Question

Now is the time to make real the promises of democracy. Now is the time to rise from the dark and desolate valley of segregation to the sunlit path of racial justice. Now is the time to lift our nation from the quicksands of racial injustice to the solid rock of brotherhood.

–"I Have a Dream,"
Martin Luther King Jr.

What are examples of metaphors in this passage from King’s speech? Check all that apply.

“time to make real”
“our nation”
“desolate valley of segregation”
“sunlit path of racial justice”
“quicksands of racial injustice”
“solid rock of brotherhood”

Answer 1

The metaphors are:
- “desolate valley of segregation”
- “sunlit path of racial justice”
- “quicksands of racial injustice”
- “solid rock of brotherhood”

Each of these compares an abstract condition (segregation, justice, injustice, brotherhood) to a concrete image (valley, path, quicksand, rock) to create figurative meaning. The other phrases are literal/idiomatic rather than metaphors.