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“I Have a Dream” Assignment

First, download this copy of Martin Luther King, Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech: I Have a Dream

Then, complete the following tasks:

* Read Dr. King’s speech. Find five words about which you are unsure and look up their meanings. Write the definitions. (Comments feature)

* Find and write the definitions of each of the following: alliteration, allusion, metaphor, and simile. (Different color at bottom of document)

*”Five score years ago,” the opening phrase of King’s speech, is an allusion to what or whom? (Comments feature)

* King’s speech contains other allusions in addition to the one with which he opens his speech. Find an allusion to the Declaration of Independence and the Bible. (Comments feature)

* Find an example of alliteration in King’s speech. (Comments feature)

* Find an example of a metaphor. (Comments feature)

* Find an example of a simile. (Comments feature)

* In the second paragraph, King says that “the life of the Negro is still sadly crippled by the manacles of segregation and the chains of discrimination.” What type of figure of speech is this? (Comments feature)

* Another figure of speech is called an anaphora, or the repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of a sentence, verse, or paragraph. Besides the famous “I have a dream” phrase, find two other examples of anaphoras. (Comments feature)

* Nearly every line of King’s speech is filled with powerful images, or “mental pictures,” many created by using figures of speech. Images help audiences to feel what speakers/writers want them to feel, help them remember what they have read or heard, and help them understand difficult material. Write a well-developed paragraph telling which of King’s images you find most powerful and appealing and explain why this image had meaning for you. (Different color at bottom of document)

Once you have finished these items, let Miss Miller know, and she will give you instructions on how to save it.

Any time you have left in class, you can use to work on your demonstration speech.