The speaker comments, that they wander into the hospitals with at least twenty casualties from American firepower for one Vietcong-inflicted injury. Not to mention, many young people protested because they were the ones being drafted while others were against the war because the anti-war movement grew increasingly popular among the counterculture and drug culture in American society and. In his speech addressed to the laymen and clergy at Riverside Church he used pathos, logos, imagery, and an argument shift to list the reasons why America should withdraw their troops, and to create sympathy within his audience. This use of repetitive language conveys urgency and shows that he deeply believes the churches may influence the government if they speak against the war. On August 28th, 1963, Martin Luther King Jr gave us one of one of the most rhetorically moving speeches ever given. Luther starts off by explaining that Vietnam heavily takes away valuable money of the US. Since an autopsy is only done on dead creatures, King is saying that eventually, the soul of America might die. The imagery paints a dark picture in the audiences mind. Through his use of imagery, diction, and parallel structure, Martin Luther King Jr associates the war in Vietnam with injustice in his famous speech, Beyond Vietnam A Time to Break Silence. Martin Luther King Jr. applies imagery throughout his speech in order to illustrate the horrors of the war to arouse anger at its atrocities and injustice. King said, the war was doing far more than devastating the hopes of the poor at homeWe were taking the black young men who had been crippled by our society and sending them eight thousand miles away to guarantee liberties in Southeast Asia which they had not found in southwest Georgia and East Harlem. In Dr. Martin Luther King's speech "Beyond VietnamA Time to Break Silence" (1967), Dr. King asserts that the war in Vietnam is totally immoral and has far reaching negative implications not only for Vietnam, but for The United States and the rest of the World as well. When he argues that the war's immoral nature should be "incandescently clear," he implies to his audience that those who do not voice their opinion against the war are not concerned for, "the integrity and life of America.". In his argument, King mounts a multi-pronged attack on America's participation in the Vietnam war and also gains people's sympathy for the Vietnamese. By showing his own emotions, King inspires compassion in the. (These links will automatically appear in your email.). Furthermore the Kings parallel structure clarifies and highlights his intent by building up to a more important point. King Jr makes a strong statement against war and his speech successfully evokes compassion and sympathy for the poor and the weak in both Vietnam and America. The war lasted from 1955 to 1975.The nation as a whole began to uproar over the war and the major consequences of the war. Public opinion steadily turned against the war following 1967 and by 1970 only a third of Americans believed that the U.S. had not made a mistake by sending troops to fight in Vietnam (Wikipedia). Lastly, Martin Luther King uses logos in his famous speech. By repeating the phrase, "for the sake," he creates a rhythmic flow that causes his audience to be more receptive to his idea. (2022, May 4). "The Speech Beyond Vietnam: A Time to Break Silence by Martin Luther King, Jr: Rhetorical Analysis." Retrieved from https://graduateway.com/rhetorical-analysis-of-martin-luther-kings-beyond-vietnam-a-time-to-break-silence/, Rhetorical of Analysis of Martin Luther Kings, I Have a Dream Speech, Break, Break, Break by Alfred Lord Tennyson Analysis, Martin Luther King Jr.: A Civil Rights Activist Who Changed, Rhetorical Analysis Martin Luther King Jr. versus Malcolm X, Martin Luther King Jr. Right at the outset, King involves religious figures to establish the credibility for his reason and to prove that war was improper and inhuman. Showing his knowledge of the history of the war and using it to discredit the United States reason for being there is crucial to Dr. King in developing his position. If it is, let us trace its movements and pray that our own inner being may be sensitive to its guidance, for we are deeply in need of a new way beyond the darkness that seems so close around us. Issues have been resolved because now the draft is less common because more people volunteer for war so the poor are not forced. Martin Luther King Jr. disagreed with the way the war was being handled, and thought nonviolent demonstrations would be more efficient. In addition, his use of parallelism allows him to appeal to his audiences pity for the oppressed in order for him to express his call to action, a call for activism that goes beyond Vietnam. Rhetorical Analysis of MLK's Speech "Beyond Vietnam". He notes, as if it were some idle political plaything of a society gone mad on war, and I knew that America would never invest the necessary funds or energies in rehabilitation of its poor so long as adventures like Vietnam continued to draw men and skills and money like some demonic destructive suction tube. Also, if you have a comment about a particular piece of work on this website, please go to the page where that work is displayed and post a comment on it. Would you like to get a custom case study? The irony is explicit in Kings words that the war is just an attempt to cover and hide the more pressing issues before America. "The Speech Beyond Vietnam: A Time to Break Silence by Martin Luther King, Jr: Rhetorical Analysis." He also says the war is further crippling the poor in the United States by sending a disproportional number of them to the front lines to die. You may use it as a guide or sample for His use of diction and imagery arouses anger while increasing his credibility since he criticizes the unjust war he describes. These arguments work because they point out that even though the war is not happening on our soil, it is having a devastating effect here, especially in poor areas where people cannot afford to be hindered any more than they already are. Favorite Quote:What doesn't kill you only makes you stronger. In his second paragraph, he connects with his audience by saying we have been repeatedly faced, For instance, in the second paragraph of his speech, he says, I could not be silent in the face of such cruel manipulation of the poor. The words silent, cruel, and manipulation speak out to an audience, especially for one that has faced hardship themselves in times of need. In order to convince his audience that the civil rights movement in the United States should oppose the Vietnam War, the speaker appealed to their ethos, pathos, and logos. Public opinion steadily turned against the war following 1967 and by 1970 only a third of Americans believed that the U.S. had not made a mistake by sending troops to fight in Vietnam (Wikipedia). Likewise, the image of men, both black and while, "in brutal solidarity burning the huts of a poor village," helps establish the war in Vietnam as a complete disaster and atrocity. They all had the same goal, but took a different approach with their speeches, and how they would rally support to improve racial equality. In his speech, Beyond Vietnam- A Time to Break Silence Martin Luther King Jr., uses appeals to emotion, appeals to credibility, and powerful diction to strengthen his argument and persuade his audience that the Vietnam War is unjust. He is using historical facts to create a parallel between the current situation and the past. Registered address: Louki Akrita, 23 Bellapais Court, Flat/Office 46 1100, Nicosia, Cyprus He was in the process of proving that it wasn 't a money issue in America, but an equality issue. He also reminds the church leaders of something seemingly obvious that they may have lost sight of: the Father is deeply concerned especially for his suffering and helpless and outcast children (13). It is just a continuation of the regimes that have been trying to oppress the Vietnamese. By repeating the phrase, for the sake, he creates a rhythmic flow that causes his audience to be more receptive to his idea. There is at the outset a very obvious and almost facile connection between the war in Vietnam and the struggle I, and others, have been waging in America. 663 Words; Rhetorical Analysis Of Beyond Vietnam: A Time To Break Silence By Martin Luther King "Beyond Vietnam-A Time to Break Silence" is an article written by Martin Luther King Jr himself. Thomas 1 Javon Thomas Mrs. Yelton English 1301 - Period 4 14 September 2018 Beyond Vietnam Rhetorical Analysis Essay In Martin Luther King Jr.'s speech, Beyond Vietnam-A Time to Break Silence, King discusses his opinion on America's involvement in the Vietnam War. In this way, he condemns and questions the Vietnam war and its relevance at a time when America had several of its own major problems to address. (2022, May 4). Rhetorical Analysis Of Beyond Vietnam: A Time To Break Silence, During the 20th century, the Vietnam War had a profound impact on Americans, but there was a side of the story that was less known- voices from the poor. Additionally, by constructing an optimistic view on the civil rights situation during that time period and immediately refuting it, King is able to establish a strong sense of, Martin Luther King Jr. was one of the most influential leaders of his time and played a crucial role in the African-American Civil Rights movement. Issues have been resolved because now the draft is less common because more people volunteer for war so the poor are not forced. The most famous speeches in the United States history all have utilized rhetoric devices and strategies. StudyCorgi. Using the approach, the context of the speech will be analyzed according to the classical cannon of rhetorical. 2 February 2013. ' (Document, The war in Vietnam to do this day has gone down as one of the influential and controversial wars in United States history. Favorite Quote:Life is like a box of cheese and flower petal sometimes it's soft and sweet, sometimes it just plain stinks. Copyright 2023 IPL.org All rights reserved. Furthermore, when these stylistic elements are concluded with his use of parallelism, King effectively establishes America's involvement in the Vietnam War as unjust. His speech emphasizes at transitioning from war to peace and from violence to a nonviolent and peaceful society. He expresses that the first step toward equality as the earth moving and nations running with fear. Through his use of imagery, diction, and parallel structure, Martin Luther King Jr associates the war in Vietnam with injustice in his famous speech, "Beyond Vietnam - A Time to Break Silence.". Apart from highlighting the wicked nature of the war, King Jr 's speech also sets the urgency for protest. We use cookies to give you the best experience possible. 350 5th Ave, New York, NY 10118, USA. In multiple paragraphs of his speech, King effectively appeals to emotion by using personal anecdotes that involve him speaking to people of poverty directly. Kings criticism of the war as broken and eviscerated, allows him to establish a disappointed tone that conveys the idea that the war is immoral and by doing so his precise word choice lets him to attack it as such. Martin Luther King notes that we have been repeatedly faced with the cruel irony of watching Negro and white boys on TV screens as they kill and die together for a nation that has been unable to seat them together in the same schools (King). The United States got involved in the Vietnam War because they wanted to stop the spread of communism. This part of the speech is evoking violent images of death that would affect the emotions of the audience. He wants them to go back to their churches and spread the message. Martin Luther King Jr., Malcom X, and Stokely Carmichael all had quite famous speeches that took a stance on racial inequality. * Hyperlink the URL after pasting it to your document, American Women Struggle in the 20th Century, Charlottesville Tragedy: Racial Issue in the USA, Prison Staffing and Correctional Officers Duties, Gender Issues in the Us Correctional System. He then goes on to reveal some of his more personal feelings. Moreover, this set of diction allows King to logically state that he can not continue to fight on behalf of the oppressed if he himself doesn't address their oppressor, the U.S. government. A Time to do What is Right. Martin Luther King (MLK) was an activist and a minister who claimed that the war on Vietnam was wrong. Likewise, the image of men, both black and while, "in brutal solidarity burning the huts of a poor village," helps establish the war in Vietnam as a complete disaster and atrocity. Encompassed within this quote is pathos because the harsh accusation leads the reader to think poorly of the government while pitying the poor. For example, he writes vicious mobs lynch your mothers and fathers at will, drown your sisters and brothers and hated filled policemen even kill your brothers and sisters (3). King spoke for the weak that did not have the voices to speak for themselves; for example, he represented the poor. Hence, Kings works always had the recurring theme of the unity and strength of combined willpower. He says, And we must rejoice as well, for surely this is the first time in our nation's history that a significant number of its religious leaders have chosen to move beyond the prophesying of smooth patriotism to the high grounds of a firm dissent based upon the mandates of conscience and the reading of history. In 1967, Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his speech Beyond Vietnam-A Time to Break Silence. In the speech, King argues against American involvement in the Vietnam War and explains why he cannot remain silent. These statements serve to communicate to the audience that the speaker is someone of authority and should be listened to. It encompasses all humanity and not just America. Dr. King includes a brief, but poignant history of the war in Vietnam which is important because he needs to prove that he knows and understands the politics of the situation. Through the emotional, destruction of America's effort to support the war, King's powerful use of diction talking the loss of desire and new lives causes the audience to feel sorry for the poor of America. He spoke at Riverside Church in New York City, a venue that had a history of hosting progressive speakers and thinkers. The fact that young black men are being sent [across the world] to fight for the liberties in Southeast Asia, which they [have] not found in Georgia and East Harlem questions the validity of Americas founding principles of the unalienable rights of every individual; life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. The line, "For the sake of those boys, for the sake of this government, for the sake of the hundreds of thousands trembling under our violence, I cannot be silent," demonstrates how King uses parallelism. You are free to use it to write your own assignment, however you must reference it properly. In other words, the resources were used for the soldiers, yet the poor still needed them just as so. Manacles of discrimination, Lonely island of poverty and Chains of discrimination paint a bleak picture of life as a minority in America, and contrasts phrases such as Bright day of justice and Sacred obligation which symbolize freedom. Kings letter is a response to those in the church who have critizied him, Yet, instead of apologizing, he stands strong for his cause and turns it around on them stating his own critisim. It is why while he attacks America's intervention in Vietnam on the one hand, on the other he brings people's attention towards the other side of life where America can become a beacon of hope and peace for the entire world including Vietnam. First of all, King makes his point clear by appealing to the reader's common sense, beliefs and values (logos). In conclusion, Martin Luther King Jr.'s "Beyond Vietnam" speech was a powerful and eloquent call for peace and justice. This quote is referencing how poor and rich people were drafted to war but the poor people had no one left to support the family. Favorite Quote:Failures help one grow as a person. King makes the nation appears as hypocrites because Americans pretend to fight as a united nation whereas segregation is among the same schools, the same neighborhood, the same country. These two techniques played a crucial role in furthering his purpose and in provoking a powerful response from the audience that made this speech memorable and awe-inspiring. Throughout the first paragraph of Kings speech, he used emotional diction with words such as struggle, poverty, and poor to prove that the war in Vietnam was bringing down the Americans and their families fighting overseas. Read a rhetorical analysis of Martin Luther King Jr's Beyond Vietnam: Time to break silence. He does this when he writes, "It was a step that rocked the richest, most powerful nation to its foundations" (King 96-97). Dr. King's purpose is to make the church leaders he is speaking to aware that These emotionally charged images would seemingly convince anyone that the cause for this war could not possibly be just. His pleas are first to the audiences sense of logic and their immediate concerns for their own country. During this time period there was a lot of controversy surrounding the war. Moreover, Martin Luther King Jr meticulously chooses specific words that carry with them a negative connotation that helps associate the Vietnamese war with injustice. An Analysis of Martin Luther King Jr's Beyond Vietnam Martin Luther King Jr. builds an argument to persuade his audience that American involvement in the Vietnam War is unjust. He attempts to call upon sympathy within the audience by using highly expressive language. King uses personal anecdotes, elaborate word choice, and reliable facts to persuade his audience of the injustice of the war. He expresses his anguish at seeing people of Vietnam and America suffer and also notes that if American folks do not break their silence they stand to lose much more than their opponents. Martin Luther King Jr. was a social activist that led the Civil Rights Movement, and other movements until his assassination in 1968. He shows a strong theme of determination, along with dedication, and perseverance. The paper also analyzes Martin Luther Kings speech I have a dream with the purpose of rhetorical devices and how well they have been used in the speech, and how Afro-Americans conditions have been at the time. Then the segregation of African Americans and White Americans started. https://nolongerinvisiblemen.wordpress.com/2014/11/11/sparknotes-for-martin-luther-king-jr-s-a-time-to-break-silence/, https://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/mlkatimetobreaksilence.htm, Microsoft Corporation SWOT Analysis (2016), Zora Neale Hurstons Their Eyes were watching God: Analysis. His audience at Riverside Church, likely familiar with his Civil Rights work, would most likely than view him with more credibility because they too could sympathize to an injustice done by the American government. He is using vivid language to describe the casualties; however, they are also supported by evidence, as he is using precise numbers in this part of the speech. Though disappointed, King still loves the church. Acting almost as a climax, King lyrically urges his audience to voice their opinions and wage a war against this unjustified war in Vietnam. Perhaps the most convincing part of the speech is the emotional appeal. Through his compelling arguments and moral vision, King inspired many people to join the movement against the Vietnam War and to work for a more just and peaceful world. He successfully proves that The United States has done far more harm to the Vietnamese than good. When he argues that the wars immoral nature should be incandescently clear, he implies to his audience that those who do not voice their opinion against the war are not concerned for, the integrity and life of America. Finally, Martin Luther King Jr. uses parallelism within his own reflection to evoke emotions in his audience to show that . He picks from history as well as politics and also supports his choices with philosophical wisdom. Rhetorical Devices In Beyond Vietnam Speech 736 Words3 Pages All they wanted was "to save the soul of America" (King, Beyond, 42). War was an inhuman and barbaric exercise and America's participation was not in human interest. Rhetorical Analysis of MLK's Speech "Beyond Vietnam" Widely known for his work in the Civil Rights Movement, Martin Luther King Jr eventually also gained momentum in the anti-war movement against the war in Vietnam. Additionally, when King claims that all this horror is in the name of America, he appeals to his audience's anger, leading them to believe that it is time for them to break silence on the fact that the United States became involved in an unjust war in Vietnam. He specifically mentions a poverty program that was looking promising before the United States became involved in Vietnam. Beyond Vietnam: A Rhetorical Analysis . Overall, Martin Luther King Jr. eloquently argues against the United States involvement in Vietnam through his use of parallelism, diction, and imagery. In this way, he tries to stress that even if we have progressed, we have grown nowhere better than the ancient barbarians that killed for fun. King's criticism of the war as "broken and eviscerated," allows him to establish a disappointed tone that conveys the idea that the war is immoral and by doing so his precise word choice lets him to attack it as such. His use of diction and imagery arouses anger while increasing his credibility since he criticizes the unjust war he describes. His use of diction and imagery arouses anger while increasing his credibility since he criticizes the unjust war he describes. Moreover, Martin Luther King Jr meticulously chooses specific words that carry with them a negative connotation that helps associate the Vietnamese war with injustice. In conclusion, Martin Luther King, Jr uses ethos, pathos, and logos, among other rhetorical devices, to support his argument that American policy in Vietnam was inconsistent with its treatment of African-Americans in the United States. "Beyond Vietnam-A Time to Break Silence" is an article written by Martin Luther King Jr himself. King successfully brings out the irony behind the war through the use of figurative speech and plenty of imagery to paint a picture of destruction and doom in Vietnam. He quotes Langston Hughes, in his speech to establish a connection between the struggle for civil liberty in United States and the oppression in Vietnam. Copyright 2023 service.graduateway.com. This quote is referencing how poor and rich people were drafted to war but the poor people had no one left to support the family. By continuing well assume you board with our, Rhetorical Analysis on Kennedy Steel Speech, Rhetorical Analysis of The Mexican-American and the Chruch Speech, Analysis of Dr. Martin Luther Kings I Have a Dream Speech, Rhetorical Devices in Bill Clintons Speech at the Democratic Convention, Speech Analysis: Speech in the Virginia Convention, How to secure financing as a small business owner, How to Make a Business Plan for Any Business, 7 Crucial Macro Environment Factors to Include in Your Analysis, Macro Environment Examples in the Real World. As a leader of his people, King took the stand to take radical measures to overcome the false promises of the sovereign government that had been addressing the issues of racial segregation through unimplemented transparent laws that did nothing to change the grim realities of the society. cite it correctly. To start, Dr. Kings use of metaphors allows his audience to understand his viewpoint better. We Will Write a Custom Case Study SpecificallyFor You For Only $13.90/page! He also mentions emotional situations the readers probably cant even imagine. The Braveheart speech, while famous for being powerful, is very different from another powerful speech, the one from Dead Poets Society. In this way, while he successfully draws a parallel between the struggles of Vietnamese people and that of the Americans, he also lays the foundation for the next stages of his argument. War is expensive. He mentions that the war has led to the increase of violence in . War makes the innocent lose hope and leaves behind horrific memories for generations on both sides.