A Stylistic Analysis of Martin Luther King’s I HAVE A DREAM

In his speech, Martin Luther King uses parallelism to create a strong rhythm to help the audience line up his ideas. Here are few examples:

⑤…by the manacles of seGREgation and the chains of discrimination…(Par.2, two parallel noun phrases)

⑥“This is no time to engage in the luxury of cooling off or to take the tranquilizing drag of gradualism.” (Par.4, two parallel infinitive phrases: “to engage…to take…”)

⑦“there will be neither rest nor tranquility in America…”(Par. 5, two parallel nouns joined with “neither…nor”)

⑧“We shall never be satisfied as long as our children are stripped of their selfhood and robbed of their dignity…”(Par. 7, two parallel verb phrases)

It is traditionally believed that parallelism is used for the purpose of emphasizing and enhancing, esp. in speech, the ideas expressed by the speaker (or author in written versions), thus always encouraging and inspiring the audience. We need not to be very carefully to find out many more examples of parallelism used in King’s speech and classified as is followed:

3.2.1 parallel nouns:

⑨This not was a promise that all men would be guaranteed the inalienable rights of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. (Par. 3, three parallel nouns as attributive)

⑩1963 is not an end, but a beginning (Par. 5, two parallel nouns joined with “not…but…”)

⑾Again and again we must rise to the majestic heights of meeting physical force with soul force. (Par. 6)

⑿…have come to realize that their destiny is tied up with our destiny and their freedom is inextricably bound to our freedom. (Par. 6, two pairs of parallel nouns).

⒀I say to you today, my friends, that in spite of the difficulties and frustrations of the moment…(Par. 8)

⒁…a desert state sweltering with the heat of injustice and oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice. (Par. 11, two pairs of parallel nouns).

3.2.2 Parallel noun phrases:

⒂So we have to came to cash this check-a check that will give as upon demand the riches of freedom and The security of justice. (Par. 4)

⒃I 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 brother hood (Par. 10)

3.2.3 Parallel infinitive phrases:

⒄It would be fetal for the nation to overlook the urgency of the moment and to underestimate the determination of the Negro. (Par.5, two parallel infinitive phrases)

⒅With this faith, we will be able to work together, to pray together, to straggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day. (Par. 7, five parallel infinitive phrases).

3.2.4 Parallel prepositional phrases

⒆I 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. (Par. 12)

⒇…, when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, … (Par. 25)

E. Parallel clauses:

(21) …, have come to realize that their destiny is tied up with our destiny and (that) their freedom is inextricably bound t our freedom. (Par. 6, two parallel objective clause)

(22) I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough place 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. (Par. 6, six parallel clauses used as appositions of the noun “dream”).

3.3 Use of Similes and Metaphors

As two very important types of meaning transference in literature, similes and metaphors are comparisons that show similarities in things that are basically different, which can be used to add vividness and vitality to writing. As Leech points out, metaphor is associated with a particular rule of transference which may be called the “metaphoric rule” (1969: 151). That is, the figurative meaning is derived from the literal meaning or it is, as it were, the literal meaning.

Throughout the speech, King makes extensive use of similes and metaphors. In paragraph 1, for example, King compares The Emancipation Proclamation to two forms of brilliant light cutting through darkness. The first-“a joyous daybreak”-compares it to the sunrise, which (in this case) ends “the long night of captivity”. In paragraph 2, he speaks of “the manacles of seGREgation and the chains of discrimination,” comparing segregation and discrimination under which the Negro people live to the manacles and chains once used on slaves. Therefore, it is very clear that the using of similes and metaphors can definitely add vividness and vitality to writing and make it easy for the readers or audience to understand.转贴于 酷文网-论文下载中心 http://www.coolwen.net