Letter from Martin Luther King
In King's essay, "Letter From Birmingham Jail", King brilliantly employs the use of several rhetorical strategies that are pivotal in successfully influencing critics of his philosophical views on civil disobedience. King's eloquent appeal to the logical, emotional, and most notably, moral and spiritual side of his audience, serves to make "Letter From Birmingham Jail" one of the most moving and persuasive literary pieces of the 20th century. In Birmingham, Ala., in the spring of 1963, King's campaign to end segregation at lunch counters and segregated hiring practices drew nationwide attention when police turned attacks dogs and fire hoses on peaceful demonstrators. King was jailed along with a large number of his supporters, including hundreds of schoolchildren. When white clergy, strongly opposed to Kings position on nonviolent passive resistance, issued a statement urging the blacks not to support the demonstrations, King penned a letter of remarkable eloquence which spelled out his philosophy of nonviolence disobedience. In "Letter From Birmingham Jail", King expresses his extreme disappointment over the criticism of his leadership by Alabama clergymen, his unders
In "Letter From Birmingham Jail" King demonstrates exceptional literary prowess through his mastery of several rhetorical strategies to persuade. He does this by presenting a direct relationship between the reasoning for his position against segregation and argument for it's resulting actions of civil disobedience by those oppressed by it. King builds both emotional momentum and power when he writes, "Was not Jesus an extremist," "Was not Amos an extremist," "Was not Paul an extremist. King's ability to communicate the plight of the disenfranchised of American society helped galvanize a generation and change the social fabric of an entire nation. Through his use of the extended metaphor of a rainstorm King moves the reader through the dispirited emotions of the "dark clouds of racial prejudice," "deep fog of misunderstanding" and "fear-drenched communities" to the promising vision of a future that illuminates with "the radiant stars of love and brotherhood" that in some not too distant future will "shine over our great nation with all their scintillating beauty" (169). In an attempt to sway his fellow clergymen King argues his position with passion and conviction as he respectfully appeals to the logical, emotional and spiritual psyche of his critics. His rhetorical approach in detailing the disparity of the oppressed, courageous, non-violent people of his era proves that "Letter from Birmingham Jail" is without question, one of most important documents of the civil rights movement. Finally, King's use of repetitive language punctuates his appeal to the emotion by emphasizing his points as if they were accompanied by the pounding of his fist. This approach is most evident when King gives the reasoning for his statement, "I have almost reached the regrettable conclusion that the Negro's great stumbling block in his stride toward freedom is not the White Citizen's Councilor or the Klu Klux Klanner, but the white moderate, who is more devoted to 'order' than to justice" (160). when you suddenly find your tongue twisted and your speech stammering as you seek to explain to your sex-year-old daughter why she can't go to the public amusement park that has just been advertised on television, and see tears welling up in her eyes when she is told that Funtown is closed to colored children" (157-58). To reach even deeper into the psyche of his reader King also attempts to appeal to the reader's emotional side. These poignant images are detailed with striking clarity when King writes, ". Kings first attempt to reach his reader is through his appeal to their logic or reasoning.
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Acceptance Essays
