MLK Speech response

Purpose

The purpose of
this assignment is to better understand the fundamentals of
established, powerful, effective persuasive speakers by examining a
speech that they have given. In addition to exploring the historical
circumstances that led to the speech, you will be looking at the
delivery, organizational, and persuasive techniques that can be found in
the speech.

Tasks with Directions

1. Review Martin Luther King, Jr. “I Have a Dream” speech (available under resource materials in this module).

2. After reviewing this speech, you will write a three to four (3-4) page paper discussing the following:

1. Historical significance of the speech. Discuss the
   circumstances that led to the speech being given. Why was this the
   appropriate time to give this particular speech? Why did this person
   give this speech? Who was the intended audience, and how was it
   received?
2. Delivery Techniques. What kinds of nonverbal and
   verbal behaviors is the speaker engaging in, and how does it contribute
   to the effectiveness of the speech? Is the delivery style that the
   speaker used effective? Could he or she have been more effective with
   their body language to better engage their audience? What kind of
   persona does the speaker project?
3. Organization Techniques. Review the organizational
   patterns. Talk about the strengths and weaknesses of the way this
   speech is organized. Include comments on the introduction, body,
   conclusion, transitions, etc. Was this speech well organized and easy to
   follow? Did the organization contribute to the audience’s overall
   understanding/interest in the speech?
4. Persuasive Techniques. Discuss the persuasive
   strategies used in this speech (for example, ethos, pathos, and logos,
   listener needs, cognitive dissonance, etc.) and provide specific
   examples. What strategies are used most? How are they used? Are they
   effective? Your analysis should be thorough and specific.

Directly reference the text of the speech that you have chosen, and
be sure to cite all of your sources. You will need to find information
about the history surrounding your speech, and you are expected to
conduct college level research. You are not permitted to use Wikipedia
to copy and paste information.

You are welcome to extend beyond the provided questions but they
should give you a baseline for starting your speech. Your analysis
should include:

• Three to four pages (typed)
• One-inch margins, double-spaced
• 12pt Times New Roman font, with no cover page required
• Citation of the course textbook using APA formatting