MARTIN LUTHER KING ’S “ I HAVE A DREAM ” SPEECH
READING COMPREHENSION
GENERAL COMPREHENSION a-
Using the words “equa “equal” l” (line 7), “freedom “freedom” ” and “ justice” justice” (line 13) sum up Martin Luther King’s
dream. In this speech MLK dreams that one day blac people !o"ld be e#"al to !hite people in America and e$noy %reedom and $"stice as all Americans do& b-
he te!t "an #e di$ided into into two parts. %omplete with with the appropriate num#er line.
Part one "p to line '' & 'n his dream o meri"a, Martin Luther King denoun"es the "onditions o the #la"* people in the U.+ in the past and at the time o his spee"h.
(rom line ') to the the end end * 'n this se"ond part he has optimism or their uture.
+E,AILE+ COMPREHENSION
PAR, - . the past and the present conditions o% the /lacs a0 ,ic the correct ans!ers& -& he he title alludes alludes (ait allusion) to -usti # /uoting /uoting rom the te!t te!t
the meri"an ream. a personal dream Martin Luther King had. 't is a dream deepl rooted in the meri"an dream (l.0)
'& Line 7 is an e!tra"t rom the meri"an %onstitution. meri"an e"laration o 'ndependen"e.
b0 1"ote the line !here the past sla2ery in America is bein3 al l"ded to& “ he sons o ormer sla$es and the sons o ormer sla$eowners” . 4%ormer” e2ent . -usti with one ad2e"ti$e ad2e"ti$e ta*en ta*en rom that that line he ad2e"ti$e ad2e"ti$e 4%ormer ” indi"ates it is a past e2ent. c0 E5plain the sit"ation in Mississippi as described in the te5t& . 'n Mississipp Mississippi, i, la"*s were parti"ularl parti"ularl su#mitted to ra"ism and $iolen"e. . he spee"h denoun"es the pain o “ in2usti"e and oppression” . d0 4eorge 5alla"e, the go$ernor o la#ama, reused to o#e the %i$il 6ights "t o 180 whi"h was $oted # the 9ederal 4o$ernment. 1"ote the passa3e indicatin3 Martin L"ther Kin36s indi3nation& “5ith its $i"ious ra"ists, with its go$ernor ha$ing his lips dripping with the words o interposition and nulli:"ation nulli:"ation”. ”. Part e0 Indicate the names o% the states mentioned so %ar on the map at the end o% the !ritten comprehension&
PAR, ' . the %"t"re
a0 7hat is the ey !ord in this part8 96;; showing that King’s optimism optimism is #ased #ased on his religious religious #elies #elies is 9'?. 9'?. c0 7hy are Kin36s ima3es taen %rom the /ible or %rom nat"re8 King ta*es his images rom the i#le #e"ause he is a pastor used to religious reeren"es. ?e also uses images o nature as la"*s who listen to him traditionall ha$e a "ountr #a"*ground. @ature is also re/uent in the i#le, it is the "reation o 4od and somehow no#le. d0 Gi2e the names o% the reli3ions all"ded to line 9:& 7hy are they all mentioned8 he names o the religions religions alluded alluded to are -udaism, -udaism, Arotestantism Arotestantism and and %atholi"ism as as the represen representt the main religions in the U+ at the time o the spee"h, #la"* people #eing predominantl protestants. King is
interested in people rom all wal*s o lie, rom all ethni" origins e0 ,ic the correct ans!er and $"sti%y each time !ith an e5ample %rom the te5t& -& King wants to gi$e his religious "on$i"tion to the whole meri"an people. B people. Bes es “all o 4od’s "hildren”. "hildren”. means all o man*ind.
@o
'& ?e #e"omes a *ind o new prophet prea"hing rom the top o a mountain. B mountain. Bes es @o ?e lists high mountains o the U+ and sas “ rom e$er mountain side let reedom ring” )& ?e wants to #e heard # the whole human ra"e. B ra"e. Bes es @o 9or him, a "hur"h minister, “ all o 4od’s "hildren ” means all o man*ind. %0 7hy does he #"ote an old Ne3ro spirit"al8 ?e /uotes an old @egro spiritual *nown to his audien"e. 't mo$es them and ma*es them proud. 30 P"t the names o% the states mentioned by Martin L"ther Kin3 on the map&
Geor3ia Mississippi Alabama Ne! Hampshire& Ne! ;or Pennsyl2ania Colorado Cali%ornia ,ennessee
,as *
Symbolism and ima3ery
a0 Complete the %ollo!in3 table !ith e5amples %rom part one and t!o< choose only some e5amples& =se o% repetitions o% sentences
I ha2e a dream
7ith this %aith
Let %reedom rin3
=se o% synonyms
prodi3io"s mi3hty hei3htenin3
=se o% parallel constr"ctions
,he sons o% %ormer sla2es and the sons o% %ormer sla2e o!ners& Not be $"d3ed by the color o% their sin b"t by the content o% their character& Little blac boys and blac 3irls? little !hite boys and !hite 3irls
Oppositions and antonyms
Sla2es? sla2e o!ners? In$"stice and oppression? %reedom and $"stice& ,he $an3lin3 discords and a bea"ti%"l symphony&
,o !or to3ether? to pray to3ether? @ (rom e2ery 2illa3e@ e2ery city b0 E5plain !hy Martin L"ther Kin36s style is eecti2e >eBcace0& (8C words)
Ima3es %rom the /ible or %rom nat"re
Metaphors >' e5amples0
,he table o% brotherhood& All o% God6s children !ill be able to sin3 All o% God6s children @ !ill be able to $oin hands and sin3& Mo"ntain? e2ery hill and molehill? mo"ntainside
Mississippi is compared to a desert state s!elterin3 !ith the heat o% oppression and in$"stice? it !ill become an oasis o% %reedom and $"stice& 7e !ill be able to he! o"t o% the mo"ntain o% despair a stone o% hope&
Martin Luther King’s stle is eDe"ti$e #e"ause he is a#le to mo$e his audien"e into a"tion. ?e stirs their emotions # well*nown eDe"ts o rhetori". @ot onl does he spea* rom his heart #ut he spea*s with s*ill. ?e has learnt rhetori", that is the te"hni/ue o ma*ing spee"hes in his wor*s as a pastor and he uses rhetori"al de$i"es, as we saw pre$iousl, su"h as sm#olism and imager . Match each 2al"e !ith its denition* dream mental pi"ture o the uture %reedom he "ondition o #eing ree ree hope he eeling o e!pe"tation e!pe"tation and desire he eeling that men should should treat one another li*e li*e #rothers he /ualit o #eing right and air rust, rust, un/uestioning "on:den"e
$"stice %aith
brotherhood
