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Examples Of Syntax In Letter From Birmingham Jail

Decent Essays

In the renown text "Letter from Birmingham Jail," Martin Luther King Jr. uses deep metaphors, an anaphora which seems never ending, and unique syntax to refute the arguments made by the clergymen. In paragraphs 12-14 King starts off in a gentle manner then unleashes his true feelings in paraph 14. These rhetorical devices were the key to his success in gaining equal rights during the civil rights movement in the United States.

To begin, I noticed the metaphor "But we stiff creep at horse-and-buggy pace toward gaining a cup of coffee at the lunch counter." At first I thought this only has one meaning which is that their progress in moving so slow when compared to other countries. Then I realized that King also meant not only are they moving …show more content…

The syntax in the paragraph is unique due to its one very long sentence. The sentence starts with "But" and ends with "Wait" The whole entire thing is made up of dependent clauses until the very last part, "Then you will understand why we find it difficult to wait" which can stand on its own as a sentence. King does this on purpose to delay the meaning of the sentence to the very end. It has the effect on the reader making them feel as if they had to wait. By giving the reader the experience of waiting now they can truly understand why he doesn't want to wait any longer. Once someone experiences something they tend to have a totally different opinion about it after. To reinforce King's claim that they can not wait any longer he uses an anaphora in the same sentence which has an outstanding effect. King starts off each hardship he has had to endure with a phrase "When you have" which makes the reader feel for him more instead of using "I." He also places the "When" in a perfect position to make his examples inarguable because he is the one who has seen this tragedies. With each example the amount of sorrow just builds and builds as the list goes on. I think King isn't trying to convince the reader that these things have happened, but he is telling them which has a dramatic

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