This speech by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr is a very powerful one which calls the people of Memphis to act against violence and racism and to use non-violent methods of equality. However, as in much of King’s speeches, there is an aspect of his speech-writing that is quite interesting. This “speech” isn’t truly a speech at all. It is a conversation. A dialogue between him and his “listeners.” For example, he starts off with a personal joke and talks to the audience as a friend, which honestly is a common speech practice. But he doesn’t stop there. He goes on to talk to the crowd as a group of individuals as if he knows them all personally. He says that he’s “delighted to see each of you here” and that “you are determined.” He continues with these informalities by talking about what he would do in certain situations, his own opinions, and informal transitions between his thoughts. This method, in my opinion, is nothing short of brilliant. Here is a famous man, Dr Martin Luther King Jr, and he is talking to these individuals like a commoner. He is bringing himself to their levels and acting as their close personal friends, and in doing so, he gains their support and faith. This tactic, which King uses quite often, shows the difference one has to make when writing a speech as opposed to writing an essay, and few do that better than Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.