Martin Luther King Jr.’s speech, I Have a Dream” is not just an example of “Language that inspired change”; in my opinion it is the epitome of language that inspires change. This speech does not only ask the people of America to fight back against oppression, but provokes the listeners by reminding them of what promises were broken. His speech also inspires change because it is a uniting speech. He asks his followers to unite and “always march ahead”. I believe March ahead means to never back down from what you believe is right and fair, to continue to fight for what you have been promised, and never given. Martin Luther King Jr.’s speech was written to inspire change. The way he repeats ‘I have a dream’ then follows with a very powerful thought provokes a feeling of empowerment and strength in people. Finally when he recites the words to Land of Liberty after giving the powerful speech, the song inspires change by the lyrics grabbing a hold of you with a whole new meaning. Every line of that song can be related to a part of King Jr.’s speech and what he dreams of for the future. This speech inspired the change of the future with words, words of encouragement, empowerment, and unity.
The fact that Martin Luther King Jr. gave his speech on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial speaks volumes. Martin Luther King Jr. and Abraham Lincoln shared similar dreams, while now Lincoln’s dream still seems very oppressive, at his time of office almost 150 years ago the idea he had was ground breaking. His idea then made Martin Luther King Jr.’s dream a possibility in 1963. Abraham Lincoln’s emancipation proclamation could be compared to the “I Have a Dream” speech of his time.
I don’t believe that another location would have spoken as the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. Symbolically, it could almost be the leader of the beginning of the fight for freedom meeting, the ultimate leader of the fight. While the location would not have affected the power of Martin Luther King Jr.’s speech (it will always, no matter where or when, be an awe-inspiring speech), the location he chose did raise the symbolic power of unity and courage. The location also could have been representative of a reminder of what they were fighting for and how long this fight had been going on.
Martin Luther King Jr’s “I Have a Dream” speech is a piece of history that can never be forgotten. While the fight he lead lasted many years, that moment, those minutes when he spoke in Washington, are what make our country so great. This man lead a great fight for what he knew in his heart was right. His speech brought to life everything that was worth fighting for. Every component of this speech is what made it so historical and world-changing. The man who was speaking the words he spoke, the location he spoke these words at, all of these aspects of that moment made the speech “I Have a Dream” a piece of language that inspired change.
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I must agree, as should everyone, that Martin Luther King Jr.’s I have a dream speech is one of the most inspirational speeches of all time. His speech defiantly uses language that inspires change and it aspires all who hear it to stray from indifference and stand up for themselves and their beliefs. I particularly like how you defined to “march ahead”’ as to “never back down from what you believe is right and fair, to continue to fight for what you have been promised, and to never give in” I believe that this is a very important concept for all man-kind to realize and act upon. And once we do, we can all achieve more than we’ll ever know. I also agree that the Lincoln memorial provided king with a very important symbolical background to his speech. It showed that this struggle has been fought throughout American history, and that the Lincoln memorial is iconic of one who stood in the face of adversity for a similar cause. Lincoln showed that if you stand up for what is right, and do not silence your self, we can ultimately achieve more. Martin Luther King Jr’s speech is a great example of how every single person can inspire change. Great Job.
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