Rhetorical Devices Used In Letter From Birmingham Jail

Martin Luther King Jr. obviously used many rhetorical strategies to persuade these clergymen into hearing his side of the story, but there are a few that he uses numerous times throughout this letter. He used many rhetorical questions in order to let the men think about what they were accusing. In the

Martin Luther King’s “Letter from Birmingham Jail” addresses to the entire country to persuade each and every one of them to take action on the civil right cause. In the first part of the letter, King’s journey was stated and defended to help his fellows on justice. Proceedingly, he challenges his view as an outsider, which became very effective in his argument. He called to action several group of people and for them to consider a peaceful protest movement for the injustice of African Americans. With a calculated, yet urgent tone he was able to address the concerns of his audience.

As a leader of civil rights activist, Martin Luther King wrote a letter in response to the Alabama clergymen called, “Letter to Birmingham Jail” to discuss and present different tactics to end racial discrimination. The clergymen respect King’s ideas, however they were hesitant about his tactics because they believe in the end it will turn out to be violent. King understands why they might be unsure about his tactics but does not approve in what the clergymen labeled his strategies is one of an “extremist”. In order to bring his explanations across he uses rhetorical strategies to help achieve what he is trying to convince the clergymen of the idea of being an extremist. Logos is one of the rhetorical devices King uses to support his opinion.

Summary of the Letter In Dr. Martin Luther King Jr’s “Letter from a Birmingham Jail”, he addresses many criticisms from clergymen. King started out by addressing the fact that the clergymen are calling him an outsider. He also addressed how to have nonviolent cases and how laws are breakable if they are unjust. The clergymen believed that the blacks needed to be patient and that their actions were untimely, but King does not agree. Finally, King addresses the problems in the church and the Birmingham police force.

The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. strategically orchestrated a written response to the eight white clergymen that criticized his presence and actions in Birnmingham, Alabama. Dr. King’s main intention in constructing the letter was to correct any misunderstandings alleged by the clergymen and to justify the despairing need for a nonviolent action towards racial equality and justice for all humans. Dr. King’s illustrated his point of the letter by addressing the emotional, logical, and ethical side of mankind. Early in Dr. King’s letter uses an ethical appeal when he addresses the letter as, “My Dear Fellow Clergymen.”

Martin Luther KING, Jr. Was able to build his argument and make it stronger by letting his opinion known by reply the clergymen. King addresses his audience in his letter from being emotional, moral and religious. Martin Luther king was being emotional in his letter which was regarded as pathos by Ramage, John and Johnson et al, in their book titled “writing arguments, a rhetoric with readings” as part of the way to let his audience know what he was passing through and the reason while justice should reign. He evokes this by his quotes “Just as Socrates felt that it was necessary to create a tension in the mind so that individuals could rise from the bondage of myths and half truths to the unfettered realm of creative analysis and objective appraisal, so must we see the need for nonviolent gadflies to create the kind of tension in society that will help men rise from the dark depths of prejudice and racism to the majestic

Literary Devices of Martin Luther King Martin Luther King’s Letter from Birmingham Jail effectively disproved the points made by the Alabama Clergymen in their public statement that attacked the actions taken by African Americans, including King himself, whom participated in demonstrations against racism. Literary devices were King’s fuel in this piece, advancing his counter arguments and aiding key persuasive elements. His use of diction created a deep sense of imagery that had the power to put the reader into a place of true agreement. Hypophora added logical bases that supported King’s words and his arguments.

Dr. King successfully makes use of several rhetorical devices throughout this letter, none being more prevalent than that of logos. Dr. King’s arguments are exceedingly logical in their appeal. He clarifies all of the points for his arguments as well as providing supporting details for them as well. For example, in the beginning of his letter, Dr. King offers a direct response to the clergymen’s critical claims that these protest were “unwise” as well as “untimely”(Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. 1) .Throughout

He then refers to his earlier statement about the apathy of the clergymen regarding the reason for the demonstrations, alluding to their anxiety over the protesters willingness to break the law. However, he brings up a dichotomy: the laxness and rigidity in which different laws are enforced. Namely, he sarcastically refers to the apprehensive enforcement of the 1954 Supreme Court decision outlawing segregation. Well, why are only some laws enforced? King answers this question by stating that there are two kinds of laws: just and unjust.

He sets up his argument by saying that there are specific steps to take during a nonviolent campaign. He then elaborates on what he did to accomplish these steps. He justified his actions by saying, “Nonviolent direct action seeks to create such a crisis and establish such a creative tension that a community that has constantly refused to negotiate is forced to confront the issue”(266). He also refuted how the clergymen told him his actions were untimely by stating that, “This “wait” has almost always meant “never””(267). He even discredits the clergymen even more by saying “it is easy for those who have never felt the stinging darts of segregation to say wait.”

Unlike King’s letter, he does not use a rhetorical question in his speech. This is because it is a speech and he wants his audience to have an emotional appeal, rather that a logical appeal. He wants to have an emotional appeal becauses he is trying to push his audience to fight for civil rights. Martin Luther King Jr. uses rhetorical devices in his

Martin Luther King wrote the “Letter From Birmingham Jail” and the “I Have a Dream” speech in the midst of segregation to speak against racial injustice. The letter was written while he spent his time at Birmingham Jail pondering on things. He delivered his “I Have a Dream” speech during the March on Washington. In general, King often incorporates rhetorical devices to prove his points and give his pieces greater effects. The two pieces are similar because they use the same rhetorical devices to battle racial injustice.

King’s letter is exceptionally successful because his similes result in solid logos. He uses similes or comparisons to justify his is logic in being in Birmingham and leading desegregation movements. Dr. King uses numerous similes from the bible and other religious comparisons. On the first page he talks about Apostle Paul and how what he is doing in Birmingham is a similar situation. Apostle Paul was spreading the christian word the same way Dr. King was attempting to spread freedom.

At the end of his letter he addresses the clergymen " I also hope that circumstances will soon make it possible for me to meet each of you, not as an integrationist or a civil rights leader, but as a fellow clergymen and a Christian brother" (paragraph 7). This statement makes a claim the king wants to meet these seven clergymen in person and speak about the issues he wrote in this letter. Another rhetorical tool king uses in his letter are similes. This rhetorical tool helps king compare two things and address the point as he sees it. " Over the last few years I have consistently preached that nonviolence demands that the means we use must be as pure as the ends we seek" (paragraph 3).

Martin Luther King, Jr. attempts to persuade clergymen to follow in his civil rights movement through exhibiting his knowledge over just and unjust laws, displaying peaceful behavior, and empathetic diction. King was very knowledgeable about laws and his right as a human. King stated laws in his letter to the clergymen, which displayed his credibility. He did not only state laws, he also stated just and unjust laws. King stated, “How can you advocate breaking some laws and obeying others?”