Question

Read the excerpt from Martin Luther King Jr.’s "I Have a Dream” speech.

Fivescore 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.

The emotional connotation of the underlined word helps King emphasize the document’s

history.
significance.
timing.
creativity.

Answer 1

significance.

"Beacon" carries a positive, powerful emotional image (guiding light, hope) that emphasizes the Emancipation Proclamation’s importance and impact rather than its timing, history, or creativity.