Final answer:
The bolded figurative language implies that Martin Luther King's voice had a strong impact on his audience, paralleling the powerful and resonant quality of thunder.
Step-by-step explanation:
The figurative language in the sentence 'Martin Luther King's voice rolled like thunder over the crowd at the Lincoln Memorial' is a metaphor that compares the power and resonance of King's voice to the sound of thunder. This metaphor suggests that King’s speech had a strong and commanding presence, capturing the attention of his audience and echoing with authority and influence, much like thunder that reverberates through the air.
When Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his iconic 'I Have a Dream' speech at the Lincoln Memorial during the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, his words had a profound effect on the crowd and on the history of civil rights in America. His speech was not only heard but felt by the over 200,000 people present and millions more who have listened to it since.