King has explained this through many examples of racial situations, factual and logical reasoning, and . Your email address will not be published. Letter from Birmingham Jail by Martin Luther King, Jr. Martin Luther King, Jr. a civil rights activist that fought for the rights of African Americans in 1963. 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. parallelism really etches into the audience's mind the seemingly never-ending hardships blacks face and the repetition makes it seem like a regular routine they endure. Both works utilizes the persuasive techniques of pathos in Dream and logos in Birmingham. Both of the works had a powerful message that brought faith to many. The following well-known adage is an example of parallelism: "Give a . These encompass his exigence, at its most simple and precise, and validify the importance behind transforming the country in a positive way. 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. He ended up creating a very persuasive letter, one that effectively uses ethos in establishing his character, logos in providing reason and logic, and pathos in reaching human emotions. This wait has almost always meant never (King 2). Parallelism In Letters From Birmingham Jail 172 Words1 Page Martin Luther King Jr. uses pathos and parallelism frequently throughout "Letters from Birmingham Jail," to persuade the clergyman to support his actions in the civil rights movement. He seeks to make them see the logic behind their protesting and make them feel ashamed and embarrassed by the way that they have been treating the African Americans. 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. King uses pathos to invoke anger, sympathy and empathy, his impeccable use of logos makes his argument rational to everyone, and his use of ethos, especially the use of biblical references, makes his opinions more reliable. In Letter From Birmingham Jail, Martin Luther King responds to the subjectivity of law and the issue he paramounts by using precise and impactful rhetoric from inside of his jail cell. What King discloses in his essay, Letter From Birmingham Jail, displays how the laws of segregation have affected African-Americans. Parallelism takes many forms in literature, such as anaphora, antithesis, asyndeton, epistrophe, etc. Besides the use of pathos, King uses repetition to enhance the effectiveness of his argument. Martin Luther found himself arrested on the twelfth of April 1963 after leading a peaceful protest throughout Birmingham, Alabama after he defied a state courts injunction and led a march of black protesters without a permit, urging an Easter boycott of white-owned stores (Jr., Martin Luther King). Using emotional appeals captures an audience's attention and makes them think about what the narrator is saying. To get a high-quality original essay, click here. King was the figurehead of the Civil Rights movement, infamous for his I Have a Dream speech and substantially impactful rhetoric promoting social and political change, peaceful indignation, and calls to awareness. 1, no. We will write a custom Essay on King's Allusion in "Letter From Birmingham Jail" specifically for you. 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. However, Martin Luther King Jr is an extremely influential figure in the field of oration and rhetoric. This letter serves as a purpose to apply the need for love and brotherhood towards one another and avoid all the unjust laws. While in solitary confinement for nearly 8 days, reverend and social justice activist, Martin Luther King Jr., wrote his famous Letter from Birmingham Jail in response to the criticism he received for his non-violent protests. Any deadline. Engels . He begins strongly by explaining why he is in Birmingham in the first place, stating, So I am herebecause we were invited here. Martin Luther leading peaceful Birmingham protest, AP News. On the other hand, logical appeals helps to grasp the concept better and provides facts that prove it to be true. An unjust law is a code that is out of harmony with moral law. Just as well, King uses his aspirations to create ideas within the listeners. To truly understand the effectiveness of this letter, one must rhetorically analyse the contents. 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. Throughout the text, King utilized the values of his audience to gain sympathy and later on support. As a black man and pacifist-forward figurehead of the Civil Rights movement, the way Martin Luther is perceived is mostly dictated by preconceived biases and is rampant, widespread, and polarized. When teaching speeches and letters, it's helpful to refresh or introduce students to literary elements that enhance rhetorical strategies. "Letter From a Birmingham Jail," written by Martin Luther King Jr. in 1963, describes a protest against his arrest for non-violent resistance to racism. Dr. King often used repetition and parallel construction to great emotional effect when he spoke. Throughout the work, Letter from Bimingham Jail, Martin Luther constantly uses examples from historical figures in order to unite his argument that action must be taken in order to end discrimination and segregation. Constraints bring light to the obstacles this rhetoric may face, whether it be social, political, economical, etc. 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). Overall, King is saying that we need to fight against injustice anywhere we see it,, In April of 1963, while incarcerated in Birmingham City jail, Martin Luther King Jr. wrote an influential letter defending his anti-segregation protests. An Unjust Law Is No Law At All: Excerpts from "Letter from Birmingham Jail" January 18, 2021 By The Editors In celebration of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, we're sharing excerpts from King's "Letter from Birmingham Jail," one of the most important moral treatises of the twentieth century. Throughout Kings letter, he used various ways of persuasive strategies: pathos, logos, and ethos. Despite his support, Martin Luthers audience is one of the largest constraints in his rhetorical situation. In sum, all rhetoric has an external situation in which it is responding to. The audience of Letter From Birmingham Jail was initially the eight clergymen of Birmingham, all white and in positions of religious leadership. In this example, King employs antithesis to highlight the logical structure and urgency of his argument against inequity, which allows him to establish logos. 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. In each writing, he uses the devices for many different purposes. 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. He is a firm believer that Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere (262). In his letter he uses examples like when you have seen hate-filled policeman curse, kick, and even kill your black brothers and sisters. and when you have seen vicious mobs lynch your mothers and gathers at will and drown your sisters and brothers at whim to make his audience envision and feel what many negroes felt while watching their families put up with this mistreatment. Throughout the Letter from Birmingham Jail, ethos, pathos, and logos are masterfully applied by Martin Luther King. He had a great impact on race relations in the U.S. and he made a great impact on many lives. He displays a great amount of pathos, logos, and ethos in his speech. Parallelism In Letters From Birmingham Jail, Martin Luther King Jr. uses pathos and parallelism frequently throughout Letters from Birmingham Jail, to persuade the clergyman to support his actions in the civil rights movement. At the time, Birmingham was one of the harshest places to live in America for African Americans; white supremacy groups would set off bombs to instill fear in the black community and withhold racial integration, and peaceful protests and sit-ins were met with unjustifiable police violence, in addition to the suffocating social qualms surrounding the black community (Eskew). King organized various non-violent demonstrations in Birmingham, Alabama that resulted in his arrest. Pathos are present more often in the I Have A Dream speech, mainly because he is bravely facing a crowd, speaking from the heart, rather than formality. He uses parallelism by repeating I had hoped to ironically accuse his attackers. 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. He takes up for his cause in Birmingham, and his belief that nonviolent direct action is the best way to make changes happen. Another instance of parallelism in the letter is, We will have to repent in this generation not merely for the vitriolic words and actions of the bad people but for the appalling silence of the good people(Barnet and Bedau 745). Martin Luther King Jr.s Letter from Birmingham Jail.. On August 28, 1963 Martin Luther King Jr. delivered a famous speech during the March on Washington for Jobs and freedom, this speech was called I have a dream. This speech was focused on ending racism and equal rights for African Americans during the civil rights movement. Not only does he use pathos to humanize himself, but he also uses it to humanize his immediate audience, the eight clergymen. Mistreatment of this kind is labeled as racial discrimination. He died in 1968. Fred Shuttlesworth, defied an injunction against protesting on Good Friday in 1963. In his letter King effectively manipulates language and tone to strengthen his argument against the complaints of the clergyman and successfully address the white people. Because of his skill in creating such pieces of writing, as well as his influential role within the Civil Rights Movement, and the reminder that Letter from Birmingham Jail provides of these trying times, his letter should continue to be included within A World of Ideas. 808 certified writers . There are people in the white community that are already standing hand-in-hand with them and their dreams. 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. 114, Jr., Martin Luther King. 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. He goes on to add; I am in Birmingham because injustice is here (King 1). Found a perfect sample but need a unique one? These "parallel" elements can be used to intensify the rhythm of language, or to draw a comparison, emphasize, or elaborate on an idea. Furthermore the Kings parallel structure clarifies and highlights his intent by building up to a more important point. 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. Therefore, these other literary devices and figures of speech are specific types of parallelism.. One of the most well-known examples of . During the era of the civil rights movements in the 60s, among the segregation, racism, and injustice against the blacks, Martin Luther King Jr. stood at the Lincoln Memorial to deliver one of the greatest public speeches for freedom in that decade. In Martin Luther King Jrs I Have a Dream speech he effectively uses ethos, diction and powerful metaphors to express the brutality endured by African American people. In his tear-jerking, mind-opening letter, King manages to completely discredit every claim made by the clergymen while keeping a polite and formal tone. Throughout the letter, Dr. King does a tremendous job of supporting his argument with the three elements of Aristotles rhetorical appeal. Original: Apr 16, 2013. 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. For example, to use parallelism in a sentence in which you list a series of elements, each element typically has the same form. The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and, Martin Luther King Jr. was a strong leader in the Civil Rights movement, the son and grandson of a minister, and one heck of a letter writer. His writing is respectful and educated, if not naturally, to invalidate the use of his race against him by the largely prejudiced audience. The audience of a rhetorical piece will shape the rhetoric the author uses in order to appeal, brazen, or educate whoever is exposed. Letter from a Birmingham Jail: The Rhetorical Analysis At the peak of the Civil War Movement in America on April 12th, 1963, eight Alabama . Whether this be by newspaper, flyers, or restated by another in speech, the spread of information is slower and potentially more controllable. As the Civil Rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s unfolded, Martin Luther King Jr. had, perhaps, the most encompassing and personal rhetorical situation to face in American history. He also wants the readers to realize that negroes are not to be mistreated and that the mistreatment of negroes could have severe implications as in a violent protest against the laws made by the court. 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. In paragraph 15 of his "Letter from Birmingham Jail", Martin Luther King uses parallel structure to compare just and unjust laws. Black Americans were forced to sit behind buses and kids were to use old books and uniforms of White Americans. 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. But the strongest influential device King used was pathos. 1, Penn State University Press, 1968, pp. Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr. were both two African American civil rights activists who were very prominent throughout history. These purposes can be similar, or different. Dr. King goes on to say that laws that do not match what the Bible says are unjust. The letter goes on to explain his choice to act directly and nonviolently, stating, For years now I have heard the word wait. It rings in the ear of every Negro with a piercing familiarity. By clicking Receive Essay, you agree to our, Essay Sample on The Effects of the Atomic Bomb, Essay Sample: The Development of the Braille System in Nineteenth-Century France, Constitution of The United StatesResearch Paper Example, Hippies In The 1960's (Free Essay Sample), Positive And Negative Impacts Of The Columbian Exchange, Essay Sample on Early River Civilizations. His masterful delivery of these metaphors and the frequent repetition makes the speech much like a poem or a part of a song. and may encompass the audience, as seen while analysing, The audience of a rhetorical piece will shape the rhetoric the author uses in order to appeal, brazen, or educate whoever is exposed. 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. This audience is rhetorical as the social and political ideologies of the American people fuel democracy and are able to change the system around them through collective effort. They fought for what they believed in but in vastly different ways. Writers commonly use parallelism when there is a pair or a series of elements, or in the headlines or outlines of a document. 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" The letter was addressed to clergymen who had criticized King and made many claims against him. It was important for King to address this audience as their support would ultimately make the largest difference in the movement. In paragraph 15 of his "Letter from Birmingham Jail", Martin Luther King uses. Introduction. Letter from Birmingham Jail: Repetition BACK NEXT This guy knew how to write a speech. I am here because I have basic organizational ties here (King 1), after describing his involvement in the Southern Christian Leadership Conference as president. This protest, his subsequent arrest, and the clergymens public statement ostensibly make up the rhetorical exigence, but it truly stems from a much larger and dangerous situation at hand: the overwhelming state of anti-black prejudice spread socially, systematically, and legislatively in America since the countrys implementation of slavery in Jamestown, 1619. By using it, you accept our. Martin Luther in Birmingham Jail, The Atlantic. Note: All essays placed on IvyMoose.com are written by students who kindly donate their papers to us. There are three main considerations to make while analysing a rhetorical situation: the constraints, the exigence, and the audience. The concept of parallelism in letters from birmingham jail by martin luther king jr.. http://www.kibin.com/essay-examples/the-concept-of-parallelism-in-letters-from-birmingham-jail-by-martin-luther-king-jr-Q1aX8ugT Be sure to capitalize proper nouns (e.g. Even now, it continues to make generations of people, not just Americans, to give up their racist beliefs and advocate social colorblindness. Glenn Eskew, Bombingham: Black Protest in Postwar Birmingham, Alabama, 1997. To achieve this, he used rhetorical strategies such as appeal to pathos and repetition. Here, King offers disparate hypotheticals to illustrate the necessity for brevity in his acts. With the use of King's rhetorical devices, he described the ways of the Birmingham community and their beliefs, connected to the reader on an emotional level, and brought to light the overall issues dealing with segregation., The letter was ostensibly conceived in response to a letter that had recently run in a local newspaper which had claimed that the protest were "unwise and untimely." 1, no. The Letter from Birmingham Jail addresses many problems, including the slow action occuring to stop racial discrimination. King does this in an effective and logical way. Dr. King responded to criticism that was made by clergymen about calling Dr. King activities as "Unwise and Untimely". King had been arrested while participating in a peaceful anti-segregation march although several local religious groups counted on King for support. To summarize, Martin Luther Kings rhetoric is effective and ultimately changed the course of the Civil Rights movement for the better. Martin Luther Kings "letter from Birmingham Jail" strives to justify the desperate need for nonviolent direct action, the absolute immorality of unjust laws together with what a just law is. This use of parallelism draws on the emotions of personal experiences to persuade that segregation is a problem in a myriad of ways. Recent flashcard sets. Jr., Martin Luther King. Here, King concedes that the clergy acts with the virtuous goal of justice in mind, which allows him to establish his argument against the manner in which they seek equality. The "Letter from Birmingham Jail" was written by the African American hero Dr. Martin Luther King in Birmingham back in 1963, addressing the issues that the African Americans faced back in that time. However, the racial divide was legislated in 1877 with the implementation of Jim Crow laws, which lasted until 1950. Right after that, he alludes to another American writing, the Declaration of. and may encompass the audience, as seen while analysing Letter From Birmingham Jail. One example of Kings use of pathos appeals to the audiences emotions by showing Kings confidence in his endeavors. The law was written in 1962, but the powerful response pushed the courts to finalize their decision. for only $11.00 $9.35/page. You can order a custom paper by our expert writers. Emotional appeal uses intense words and charged language to grab listeners to get them to keep listening. 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. Nineteen sixty-three is not an end, but a beginning And there will be neither rest nor tranquility in America till the Negro is granted his citizenship rights (King pg. These circumstances lead us to our next rhetorical focus: audience. 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 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. 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. These circumstances lead us to our next rhetorical focus: audience. His letter has become one of the most profound pieces of literature of the 20th century, as King uses vivid examples and eloquent rhetorical devices to counter all nine arguments. Therefore, as King fabricates antithetic parallelism, he constructs logos and persuades the audience to take prompt action against injustice through the careful juxtaposition of inverse statements. In. Ultimately, King crafts antithetic parallelism to establish a logical structure that emphasizes logos in his argument: the timeliness of justice. King is not speaking only of racism; he is speaking of injustice in general. Magnifying the differences between two things and repeating statements with similar structure brings about emotion to realize the wrongness of the injustice of civil. Read along here: https://www.africa.upenn.edu/Articles_Gen/Letter_Birmingham.htmlop audio here: https://kinginstitute.stanford.edu/king-papers/documents/lett. " Any law that degrades human personality is unjust." The rhythm and frequent repetition are used to drive home his key points, stressing the importances of his goal. This special lyrical and parallel structure helped get his main points across and allows a large audience to understand simple but powerful words (Layfield) . Specifically he targeted the clergymen who made laws at that time. Later in the letter, parallelism is used to contrast just laws and unjust laws. Letter from a Birmingham Jail AP.GOPO: PRD1.A (LO) , PRD1.A.2 (EK) Google Classroom Full text of "Letter from a Birmingham Jail" by Martin Luther King, Jr. 16 April 1963 My Dear Fellow Clergymen: While confined here in the Birmingham city jail, I came across your recent statement calling my present activities "unwise and untimely." An unjust law is a code that is out of harmony with the moral law." He wants the clergyman to realize that what they believe and think is wrong. In this example, King manufactures logos through the creation of antithetic parallelism, as the structure of his essay provides justification for his argument against the postponement of justice. In both of these writings Dr. King uses logos - logical persuasion - and pathos - emotional appeal - to change the opinions of people who were for segregation and against civil rights. 25 terms. In paragraphs 33 to 44 of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.s response to A Call for Unity, a declaration by eight clergymen, Letter from Birmingham Jail (1963), he expresses that despite his love for the church, he is disappointed with its lack of action regarding the Civil Rights Movement. "Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere." - Martin Luther King Jr., "Letter from a Birmingham Jail" "United there is little we cannot do in a host of cooperative ventures. With his respectful nature, humility, compassion, optimism, and determination, King responded to a group of white Alabama clergymen who had condemned the civil rights protests as extreme in their open letter, A Call for Unity. Although his letter was directed towards a small group of eight men, his words eventually reached the minds and hearts of the entire country. Kings arguments induce an emotional response in his readers. Lines 14-43: King provides three different types of reasons in his letter to justify his presence in Birmingham: Organizational reasons, religious or historical reasons, and moral reasons. In "Letter from Birmingham Jail", King typically uses repetition in the form of anaphora - repeating the same word (s) at the beginning of consecutive clauses. 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. He is placing hope among the Negro community and assuring the white superiority that one day, they will share the same rights as their nation distinctively promised a hundred years earlier. 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. There are three main considerations to make while analysing a rhetorical situation: the constraints, the exigence, and the audience. King chose to write this for a reason; to resonate with those who were not his enemies but who held back the movement through compliance. The letter was written April third, 1963, it was published for the public in June of the same year, a slower spread than a nationwide address on television or radio. This use of parallel structure emphasizes how just and unjust laws can look deceptively similar. Copyright 2023 IPL.org All rights reserved. In the Letter from Birmingham Jail written by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., King addressed the concerns of the white clergy and gave support to the direct action committed by African Americans. King's letter from Birmingham Jail addresses the American society, particularly the political and religious community of the American society. Order can only be held for so long whilst injustice is around. King defends his primary thesis all throughout the length of his letter, and the arguments that he has made to prove that his thesis is true and valid will be the focus of this rhetorical analysis. 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. 262). The letter is a plea to both white and black Americans to encourage desegregation and to encourage equality among all Americans, both black and white, along all social, political and religious ranks, clearly stating that there should be no levels of equality based upon racial differences., In Letter from Birmingham Jail, author Martin Luther King Jr. confirms the fact that human rights must take precedence over unjust laws. Prior to the mid 20th century, social injustice, by means of the Jim Crow laws, gave way to a disparity in the treatment of minorities, especially African Americans, when compared to Caucasians. The amount of original essays that we did for our clients, The amount of original essays that we did for our clients. The topic of Dr. Kings letters from a Birmingham prison is the nonviolent protest being done in Birmingham, Alabama in the fight for African Americans civil rights. The way Dr. King constructs his argument is as if he was preaching his argument to his congregation. I have a dream that one day, down in Alabama, with its vicious racists, with its governor having his lips dripping with the words of interposition and nullification; one day right there in Alabama, little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers. In the Gettysburg Address Lincoln talks about how people fought the war and how people should honor their soldiers.
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