Andy CampbellMrs. NogarrAP English 3, Period 6August 23rd, 2013

Title: Letter from Birmingham Jail

Author: Martin Luther King Jr.

Discussed: August 23rd, 2013

Polysyndeton: “But when you have seen vicious mobs lynch your mothers and fathers at will

and drown your sisters and brothers at whim; when you have seen hate-filled policemen curse,

kick, and even kill your black brothers and sisters; when you suddenly find your tongue twisted

and your speech stammering as you seek to explain to your six-year-old daughter why she can’t

go to the amusement park that has just been advertised on television, and see ominous clouds

of inferiority beginning to form in her little mental sky, and see her beginning to distort her

personality by developing an unconscious bitterness towards whites… then you will understand

why we find it difficult to wait” (937-938).

Chiasmus: “So the question is not whether we will be extremists, but what kind of extremists

we will be” (942).

In 1963, Martin Luther King Junior was arrested for participation in Civil Rights

demonstrations in Birmingham, Alabama. While in solitary confinement, he wrote this letter in

response to a group of clergyman’s statement that criticized King for disturbing the public. King,

utilizing numerous rhetorical devices, provides a convincing and passionate counterargument

to this claim. One of King’s most passionate counter-arguments explains why the protesters

cannot wait: “But when you have seen vicious mobs lynch your mothers and fathers at will and

drown your sisters and brothers at whim; when you have seen hate-filled policemen curse, kick,

and even kill your black brothers and sisters; when you suddenly find your tongue twisted and

your speech stammering as you seek to explain to your six-year-old daughter why she can’t go

to the amusement park that has just been advertised on television, and see ominous clouds of

inferiority beginning to form in her little mental sky, and see her beginning to distort her

personality by developing an unconscious bitterness towards whites… then you will understand

why we find it difficult to wait”(937-938). Polysyndeton, the use of many conjunctions to slow

the reader, serves to overwhelm the reader with detail to connect him or her to the experience.

This overwhelmingly intricate sentence, of which only an excerpt is quoted above, contains 315

words. He adds depth by presenting the emotionally-charged, imagery-rich situations one after

another. He produces an atmosphere of overwhelmingly sadness and tension that stems from

the mistreatment he describes. It helps the reader visualize the extent to which segregation is

hurting people from King’s standpoint. He paints the full picture of abuse aimed at African-

Americans to drag out the raw emotion and allow readers to feel the strength of his loaded

imagery. This use of repeated vivid language evokes passion in the hearts of the reader.

King also employs a device called chiasmus, a grammatical structuring in which the first

clause is reversed in the second. This is evident in, “So the question is not whether we will be

extremists, but what kind of extremists we will be” (942). This statement emphasizes the

reversal in meaning to highlight the contrast. It creates a clear distinction in order to emphasize

the difference. King, reacting to a statement that labels him an “extremist” argues that it is not

a bad thing to be passionate about something. He mentions that just as Jesus was an extremist

of love and kindness, and Jefferson was an extremist of freedom and liberty, King is an

extremist of racial equality and justice. Regarding justice, King addresses a concern many might

have: “One may well ask: ‘How can you advocate breaking some laws and obeying others?’ The

answer lies in the fact there are two types of laws: just and unjust.” King proposes this question

to engage the reader and justify his reasoning behind it to increase his credibility. King argues

that just as one if legally and morally obligated to follow just laws, one is also obligated to

disobey unjust laws, no matter the consequences. If unjust laws go unchallenged, a society

cannot adapt to changes and maintain order. King forces his readers to rethink their claim and

see the truth in his claim.