictionary. Oxford Advanced
Online, 2011. Web. 6 July 2011.
“Discord.” Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary. Merriam-Webster Online, 2011. Web.
20 July 2011.
Eldenmuller, Michelle E. “Top 100 American Speeches Online Speech Bank.” 21 June
2001. Web. 16 Jan 2011.
Harris, Robert A. “A Handbook of Rhetorical Devices.” 24 Dec. 2009. Web. 23
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February 2011.
“Island” Oxford Advanced Learner’s 7th ed. Online Dictionary. Oxford Advanced
Online, 2011. Web. 6 July 2011.
“Injustice.” Oxford Advanced Learner’s 7th ed. Online Dictionary. Oxford
Advanced
Online, 2011. Web. 6 July 2011.
”Jangling.” Oxford Advanced Learner’s 7th ed. Online Dictionary. Oxford Advanced
Online, 2011. Web. 6 July 2011.
Leech, Geoffrey N., Michael H Short. Style in Fiction. London and New York:
Longman, 1994. Print.
Lonely.” Oxford Advanced Learner’s 7th ed. Online Dictionary. Oxford
Advanced
Online, 2011. Web. 6 July 2011.
Mangrum, Charles T., Stephen S. Strichart. “What is Metaphor?” 30 November
2010.
Web. 22 February 2011.
Martin Luther King Bibliography. U.S Government Research Papers, 2011. Web. 15 Feb
2011.
“Night.” Oxford Advanced Learner’s 7th ed. Online Dictionary. Oxford Advanced
Online, 2011. Web. 6 July 2011.
“Quicksand.” Oxford Advanced Learner’s 7th ed. Online Dictionary. Oxford Advanced
Online, 2011. Web. 6 July 2011.
“Revolt.” Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary. Merriam-Webster Online, 2011. Web. 20
July 2011.
Soukhanov, Anne H. The American Heritage Dictionary. Third ed. Boston:
Houghton
Mifflin Company, 1996. Print
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“Sweltering.” Oxford Advanced Learner’s 7th ed. Online Dictionary. Oxford
Advanced
Online, 2011. Web. 6 July 2011.
“Valley.” Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary. Merriam-Webster Online, 2011. Web. 20
July 2011.
“Valley.” Oxford Advanced Learner’s 7th ed. Online Dictionary. Oxford Advanced Online,
2011. Web. 6 July 2011.
Verdonk, Peter. Stylistics. Fifth ed. Oxford: Oxford University Press 2002, 2010. Print.
“Whirlwind.” Oxford Advanced Learner’s 7th ed. Online Dictionary. Oxford
Advanced
Online, 2011. Web. 6 July 2011.
“Withering.” Oxford Advanced Learner’s 7th ed. Online Dictionary. Oxford
Advanced
Online, 2011. Web. 6 July 2011.
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