Dr King's Use Of Pathos In Letter From Birmingham Jail

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In the letter from Birmingham jail Dr. King used rhetoric appeals to persuade and convince his audience. The use of logos, ethos and pathos were all present as he tried to win over a group of clergymen who dared his right to protest by calling him an outsider and extremist. The use of pathos was the most powerful and important because it demonstrates each point he makes and uses emotions to support his statements. King’s use of pathos in his letter not only supports the claims that he makes but also makes his argument morally unquestionable.
One way that King uses to appeal to the clergymen is pathos. Pathos relates to emotions and King establishes that when he says ““For years now I have heard the word "Wait!" It rings in the ear of every Negro with piercing familiarity. This "Wait" has almost always meant "Never." We must come to see, with one of our distinguished jurists, that "justice too long delayed is justice denied.” King’s paragraph explaining why it is hard to wait for the end of segregation is one that is completely devoted to catching the emotions of the reader of which it does quite an effective job. The main message throughout the paragraph is King’s advice to the clergymen to see things from a black …show more content…
King permitted his readers to gain an insight into his emotions through this letter. Civil rights movement was important in his letter as he was trying to persuade and teach the clergymen about the injustice and damage done to African Americans. This letter had a very clear goal to persuade not just the clergymen to which it was addressed, but every white person living during the civil rights movement who had racial issues against African Americans. He provided an emotional based argument to explain his actions and views. The firm words and imagery in the letter not only mix the emotions of the readers, but also plea to their moral compass concerning questions of right and
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