Name_________________________________________________ Date____________________

from Letter from Birmingham City Jail by Martin Luther King, Jr.

Literary Analysis: Persuasion

Persuasion is writing or speech meant to get a reader or listener to think or act in a particular
way. To make their words persuasive, King uses a variety of rhetorical devices that impact tone.
Some of the rhetorical devices that are prominent in Kings letter are as follows:
Syntax Elements:

Parallellism is the repetition of grammatical structures to express similar ideas: born in

this century, tempered by war, disciplined by a hard and bitter peace. . . .
Antithesis is a form of parallelism in which strongly contrasting words, phrases, clauses,
or sentences are repeated: not as a call to battle, . . but as a call to bear the burden of a
long twilight struggle. . . .

Anaphora is the repetition of grammatical structures and words at the beginnings of a

series of statements

Epistrophe is the repetition of grammatical structures and words at the endings of a

series of statements

Diction, Imagery, Details, Language Elements:

Ethos is rhetorics persuasive appeal to ones sense of character

Pathos is rhetorics persuasive appeal to emotion

Logos is rhetorics persuasive appeal to reason

Analyze every quotation for its use of parallelism, rhetoric, and tone. Using the identified
elements provided to you, explain how the quotation itself demonstrates that form of syntax, form
of rhetoric, and tone element(s) and tone you have been provided. Prepare to explain your
analysis to the class.
I have no despair about the future. I have no fear about the outcome of our struggle in
Birmingham, even if our motives are presently misunderstood.
Parallelism

Form of Rhetoric &

Explanation

Tone/Tone Element &

Explanation
measured/detail

Grade 11, Unit 5

Before the Pilgrims landed at Plymouth we were here. Before the pen of Jefferson
etched across the pages of history the majestic words of the Declaration of
Independence, we were here.
Parallelism

Form of Rhetoric &

Explanation

Tone/Tone Element &

Explanation
Proud/imagery

I dont believe you would have so warmly commended the police force if you had seen
its angry violent dogs literally biting six unarmed, nonviolent Negroes. I dont believe
you would so quickly commend the policemen if you would observe their ugly and
inhuman treatment of Negroes here in the city jail.
Parallelism

Form of Rhetoric &

Explanation

Tone/Tone Element &

Explanation
Dramatic/diction

if you would watch them push and curse old Negro women and young Negro girls; if
you would see them slap and kick old Negro men and young Negro boys.
Parallelism
If you would
if you would
It puts
emphasis on
the cruel
nature of the
police force
and how they
treated the
African
Americans Anaphora

Form of Rhetoric &

Explanation
He uses Pathos to reach out to
readers. He wants to bring out
their pity for these prisoners
and see the injustice they have
to suffer through watch them
push and curse old Negro
women and young Negro
girls. He wants to gain
support by reaching out to
peoples emotions and show
them cruelty.

Tone/Tone Element &

Explanation
Emphatic/detail
Martin Luther King Jr. includes
extensive detail, push and
curse old Negro women and
young Negro girlsslap and
kick old Negro men and young
Negro boys. These details evict
pity from people, thus using his
rhetoric, pathos. He is also
showing emphasis by using
repetition. if you wouldif you
would.. He is trying to express
the importance of the detail he
included.

Grade 11, Unit 5

Over the last few years I have consistently preached that nonviolence demands that the
means we use must be as pure as the ends we seek.
Parallelism

Form of Rhetoric &

Explanation

Tone/Tone Element &

Explanation
Insistent/diction

So I have tried to make it clear that it is wrong to use immoral means to attain moral
ends. But now I must affirm that it is just as wrong, or even more so, to use moral
means to preserve immoral ends.
Parallelism
The parallelism
he uses here is
antithesis. He
describes how
before he was
trying to prove
something, but
now he has to
make sure that
that is what
you do

Form of Rhetoric &

Explanation
He is using logos, because he
is trying to express the
meaning behind moral and
immoral means. He is trying to
use logic and say that you
cant just use immoral actions
in order to achieve something
that is moral, but at the same
time use moral support to keep
something that is immoral.

Tone/Tone Element &

Explanation
Urgent/detail
He is using detail to express
urgency. It can be seen, But
now I must affirm that it is just as
wrong or even more so He is
trying to convey something
quickly before something gets
out of hand. By using detail, he
is able to convey this specific
tone.

T. S. Eliot has said that there is no greater treason than to do the right deed for the
wrong reason.
Parallelism

Form of Rhetoric &

Explanation

Tone/Tone Element &

Explanation
Confident/diction

They will be old, oppressed, battered Negro women, symbolized in a seventy-two-yearold woman of Montgomery Alabama, who rose up with a sense of dignity and with her
people decided not to ride the segregated buses, and responded to one who inquired
about her tiredness with ungrammatical profundity: My feet is tired, but my soul is
rested.

Grade 11, Unit 5

Parallelism

Form of Rhetoric &

Explanation

Tone/Tone Element &

Explanation
Poignant/detail with quick shift to
pride/detail

what else is there to do when you are alone for days in the dull monotony of a narrow
jail cell other than write long letters, think strange thoughts, and pray long prayers?
Parallelism

Form of Rhetoric &

Explanation

Tone/Tone Element &

Explanation
Candid/details

If I have said anything in this letter that is an overstatement of the truth and is indicative
of an unreasonable impatience, I beg you to forgive me. If I have said anything in this
letter that is an understatement of the truth and is indicative of my having a patience that
makes me patient with anything less than brotherhood, I beg God to forgive me.
Parallelism
He uses
Anaphora to
convey the
importance of
his lines and
express
emphasis on it

Form of Rhetoric &

Explanation
He is using pathos because he
is trying to reach into peoples
emotions with his words. For
example, I beg you to forgive
meI beg God to forgive me
These are words that reach
into people and to make them
relate, and to understand him
rather than for them to think
shallow of him

Tone/Tone Element &

Explanation
Zealous/diction
He is very zealous here because
he uses diction such as beg, Go,
forgive, patient, brotherhood.
These are all words that convey
his passion towards what he is
trying to say. It has a positive
connotation and is trying to
express himself as if he is part of
them, and not a leader.

Let us all hope that the dark clouds of racial prejudice will soon pass away and the deep
fog of misunderstanding will be lifted from our fear-drenched communities and in some
not too distant tomorrow the radiant stars of love and brother hood will shine over our
great nation with all of their scintillating beauty.
Parallelism

Form of Rhetoric &

Explanation

Tone/Tone Element &

Explanation
Exultant/ language + imagery

Grade 11, Unit 5

Grade 11, Unit 5