Furthermore the rhetoric here is rich in symbolism. Dr. King draws parallels between the response of violence to his peaceful protests and other great personalities whose commitment to justice, truth, and love also had unintended and unfortunate consequences. Personalities like Socrates and Jesus, for example, could not be expected to deny their truth for fear of public reaction. Dr. King makes this argument even stronger by also drawing the parallel between himself and the completely innocent person, whose possession of money resulted in the evil of theft. By drawing these parallels, Dr. King points out that an argument regarding the actions of others cannot be used to condemn those who protest peacefully. Dr. King and his followers are innocent of the crime of violence. Dr. King's argument is therefore that they cannot be held accountable for the violence committed by others, who are neither followers of his, nor affiliated with his cause.

Dr. King further substantiates his arguments by comparing himself to religious figures, and most notably to figures from the Christian religion, such as the Apostle Paul and Jesus Christ. These comparisons are particularly powerful, as they represent a symbolism with which the clergymen would be able to identify.

One example is Dr. King's use of the concept of extremism in comparing himself to Jesus. At first, he admits disappointment at the label of extremism, especially as this is a paradigm he had attempted to avoid throughout his protest action. However,...

He also uses other figures in this comparison, with the prophet Amos being an extremist for justice and Paul being an extremist for the Gospel. To make this comparison even more powerful for his intended audience, King uses texts from the Bible to substantiate these points.
Dr. King takes this a step further by drawing the parallel further to politicians such as Thomas Jefferson, who was one of the first supporters of the idea of equality in the United States. In identifying himself with all these figures, Dr. King promotes himself as an extremist and with the right to be such.

In conclusion, the letter to the clergymen demonstrates Martin Luther King's passion for his protest against inequality and injustice. He uses the strongest possible terms that can be used from a clergyman's point-of-view. This shows not only that Dr. King feels strongly about his subject matter, but also that he is keenly aware of the sensitivities and knowledge of others. His strength in rhetoric resides in the fact that he can speak and write on any intellectual level, thus influencing his audience to at least be sympathetic to the point-of-view he promotes.

Sources

King, Martin Luther. Letter from a Birmingham Jail.

Smith, N. (2010). Rhetoric and martin Luther King Jr.: "Letter from a Birmingham Jail" and "I Have a Dream." Article Myriad. Retrieved from: http://www.articlemyriad.com/163.htm