Martin Luther King's humor and precise wording came together to form one of the best examples of rhetoric in his letter from Birmingham Jail. The notion of this letter being called one of the greatest anything is very ironic considering it was written on an assortment of different papers. Yet, this document lives on, exemplifying how a motivated person can intricately weave together words that play on logic, and emotions while still proving his own character true.
A few quotes from this peace that I liked were:
Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.
Justice too long delayed is justice denied.
An unjust law is no law at all.
These quotes emphasize the need to take action and they justify Dr. Kings actions.
King also uses sardonic humor to be persuasive with the clergy he is writing too.
"We should never forget what Adolph Hitler did in Germany was legal..."
"I'm afraid it is much too long to take your precious time..."
I love how he uses his humor and whit along with logos and ethos to win a person to his side. I literally was laughing when I read that because it is such a slap in the face.
The way MLK ends his letter is very ironic as well. Earlier he mentions how his black brothers are called boy and that the whole subservient attitude needs to go...But in the end He says that if he has said anything untrue that he begs their forgiveness. That sounds very subservient as well scared. The people that read the letter might well have thought that much of what he said was untrue...Just as many other do.
King made his point though and few people today would say he said anything incorrectly or was wrong in anyway.