Dreams are clearly a recurring symbol in the speech, with the phrase “I have a dream” appearing eight separate times toward the speech’s climax. The dream King envisions is an America where race does not divide its citizens and all states are beacons of freedom, justice, and brotherhood. His dream is an idealistic vision for the future, which is not to say it is unrealistic. Rather, King states the continued work of the civil rights movement can make the dream a reality. His message is an optimistic one, then, as it suggests Heaven can be made on Earth and no dream is too big to work toward creating. King’s listed dreams parallel the structure of the listed grievances earlier in the speech, suggesting the dreams are a cure for the horrors Black Americans daily face. By asserting the real cruelty, his dream lands as both a welcome bit of escapism from the real world and an aspiration encouraging his audience to keep the faith and keep up the fight. The dream of racial equality is both the thing that keeps King working and the goal of the work.

While his dream has biblical elements (as he says, for instance, his dream includes the revelation of “the glory of the Lord”), King also roots his dream in patriotism, directly tying it to the American Dream.