Question

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

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.

Which are examples of metaphors in this excerpt of King’s speech? Select 4 options.

“the life of the Negro”
“manacles of segregation”
“chains of discrimination”
“one hundred years later”
“lonely island of poverty”
“ocean of material prosperity”

Answer 1

- “manacles of segregation”
- “chains of discrimination”
- “lonely island of poverty”
- “ocean of material prosperity”

(These compare abstract conditions to physical objects/places — a hallmark of metaphor.)