Rhetorical Analysis Of Martin Luther King Jr. Essay

In 1963 Martin Luther King Jr. wrote a letter while incarcerated in Birmingham jail to eight clergymen in response to their letter known as â€Å" A Call For Unity.† The letter asked for the halt of direct action type protest in Birmingham, Alabama that Martin Luther King was leading. The letter has become known as one of the greatest works of argument in American history. Part of the reason for the letter’s notoriety and effectiveness is due to its eloquent use of pathos. King’s use of pathos in his letter not only supports the claims that he makes but also makes his argument morally irrefutable. King’s letter is littered here and there with snippets of pathos that appear next to logos and ethos and some sections are exclusively use pathos. King’s paragraph explaining why it is difficult to wait for the end of segregation is one that is entirely dedicated to stirring the emotion of the reader of which it does quite an effective job. The main theme throughout the paragraph is King’s urge to the clergymen to see things from the black person’s perspective. The clergymen want King to wait for their chance at freedom so that the courts may handle it. Since patience is universally considered as a virtue, they believe it is perfectly reasonable to ask King to delay his direct action so that desegregation can be handled in the courts. King makes the claim that the time to wait is over. He says, â€Å"We have waited for more than 340 years for our constitutional and God given rights.† (KingShow MoreRelatedRhetorical Analysis Of Martin Luther King Jr.1046 Words   |  5 PagesRhetorical Analysis Essay Civil rights activist, Martin Luther King Jr. gave his memorable â€Å"I Have a Dream† speech while standing at the feet of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C. His uplifting speech is one of the most admired during the civil rights era and arguably one of the best in American history. 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