Letter from Birmingham Jail Literary Devices Analysis

Activity Overview

When teaching speeches and letters, it’s helpful to refresh or introduce students to literary elements that enhance rhetorical strategies. After reading “Letter from a Birmingham Jail”, ask your students to do a scavenger hunt using the storyboard creator. Give them the following six literary elements and have them create a storyboard that depicts and explains the use of each literary element in the letter: alliteration, metaphor, allusion, imagery, parallelism, personification.

Literary Elements King Uses in “Letter from a Birmingham Jail”

	DESCRIPTION	EXAMPLE
Alliteration	Repetition of consonant sounds at the beginnings of words in a sentence or line	“The nations of Asia and Africa are moving with jetlike speed toward the goal of political independence, and we still creep at horse-and-buggy pace toward the gaining of a cup of coffee at a lunch counter.”
Metaphor	An implied comparison between two things	“But again I am thankful to God that some noble souls from the ranks of organized religion have *broken loose from the paralyzing chains of conformity* and joined us as active partners in the struggle for freedom.”
Allusion	Brief and indirect reference to well-known person, place, thing or idea, usually of historical, cultural or literary significance	“Just as *Socrates* felt that it was necessary to create a tension in the mind so that individuals could rise from the bondage of myths and half-truths to the unfettered realm of creative analysis and objective appraisal…”
Imagery	The use of descriptive or figurative language to create vivid mental imagery that appeals to the senses	“But when you have *seen* vicious mobs lynch your mothers and fathers at will and drown your sisters and brothers at whim; when you have *seen* hate-filled policemen *curse, kick, brutalize, and even kill* your black brothers and sisters with impunity; when you see the vast majority of your twenty million Negro brothers smothering in an airtight cage of poverty in the midst of an affluent society; when you suddenly find your *tongue twisted* and your *speech stammering* as you seek to explain to your six-year-old daughter why she cannot go to the public amusement park that has just been advertised on television...”
Parallelism	A form of repetition in a sentence or thought that emphasizes an idea or deepens the reaction to the idea	“...when you take a cross-country drive and find it necessary to sleep night after night in the uncomfortable corners of your automobile because no motel will accept you; *when you* are humiliated day in and day out by nagging signs reading ‘white’ and ‘colored’...”
Personification	Giving human-like characteristics to non-human objects or abstract ideas	“For years now I have heard the word ‘wait.’ It *rings* in the ear of every Negro with a piercing familiarity.”

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Template and Class Instructions

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Student Instructions

Create a storyboard that shows five examples of literary elements in "Letter from a Birmingham Jail".

Click "Start Assignment".
Identify use of literary elements in the text.
Put the type of literary element in the title box.
Give an example from the text in the description box.
Illustrate the example using using a combination of scenes, characters, and items.

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Lesson Plan Reference

Grade Level 9-12

Difficulty Level 2 (Reinforcing / Developing)

Type of Assignment Individual

Type of Activity: Figurative Language

Common Core Standards

[ELA-Literacy/RL/6/4] Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative and connotative meanings; analyze the impact of a specific word choice on meaning and tone
[ELA-Literacy/RL/7/4] Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative and connotative meanings; analyze the impact of rhymes and other repetitions of sounds (e.g., alliteration) on a specific verse or stanza of a poem or section of a story or drama
[ELA-Literacy/L/6/6] Acquire and use accurately grade-appropriate general academic and domain-specific words and phrases; gather vocabulary knowledge when considering a word or phrase important to comprehension or expression

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Rubric

(You can also create your own on Quick Rubric.)

Literary Elements Rubric

Create a storyboard that shows different literary elements from the story.

	Proficient	Emerging	Beginning
Identification of Literary Elements	All literary elements are correctly identified.	Most literary elements are correctly identified.	Few literary elements are correctly identified.
Illustration	Illustrations show attention to the details of the story and demonstrate connection to the literary elements.	Illustrations demonstrate connection to the literary elements.	Illustrations show little connection to the literary elements.
Description of Literary Elements	Descriptions clearly explain what the literary elements do to enhance the story.	Most descriptions tell what the literary elements do to enhance the story.	Descriptions are unrelated to the literary elements.
Spelling and Grammar	Spelling and grammar is mostly accurate. Mistakes do not get in the way of understanding.	Spelling is very inaccurate and hinders full understanding.	Text is very difficult to understand.