ipl-logo

Comparing Mlk's I Have A Dream And Letter From Birmingham Jail

801 Words4 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: I have a dream martin Luther king how did this speech affect people

MLK is a kind of man who puts his mind to something and never gives up. His two pieces of work “I have a Dream Speech” and “Letter from Birmingham Jail” both explain why segregation and discrimination are an issue. The strategy he uses is to grab readers and listeners attention is by using charged language and stirring emotions also called as “Emotional Appeal” or “Pathos” style of work. MLK does this by expressing his thoughts and feelings on what he thinks is right and what is wrong about the whole ordeal. He takes into consideration what the Negro women and children are experiencing, and what they’re suffering through. King wants this to end immediately, but he can’t do it alone without the help of the negro, and white men and women who …show more content…

Throughout the Speech and the Letter, he covered areas that needed attention, such as segregation and how bad the Negroes are being treated as to the White men and women being treated not nearly as bad. MLK had spoken in the “Dream Speech” that “Now is the time to lift our nation from the quicksand of racial Injustice to the solid rock of brotherhood” (MLK Dream, 6). MLK is speaking in a way to attract listeners and use similes to let people realize that we need to do something, and do it quickly. MLK wrote a letter from the Birmingham Jail asking why he was thrown into the cell, and letting people know why he is protesting the way he is and what his beliefs are. He mentions also on how to run a nonviolent campaign, which he was currently attempting to do before getting bombarded by the white police. He goes into depth on how Negroes are being treated worse than the white men and women. MLK quoted from what John Bunyan has said which is “I will stay in jail to the ends of my days before I make a butchery of my conscience” (MLK, 31). MLK is basically saying that he will stay faithful to his beliefs and his movement, he won’t give in, he will fight until justice is …show more content…

This strategy is done by using a clear line of reasoning supported by evidence such as facts, data, or expert testimony. I didn’t think MLK used “Logos” more common because although he does state a few facts, he speaks and writes in a way where the listener or the reader can understand what is being said by using other things to compare it. Two examples I found where MLK used the “Logos” style. MLK said in his “Dream Speech”, “One hundred years later, the life of Negro is still sadly crippled by the manacles of segregation and the chains of discrimination” (MLK Dream, 3). He is stating that after a century later, the issue is still present and hasn’t changed at all, informing the listener. The other Quote I found that MLK wrote while in the jail cell was, “We have waited 340 years for our constitutional and god given rights” (MLK Jail, 14). King has mentioned that it’s been almost three and a half centuries for the rights they deserved from the start, and now they’re finally receiving them. Using “Logical” evidence when speaking or writing isn’t a great approach when trying to persuade a group of people to support your movement, it is more effective when presenting a new idea or something you think is important that needs to be shined

Show More
Related
771 Words | 4 Pages

Martin Luther King Jr. was an American baptist minister and activist who became the most visible spokesperson and leader in the Civil Rights Movement in 1954. He had a great impact on race relations in the U.S. and he made a great impact on many lives. He died in 1968. Dr. King wrote 2 famous works, “Dream” and “Birmingham” and each had a different audience and purpose. Both works utilizes the persuasive techniques of pathos in “Dream” and logos in “Birmingham.”

Read More
632 Words | 3 Pages

In the “letter from Birmingham Jail” by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., he uses pathos, logos and rhetorical devices such as imagery, sarcasm and biblical allusions to show how his work of nonviolent protests are smart and how Birmingham has violated their civil rights. He expresses himself in his letter by explaining why he can not wait any longer because of the countless murders, the unsolved bombing, lynching, and violence towards the black community. MLK Jr. came across a statement which was a call for unity by eight Clergymen while being in the Birmingham city jail because of him not having a license to protest. In response to the eight Clergymen, Dr. king decided to write a historical letter letting them know that freedom was not an option because of the false promise and the continued violence. The letter is written to inform the people who are against, neutral and with segregation that it is time to take action and prove to the clergymen why he will stand up for what is right.

Read More
1263 Words | 6 Pages

Stand Up For What is Right From a young age, people are told to be kind to others, no matter what they look like. Some, white people, though believed that they were superior to the African Americans so they did not have to be kind to them. This is when the issue of inequality between different races arose and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. took action. Dr. King was an American Baptist minister and activist who became the most visible spokesperson and leader in the civil rights movement from 1954 through 1968. He wrote the famous, “I Have a Dream” speech and the “Letter From Birmingham Jail”.

Read More
957 Words | 4 Pages

“Letter from Jail” On April 16, 1963, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. wrote a letter to the eight clergymen while he was incarcerated. Dr. King wrote this letter to address one of the biggest issues in Birmingham, Alabama and other areas within the United States. The “Letter from Birmingham Jail” discussed the great injustices that were happening during that time towards the black community. Dr. King wanted everyone to have the same equal rights as the white community, he also went into further details about the struggles that African Americans were going through for so many years, which he felt like it could change. Martin Luther King Jr’s “Letter from Birmingham Jail”, expressed his beliefs and his actions about the Human Rights Movement.

Read More
563 Words | 3 Pages

Essay #2: Argumentative Analysis Martin Luther King Jr. introduced a very controversial argument about why he believed that “injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere”(264). In “Letter from a Birmingham Jail,” King stated that justice is never given by the oppressor and the reason why his protests were very relevant and wise was because the issues needed to be addressed right then and not later. Moving along throughout his entire letter his primary thesis seemed to be that if the people wanted to be free from racial injustice they needed to participate in nonviolent protests. Given his setting and atmosphere, MLK did an extremely impressive job of using kairos and other rhetorical techniques in his piece.

Read More
657 Words | 3 Pages

For Justice and For Freedom of All MLK is one of the many well known to us, he is celebrated on MLK day, loved, respected, accomplished, committed to his cause, and is the man who made coed black woman and children, and white men and children exist today. In 1968 MLK was imprisoned in a Birmingham Jail and in his letter. He used many rhetorical devices to get his point across. He will defend his actions and criticize white citizen’s inactions in order to establish his legitimacy as a civil rights leader. One of the many rhetorical devices that MLK used is his choice of words.

Read More
1306 Words | 6 Pages

Martin Luther King Jr. wrote the letter from jail, after he got arrested during a peaceful protest. At the time segregation was still a part of the culture in the United States and Martin Luther King Jr. and his followers were working diligently and peacefully to try and make a change in people’s hearts about segregation. In this letter MLK Jr. is writing to defend his strategy of nonviolent resistance to racism, which he does effectively by using rhetoric. The Southern Christian Leadership Conference focused on Birmingham, Alabama to start a nonviolent direct action campaign with the goal to get the city to get rid of segregation laws.

Read More
624 Words | 3 Pages

Martin Luther King Jr. was a leader in the African American Civil Rights movement in the 1960s, he was known for his nonviolent movements and methods of protesting. This involved many African American citizens to take verbal and physical abuse from the police and not being able to do anything about it. He used his words to inspire the nation into taking action, instead of promoting violence. Dr. King gave his “I Have a Dream” speech in front of thousands of United States citizen from all different backgrounds at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington. Kings uses ethos to point out why segregation was unjust and to justify why African Americans deserves the same rights as the white citizens of the United States.

Read More
976 Words | 4 Pages

By using the rhetorical features, MLK’s speech reached a different level of effectiveness for his audience. Using credibility, authority, trustworthiness and similarity to build a relationship by using evidence, MLK achieved ethos. Then by stating his values and creating imagery achieved but hos vocabulary he effective used pathos. Finally, by his clarity, goals, evidence and consistency, MLK appropriately reached his audience logical and effectively using logos. Martin Luther King Jr. is remembered for his great speeches, accomplishments and his leadership skills, but also for the sincerity of his heart for the freedom and unity of all people.

Read More
920 Words | 4 Pages

In the two stories written by Martin Luther King Jr. “I Have A Dream”, and “Letter From Birmingham Jail” were two stories that truly impacted history. These two readings talk about one being about King Jr. tell his speech on the footsteps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C., about him having a dream, where blacks and whites can unite. In both writings by King Jr., mostly in his “I Have A Dream” speech, King Jr. uses a lot of persuasive techniques, mostly pathos.

Read More
774 Words | 4 Pages

Old Major appealed to the emotions of the animals by listing their physical and emotional sufferings. The credibility of Old Major and the fear of one’s life united the animals to rebel against Mr. Jones. Old Major’s speech was more effective than Martin Luther King Jr.’s speech because of how his persuasive techniques struck fear into the hearts of the animals which served as a reason for the animals to unite. The sympathy that Old Major makes the animals feel for themselves and each other helped his speech to be more effective than MLK’s. The detailed way that Old Major described what happens to specific animals is what caused his speech to be so effective.

Read More
772 Words | 4 Pages

This shows how that people shouldn’t be treated by their color but how they act and the quality of their personality. As proven, MLK can really help the world with its problem of

Read More
853 Words | 4 Pages

Martin Luther King Jr. was an important figure in gaining civil rights throughout the 1960’s and he’s very deserving of that title as seen in both his “I Have a Dream” speech and his “Letter from Birmingham Jail” letter. In both of these writings Dr. King uses logos - logical persuasion - and pathos - emotional appeal - to change the opinions of people who were for segregation and against civil rights. Although King was arrested for a nonviolent protest, he still found a way to justify his actions with the use of logos and pathos. MLK uses both ways to gain the attention and agreement of the audience but, he uses pathos not just more, but in a more relatable way in order to appeal to his audience.

Read More
963 Words | 4 Pages

In the speech MLK states “One hundred years later the negro is still not free. One hundred years later, the life of the negro is still crippled by the manacles of segregation and the chains of discrimination.” In his speech he repeats the saying “One hundred years later” he is doing this to show that African Americans that they have not been equal to whites for 100 years. These few words are MLKS way of telling the audience that even after the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation 100 years ago that there is still segregation. After all the accomplishments for African Americans they are still being treated differently than whites.

Read More
730 Words | 3 Pages

“...when you are harried by day and haunted by night by the fact that you are Negro, living constantly at tiptoe stance, never quite knowing what to expect next, and are plagued with inner fears and outer resentments; when you are forever fighting a degenerating sense of “nobodiness”- then you will understand why we find it difficult to wait. There comes a time when the cup of endurance runs over, and men are no longer willing to be plunged into the abyss of despair. I hope, sirs, you can understand our legitimate and unavoidable impatience.” (MLK, 276). King uses this strong sense of appeal to emotion to engross his readers and let them know how hard it is for them.

Read More

More about Comparing Mlk's I Have A Dream And Letter From Birmingham Jail

Related Topics

Open Document