Question

Read the following excerpt and pay close attention to the words the author uses: With this faith, we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope. With this faith, we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood. With this faith, we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day. In a paragraph of four to six sentences, identify three words or phrases with positive connotations and explain how these words influence the paragraph. Be sure to specifically answer the following questions in your response: What images or ideas are associated with each word? How do these words influence the meaning and tone of this passage? Use proper spelling and grammar in your response.

Answer 1

In the excerpt from Martin Luther King's speech "I have a Dream," three words with positive connotations are hope, brotherhood and together. Hope gives a feeling of expectation or desire for something to happen. Brotherhood implies a community of people who share a common interest and remain united. Meanwhile, together gives the impression that people are in proximity to and in collaboration with other people. The words influence the meaning and tone of the passage because the ideas or images associated with them are pleasant, and they arouse enjoyable emotions in the reader or listener.