Question

Read the excerpt from Martin Luther King Jr.’s "I Have a Dream" speech. We have also come to this hallowed spot to remind America of the fierce urgency of now. This is no time to engage in the luxury of cooling off or to take the tranquilizing drug of gradualism. 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. Now is the time to make justice a reality for all of God's children. Which of these statements explain King's repetition of the phrase "now is the time" in this excerpt?

a) Waiting, or cooling off, is not the answer to the problem.
b) There are too many problems to be solved immediately.
c) There are too many promises that have been broken.
d) There is too much injustice that needs to be corrected.

Answer 1

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s repeated use of "now is the time" underscores the urgent need for immediate action in the civil rights movement, rejecting any form of delay in addressing racial injustices and moving towards equality and brotherhood. The correct answer among the provided options is (a) Waiting, or cooling off, is not the answer to the problem.

Step-by-step explanation:

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s usage of the phrase "now is the time" in his "I Have a Dream" speech evokes a sense of immediacy and urgency in the fight for civil rights. This repetition is a rhetorical strategy that emphasizes the critical moment in history and the need for immediate action. King highlights the ongoing racial injustices and calls for a swift move towards equality, signaling that delay or inaction is no longer acceptable.

The phrase serves as a clarion call to make good on the long-overdue promises of democracy and to transition from a society riddled with segregation and racial injustice to one built on the values of brotherhood and racial justice. By insisting that the time for change is now, King rejects the notion of gradualism and insists on immediate transformation.

Among the provided options, the correct answer is (a) Waiting, or cooling off, is not the answer to the problem, which captures the thrust of King's insistence on taking urgent action against the systemic racial discrimination that plagued the United States at the time. The other options do mention issues such as broken promises and rampant injustice, but they do not specifically address the urgency conveyed through the repetition of "now is the time."