The most common public speaking advice I’ve encountered frames it as a performance, highlighting elements such as fluidity. This mindset is reinforced online, where guides like Harvard’s recommend omitting any “nervous gestures”. However, the success of Zohran Mamdani’s NYC mayoral race and Obama’s rise as a powerful speaker highlight how compelling oration shouldn’t be defined by seamless flow.
Through studying political science and sociology, I’ve noticed that the skill of pausing in speech is often overlooked in analyses of persuasive communication. Additionally, existing research traditionally focuses on the relationship between pauses and increased emphasis or retention of key points. Yet once I turned to analyzing Martin Luther King Jr. ‘s pauses in the March on Washington speech, I discovered how the impact of pauses goes beyond emphasis, also helping frame a leader as reflective, authentic, open, and engaging. This effect encourages us to rethink how we build presence and credibility as speakers.
When first examining this speech, I was surprised to learn that King’s best-known phrase, “I Have a Dream,” was never intended to appear. Since King had mentioned “the Dream” in previous speeches without gaining traction, his advisors omitted the notion from this speech’s script. Yet, around halfway through his speech, King took a 10-second pause during which his close friend Mahalia Jackson spontaneously shouted from the audience, “Tell ‘em about the dream, Martin”. From there, King looked over the crowd then went off-script, completely switching from a very metered “lecturing” to a spontaneous “pastoring” delivery.
That long pause between the two segments most clearly exemplifies reflection as it prompted King to transition away from his pre-scripted address. Given King’s background as a pastor, I found that the shift to a more “pastoral” style of speaking appears more authentic. To ground this finding in rhetorical analysis, I turned to Plato’s Phaedrus, which highlights the connection between rhetoric and seeking truth. This link revealed the significance of King’s pause as a defining reflective moment that prompted him to speak authentically. Beyond introspection, rhetoric as the pursuit of truth is also seen in King’s openness to the audience. King’s long pause created a space of engagement as it allowed Mahalia Jackson’s interjection. Relating these findings to leadership, I drew on Scholar Christopher P. Neck’s characterization of King as a “servant-leader” defined by receptiveness and service to others. Since pauses help frame King as authentic and open, they reinforce his “servant-leadership” and foster a sense of unity, which helps explain the speech’s lasting impact on audiences.
King’s shorter pauses similarly exemplify reflectiveness and engagement. In the “pastoring”-style section, an element that caught my attention was the placement of pauses within sentences. For instance, King repeats the phrase “I have a dream”, pauses, and then continues, repeating this structure several times. As this portion was unscripted, these pauses stood out to me as moments where King is reflecting on his next choice of words. I realized that Plato’s commentary relating rhetoric to truth was again relevant; Even these brief introspective silences contribute to the atmosphere of authenticity. Professor Neck’s concept of compelling leadership comes into play here too, demonstrating how frequent reflective pauses help build a consistent sense of sincerity, improving our understanding of King’s effectiveness as a speaker.
Even the scripted pauses in the first half of the speech have value beyond emphasis and retention. Pausing after each phrase provides the audience an opportunity to reflect on the particular sentence just uttered, thereby offering an invitation to engage. To connect this notion to rhetorical analysis, I used Mark Vail’s concept of “voice merging”, which describes how rhetorical strategies that symbolize unity between the speaker and audience help increase alignment to the leader. While Vail’s theory originally deals with the use of personal pronouns, I found that the invitation to engage created by pausing frequently similarly fosters this atmosphere of solidarity. Therefore, these pauses furthered King’s persuasiveness as a leader by representing mutual empowerment.
Finally, I want to note that these rhetorical effects must still be founded upon action and policy. King’s work organizing boycotts and protests was core to making him a compelling leader, then allowing his oratory skills to amplify his effectiveness. Taken in context, the “I Have a Dream” speech illustrates how pausing at key moments can present a speaker as more authentic and receptive.
Ultimately, King’s speech shows why we should move beyond conventional public speaking advice on fluidity and polish. Skillful pausing not only improves emphasis and retention, but also reinforces sincerity and openness as a leader.