In order to do this, Martin Luther King uses several techniques in paragraph thirteen and fourteen of his letter such as repetition, personification, as well as allusion, to support his claim that racial unity has taken too long. I am here because I have basic organizational ties here (King 1), after describing his involvement in the Southern Christian Leadership Conference as president. King was jailed along with large numbers of his supporters, including hundreds of schoolchildren. Metaphors, allusions, and rhetorical questions are used in the most skillful way to support his argument and ultimately convince his audience of the credibility behind his emotional, yet factual, claims. The anaphora "If you were to" is meant to inspire his readers to emp. Copyright 2023 IPL.org All rights reserved. When Dr. King first arrived in Birmingham, trouble occurred when he and fellow activists were . King's main thesis in writing the Birmingham letter is that, racial segregation, or injustice to the black American society, is due to the continuous encouragement of the white American society, particularly the powerful communities in politics and religions. These "parallel" elements can be used to intensify the rhythm of language, or to draw a comparison, emphasize, or elaborate on an idea. At this time, he is representative of the Black American population and the Civil Rights Movement as a whole he is Martin Luther King Jr., and while this is a powerful position to occupy, the constraints imposed are just as dominant. His writing is respectful and educated, if not naturally, to invalidate the use of his race against him by the largely prejudiced audience. In any nonviolent campaign there are four basic steps: collection of the facts to determine whether injustices exist; negotiation; self-purification; and . The problem is that this kind of thinking can spread and infect other people to believe this is acceptable. He evokes emotion on his audience by discussing the trials and injustice African Americans have endured. Get professional help and free up your time for more important things. A letter, as a medium, is constraining as there is one definitive original copy, it is addressed to a small specific group, and since it cannot be directly broadcasted widely, opposed to television or radio, it must be printed or passed along analogically. Throughout the Letter from Birmingham Jail, ethos, pathos, and logos are masterfully applied by Martin Luther King. Besides the use of pathos, King uses repetition to enhance the effectiveness of his argument. Parallelism is a figure of speech in which two or more elements of a sentence (or series of sentences) have the same grammatical structure. However, this constraint did not ultimately halt the spread of Kings message nation-wide, as it became a persuasive landmark of the civil rights movement, likely due to both his impactful position and persuasive use of rhetoric. Its important to note that his initial readers/supporters greatly impacted the scope of his audience, spreading the letter through handouts, flyers, and press, in the hopes that others would be impacted for the better by the weight of the exigence at hand. As mentioned before, the social and political ideologies in America surrounding racial equity at this time, specifically in Birmingham, were extremely poor. Bitzer, Lloyd F. The Rhetorical Situation. Philosophy & Rhetoric, vol. These two techniques played a crucial role in furthering his purpose and in provoking a powerful response from the audience that made this speech memorable and awe-inspiring. One example of Kings use of pathos appeals to the audiences emotions by showing Kings confidence in his endeavors. He writes of his own problems that may apply to the daily struggles of the abused African, Parallelism In Speech From Birmingham Jail, Throughout the speech, another scheme King uses frequently is parallelism, the strategy of repeating similar clauses, several times. 114, Jr., Martin Luther King. Parallelism/ Juxtaposition. Not only was this a social division, but those who opposed King were reinforced by the respective legislature that sought to burden him. Original: Apr 16, 2013. In Martin Luther Kings Jr, Letter from Birmingham Jail the letter was a persuasive attempt to get Americans to finally see the inequality in the United States of America. However, in the months that followed, Kings powerful words were distributed to the public through civil rights committees, the press, and was even read in testimony before Congress (Letter from Birmingham Jail), taking the country by storm. Take for instance when the part of the letter when Dr. King talks about different men, both biblical, Martin Luther King Jr.s goal in Letter From Birmingham Jail is to convince the people of Birmingham that they should support civil disobedience and the eventual end to the segregation laws in Birmingham. Letter to Birmingham Jail is a response to a group of Birmingham ministers who voiced negative comments and questioned the civil rights demonstrations Dr. King was leading in Birmingham. With this addressed, his audience was truly the population of the United States, especially Birmingham, with a focus on those who withheld and complied with the oppression of African American citizens, even if not intentionally. This comes to endanger our entire society. One of the challenges that he faced included being criticized because of what he believed in concerning the laws of segregation. Martin Luther King, more than any other figure, shaped American life from the mid-"'"50s to the late "'"60s. Parallelism takes many forms in literature, such as anaphora, antithesis, asyndeton, epistrophe, etc. " Any law that uplifts human personality is just." In order to dispel any misguided ideas that whites have of the Negroes fortune, King tells them directly that Negroes are in poverty as everybody is blocking them from entering the ocean of material prosperity. The second time King uses antithesis is when he states that Nineteen Sixty-Three is not an end, but a beginning, which he aims to express that the revolution will not stop at 1963; rather it will have a new beginning. All of these factors influence each other to shape rhetoric, which Bitzer describes as, pragmatic; it comes into existence for the sake of something beyond itself (3), with Martin Luther Kings Letter From Birmingham Jail being a shining example. During this period in the 1960s, King was disappointed by the way the white clergy was not in support of the religious civil rights movement and Kings goal of equality as a whole. Through the masterful use of analogies and undeniable examples of injustice, Kings disgruntled response to the clergies proves the justification for direct action taking place to establish equality for African Americans., Martin Luther Kings letter from Birmingham Jail was written to respond to white religious leaders who criticized his organizations actions against racial prejudice and injustice among black society in Birmingham. was initially the eight clergymen of Birmingham, all white and in positions of religious leadership. This exigence is rhetorical because it can be improved if enough people are socially cognizant, whether that be in legislature or the streets of Birmingham, through creation and enforcement of equitable laws and social attitudes. King through this letter tries to express his, "Martin Luther King Jr.'s letter from Birmingham Jail, which was written in April 16, 1963, is a passionate letter that addresses and responds to the issue and criticism that a group of white clergymen had thrown at him and his pro- black American organization about his and his organization's non- violent demonstrative actions against racial prejudice and injustice among black Americans in Birmingham. In the beginning of the speech, King goes back to the Constitution and Declaration of Independence stating that .all men, black or white, were to be granted the same rights (Declaration of Independence). While his actions may not have had much success at first during the 1960s what made his arguments so powerful was his use of pathos and logos., In Dr. Martin Luther Kings letter from Birmingham, he targeted specific people who he wrote the letter for including everybody. The Martin Luther King, Jr., Research and Education Institute. Parallelism is a literary device in itself, but it is also a category under which other figures of speech fall, such as those mentioned previously. Throughout the essay, King uses several powerful tones to complement his strong opinion, Martin Luther King Jrs Letter from Birmingham Jail is one his many writings on segregation and racial inequality towards blacks in the southern American states. Yet his most important method of reaching his audience, and conveying his enduring message of equality and freedom for the whole nation was his appeal to pathos. He approaches his argument with logic and appealing to the people of Birminghams emotions. In "Letter from Birmingham Jail", King implements antithesis -- along with his background as a minister -- to demonstrate the hypocrisy of the Southern clergymen, as he attempts to further diverge the two diametric rationales; thus, he creates logos as he appeals to the audience's logical side and urges African-Americans to act punctual in their Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., along with many other civil activist, began a campaign to change the laws and the social attitudes that caused such a disparity. King understood that if he gained support from the white American, the civil rights movement would reach its goals much faster. Greater importance is placed on his tone, choice of words, choice of argument, and credibility, for better or for worse, and he must carefully make rhetorical decisions, not only because of his race. Martin Luther leading peaceful Birmingham protest, AP News. From this revelation, the audience will also realize that it is no fault of the Negro that they have been left behind in contrast, modern society have been dragging them back through racism. Dr. While in his cell, he composed the famous Letter from Birmingham Jail. In Kings letter, he states, We must use time creatively, and forever realize that the time is always ripe to do right. Funny thing is he had lots of time to think about and write this letter. In this example, King implements logos to create a cohesive argument that appeals to the rational side of his audience: Southern clergymen. He uses a large number of rhetorical devices in his letter to reach his goal, including point of view, imagery, and rhetorical questions. Constraints bring light to the obstacles this rhetoric may face, whether it be social, political, economical, etc. Martin Luther King Jr. displays pathos by targeting the audiences emotion by talking about his American dream that could also be other peoples too. He opens with an explanation to his response, stating, Seldom, if ever, do I pause to answer criticism of my work and ideasBut since I feel that you are men of genuine good will and your criticisms are sincerely set forth, I would like to answer your statement in what I hope will be patient and reasonable terms(King 1). Therefore this makes people see racism in a whole new light; racism has not been justified because the United States have failed to uphold their promises. He uses these rhetorical techniques along with a logical argument to demonstrate why his methods were right., Martin Luther King, Jr. a civil rights activist that fought for the rights of African Americans in 1963. Lloyd Bitzer describes rhetorical situation as, a complex of persons, events, objects, and relations presenting an actual or potential exigence which can be completely or partially removed if discourse, introduced into the situation, can so constrain human decision or action to bring about the significant modification of the exigence (6). It is rather for us to be here, As it may do that, it also seems to serve more of a logical appeal because he mentions the evidence of white brotherhood. Both lincolns Gettysburg Address and Martin Luther King's I have a dream speech are similar in that they both express the concept of freedom to achieve their purpose. His audience ranged between those who his message empowered, a radical positive force, and those who disagreed, made up of southern states, extremist groups, and the majority of American citizens stuck in their racial prejudices. His expressive language and use of argumentation make his case strong and convincing. In paragraph 15 of his "Letter from Birmingham Jail", Martin Luther King uses. The way Dr. King constructs his argument is as if he was preaching his argument to his congregation. Black Americans were forced to sit behind buses and kids were to use old books and uniforms of White Americans. Throughout the text, King utilized the values of his audience to gain sympathy and later on support. In his "Letter form a Birmingham Jail" and his "I have a Dream speech, Dr. King uses metaphor, repetition and parallel structure to provide visual images which may evoke empathy in the readers and audience and emphasize the ideas he presents: the argument for civil rights and the goal to end segregation. Lastly, the exigence of a rhetorical piece is the external issue, situation, or event in which the rhetoric is responding to. To get a high-quality original essay, click here. the exigence is the continued condemnation, segregation, and prejudice afflicted against African Americans since the emancipation of the slaves in 1863. Ultimately, King crafts antithetic parallelism to establish a logical structure that emphasizes logos in his argument: the timeliness of justice. Repetition. IvyMoose is the largest stock of essay samples on lots of topics and for any discipline. Dr. King often used repetition and parallel construction to great emotional effect when he spoke. Analysing a rhetorical situation clarifies why a text was created, the purpose in which it was written, and why the author made specific choices while writing it. " A just law is man made code that squares with the moral law or the law of the god. Emotional appeal uses intense words and charged language to grab listeners to get them to keep listening. There isn't quite as much of that in "Letter From Birmingham Jail," but it still pops up a couple of times. This essay was written by a fellow student. These circumstances lead us to our next rhetorical focus: audience. In this way, King juxtaposes his perspective with that of the clergy to demonstrate the depravity of his oppressors. Here, King combines divergent interpretations of justice to demonstrate the gravity of the injustice that he confronted in Birmingham. The first to come to mind for most would be civil rights activism, as he was an instrumental figure in the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s. In his "Letter from Birmingham City Jail," Martin Luther King Jr. presents an argument through analogy by comparing his situation to Apostle Paul. His use of diction and syntax would align his mission to Gods, and show that he was in the right and the clergymen were in the wrong. During a civil resistance campaign in Birmingham, Alabama, Dr. King was arrested. Divided there is little we can dofor we dare not meet a powerful challenge at odds and split asunder." - John F. Kennedy, "1961 First Inaugural Address" King has explained this through many examples of racial situations, factual and logical reasoning, and . While his supporters nation-wide were avid, determined, and hopeful, they were challenged by the opposing, vastly white population, comfortable in their segregated establishments and racist ideologies who would certainly weaponize his viewpoints. In addition, King is also in Birmingham because he feels compelled to respond to injustice wherever he finds it. King had been arrested while participating in a peaceful anti-segregation march although several local religious groups counted on King for support. , Atlantic Media Company, 29 Jan. 2021, https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2018/02/letter-from-a-birmingham-jail/552461/. To truly understand the effectiveness of this letter, one must rhetorically analyse the contents. Dr. Ethically most people believe that it is necessary to keep a promise. While there were consistent and impactful efforts made by various groups for equality throughout the civil rights era, the proximity between the public release of the letter, found nation-wide by late 1963, and the passing of the Civil Rights Act in early July 1964 shows the direct impact the letter had on social attitudes following its publicization. Parallelism is useful to emphasize things and ideas to the audience, which, like all the other tropes and schemes. 1, Penn State University Press, 1968, pp. The eight clergymen in Birmingham released a public statement of caution regarding the protesters actions as unwise and untimely (King 1), to which Martins letter is a direct response. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. As he sits in a cell of Birmingham Jail in 1963, he responds to criticism from eight white clergymen. Though this letter was intended for the judgemental and condescending men of high faith, his response touched the hearts and minds of the entire U.S. population, then, and for years to come. , 29 May 2019, https://kinginstitute.stanford.edu/encyclopedia/letter-birmingham-jail. This letter is a prime example of Kings expertise in constructing persuasive rhetoric that appealed to the masses at large. We allow people to think that it is okay to act unjustly towards some individuals. Dr. King wrote 2 famous works, Dream and Birmingham and each had a different audience and purpose. Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr. were both two African American civil rights activists who were very prominent throughout history. In Letter From Birmingham Jail, the exigence is the continued condemnation, segregation, and prejudice afflicted against African Americans since the emancipation of the slaves in 1863. Martin Luther King Jr. uses both logical and emotional appeals in order for all his listeners to be able to relate and contemplate his speeches. Martin Luther King Jr.s Letter from Birmingham Jail. The Atlantic, Atlantic Media Company, 29 Jan. 2021, https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2018/02/letter-from-a-birmingham-jail/552461/. Copyright 2023 IPL.org All rights reserved. The letter from the Birmingham jail of Martin Luther King, Jr.. You may use it as a guide or sample for writing your own . It elucidated the exigence behind his letter as his presented rationale behind his arrest only made unjust laws appear more asinine and questionable by relation. In Birmingham, Alabama, in the spring of 1963, King's campaign to end segregation at lunch counters and in hiring practices drew nationwide attention when police turned dogs and fire hoses on the demonstrators. This evidence, revealing MLKs use of pathos, was used to reach out to the emotional citizens who have either experienced or watched police brutality. There are three main considerations to make while analysing a rhetorical situation: the constraints, the exigence, and the audience. MLKs use of pathos and repetition is an effective way to persuade his audience about his position on civil disobedience. His Letter from Birmingham Jail was the match. Kings use of pathos gives him the ability to encourage his fellow civil rights activists, evoke empathy in white conservatives, and allow the eight clergymen and the rest of his national audience to feel compassion towards the issue. The audience of Letter From Birmingham Jail was initially the eight clergymen of Birmingham, all white and in positions of religious leadership. Despite his opposition, however, the letter is truly addressed to those who were not against King, but did not understand the urgency of his movement. That sentence magnifies the fact that good people doing nothing is the same as bad people purposely hindering civil rights. Analysing a rhetorical situation clarifies why a text was created, the purpose in which it was written, and why the author made specific choices while writing it. King addressed these communities as the primary groups wherein racial segregation is continuously proliferated (the white American political and religious community) and points much of his arguments to and for his fellow black Americans in the society. He takes up for his cause in Birmingham, and his belief that nonviolent direct action is the best way to make changes happen. Several clergy who negatively critiqued Kings approach of seeking justice, wrote A Call for Unity, arguing that his protests were senseless and improper. From the very beginning of it , King brings his crowd back to the origin of America when the Emancipation Proclamation was signed, that freed all slaves and gave hope to the former slaves.