This volume examines both the speeches and writings of Martin Luther King, Jr., highlighting a variety of interpretive approaches, including rhetorical analysis, close reading, and explorations setting King's work in social, cultural, historical, and political contexts. King Jr. is remembered today not only as one of the most important political and cultural figures in American history but also as one of America's most effective public speakers, and this volume discusses King the rhetorician and writer. Various essays examine a number of King's most significant speeches in detail, studying his use of metaphors, proverbs, contrasting phrases, balance, imagery, allusions, and numerous other techniques as well as the ethical, racial, and social dimensions of his work. The book also explores the impact King had on people who knew, heard, and read his words while he was still living as well as the influence he has had on later writers, including poets and novelists.<\\P>