by Tracy R. Walsh
Nancy Duarte maps the rhetoric in the “I Have A Dream” speech:
She writes:
Metaphors are a powerful literary device. In Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech, about 20 percent of what he said was metaphorical. For example, he likened his lack of freedom to a bad check that America has given the Negro people … a check that has come back marked ‘insufficient funds.’” King introduced his metaphor three minutes into his 16-minute talk, and it was the first time the audience roared and clapped.
(Hat tip: Maria Bustillos)
The Dish 