Essay on Know Thy Reader - 1370 Words

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.s Letter from Birmingham Jail is a defense of the kind of non-violent direct action that King promoted and used during the civil rights movement of the 1950s and 60s. It is a response to statements of disapproval made by the clergymen of Birmingham, Alabama, and is obviously written in a way that appeals directly to this audience. King uses his knowledge of this audiences identity to design highly targeted arguments and to choose relevant historical examples for citation, and uses his personal experience in writing sermons and speeches to construct moving sermon-like passages that complement and reinforce his arguments. The arguments basis in terms that the clergymen will find to be familiar and agreeable,†¦show more content†¦Moreover, they most likely already agree with the concept of spreading something that they feel is important and just to other parts of the world; missionaries from the church still do this. They just hadnt viewed Kings acti ons in this light. This strategy forces the clergymen to consider Kings actions, methods, and principles in a new, very congenial context. This makes it much harder to disagree with King, and much easier to accept his arguments. King uses this strategy later on in the letter to build an argument against â€Å"immoral laws† (167) and to defend civil disobedience as a method of protest (168). King also uses the religious element of his audiences identity to appeal to them on a more emotional level. In the section of the letter that addresses civil disobedience and unjust laws, he cites the story of â€Å"the early Christians, who were willing to face hungry lions and the excruciating pain of the chopping blocks rather than submit to certain unjust laws of the Roman Empire† (168), and the obviously unjust but â€Å"legal† laws of Nazi Germany that served to oppress Jews (169). King makes his audience remember a time when the groups they are a part of faced a situat ion similar to the one minorities were facing during the civil rights movements, making it possible for the clergy to begin identifying and sympathizing with the protesters. Near the end of the letter, KingShow MoreRelatedExperiencing Different Emotions and Struggles in Shakespeares Sonnet 1461113 Words   |  4 PagesThrough different types of readings of Shakespeare’s Sonnet 146, the reader is able to access the depth and difference in meaning among the alternate readings. The general reading of Sonnet 146 allows the reader to experience the inner-emotions are meaning behind the text, of the struggle and battle between the speakers soul and the earthly indulgences he immorally takes advantage of at the expense of his soul’s immortality. However the contextual reading presents are new argument to the sonnet,Read MoreThe Lamb And The Tyger By William Blake996 Words   |  4 PagesTyger†. He also uses softer sounds in one and much harsher sounds in the other ad ding to the difference of feelings and views in each. â€Å"Little Lamb, who made thee Dost thou know who made thee† (lines 1-2) from â€Å"The Lamb† and â€Å"Tyger! Tyger! burning bright in the forests of the night, what immortal hand or eye Could frame thy fearful symmetry?† (lines 1-4) from â€Å"The Tyger† complement yet contrast one another with his use of sound. Here he is using animals in each to question the creator and who madeRead MoreFriar Laurence’s Role in The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet by Shakespeare627 Words   |  3 PagesTo marry Paris. Wednesday is to-morrow. To-morrow night look that thou lie alone; Let not the nurse lie with thee in thy chamber. Take thou this vial, being then in bed, And this distilled liquor drink thou off; Then presently through all thy veins shall run A cold and drowsy humour; for no pulse No warmth, no breath, shall testify thou livest; The roses in thy lips and cheeks shall fade. Each part, deprived of supple government, Shall, stiff and stark and cold, appear like death;Read MoreShakespeares Twelfth Night957 Words   |  4 Pagesexemplifies dramatic irony since the reader now knows that a love road that connects Duke Orsino, Viola, and Olivia has formed while Orsino is clueless about the situation. Situational irony can also be withdrawn from this conversation because it is shocking that Viola is in love with Orsino. Viola’s sudden love for Orsino illustrates a universal truth about life that sometimes people fall in love too quickly without thinking far ahead. OLIVIA Thy tongue, thy face, thy limbs, actions, and spirit, DoRead MoreThe Tyger And The Lamb By William Blake991 Words   |  4 Pagespoems in conjunction with one another to make the reader question these things and think about what good and evil actually mean. Blake first published, â€Å"The Lamb† in his poetry collection The Songs of Innocence, and in this poem he presents a lamb as a metaphor for innocence and goodness. In the first stanza, the poem repeatedly asks, â€Å"Little lamb, who made thee? / Dost thou know who made thee?† (LI. 1-2). This question implies the obvious to the reader (that the lamb was made by God), but the repeatedRead MoreHamlet As A Tragic Hero1305 Words   |  6 Pagespity, or understanding of someone else’s misfortune. Hamlet, in this case, is the tragic hero due to many different sources that cause the reader to have an immense amount of sympathy for him. A series of events such as murder, failed relationships, and all the madness, created the feeling of sympathy from the audience. These specific sources cause the reader to see the development of the overall themes of deceit, justice, and revenge. Deceit is one of the main themes presented throughout theRead MoreNature And Symbolism In William Blakes The Tyger1371 Words   |  6 Pagesdown and put under a microscope by countless authors that all think they know precisely what Blake meant in his work. Only Blake knows what he is trying to create and in The Tyger he makes it clear that Nature always contains a reflection of its creator. This still leaves the question, who created the tiger? It is unclear if Blake was a spiritually driven man but the word â€Å"immortal† stands out as a key word giving the readers a hint towards God being the creator of the tiger. The tiger burns brightRead MoreWilliam Blake s Songs Of Innocence And Experience1268 Words   |  6 Pagesargument† (1452). Overall, Blake’s works in Songs of Innocence and Experience provides a greater understanding into human life. Through poetry, Blake juxtaposes the innocence of childhood with the corruption of adulthood. Thus, his work allows the reader to see situations from a double-sided lens of innocence and then of experience. These two perspectives, known as the â€Å"two contrary states of the human soul†, are independent and each poem is accompanied by another poem; the poem â€Å"â€Å"Infant Joy† is pairedRead MoreEssay about Boys: Short Story Analysis998 Words   |  4 Pagesfascinating piece of work. â€Å"Good writers choose a topic they know a lot aboutà ¢â‚¬â€relationships, travel, growing up, bedrooms, hotels, restaurants, the synagogue on 42nd Street—and they trust that they will discover things about the topic as they work.† (Sellers 71) Rick Moody author of â€Å"Boys† has taken a relatable topic the process of growing up and has turned a thirty year frame into a condensed linear chronological format. Moody offers the reader a different view point, introduces repetition and the stressingRead MoreAnalysis Of William Cullen Bryants Thanatopsis979 Words   |  4 Pagespoems center around death, but have very different points in each one. In â€Å"Thanatopsis†, it glorifies death in such a way, convincing the readers to trust Nature since she has been doing this for some time. It also tells the reader that they will be reunited with the people from their past and will â€Å"live† lavishly in one mighty sepulchre. But, it also tells readers to live life to the fullest so that when you pass on, you can go peacefully and without any regrets. Kansas, however interprets death by