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Rhetorical Devices In Letter From Birmingham Jail

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The desire to change and inspire is a part of most people; sometimes it is because of our natural selfishness, and other times it is because we truly care for others and their ideas. The power of words is compelling; not because it forces you to do something, but because it forces you to think of something. Writing is the ultimate messenger, and it is a skill that some spend their lives perfecting. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s “Letter from Birmingham Jail” was written from a solitary cell in Birmingham, Alabama. He had been arrested while participating in a peaceful anti-segregation march in 1963. King’s major “duty,” exposing and abolishing racism, is established through his use of rhetorical devices. His (often accidental) writing strategies …show more content…

Using the word “fellow” puts King on the white clergymen’s level or even above them, demonstrating that he is qualified and knows what he is talking about. The art of sounding polite and demanding seems to come naturally to King, and because of this he gains a large following of people. His strong diction establishes his tone and the reader is left knowing King is clever and …show more content…

In paragraph eleven, King uses an anaphora to list examples of oppression and convey a sense of urgency through the letter. The repetition of “when you” causes the reader to feel at fault, especially because King is describing some horrifying instances; this forces the audience to put themselves in the shoes of a black person living in America. The sympathy we feel is essentially King’s very effective use of pathos. By repeating “when you” ten times within one periodic sentence, (which is not completely grammatically correct) the final clause is enhanced. The suspense created through this anaphora accentuates his general statement at the end of the paragraph more effectively, and explains his main point being as well as the reason he is impatient for

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