1979/04/01 by Richard Fulkerson · 2 citations
Arts and Humanities · #Rhetoric and Communication Studies #Lexicography and Language Studies #Rhetorical question #Rhetoric #Style (visual arts) #Public speaking #Sociology #Media studies #Linguistics #Political science #Law #Literature #Art #Philosophy
paper · doi:10.1080/00335637909383465
openalex publication_date 1979/04/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/29
The “Letter” is a superb instance of effective rhetoric. King adopted a debater's stance and used his refutative logic to address two audiences simultaneously: his limited clerical audience as opponents and a broader public audience as observers. The “Letter” is adapted to the audiences on structural, logical, and stylistic levels.