Power and Effect of Rhetoric in "I Have a Dream" (Essay Sample)

Student Name
Professor Name
Course
Title
The Power and Effect of Rhetoric in King's Speech "I Have a Dream"
King's 1963 speech at Lincoln Memorial portrays the significance and power of rhetoric in persuading the audience. "I Have a Dream" symbolizes the perfect utilization of rhetorical strategies and devices to influence the masses. The speech depicted King's exceptional public speaking skills. Logos, pathos, ethos, repetition, metaphors, and allusion are among the most dominant rhetoric in King's speech that aided his message delivery. 
Ethos refers to the speaker's authority on the topic, and King demonstrates an in-depth understanding of the challenges facing African Americans. King uses the word "we" throughout the speech to show his relation to the oppressed, as a black person. For instance, King says, "We can never be satisfied as long as the Negro is the victim of the unspeakable horrors of police brutality" (2). Hence, King's argument made a lot of sense to the audience as he was also a victim.
King utilizes pathos, which is an appeal to emotions. He carefully chose his words to appeal to the audience's feelings. For instance, he argues that it was over a century after the Proclamation of Emancipation, but "the life of the Negro is still badly crippled by the manacles of segregation