Shreeya Garg: Week 9 - The Power of Words
What is power? When I first asked myself this question, I immediately associated power with presidents and dictators, but true power is more than that. True power is the ability to influence society through your courage and spirit.
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| Image Credits: https://www.businessinsider.com/inspiring-martin-luther-king-jr-quotes-2017-1 |
Over the past long weekend, many of us celebrated an extra day off with no school or work. While it was great to have an extra day to relax, it is imperative that we also take the time to remember the significance of Martin Luther King Jr. and honor his legacy. Martin Luther King Jr. made America a better place and showed us what it means to fight for what you believe in without fear. He showed us that we all have the power to change the world if we so choose. But perhaps the biggest lesson we can learn from his life is how powerful words are.
It is no secret that Martin Luther King Jr. was a skilled orator. His most famous speech, “I Have A Dream,” is still heavily analyzed today. The rhetorical devices, diction, repetition, and tone, all helped make his speech extremely memorable. However, this speech wasn’t his only speech. In fact, according to Jeff Haden, throughout his life, he wrote five books and delivered 450 speeches per year for several years. Martin Luther King skillfully delivered all of these speeches with emotion and passion, and the language and rhetoric he used in his speeches allowed him to make a huge impact in America.
One tactic that Martin Luther King often uses in his speeches is repetition. This technique can be seen in his “I Have a Dream” speech, as well as other lesser-known speeches, such as “Our God is Marching On,” where he repeats the phrase “How long? Not long.” By using repetition, Dr. King was able to stress these ideas and convince his audience that his ideas are truthful. This repetition also makes certain ideas extremely memorable and leads to the development of catchy slogans.
Furthermore, Martin Luther King also uses precise and emotionally charged diction. For example, in his speech, “Give Us the Ballot,” he talks about the “salient misdeeds of bloodthirsty mobs” and argues that people of color gaining the right to vote can end “the dastardly acts of the hooded perpetrators of violence.” Such language forces the audience to recognize the cruel acts that have been committed against African Americans, and furthers their desire for change.
The power and significance of Martin Luther King Jr’s words and language can not be denied. Through his rhetoric, he was able to influence many supporters, and he succeeded in changing the world by helping minorities gain rights and by displaying the effectiveness of nonviolent protests. As we continue to honor Martin Luther King Jr, we must recognize that we can all speak up and use the momentous power of our words to change the world.
Hi Shreeya! In the Obama speech we all analyzed for the rhetorical packet, I also noticed a lot of repetition/anaphoras, but by the middle of the speech (not even the end), it became mildly irritating and felt like that was all Obama/his speechwriters knew how to use. For me, all the repetition actually detracted from his speech. I like how you chose to think about power a step further and talk about someone not directly in power using their own ability to shape society instead of just a president or a dictator. Also nice job practicing rhetorical analysis in your blog posts.
ReplyDeleteHi Shreeya! I found myself really intrigued to gain a better understanding of the power that is correlated to a large extent with words and the manner by which they are communicated. Before Martin Luther King Jr., I understood this concept by studying and learning about the journey of India’s independence led by the Ahimsa believer, Mahatma Gandhi. Comparing both of their works and achievements, their ability to communicate their arguments effectively and appeal to the reason of others is evident. This in turn, allowed them to solve problems from the root and introduce permanent solutions; rather than using their power granted by their position, they used their words to convince others and change their mindset altogether for the betterment of society. I cannot agree more with how powerful words can be if used properly at the needed moments. Thank you for this eye opening blog, and I am looking forward to reading your next one!
ReplyDeleteHi Shreeya! It seems that in all of the famous speeches that I’ve seen in English classes over the years, there’s always a section with really prominent repetition. Personally speaking, I’ve always found repetition to be extremely effective as it’s easy for a speaker to lose their audience during a speech, and repetition can really help emphasize the more important information. Also, since it feels like it’s been a while since we’ve had any timed writing or rhetorical analysis in class, I really liked reading this blog as it kind of refreshed my memory about all of the stuff we practiced before break.
ReplyDeleteHi Shreeya, I was very interested by more examples sampling the importance of various rhetorical techniques utilized in effective and memorable speeches over the years. Adit's post this week also indicated the importance of pathos in speeches, but techniques like repetition and descriptive imagery also seem to be crucial aspects of writing a persuasive and memorable speech. By repeating the message, it seems that the audience can take away select repeated phrases that would suit the core message or call to action of a speech. Additionally, imagery can offer a distinct mental visual of the message, allowing audience members to connect in a better and more comprehensive manner. Seeing these examples in distinct and genuinely successful speeches is very interesting to me, as patterns can be seen in all of these more popular speeches throughout history.
ReplyDeleteHi Shreeya, I definitely think that more people should learn about MLK's other speeches, not just the "I Have a Dream" one. While that one was obviously monumental, it only presented one facet of who he was. Many Americans paint him as just that one civil rights figure, but he was so much more. He spoke out against the Vietnam War, he critiqued capitalism, and he spoke for the workers of America. These other speeches that you mentioned show those parts of himself, and that's why I agree that it's important for us to analyze more of his speeches because the more of his speeches we look at, the more we learn about who he was.
ReplyDeleteHey Shreeya! I enjoyed your blog, I was constructed very cohesively and was very interesting. Martin Luther King is a skilled orator like many other people we now deem as leaders of movements. Analyzing rhetorical devices that he and other speakers use can help us become better writers and speakers ourselves, using great people as our role models. I also agree with Sahana. Martin Luther King had always pushed for many other political movements that have been erased and never mentioned by most. And though America is a very different place from what it was 50 years ago, MLK would agree that the work is not yet done.
ReplyDeleteWords are perhaps the most powerful weapon mankind has to offer. A single nuclear bomb may level a city, killing of millions of people. But words can convince a country to go to war, can convince an entire generation that the past is wrong, can convince entire races that others are inferior. The dead of the Lighthouse of Alexandria is nearly forgotten, for there was almost no coverage of it. The events that were recorded, such as the fall of Rome, are remembered because there are words for them. MLK used the greatest weapon in the world, and to great effect. He used them so well he had to be put down by other weapons, but yet he still completed part of his job. MLK will live forever in words, and will forever be fighting with when he is quoted.
ReplyDeleteHello Shreeya, MLK is a good example of how effective language is important to getting people to agree upon an idea. Also, I found it interesting that he was able to write so much and speak so much on an average year. I am also interested to see what other speeches he has written. According to the blog comments his iconic speech is just a portion of who he was, so I am interesting in seeing what else he fought for.
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