Rhetorical Analysis of King’s Letter from Birmingham Jail
In Martin Luther King Junior's Letter from Birmingham Jail, King responded to the Alabama clergymen’s public statement. The clergymen stated that what the African Americans were doing was too extreme and untimely. They also commended the police on their control of the situation. King did not like the way the clergymen thought of the civil rights movement. He wrote this letter to them to make arguments against what they had said about what the African Americans were doing to get political freedoms and be accepted by the white population. Martin Luther King Jr. used figurative language to create pathos in his audience of Alabama Clergymen while arguing the points they made in their public statement. King's use of metaphors, emphasizes the causes and effects of the civil rights movement. These metaphors help to describe what African Americans were going through at that …show more content…
King uses metaphors to bring emotion to the clergymen and to let them know how the African Americans feel when they are segregated. King also uses anaphora to repeat and emphasize parts of the letter he wants the clergymen to remember. He does not want them to forget the suffering the African Americans have gone through. King’s use of diction makes what he is saying more relatable to the clergymen, making them feel the way he feels. King also uses diction to show his disappointment in the clergymen, leaving the same feeling of disappointment in the clergymen themselves. These and other rhetorical devices used in the letter are amazing examples. They show students magnificent ways to use words and persuade people. This passage also helps people see the reasons behind the events during the civil rights movement. This was a very important part of US history that should not be forgotten and writings like these help us remember what
In Martin Luther King Junior's Letter from Birmingham Jail, King responded to the Alabama clergymen’s public statement. The clergymen stated that what the African Americans were doing was too extreme and untimely. They also commended the police on their control of the situation. King did not like the way the clergymen thought of the civil rights movement. He wrote this letter to them to make arguments against what they had said about what the African Americans were doing to get political freedoms and be accepted by the white population. Martin Luther King Jr. used figurative language to create pathos in his audience of Alabama Clergymen while arguing the points they made in their public statement. King's use of metaphors, emphasizes the causes and effects of the civil rights movement. These metaphors help to describe what African Americans were going through at that …show more content…
King uses metaphors to bring emotion to the clergymen and to let them know how the African Americans feel when they are segregated. King also uses anaphora to repeat and emphasize parts of the letter he wants the clergymen to remember. He does not want them to forget the suffering the African Americans have gone through. King’s use of diction makes what he is saying more relatable to the clergymen, making them feel the way he feels. King also uses diction to show his disappointment in the clergymen, leaving the same feeling of disappointment in the clergymen themselves. These and other rhetorical devices used in the letter are amazing examples. They show students magnificent ways to use words and persuade people. This passage also helps people see the reasons behind the events during the civil rights movement. This was a very important part of US history that should not be forgotten and writings like these help us remember what