MLK Rhetorical Analysis
The Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s was a transformative event that changed the course of American history forever. Having long been denied their god given rights, African Americans had claimed victory in their long and tumultuous crusade for equality. However, some still vehemently opposed the movement. Dr. Martin Luther King, the face of black America, took on critics of his methods in his famous “Letter from Birmingham Jail”. Exposing the hypocrisy of the eight Alabama clergymen who opposed the movement, King skillfully uses numerous rhetorical devices to craft a remarkably persuasive piece. However, it is his use of repetition—through its ability to create parallelism, and its ability to draw attention to specific points and magnify their importance—that empowers him to create a more impactful argument that serves to resonate more with the reader.
One of the key functions of repetition within the passage is its ability to create parallelism, which provides clarity to the argument and makes it easier for the reader to understand. In paragraph 14 of the letter, King’s use of anaphora with the word “when,” is a good example of the effect of parallelism. When providing a rationale for the actions of the Civil Rights Movement, King draws attention to the injustices …show more content…
The parallelism created through repetition serves to create a sense of clarity and understanding in the reader, the ability of repetition to clarify specific points makes sure critical components of the argument are not lost in obscurity, and the ability of repetition to magnify the importance of details that are often overlooked maximizes the effectiveness of the argument. Working in tandem these three effects serve to elevate “Letter from Birmingham Jail” from a run-of-the-mill persuasive piece to one of the most revered pieces of rhetoric in literary
The Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s was a transformative event that changed the course of American history forever. Having long been denied their god given rights, African Americans had claimed victory in their long and tumultuous crusade for equality. However, some still vehemently opposed the movement. Dr. Martin Luther King, the face of black America, took on critics of his methods in his famous “Letter from Birmingham Jail”. Exposing the hypocrisy of the eight Alabama clergymen who opposed the movement, King skillfully uses numerous rhetorical devices to craft a remarkably persuasive piece. However, it is his use of repetition—through its ability to create parallelism, and its ability to draw attention to specific points and magnify their importance—that empowers him to create a more impactful argument that serves to resonate more with the reader.
One of the key functions of repetition within the passage is its ability to create parallelism, which provides clarity to the argument and makes it easier for the reader to understand. In paragraph 14 of the letter, King’s use of anaphora with the word “when,” is a good example of the effect of parallelism. When providing a rationale for the actions of the Civil Rights Movement, King draws attention to the injustices …show more content…
The parallelism created through repetition serves to create a sense of clarity and understanding in the reader, the ability of repetition to clarify specific points makes sure critical components of the argument are not lost in obscurity, and the ability of repetition to magnify the importance of details that are often overlooked maximizes the effectiveness of the argument. Working in tandem these three effects serve to elevate “Letter from Birmingham Jail” from a run-of-the-mill persuasive piece to one of the most revered pieces of rhetoric in literary