Essay Example on Comparison of Two Great Speeches

The world has produced great speakers over the millennium years who wrote great speeches. However, there are those speeches that touch the souls of individuals and create an environment of peace and tranquility. One of the greatest speeches in history is that of Martin Luther King Juniors I Have A Dream. The second most excellent Speech was that of Abraham Lincoln during the Gettysburg Address to his soldiers after the war. These two speeches are viewed as one of the worlds best. The two speeches give readers an insight into the way we should live. It is through embracing brotherhood and sisterhood that we can make the world a better place to live.

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Martin Luther Kings I Have A Dream speech and Abraham Lincolns Gettysburg Address have certain elements in common. Both speeches were spoken by one of Americas finest heroes of all times. The two individuals that are Abraham Lincoln and Martin Luther led America into civilization. Their two speeches communicated very important information to the American people at the time when America was struggling with the slave trade, racism, and civil wars.

In the two speeches, there is an element of brevity. The two speeches are concise and to the point. The knowledge that is portrayed in the two convinces the audience of the information being sent as true. In both of the speeches, Luther and Lincoln mention that all men were created equal. This aspect is very clear in the speeches that bring clarity to the audience in a more concise manner.

In addition to, the element of repetition is clear in both of the speeches. For instance in Martin Luthers I Have a Dream, he used repeated words such as Now is the Time and Let Freedom Ring whereas in Abraham Lincolns speech he repeated words such as We cannot (American Rhetoric 4). These elements stress a point so that the audience can clearly get it. There is no question about it. Repetition brings attention to the audience making the audience concentrate more.

Another element is that of elevated language. This element can be found in the two speeches. For instance, in Luther Kings speech, he used elevation to prove a point to the people that he was addressing. Some of the words that show an elevation in Luther Kings speech are We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal. Besides, in Abraham Lincolns speech the elevated language reads But, in a larger sense, we cannot dedicatewe cannot consecratewe cannot hallowthis ground (American Rhetoric 3). These two indicate the elements of elevation.

The other element that is portrayed in these two speeches is that of deep cultural reference. Martin Luther together with Abraham Lincoln refers to the American History as well as their forefathers and the roots of America. For example in Martin Luthers speech he says Five years ago, the American whereas Lincoln says Seven years ago these two statements clearly show reference to the culture of the American people. Therefore, the two speeches portray a common element of the deep cultural reference.

Finally, the last element that is common to the two speeches is the profound purpose. In these two speeches, both Lincoln and Martin Luther King spoke of liberty. They both wanted Liberty to prevail among the American people. That is why Luther and Lincoln said All men are created equal. This statement clearly indicates that the two speeches had a profound purpose that was to set the American people free regardless of age, gender, race and color.

Work Cited

American Rhetoric: The Power of Oratory in the United States. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Apr. 2015.