Question

As you continue to analyze “Letter from Birmingham Jail” by Martin Luther King, Jr. and the Gettysburg Address by Abraham Lincoln, you notice that the tone is different between the pieces.

Read the following excerpts:

“Nonviolent direct action seeks to create such a crisis and foster such a tension that a community which has constantly refused to negotiate is forced to confront the issue.” (King)

“—that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion; that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain…” (Lincoln)

How would you describe the differences in tone between the two literary pieces?
Question 8 options:

King's tone is urgent, while Lincoln's tone is respectful.


King's tone is angry, while Lincoln's tone is sympathetic.


King's tone is amused, while Lincoln's tone is forgiving.


King's tone is objective, while Lincoln's tone is sorrowful.

Answer 1

King's tone is urgent, while Lincoln's tone is respectful.

King's wording pushes for immediate action and confrontation of injustice; Lincoln's commemorative phrasing honors the fallen with solemn respect.