katiecohen96 1 / 3 1 Aug 23, 2012 #1Hey guys. So I am supposed to write this formal essay that is a compare and contrast of Martin Luther King's "Letter from a Birmingham Jail" and Malcolm X's "The Black Revolution". I have finished my introduction, and I would just like some tips on how to make it look and sound better. If you have any tips or can think of anything I can add, please let me know! Thanks.Also, how could I start my body paragraph without sounding repetitive? I want to make it about how the dictions of the two differ.Two influential leaders who contributed greatly to the black revolution include Martin Luther King and Malcolm X. Martin Luther King's "Letter from a Birmingham Jail" presents a sharp contrast to Malcolm X's "the Back Revolution". Dr. Martin Luther King's demonstrates peaceful tones, calm and respectful diction, and religious imagery to aid his nonviolent arguments for justice. Malcolm X, however, uses a direct and aggressive tone in his essay. His diction is pessimistic, sharp, and forceful and his views are more resentful and skeptical of the white community than those of Martin Luther King Jr. Although both black activists lived around the same time and wrote of similar situations, each took a vastly diverse approach towards addressing the issue.
bellem1 6 / 12 2 Aug 27, 2012 #2One thing I noticed was that you referred alternately to "Martin Luther King, Jr" and "Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr". A minor issue, I know, but you should probably standardise that. Otherwise I think it's really good; your writing flows nicely and it gives the reader a good idea of what the rest of the essay will be about. As far as your first body paragraph, I think if you don't specifically use the word diction to start the paragraph (i.e. say it has a different tone, mood, etc) it shouldn't sound too repetitive.