Essay Example on Martin Luther King as a Writer

Writers and speakers are effective for a variety of reasons. Martin L. King was a powerful and effective writer and activist in the Civil Right Movement. MLK uses many different examples of persuasive techniques to make his listeners and readers think and go into a deeper meaning. Some examples of those techniques are being calm throughout his writings,  using allusions (especially with the bible), and by using pathos.

The first way that proves MLK is an persuasive writer and speaker is he uses a calm tone when he speaks about this serious situation. According to the his speech, “I Have A Dream”, it states,” One hundred years later, the Negro is still languished in the corners of American Society and finds himself an exile in his own land. And so we’ve come here today to dramatize a shameful condition.” This piece of evidence shows his use of non-aggression to emphasize that he is calm and just trying to express his point peacefully.

Another way King conveys his point in an essential way is he uses pathos and ties feelings and emotions into his letters. According to the text, it states, “Let us not wallow in the valley of despair, I say to you today, my friends.” He tells other African Americans that this feeling of pain will not last forever. Because of his use of pathos, this makes his writing very effective on/to his audience because he uses emotions to make it more relatable/understandable for people listening to his speech.   

The final way that MLK is effective to his audience is that he uses allusions. According to “The Letter From Birmingham Jail”, he goes on to say, “Like Paul, I must constantly respond to the Macedonian call for aid.” Martin Luther King uses this analogy of him and the bible to show that he is only protesting peacefully and is protesting only according to what God has in the bible. King also uses the allusion to relate to his audience This helps also to persuade the audience that MLK in fact is not doing anything wrong according to the Bible, and this allusion helps to make his writing more effective towards others. 

In conclusion, MLK is a very strong and effective writer, which is shown in his “I Have A Dream Speech” and also his “Letter From Birmingham”. His use of a calm tone, pathos, and allusions are only some of the reasons why MLK is a very constructive author. Using these different types of figurative language helps the audience understand more and more about the situation he is trying to present.