Tuesday, October 13, 2009

MLK Letter Essay

Scott Pero
AP English Language
October 13, 2009
What makes King’s argument so persuasive?

Eloquence Is Spelled M-L-K

Ever since mankind learned to speak, it has been twisting and warping words into beautiful poetry and enthralling stories. The English language has evolved tremendously since its inception due to various orators throughout the ages pushing the language to its limits. One such orator was Martin Luther King Jr. King, born 1929, was one of the most eminent civil rights activists of history. Out of the many ways King educated and inspired his audience, his writing is especially outstanding. This is shown in King’s Letter from Birmingham Jail. After he was arrested on April 12, 1963 in Birmingham, Alabama for demonstrating without a permit, King wrote the letter to the white moderate, explaining his actions and acting as a voice for an oppressed people. King writes to his “Fellow Clergymen” (King 738), establishing himself as an equal to the white clergymen of the south, an audacious act for a black man in the 60s. The color of his skin is incentive alone for others not to listen to him, as well as the fact that he is writing from a prison cell. That, however, shows perseverance, that despite everything, King still struggles on. He writes of an illogical and unjust oppression of blacks in the U.S. and demonstrates his civility and sheer intelligence in doing so. Martin Luther King’s letter is so persuasive because of his syntax and complete mastery of the English language, his diction and appeals to emotion and logic only enhancing his argument.

A tell-tale sign of literary proficiency is the correct execution of literary devices. King’s letter is riddled with a multitude of devices, and these devices are the reason his speech is so magnificent. During the 60s, many believed blacks to be uneducated and uncivilized. King tears down that stereotype, which forces others to continue reading his words. His intelligence is what catches the attention of the general white populace. One example of such intelligence is the uses of parallelisms. By constantly repeating a certain aspect of a clause, the idea behind it is burned into the reader’s memory. When King speaks of praise for the Birmingham police force, he exhibits parallelism: “I don’t believe you would…praise for the police department” (751). King repeats the phrases ‘I don’t believe’ and ‘if you would’. This repetition is easily noticed by the reader and it catches their eye. Parallelism was one of the many devices king used; it was not alone in its battle to win the attention of his readers.

Juxtaposition is another tool King uses to great effect. By comparing two different things, he can show the drastic contrast between them, thus adding to his point. When he compares the U.S. to China is a remarkable example of juxtaposition: “We have waited for more than…coffee at a lunch counter” (742). Here, his comparison is so effective because he is comparing the U.S., a very progressive nation, with less progressive nations such as Asia and Africa, saying that Asia and Africa are surpassing the U.S. in terms of equality. He also continues with this analogy by utilizing two forms of transportation—jets and horse and buggies—to deepen the sheer contrast. This paints a picture in the reader’s mind, illustrating King’s point to maximize its effect. As somewhat of a continuation to his use of juxtaposition, King utilizes two different forms of sentences in his letter.

Dr. King uses both periodic sentences and cumulative sentences in his writing, and both have their advantages. Where cumulative sentences establish their point at the very beginning, periodic sentences build up to a climax and reveal their point towards the end of the clause. The use of both types provides an equal balance to keep the reader entertained, rather than bore them. A glaring and ideal example of King’s periodic sentences is the paragraph on page 742: “I guess it is easy for those who…legitimate and unavoidable impatience” (742). King utilizes semicolons throughout the paragraph, making it seem like one breathless sentence. It all builds to his final statement of logic at the end, a grand finale to the entire paragraph. Cumulative sentences are the exact opposite, as King establishes what he is trying to say in the beginning: “I say it as a minister…cord of life shall lengthen” (748). His point is said first, with the succeeding clauses only adding to it. Both of these types of sentences are the inversions of the other.

Inversion, like many of the other devices King incorporates into his writing, is meant to emphasize the idea or concept of what he is trying to say. Inversion flips a concept on its head, a good chance to catch the reader’s eye. “Shallow understanding from people of good will is more frustrating than absolute misunderstanding from people of ill will” (745). The second clause is the complete antithesis of the first. This is what sticks in the reader’s mind, emphasizing exactly what it is King is saying—half-hearted acceptance is more confusing than outright objection. Similar to inversion, King also brings up the opposing argument within his own argument.

King knows there will be multiple objections to some of his statements, so he uses rhetorical questioning to take care of them. When he talks of unjust and just laws, King utilizes rhetorical questioning: “One may well ask, ‘How can you advocate’…‘An unjust law is no law at all’” (742-743). By bringing up an opposing argument and quickly shooting it down, it shows both how weak the opposing statement is and strong King’s own statement is. It conveys his determination and complete understanding of both sides of the argument. Like all literary devices, rhetorical questioning would be nothing without the words used within them.

King’s word choice is phenomenal. His diction is both aggressive and passionate. Instead of using a simple word, he uses an even better, more powerful synonym. When describing Birmingham he uses such words as ugly, unjust, notorious, hard, brutal, and unbelievable. These words are extremely aggressive and evoke a response from the reader. King also uses his diction within his plethora of extended metaphors: “Let us all hope that…their scintillating beauty” (753). Interwoven through that passage, King continuously uses weather analogies and words to describe the weather. This illustrates in vivid detail exactly what King is trying to convey. His words convey both his own feelings and the reasons behind them.

Emotion and logic are two appeals King uses simultaneously to enhance his words and argument. King writes from the point of view of someone living the cause, as is relayed in the aforementioned paragraph of page 742: ““I guess it is easy for those who…legitimate and unavoidable impatience” (742). Each of the fifteen examples King uses call forth an emotional response within the reader. The way he writes the paragraph makes it seem like one long, breathless thought, and by the end, the reader is exhausted, a parallel of King’s exhaustion with the issue of segregation. King’s emotions become the reader’s. King also uses logic when he references many a famous extremist: “But as I continued to think…‘that all men are created equal’” (747). Here, King logically uses other famous historic figures labeled as extremists as examples for his own actions and words. No only does he reference them, but he quotes them and uses their quotes to further enhance his own argument. Much like King, all of the extremists mentioned stood out for one thing or another, marking them down in the history books for all time.

Martin Luther King’s control of the English language, his diction, and his appeals are the foundations of his letter. His utter knowledge of English is evident in the myriad of literary devices that lift up his argument to greater heights. His vocabulary and word choice is paramount. The reader is enlightened by his own emotions and the logic he uses to fuel them. Each aspect commanded the attention of King’s audience; they are what made his letter so memorable. Without them, no one would have listened to a black man in a prison cell in the 60s. Martin Luther King’s Letter from Birmingham Jail serves as a testament to the sheer power of writing and the will to follow a dream.

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