Download TDQ-Birmingham Jail Stanza 1

Coherent Sequence of Text Dependent Questions:
“Letter from Birmingham Jail” Stanza 1
1. What genre of writing is this text? Who is the author? Provide
textual evidence.
2. Who is the author writing to? What is the author’s connection
to his audience? Cite textual evidence.
3. What can you infer about the letter that MLK received? Cite
textual evidence to support your claim.
4. In the salutation and opening paragraph of his letter, King
addresses his audience as “men of genuine good will” and
mentions that their concerns are “sincerely set forth.” What is
the connection between “genuine” and “sincerely”? What tone
do these words and phrases create and why does King choose
to use them?
5. In paragraph one, King states that he wants to address his
audience’s statement “in what I hope will be patient and
reasonable terms.” Why does he begin his answer to his
audience with these words? What tone does it set for the
piece?
Adapted from achievethecore.org