Page 160 - The New Articulate Executive_ Look, Act and Sound Like a Leader

KEEP THE MOMENTUM GOING 151

begins to pull out the rhetorical stops. Suddenly he unleashes, again
and again, the words that embody his theme:
“I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up . . .”
“I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia . . .”
“I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi . . .”
“I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in
a nation . . .”
There are four more “dream” lines. This “dream” sequence—
repetition aimed at the gut—is an effective rhetorical device that can
serve to mesmerize almost any audience. But more importantly, it
builds momentum just when the speech needs it.

Moments later, as he drives to a passionate finish, he tops the

whole thing off with another emotional flourish that amps up the
intensity even more:
“Let freedom ring from the snowcapped Rockies of Colorado!”
“Let freedom ring from . . .”
“Let freedom ring from . . .”
“Let freedom ring from . . .”
“Let freedom ring from . . .”
Then: “When we allow freedom to ring, when we let it ring
from every village and every hamlet . . .” and then a moment later

the final words that still resonate today:
“Free at last! Free at last! Thank God Almighty, we are free at
last!”
The momentum carries all the way to the fi nal crescendo.
My point is that Martin Luther King Jr. understood that you’ve
got to build excitement. He knew that an essentially “fl at” speech—
with the same energy level in the beginning, middle, and end—runs
the risk of sagging, usually toward the fi nale.

THE DANGER ZONE

The danger zone typically occurs as we approach the 18-minute wall
(Chapter 14), often because most people fail to sustain their energy