Rhetorical Appeals - MLK

Rhetorical Devices - MLK

By Benjamin York

Rhetoric is a fancy way of saying persuasive language. MLK uses rhetorical devices in his letter and speeches.

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Let's review some of the devices that he uses...

​Rhetorical Devices

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This one is easy. Repetition is using the same word or phrase over and over again.

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Repetition

Anaphora is a type of repetition. What makes it anaphora is that the word or phrase is repeated at the beginning of several lines or phrases instead of just anywhere in text.

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​Some text here about the topic of discussion.

Anaphora

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Open Ended

What makes the use of REPETITION and ANAPHORA powerful and persuasive?

Language that has meaning beyond what is literally written or said. Examples: similes, metaphors, symbolism, etc.

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FIgurative Language

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Open Ended

Why is this an example of FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE?

"an airtight cage of poverty in the midst of an affluent society"

Sometimes authors and speakers will use personal experience to reveal real-life details about an experience.

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Personal Experience

Open Ended

How can PERSONAL EXPERIENCE be powerful and persuasive?

An allusion is a reference to someone or something from history, literature, TV, movies, etc. It is a reference that the reader is expected to understand.

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Allusion

Open Ended

In MLK's "I Have a Dream" Speech he at one point refers to Abraham Lincoln. Why would mentioning Lincoln make his speech more powerful and/or persuasive?