stylistic-analysis-of-i-have-a-dream-(9)

AStylisticAnalysisof“IHaveaDream”DeliveredbyMartinLutherKing,Jr.Publicspeechesarespeechesdeliveredinpublicforaspecialpurposetodefine,toexplainsomethinginordertoarousetheinterestoftheaudienceandtoobtaintheirsupport,approvalorconsent.“IHaveaDreamisa17-minutepublicspeechbyMartinLutherKing,Jr.deliveredonAugust28,1963,inwhichhecalledforracialequalityandanendtodiscrimination.Thespeech,fromthestepsoftheLincolnMemorialduringtheMarchonWashingtonforJobsandFreedom,wasadefiningmomentoftheAmericanCivilRightsMovement.Deliveredtoover200,000civilrightssupporters,thespeechwasrankedthetopAmericanspeechofthe20thcenturybya1999pollofscholarsofpublicaddress.”(Wiki)1.AtthephonologicallevelPhonologicaldevicesplayaveryimportantroleinpublicspeech.Andthedifferentemploymentsshowdifferentmeanings.Here,wemainlyfocusonpitch,tempo,andrhythmicality.Attheverybeginningofthespeech,Dr.Kingspokeinlowpitchandslowtempojustbecausehewasdescribingthetragicfactthat“theNegrostillisnotfree.”“thelifeoftheNegroisstillsadlycrippledbythemanaclesofsegregationandthechainsofdiscrimination”“theNegroisstilllanguishedinthecornersofAmericansocietyandfindshimselfanexileinhisownland”.Thelowpitchandtheslowtempoaccuratelyconveyedhissadnessanddisappointmenttotheaudience.Hegraduallyrosehispitch,andquickenedhistempoasthespeechproceeded.TherisenpitchandthequickenedtemposhowedDr.King’sexcitementandencouragement.“Wecannotwalkalone.”“Andaswewalk,wemustmakethepledgethatweshallalwaysmarchahead.”“Wecannotturnback.”Hetriedtoencouragetheblackpeopletostandfirmlywithhimtochangethesituation.Andhismoodreachedthepeakattheendofthespeechwhenhedescribedthebeautifullifehedreamed.Therisenpitchandthequickentemponotthoroughlyencouragedtheaudience.TheirresponsestoDr.Kingshowedtheirexcitement.ThespeechofDr.Kingisrhythmical.Therhythmiceffectcomesfromparallelism.Dr.Kingusedlotsofparallelisminhisspeech.“Ihaveadreamthatonedaythisnationwillriseupandliveoutthetruemeaningofitscreed,……andthegloryoftheLordshallberevealedandallfleshshallseeittogether.”Inthispart,Dr.King’sparallelismstrengthhishopeforthechangeofsituationthatblackpeopleunderwent.Anditalsoinspiredthoseaudiences.Dr.King’sskillfuluseofpitch,tempo,voiceandparallelismmadethespeechasuccessfulofdelivery.2.AtthelexicallevelInDr.King’sspeech,thefirstpersonpronounsI,me,we,us,ourarefrequentlyused.“ThereissomethingthatImustsaytomypeople”“Wecannotwalkalone.”“Letusnotwallowinthevalleyofdespair,Isaytoyoutoday,myfriends.”Thefirstpersonpronouns,especiallythepluralformwe/usincludesbothDr.Kingandtheaudience.Inthisway,theaudiencewouldfeelintimate.Therefore,itiseasytowinthesupportoftheaudience.3.AtthesyntacticlevelDr.King’sspeechusedmanykindsoftenses.Amongthem,thefutureindefinitetenseareusedfrequently.Withthisfaith,wewillbeabletohewoutofthemountainofdespairastoneofhope.Withthisfaith,wewillbeabletotransformthejanglingdiscordsofournationintoabeautifulsymphonyofbrotherhood.Withthisfaith,wewillbeabletoworktogether,topraytogether,tostruggletogether,togotojailtogether,tostandupforfreedomtogether,knowingthatwewillbefreeoneday.ThefutureindefinitetenseemphasizesDr.King’swillinganddeterminationtohelptheNegrotowinfreedomandracialequality.4.AtthesemanticlevelThemostobvioussemanticfeatureinDr.King’sspeechistheemploymentofreiteration.Throughthevideowecanseethat,atthebeginning,Dr.Kinggavethespeechasprepared.But,intheend,hegaveuphismanuscript,justgavethespeechimpromptu.Atthispart,heemployedthefiguresofreiteration.Forexample:Ihaveadreamthatonedaythisnationwillriseupandliveoutthetruemeaningofitscreed:Weholdthesetruthstobeself-evident,thatallmenarecreatedequal.IhaveadreamthatonedayontheredhillsofGeorgia,thesonsofformerslavesandthesonsofformerslaveownerswillbeabletositdowntogetheratthetableofbrotherhood.IhaveadreamthatonedayeventhestateofMississippi,astateswelteringwiththeheatofinjustice,swelteringwiththeheatofoppression,willbetransformedintoanoasisoffreedomandjustice……“Ihaveadream”appearedmanytimes.TherepetitionsemphasizedDr.King’sopinionandmakethespeechveryeffectiveandpersuasive.Ontheotherhand,manymetaphorsareusedinhisspeech.Itiscapableofexpressingemotionsandfeelingswiththeusageofminimumwords.Forexample:agreatbeaconlightofhope,crippledbythemanaclesofsegregationandthechainsofdiscrimination,searedintheflamesofwitheringinjustice.Themetaphorsusedherecreatevividmentalpicturesinthemindofaudience,andmakethespeechrichinmeaning,andasaresult,verypersuasiveandeffective.Conclusion:WehavejustmadeaveryroughstylisticanalysisofthespeechIHaveaDream,mainlyfocusonphonological,lexical,syntactic,andsemanticlevels.Inconclusion,asuccessfulpublicspeechmayhavethefollowingcharacteristics:Skillfuluseandcontrolofvoice,pitch,tempoandtheemploymentofvariousphoneticfiguresofspeechisessentialtoasuccessofthedelivery.Inaddition,properuseofpronounsmakesiteasiertowinaudience’ssupport.Next,correctivetensesshowtheexactfeelings.Lastbutnotleast,usesoffiguresofcomparisonandreiterationcanhelptobuildupanemotionalclimax,andthereforeveryeffective.Inthisarticle,somestylisticfeaturesarestilluntouched,furtherdetailedresearc