Over 250,000 people gathered around the Lincoln Memorial in Washington DC on August 28, 1963 to hear a speech that would be known as one of the most largest that has ever been delivered. Martin Luther King Jr. gave his “I Have a Dream” speech to express his point of view on African-American inequalities. King used many rhetorical strategies that had exceptionally high impact for all audiences, such as allusions, repetitions, and extended metaphors. King uses all of these elements throughout the entire speech allowing him to convey his message completely and effectively. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay In the first sentences of his speech, King uses allusion to get the audience's attention. “Five years ago, a great American, in whose symbolic shadow we stand today, signed the Emancipation Proclamation.” By this he alluded to Abraham Lincoln using a memorable phrase for which Lincoln himself is known. He did not need to directly state that Lincoln was the president who signed the Emancipation Proclamation; thus, engaging the audience and recognizing that he was alluding to Lincoln himself. The symbolic shadow mentioned in his speech also refers to Lincoln as they were literally standing in front of Lincoln's memorial, but King wanted the audience to recognize that they were also figuratively standing in Lincoln's shadow. “Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred.” By this King was alluding to his strong belief in the use of nonviolence. His technique comes from Mahatma Gandhi in India, a very influential person for King. The "I Have a Dream" speech may be recognized by many just by the title. This is because the repetition of the phrase “I have a dream” used by King adequately conveys his purpose in seeking hope for African Americans struggling with the inequalities they were facing. “I dream that my four 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.” This represents how its repetition has been used for many reasons. This particular phrase shows that King was not only protesting for the people but also for himself and his family. “Let freedom ring from the rich Alleghenies of Pennsylvania. Let freedom ring from the snow-capped Rocky Mountains of Colorado. Let freedom ring from the rolling slopes of California…” The repetition of the phrase “Let freedom ring” promotes clarity and encourages acceptance of his proposition. King delivered his speech with many powerful metaphorical comparisons that the audience could evoke an emotional connection to. “It came as a joyous dawn to end the long night of their captivity.” This metaphor compares the Emancipation Proclamation to a joyous dawn and the long night to the many years of slavery they endured. Stating this creates images for a sense of light that the Proclamation brought into the dark nights of slavery. “In a sense we came to our nation's capital to cash a check…” This is a short part of the extended metaphor that continues in the fourth paragraph. With this metaphor he states that African Americans will receive as a check what the United States promised to give them, freedom. The metaphors used in his essay are one of the main reasons why his speech was so successful. He was able to connect with the audience and demonstrate their concerns and desires through comparisons