Whatever it was, Dr. King knew how to rhetoric the you-know-what out of speeches. Rev., 26, 835. By building toward a climax, anaphora can create a strong emotional effect. Letter from Birmingham City Jail Latest answer posted April 21, 2021 at 10:14:06 PM What definition of "extremist" does King use when he gladly accepts the label in his Letter from Birmingham Jail? He states, Was not Jesus an extremist for love: Was not Amos an extremist for justice: Was not Paul an extremist for the Christian gospel: Was not Martin Luther an extremist: Was not John Bunyan an extremist.Was not Abraham Lincoln an extremistWas not Thomas Jefferson an extremist (King Jr, 1963). King continues to request that his critics consider the issue from the point of view of the protesters, and this time he emphasizes the fact that there are other, much more extreme options for frustrated African Americans. Rhetorical Appeals Used by Martin Luther King in His Letter from Now is the time to lift our national policy from the quicksand of racial injustice to the solid rock of human dignity. In his Letter from Birmingham Jail, Dr. King incorporates biblical and historical allusions to give him credibility with his target audience, the clergymen. In the letter King gives his opinion on the praise that some were giving the Birmingham police force by directly addressing them with what he saw in the situation. The image [], We provide you with original essay samples, perfect formatting and styling. LitCharts Teacher Editions. 20 terms. MLK Jr.'s "Letter from a Birmingham Jail" Rhetorical Tropes and Schemes One of these few people was Martin Luther King Jr. and one of the ways in which he spoke out was through a letter written while imprisoned. Anaphora In Letter From Birmingham Jail - 256 Words | 123 Help Me King Jr, M. L. (1963). Click the card to flip . Throughout the large paragraph Dr. King explains why action must be done now to achieve Civil rights. King Jr. was one of the leaders of the civil rights movement known for their selfless efforts to demand equal rights in the United States (Levy, 2019). The culmination of pathos and anaphora makes Letter from Birmingham Jail very effective in how the whole matter would be interpreted to change the existing situation towards equality in the United States. 450+ experts on 30 subjects ready to help you just now, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. wrote the Letter from a Birmingham Jail on April 16, 1963. He also asserts that he believes the greatest stumbling-block to progress is not the far-right white supremacist but the white moderate who are wedded to the idea of order in the belief that order is inherently right. Antithesis in Letter From Birmingham Jail Antithesis is the juxtaposition of contrasting words or ideas, often in parallel structure, and if properly used, . Available from: https://gradesfixer.com/free-essay-examples/rhetorical-analysis-of-the-letter-from-birmingham-jail/. King starts this by adding to his letter by challenging the claim that their actions must be condemned because they precipitate violence (5).King displays that the statement blames the demonstrators, which he condemns illogical due to lack of valid support. Where do you want us to send this sample? In his short eleven-day jail sentence, Dr. King directly responded to the clergymen with a letter of his own. Kings use of religious knowledge gave him the tools he needed in order to not only castigate the stance of his opposition, but to show them that they lost the meaning of the religion they devoted their lives. Throughout his Letter from Birmingham Jail, Martin Luther King Jr. establishes himself as a legitimate authority in the eyes of his audience, shows the trials his people have gone through, justifies his cause, and argues the necessity of immediate action. In the group, cross out the misspelled word, and write the correct spelling above it. Example of anaphora: 'Was not Jesus an extremist for love: Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you.' Was not Amos an extremist for justice: Let justice roll down like water and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.' King now turns to the question of law-breaking. It can be seen as a rhetorical question because it was not intended to be answered, and it created a dramatic effect in the paragraph to make his point more transparent. By showing his own emotions, King inspires compassion in the, does use historical and biblical allusions through out his whole letter, there are two allusions that really stand out. (https://muse.jhu.edu/pub/26/article/55773/summary), Mott, W. T. (1975). (https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/00335637909383465?journalCode=rqjs20), King Jr, M. L. (1992). Do we blame a man who is robbed because his possession of wealth led the robber to steal from him? Use of Anaphora Conclusion The "Letter from Birmingham Jail" was important in the history of the civil rights movement. They label King as an extremist. Repetition. He uses the fact that he is writing from a jail cell to remind his readers of the injustice and absurdity of the situation. King says,We should never forget that everything Adolf Hitler did in Germany was legal and everything the Hungarian freedom fighters did in Hungary was illegal. It was illegal to aid and comfort a Jew in Hitlers Germany. We can write a 100% original text for you. In Martin Luther King Jr.s letter, written to the Clergymen from Birmingham Prison, he uses the rhetorical appeal of ethos to establish his credibility on the subject of racial discrimination and injustice. 20-30 XX . During this time also was a incident where Rosa Parks, who was an American civilist, decided to get on a bus . Letter from birmingham jail ethos pathos and logos Flashcards The incorporation of pathos and anaphora makes the letter effective in conveying the intended message. The papers are not supposed to be submitted for academic credit. The letter is dated 16 April 1963. His usage of rhetorical questions and anaphora puts an emphasis on his acceptance to the label that was given to, For instance Martin Luther king Jr. is a great example on how pathos is used to make an audience sympathize. Martin Luther King Jr.s Letter from Birmingham Jail answers the white clergymens criticisms about his nonviolent protests, accusing him of inciting violence in Alabama. Letter from Birmingham Jail rhetorical devices. copious: (a) anxious, (b) typed, (c) scarce. Anaphora is a rhetorical term for the repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of successive clauses. King also uses anaphoras throughout his letter and he uses this to build emphasis on the grievances he and other african americans had to endure: When you have seen vicious mobs lynch you mothers and fathers When you have seen hate-filled policemen curse, kick, and even kill your black brothers and sisters (King par.14). Please check it and try again. Martin Luther King then proceeds to justify his cause for protest and establishes reasons for the advancement of civil rights. He persuades his audience by using [], Abraham Lincoln, Thomas Jefferson, Jesus, all these radical men and more are alluded to in Martin Luther King Jrs Letter from Birmingham Jail. His use of their names in the context of this paper creates a form of kinship [], Keywords: Civil disobedience,Henry David Thoreau,Martin Luther King, Jr.,Nonviolence,Letter from Birmingham Jail,Civil Disobedience,Minority rights,Direct action,Social movement King asserts that the goal of the protests is to create an atmosphere of discomfort for whites in Birmingham. Dr. King went all over the south with his organization protesting nonviolently for African Americans rights. Dr. King was arrested for violating the anti-protest junction and was placed in solitary confinement. In Martin Luther King Jrs, Letter from Birmingham Jail, written in August of 1963, he addresses the Call for Unity written by the eight clergymen of Alabama in response to ongoing protests. His imagery, personal experiences, and appeals to ethos and logos throughout make a strong, well rounded argument. Some of his critics have described the protests as untimely, and suggested that the protesters wait for desegregation to happen on its own schedule. King presents a solid legal argument in this section, while still focusing on morality in a Christian context. He uses his personal experiences from his situation to back up his argument and show the brutality of the police force. The early Christian church was much more prepared to fight for what it believed to be right, but it has grown weak and complacent. King appeals to emotion and reason through anaphora, allusion, and analogy to transform both his white and black audiences perspective. Rather than being disturbers of the peace, many Christians are now upholders of the status quo. He successfully convinces his audience to have a lessened stand on the word extremist.. UC Davis L. For instance, where we might expect him to object to being called an extremist, he embraces the label, observing that some of the most pious and peaceful figures in history have been extremists of one kind of another. King structures his language that conflicts with the oppression against human rights. He also mentions emotional situations the readers probably cant even imagine. 2023 gradesfixer.com. For instance, Martin Luther King says like Paul, I must constantly respond to the Macedonian call for aid. Since Martin Luther King King is writing his letter to clergymen, his religious allusions are used to appeal to them; specifically, Dr. King brings up the point that certain tension is caused by people who have been subjected to grievances and believe that the white man is an incurable devil. In saying this, Martin Luther King tells the clergymen that their sanctimonious acts and racial. Throughout his Letter from Birmingham Jail, Martin Luther King Jr. establishes himself as a legitimate authority in the eyes of his audience, shows the trials his people have gone through, justifies his cause, and argues the necessity of immediate action. King's primary rhetorical technique in "A Letter from Birmingham Jail," a characteristic of much of his writing, is the highly creative use of metaphorical language to make an abstract concept. Martin Luther King said, For the free, there is no convenient time to take a stand against injustice; for the oppressed, the time is now. It means that we should not wait for freedom. Martin Luther King Jr. wrote the letter from jail, after he got arrested during a peaceful protest. In this letter MLK Jr. is writing to defend his strategy of nonviolent resistance to racism, which he does effectively by using rhetoric. (2009). What Is An Antithesis In Letter From Birmingham Jail? On April 12, 1963, eight clergymen wrote an open letter, A Call for Unity. In this biblical allusions Marting Luther King Jr. talks about God being an extremist he does this because does it not just create common ground for everyone who knows those are Gods words but is use effectively to his power. Letter from Birmingham Jail: Symbols, Motifs, and Rhetorical Devices . The phrase judgement of God is associated with fear of the power of God, in reference to biblical stories involving consequences of Gods disapproval, causing the audience to feel fearful (an effect of pathos) and to feel a need to change in order to avoid Gods wrath.