ipl-logo

Rhetorical Analysis Of Letter From Birmingham

507 Words3 Pages

In King’s letter from Birmingham, he concludes his 50 paragraph letter by using specific rhetorical strategies in order to connect himself to the clergymen to whom he writes by shifting his tone from the disturbed and excited writing in the rest of the letter to one that is calm and composed toward his current situation in jail, and also by using more positive imagery and language. His attitude immediately changes in these closing three paragraphs in an attempt to assure the clergymen that he is reasonable in all his assertions, even asking for forgiveness for any over- or understated claims, apologizing for ever straying from the path of truth and patience, and he also asks “God to forgive [him]” (para. 49). After this last sentence of paragraph …show more content…

Not only does King appeal to the religious standing of the clergymen, but he also asserts that he himself acts out of a commitment to a higher law, the law of God, that should not only govern his actions, but that should also govern all people, including the clergymen. He states that he hopes that tomorrow will shine the “radiant stars of love and brotherhood” over the nation, meaning that the nation would accept that laws of God to love one another as brothers and sisters (para. 50). As a result from his shift in tone, Kings language also becomes softer and more positive. He creates a beautiful image of the the “dark clouds of racial prejudice” passing away along with the “fog of misunderstanding” and the coming of the “radiant stars of love and brotherhood” that will shine over the nation with their “scintillating beauty” (para. 50). With this, King concludes his letter with a hopeful image of the coming of peace and love among all people in the world. Lastly, King attempts to further connect himself with the men he writes by stressing the collective responsibility they all share in the “brotherhood” to work together in the “cause for Peace” (para. 49, 50). King addresses himself as a “fellow clergymen and a Christian brother” to unite the clergymen with him in his mission for civil

Show More
Related

Rhetorical Devices In Letter From Birmingham Jail

1060 Words | 5 Pages

He reveals his hope that the church will make changes to its current attitude, while at the same time expressing his disappointment. Furthermore, King prefaces this section with a statement that he is a man “who loves the church,” (34) and “was nurtured in its bosom” (34) in order to establish his credibility and appeal to ethos. He suggests that he knows the church

Read More

Ethos Pathos Logos In Letter From Birmingham Jail

861 Words | 4 Pages

The right to fight Martin Luther King Jr. faced many difficulties when he visited Birmingham, but one he did not expect to face was the discrimination of his fellow clergymen, who stated that his decision to travel was unwise. King responded to their comment with the “Letter from Birmingham jail”. A well written piece which was eloquently written and geared to effectively prove to his peers that he deserves and has the right to be in Birmingham, having a profound effect on his audience due to his expert use of pathos, ethos, and logos. This provides a myriad of references and reasons to address the inhumanity of segregation, as well as his personal struggle to dissolve

Read More

Rhetorical Devices In Letter From Birmingham Jail

1106 Words | 5 Pages

Even so, I am sure that, had I lived in Germany at that time, I would have aided and comforted my Jewish brothers. " King uses the allusions of these historical events to send a message about injustice and how many of those people sacrificed a lot but did not give in to civil obedience. Along with Allusion, King used Pathos through his word choice, in order to explain his message of civil disobedience, in a way the priest, or clergy would understand. Pathos and Logos are a common factor in King's writing as a way to appeal to his audience and to install a sense of justice and activism. This was quite evident in paragraph 26, when King uses rhetorical appeals to promote a united whole fighting "to lift our national policy from the quicksand of racial injustice to the solid rock of human dignity.

Read More

Rhetorical Devices Used In Letter From Birmingham Jail

1166 Words | 5 Pages

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).

Read More

Comparing MLK Jr. And Malcolm X's Speech

439 Words | 2 Pages

King was a man of peace and he knew that two acts of violence would not result in the outcome of friendship. King starts his letter off with “My Dear Fellow Clergymen”. King starts his

Read More

Rhetorical Analysis Of Martin Luther King Jr.'s Letter From Birmingham Jail

724 Words | 3 Pages

The purpose of this letter is that Martin Luther King is trying to convince the clergymen that him and his “people” demonstrated because it was absolutely necessary at that time. When doing this, he uses condemnatory and persuasive tones to try to influence the reader to agree with him. Martin Luther King provides a valid argument using Logos, Pathos, and Ethos throughout his piece. King uses logos in his letter to backup his counter argument against the clergymen.

Read More

Martin Luther King Paul's Letter Rhetorical Devices

764 Words | 4 Pages

King in his speech in order to alert the people of what the letter is really meant to say now that he has gathered rather the readers full attention of what he had to say about the true root of the matter at hand. “I am implied to write you concerning the responsibilities laid upon you to live as Christians in an UnChristian world.” In this quote the Baptist minister points out that while this may not be a discussion many people wish to hear, it is one he however must give in order to remind them of that they have lost their way in terms of being true to their faith despite outsides forces such as the war and the fight for civil

Read More

Diction In Letter From Birmingham Jail

427 Words | 2 Pages

Martin Luther King’s Letter from Birmingham Jail addresses his fellow clergymen and others who critiqued him for his actions during this time. The clergymen along with others are addressed in an assertive tone allowing them to fully understand why his actions are justified. Throughout the letter critics are disproved through King’s effective use of diction and selection of detail. Martin Luther King opens the letter stating that the clergymen are being “influenced by the argument of ‘outsiders coming in” consequently he explains the reason for him being in Birmingham. In the opening of his explanation he states the injustices occurring, relating it to the prophets of eighth century B.C.

Read More

Dr King Letter From Birmingham Jail

1143 Words | 5 Pages

1. King addresses “The Clergyman” in his response letter from a Birmingham jail in attempts to refute and further explain his position and reason for his actions. In response to their claims that his methods we “unwise and untimely” (King 800) he begins with a layout of why he feels that this letter and distinction is important and why he has come to Birmingham. It is in no uncertain terms a brief history of why and how he became involved in the activities if Birmingham. King argues, “Injustice everywhere is a threat to justice everywhere,” (King 800) laying the ground work and rationale for his involvement and actions.

Read More

Rhetorical Analysis Of Letter From Birmingham Jail

740 Words | 3 Pages

While in solitary confinement for nearly 8 days, reverend and social justice activist, Martin Luther King Jr., wrote his famous Letter from Birmingham Jail in response to the criticism he received for his non-violent protests. Several clergy who negatively critiqued King’s approach of seeking justice, wrote A Call for Unity, arguing that his protests were senseless and improper. Within the article, the clergymen provide nine different critiques that asserted how King’s protest are invalid, uneffective, and simply unintelligent in the fight for obtaining justice and equity for individuals of color. His letter has become one of the most profound pieces of literature of the 20th century, as King uses vivid examples and eloquent rhetorical devices to counter all nine arguments.

Read More

Allusions In Letter From Birmingham Jail

498 Words | 2 Pages

On April 16, 1963 Martin Luther King Jr. wrote a letter to seven, white clergymen as a response to their criticisms of King’s approach to tackle segregation and other racial issues in Birmingham, Alabama. Coincidentally, King was also a clergyman—a clergyman with tons of influence as the president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, an organization that has 85 affiliated groups. Throughout his letter, King’s use of allusions both of historical and religious significance supports King’s position as a highly influential and educated clergyman, provide the inspirations behind King’s strategy of nonviolence, and a strong ethos to criticize his fellow clergymen who act as bystanders. In the beginning of King’s letter, the first thing he does is to address his own credibility the seven clergymen questioned.

Read More

Rhetorical Analysis Of Martin Luther King Jr.'s Letter To Birmingham Jail

1546 Words | 7 Pages

King uses biblical allusions to appeal to the eight white clergymen and their religious affiliation when he states his duty to carry the “gospel of freedom beyond his home town... Like Paul.” His final point of this section is the clergymen’s failure to recognize the underlying causes of the demonstrations they so harshly condemn, a failure causing further ignorance and confusion on racial

Read More

Note For Letter From Birmingham Jail

1165 Words | 5 Pages

Similarly, by implementing passages that contradict the claims of the clergyman and include complex puns, such as when he addresses there accusation that he is an extremist, he claims that the question is not whether he is an extremist or not, just what kind he will as he names “Jesus Christ as an extremist for love, truth and goodness…”, King indirectly targets the church as a secondary audience. In convincing the church of the necessity of their involvement, King is actually referring to all Christians to “rejoice at being deemed worthy to suffer for what they believe(d)” and abandon the metaphoric thermometer(passively recording popular opinion) they have adopted. Moreover, he utilizes detailed descriptions of tragic situations endured by his fellow African Americans to evoke pathos from the primary and secondary audiences. In reestablishing the “psalm of brotherhood” King’s letter intent is to convince the American society of the

Read More

Letter From Birmingham Jail Analysis Essay

866 Words | 4 Pages

Throughout the text, King utilized the values of his audience to gain sympathy and later on support. His use of diction and syntax would align his mission to God’s, and show that he was in the right and the clergymen were in the wrong. In his letter, King effectively used an extended periodic sentence that consisted of more than 300 words. The sentence has an extreme appeal to pathos, with such vivid imagery

Read More

Letter From Birmingham Jail Thesis

921 Words | 4 Pages

In this particular passage, King addresses his Christian and Jewish brothers and makes two important confessions. First, he admits that he has been extremely disappointed in the so-called "white

Read More

More about Rhetorical Analysis Of Letter From Birmingham

Related Topics

Open Document