Non Verbal Cues in Martin Luther King's Speech Essay

Martin Luther's speech, 'I have a dream,' is one of the most excellent speech to have ever been given and by a man who believed in fighting for the rights of the people. This speech was great but what made it even more significant is the posture and none verbal cues which Martin Luther used to make his speech more powerful and believable by the people present on the ground and even to those who the message was intended for. Throughout the address, his chin was held high, and this is an indication that he believed in his ideas and had confidence in what he was saying. He looked up to the crowd as well a sign to show that he wanted them to believe in the message which he was passing to them and also this ensured the bond between him and the people who believed in him grew all the more.

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Throughout his speech, he was shaking his head in a way as to say no but this was not that he did not believe in his words, but it was an indication that he did not agree with the way they were being treated. This shake of his head was an indication that he was determined to continue the quest for the freedom of the people. The shaking of his head was also an indication that the oppression of the people angered him and that he was determined to make America a better place where tyranny would be a thing of the past. His posture is steady and upright an indication of a person who is sure of his message. He raises his hands twice in his speech a sign to show the people that he was open to do and accomplish what he was talking about (Daily motion, 2010).

His intonation was rising in some instances to show determination in the words which he was saying to the people. He used a high volume so that all could here, and the volume varied as his emotions increased to show that he indeed meant what he was saying. As the people continued to agree with him, he raised his volume as well to show the people that he too was thinking and saying what they wanted to hear. At the end of the speech, his volume is even higher when he says 'free at last,' and this is an excellent way to end an address in a high voice as it helps pass the meaning of the entire message more effectively (Daily motion, 2010). His pace is well calculated, not slow and not fast just the right pace to allow for the message to sink and it took him a good 17 minutes.

Conclusion

The errors in his non-verbal cues are that fist he was not moving he stood at one point and moving would have had a better impact as the crowd would have felt that was more sure of his message and not scared at all. He could also have improved his eye contact, there was eye contact, but it could have been more to enhance and increase the belief the people had in his reassuring speech. Nevertheless, it was a great speech which was delivered at a time when the nation needed change, and it indeed helped to forge the courage people had to begin fighting for that change.

Reference

Daily Motion. (2010). Martin Luther King - I Have A Dream Speech (17 Min). Retrieved May 10, 2018, from Daily motion: https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x833ml