A comparison of Dr. Martin Luther King Jrs Speeches Term Paper

A comparison of Dr. Martin Luther King Jrs Speeches - Term Paper Example This is where is inspiration derives from. The message of his more political writings, like the two items which are the focus of this paper, is less overtly Christian but the preacherly tone remains. It has been noted that Dr. King was a master of public speaking, and very conscious of the context in which he operated at all times. The unprecedented impact of the â€Å"I Have a Dream Speech† was partly due to its location and timing right at the end of a peaceful protest march of some 250,000 people at the heart of American democracy in Washington. The context meant that the speech was the finishing touch to the â€Å"dynamic spectacle†3 of the March, and the vision of this peaceful mass crowding around the Washington monument is the backdrop to this dramatic event. Martin Luther King was a leader, like many before him, who used large public gatherings and theatrical shows of strength to build consensus among his followers and to create an impression on those who were against him. He makes this explicit in his speech when he says â€Å"So we have come here today to dramatize a shameful condition.† His role in the rallies was as the public face of a mass movem ent, and the mouthpiece for generations of people whose protest had been crushed. The first feature of Dr. King’s leadership is, therefore, his eloquence and rhetorical skill with which he mesmerized his followers and made a tremendous impact on listeners throughout America. The â€Å"I Have a Dream† speech is aspirational and emotional, and it shows the style that Dr. King wished to adopt as a leader. The â€Å"Letter from Birmingham Jail† has some of the same styles, but it is much more concerned with the substance of his ideas and the detail of his  tactics as the leader of a political movement.