Common Core Questions
I Have a Dream
Directions: Copy the question onto your paper. Underline it. Write your
answer below then cite 3 examples from the text to support your answer.
1. Who is Martin Luther King, Jr.? What do you know about him? What do you
know about his famous speech, “I Have a Dream”?
2. What is King’s argument? Who is his audience and what does he want them
to do?
3. How does King organize his speech? How does each section advance his
argument?
4. Metaphor: Identify the metaphors that you find most compelling to King’s
argument. Explain each metaphor and what you find most compelling
about it given King’s argument, purpose, and audience.
5. Allusion: King makes several allusions in this speech. Research one and
explain its role in his argument.
6. Study King’s use of repetition. What does he repeat, and for what
purposes? How does his use of repetition link to and advance his
argument?