An Analysis Of Martin Luther King Jr.'s Letter From Birmingham Jail

On April 16th, 1963, during the peak of the Civil Rights movement, Martin Luther King Jr. wrote to a collection of clergymen in regards to his beliefs and protests. In his “Letter From Birmingham Jail,” King aptly wrote to the clergymen about their concerns in a respectful manner, while maintaining his dignity and explaining his purpose. In order to validate his points, he first built his credibility, and from there flowed into a plethora of other strategies. His emotional anecdotes and insight are strong points in his letter, appealing to the clergymen’s sense of compassion and justice. The imagery that accompanies his writing creates vivid and horrifying scenes meant to encourage the reader to join King in his civil rights endeavors. Logically, King presents his values in a manner that becomes inarguable against, which furthers the persuasive value of his writing. His
Consistent repetition of his core values and main points keep the letter relevant to the topic at hand, and do not detract from the fluidity of his writing. Through these strategies Martin Luther King Jr. creates a lengthy and thorough letter that addresses any argument against his cause without straying away from his core values of peace and acceptance. Before his concerns can be taken seriously with genuine consideration, King must begin his letter by building credibility and appealing to ethos. Without proving that he is respectable and educated, people may dismiss any of the claims he makes; therefore, he demonstrates integrity and gives his audience a background on his accomplishments. Within the very first line of the epistle, he shows his credibility by addressing his readers with “My Dear Fellow Clergymen,” (King. 1). This simple statement immediately establishes King as a clergyman himself, thus unifying his