Question

analyze style and rhetoric cite three examples of metaphors in kings speech.
type your answer here.
draw inferences why do you think king identifies three states in his speech? what effect does this have on his overall purpose?
type your answer here.

Explanation:

For the first question, the examples are well-known metaphors from Martin Luther King Jr.'s I Have a Dream speech, each framing a key theme of the civil rights movement. For the second question, referencing three specific states (Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia) grounds the abstract fight for justice in tangible, widely recognized sites of racial oppression, making the call for change more urgent and relatable to the audience.

Answer:

1. Three metaphors from King's I Have a Dream speech:

• "The check which has come back marked 'insufficient funds'" (compares unfulfilled civil rights promises to a failed financial check)
• "The whirlwinds of revolt" (compares growing racial unrest to a destructive, unstoppable storm)
• "The valley of despair" (compares the experience of racial oppression to a dark, hopeless valley)

1. King identifies three states (typically Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia) because they were prominent, widely known sites of violent racial segregation and injustice. This specific reference makes the speech's call for equality concrete, highlighting the urgent, real-world stakes of the civil rights movement. It also resonates with the audience by naming places where suffering was visible, strengthening the emotional impact of his demand for freedom and equality, and reinforcing his overall purpose of galvanizing action against racial injustice.