Throughout The Letter from Birmingham Jail written by Martin Luther King Jr, there are multiple uses of rhetorical devices. During the letter King decided to respond to some white clergymen, who felt that his nonviolent protest were “unwise and untimely (paragraph one).” King did not respond to rarely any criticism that he ever received, but he felt this particular letter deserved a response. King knew his response to the letter would have to be calm and peaceful, just as his protest were. He knew that everyone would carefully review his letter looking for a problem, not just the clergymen. Although he had to be careful, he defended his case well using rhetorical devices. He used pathos to refer to the audience’s emotions, allusions to refer
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In this paragraph he thoroughly explains how “waiting” for the African American race (Negroes), and that waiting would only further segregation and continue to strip them of their human rights. This is distinguished in the sixth sentence of the paragraph stating, “Justice too long delayed is justice denied.” He feels they have been waiting long enough and that the white congregation does not understand the feelings they have felt over the last three hundred years. King expressed that in sentences nine through twenty-four, “When you have seen vicious mobs lynch your mothers and fathers at will and drown your sisters and brothers at whim...when you are forever fighting a degenerating sense of “nobodiness”.” King uses these sentences to let them into the world the Negroes had been dealing with all this time. He justifies to them that they can no longer wait, because the longer they wait the longer they will be stuck in their circumstances. He appealed to the white clergymen, white congressmen, and any other audience members’ emotions. King did not just justify himself using pathos, he further it and used …show more content…
Without the facts behind his commentary, his letter would not have been as powerful as it was. King’s letter was built off of facts, for example in paragraph three, “Just as the eighth-century prophets left their little villages and carried their “thus saith the Lord” far beyond the boundaries of their hometowns…I too am compelled to carry the gospel of freedom beyond my particular hometown.” King uses these facts about the prophets leaving their town to aid another, to refer to himself leaving his hometown to aid Birmingham. The clergymen said that King was an outsider, but if the prophets could aid others, he could too. That was not his only point of why he was not an outsider of Birmingham, he also states in paragraph four, “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice anywhere...Whatever affects one directly affects all indirectly.” King speaks on this to explain that although he does not reside in Birmingham, he is still affected indirectly because of the injustice going on there. He knew he could do something to aid his people, and standing around in another state was not going to help anyone. Birmingham was too close to his home, and others would feel that what was happening in Birmingham was ok and would begin trying it in other states. Therefore King had to stop it, because it was threatening justice in other places. He also makes the point later on in paragraph fifteen which states, “used to prevent
In this paragraph he thoroughly explains how “waiting” for the African American race (Negroes), and that waiting would only further segregation and continue to strip them of their human rights. This is distinguished in the sixth sentence of the paragraph stating, “Justice too long delayed is justice denied.” He feels they have been waiting long enough and that the white congregation does not understand the feelings they have felt over the last three hundred years. King expressed that in sentences nine through twenty-four, “When you have seen vicious mobs lynch your mothers and fathers at will and drown your sisters and brothers at whim...when you are forever fighting a degenerating sense of “nobodiness”.” King uses these sentences to let them into the world the Negroes had been dealing with all this time. He justifies to them that they can no longer wait, because the longer they wait the longer they will be stuck in their circumstances. He appealed to the white clergymen, white congressmen, and any other audience members’ emotions. King did not just justify himself using pathos, he further it and used …show more content…
Without the facts behind his commentary, his letter would not have been as powerful as it was. King’s letter was built off of facts, for example in paragraph three, “Just as the eighth-century prophets left their little villages and carried their “thus saith the Lord” far beyond the boundaries of their hometowns…I too am compelled to carry the gospel of freedom beyond my particular hometown.” King uses these facts about the prophets leaving their town to aid another, to refer to himself leaving his hometown to aid Birmingham. The clergymen said that King was an outsider, but if the prophets could aid others, he could too. That was not his only point of why he was not an outsider of Birmingham, he also states in paragraph four, “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice anywhere...Whatever affects one directly affects all indirectly.” King speaks on this to explain that although he does not reside in Birmingham, he is still affected indirectly because of the injustice going on there. He knew he could do something to aid his people, and standing around in another state was not going to help anyone. Birmingham was too close to his home, and others would feel that what was happening in Birmingham was ok and would begin trying it in other states. Therefore King had to stop it, because it was threatening justice in other places. He also makes the point later on in paragraph fifteen which states, “used to prevent