Word of the Week! Gadfly Richmond Writing

Word of the Week! Gadfly Richmond Writing Reading Martin Luther King Jr.s Letter from Birmingham Jail had a transformative effect on my sense of justice and, frankly, rhetoric. It remains a masterpiece of persuasive writing; several words and metaphors that Dr. King employ struck me, as a college student, with their power.   Re-reading it today, one word, really a metaphor that has long been a favorite of mine, stands out. The word gadfly in one sentence speaks entire paragraphs, both for its seeming innocence but also for its referencing Socrates Apology, where the doomed Greek philosopher discussed the need for someone like him to stir a lazy nation, just as a gadfly stirs a lazy horse. King writes we must see the need of having nonviolent gadflies to create the kind of tension in society that will help men to rise from the dark depths of prejudice and racism to the majestic heights of understanding and brotherhood. King calls here for nonviolence, as did Socrates before him, but nonviolence with an edge to it. The word itself, with gad of Scandinavian origin, is a cousin to our goad, for spurring action. When used for a person who provokes action, the term dates to the 17th Century. I rather like gadflies. I dont think that Dr. King would mind my calling him one. We could currently use more of them, and its a credit to Dr. King that he advocated goads, not bullets. Please nominate a word or metaphor useful in academic writing by e-mailing me (jessid -at- richmond -dot- edu) or leaving a comment below. See all of our Metaphors of the Month  here  and Words of the Week  here. Public Domain image courtesy of Wikipedia.