WHAT IS AN EXAMPLE OF UNDERSTATEMENT IN MLK'S "I HAVE A DREAM" SPEECH?
THANKS FOR ANSWERING BUT I KNOW WHAT I'M SPOS TA BE LOOKING FOR..JUST CAN'T SEEM TA FIND IT IN THE SPEECH! LOL I HAVE READ IT AND READ IT AND AM DRAWING A BLANK:( EXCUSE THE CAPS AS I DON'T SEE WELL
In Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech, an example of understatement can be found in the line: "This sweltering summer of the Negro's legitimate discontent will not pass until there is an invigorating autumn of freedom and equality." This statement understates the intensity of the "sweltering summer" and the extent of the African American community's unrest and grievances by using the word "legitimate." By doing so, MLK downplays the severity of the situation and presents it in a more measured tone.
In Martin Luther King Jr's famous "I Have a Dream" speech, one example of understatement can be found in the following statement: "Now is the time to rise from the dark and desolate valley of segregation to the sunlit path of racial justice."
To identify this understatement, you can follow these steps:
1. Read and understand the speech: Familiarize yourself with the content and context of the speech, as understanding the overall message will help you recognize instances of understatement or any rhetorical devices used.
2. Look for a statement that downplays or minimizes the significance: Understatement involves deliberately making a situation or idea seem less important or intense than it actually is.
3. Analyze the specific statement: In this case, the statement suggests that racial justice is as simple as rising from a "dark and desolate valley" to a "sunlit path." However, the reality is that achieving racial justice requires significant effort and social transformation. The stark contrast between the imagery used and the depth of the issue being addressed creates an understatement.
By critically examining the text and recognizing the contrast between the grandeur of the dream and the simplicity of the proposed action, you can identify this example of understatement in MLK's "I Have a Dream" speech.
Here is a definition and examples of understatement
http://grammar.about.com/od/tz/g/understateterm.htm
This is a link to the speech.
After reading the examples...check the speech, then let us know what you think.
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