Analysis of Martin Luther King's Speech I Have a Dream

Analysis of Martin Luther King’s Speech I Have a Dream

According to George Orwell’s essay Politics and the English Language, the English language is becoming “decadent” (694). Political prose has intentionally used vagueness, exhausted idioms, and inaccuracies in order to “make lies sound truthful and murder respectable and to give an appearance of solidity to pure wind,” as well as to blot out truths that do not serve politician’s purposes (Orwell 703). While politicians bring these characteristics of bad language into our culture we, the people, spread them by repetitively imitating political writing. Orwell’s solution to bad English is to eliminate worn-out metaphors, similes, and figures of speech. He also encourages the use of short words, simple sentences, and an active voice. The last of Orwell’s rules states, “Break any of these rules sooner than say anything outright barbarous” (702).

In evaluating Martin Luther King’s speech I Have a Dream according to George Orwell’s Politics and the English Language, I believe Orwell would approve of King’s use of the English language in conveying meaning. In his speech, King includes many vivid, original metaphors. Most of his words and phrases are chosen for their meaning (although he does have some ready-made phrases). King’s choice of concrete words helps his speech to communicate clearly. Lastly, King uses simple sentences that the majority of Americans can understand. With these characteristics of successful communication that King uses in his speech, he is able to convey clearly and accurately the unjust treatment of blacks.

Martin Luther King’s use of original metaphors creates vivid images to accompany his words in a listener’s mind. An example of these metaphors is “seared in the flames of withering injustice” (1). This metaphor takes segregation and discrimination against blacks, such as police brutality, “whites only” signs, and school segregation, and puts it into a mental image of...