✦ Class 12 English Prose · Bihar Board

I Have
a Dream

Martin Luther King, Jr.

Delivered on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington DC on 28 August 1963 — the speech that raised public consciousness for the civil rights movement and made Martin Luther King Jr. one of the greatest orators in American history.

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Martin Luther King, Jr. 1929–1968 · Civil Rights Leader

The Author

Martin Luther King, Jr. (1929–1968)

A Baptist minister by training who became a civil rights activist early in his career.

Martin Luther King Jr. (1929–1968), a Baptist minister by training, became a civil rights activist early in his career, leading the Montgomery Bus Boycott and helping to found the Southern Christian Leadership Conference.

Influenced by Gandhi, his philosophy of non-violent resistance brought him worldwide attention. In 1964, King became the youngest person to receive the Nobel Prize for his efforts to end segregation and racial discrimination through civil disobedience and other non-violent ways. King was assassinated on April 4, 1968 in Memphis, Tennessee.

King's important works include Strength to Love (1953), Stride toward Freedom: The Montgomery Story (1958), Why We Can't Wait (1964), and Where do We Go from Here: Chaos or Community? (1968).

I Have a Dream is a speech he delivered on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington DC on August 28, 1963. Here he speaks about his dream of seeing Alabama as a developed state, free of racial distinction between the whites and the blacks. The speech had a huge impact in raising public consciousness for the civil rights movement and in establishing King as one of the greatest orators in American history.

👤

Full NameMartin Luther King, Jr.

🎂

Born1929

🕯️

DiedApril 4, 1968 · Memphis, Tennessee

⛪

ProfessionBaptist minister · Civil rights activist

🕊️

PhilosophyNon-violent resistance (influenced by Gandhi)

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Nobel Prize1964 · Youngest recipient at the time

Quick Overview

Summary

Concise overview of the chapter.

"I Have a Dream" is one of the most famous speeches in modern history, delivered by Dr Martin Luther King Jr. on 28 August 1963, from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C. before a crowd of over 250,000 people.

King begins by reminding his audience of the Emancipation Proclamation signed by Abraham Lincoln a century earlier — but says that a hundred years later, the Negro is still not free. He describes the condition of Black Americans as one of "shameful condition" — they live in poverty, are segregated, and are denied dignity.

He insists that the time has come for urgent action. "Now is the time," he repeats, to make real the promises of democracy, to rise from the dark valley of segregation to the sunlit path of racial justice. He warns that the struggle must be conducted with discipline and dignity — not with violence or hatred.

Then comes the famous refrain: "I have a dream." King dreams that one day the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will sit together at the table of brotherhood; that his four children will live in a nation where they will not be judged by the colour of their skin but by the content of their character.

He ends with a hope for the day when "all of God's children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual: 'Free at last! Free at last! Thank God Almighty, we are free at last!'"

I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the colour of their skin but by the content of their character. — Martin Luther King Jr.

The Text

I Have a Dream

Martin Luther King Jr.'s historic address at the Lincoln Memorial, 28 August 1963.

01 Five Score Years Ago

Five score years ago, a great American, in whose symbolic shadow we stand, signed the Emancipation Proclamation. This momentous decree came as a great beacon light of hope to millions of Negro slaves who had been seared in the flames of withering injustice. It came as a joyous daybreak to end the long night of their captivity.

02 One Hundred Years Later

But one hundred years later, we must face the tragic fact that the Negro is still not free. One hundred years later, the life of the Negro is still sadly crippled by the manacles of segregation and chains of discrimination. One hundred years later, the Negro lives on a lonely island of poverty in the midst of a vast ocean of material prosperity. One hundred years later, the Negro is still languishing in the corners of American society and finds himself an exile in his own land. So we have come here today to dramatize an appalling condition.

03 A Bad Cheque

It is obvious today that America has defaulted on this promissory note insofar as her citizens of colour are concerned. Instead of honouring this sacred obligation, America has given the Negro people a bad cheque which has come back marked 'insufficient funds'. But we refuse to believe that the bank of justice is bankrupt. We refuse to believe that there are insufficient funds in the great vaults of opportunity of the nation. So we have come to cash this cheque — a cheque that will give us upon demand the riches of freedom and the security of justice. 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 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.

04 The Fierce Urgency of Now

It would be fatal for the nation to overlook the urgency of the moment and to underestimate the determination of the Negro. This sweltering summer of the Negro's legitimate discontent will not pass until there is an invigorating autumn of freedom and equality. Nineteen sixty-three is not an end, but a beginning. Those who hope that the Negro needed to blow off steam and will now be content will have a rude awakening if the nation returns to business as usual. Negro is granted his citizenship rights. The whirlwinds of revolt will continue to shake the foundations of our nation until the bright day of justice emerges.

05 Not by the Cup of Bitterness

But, there is something that I must say to my people who stand on the warm threshold which leads into the palace of justice. In the process of gaining our rightful place we must not be guilty of wrongful deeds. Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred.

06 Meeting Physical Force with Soul Force

We must forever conduct our struggle on the high plane of dignity and discipline. We must not allow our creative protest to degenerate into physical violence. Again and again we must rise to the majestic heights of meeting physical force with soul force. The marvellous new militancy which has engulfed the Negro community must not lead us to distrust all white people, for many of our white brothers, as evidenced by their presence here today, have come to realize that their destiny is tied up with our destiny and their freedom is inextricably bound to our freedom. We cannot walk alone.

07 We Cannot Turn Back

And as we walk, we make the pledge that we shall always march ahead. We cannot turn back. There are those who are asking the devotees of civil rights, 'When will you be satisfied?' We can never be satisfied as long as our bodies, heavy with the fatigue of travel, cannot gain lodging in the motels of the highways and the hotels of the cities. We cannot be satisfied as long as the Negro's basic mobility is from a smaller ghetto to a larger one. We can never be satisfied as long as a Negro in Mississippi cannot vote and a Negro in New York believes he has nothing for which to vote. No, no, we are not satisfied, and we will not be satisfied until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.

08 Creative Suffering

I am not unmindful that some of you have come here out of great trials and tribulations. Some of you have come fresh from narrow cells. Some of you have come from areas where your quest for freedom left you battered by the storms of persecution and staggered by the winds of police brutality. You have been the veterans of creative suffering. Continue to work with the faith that unearned suffering is redemptive.

09 Go Back with Faith

Go back to Mississippi, go back to Alabama, go back to Georgia, go back to Louisiana, go back to the slums and ghettos of our northern cities, knowing that somehow this situation can and will be changed. Let us not wallow in the valley of despair.

10 I Still Have a Dream

I say to you today, my friends, that in spite of the difficulties and frustrations of the moment, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream.

I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: 'We hold these truths to be self-evident that all men are created equal.'

I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at a table of brotherhood.

I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a desert state, sweltering with the heat of injustice and oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice.

I have a dream that my four children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the colour of their skin but by the content of their character.

I have a dream today.

I have a dream that one day the state of Alabama, whose governor's lips are presently dripping with the words of interposition and nullification, will be transformed into a situation where little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls and walk together as sisters and brothers.

I have a dream today.

I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight, and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together.

I have a dream that my four children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the colour of their skin but by the content of their character. — Martin Luther King, Jr.

11 A Stone of Hope

This is our hope. This is the faith with which I return to the South. 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.

12 Let Freedom Ring

This will be the day when all of God's children will be able to sing with a new meaning, 'My country 'tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing. Land where my fathers died, land of the Pilgrim's pride, from every mountainside, let freedom ring.'

And if America is to be a great nation this must come true. So let freedom ring from the prodigious hilltops of New Hampshire. Let freedom ring from the mighty mountains of New York. Let freedom ring from the heightening Alleghenies of Pennsylvania!

Let freedom ring from the snowcapped Rockies of Colorado!

Let freedom ring from the curvaceous peaks of California!

But not only that; let freedom ring from the Stone Mountain of Georgia!

Let freedom ring from Lookout Mountain of Tennessee!

Let freedom ring from every hill and every molehill of Mississippi. From every mountainside, let freedom ring.

When we let freedom ring, when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God's children — black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics — will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual, 'Free at last! Free at last! Thank God Almighty, we are free at last!'

Quick Revision

Key Themes — I Have a Dream

Six ideas that shape Martin Luther King Jr.'s historic address.

⚖️ Broken Promises and the Urgency of Now

A hundred years after the Emancipation Proclamation, the Negro is still not free. America has given a "bad cheque" marked insufficient funds. King insists this is no time for gradualism — "the fierce urgency of now."

🕊️ Non-Violent Resistance

King urges his people to conduct their struggle on "the high plane of dignity and discipline" — meeting physical force with soul force. He draws directly on Gandhi's philosophy of non-violent resistance.

🤝 Brotherhood and Unity

"We cannot walk alone." The destiny of white and black Americans is tied together. King's dream is of sons of former slaves and sons of former slave owners sitting together at a table of brotherhood.

💭 The Power of a Dream

The dream is the central image of the speech, repeated again and again. It is "deeply rooted in the American dream" — the belief that all men are created equal, and that character matters more than colour.

🔥 Justice Like a Mighty Stream

"We will not be satisfied until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream." King demands full citizenship rights — voting, lodging, mobility and dignity — for every American.

🔔 Let Freedom Ring

From New Hampshire to Mississippi, from Colorado to Georgia, freedom must ring from every mountainside. The speech ends with the old Negro spiritual: "Free at last! Free at last! Thank God Almighty, we are free at last!"

Assessment

Test Your Understanding

Multiple choice · Fill in the blanks · Short answer. Everything is drawn from the text above.

🧠 Part A — Multiple Choice

Choose the best answer for each question. Click Check Answers at the end to see your score.

Score: — / 0

✏️ Part B — Fill in the Blanks

Complete each sentence on the basis of the text. Type your answer, then click Check Answers.

Score: — / 0

📝 Part C — Short Answer Questions

Think through your answer first, then click Show Model Answer to compare.

Textbook Exercises

Complete Exercise Bank

All questions from the Bihar Board Class 12 English Prose textbook — with answers and model responses.

A. Work in Small Groups and Discuss

Evils of caste system
Bihar of your dream

B.1 Write T for True and F for False

Read the following sentences and write T for true and F for false. Click to reveal the answer with explanation.

aThe hopes of the Negro population were fulfilled by the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation.

False (F). One hundred years later, the Negro is still not free — his life is "sadly crippled by the manacles of segregation and chains of discrimination."

bThe condition of the Negroes was appalling.

True (T). King says: "So we have come here today to dramatize an appalling condition."

cThe 'bank of justice' is bankrupt.

False (F). King says: "But we refuse to believe that the bank of justice is bankrupt."

dThe author prefers racial discrimination.

False (F). King's entire speech is a demand for the end of racial discrimination and segregation.

eThe nation could overlook Negro problems.

False (F). King says: "It would be fatal for the nation to overlook the urgency of the moment and to underestimate the determination of the Negro."

fThe Negroes of America had citizenship rights.

False (F). The speech implies that the Negro has not been granted his citizenship rights — that is the whole grievance. King says the whirlwinds of revolt will continue "until the bright day of justice emerges."

gThe author hates the white Americans.

False (F). King says many white brothers "have come to realize that their destiny is tied up with our destiny" and "we cannot walk alone." He explicitly asks his people not to distrust all white people.

hHe advocates non-violent struggle.

True (T). King urges: "We must not allow our creative protest to degenerate into physical violence. Again and again we must rise to the majestic heights of meeting physical force with soul force."

B.2 Answer the Following Questions Briefly

1What is the author trying to achieve through his speech?

Through his speech, Martin Luther King Jr. is trying to achieve full civil rights, freedom and equality for the Negro people of America. He wants to dramatize the appalling condition of the Negro, to demand that America honour its promissory note of freedom and justice, and to inspire his people to continue a dignified, non-violent struggle. Ultimately, he wants to see a nation where people are judged by the content of their character, not the colour of their skin.

2Do you think Martin Luther King is a great orator? What, according to you, are the qualities of a great orator? What does Martin Luther King urge his people to do?

Yes, Martin Luther King Jr. is undoubtedly a great orator. His speech uses powerful repetition ("I have a dream", "One hundred years later", "Let freedom ring"), vivid imagery ("a lonely island of poverty", "a stone of hope"), Biblical and historical references, and a soaring, rhythmic cadence that moves the listener emotionally.

Qualities of a great orator: clarity of thought, sincerity of purpose, command of language, powerful repetition and rhythm, emotional appeal, moral conviction, confidence, and the ability to connect with the audience.

What King urges his people to do: He urges them to conduct their struggle on the high plane of dignity and discipline, not to let their protest degenerate into physical violence, to meet physical force with soul force, to continue working with faith that unearned suffering is redemptive, and never to be satisfied until justice and righteousness prevail.

3What is their pledge?

Their pledge is: "as we walk, we make the pledge that we shall always march ahead. We cannot turn back." They pledge to keep marching forward in the struggle for freedom and justice without ever retreating.

4What are the 'trials and tribulations' the author talks about?

The 'trials and tribulations' are the great troubles and sufferings the Negro people have endured in their quest for freedom. Some have come fresh from narrow cells (prison). Some have come from areas where their quest for freedom left them "battered by the storms of persecution and staggered by the winds of police brutality." King calls them "veterans of creative suffering."

B.3 Answer the Following Questions Briefly

1'This is our hope' (Paragraph 19). What is the hope?

The hope is that with faith, the Negro people will be able to "hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope" — to transform the jangling discords of the nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood, to work, pray, struggle and go to jail together, and to stand up for freedom together, knowing that they will be free one day. It is the hope of eventual freedom and brotherhood.

2If America is to be a great nation what must become true?

If America is to be a great nation, freedom must ring from every mountainside — from the prodigious hilltops of New Hampshire, the mighty mountains of New York, the Alleghenies of Pennsylvania, the Rockies of Colorado, the peaks of California, Stone Mountain of Georgia, Lookout Mountain of Tennessee, and every hill and molehill of Mississippi. In short, true freedom and equality for all must become a reality.

3Why and when will they thank the Almighty?

They will thank the Almighty when freedom finally rings from every village, hamlet, state and city — when all of God's children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, join hands and sing the old Negro spiritual: "Free at last! Free at last! Thank God Almighty, we are free at last!" They will thank God for granting them the long-awaited freedom.

C.1 Long Answer Questions

Prepare detailed answers. Click to reveal model responses.

1'The life of the Negro is still sadly crippled by the manacles of segregation and the chains of discrimination.' Elaborate.

King uses the powerful metaphor of manacles (handcuffs) and chains to describe how the Negro's life is bound and crippled by segregation and discrimination. One hundred years after the Emancipation Proclamation, the Negro is still not free. He lives "on a lonely island of poverty in the midst of a vast ocean of material prosperity." He is "languishing in the corners of American society" and finds himself "an exile in his own land." The manacles of segregation keep him separate from white society, while the chains of discrimination deny him equal opportunities in housing, education, employment and voting. These are not physical chains but social, legal and economic ones — and they are just as binding.

2What would be fatal for the nation? Why? Explain.

King says: "It would be fatal for the nation to overlook the urgency of the moment and to underestimate the determination of the Negro." This would be fatal because the Negro's discontent is legitimate and deep. "This sweltering summer of the Negro's legitimate discontent will not pass until there is an invigorating autumn of freedom and equality." Those who hope that the Negro needed merely to "blow off steam" and will now be content will have a rude awakening. The whirlwinds of revolt will continue to shake the foundations of the nation until the bright day of justice emerges. Ignoring the problem will only lead to greater unrest and division.

3What was the 'dream'? How many times 'I have a dream' appears in the lesson? Discuss the importance of this repetition.

King's dream is of a future America free of racial discrimination and segregation. He dreams that the nation will live out its creed that all men are created equal; that sons of former slaves and sons of former slave owners will sit together at a table of brotherhood; that Mississippi will become an oasis of freedom and justice; that his four children will be judged by their character, not the colour of their skin; and that in Alabama, little black boys and girls will join hands with little white boys and girls as sisters and brothers.

The phrase "I have a dream" appears eight times in the speech.

Importance of this repetition: The repetition creates a powerful rhythm and builds emotional intensity. It fixes the dream firmly in the listener's mind and transforms it from a personal vision into a collective aspiration. It is anaphora — a rhetorical device that gives the speech its unforgettable, hymn-like quality.

4What is the pledge? When will it be fulfilled?

The pledge is that "we shall always march ahead. We cannot turn back." It is a pledge of continued, determined, non-violent struggle for freedom and civil rights.

It will be fulfilled when freedom rings from every village and hamlet, from every state and city — when all of God's children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, join hands and sing, "Free at last! Free at last! Thank God Almighty, we are free at last!" In other words, it will be fulfilled on the day when complete freedom, equality and brotherhood become a reality in America.

5Do you have a dream for your state? Narrate your dream in your own words.

(Model response) Yes, I have a dream for my state. I dream of a state where every child — boy or girl, rich or poor, from any caste or community — has access to quality education. I dream of a state where farmers get a fair price for their crops and where villages have clean water, electricity and good roads. I dream of a state where women can walk safely at any hour and where no one is discriminated against because of caste, religion or gender. I dream of a state where employment is available to the youth and where talent, not connections, decides success. Above all, I dream of a state where people treat each other with dignity and where the fruits of development reach the poorest of the poor.

C.2 Group Discussion

Discuss the following in groups or pairs.

Racial discrimination
Rights of a female child

C.3 Composition

Write a paragraph of about 100 words on each of the following.

Human rights
Secularism

D.1 Dictionary Use

Ex 1Correct the spelling of the following words: opportunity, beginning, hatered, prodegeons, curvacious, antem.

Corrected spellings:
opportunity · beginning · hatred · prodigious · curvaceous · anthem

Ex 2Look up a dictionary and write two meanings of each of the following words — the one in which it is used in the lesson and the other which is more common: exile, decree, stream, despair, ring.

exile: (lesson) a person forced to live away from his own country — "finds himself an exile in his own land"; (common) the state of being barred from one's native country.

decree: (lesson) an official order by a ruler — "This momentous decree"; (common) a court judgment or official order.

stream: (lesson) a flow of water — "righteousness like a mighty stream"; (common) a continuous flow of something (data stream, stream of traffic).

despair: (lesson) complete loss of hope — "the mountain of despair"; (common) the feeling of having no hope.

ring: (lesson) to produce a clear sound — "let freedom ring"; (common) a circular band worn on the finger, or to telephone someone.

D.2 Word-formation

Find out the root words and the prefixes/suffixes added to the following words.

Qmomentous · segregation · discrimination · marvellous · righteousness · persecution · nullification · freedom · community · devotee · brotherhood · spiritual

momentous — root: moment + suffix -ous
segregation — root: segregate + suffix -ion
discrimination — root: discriminate + suffix -ion
marvellous — root: marvel + suffix -lous
righteousness — root: righteous + suffix -ness
persecution — root: persecute + suffix -ion
nullification — root: nullify + suffix -cation
freedom — root: free + suffix -dom
community — root: common + suffix -ity
devotee — root: devote + suffix -ee
brotherhood — root: brother + suffix -hood
spiritual — root: spirit + suffix -ual

D.3 Word-meaning

Match the words given in Column A with their meanings in Column B.

Ex 1Match: legitimate · threshold · inextricably · staggered · redemptive · oppression · tranquilizing · molehill · jangling · emancipation

legitimate → in accordance with law
threshold → the point just before a new situation
inextricably → closely bound
staggered → walk or move unsteadily
redemptive → compensating for the faults
oppression → cruelty
tranquilizing → becoming calm
molehill → small pile of earth
jangling → unpleasantly harsh
emancipation → freedom

D.4 Phrases

Find the sentences in the lesson where these phrases are used, then use them in sentences of your own.

aso far as

In the lesson: "It is obvious today that America has defaulted on this promissory note so far as her citizens of colour are concerned."

My sentence: So far as I know, the meeting has been postponed to next week.

bcooling off

In the lesson: "This is no time to engage in the luxury of cooling off."

My sentence: After the argument, both friends took some time for cooling off before they spoke again.

cseek to

In the lesson: "Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred."

My sentence: We should not seek to blame others for our own mistakes.

dinstead of

In the lesson: "Instead of honouring this sacred obligation, America has given the Negro people a bad cheque."

My sentence: She walked to school instead of taking the bus.

eblow off

In the lesson: "Those who hope that the Negro needed to blow off steam and will now be content will have a rude awakening."

My sentence: The players needed a break to blow off steam after the intense match.

fbound to

In the lesson: "their freedom is inextricably bound to our freedom."

My sentence: A student's success is closely bound to regular study and discipline.

gstand up for

In the lesson: "we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together."

My sentence: We must all stand up for what is right, even when it is difficult.

hquest for

In the lesson: "Some of you have come from areas where your quest for freedom left you battered by the storms of persecution."

My sentence: His quest for knowledge took him to many libraries across the world.

E. Grammar — Correct Form of Verbs

Put the correct form of the verbs given in the brackets and complete the sentences.

aThe Negro still ____________ himself an exile in his own country. (find)

The Negro still finds himself an exile in his own country.

bPeople ____________ to realise the plight of the Negroes. (come)

People have come to realise the plight of the Negroes.

cWe will not ____________ until justice is done. (satisfy)

We will not be satisfied until justice is done.

dLet freedom ____________ from the mighty mountains of New York. (ring)

Let freedom ring from the mighty mountains of New York.

eMartin Luther ____________ America proud. (do)

Martin Luther made America proud.

F. Activity — Prose and Verse

The Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary defines prose as the written or spoken language that is not verse. Study the diagram: Language branches into Prose and Verse. Prose further branches into written (drama, short story, novel, essay, letter, autobiography, biography) and spoken (speech, debate, argument, sermon).

aTry to find out the various verse forms and make a list of them.

Various verse forms:
• Epic · Lyric · Sonnet · Ode · Elegy · Ballad · Haiku · Limerick · Free verse · Blank verse · Villanelle · Sestina · Couplet · Tercet · Quatrain · Cinquain · Acrostic · Narrative poem · Dramatic monologue · Pastoral · Satire

bFind out the definitions of the prose forms given in the box from a good dictionary and show to your teacher.

Drama: a play for theatre, radio or television, written in dialogue form.
Short story: a brief work of fiction, typically focusing on a single incident or a few characters.
Novel: a long narrative work of fiction portraying characters and events, usually in a connected sequence.
Essay: a short piece of writing on a particular subject, expressing the author's views.
Letter: a written or printed communication addressed to a person or organisation.
Autobiography: an account of a person's life written by that person.
Biography: an account of someone's life written by another person.
Speech: a formal address or discourse delivered to an audience.
Debate: a formal discussion on a particular topic, in which opposing arguments are put forward.
Argument: a reason or set of reasons given to persuade others that an idea is right or wrong.
Sermon: a talk on a religious or moral subject, especially one given during a church service.

📚 Glossary & Notes

Key words from the lesson with their meanings.

momentous (adj): very important
decree (n): pronouncement
seared (v): burnt
manacles (n): handcuffs, restricting freedom
segregation (n): the act of isolating people according to race, religion and sex
discrimination (n): unfair treatment to a person or a group
languishing (v): to fail to be successful or improve
exile (n): deportee, refugee
appalling (adj): shocking, extremely bad
hallowed (adj): made holy
sweltering (adj): hot and perspiring
inextricably (adv): closely
tribulations (n): great trouble or suffering
ghetto (n): slum area densely populated by an isolated community
battered (adj): worn out, crushed, whacked
persecution (n): bad and cruel treatment
staggered (adj): reeling, dropped, fallen
redemptive (adj): giving salvation, releasing
wallow (v): reel, stumble
oasis (n): refuge, haven, safe place
prodigious (adj): very great in size
hamlet (n): a very small village