I Have a Dream” Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
“
(First reading – vocabulary & literary devices)
1. What was the occasion for this speech? The March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom – civil
rights leaders wanted to pressure the president to sign the Civil Rights Act. They were concerned
about jobs for African-Americans.
2. What metaphors does Dr. King use? He compares slavery to flames, the Emancipation
Proclamation to daybreak and slavery to a long night.
3. What is segregation? Separating races in areas like restrooms, restaurants, schools, etc.
4. What is discrimination? unfair treatment of a person, racial group, minority, etc.
5. What metaphors does Dr. King use? He compares segregation to manacles, discrimination to
chains, poverty to a lonely island in the middle of an ocean of prosperity, and Negros to exiles.
6. What metaphors does Dr. King use? The check is compared to promises made to all men in the
Constitution, the bad check is the lack of equality. Dr. King says that justice is bankrupt and
compares freedom to riches and justice to security.
7. Why is “Now” capitalized? Because Dr. King is saying that it is a proper time, almost like a
month.
8. What do you suppose “gradualism” is? Doing things slowly and gradually – specifically, that
African-Americans were asked to be happy with gradually earning their civil rights.
9. What metaphors does Dr. King use? He compares gradualism to a tranquilizing drug,
segregation to a desolate valley, racial justice to a sunlit path, racial injustice to quicksand, and
brotherhood to a solid rock.
10. What metaphors does Dr. King use? He compares the past of inequality to a sweltering
summer, the time of freedom and equality to an “invigorating autumn,” revolt to whirlwinds, and
justice to a bright day.
11. What metaphors does Dr. King use? He compares the current times to a threshold, justice to
a palace, desire for freedom to a thirst, and impatience for equality that leads to violence to a cup
of bitterness and hatred.
12. Where do you think the quote came from? The Bible.
13. What metaphors does Dr. King use? He compares persecution to storms, police brutality to
winds, his listeners who have suffered during this battle to veterans.
14. Where do you think the quote came from? Declaration of Independence.
15. What do you suppose “interposition” and “nullification” mean in this context? That the
governor is trying to go against something that will give African-Americans their civil rights.
16. Where do you think the quote came from? The Bible.
17. What metaphors does Dr. King use? He compares injustice and oppression to heat, freedom
and justice to an oasis, despair to a mountain, hope to a stone, the current disagreement in the
country to jangling discords, brotherhood (a stop to the disagreement) to a symphony.
18. What phrase does Dr. King repeat in this section? “Let freedom ring”.
19. Where do you think the first quote came from? A patriotic song.
20. What is a “Negro spiritual”? religious (generally Christian) songs that were created by
enslaved African people in the United States.
21. What does the ending mean? That only when all people are equally free will anyone be free.
Then all people of all races can celebrate together.
22. What message did you understand from this first reading? Answers will vary; however,
specific answers are not necessary at this point in the lesson as students will deepen their
understanding with subsequent readings.