(2016, Nov 14). This quote causes the audience to realize the contradiction in the Vietnam war policy, making them less likely to accept. Despite having a shining moment of experiments, hopes, [and] new beginnings during the struggle for human rights, King illustrates the Vietnam War as broken and eviscerate and a political plaything of a society gone mad on war. He wants them to go back to their churches and spread the message. He means to make people ask questions of themselves and ponder over the meaninglessness and uselessness of war and what would remain behind once the war was over. King calms the African Americans who are being oppressed by using the words, this situation can and will be changed. and Let us not wallow in the valley of despair. which gives them hope that there will be a new day when a change will take place. Nothing could be lower than being placed parallel to the senseless violence of Nazi Germany. Martin Luther King Jr says in his first paragraph that,"It seemed as if there was a real promise fr hope to draw men and skills and money like some demonic destruction suction tube." King also links the issue to the question of Americas integrity. The speaker comments, that they wander into the hospitals with at least twenty casualties from American firepower for one Vietcong-inflicted injury. Rhetorical Analysis of MLK's Speech "Beyond Vietnam" December 22, 2016 By Richcoca PLATINUM, Canoga Park, California More by this author Widely known for his work in the Civil Rights Movement,. 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. Nothing evokes a more emotional response than the image of children suffering or being killed. Martin Luther King Jr is an African American preacher and civil rights activist that along with every other African American male and female in 1976 was waging a war in America for their not-so-natural born rights. By claiming that the United States, "the greatest purveyor of violence," prefers, "massive doses of violence to solve its problems," King effectively establishes the U.S. government as the pervasive wrongdoer. 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. 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 includes various perspectives and addresses several counterarguments with the intention to prove the futility of war as a tool to address social, economic and political problems. 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. King was really able to speak to his audience by using evidence, reasoning, and a persuasive writing style throughout his speech. 838 Words to help you write a unique paper. ' (Document, The war in Vietnam to do this day has gone down as one of the influential and controversial wars in United States history. 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. By repeating the phrase, "for the sake," he creates a rhythmic flow that causes his audience to be more receptive to his idea. 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 applies ethos to establish credibility, pathos to appeal to emotions, and logos to support his claims with hard evidence. Dr. King says, Even when pressed by the demands of inner truth, men do not easily assume the task of opposing their governments policy, especially in time of war (3). The paper concludes that Kings dream have not come true, but, Rhetorical Analysis Of Martin Luther King Beyond Vietnam. Rhetorical Devices In Beyond Vietnam Speech 736 Words3 Pages All they wanted was "to save the soul of America" (King, Beyond, 42). He uses the word 'We', connecting with the audience and ensuring them that together they will bring change to social conditions and attitudes. He does this by appealing to certain issues the public see as important, using irony, and using diction and tone in persuasive ways. Please enter the email address that you use to login to TeenInk.com, and we'll email you instructions to reset your password. He calls the situation some idle political plaything of a society gone mad on war. It allows them to imagine what might happen if America were to keep fighting in the war. In Martin Luther King Jr.s speech Beyond Vietnam- A Time to Break Silence, delivered at Riverside Church in New York City on April 4, 1967, he claims that the American involvement in the Vietnam War is unjust. Dr. King plainly states his purpose near the beginning of his speech. His choice of diction and use of imagery help him deliver his point effectively in a manner that impresses both the audience's heart and mind. He proves that the government has been manipulating the poor when he writes, It was sending. While pathos elicits an emotional response from the audience to make them more accepting of Kings ideas, repetition structures the speech and emphasizes key ideas for the audience to take away from listening. Copyright 2023 IPL.org All rights reserved. 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. 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. All they wanted was to save the soul of America (King, Beyond, 42). requirements? And, to argue that King 's most radical days were never fulfilled; that his next campaign was to confront the president over the Vietnam War and economic disparity, a direct confrontation with a president over an immoral war state Hill and Wang from the book review. 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. Lastly, Martin Luther King uses logos in his famous speech. Martin Luther King Jr., Malcom X, and Stokely Carmichael all had quite famous speeches that took a stance on racial inequality. Registration number: 419361 Introduction Martin Luther King, Jr in his speech "Beyond Vietnam: A Time to Break Silence" argued that US foreign policy was hypocritical when compared to the inequality present in the United States. In Dr. Martin Luther Kings 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. Rhetorical devices are included in Martin Luther Kings speeches to prove conflict. Apart from the use of ethos, pathos and logos in his speech, he builds a rock solid argument by involving religious figures and facts from history and philosophy. May 4, 2022. https://studycorgi.com/the-speech-beyond-vietnam-a-time-to-break-silence-by-martin-luther-king-jr-rhetorical-analysis/. 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. In a solemn tone, he talks about their crops being destroyed and their water being poisoned, presumably referring to Agent Orange. Dr. King further discredits the United States intentions in Vietnam by comparing us to Germany in World War II saying, What do they think as we test out our latest weapons on them, just as the Germans tested out new medicine and new tortures in the concentration camps of Europe? We use cookies to give you the best experience possible. On August 28th, 1963, Martin Luther King Jr gave us one of one of the most rhetorically moving speeches ever given. One of Kings main techniques he uses to persuade the audience of his point is imagery. Through utilising figurative language to juxtapose optimistic progress and demonic destruction, King is able to emphasise how devastating the Vietnam War is. Another rhetorical device is the common ground he establishes in his last sentence where he writes, "This is the story of Why We Can't Wait" (King 98-99). Moreover, Martin Luther King Jr meticulously chooses specific words that carry with them a negative connotation that helps associate the Vietnamese war with injustice. Thank you! Then came the buildup in Vietnam, and I watched this program broken and eviscerated, as if it were some idle political plaything of a society gone mad on war(8). https://studycorgi.com/the-speech-beyond-vietnam-a-time-to-break-silence-by-martin-luther-king-jr-rhetorical-analysis/. Issues have been resolved because now the draft is less common because more people volunteer for war so the poor are not forced. Rhetorical Analysis In King's Beyond Vietnam He strengthens his argument through his use of rhetorical questions and an anecdote. He then paints a picture of the suffering endured by Vietnam and tells how the United States has a long history of doing the wrong thing to this tiny country. Dr. King says that the war is draining valuable resources that could be helping the poor in our own country. The persuasive techniques utilized by King Jr are aimed at making people think over the outcomes of Vietnam war and if it was not against Americas integrity. His efforts to consolidate and harmonise the US into one country for all is reflected in many of his writings and speeches spanning his career. This is an attempt to connect with the audiences emotions and prove that the war was imposed on them and even if politicians call it patriotic, society and people would never love war. They now also understand that the Vietnam War plays a bigger role in America than just the men gone to war, it affects others too, like them. In the article "Beyond Vietnam", Martin Luther argues that war in Vietnam has far reaching affects that not only rapaciously take away America's resources, but make an immediate impact on African Americans perspective on the civil rights movement. For example, he says that if Americas soul becomes totally poisoned, part of the autopsy must read: Vietnam. King uses this metaphor to establish the potentially dreadful consequences of America continuing to fight the war. During the final years of . It also describes the Jim Crow laws and the busboy cot from 1955. Copyright 2023 service.graduateway.com. 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. 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. The war with Vietnam was just as unjust as unnecessary. King is effectively able to convey his point about his topic by using rhetorical devices such as logos, ethos, pathos. Along with, and the almost facile connection between the war in Vietnam, First, Martin Luther King Jr. uses emotional appeals to persuade his audience that the Vietnam War is unjust because it is unfairly killing the poor and its destroying the country. The war in Vietnam to do this day has gone down as one of the influential and controversial wars in United States history.