Thank you very kindly, my friends. As I listened to Ralph Abernathy and his eloquent and generous introduction and then thought about myself, I wondered who he was talking about. It's always good to have your closest friend and associate to say something good about you, and Ralph Abernathy is the best friend that I have in the world.

I'm delighted to see each of you here tonight in spite of a storm warning. You reveal that you are determined to go on anyhow. Something is happening in Memphis, something is happening in our world. (1.1–2.3)

Some speeches begin with calls to attention: "Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears." (Not a request for actual ears, obvi. Don't be weird.) Others begin with a hypnotic once-upon-a-time: "Four score and seven years ago . . . ." Still others throw out a provocative statement to get your attention: "It is natural to man to indulge in the illusions of hope."

Thanks for categorically trashing hope, Debbie Downer Henry.

This speech doesn't do any of that. Instead, Dr. K's opening remarks are relaxed and conversational. There's no feeling yet that he's making a Big Historical Statement; instead, he thanks the audience for their applause, thanks Ralph Abernathy for introducing him so generously, and then tells everyone he admires them for showing up despite the treacherous weather.

That's it. He just sort of…starts.

So, why begin a speech this way, rather than offering a big, bold opening line? Well, a couple reasons. One is that MLK wasn't expecting to speak at all, so he didn't have any prepared text to deliver. He was just making up the speech as he went along, drawing on years of experience as a preacher and public figure. So he probably wasn't exactly sure how the speech would go. He just started talking and went with it.

(Note that "Dr. King did it" will almost certainly not get you off the hook for winging a presentation. He's a professional.)

Another reason is context: when he gave "I've Been to the Mountaintop," Dr. K was among friends and allies, so he's speaking to them as friends and allies. Instead of talking at people in some high oracular tone, King is relaxed, friendly, and humble. These first sentences create a feeling of conversation. Even though he's a Keeping Up with the Kingdashians-level celebrity, MLK is not apart from the group, but a part of it. They're all in this together: it's an idea he'll return to over and over in this speech.

After establishing a rapport with his audience, Dr. K does drop a big, bold statement after all: "Something is happening in Memphis[;] something is happening in our world" (2.3).