There are three words that could not have better captured the focus of Martin Luther King Jr. as he pleaded for freedom and equality from the confines of his Birmingham jail cell: love, faith, and brotherhood. It would be difficult to blame King had he grown angry, or shown signs of frustration with a decades-long struggle hitting obstacle after obstacle. He did not; instead, citing his Christian morals and a brotherhood, he said he shared with all who valued freedom. The reverend delivered perhaps the ultimate effort in reaching for common ground, supported by historical trends and the words of some of history's great intellectuals. Martin Luther King uses rhetorical devices to critical clergyman, arguing that his actions were not "unwise and untimely " (King). Through techniques such as tone, allusions, and metaphors, King politely provides a rational explanation as to why direct action must be taken immediately. .

             King uses a polite tone by answering their statement in "patient and reasonable " terms (King). Martin Luther King, along with several members of his staff, is there because of injustice. He alludes to the Apostle Paul by explaining that "Just as he left his village of Tarsus " he is going outside his hometown (King). The allusion is used to justify the actions he has taken. If King is wrong in what he is doing, then the Biblical characters he refers to must be wrong in their actions as well. Since he is writing to those who are well versed in the Bible, they would have no reason to question his ideals. Moreover, the allusion to Paul places King in the category of important people that are well respected. .

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             King makes analogies between his own life and those of several famous historical figures. Although King's only official title is President of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, he compares himself to great leaders and religious figures (Fulkerson 123).