Syntactic features
2.1 Repetition and parallelism
One distinctive feature about King’s sentence structure is the abound use of repetition and parallelism, two devices widely employed to create more emphatic and emotional effect. In particular, the number of times of using repetition is so large that few of other famous speeches could match it. There are all kinds of repetitions in the whole speech. More than 200 words that are involved in repetition count more than one tenth of the total vocabulary
Parallelism, as a kind of rhetorical devices, is universally applied in speeches, and this speech by King is no exception to it. Parallelism consists of phrases, sentences or paragraphs of similar or the same structure, making comparisons or contrasts between them so as to point out their differences and similarities. The use of parallelism could produce a strong sense of power of the rhythm and thus highly attracts audience’s attention. Here in King’s speech, parallelism is widely exploited.
3. Semantic features
3.1 Euphemism:
In the first paragraph, King said, “It came as a joyous daybreak to end the long night of captivity.” Here “captivity” is a kind of euphemism. Euphemism is substitution of an agreeable or inoffensive expression for one that may offend or suggest something unpleasant. Actually in our life there are some things that should not be stated bluntly or truthfully—that there are times when it is necessary, even wise, not to “call a spade a spade” but to use some better-sounding name. As we know, many black people’s (now we call American African) ancestors were captured to be slaves and lead a harsh life. Much to our surprise, never has King mentioned “slavery” not only in the first paragraph but also in the whole speech. “Slavery” as a system would bring to minds the sad and humiliating picture of the past. To some extent, it reflects King’s as well as the blacks’ desire to change the current situation. The “captivity” here means more than it is suggested.
Examples of euphemism can also be found in the fifth paragraph, where King declares that “those who hope that the Negro needed to blow off steam and will now be content will have a rude awakening if the nation returns to business as usual”. Here “a rude awakening” is also a kind of euphemism. By making this statement, King warns those who discriminate the black that if they continue doing what has been doing from now on, they will surely have bad and unpleasant experience, for the black will no longer stay calm but resort to violence. By using such euphemism, a pleasant way to comfort the blacks and soften the shock of the reality, King succeeded in earning audience’s respects and thus arouses their feeling, for euphemism as a figure of speech, is more than saying something unpleasant in a pleasant way. To some extent, it reflects King’s as well as the blacks’ desire and determination to change the current situation.
3.2 Simile
Simile is an expression that describes something by comparing it with something else, using the word “as” or “like”.By using such kinds of vivid simile, King succeeds in leaving us deep impression.
3.3 Metaphor
In King’s speech, one of the notable features is that metaphors abound. For instance, in Paragraph 1 to Paragraph 2, having a great beacon light of hope, the blacks are said to have been “seared in the flames of withering injustice”. They are “crippled by the manacles of segregation and the chains of discrimination” and they live “on a lonely island of poverty in the midst of a vast ocean of material prosperity”.
which serve to animate and humanize what is inanimate, do give us more space for our imagination and make his speech more magnificent, imposing and impressive and thus greatly inspire the listeners!
3.4 Pun
3.5 Pun
To pun is to play on words, or rather to play with the form and meaning of words, for a witty or humorous effect. Here King wonderfully exploits the use of punning. Let us read this sentence in paragraph 3, “In a sense we have come to our nation’s Capital to cash a check”. Here “capital” literally means “town or city that is the centre of government of a country, state or province”. However, it means more than this. “Capital” can also mean “wealth or property that may be used to produce more wealth” (Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, 1995:186). Here we can refer “capital” to those who own much capital, mostly those are against equal civil rights for the black
3.5 Paradox and irony
Paradox is a statement that seems impossible because it contains two opposing ideas that are both true.
4. Phonological features
4.1 Rhythm of sentences
4.2 Alliteration
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