pie ce ▁of ▁r het or ic , ▁King ' s ▁speech ▁inv okes ▁p iv otal ▁documents ▁in ▁American ▁history , ▁including ▁the ▁Dec laration ▁of ▁Independ ence , ▁the ▁E man cip ation ▁Pro clam ation , ▁and ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁Constitution . ▁Early ▁in ▁his ▁speech , ▁King ▁all udes ▁to ▁Abraham ▁Lincoln ' s ▁G ett ys burg ▁Address ▁by ▁saying ▁" F ive ▁score ▁years ▁ago ▁... " ▁In ▁reference ▁to ▁the ▁abol ition ▁of ▁sla very ▁art ic ulated ▁in ▁the ▁E man cip ation ▁Pro clam ation , ▁King ▁says : ▁" It ▁came ▁as ▁a ▁joy ous ▁day break ▁to ▁end ▁the ▁long ▁night ▁of ▁their ▁capt ivity ." ▁An ap hora ▁( i . e ., ▁the ▁repet ition ▁of ▁a ▁phrase ▁at ▁the ▁beginning ▁of ▁sentences ) ▁is ▁employed ▁throughout ▁the ▁speech . ▁Early ▁in ▁his ▁speech , ▁King ▁ur ges ▁his ▁audience ▁to ▁se ize ▁the ▁moment ; ▁" Now ▁is ▁the ▁time " ▁is ▁repeated ▁three ▁times ▁in ▁the ▁sixth ▁paragraph . ▁The ▁most ▁widely ▁c ited ▁example ▁of ▁an ap hora ▁is ▁found ▁in ▁the ▁often ▁quoted ▁phrase ▁" I ▁have ▁a ▁dream ", ▁which ▁is ▁repeated ▁eight ▁times ▁as ▁King ▁pain ts ▁a ▁picture ▁of ▁an ▁integrated ▁and ▁un ified ▁America ▁for ▁his ▁audience . ▁Other ▁occasions ▁include ▁" One ▁hundred ▁years ▁later ", ▁" We ▁can ▁never ▁be ▁satisfied ", ▁" With ▁this ▁faith ", ▁" Let ▁freedom ▁ring ", ▁and ▁" free ▁at ▁last ". ▁King ▁was