Contemporary Connections – Speeches, Past and Present

Powerful rhetoric demonstrates a command over many different types of rhetorical and persuasive techniques. Perhaps no one person in recent history has had more influence and wielded the power of the spoken word better than Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. One of the greatest orators of recent American history, King's message was heavily influenced by the writing of early abolitionists like Frederick Douglass and the passive resistance of Mahatma Gandhi.

In this topic, you will learn about the philosophical influences on Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. You will also analyze two of his works for rhetorical devices.

Essential Questions

• What were the philosophical influences on King?
• What rhetorical devices does King employ and to what effect?