Repitition

=__ Repetition __ = As they say in the Middle East, "repetition does not diminish the prayer. **If they don't repeat the message, it will never stick**."

http://www.livingroomcandidate.org/commercials/1984/reaganomics

Anaphora, the repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of a successive clause, is a commonly used rhetorical device. The repetition of phrases or words helps emphasize Martin Luther King Jr.’s purpose of inspiration and fighting against discrimination.

“But **one hundren years later**, the Negro still is not free. **﻿One hundred years later**, the life of the Negro is still sadly crippled by the manacles of segregation and the chains of discrimination. **One hundred years later**, the Negro lives on a lonely island of poverty in the midst of a vast ocean of material prosperity. **One hundred years later**, the Negro is still languishing in the corners of American society and finds himself an exile in his own land. So we have come here today to dramatize a shameful condition.”


 * He uses repetition of the situation now and what needs to be corrected.
 * MLK refers to the past to show ** no change ** in the situation for the African Americans.

"**Let freedom ring** from the snowcapped Rockies of Colorado!

**Let freedom ring** from the curvaceous slopes California!

But not only that; **let freedom rin**g from let Stone Mountain of Georgia!

**Let freedom ring** from Lookout Mountain of Tennessee!

**Let freedom ring** from every hill and molehill of Mississippi. From every mountainside, let freedom ring."

Why does Martin Luther King Jr. talk about many geographic regions?


 * Repetition of key phrases at the beginning of each sentence.
 * ** Encourages ** the people to fight for their freedom.

The word freedom is repeated ** 20 times **, which is the primary theme of the speech.
 * Repetition to try to prove his point of no equality and it's not changing.
 * He has a ** dream ** to live free and without discrimination.
 * When a phrase or word is repeated, people start to remember it and believe what you are saying.

MLK uses repetition to **connect with the audience**. “ ** I have a dream ** that my four children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.”
 * Martin Luther King Jr.’s dream was to live a life free from discrimination against African Americans.
 * Appeals to emotions by referring to children and their future.

Repetition was used to help Martin Luther King Jr. make his point more clearer and **to inspire and encourage people to fight for their freedom.**