Claudia Sanchez

Instructor: Heidi Hansen

English 1:1010-11
09/24/2016
Rhetorical Analysis Essay: Unit 1
At first, before I read "The Rhetorical Situation", I had no idea what a rhetoric theory
was. Once I read about it though, I realized many writers use this method. They use the
exigencies, constraints, and audience to persuade the reader. In "The Rhetorical Situation" Lloyd
Bitzer states: "The rhetor alters reality by bringing into existence a discourse of such a character
that the audience, in thought and action, is so engaged that it becomes mediator of change"(219).
What he is meaning by this, is that rhetoric writing is usually persuasive. Both Martin Luther
King Jr. in "Letter From Birmingham Jail" and Billy Collins in "On Slowing Down", use Lloyd
Bitzer's rhetoric theory to help persuade the readers into agreeing with their opinions.
Martin Luther King, Jr. (well known for his speeches and writing during the African
American Civil Rights Movement) really captures his point of view and uses the exigencies and
constraints positively to persuade the audience in "Letter from Birmingham Jail". He shows a
lot of concern about the violent and unjust events caused by segregation. He mentions African
Americans in that time being mistreated emotionally and physically, and being humiliated at a
daily basis with signs "...reading 'white' and 'colored'"(2). He also explains that they are tired of
being told to just "wait" for so many years, to be treated equally and with respect when it is their
(as MLK says): "...God-given and constitutional rights"(2).
Martin uses the "rhetorical" audience, the "eight white religious leaders of the South"(1)
and their believes to try and create change. He mentions quotes from St. Augustine and St.

Thomas Aquinas, who were also religious men to help persuade his intended audience. He
states, "I would agree with St. Augustine that 'A unjust law is no law at all'"(3) and, "To put it in
the terms of St. Thomas Aquinas, an unjust law is a human law that is not rooted in eternal and
natural law"(3). Bitzer says,"...a rhetorical audience consists only of those persons who are
capable of being influenced by discourse and of being mediators of change"(221). So it
completely makes sense for him to mention these religious men, since it is also religious men he
intends to get his point across to.
Then there are the exigencies and constraints working against him as well. The exigency,
or the "urgent problem" is the segregation, and the constraints are the people who believe
segregation is okay. He deals with these very well, and does so by asserting his own emotional
and logical beliefs with the current exigency like Bitzer says to do in rhetoric theory: "...when the
orator enters the situation, his discourse not only harnesses constraints given by situation but
provides additional important constraints- for example, his personal character, his logical proofs,
and his style(222). MLK makes his positon very clear, and this letter reached not only these
men, but also a bigger audience. Thanks to this letter along with many others as well as his
speeches, he created a big change.
Although Billy Collins speaks about a whole different subject in "On Slowing Down",
like MLK he also gets his point across about poems helping people "slow down" in their
everyday lives. In a world full of fast-paced technology, and where people (his audience) are
accustomed to this way of life, he talks about enjoying the little things. Collins tells the reader, "
Indeed, the wish to have everything go faster will always end in frustration because, short of the
speed of light, there is no end to speed"(1).

As I write this, I have myself become frustrated by this computer freezing on me and the
internet connection timing out. We are so used to everything working in an orderly and fast
pace, that when things don't function as we would like, we get easily annoyed. Billy Collins uses
the exigency of acceleration and the constraints, which are the people who believe everything
should be fast-paced, and brings to light his solution (poetry) and his believes to persuade the
audience. He goes on saying, "One of the most basic pleasures of poetry is the way it slows us
down"(2). Collins believes poetry is the best way in treating "the hurry sickness"(2). He
believes poetry helps people slow down, and reminds them of the beautiful world they live in.
So, often when trying to prove a point and when trying to persuade the readers, the
rhetoric theory is used. As you have read, both MLK and Billy Collins used their personal
beliefs to help turn what could have negatively affected them into something positive. The
audience who they were trying to get across to, the exigencies, and the constraints were all
working against them, yet when using the rhetoric theory they were capable of turning it around
to help put the audience in their shoes. This way their audience would eventually agree with
them, so a change could be possible.

Works Cited
King Jr., Martin, Luther. "Letter From Birmingham Jail."August 1963: Pages 1-6.Print.
Collins, Billy. On Slowing Down." Summer 2003: Pages 1-4.Print.
Bitzer, Lloyd, F.. "The Rhetorical Situation." 1968: Pages 217-225.Print.