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Rhetorical Analysis Of Letter From Birmingham Jail

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Martin Luther King Jr. Addresses his Critics In 1963 Martin Luther King Jr. responded to “eight local clergymen who questioned his methods” regarding a protest in Birmingham, Alabama (King 800). King was arrested for the protest, and while in jail he penned the response known as the Letter from Birmingham Jail. The clergymen claimed his protests were “unwise and timely” (King 800). King confronts their criticism by demonstrating what justice and injustice is. He delivers his arguments in a persuasive writing style that demonstrates that there are two sides to each event. He addresses their disapproval by displaying the experiences of African-Americans. King emphasizes his main point when responding to the clergymen’s criticism, he states that “injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere” (King 800). His main point is a response to criticism of why he is in Birmingham, Alabama protesting. The clergy have “been influenced by the view which argues against “outsiders coming in” (King 800). Once King justifies his purpose for being in Alabama, he assertively explains …show more content…

He utilizes this style to persuade the moderate clergy. He answers their prior criticism with respect and acknowledges that they are men of good will (King 800). When using his persuasive writing style, King utilizes analogies to push forward his agenda of equality. For example, the clergy assume that the actions of the peaceful protestors lead to future violence, so they ought to be condemned (King 806). King uses an analogy to demonstrate that this line of thinking is fallacious. He states, “Isn’t this like condemning Socrates because his unswerving commitment to truth and his philosophical inquires precipitated the act by the misguided populace in which they made him drink hemlock?” (King 806). His use of analogies compliments his persuasive writing style, and lets the reader feel empathy towards the injustices perpetrated on

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In 1963, Civil Rights leader Matin Luther King Jr. was arrested during a nonviolent protest on the grounds of parading without a permit (para 19). As a result five clergymen from the city of the protest, Birmingham, Alabama, condemned King’s demonstration as untimely, arousing unrest in the community, and precipitating violence (para mm). After receiving a copy of the clergymen’s statements, King spent his time in Birmingham Jail writing what is now referred to as “Letter from Birmingham Jail” to address the concerns and misconceptions the clergymen relayed. King effectively breaks down the clergymen’s concerns through appeals of logic such as detailing the process of the protests, and appeals to emotion such as the daily life experiences of african americans and descriptive language.

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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.

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He does so by stating that he “serv[es] as president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference” which is “an organization [that] operat[es] in every southern state.” This shows that King has a professional background and is very

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King was also able to express impressive grammar with constant semicolons and commas in order to support his syntax. For example, he states in paragraph 47, “There will be the young high school and college students, the young ministers of the gospel and a host of their elders, courageously and nonviolently sitting in at lunch counters and willingly going to jail for a conscience’ sake.” The grammar that King applied to his statement made the sentences appear longer but they are not so complex that they are difficult to understand for the reader. The reader comprehends a stronger meaning from the sentence with more explanation and more reasoning. This then connects to the ethos appeal by unmasking his credibility with such exceptional grammar and writing.

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For example, King left his hometown to travel to Birmingham, Alabama, because he wanted to fix the injustice there. He compared himself to the Apostle Paul who traveled and shared the word of God. King, like the Apostle Paul, carried the message of freedom throughout the southern United States. King says, “Like Paul, I must respond to the country’s call for help (para.3). King also explains how people white and black must create a force that will bring people together rather than stay segregated.

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He politely argues and creates an answer for any possible counter argument. King uses different modes of appeal to establish his credibility. King uses ethos, or ethical appeal, when he describes the clergymen as “men of genuine good will”(806) and tells them, “your criticisms are sincerely set forth, I want to try to answer your statement in what I hope will be patient and reasonable terms. ”(807) With this statement he lets the clergyman know he is not angered by their criticism and understands their concerns.

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What does a philosopher and a civil rights leader have in common? Well, in the cases of Peter Singer and Martin Luther King Jr, they both wrote compelling arguments in order to further their causes. When King wrote his “Letter from Birmingham Jail” in 1963 he was in jail due to his civil rights protests in Birmingham, Alabama while, in 1999, Singer wrote his argumentative essay “The Singer Solution To World Poverty” against starvation overseas. Although their arguments and environments are very different from each other, their use of ethos, writing style and how they talk to their audiences are very similar to each other and a lot could be learned from observing how these two brilliant authors used these elements. In the end, the main goal

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In 1963, Martin Luther King Jr. led a peaceful movement in Birmingham, Alabama. The purpose of the demonstration was to bring awareness and end to racial disparity in Birmingham. Later that night, King and his followers were detained by city authorities. While in custody, King wrote the famous “Letter from Birmingham Jail.” This letter voiced out his disappointment in the criticisms, and oppositions that the general public and clergy peers obtained.

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One such example is when he labels Jesus as an “extremist for love” in response to him being labeled as an extremist by the clergymen. In his letter, King states “ Was not Jesus an extremist for love: “love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you. And pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you” ” (King 31). By comparing Jesus' teaching of love and kindness to his own actions during the civil rights movement, King effectively frames his action in a positive light and insinuates that it is necessary to display civil disobedience.

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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.

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In Martin Luther King Jr.’s “Letter from Birmingham Jail”, King uses multiple devices of persuasive rhetoric in order to fight injustice. King, a reverend, was a large advocate for civil rights in midst of the great movement calling for equality among all men and women. His letter is widely renowned for King’s proclamation that “in any nonviolent campaign there are four basic steps: collection of facts to determine whether injustice exists, negotiation, self-purification, and direct action” (par. 6). His usage of tone and carefully placed anaphora aid King in this persuasive essay by further providing insight and evidence that support King’s four points. From Critical Thinking to Argument defines tone as “attitude towards self, topic, and

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Martin Luther King Jr. was a strong leader in the Civil Rights movement, the son and grandson of a minister, and one heck of a letter writer. As he sits in a cell of Birmingham Jail in 1963, he responds to criticism from eight white clergymen. Though this letter was intended for the judgemental and condescending men of high faith, his response touched the hearts and minds of the entire U.S. population, then, and for years to come. In his tear-jerking, mind-opening letter, King manages to completely discredit every claim made by the clergymen while keeping a polite and formal tone. Metaphors, allusions, and rhetorical questions are used in the most skillful way to support his argument and ultimately convince his audience of the credibility behind his emotional, yet factual, claims.

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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

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829 Words | 4 Pages

Injustices in Birmingham While sitting in the Birmingham jail in 1963, Martin Luther King Jr., writes a powerful and emotional letter to the clergymen of Birmingham. In his letter, he responds to the harsh criticism and injustices he received for simply protesting peacefully without a permit. King states in his letter, “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.

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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.

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