The WordSmith
by Darin M. Bush
Let Freedom Ring
I sat down to write about the most renowned Wordsmith of our
era, the Reverend Doctor Martin Luther King, Jr. I happened to notice an
article in December’s “The Toastmaster” which highlights Dr. King’s “I Have a
Dream” speech. While I have no interest in competing with the official
Toastmaster International (TI) publication, I would like to comment on Dr.
King’s use of language in this speech. I want to talk about his Wordsmithery.
Regardless of politics, King must be acknowledged as a great
orator. He was an experienced speaker even before he was swept up in the Civil
Rights movement. He was also passionate, educated, thoughtful, and looked both
forward to the future and back into history. His “I Have a Dream” speech shows
many examples of these qualities.
The TI manuals emphasize the quality of knowing your audience
and knowing where you are speaking. King was intentionally standing on the
steps of the Lincoln Memorial when he delivered the “Dream” speech. The very
first sentence contains a reference to Abraham Lincoln. Also a great orator,
Lincoln began his most famous speech with “
In four words, he set the tone for both the speech and the
march. He acknowledged both how much has improved, and how much work was left
to be done. He began the next paragraph with the more modern term “…one hundred
years…” to bring his audience back to the present. King also knew he must speak
to the future. Given the quality and power of his words, he has done just that.
The full text of Dr. King’s speech can be printed
from www.creighton.edu/mlk/speeches/dream.html
Questions? Suggestions? Email me by the score at the Tourette Tiger
Copyright 2003-2005 by