Name: ________________
Class: ____________
Date: ___________
“I Have a Dream” - Dr Martin Luther King
This is the climax of a speech delivered by the Reverend Dr Martin Luther King at a civil rights
march in Washington on 28th August 1963. It is one of the most powerful and most famous
speeches of the 20th Century.
So I say to you, my friends, that even though we must face the difficulties of
today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American
dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed – we
hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.
I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia, sons of former slaves and
sons of former slave-owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.
I have a dream that one day, even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with
the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an
oasis of freedom and justice.
I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they
will not be judged by the colour of their skin but by the content of their character. I have
a dream today.
I have a dream that one day the state of Alabama, with its vicious racism, with its
governor's lips dripping with the words of interposition and nullification, will be
transformed into a situation where little black boys and black girls will be able to join
hands with little white boys and white girls and walk together as sisters and brothers. I
have a dream today.
I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, every hill and mountain
shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be
made straight, and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it
together.
This is our hope. This is the faith with which I return to the South.
With this faith we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of
hope. With this faith we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into
a beautiful symphony of brotherhood.
With this faith we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle
together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be
free one day. This will be the day when all of God's children will be able to sing with a
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Name: ________________
Class: ____________
Date: ___________
new meaning, "My country, 'tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing. Land where
my fathers died, land of the pilgrim's pride, from every mountainside, let freedom ring."
And if America is to be a great nation, this must become true.
So let freedom ring from the prodigious hilltops of New Hampshire.
Let freedom ring from the mighty mountains of New York.
Let freedom ring from the heightening Alleghenies of Pennsylvania!
Let freedom ring from the snow-capped Rockies of Colorado!
Let freedom ring from the curvaceous peaks of California!
But not only that.
Let freedom ring from Stone Mountain of Georgia!
Let freedom ring from Lookout Mountain of Tennessee!
Let freedom ring from every hill and every molehill of Mississippi.
From every mountainside, let freedom ring.
This speech is not finished. Write what you think might be the last 5 lines of the speech.
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
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SpeechUnit8_09
Name: ________________
Class: ____________
Date: ___________
“I HAVE A DREAM” Martin Luther King
REPETITION. Highlight these words in the speech. How many times is each word used?
o Free
o Freedom
o Faith
o Dream
Repeated sentence patterns.
 Highlight and list repeated phrases which begin with a verb (“Let…).

Highlight and list other repeated patterns. (E.g. “This is …”) How many times is it
used?
PERSONAL PRONOUNS. On your copy of the speech, highlight all the personal pronouns “I”,
“we” and “you”
Find verbs which refer to the future (e.g. Will rise up, will be transformed). Highlight them and
copy them out.
RELIGIOUS IMAGERY.
Highlight and list all the words to do with God, religion or words which may have come from
holy books.
Martin Luther King has used a quotation. Copy it out.
“ ____________________________________________________ “
Where do you think it comes from:
 a novel
the bible
 a hymn
a President’s election speech
Highlight and list all the words that refer to America, the nation or to names of American states.
WRITING TASK

The speech is unfinished. Finish the last section in the same style.
Explain the language remembering to include your point, explanation and examples.
I think Martin Luther King uses religious words because ….
I think he uses the repetition of “Let freedom ring …” because
SpeechUnit8_09
Name: ________________
Class: ____________
Date: ___________
Chief Joseph’s speech
“I am tired of fighting. Our chiefs are killed. Looking Glass is dead.
Toohoolhoolzote is dead. The old men are all dead. Ollokot, he who led
the young men, is dead.
“It is cold, and we have no blankets. The little children are freezing to
death. My people, some of them, have run away to the hills, and have no
blankets, no food. No one knows where they are – perhaps freezing to
death. I want to have time to look for my children, and see how many of
them I can find. Maybe I shall find them among the dead.
“Hear me, my chiefs! I am tired. My heart is sick and sad. From where
the sun now stands I will fight no more forever.”
Directions: Find, underline and number examples of where:
1. He goes into detail about the misery of their living conditions
2. He gives evidence to back up what he says.
3. He repeats his message and sums up the situation
4. He gives an overall view of the situation for his people
5. He talks personally but on behalf of his tribe
6. The speech becomes more personal and emotional
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Name: ________________
Class: ____________
Lesson 2. Chief Joseph’s speech.
Date: ___________
Starter: Techniques Martin Luther King used. Cloze exercise.
Key ideas
repetition
Emotive words
Repetition
Religious words
Personal pronouns “I”, “we”, “you”,
Learning objectives
 To identify purpose of a speech AF6
 To work out the structure of a speech. AF4
 To identify some of the techniques the speaker has used. AF4
(Answer to cloze)
In his powerful, moving and emotive speech, Martin Luther King uses techniques which we will
find in many speeches. For example, he repeats key ideas and words so that the audience will
remember them. Examples of key words repeated are “free”, “freedom”, “dream” and faith”.
Not only are key words repeated, but phrases and sentence patterns are repeated too. Repeated
phrases and patterns such as “I have a dream”, “With this faith”. “we will be able to work
together, we will be able to pray together, to struggle together …” and “Let freedom ring from
…” give an emotional feeling to his words. Martin Luther King also uses a number of religious
words which also give importance and emotion to his words. Examples are “God’s children”,
“faith”, and “Lord”. He also reminds people that America is a great land that stands for
freedom and justice.
Document3
SpeechUnit8_09
Name: ________________
Class: ____________
Date: ___________
“I Have a Dream” - Dr Martin Luther King
In his …………………………………., moving and emotive speech, Martin Luther King uses
techniques which we will find in many ………………………………….. For example, he
………………………………………. key ideas and words so that the …………………………………………..
will remember them. Examples of key words repeated are
“…………………………………………”, “freedom”, “……………………………………………….” and faith”. Not
only are key words repeated, but phrases and sentence patterns are repeated too,
such as “I have a dream”, “With this faith”. “we will be able to work together, we
will be able to pray …………………….., to ……………………. together …” and “Let freedom ring
from …”. These give an emotional feeling to his words. Martin Luther King also
uses a number of …………………………….. words which give importance and emotion to his
words. Examples are “God’s children”, “faith”, and “……………………… ”. He also
reminds people that America is a ……………………… land that stands for freedom and
justice.
Word bank (there are 2 extra words you don’t need)
Audience
love
struggle
Lord
together
powerful
repeats
speeches
Fight
dream
great
free
religious
SpeechUnit8_09
Name: ________________
Class: ____________
Date: ___________
A Powerful Speech – Chief Joseph’s Speech
I. A powerful beginning is important to get your readers’ attention straight away.
Look again at the first sentence of Chief Joseph’s speech: I am tired of fighting.
a. Do you think this sentence would get the readers’ attention? Why?
b. Chief Joseph says he is tired of fighting. Do you think he means:
 He can go no further and needs to sleep?
 He has had enough and does not want to fight any more?
 He can no longer bear to see the results of the fighting?
Explain what you think he means and why you think this…
c. Do you think he is speaking for himself or for his whole tribe when he
describes how he feels?
II. Providing evidence is a good way to develop your ideas.
In the middle of the speech Chief Joseph provides evidence to convince his
listeners.
a. What evidence does he include? Find at least three examples.
1.
2.
3.
b. How does this evidence prove that he is tired of fighting?
III. A good speech needs a memorable conclusion.
At the end of his speech Chief Joseph goes back to the point he made at the
beginning. What is this point?
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Name: ________________
Class: ____________
Date: ___________
Finding examples of powerful speaking – Chief Joseph’s Speech
Find examples of rhetorical devices from this speech. Copy and complete the
chart. Find EXAMPLES from the speech of and EXPLAIN its effect
DEVICE
EXAMPLE
THE EFFECT OF THIS
IS…
A powerful opening statement
“I am tired of fighting.
The audience feels sorry. A
short simple statement
immediately sums up his
feelings
Repetition (Key words or
phrases)
“freezing to death”; “dead”
first person pronouns
“I am tired”, “Our chiefs are
killed”, “Hear me, my
chiefs”
Addressing the audience
directly
Emotive language
Short simple sentences
It arouses feeling of pity and
sadness in the audience. The
words convey the speaker’s
despair.
“Our chiefs are killed.
Looking Glass is dead.
Toohoolhoolzote is dead. The
old men are all dead.”
Referring to individual
People
Alliteration
“My heart is sick and sad”.
SpeechUnit8_09
Name: ________________
Class: ____________
Date: ___________
RHETORICAL DEVICES WEB…
Rhetorical
Questions
Use of
specific
examples.
A powerful
opening
Repetition
Rhetorical
devices
Use of
pronouns-I,
WE YOU.
Alliteration
Short
simple
sentences
Emotive
language
SpeechUnit8_09
Name: ________________
Class: ____________
Date: ___________
SUGGESTED ANSWERS – TEACHER COPY
RHETORICAL
DEVICE. The
writer uses:
A powerful opening
statement
FOR EXAMPLE
EXPLAIN. It suggests/
makes the audience feel…
conveys the idea that…
“I am tired of fighting.
The audience feels sorry. A short
simple statement immediately
sums up his feelings
Key words or
phrases repeated
“freezing to death”;
“dead”
These are the powerful point he
wants the audience to remember.
first person
pronouns
“I am tired”, “Our
chiefs are killed”,
“Hear me, my chiefs”
It helps the audience see
event from his personal point
of view
Addressing the
audience directly
“Hear me, my chiefs.
Hear me, my chiefs!”
It makes the audience listen
because they are being spoken to
directly.
Emotive language
“death”, “dead”,
“children” and “old
men” dead.
It arouses feeling of pity and
sadness in the audience. The
words convey the speaker’s
despair.
Short simple
sentences
“Our chiefs are killed.
Looking Glass is dead.
Toohoolhoolzote is
dead. The old men are
all dead.”
“Looking Glass is dead.
Toohoolhoolzote is
dead.”
The message is straightford and
easy to take in. It suggests pauses
in the speech which give time for
reflection and thought. There’s
nothing more to elaborate on –
this is final.
“My heart is sick and sad”.
The soft sounds make the
audience feel sorry and
emphasises his sadness.
Referring to
individual
People
Alliteration
The pain is greater when he refers
to real people who have died.
SpeechUnit8_09
Name: ________________
Class: ____________
Date: ___________
Old Major’s Speech from Animal Farm by George Orwell
“Comrades, you have heard already about the strange
dream that I had last night. I do not think, comrades, that
I shall be with you for many months longer, and before I
die I feel it is my duty to pass on to you such wisdom as I
have acquired. I have had a long life, I have had much
time for thought as I lay alone in my stall, and I think I
may say that I understand the nature of this life on earth
as well as any animal now living. It is about this that I
wish to speak to you.
“Now, comrades, what is the nature of this life of ours?
Let us face it: our lives are miserable, laborious, and
short. We are born, we are given just so much food as
will keep the breath in our bodies, and those of us who
are capable of it are forced to work to the last atom of our
strength; and the very instant that our usefulness has
come to an end, we are slaughtered with hideous cruelty. No animal in England
knows the meaning of happiness or leisure after he is a year old. No animal in
England is free. The life of an animal is misery and slavery: that is the plain truth.
“But is this simply part of the order of nature? Is it because this land of ours is so
poor that it cannot afford a decent life to those who dwell upon it? No, comrades,
a thousand times no! The soil of England is fertile, its climate is good, it is capable
of producing food in abundance. This single farm of ours would support a dozen
horses, twenty cows, hundreds of sheep – and all of them living in comfort and
dignity.
“Why then do we continue in this miserable condition? Because nearly the whole
of the produce of our labour is stolen from us by human beings. There, comrades,
is the answer to our problems. It is summed up in a single word – Man. Man is
the only real enemy we have. Remove Man from the scene, and the root cause of
hunger and overwork is abolished for ever.
“Man is the only creature than consumes without producing. He does not give
milk, he does not lay eggs, he is too weak to pull the plough, he cannot
run fast enough to catch rabbits. Yet he is lord of all the animals. You cows that I
see before me, how many thousands of gallons of milk have you given during this
last year? And what has happened to that milk which should have been breeding
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Class: ____________
Date: ___________
up study calves? Every drop of it has gone down the throats of our enemies. And
you hens, how many eggs have you laid this year, and how many of those eggs
ever hatched into chickens? The rest have all gone to market to bring in money for
Farmer Jones and his men. And you, Clover, where are those four foals that you
bore? Each was sold at a year old – you will never see one of them again. In
return for this and for all your labour in the field, what have you ever had but bare
rations and a stall?
And even the miserable lives we lead are not allowed to reach their natural span.
For myself I do not grumble, for I am one of the lucky ones. I am twelve years old
and have had over four hundred children. Such is the natural live of a pig. But no
animal escapes the cruel knife in the end. You young porkers (pigs) that are sitting
in front of me, every one of you will scream your lives out at the block within a
year. To that horror we all must come – cows, pigs, hens, sheep, everyone. You,
Boxer, the very day that those great muscles of yours lose their power, Jones will
sell you to the knacker, who will cut your throat and boil you down for the foxhounds. As for the dogs, when they grow old and toothless, Jones ties a brick
round their necks and drowns them in the nearest pond.
“Is it not crystal clear, then, comrades, that all the evils of this life spring from
human beings? Only get rid of Man, and the produce of our labour could be our
own. Almost overnight we could become rich and free. What then must we do?
Why, work night and day, body and soul, for the overthrow of the human race!
That is my message to you, comrades. Rebellion!”
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Name: ________________
Class: ____________
Date: ___________
For Old Major’s Speech from Animal Farm by George Orwell
DEVICE/FEATURE
Find example
RHETORICAL
QUESTION(s)
REPETITION
PATTERN OF 3
Addressing audience directly
by name (making it personal
and speific!
ADDRESS the audience as
YOU;
PERSONAL PRONOUNS
(e.g. I, We)
EMOTIVE LANGUAGE
MORE EMOTIVE
LANGUAGE:
FRIGHTEN THEM
SPECIFIC EXAMPLE:
IDENTIFY or NAME the
ENEMY
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Name: ________________
Class: ____________
Date: ___________
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