Martin Luther King, also referred to MLK, uses both Pathos and Logos to fit the audiences and occasions for each text. They just want equality but no one would give them the time of ay to explain themselves as equals. Despite the overwhelming emotional and personal investment involved Dr. King still allows logic to prevail thus lending him a huge amount of credibility. Although he mentions just and unjust laws often throughout his letter, King uses plenty more of examples logos to make his point. Student Instructions Create a storyboard that shows five examples of literary elements in "Letter from a Birmingham Jail". He was a survivor of the Holocaust separated from his family through several concentration camps. Each of King's sentences asks for impartiality and justice for the rights . Counterargument: a persuasive technique comprising of a concession and refutation. Hate cannot drive out hate only love can do that. This two quotes mean People shouldnt judge someone by how they look or what they believe in. Letter from Birmingham, Martin Luther King Jr. "If I have said anything in this letter that overstates the truth and indicates an unreasonable impatience, I beg you to forgive me. He was arrested in the summer of 1961 for parading without a permit and wrote the infamous Letter from Birmingham Jail to white clergymen about rights of blacks. 2 - King Jr. was adamantly against anyone being complicit with segregation. Why was "Letter From a Birmingham Jail" written? He also revealed the biblical soundness of this claim through various examples (Rieder XIX). Give an example from the text in the description box. Another way that he appeals to logos is talking about how outrageous it is to have him making this speech, and that the people really do not understand the Fourth of July and crazy it is to think about it as a holiday for black people. To begin with Dr. King used logos in his speech to educate the people and give them evidence and logic. The purpose is to inform the audience on ethics/ morality and how segregation is wrong. Another place where he uses logic is where he talks about the fact that slaves are human. He also refers to Paul in the Bible when he states that like Paul, he must react to the Macedonian call for help. By searching the title, publisher, or authors of guide you in reality want, you can discover them rapidly. However, nearly everyone can relate to the images Martin Luther king vividly painted in jail. King uses a imagery within his letter to make the the pathos much stronger to the reader. MLK uses both ways to gain the attention and agreement of the audience but, he uses pathos not just more, but in a more relatable way in order to appeal to his audience. He shows his authority by providing background information about himself, including his position as president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. Letter from Birmingham Jail corydemarc022 Increasing Importance From Birmingham A Letter From A Birmingham Jail written by Dr Martin Luther King Jr. is an amazing piece of writing That Dr. King wrote in response to a statement made by eight white Alabama clergymen. This essentially puts MLK in the same group as Jesus, removing the negative connotation of being an extremist. In his mind, the work he was doing alongside his thousands of supporters had the power to raise America from the dark to a soaring height. No one has time to read them all, but its important to go over them at least briefly. The Letter from a Birmingham Jail is a response to an open letter written by eight clergymen in Birmingham, Alabama, who criticized the actions and peaceful protests of Martin Luther King Jr. Who wrote "Letter From a Birmingham Jail"? Here are more examples of parallel structure within "Letter from Birmingham Jail" that I find especially powerful. In his words he suggests,This note was a promise that all men, yes, black men as well as white men, would be guaranteed the inalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness (King) . Martin Luther King makes use of his experiences and the characters he has encountered in his life to writing his letter. This letter appeals to many things that the clergymen can relate to and also displays King as an educated individual. Martin Luther King Jr. was a non-violent leader significant in the 1950s civil rights movement. Letter from a Birmingham Jail was written by civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. What is the "Letter from a Birmingham Jail" about? An example is We know through painful experience that freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded hy the oppressed, Frankly, have yet to engage in a direct-action campaign that was h,vell timed in the view of those who have not suffered. Again, this draws attention to this sentence by using strong imagery of two unalike things. The letter conceded that social injustices were taking place but expressed the belief that the battle against racial segregation should be fought solely in the courts and not taken onto the streets. Through loaded words Martin Luther King Jr. was able to connect emotionally as well as to relate to his audience in a "Letter from Birmingham Jail". The momentous speech was delivered on August 26th, 1968, shocking the world with its influential expression of emotion and implication of social injustice. In his speech it states It does not say all white men, but it says all men, which includes black men. King Jr. refutes the central argument that he is willing to break laws by identifying that some laws are just while others are unjust. He gave examples you could almost see if you pictured them hard enough. Stop procrastinating with our smart planner features. Why does King Jr. use visual imagery in "Letter From a Birmingham Jail"? Writers or speakers often restate opposing views accurately and fairly, align their ideas with relevant experts on the subject matter, and use a controlled tone to convey respect and level-headedness. King has explained this through many examples of racial situations, factual and logical reasoning, and . In the "letter from Birmingham Jail" by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., he uses pathos, logos and rhetorical devices such as imagery, sarcasm and biblical allusions to show how his work of nonviolent protests are smart and how Birmingham has violated their civil rights. He used logos when he talked about the Declaration of Independence and its writers. 1137 Words5 Pages. Good Essays. King explains that the intent of their direct-action is to cause a tension powerful enough to force a response, to direct change. Why was Martin Luther King Jr. incarcerated in Birmingham, Alabama? After being arrested in downtown Birmingham on a Good Friday, Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. wrote his famous letter, A Letter From Birmingham Jail responding to the criticism exhibited by eminent white clergyman, this letters direct audience was intended for the critical white clergymen, but was also directed towards the people of Birmingham and attracted a worldwide audience. Martin Luther King Jr. wrote the "Letter from a Birmingham Jail," responding to the clergyman using a respectful and assertive tone with the purpose of defending himself. All segregation statutes are unjust because segregation distorts the soul and damages the personality.". Martin Luther King Jr. was one of the most influential figures of the American civil rights movement. Any law that degrades human personality is unjust. He condenses this hate and describes it as an airtight cage and as suffocating. This links the inequality to the panic of smothering while tightly packed in a cage. To put it in the terms of St. Thomas Aquinas, an unjust law is a human law that is not rooted in eternal and natural law. His. when you suddenly find your tongue twisted and your speech stammering as you seek to explain to your six-year-old daughter why she cannot go to the public amusement park that has just been advertised on television, and see tears welling up in her little eyes when she is told that Funtown is closed to colored children, and see the depressing clouds of inferiority begin to form in her little mental sky.". He is telling them that the African Americans have been free for five hundred years and that was a great point in history but the African Americans arent treated equally or fairly. The "Letter From a Birmingham Jail" was written by Martin Luther King Jr. in 1963 while he was imprisoned in Birmingham, Alabama. Negotiations should be preferred over actions. For example, he states, Was not Jesus an extremist in love? Martin Luther uses imagery to visually address his actions and give reasons behind them. Dr. Martin Luther King Junior's greatest speech, "I Have a Dream" and his widely discussed letter, "Letter from Birmingham Jail", are the true pictures of his age and they portray the pathetic state of the black Americans under the whites. The struggle of racism becomes men smothering in cages in the dark depths of America. Report DMCA Overview Over 10 million students from across the world are already learning smarter. By using the rhetorical features, MLKs speech reached a different level of effectiveness for his audience. Was not Abraham Lincoln an extremist? His controlled use of diction and persuasive techniques appealed to the audiences intelligence and emotions. Stop procrastinating with our study reminders. If I have said anything that understates the truth and indicates my having patience, I beg God to forgive me" (King 301). Concession: an expression of concern for the disagreeing audience. When they tried to obtain the rights they were supposed to have from the beginning, no one would give. Martin Luther Kings use of Pathos and Logos in I have a Dream showcases how he uses the devices to inspire others, compared to how he uses these rhetorical devices in Letter From Birmingham Jail to persuade the Clergymen. Martin was put into Birmingham Jail for being labeled as an extremist, however, he gives several points as to why the authorities were wrong. Everything you need for your studies in one place. This past August I conducted an analysis of the metaphors from his famous "I Have a Dream" speech . Martin was famously a pacifist, so in his speech, he advocated peaceful protesting and passively fighting against racial segregation. Titled as the I Have a Dream Speech, he read this speech to the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. All three rhetorical devices are vital to the meaning of the letter; the most influential being pathos. Here is an example of alliteration in Letter from a Birmingham Jail., " but we still creep at a horse-and-buggy pace toward gaining a cup of coffee". Fig. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. proclaims courage to the civil rights activists as he speaks passionately about the need to end racism. Martin Luther King Jr. is remembered for his great speeches, accomplishments and his leadership skills, but also for the sincerity of his heart for the freedom and unity of all people. What is the purpose of the "Letter from Birmingham Jail"? when you are harried by day and haunted by night by the fact that you are a Negro, living constantly at tiptoe stance, never quite knowing what to expect next, and are plagued with inner fears and outer resentments when you are forever fighting a degenerating sense of 'nobodiness' - then you will understand why we find it difficult to wait.". Click "Start Assignment". Individuals must actively seek to create the world they want, since there is no inevitable sense of fate that will deliver it. In Martin Luther Kings Letter From Birmingham Jail he uses pathos, and rhetorical questions to convince readers of the value of civil disobedience. When he discusses his dream that, Martin Luther King Jr used the Aristotelian persuasive method of ethos, pathos, and logos to persuade the clergymen to change their decisions of them stopping their non-violent protests. Wiesel begins by thanking America for saving him but moves on in an angry fashion. Identify your study strength and weaknesses. In Martin Luther King's "Letter From Birmingham Jail" he uses pathos, and rhetorical questions to convince readers of the value of civil disobedience. These techniques, coupled with the persuasive appeals, make his letter particularly powerful and have cemented his words as some of the most influential in history. He also calls out the white church and explains his disappointment in their weak and uncertain convictions that maintain the status quote of discrimination and violence. " Asia and Africa are moving with jetlike speed." 2. Each part of this letter is chosen carefully to aid Or. Fig. Open Document. Dr. King was a very intelligent. The excerpt adds to the overall urgency of Letter From Birmingham Jail.. In it, he implements all three persuasive appeals to reach his audience and counter his critics: logos, pathos, and ethos. The Letter from Birmingham Jail is a letter that explains the events that occurred when clergymen criticized Martin Luther King Jr.s entrancing the Birmingham. Earn points, unlock badges and level up while studying. Then by stating his values and creating imagery achieved but hos vocabulary he effective used pathos. (LogOut/ . Whenever necessary and possible, we share staff, educational and financial resources with our affiliates.". Pathos was used to appeal to the emotions of the clergymen when he speaks about how the black people in Birmingham are suffering. we see the idea that was being repeated start to subside. Using credibility, authority, trustworthiness and similarity to build a relationship by using evidence, MLK achieved ethos. He is comparing someone being robbed to himself in the civil rights movements. King Jr. implements all three persuasive appeals, ethos, pathos, and logos, to reach his audience and counter his critics. After stating the general purpose of his letter, Martin Luther King Jr. specifically addressed the clergymen to set up for his logical counterargument. (LogOut/ The letter he wrote from the Birmingham jail was a response to the 8 white clergymen who criticized M.L.K for leading protests in Birmingham, Alabama. If anything he kind of brakes it down, educating us if even. Logical arguments often use deductive reasoning, factual evidence, tradition or precedent, research, and authority. The stressed words here were chosen to show that civil progress is happening casually, as creeping and having a cup of coffee are not quick movements. He first calls attention to the physical act of protest, noting that he and other read analysis of Bodies Previous Ku Klux Klan Next Apostle Paul Cite This Page The following summarizes the Letter from a Birmingham Jail, which was written while Martin Luther King Jr. was in jail in Alabama. 4) He used logos here to explain that even though the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence promised all men to have equal rights, they did not follow it. Inspiration and exuberance were the emotions that people felt as they listened to Dr. Martin Luther King Jrs., I Have a Dream speech. King establishes his place in Birmingham by proving his organizational ties and showing credibility in keeping his promise to help an affiliate engage in a nonviolent direct action program. He reaches his audience by showing that he is merely acting responsibly by coming to Birmingham. King Jr. uses active verbs and strong visual imagery like harried, haunted, and living constantly at tiptoe stance to show how uneasy and discomforting it is to be a Black American living in an oppressive society. King says we must live together as brothers or we will perish as fools. Darkness cannot drive out darkness only light can do that. Create a free website or blog at WordPress.com. Set individual study goals and earn points reaching them. Martin Luther King Jr. was a master at using sound devices like alliteration, perhaps because of his religious background, to add emphasis and detail. Letter from Birmingham Jail Summary & Analysis Next Themes Themes and Colors Key Summary Analysis Martin Luther King, Jr. directs his letter to the eight white clergymen who publicly condemned his actions in Birmingham, Alabama. Imagery Examples Of Pathos In Letter From Birmingham Jail. Logos is one of the strongest appeals in his letter, critical as it helps and ensures that the reader establishes trust and confidence in the writer. Letter From a Birmingham Jail American Drama A Raisin in the Sun Aeschylus Amiri Baraka Antigone Arcadia Tom Stoppard August Wilson Cat on a Hot Tin Roof David Henry Hwang Dutchman Edward Albee Eugene O'Neill Euripides European Drama Fences August Wilson Goethe Faust Hedda Gabler Henrik Ibsen Jean Paul Sartre Johann Wolfgang von Goethe He uses metaphorical imagery, powerful diction,and symbolism to create an impact on the audience. Imagery allows a person to relate what they already know to a situation. Why sit-ins, marches, etc? This whole letter is an escalation until the final paragraphs when it s summed up and beings to take a calmer tone. I guess it is easy for those who have never felt the stinging darts of segregation to say wait. He appeals to the sense of sight and touch by describing segregation a stinging darts. The purpose of the Letter from a Birmingham Jail by Martin Luther King Jr. was to respond to the clergymens accusations in their open letter to him. This passage is a rather concise description of the call to arms that lies within the "Letter from Birmingham Jail." Arguing that time is "neutral," Dr. King illustrates the importance of individual action. 1 - Martin Luther King Jr. was a talented speaker and engaged his audience in many ways. Some examples of similes/metaphors in MLKs Letter from the Birmingham City Jail are: 1. While participating in nonviolent demonstrations for racial equality in Birmingham, Alabama, Martin Luther King Jr. was arrested and jailed for eight days. Public demonstrations are an inappropriate way to address his concerns. King Jr. uses emotional appeals in the following excerpt from Letter from a Birmingham Jail. We will examine it piece by piece. But, as King starts to become heated, we see sentences prolonged, starting to accelerate a strong rhythm, and become longer in key emotional passages. Letter From Birmingham Jail Give examples of the writers use of metaphors, imagery, and anaphora. Free and expert-verified textbook solutions. Over the course of Letter from Birmingham Jail (1963), the author, Martin Luther King Jr., makes extended allusions to multiple philosophers, among them Aquinas and Socrates. He was arrested and was sent to Birmingham City Jail. MLK takes advantage of the human body's strong response to emotion. He takes up for his cause in Birmingham, and his belief that nonviolent direct action is the best way to make changes happen. Martin Luther King Jr. uses alliteration and imagery to further establish his argument and add substance to his words. Two of his most famous compositions were his I Have A Dream speech and his Letter From Birmingham Jail. -- Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, pray for them that despitefully use you.. In Letter from Birmingham Jail, Martin Luther King uses pathos and rhetorical questions to emphasize the emotional and painful experience of civil disobedience. Since we so diligently urge people to obey the Supreme Court's decision of 1954 outlawing segregation in the public schools, it is rather strange and paradoxical to find us consciously breaking laws. As a member of the community being persecuted in. There are three persuasive techniques you should be aware of: There are many instances of each persuasive technique in "Letter from a Birmingham Jail," but some brief examples are provided here and in the analysis. Throughout his letter, King uses many biblical references to make his readers see the inequality of their society, and what it would continue to be like without change. logos "policemen curse, kick, and even kill your black brothers and sisters" metaphor smothering in an airtight "cage of poverty" hyperbole "many streets of the South would, I am convinced, be flowing with blood" alliteration speech stammering as you seek to explain to your six year old pathos "see tears welling up in her eyes" logos Who is the "Letter from a Birmingham Jail" addressed to? when you see the vast majority of your twenty million Negro brothers smothering in an airtight cage of poverty in the midst of an affluent society Martin Luther is coming forward with what hes been seeing for many years. For instance, Luther refers to St. Augustine who says that an unjust law is no law at all. Martin Luther King Jr. used ethos by convincing his audience that he was an expert on the topic of civil rights. Well there was time when society did judge and discriminate against you. King Jr. also uses imagery to evoke pity and empathy from his audience. Martin Luther King Jr.'s letter was written on small pieces of paper, sometimes jailhouse toilet tissue, and smuggled out in pieces by those he trusted. The repetition of the hard c sound emphasizes the words creep and cup of coffee." Can the only be understanding alongside confusion? He used this information to tell the people how long they have been taking being discriminated against after being freed, Dr. Kings I Have a Dream speech shows powerful examples of logos and pathos.