"I have a Dream"

“I have a dream.” These words were not only spoken by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in his I have a dream speech, but by many people throughout history. Yet, when we hear this line, all minds turn to Dr. King. His speech has been made one of the most known in history, right up there with most presidents’ speeches. This is because King believed in what he was saying and he knew how to use arrangement, style, logos, ethos, pathos, and kairos, even if he did not know they were labeled that. The video watched online not only showed the aspects that Dr. King used, but it also showed the ones that the people who made the video used.
Arrangement was used on Kings part, particularly using block structure and thematic structure. He would give accounts of events that happened, like the injustices in Mississippi, displaying his block structure. The themes he used included patriotism, racism, religion and hope. He refers to the constitution a good deal as well. Proper visuals and pictures were created for positive support of the cause. In the short film, Dr. King wears a suit to look professional, is clean shaven with a neat mustache, American flags everywhere, and there are all types of people there that are shown. Children, adults, senior citizens, uniformed soldiers and sailors, lower class people, and upper class people are all shown, and they are white and black cheering all together as one America that wants to move forward.

Style was used by Dr. King in his careful selection of words and the way in which he presented them. King’s voice is formal, educated, with a large vocabulary, and hestarts of almost monotone and gets more into it. He uses phrases and metaphores like, “Chains of discrimination”, “ the Negro lives on a lonely island of poverty in an Ocean of prosperity” and that America gave African americans a bad check which has come back marked as having insufficient funds. Everyone can relate to these situations, and it helps give a picture when he states that they want to now cash that check. King says” his children”, confirming he is a father, and knows responsibility. This says taking care of those who depend on him is what he is knows, and it makes him a father figure to all. King’s references to god reestablish his pastor status and thus people follow him. This contributes to his ethos as well.

Ethos played a large part, he was a pastor and people followed him. He spoke intelligently and with confidence. He spoke of history and showed that he knew what he was talking about.
The pathos in Dr. King’s speech was that which inspired. He made people feel hope of change, patriotism, and pride in the African American race.
The logos of the speech is fairly obvious to all Americans. Dr. King talks about how the constitution was set up with promises of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, and that it was made to all people, white and black, as one American people. He talks of having equal, and not greater, rights. He talks about children going to the same schools and getting along with each other. He tells of the problems and the need to fix them. He even cites examples of problems, like the injustices of Mississippi. He says he has a dream. America is the land of opportunity and were dreams come true.
Kairos was very planned out for the speech and was key in its success. It was set in Washington DC, in front of the Lincoln monument, during the height of the civil rights movement with a large and diverse audience cheering in happiness. The location showed a powerful political message to the government asking for change, and to the all Americans, having Washington just as a representation of us all.
Dr. King was a great visionary, not to mention a wonderful public speaker and a master of arrangement, style, ethos, logos, pathos, and kairos. His command of this principle is what made him persuasive and spurred people to listen to him.