...I have a dream speech. However King was also the author of a persuasive masterpiece in the form of a letter that he wrote while incarcerated in a Birmingham jail, that up until recent years wasn’t as highly regard as his famous “I Have a Dream” speech. On April 16, 1963, while imprisoned, Martin Luther King Jr. wrote a letter addressed to eight clergymen who were allegedly concerned about what King was doing for civil rights. Dr. King’s response in the letter uses a great sum of rhetorical devices. Throughout his letter Dr. King used Ethos Pathos and Logos effectively. In order to support his avocation of non-violent protest and his reason for being in Birmingham. At the very beginning of his second paragraph in his letter, Dr. King quickly establishes his credibility, by explaining to the clergy men of his affiliation with the SCLC. King states: “I have the honor of serving as president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, and organization operating in every southern state” (164). Kings ability to use Ethos here is adequate, because he uses his position and affiliation with the SCLC; in order...
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...Jr. was a sensational speaker. He has a way with words. A way that can sway you and your view of things. In “ Letter From Birmingham Jail”, it is clear this effect is not sacrificed in his writing. King may not have known the specific literary actions he has taken, however, he did an excellent job of y]using rhetorical devices to get his point across. In “Letter From Birmingham Jail” by MLK, King uses rhetorical devices such as, rhetorical appeals, metaphors, and allusions to strengthen his argument in the letter. This letter was written to address the biggest issues of the south. King, through his use of rhetorical devices, to further support his argument. King’s most effective way of getting his point across was his appeal to emotion, credibility, and logic. This is also known as Ethos, Pathos and...
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...In Martin Luther King Jr.’s “Letter from Birmingham Jail”, King uses various rhetorical devices in order to make his argument that much more effective against that of the white supremacists. It is clear to me that his most effective use of a rhetorical device would have to be one of the logos, or logical appeal, variety, in which he states, “If I sought to answer all the criticisms that cross my desk, my secretaries would have little time for anything other than such correspondence in the course of the day…” (Martin Luther King Jr. SpringBoard book 206). This, in which it is my firm belief, is a very effective quote because it seems to tie to more than one type of appeal. While it is clearly logical that King receives a surmountable pile of hatred, it is also plausible that he stated this as a form of pathos - as a way of appealing to the emotional values of the critics who were to read his...
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...Prison within the Prejudice Prejudice has polluted the world for centuries. From homophobia to nationalism to religious prejudices, the differences between human beings permeated society and twisted it with the hands of time. The most prominent example of such social diseases is segregation. The events that led up to the Civil Rights Movement of 1954-1968 were conducted by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. King, in his Letter from a Birmingham Jail, utilizes devices such as metaphorical language, diction, and antitheses to convey a sense of urgency, to toy with the emotions of his audience, and to break the chains of inequity. Metaphors throughout Martin Luther King Jr.’s letter urge the audience of the clergymen to act against the racial prejudices...
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...passionate about, which was civil disobedience, that is defined as a peaceful form of protest. Practicing civil disobedience addressing his demands for racial equality landed Martin Luther King, Jr. a spot in Birmingham Jail. The incarceration resulted in a large amount of free time which he used to complete a lengthy letter addressing the clergymen who criticized his actions, calling them untimely and unwise. These criticisms did not sit well with King and therefore, he formulated “Letter From a Birmingham Jail.” Although long winded, Martin Luther King, Jr. uses repetition, in “Letter From Birmingham Jail” to his benefit, in addition with ethos and pathos to sway his audience and develop his reasons for his civil disobedience. Ending at an astounding eleven pages, Martin Luther King, Jr. covers a great amount of information throughout “Letter From Birmingham Jail”. The length of this letter most likely was due to the fact he was locked in a cell with nothing better to occupy himself with, King admitted himself, in the last page of the letter, “Never before have I written so long a letter” followed by, “...what else can one do when he is alone in a narrow jail cell, other than write long letters, think long thoughts and pray long prayers?” (11). King’s letter may have been shorter if he was not confined in a small, bland, lifeless, prison cell, however those were his circumstances and he made the...
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...Who is more persuasive: A stranger or colleague? In “Letter from a Birmingham Jail”, Martin Luther King Jr. claims that racial segregation is unfair. He supports this argument by establishing his authority then using rhetorical devices to manipulate the clergymen with effective imagery. Martin’s goal is to sway his fellow clergymen to view his actions as positive factors to society with the directive of bringing forth equality. He conjures multiple attitudes such as, doubt and sarcasm to the eight members of the clergy. King persuades his audience to back his argument using the rhetorical devices Ethos, Pathos and Logos. King’s first rhetorical device is ethos. He uses this authoritative approach to establish himself as a credible consultant. King first refers to his audience as “Fellow Clergymen”(King 203), in doing so relating himself as a speaker of their own making. Subsequently, he announces himself as the President of the “Southern Christian Leadership Conference”(King 204), to incite his authority furthermore. Finally, King says, “I feel that you are men of genuine good will and that your criticisms are sincerely set forth” (King 203). He does this to establish his demeanor as one of respect. His respect establishes his ethos as a reverent spokesman; also his kindness begins to flood the letter with an emotional appeal as well. King continues by emphasizing his sentimental appeal. His usage of Pathos is intended to build an impassioned connection between the clergy...
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...Martin Luther King Jr. speaks from the Birmingham Jail to the “new administration” about his nonviolent protests as a result of the violence towards blacks and to secure civil rights. King used the rhetorical devices ethos, logos and allusion to reach the clergymen. Martin Luther King Jr. uses ethos to influence his audience to trust him and believe that he knows what he’s talking about. King states “I am in Birmingham because there is injustice here ”pg.1 paragraph 3. In this quote King is telling the audience that he is in Birmingham for them, so he can stop the injustice. If he is there to stop injustice, then he is there for the people and their safety. That is how he uses ethos in this quote, it makes the people believe he...
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...In “Letter from Birmingham Jail” by Martin Luther King Jr. King uses a variety rhetorical devices in order to counter claims made by the clergymen who wrote him a letter while he was in jail. The purpose of King’s letter was to defend not only his actions but the actions of other fellow African Americans. According to Dr. King, Birmingham was the most segregated city in the south. Blacks were forced to adhere to laws that would be considered inhumane and unlawful in modern times. The continuation of these laws caused King to eventually turn his focus towards Birmingham. His method of non-violent direct action landed him in jail numerous times. After receiving the letter from the clergymen he decided to write his own letter in response to theirs. Throughout the letter there are many examples of pathos, logos, and allusion that are used to advance his argument. Dr. King was able to effectively use pathos in order to pull out sympathy from its reader. During the 1950’s and 1960’s, the African American race faced many political and social injustices that hindered their progression in society. Groups such as the KKK caused African Americans to operate in fear. In order to make his audience feel the pain that African Americans went through, in...
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...I find it ironic how Patrick Henry speaks about being slaves to the british and standing up for colonist’s beliefs in the late 1700’s. However Martin Luther King Jr. writes in his letter about being free from the same americans who have locked him up for his own beliefs. As skilled orators who have shaped America, Patrick Henry and Martin Luther King Jr. use similar and different rhetorical devices to convey the message they would like to get across. Patrick Henry and Martin Luther King both use rhetorical strategies like, repetition to make their words and the meaning behind them more effective, yet Patrick Henry seems to use more of an abundance of rhetorical questions to enforce his ideas than MLK. Henry and King have used rhetorical strategies...
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...Martin Luther King Jr.’s “Letter from Birmingham Jail” was written in Birmingham Jail in 1963 as a response to the Clergymen to explain his actions and also to answer their questions on why he did not call off the demonstrations. King was a civil rights activist who organized a campaign against segregation in Birmingham, Alabama in 1963. In his letter, King uses anaphora and allusions frequently. He also appeals to ethos, logos, and pathos to make his letter a paradigm of effective rhetoric. King uses allusions frequently throughout his letter. “Just as the prophets of the eighth century B.C. left their villages and carried their "thus saith the Lord" far beyond the boundaries of their home towns, and just as the Apostle Paul left his village of Tarsus and carried the gospel of Jesus Christ to the far corners of the Greco-Roman world” (King Paragraph 3). Here King is paralleling his actions to the Apostle’s actions. By king alluding to the Apostles he appeals to the audience ethically. Rhetorical questions are also used in the letter to appeal to ethos. “Now, what is the difference between the two” (Paragraph 16)? King uses rhetorical questions to make the audience think about what he is asking them. Along with rhetorical questions, King uses syllogism, where he constructs a conclusion from statements he stated earlier in the letter. The syllogism in paragraph sixteen, King states, “Any law that uplifts human personality is just. Any law that degrades human...
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...Eng 101 Teresa Sweeney 6 November 2015 Letter from Birmingham Jail Throughout Martin Luther King Jr. life, he faced many hardships, one of the most known ones was facing the town of Birmingham. He went against the Clergymen to defend why he was allowed to speak in this town with a brilliant letter known as the “Letter from Birmingham Jail”. This letter of importance was so greatly recognized and understood for its attention to literature. The argument was created by classical appeals, figurative language, and rhetorical strategies. King wrote this letter responding to the criticism demonstrated by eight prominent white clergymen. King first develops his letter using appeals of logos, ethos, and pathos to explain how he is allowed...
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...is built on the idea of unity and freedom, so it was no surprise that people of African descent, and white allies stood up for equality. This protest became known as the civil rights movement and lasted for years before African-Americans were given equal rights in the late 60s. A large amount of white people believed that the condition of the United States was perfectly fine and balanced, relying on the idea of being "separate but equal." Martin Luther King, Jr. led the movement and urged people to voice their opinion, stating that becoming silent about the things that matters is the same as ending your life. One group that remained silent was the white church. A group of white clergymen wrote a letter to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. while he was in a Birmingham jail. In this letter, titled 'A Call for Unity,' the men essentially listed their...
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...After reading Martin Luther King Jr’s Letter From Birmingham Jail we can agree that it’s a great example of the variety of rhetorical devices that he uses that makes his latter so amazing, breathtaking and powerful. The audience for the letter was mainly for the White Birmingham Clergymen, the letter as a response to the claims they had made, and was also targeted towards others who were part of the racial segregation campaign and for those supporting King and other racial civil rights activists. So the letter was made for everyone, which is a pretty big audience, King just wanted people know what he was truly feeling during his time in his jail cell. The King's only purpose in writing the Letter From Birmingham Jail was to explain the terrible...
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...“A Letter from Birmingham Jail” by Martin Luther King Jr. was written in the margins of a letter posted by the clergymen of Alabama at this time that sparked his interest and while he inhabited the jail cell for parading around without a permit. This time allowed him the ability to respond wholeheartedly to this cynical oppressing. King’s letter addresses specific points presented in the Clergymen’s and this direct response distinguishes King’s strong points through his powerful writing. Unethical and immoral mentions came to the attention of the Minister through the letter, and he expressed his differing views and defended his ideals and actions through Aristotle’s three rhetorical devices, ethos, logos, and pathos. First and foremost, King establishes his credibility to spark off his strong defense. Introducing himself as “The President of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, an organization operating in every southern state, with headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia. … [with] eighty-five affiliated organizations across the South, and one of them is the Alabama Christian Movement for Human Rights” (“Letter from Birmingham Jail” 2). This credential not only puts King into a position of power but also proves that he has seen enough of the south and the problems within it to create a strong argument against his opposition. Another point that establishes this is on page seven of “Letter From Birmingham Jail” where King states that he’s traveled through the “length and...
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...Injustice, Disillusionment, & Pressure On the surface, “Salvation” by Langston Hughes and “Letter from Birmingham Jail” by Martin Luther King Jr. seem to have very little in common. They were written by different people about different topics and use different techniques. However, they share a lesser related theme: Pressure. Pressure from others is a powerful thing. This secondary theme supports each main theme; “Salvation” demonstrates what pressure from adults can do to disillusion an individual adolescent while “Letter From Birmingham Jail” demonstrates what societal pressure does to permit injustice. In this paper I intend to not only illustrate the impact pressure can have, but also examine the literary devices used by each author to illuminate their main theme, discuss how I personally related to the themes of each story, define Non-Fiction, and explore the use of imagination in Non-Fiction works. Martin Luther King Jr. was a powerful motivational speaker. His passion shined through in not only how he spoke, but the words themselves. This is because he used imaginative metaphors and rhetorical questions to pull his audience in. In “Letter from Birmingham Jail,” rhetorical questions are used sporadically throughout to engage the reader and continuously present the main theme: injustice. Sometimes King uses it to show that he and his followers have considered the other side of the issue, “One may well ask: "How can you advocate breaking some laws and obeying others"” (King...
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