Letter From Birmingham Jail Rhetorical Analysis Essay

551 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Imagery and details in letter from birmingham jail

Over fifty years ago, in 1963, Martin Luther King Jr., a Civil Rights leader, wrote Letter from Birmingham Jail addressed to eight clergymen. In his letter, King uses language tools to convey his concerns to the clergymen. Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. manipulated language by using rhetorical devices to effectively transmit his message to readers. King uses methods such as repetition, anaphora, syntax, and more. In Letter From Birmingham, Martin Luther King Jr. uses repeated words and phrases at the beginning of clauses and sentences, in order to emphasize the importance of the phrase and develop a memorable message. In paragraph fourteen of Letter From Birmingham Jail, King repeats the phrase “when you have” and “when you are”. Here, King is using anaphora. As a reader is reading the passage, the repetition of the phrase builds to help the reader better understand the long list of grievances he and his fellow black community have had to endure. …show more content…

While repetition can often times be misused, King carefully crafted his writing with repetition to help the reader focus on the key idea. In paragraph nine, King uses the phrases “... we speedily decided to postpone action”, “we decided again to postpone action”, and “we endured postponement after postponement”. Throughout paragraph nine, the word postponed can be seen numerous times. The repetition of the word is intended to create a realistic feeling of postponement and unfulfillment to the reader. Also, in paragraph thirteen and fourteen, the repetition of the word “wait” is utilized to help the reader better understand the amount of time African Americans were denied their god-given rights. Again, King is seen using repetition to intensify his

Show More
Related

  • A Rhetorical Analysis Of Martin Luther King's Letter From Birmingham Jail

    1160 Words  | 3 Pages

    In Martin Luther King Junior's Letter from Birmingham Jail, King responds to a public statement made by eight Alabama clergymen about African Americans being too extreme and their actions untimely. In this public statement, made on the twelfth of April, 1963, the clergymen also commended the police on their control of the situation. Four days later, King writes a letter showing his opinion on the statements while he sits in the Birmingham jail for parading without a permit. King carefully uses rhetorical devices to force the clergymen to realize that they are the ones responsible for teaching morals. King uses figurative language to create pathos in his audience of Alabama Clergymen

    Read More

  • Rhetorical Analysis Of Letter From Birmingham Jail

    718 Words  | 2 Pages

    Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was arrested on April 12, 1963, in Birmingham, for having a protest without a proper permit. On the exact day King was arrested, eight clergymen from Alabama wrote a letter called “A Call for Unity.” The letter called for termination of civil activities and demonstrations and designated King an “outsider” and saying that outsiders were the problems in Birmingham and not the blacks that are from there. On April 16 King wrote “Letter from Birmingham Jail”, which was his responds to his fellow clergymen. He wrote the letter as a means to convince the clergymen and the white moderate that the nonviolent demonstrations that had got him arrested, were a necessity and to enlighten them on why the segregation laws in the southern states needed to be changed. In “Letter from Birmingham Jail” King uses logos, pathos, and ethos to persuade the clergymen and convince them in assisting him in putting an end to segregation laws of blacks in Birmingham, Alabama.

    Read More

  • Ethos Pathos Logos In Letter From Birmingham Jail

    836 Words  | 2 Pages

    In 1963, when African-Americans were fighting for black and white equality, Martin Luther King, Jr. wrote “Letter from Birmingham Jail.” While confined in the Birmingham jail, King felt the need to respond to a letter published in the local newspaper. This letter criticized King’s intentions during his visit by saying they were untimely. As a way to defend his actions, King put together a number of arguments and beliefs that proved why taking direct action was necessary during a time of racial discrimination. Furthermore, to persuade his audience, King had to gain trust and share the emotional connection he had with his people.

    Read More

  • Rhetorical Analysis Of Letter From Birmingham Jail

    840 Words  | 2 Pages

    The Letter from Birmingham Jail was written in 1963 by Martin Luther King, Jr. During this period, the African Americans were involved in a battle for white and black equality. This is evident from the vocabulary used by King including “Negro” which was common during that period but not used commonly afterwards. Moreover, the letter’s context tells it argues that King wanted was African Americans to have freedom. The letter’s purpose is that King wants to persuade the clergymen what he together with his people were demonstrating since it was extremely necessary during that period. In achieving this, King utilizes persuasive and condemnatory tones so that the reader can consent with him. King Luther King, the author of Letter from Birmingham Jail, presents a valid argument through the use of ethos, pathos, and logos in the entire piece with the intention of explaining his actions and changing the audience’s opinions.

    Read More

  • Normalcy Never Again Speech Analysis

    1061 Words  | 3 Pages

    To begin with, Dr Martin Luther King influenced his audience through the use of written techniques. A written technique applied in the speech is repetition, which is the restatement of words or phrases.

    Read More

  • Examples Of Juxtaposition In Letter From Birmingham Jail

    602 Words  | 2 Pages

    In the “Letter from Birmingham Jail”, written by Martin Luther King Jr., King delivers a well structured response to eight clergymen who had accused him of misuse of the law. During this letter, King then uses the time to unroot the occasion of nonviolent protests in BIrmingham and the disappointing leadership of the clergy. King relies heavily on the two rhetorical devices, juxtaposition and parallelism, to bolster his argument and aid to make his reasoning more compelling.

    Read More

  • Letter From Birmingham Jail Analysis

    1315 Words  | 3 Pages

    Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was the leader of a peaceful movement to end segregation in the United States this mission led him in 1963 to Birmingham, Alabama where officials and leaders in the community actively fought against desegregation. While performing sit-ins, marches and other nonviolent protests, King was imprisoned by authorities for violating the strict segregation laws. While imprisoned King wrote a letter entitled “Letter from Birmingham Jail”, in which he expresses his disappointment in the clergy, officials, and people of Birmingham. This letter employed pathos to argue that the leaders and ‘heroes’ in Birmingham during the struggle were at fault or went against their beliefs.

    Read More

  • Rehetoric in Maritn Luther King Jr.´s Speech

    755 Words  | 2 Pages

    On August 28th, 1963, Martin Luther King Jr. spoke at the Lincoln Memorial concerning the Civil Rights movement. His speech resonated throughout the nation as his passionate and commanding voice resounded over the fields that lay before the Lincoln Memorial. Many consider this speech the “epitome of modern Rhetoric.” In his speech, King utilizes the three disciplines of Rhetoric, ethos, pathos, and logos, with finesse and skill.

    Read More

  • King's Refutation Toward the Clergymen

    1493 Words  | 3 Pages

    Martin Luther King, Jr. is known to be a civil rights activist, humanitarian, a father, and a clergyman. He is well known for fighting for the equal rights of colored people and ending discrimination. King’s Letter from Birmingham Jail is an important part of history that showed King’s opinion of a letter that he happened to read in the newspaper written by a group of clergyman. In this letter, the group of clergyman report that colored people, also known as black people, are being violent towards Birmingham City. Also, the clergymen believed the time that will allow segregation to be diminished was not happening anytime soon because it is not convenient. King refuted the clergymen’s argument in a variety of ways using tactics of argumentation and persuasion like appeal to emotion through real life examples, appeal to logic, and even articulating certain phrases through metaphors and word choice. Many of these different tactics of argumentation and persuasion made his letter very effective and is now seen as a great piece that is looked upon highly today.

    Read More

  • Letter from Birmingham Jail Analysis

    523 Words  | 2 Pages

    Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. wrote his famous “A Letter from the Birmingham Jail” on April 16, 1963 while he was imprisoned in the Birmingham Jail for being involved in nonviolent protests against segregation. The letter is directed at eight white clergymen from Alabama who were very cynical and critical towards African Americans in one of their statements. Throughout the letter, King maintains an understanding yet persistent tone by arguing the points of the clergymen and providing answers to any counterarguments they may have. In the letter, King outlines the goals of his movement and says that he will fight racial inequality wherever it may be. Dr. King uses the appeal three main rhetorical devices – ethos, logos, and pathos – in order to firmly, yet politely, argue the clergymen on the injustices spoken of in their statement.

    Read More

  • Rhetorical Analysis Of Letter From Birmingham Jail

    630 Words  | 2 Pages

    King uses all of these other tools in writing his letter. The most important tool he uses though is an emotional appeal or pathos. Although Dr. King is writing to the clergymen who wrote A Call for Unity, what he writes goes out more than just to the clergymen it is a letter that people read and the words he writes moves the people even some fifty years later. He states in his letter the African Americans, were the victims of a broken promise. Dr. King also says, “Now is the time to lift our national policy from the quicksand of racial injustice to the solid rock of human dignity” (King).

    Read More

  • A Letter From a Birmingham Jail

    719 Words  | 2 Pages

    Martin Luther King Jr.'s "Letter from a Birmingham Jail" is a very effective letter. Through an intriguing opening, his ability to discredit his oppressor's words and create detailed yet clear responses, effectively integrate the quotes and examples of others to help illustrate his points, his descriptive logical and emotional appeals and his strong, confident closing, King created a letter that is powerful enough to provoke thoughts inside any person that reads it.

    Read More

  • Rhetorical Analysis of Letter from Birmingham Jail

    654 Words  | 2 Pages

    In the “Letter from Birmingham Jail” (Jr., Letter from Birmingham Jail) written by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. the three artistic appeals of Aristotle are plainly apparent, especially logos. Dr. King repeatedly appeals to logos (Ruszkiewicz) throughout the entire piece; particularly when he says he was initially disappointed at being categorized as an extremist then gradually gained a matter of satisfaction from the label. He is very impassioned in his language and tone in this part of the letter, yet still makes a strong argument for logic. Despite the overwhelming emotional and personal investment involved Dr. King still allows logic to prevail thus lending him a huge amount of credibility. As a member of the community being persecuted in this case, he might have had trouble remaining objective but clearly he doesn’t let his own pathos take center stage. All in all the use of logic and concise reasoning make a strong argument for the effectiveness of the letter in general.

    Read More

  • The Civil Rights

    1421 Words  | 3 Pages

    ..., Martin Luther, Jr. "Letter from Birmingham Jail." Patterns for College Writing: A Rhetorical reader and Guide. Ed. Laurie G. Kirszner and Stephen Mandell. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2012. 567-578. Print.

    Read More

  • Martin Luther King

    1020 Words  | 3 Pages

    Repetition is useful to show the audience the importance of the subject and the urgency to react. King’s historic speech in 1963 has held great symbolic value not only for the African Americans, but also for all of the equal rights supporters of every age and race. He was the first one who really fought for the same rights of African Americans and therefore inspired other people to live his dream and to continue his work for racial equality. Work Cited King, Martin Luther Jr. “I Have a Dream”.

    Read More

More about Letter From Birmingham Jail Rhetorical Analysis Essay

Open Document