1. Letter from Birmingham Jail
AP English Language and Composition

2. Open Statement from 8 Alabama Clergymen
What four specific accusations do they make against King?
King is an outsider
He and his followers should negotiate for change rather than demonstrate
Their actions are “untimely”
There is no justification for breaking the law
Provide one example of ethos, logos, pathos from the statement.

3. Academic Vocabulary
Directions: Using a four column organizer, define each word, write a sentence that includes an example, and draw a picture or symbol to help you recall the definition.
Word Definition Example Picture
1. Anaphora – the repetition of a word or expression at the beginning of successive phrases for rhetorical or poetic effect.
2. Rhetorical question: a question solely for effect, with no answer expected. By the implication that the answer is obvious, it is a means of achieving an emphasis stronger than a direct statement
3. Antithesis: figure of speech in which a thought is balanced with a contrasting thought in parallel arrangements of words and phrases
4. Allusion: figure of speech which makes brief reference to a historical or literary figure, event or object; a reference in one literary work to a character or theme found in another literary work.
5. Imagery: devices which appeal to the senses; a group of words that create a mental picture.
6. Asyndeton: the omission of conjunctions that ordinarily join coordinate words and phrases.
7. Alliteration: sound device, repetition of beginning consonant sounds
8. Syllogism: the underlying structure of deductive reasoning, having a major premise, a minor premise, and a conclusion based on logic. They are either valid or invalid.
9. Syntax: the arrangement of words in a sentence, the grammar of a sentence
10. Diction: an author’s choice of words

4. Context Vocabulary
Directions: Using a two column organizer, for each word: definition, part of speech, synonym, antonym, picture, sentence.
1. cognizant (adj): having or showing knowledge or understanding.
2. repudiate (v): strong rejection -- especially when the idea or thing being rejected was once embraced
3. emulate (v): to copy
4. pious (adj): behaving in a highly moral or religious manner or less commonly: behaving highly moral in a self-righteous or holier-than-thou manner
5. relegate (v): assign to a less important position or classification
6. futile (adj): effort that is pointless because it is unproductive or unsuccessful
7. latent (adj): potentially existing but not presently evident or active
8. provincial (adj): unsophisticated (meant disapprovingly to refer to old-fashioned or narrow-minded attitudes and ideas) 9. fetter (v): to restrain or hinder or more archaically: a shackle for the ankles
10. incorrigible (adj): unresponsive to correction (even by punishment)
11. sanctimonious (adj): acting morally superior to others
12. moratorium (n): a temporary stop to an ongoing activity 13. inextricable (adj): impossible to extract, disentangle, or avoid; or hopelessly intricate
14. languish (v): to suffer in a bad situation for a long time
15. admonish (v): to express disapproval to someone of their actions; or to warn or advise someone

5. Homework: Finish vocabulary assignment
Finish reading King’s Letter from Birmingham Jail
Your writing assignment will focus on analyzing the use of rhetorical devices as a means of persuasion. I highly recommend taking notes and tracking these devices (including ethos, pathos, logos) as you read so you have them readily available when you are constructing your essay.

6. Rhetorical Analysis Questions
1. What is King’s tone in the opening paragraph? How might you make an argument for it being ironic?
2. Why does he arrange paragraphs 2-4 in the order that he does? How would reversing the order have changed the impact?
3. How do King’s allusions to biblical figures and events appeal to both ethos and pathos?
4. Why does King go into such detail to explain the basic principles and process of the nonviolent protest movement?
5. In the long sentence in paragraph 14 (beginning with “but when you have seen…”), why does King arrange the “when” clauses in the order that he does? Try repositioning them and discuss the different effect.
6. Paragraph 16 exerts a strong appeal to logos. How can you express King’s argument(s) in a series of syllogisms?
7. What are the rhetorical strategies in paragraph 25? Identify at least 4
8. What are the chief rhetorical strategies in paragraph 31? Identify at least 5
9. King uses various kinds of repetition – repetition of single words or phrases, of sentence structures, and of sounds. Focusing on a passage of one or more paragraphs’ length, discuss the effect of King’s use of repetition.
10. Why does King wait until the end of his “Letter” (paragraphs 45 and 46) to address the clergymen’s claim that the Birmingham police behaved admirably?
11. Considering the final three paragraphs as King’s conclusion, discuss whether you believe it is rhetorically effective.

7. S O A P S Tone Who is the Speaker? What is the Occasion?
Who is the Audience?
What is the Purpose?
What is the Subject?
What is the Tone?
This strategy serves two purposes:
As a way to analyze an essay that you have read
As a way to prepare for an essay you will write.

8. Who is the Speaker?
The voice that is speaking. Identification of the historical person (or group of people) who created the primary source.
What do we know about this historic or contemporary person?
What role does he play in an historic event?
King:
Preacher
Civil Rights activist/leader
Unjustly arrested
Father – worried about the future of his kids in a segregated south.
Led non-violent protests

9. What is the Occasion for which King is writing?
What is the time and place? The context in which the primary source was created?
What is the Geographic and Historic intersection at which this source was produced?
King:
A reply to an open statement that his actions were unwise and untimely
Civil Rights Movement
From a Birmingham Jail
He wrote on scraps, then a legal pad. It was edited and published for the public.

10. Who is the intended Audience?
The readers to whom this document is directed.
The audience may be one person, a small group, or a large group; it may be a certain person or a certain people.
King:
Clergymen
Public
Birmingham police
People for segregation
People who did not necessarily care to take sides.

11. What is his Purpose? What is the reason behind the text
Why was it written?
What goal did the author have in mind?
Respond to the open statement
Justify actions – address accusations against King
To protest and show unjustness of segregation
Rally support
Show impatience of black community
Define terms like “just”and ”unjust”, “non violent protests”

12. What is the Subject?
What is the general topic, content, or idea contained in the text?
Summarize in a few words or phrase.
King:

13. What is the Tone? What is the attitude expressed by the speaker?
Examine the choice of words, emotions expressed, imagery used to determine the speaker's attitude.
King: