Question

Read the passage. i must close now. but before closing i am impelled to mention one other point in your statement that troubled me profoundly. you warmly commended the birmingham police force for keeping “order” and “preventing violence.” i don’t believe you would have so warmly commended the police force if you had seen its angry violent dogs literally biting six unarmed, nonviolent negroes. i don’t believe you would so quickly commend the policemen if you would observe their ugly and inhuman treatment of negroes here in the city jail; if you would watch them push and curse old negro women and young negro girls; if you would see them slap and kick old negro men and young negro boys; if you will observe them, as they did on two occasions, refuse to give us food because we wanted to sing our grace together. i’m sorry that i can’t join you in your praise for the police department. in his “letter from birmingham city jail,” dr. king uses the phrase i don’t believe . . . twice. which rhetorical device is he using?

Answer 1

In his "letter from the Birmingham City Prison", dr. King uses the phrase "I do not believe". . . twice. He is using the rhetorical device called the "Diacope".

Diacope is the repetition of a word or a set of words, however, the repetitions have a characteristic that serves to give emphasis.

Answer 2

in his “letter from birmingham city jail,” dr. king uses the phrase i don’t believe . . . twice. which rhetorical device is he using?

The rhetorical device he is using is PALILLOGY.

Palillogy is the repetition of a phrase or word.