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Definition of Tone
The tone of a piece of writing is its general character or attitude, which might be cheerful or depressive, sarcastic or sincere, comical or mournful, praising or critical, and so on. For instance... read full definition
The tone of a piece of writing is its general character or attitude, which might be cheerful or depressive, sarcastic or sincere, comical or mournful, praising or critical... read full definition
The tone of a piece of writing is its general character or attitude, which might be cheerful or depressive, sarcastic or sincere, comical... read full definition
Tone
Explanation and Analysis:
King's tone in this speech may be surprising to modern readers. There is certainly "a fierce urgency of now," with bombastic, speechifying phrases like the repeated "We must not be satisfied" late in the speech. But King is not angry in his speech, nor does he seek to villainize any political opponent or any segment of the population.
King's tone, instead, is forgiving and pluralistic. King includes every part of the country and its people in his new dream. His tone is not a violent, rousing, us-against-them construction; instead it is generous, accepting, and focused on togetherness. King believes that Americans, generally, can be better to one another than they have been, and that freedom is gained when everyone reaches that potential—not that a certain group is irrevocably bad and must be squashed on the path to justice. This hopeful tone is what distinguishes this speech from other American political rhetoric. He urges his listeners not to hate, but to focus their energies on coming together:
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 tied up with our freedom.
King knew this was surprising to his audience. He distinguished himself from other speakers in that his tone was not of anger or hate, but of hope, cooperation, and love. In a move that was as radical and shocking then as it is now, King draws everyone, no matter their race, into his dream:
When the architects of our republic wrote the magnificent words of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, they were signing a promissory note to which every American was to fall heir. This note was the promise that all men, yes, black men as well as white men, would be guaranteed the unalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
This quote is the best example of King's tone: he believed that hope and progress come from the goodwill of every last American, "all men, yes, black men as well as white men."
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