It’s a compelling call to action that can’t be ignored. The sense of urgency is palpable, and his instructions are crystal clear. Again and again, we must rise to the majestic heights of meeting physical force with soul force.” We must not allow our creative protest to degenerate into physical violence. We must forever conduct our struggle on the high plane of dignity and discipline. Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred. “In the process of gaining our rightful place, we must not be guilty of wrongful deeds. Strive for the first to make sure your key points truly sink in, and avoid the second by stripping away anything that doesn’t directly support those key messages. Purposeful repetition, stripped down to its purest essence, can be potent and poetic, but it’s worth noting that being repetitive–rambling or including too much extraneous information, is a different thing altogether. King’s crucial idea–that now is the time for action–seeps into your consciousness and gathers strength through the expressive repetition and emphasis. Now is the time to make justice a reality for all of God’s children.”ĭr. Now is the time to lift our nation from the quicksands of racial injustice to the solid rock of brotherhood. Now is the time to rise from the dark and desolate valley of segregation to the sunlit path of racial justice. “Now is the time to make real the promises of democracy. Not only does repetition help your message stick, it can improve your presentation’s rhythm, structure, and flow, as in this gem of a passage: MLK makes use of many of these, to great effect. In a presentation, there are a number of compelling ways to employ contrast–problem/solution, past/present, present/future, us/them, ideal/reality. Nothing brings an idea or a concept sharply into focus like demonstrating what it’s not. Vivid imagery, evocative language, and on-point metaphors are mighty tools for making your message clear and memorable. And so, we’ve come to cash this check, a check that will give us upon demand the riches of freedom and the security of justice.” We refuse to believe that there are insufficient funds in the great vaults of opportunity of this nation. Instead of honoring this sacred obligation, America has given the Negro people a bad check, a check which has come back marked “insufficient funds.” But we refuse to believe that the bank of justice is bankrupt. When the architects of our republic wrote the magnificent words of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, they were signing a promissory note to which every American was to fall heir. “In a sense we’ve come to our nation’s capital to cash a check. King weaves in an evocative extended metaphor, like a golden thematic thread, about cashing a check: It’s the elegant balance between these two elements–the intellectual and the emotional the head and the heart–that makes his speech so compelling and satisfying.įor example, Dr. King turns his attention to his listeners’ emotions as he quotes passages from the Bible, “My Country Tis of Thee,” and a stirring Negro spiritual. These intellectual references give his words weight and credibility they ground his speech in significant historical context. King eloquently references the Gettysburg Address as well as the Emancipation Proclamation, the Constitution, and Declaration of Independence. He Included Touchstones That Spoke To Both The Head And The Heart Abraham Lincoln also incorporated context in his iconic speech. Even if you’re presenting essentially the same material in Annapolis and Anaheim, it’s worth exploring what inspiration you can draw from each location to make your overall presentation more unique, more tailored, and more memorable. Think about place, and how you can weave imagery, anecdote, and historical context into your presentation.
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