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Rhetorical Devices In Letter From Birmingham Jail

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What are rhetorical devices? How can they be used? Martin Luther King Jr. numerous rhetorical devices in the “Letter from Birmingham Jail” writing to clergymen who wrote a public letter calling King’s actions “unwise and untimely” and telling him to “wait.” Despite Martin Luther King Jr. using many rhetorical devices in his letter, ethos and anaphora are the most powerful, for they increase credibility and create rhythm and urgency. MLK uses ethos by letting the readers (clergymen) understand his educational status and his role as a religious leader. King builds upon his ethos by citing a saint: “I would agree with St. Augustine that ‘An unjust law is no law at all.’” This builds King’s ethos, increasing his credibility, because he is citing
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In paragraphs 33 to 44 of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s response to “A Call for Unity,” a declaration by eight clergymen, “Letter from Birmingham Jail” (1963), he expresses that despite his love for the church, he is disappointed with its lack of action regarding the Civil Rights Movement. Through powerful, emotionally-loaded diction, syntax, and figurative language, King adopts a disheartened tone later shifts into a determined tone in order to express and reflect on his disappointment with the church’s inaction and his goals for the future. King begins this section by bluntly stating that he is “greatly disappointed” (33) with the church, though he “will remain true to it as long as the cord of life shall lengthen” (33). By appealing to ethos and informing the audience of his history with the church, he indicates that he is not criticizing the church for his own sake, but for the good of the church.

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Martin Luther King Jr. was a master of rhetoric, and his "Letter from Birmingham Jail" is a prime example of his persuasive abilities. In this letter, he used three rhetorical appeals – ethos, pathos, and logos – to persuade the clergyman that injustice was present in Birmingham and that his actions were appropriate. Firstly, MLK Jr. used ethos, referring to his credibility and character, to convince the clergyman. He established his authority on the subject by stating that he had been invited by the Birmingham affiliate of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, of which he was the president.

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On April 16th 1963, while in jail in Birmingham, Martin Luther King Jr. writes a letter to the clergymen responding to their criticism of his actions. The clergymen of Birmingham were criticizing Dr. King for leading peaceful protests against Jim Crow laws. Throughout the letter, Marin Luther King Jr. responds to a newspaper article, argues for change, justifies his action, and answers the statement that activities are "unwise and untimely". While writing his letter, Dr. King uses rhetorical devices and appeals to develop his argument that he is not an outsider, and that change is needed for things to become better.

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Michael Leff and Ebony A. Utley's article "Instrumental and Constitutive Rhetoric in Martin Luther King Jr.'s "Letter from Birmingham Jail"" details how Martin Luther King Jr. used ethos to create two distinct messages for two different audiences in a single letter. The authors explain how the letter is more than a list of refutations aimed at the clergy of Birmingham, Alabama, it is about creating a persona that is relatable to moderate whites while also giving his African American "eavesdropping" audience an example of how to act and take action during this time of civil injustice. We will examine how Martin Luther King Jr. becomes relatable to moderate whites in America and how he uses ethos as a persuasive tool to have African Americans act like him.

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When thinking of the civil rights movement of the '50s-'60s one name stands out. Martin Luther King Jr. was at the forefront of the fight for civil rights, leaving a lasting impact in many different ways; The "Letter From Birmingham Jail '' and "I have a Dream" speech as examples. Within these texts, King utilizes rhetorical devices to strengthen his argument, and better impact the audience with the work's purpose. King starts his letter by directing it toward the clergymen.

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On April 16, 1963. Dr. Martin Luther King Junior, a persistent civil rights leader, addressed 8 white clergymen on the way they responded to the protests from nonviolent Negros. He supports this claim by first emphasizing that all of what is going on is part of their heritage and how everyone has rights, then by telling them breaking the law and standing up for what they believe in embodies the American spirit, and finally indicates the protesters are heroes and they are doing what they can to defend themselves and show others their side of what is going on. Through King’s use of tone, rhetorical appeals, and rhetorical tools he effectively persuades the clergymen and the people of the U.S, to fathom what is happening everyday around them and

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Over the course of history, few have demonstrated the talent and passion required to really inspire others with the simplest- yet perhaps deadliest- tool in the human arsenal: words. Great orators are known by name in the common household for the way they moved people: Abraham Lincoln, Winston Churchill, and even those who live in infamy like Adolf Hitler. This Monday, the 15th of January, America will be celebrating one of the most revered orators in American history, Martin Luther King Jr., tireless crusader for the cause of human rights. King knew what he stood for.

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In 1963, King was arrested and sent to jail after protesting blacks’ rights in Birmingham, Alabama. In jail, King wrote “Letter from Birmingham Jail” which was towards the clergymen that believed that blacks should not be allowed to protest for their rights. This letter was filled with reasons why the blacks should not be told to wait for their change, which is why the strongest paragraph in King’s letter would be on page 6 when King mentioned that the blacks are always told by white leaders that if they wait, they will finally gain their rights. The blacks had believed them when they said this and yet, nothing happened after waiting. They tried their best to keep it professional by not bringing any violence which led them to protesting, however,

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While in jail, Martin Luther King wrote "Letter from Birmingham Jail." confronting criticism written by the clergymen. The clergymen were telling King not to protest; furthermore King led a protest and was put in jail because he did not have a permit. The clergyman said that he was "unwise and untimely." While writing his letter, Martin Luther King used rhetorical devices to develop his argument.

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In 1963, eight Alabama clergymen issued a seemingly hypocritical public statement accusing outsiders of leading extreme demonstrations of protest in Birmingham, Alabama, and urging local citizens to allow racial issues to be resolved by the courts. In response, civil rights activist, Martin Luther King Jr., wrote “Letter from Birmingham Jail,” which outlined the reasoning and timing of the demonstrative actions. While King’s letter exhibits an effective use of all three Aristotelian rhetorical appeals, the following analysis focuses primarily on his use of logos. His inclusion of analogies along with descriptive diction assists in emphasizing his reasoning in an attempt to logically convince his readers that waiting for the courts to settle racial injustices had proved inefficient.

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King first shows the intended audience why exactly he is writing this letter then builds on his previous experiences and intentions. In very first paragraph he says that because of the criticisms that the clergyman wrote were “sincerely set forth”(214) that he decided to write the letter. He then uses his position as President of the SCLU to explain that he is in Birmingham “because injustice is here”(214). After fully explaining why he is there he builds into his support and leadership of direct action to help end discrimination. Direct action is the first step after negotiations fail to get support for a cause, mainly civil rights.

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Letter from a Birmingham Jail Introduction My group chose to use the “Letter from a Birmingham Jail” by Martin Luther King Jr as our rhetorical situation because it was an essential document for progress of the civil rights movement in the 1960s. Dr. King wrote the letter in response to the eight, white clergymen who publicly called his actions to improve the lives of African-Americans in Birmingham, Alabama “unwise and untimely” (King, 2000, pge.263). Considering that Dr. King was dealing with an ambiguous audience, white moderates who were somewhat against segregation, but favored order rather than justice.

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160 Words | 1 Pages

In Letter from Birmingham Jail, paragraph 13, King uses the metaphor “disease of segregation”. He writes, “Frankly, I have yet to engage in a direct action campaign that was “well timed” in view of those who have not suffered unduly from the disease of segregation” (13). He uses this metaphor in order to compare the treatment of African Americans in the 1960’s, to a disease. King’s diction is effective because the word “disease” carries numerous negative connotations. He manages to compare segregation to that of a disease; deadly, evil, and dysfunctional.

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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 “A Letter From A Birmingham Jail” Martin Luther King Jr defends his use of nonviolent protest in order to accomplish racial equality. In the letter, Dr. King uses ethos, diction, and allusions when defending nonviolent protest which makes his argument really strong. His goal is to make the clergymen help him fight racial equality. He uses ethos to build up credibility.

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