Famous speeches and what they teach
Two of the best-known speeches in English lean on the same device: a phrase repeated at the start of line after line.
"I Have a Dream", Martin Luther King Jr.
- When and where
- August 28, 1963, at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C., during the March on Washington (NPR).
- The device
- Anaphora: King repeats "I have a dream" eight times, and each return of the phrase adds a new picture of the America he hoped for (Stand Up, Speak Out).
- What to borrow
- One short, repeated phrase that grows in meaning each time it returns.
"We shall fight on the beaches", Winston Churchill
- When and where
- June 4, 1940, to the House of Commons (International Churchill Society).
- The device
- Anaphora again: "We shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets" (International Churchill Society).
- What to borrow
- Rhythm. Short parallel phrases are easy to say and easy to remember.
Use it in your own talk
Pick the line you most want remembered and repeat it at the start of a few short sentences. The anaphora entry shows how.
Try a line out loud
Repetition only works when it is spoken well. Record your line and check whether you rushed the rhythm.
Practise out loud for freeFree on iPhone and Android
Sources
- Read Martin Luther King Jr.'s 'I Have a Dream' speech in its entirety, NPR
- Using Language Effectively, Stand Up, Speak Out (Saylor Academy open textbook)
- We Shall Fight on the Beaches, International Churchill Society
- Anaphora, Dictionary.com