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Rhetorical Analysis Of Mlk's Letter From Birmingham Jail

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Martin Luther King Jr. has written many inspirational pieces during his lifetime while fighting for African American civil rights. Two of his most inspirational writings are his I Have A Dream speech and the Letter From Birmingham Jail. The only question that remains is “which one takes the cake,” meaning, which one conveys the deepest, most meaningful message about the fight for equal rights? It is clear, however, that the Letter From Birmingham Jail shows itself to be the true winner because of its powerful message and great detail involving the issues of segregation and the unequal rights that African Americans faced everyday, which stirred and appealed to the emotions of his audience. To begin, MLK’s I Have A Dream speech was very powerful indeed. His use of rhetorical devices gave a strong emotional surge to his audience of all peoples. One particular use of a rhetoric that appeals to emotion is the statement “I have a dream (MLK, stanzas 17-24).” Repeated thoughtfully, it is a charged, expressive way to get a solid point …show more content…

One specific appeal states, “I can urge men to obey the 1954 decision of the Supreme Court, for it is morally right; and I can urge them to disobey segregation ordinances, for they are morally wrong (MLK, stanza 16).” This moving statement affects the mental being of MLK’s readers because of its use of “moral.” A moral is a strong word usually connected to how we react to choices emotionally. Also written in stanza 16, MLK asks a rhetorical question that is said: “Is not segregation an existential expression of man’s tragic separation, his awful estrangement, his terrible sinfulness?” This statement appeals to logic as well as emotion. Segregation, logically speaking, does separate humans from one another; separates us as people. Emotionally, though, its use of heavy or large words gives listeners a poignant

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Well-known minister, activist, humanitarian, and leader in the African-American Civil Rights Movement, Martin Luther King, Jr., in his “Letter from Birmingham Jail,” masterfully craft his reply to the eight clergymen on their accusation that his nonviolent protest movement is “extreme”. King’s purpose is to influence to not only the clergymen themselves, but to convey to his audience that all his actions are justified and that they are not an exhortation to extremism. He creates a logical tone; moreover, with the incorporation of logical appeals and several rhetorical devices such as parallel structures and rhetorical questions, helps shift the audiences’ attention from the claim established by the clergymen to King’s point of view. King exhibits his view on the current situation in Birmingham, Alabama in which influenced him to be there; thus, inconsequently lead him to his imprisonment in Birmingham Jail. He acknowledges that there are two opposing forces that exist in Birmingham, one of which is stated, “[A] force of complacency, made up in part of Negroes who […] become insensitive to the problems of the masses” (27) and “The other force is one of bitterness and hatred […] close to advocating violence” (27).

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