TITLE:
Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Pulpit Rhetoric of Freedom: An Exegesis of His Discourse Mechanism
AUTHORS:
Mouhamed Diop
KEYWORDS:
American Studies, Oratory Devices, Public Speaking, Pulpit Rhetoric
JOURNAL NAME:
Creative Education,
Vol.15 No.2,
February
29,
2024
ABSTRACT: The
world mostly remembers that Martin Luther King, Jr., was the leader who made a
speech known as “I Have a Dream”. He indeed addressed tens of thousands of
people on August
28, 1963,
to tell them about his dream. However, before that historical date, King had
been resourceful in many ways. Besides, five years after that unforgettable
date, he would keep showing his ability to produce prolific and enriching works
until he passed away in 1968. From his pulpit, surrounded by microphones and
cameras, or sitting at his desk, King demonstrated his talent of mastering the
word. With turns of phrases, instructive and well-documented contents, as well
as quotations, King’s oral and written productions are seductive thanks to
their constructiveness. This paper investigates the discourse mechanism that
made King a great international public speaker. Through an analysis of the
matter and manner of King’s rhetoric, this paper will reveal the secret that is
intricately woven into the erudition fabric that enabled King to make good use
of eloquence, articulateness, knowledge and charisma. This paper will probe
King’s great oratory skills by the agency of Roman orator Marcus Fabius
Quintilian’s five oratory devices that are famous among public speakers.