MARTIN AND THE MOUNTAINTOP, the poem, was written in response to feelings about the human qualities of Martin Luther King, Jr. The poem probes a possible struggle King might have endured in his work. What emotions the "man" Martin must have gone through when people he loved died in the cause. We know he valiantly struggled forward after every act of hate and violence; but what about his quiet (or not so quiet) moments with God? Did he sometimes ask if the struggle was worth the lives of loved ones... especially those of innocent children. How did the "man" Martin, find a way to go deeper into the cause, and to continue the climb? His dream of Brotherhood, and his vision of the promised land, suggest a unique link with God. These are the elements tapped for the poem MARTIN AND THE MOUNTAINTOP.