Remembering a Life Essay

I remember him in the misted vision of toddler years and again in girlhood, the booming voice on TV, someone grown-ups talked about, eyelids flapped wide. Elders huddled ’round the screen enraptured, in fear for him, in awe. In her â€Å"Remembering a Life,† Nordette Adams describes the black pioneer, heartthrob, charming, charismatic and inspirational leader; Martin Luther King. Although the main purpose of this paper is to speak about the immense power of the audio/visual media as well as identify its tools and spots of power, and according to essay writing rules, the introductory sentence should include the formal goal exposed; the writer finds it more appropriate and even attracting to start by the most important tool in visual media; the presenter. In the globalization era, media is the number one intercontinental tool. It has different types; starting with the written media represented in newspapers and journals, audio media represented in the radio, and finally and most influential the audio/visual media represented in speeches and TV shows. Obviously, the audio/visual media attracts the highest number of audience for its wide-spread and easy access features. â€Å"Sound and visual ‘illustrations’ are no longer mere minor complements to thought but they directly influence the thoughts and the very conduct of millions of individuals. It was therefore inevitable that a desire should spring up to master such a powerful instrument, to discipline it for better (education) or for worse (advertising, for example). † (pp. 1) Thence, the important elements that constitute any powerful piece of news item are: the effective words, charismatic presenter, as well as the use of intonation, gestures and above all the strong meaningful cause. A close look into the successful speech â€Å"I have a dream† presented by Martin Luther King can show the effective and successful elements of a media news item. As well-known to everyone, Martin Luther King is a revolutionary man who devoted himself to pursuing the case of the black, and defending their rights against oppression and discrimination. He is such a charismatic leader and talented speech presenter whose characteristics are essential to any media man. He was such an eloquent man who inspired many people. In this regard, Oprah Winfrey says: Nothing that has happened in my life since I was 16 years old would’ve been possible. I wouldn’t have been in radio, I wouldn’t have been on television, I would have been have been who I am †¦ I just wouldn’t have the life that I have without Martin Luther King Jr. , To have been a living witness to the changes his vision and his dream have brought – not just for me personally but for me personally – it really is amazing grace. He possessed wisdom of thought and strength of cause; and for his beliefs he said many philosophical quotes that can inspire any person wherever he is. To exemplify, he pleaded for work until the final breath â€Å"Even if I knew that tomorrow the world would go to pieces, I would still plant my apple tree,† he even cared for schools â€Å"When schools flourish, all flourishes,† and above all, he detested war â€Å"War is the greatest plague that can afflict humanity, it destroys religion, it destroys states, it destroys families. † In fact, it is no wonder he became the nowadays well-known Martin Luther King. In his speech â€Å"I have a dream,† Martin Luther King speaks it all loud in fluent, strong and coherent chosen words. He speaks the cause, history, acknowledgment, union, and requests. At the very beginning, he exposes the cause and history for the march and his speech; Five score years ago, a great American, in whose symbolic shadow we stand today, signed the Emancipation Proclamation. This momentous decree came as a great beacon light of hope to millions of Negro slaves who had been seared in the flames of withering injustice. It came as a joyous daybreak to end the long night of their captivity. But one hundred 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 languished in the corners of American society and finds himself an exile in his own land. And so we’ve come here today to dramatize a shameful condition. From the very beginning, the listener can highly sense the strong articulation of every word, as if Martin Luther King does not want the listener to escape a letter denoting the gravity of his cause. The brilliance is not merely in the choice of the eloquent words, or in the smooth flow of sentences, but it is clearly shown also in his mild intonation; for he uses a stable tone rising at certain points of needed assertion. For example, he emphasized the injustice done to the Negro by straining his vocal cords reflecting his pain and strong belief in his cause. Upon this pattern, he continues to unfold his reasons. Actually, Martin Luther King uses variable styles incorporating even ironic and literary images that enriche his speech turning it into a beautiful piece of art achieving amusement for any listener. He believes that God is just and that a discrimination free atmosphere is urgently needed for both Blacks and Whites. He states in rather an ironic image that â€Å"we refuse to believe that the bank of justice is bankrupt† moving the crowds to laugh at his simple, yet, powerfully righteous note. One more time, his intonation rises, but this time while talking about the present; Now is the time to make real the promises of democracy. Now is the time to rise from the dark and desolate valley of segregation to the sunlit path of racial justice. Now is the time to lift our nation from the quicksand’s of racial injustice to the solid rock of brotherhood. Now is the time to make justice a reality for all of God’s children. He speaks about the urgency of having real democratic and free country. However, he is also very reasonable. He refuses the black to obtain their freedom on the bodies of the white. He refuses violence thoroughly. Therefore, he gives credit to the white who support him in his cause; The marvelous new militancy which has engulfed the Negro community must not lead us to a distrust of all white people, for many of our white brothers, as evidenced by their presence here today, have come to realize that their destiny is tied up with our destiny. And they have come to realize that their freedom is inextricably bound to our freedom. Briefly, Martin Luther King exposes calmly his stance and asserts his beliefs before he reaches his climax. The climax of the speech exposes the ultimate strength of the words and performance. I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: â€Å"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal. † I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia, the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood. I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice. I have a dream that my four little 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. I have a dream today! Without taking a course in presentation skills, and without having training for an interview, Martin Luther King manages to use a firm and strong voice, in addition to his gestures that make the audience soar with his words. Watching this speech is indeed a pleasure because it bears within the meaningful message of a leader transmitted through media. The injustice done to any person in this life, and the discrimination against any person, all echo in this speech. The cause is so clear in the words, the presenter’s belief, and the crowds aggregated around him believing in his cause. In a nutshell, today’s democracy, freedom, peace and coexistence were built upon the shoulders of inspirational leaders such as Ghandi and Martin Luther King. ? Works Consulted: Adams, Nordette. Remembering A Life: A Poem Honoring Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Retrieved on March 30, 2010 from: http://www. authorsden. com/categories/poetry_top. asp? catid=69&id=109389 King, Martin Luther. (1963). I have a Dream Speech. Retrieved on March 30, 2010 from: http://www. mlkonline. net/video-i-have-a-dream-speech. html King, Martin Luther. Martin Luther Quotes. Retrieved on March 30, 2010 from: http://www. brainyquote. com/quotes/authors/m/martin_luther_3. html Lestage, Andre. (1959). The Use of Audio-visual Aids in Education. UNESCO Chronicle. Retrieved on March 30, 2010 from: http://www. unesco. org/education/nfsunesco/pdf/LESTAG_E. PDF Winfrey, Oprah. (2008). Oprah Winfrey: How Martin Luther King Changed My Life. Retrieved on March 30, 2010 from: http://www. people. com/people/article/0,,20172797,00. html