King uses a variety of religious and historical allusions in "Letter from Birmingham Jail." The letter discusses the great injustices happening toward the Black community in Birmingham and although it is primarily aimed at the clergymen King writes the letter for all to read. He spoke about how everything Hitler did was considered legal but seen as immoral while everything the Hungarian freedom fighters did to help was seen as illegal but championed as the right thing. During this letter, King then uses the time to unroot the occasion of nonviolent protests in BIrmingham and the disappointing leadership of the clergy. Parallelism is briefly several parts of a sentence, that are expressed in similar grammatical form to show that the ideas are equal in importance. Depending on what kind of writing genre is presented, determines the audience of the writer and how the writer choose to reach his or her audience. Martin Luther Kings Letter from Birmingham Jail was an effective rhetorical tool in aiding the Negroes for equal justice in the American society. Dr. Martin Luther King's Letter From A Birmingham Jail. How would society progress without opposition? Clock is ticking and inspiration doesn't come? During this letter, King then uses the time to unroot the occasion of nonviolent protests in BIrmingham and the disappointing leadership of the clergy. Analyzes how martin luther king jr. uses ethos to establish his credibility on the interest of racial discrimination and injustice. In the featured article, Letter from a Birmingham Jail, an imprisoned Dr. Martin Luther King, on the date of April 16, 1963, composes a response to his fellow clergymen addressing their criticism of his activities and beliefs. And yet little by little, it becomes clear that Dr. King intends this statement for a much larger audience. Martin Luther King Jr. wanted his readers to understand that the only thing worse than hate and opposition, is. Whatever affects one directly affects all indirectly. It was Good Friday. As in so many experiences of the past, we were confronted with blasted hopes, and the dark shadow of a deep disappointment settled upon us. Despite its pragmatic and hurried origins, the document is now considered a . Question 6 on page 177 The letter is a response to many of the dissenters and critics of Kings tactics, most notably his belief in the importance of non-violent protests and marches. Please note! To achieve his personal proposal, King uses ethos, pathos and logos to convey a sense of understanding a reason for equality and sympathy. The two poets employ a sophisticated poetic language We use cookies to offer you the best experience. Kings letter longs for the immediate need for non-violent and direct protest against the unjust and immoral segregation laws. Bass, Jonathan. King relies heavily on the two rhetorical devices, juxtaposition and parallelism, to bolster his argument and aid to make his reasoning more compelling. A code that a majority inflicts on a minority that is not blinding on itself. First, the cause in the letter was to correct the misconceptions held by clergymen. Excerpt from "Letter from a Birmingham Jail". Copyright 2000-2023. They may think he is just another poor African American in the city of Birmingham that was arrested; however, more likely than not they had heard of him before this letter. They shared staff, educational and financial resources with their affiliates. Letter from Birmingham Jail. Explains that dr. king wrote in an argumentative manner to inflict a change in the reader's attitude to view the social injustices many of the negro community faced as wrong. Home / Essay Samples / Social Issues / Racism / Letter From Birmingham Jail. We`ll do boring work for you. "One has not only a legal but a moral responsibility to obey just laws. anaphora. King alludes to the Bible multiple times throughout his Letter From Birmingham Jail. The title First Poem for You immediately establishes that there is some type of connection in the poem. On the basis of them, Negro leaders sought to negotiate with the city fathers. Dr. King is very explicit in the letter; he makes a very obvious argument on the immeasurable amount of injustice taking place. Seldom, if ever, do I pause to answer criticism of my work and ideas. Dr. King and many civil rights leaders were in Birmingham as a part of a coordinated campaign of sit-ins and marches . Even though this was Federal Law, the community still chose to obey the city ordinances of segregation. On. Clayborne Carson. These are the hard, brutal, and unbelievable facts. I will also discuss how DRP. Define the injustice and the protest and explain how Judeo-Christian ethics were applied to allow for civil disobedience. The logos that I thoroughly found intriguing was when he pointed out how long African Americans have waited to gain the same rights as everyone else in the United States. The first way that a Letter from a Birmingham Jail and I have a Dream differ are in their intended audience, as one is intended for a group of white clergymen while the other is intended to rally a large group. He knows how persuasive he can be by using his knowledge of the English language, and he uses this to speak out against people who doubt him (clergymen) and to incite a different way of thinking into the people in hopes of change. Analyzes how king establishes his credibility to the clergymen in order to make his arguments stronger. Segregation was declared unconstitutional in the Supreme Court after the case of Brown v. Board of Education in 1954. Dr. 11. It was effective because he appealed to the emotions of the reader, and he used vivid analogies to make the content of the letter easier to understand. he is zealous about the rights that african-americans have been neglected to have and should have. A reader experiences firsthand that it was about time for necessary action to take place, considering how long the black people had waited for equality through nonviolent protest. In fact, he writes in a calm manner that sends a message of peace, as well as comfort. Martin Luther King, Jr., Letter from Birmingham Jail. The signs remained. IN ANY nonviolent campaign there are four basic steps: collection of the facts to determine whether injustices are alive, negotiation, self-purification, and direct action. In the "Letter from Birmingham Jail", written by Martin Luther King Jr., King delivers a well structured response to eight clergymen who had accused him of misuse of the law. This act of defiance was greeted by the immediate arrest of all of the protesters (Dr. King included). I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice. King is stating that Mississippi, one of the most racist states in the U.S. sweltering with the heat of oppression, injustice would soon completely change to an oasis of freedom and injustice. Reported resources will be reviewed by our team. In the spring of 1963, the Birmingham police imprisoned Dr. Martin Madeleine Albrights commencement speech was obviously directed towards the young graduates of Mount Holyoke College. In his letter, King addresses the accusations of civil disobedience and extremism, and his being encouraged to submit to quietism, but the manner in which these facets are presented by the opposition, distort Kings actual position, proving to be the greatest threat to Kings efforts. An unjust law is a code that is out of harmony with the moral law." antithesis. He uses Socrates example when he thought that it was needed to create tension amongst others in order to rise above bondage and myths. In order for a writer to reach a particular audience, the writer has to be able to compose his writing. The letter served as a tangible, reproducible account of the long road to freedom in a movement that was largely centered around actions and spoken words. In the Letter from Birmingham Jail, Martin Luther King, Jr. refutes his critics claims through the use of passionate tones, metaphors, and allusions. PeeJay Nowling To browse Academia.edu and the wider internet faster and more securely, please take a few seconds toupgrade your browser. In 1963, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. along with 52 other African-Americans set out on a quest to put an end to the segregation laws in the south. The main motivation for this letter is Dr. Kings own view of the injustices apparent in the Negro community and the intended actions the community is taking. An associate had invited him with the request of initiating an immediate action, nonviolent plan, to fight the segregation, racial issues, and injustice found in Birmingham. From the letter from Birmingham jail argument analysis, several things are clear. While performing sit-ins, marches and other nonviolent protests, King was imprisoned by authorities for violating the strict segregation laws. In "Letter from Birmingham Jail" Martin Luther King strives to justify the need for nonviolent direct action in order to end all forms of segregation and helping the civil rights movement. In this essay Quindlen aims to convince her readers that we should lower the drinking age and raise the driving age. "Letter from Birmingham Jail" is addressed to white clergymen, and the purpose of the letter is to defend the demonstrations that were taking place. Analyzes how martin luther king uses passionate and calm tones, vivid metaphors, and biblical and historical allusions to argue against criticisms in "letter from birmingham jail.". Analyzes king's frustration at the inaction of the southern white church, who stood passively as their christian brethren struggled. tags: civil-disobedience , civil-rights , protest. "Letter from a Birmingham Jail"- by Martin Luther King Jr. Martin Luther King Jr. was sent to jail because he had been marching against racial segregation. Concludes that king successfully uses logos, pathos and ethos to draw the intended audience in. Analyzes how dr. king uses metaphors to negate the alabama clergymen's claims of "untimely actions" and explain why his actions are justified in birmingham. Choose your writer among 300 professionals! 3. Watsons Go to Birmingham 1963 Letter from the Birmingham Jail The Negro Motorist Green Book Los Watson Van a Birmingham --1963 (the Watsons Go to Birmingham -- 1963) . Dr. King was the president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, a vital group that led many affiliations to peaceful marches and sit-ins throughout the civil rights movement. April 16, 1963. My Dear Fellow Clergymen, While confined here in the Birmingham City Jail, I came across your recent statement calling our present activities "unwise and untimely.". WHILE confined here in the Birmingham city jail, I came across your recent statement calling our present activities "unwise and untimely." When the genre of the writing is determined, then the particular audience can be determined to who its interest of reading might be. Give them the following six literary elements and have them create a storyboard that depicts and explains the use of each literary element in the letter: alliteration, metaphor, allusion, imagery, parallelism, personification.