I Have a Dream

In this study guide we will help you analyze Martin Luther King's famous speech "I Have a Dream". You can also find a summary of the speech, as well as inspiration for discussing it and putting it into perspective.

Presentation of the speech

Title: “I Have a Dream”
Speaker: Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. (or MLK for short)
Where: March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom.
When: August 28, 1963

Martin Luther King Jr. (1929-1968) was an African-American Baptist priest and one of the leaders of the Civil Rights Movement. He was an activist for equal rights in American society and advocated for promoting them through non-violent means, civil disobedience, and Christian beliefs. He received the Noble Peace Prize in 1964 for fighting racial inequality through non-violent means. King was killed in 1968 by a supporter of racial segregation.

You can watch the speech here.

Excerpt

You can read an excerpt from our study guide to the speech below:

Antithesis

Antithesis is defined as a contrast or opposition between two images, ideas, concepts, or things.

One example of antithesis from King’s speech is “…the Negro lives on a lonely island of poverty in the midst of a vast ocean of material prosperity.” (ll. 14-16). This antithesis is also a metaphor as it describes the opposition between the poverty and isolation of African Americans and the wealth of the US and white citizens who were enjoying the consumer boom of the 1950s and 1960s. This combination of antithesis and metaphor is used many times throughout the speech.