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Dr. King's "I Have a Dream" Speech Quiz

One of the most famous speeches of the last century is  I Have a Dream, by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Though most Americans are familiar with the last section of the speech, in which Dr. King articulates his dream of freedom and equality, the rest of the speech deserves just as much attention for its social significance and rhetorical power.

After rereading the speech carefully, take this brief quiz, and then compare your responses with the answers on page two.

(c) in August 1963, at the climax of a march from the Washington Monument to the Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C.

In the second paragraph of the speech (beginning Five score years ago . . .), which extended metaphor does Dr. King introduce?

(e) life as a daydreamer’s doodles on a sheet of paper

Parallel to the famous refrain that appears toward the end of his speech (and which serves as its title) is an anaphora in the third paragraph. (An anaphora is the repetition of the same word or phrase at the beginning of successive clauses.) Identify this early refrain.

(a) a new church in Washington, D.C.

In paragraph nine of the speech (beginning The marvelous new militancy . . .), Dr. King says that many of our white brothers . . . have come to realize that their freedom is inextricably bound to our freedom. Define the adverb inextricably.

In paragraph 11 of the speech (beginning I am not unmindful . . .), Dr. King addresses those in the audience who have been unjustly imprisoned and who have been battered by . . . police brutality. What advice does Dr. King offer to these people?

Toward the end of the speech, in the paragraphs beginning with the now-famous phrase I have a dream, Dr. King mentions certain members of his own family. Which family members does he refer to?

Toward the end of his speech, Dr. King delivers a patriotic appeal by

(b) quoting “My country, ‘tis of thee . . ..”

At the end of his speech, Dr. King repeatedly calls out, Let freedom ring. Which one of the following locations does he not name in this part of the speech?

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