Rhetorical Analysis Letter From Birmingham Jail

Writing prompt 1

In letter from Birmingham jail, dr king uses literary elements/tools to shape and build his argument in a way that appeals to both is our right audience as well as the audience he both hoped for and knew would see his letter. Dr King wrote from his cell to the clergymen in response to their criticisms on his protest against segregation in Alabama and marching without a permit on a holy day. King starts the letter in an unbiased manner and carries on with this tone throughout his response.
To start off his letter king tries to appeal to his immediate audience-- the clergymen and decides to even the stakes and put him and the religious leaders on the same level. King not only states his own religious affiliations, “I have the honor of serving as president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference…” But he make use of biblical allusions and compare himself to religious figures who, in the past had fought for the things that they had believed in; similar to the way he is doing with his …show more content…
King says, “When you have to concoct an answer for a five-year-old son who is asking, "Daddy, why do white people treat colored people so mean?" By appealing to emotion dr king is using pathos to try and strike an emotional cord between the situation at hand and the audience. to conclude his argument, dr. king gives well wishes and condolences to the clergymen and apologizes for the lengthiness of he letter as well as any offensive— nonbrotherly or offensive things he may have said anywhere in the letter and asked got there forgiveness. And f=if the clergy member or those of the religiously educated public reading the letter weren’t on board with his religious affiliation/beliefs he also asks god to forgive his for the unloving things in his letter as

Show More

Rhetorical Analysis Letter From Birmingham Jail