Did you know Dr. King didn’t say “I Have a Dream” until 12 min into his 17-min address? That surprised me. A master rhetorician, King gave one of the most famous speeches in US history. Today I’d like to show you one of my favorite things to do.
Oh, how I love to dissect a message at a granular level.
I do this for my clients’ messages now, but I first learned to do this in college with famous speeches … like Dr. King’s.
As shown on this slide, Dr. King follows the 5-point story arc to a tee.
I analyzed his talk the same way I analyze so many of yours. I watched his talk and read the transcript. Then I compared it to the fool-proof 5-point story arc invented by Gustav Freytag (a German playwright we can thank for putting pen to paper with it).
This is the same story arc I teach clients to follow. We use it for pitches & presentations as they create an argument for audiences
While watching Dr. King, I could hear and feel the story arc unfolding. I felt the transitions as he moved the audience through his argument.
He does so with such finesse & artistry; it is true mastery to behold.
📍Gems of rhetoric like this are not written overnight. They are written and re-written over and over. Deep thought is required and much reflection. The same is true for you if you want to achieve mastery.
When is the last time you watched his speech in full?
I had not until 4 or 5 years ago.
(HIS FULL SPEECH: Use this slide as a map: Watch the story arc unfold by watching the full version at https://lnkd.in/e9jFnWD)
