<u><em>Dr. King uses allusions in his "I've Been to the Mountaintop" speech to make connections.</em></u>
Explanation:
A <u>thesis statement</u> often summarizes in a single sentence the main purpose of analysis and topic of an essay.
In this case, the essay's topic is the <u>figurative language</u>, which refers to the use of <u>figures of speech</u> to express a message in a more powerful and resonant way. This is usually done through similes, metaphors, personification, and <u>allusions</u>.