The Canons of Rhetoric

Martin Luther King Jr. - "I Have a Dream" speech



Martin Luther King Jr. is seen above giving his famous “I Have a Dream,” speech to an audience at the Lincoln Memorial on August 28, 1963. This is a prime example of Aristotle’s Canons of Rhetoric.

Firstly, Invention can be seen by the vast amount of knowledge and information Dr. King brings forth to the people. He draws upon instances of the past, such as slavery and the Emancipation Proclamation, and then bluntly describes the present. He is fully aware of his audience, and uses the emotionally pungent topic of inequality and injustice to aid in his persuasion.

There is a clear introduction to Dr. King’s speech; he makes himself personable to his audience by saying, “I am happy to join with you today.” He then captures their attention by pointing out that today “will go down in history as the greatest demonstration for freedom in the history of our nation.” Now that the audience is fully enthralled he continues to move towards the purpose of his speech. Dr. King does so by saying that after the Emancipation Proclamation was signed, “100 years later the Negro still is not free.” He continues to list some of the problems which still occur today and ends his introduction with saying “now is the time” to start action.

The body is made up primarily of the summation of injustices faced by the African American people. He uses supporting details, such as the inability for some people to vote and police brutality, to support his argument. He also gives personal insight into his hopes and dreams for the future by stating that his four children will “not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.”

The speech’s conclusion appropriately summarizes Martin Luther King Jr.’s points and arouses the emotions of the audience. He uses the repetition of the phrase “let freedom ring” to reconnect with the listeners and emphasize his belief of the importance of freedom and justice. Finally, the last line of his speech, “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!" fully summarizes his intentions while energizing his listeners.

The canon of style can also be directly seen in the above clip. A prime example is the use of metaphor. In Dr. King’s introduction he says that “America gave the Negro people a bad check, a check which has come back marked insufficient funds” and that he refuses to believe that the “bank of justice is bankrupt” and that they, the people, have come to “cash this check” because it will provide the “riches of freedom and security of justice.” While at first seemingly complex, this metaphor provides tangible and easily understood imagery for the concept Dr. King is trying to convey.

Memory can be seen through Dr. King’s exemplary delivery skills. He has mastered the ability to maintain eye contact, use vocal cues and deliver his emotion to the audience. He has a strong opinion and his body language lets the audience know that he is passionate and that he means business.

Martin Luther King Jr. is known to be one of the most influential men in history, which is most likely partially due to his excellent oratory skills. He is a master of the canons of rhetoric, invention, arrangement, style, delivery and memory, and is therefore extremely persuasive.