Rhetorical Devices Used In Letter From Birmingham Jail

King’s use of rhetorical tools helps him convince the clergymen to take a second look at how African Americans are being treated. King utilizes emotive language to target his audience’s emotions. For example, he states, “if you would watch them push and curse old Negro women and young Negro” (3). He then goes on to give more examples, including, “I don’t believe you would have so warmly commended the police force if you had seen its angry and violent dogs literally biting six unarmed, nonviolent Negroes” (3). These help achieve his purpose because they are specific examples that make the clergymen feel guilty. Next, King utilizes questioning to make the clergymen reevaluate what they are doing. He says, “In this sense they have been rather publicly ‘nonviolent.’ But for what purpose? To preserve the evil system of segregation” (4).
Towards the end of the letter, King states, “Never before have I written a letter this long (or should I say book?) (6). The letter is so long because he has so much to say about this issue. Finally, King utilizes allusion to make them remember the past. He says, “For more than two centuries our fore parents labored in this country without wages” (2). He is referring to slavery and how African Americans were treated so poorly in the past. He then goes on to say, “Before the Pilgrims landed at Plymouth we were here” (2). King is saying that it is unfair that they were here first and are still treated badly. King’s tone persuades the audience to rethink the way they treat African