He does this when he writes, "It was a step that rocked the richest, most powerful nation to its foundations" (King 96-97). All of the valid arguments and vivid imagery Dr. King uses combine to make this a very effective, passionate and memorable speech. Dream like you will live forever, live like you will die today. He says we 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. King uses this statement to point out the inconsistency with America trying to establish freedom far away before establishing freedom on their own home soil. report, Rhetorical Analysis of Martin Luther Kings 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. The audience now feel as though this is very important because it has to do with regular poor people and t effects them as well. 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. In a similar light, King addressed the speech I have a dream to a peaceful mass gathering in Washington asking for change. 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. 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. 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. ' (Document, The war in Vietnam to do this day has gone down as one of the influential and controversial wars in United States history. However, he wishes that they would have lived up to his respect, and continues to hope that they will do so in the future. Martin Luther King (MLK) was an activist and a minister who claimed that the war on Vietnam was wrong. King is effectively able to convey his point about his topic by using rhetorical devices such as logos, ethos, pathos. It encompasses all humanity and not just America. Overall, Martin Luther King Jr. eloquently argues against the United States involvement in Vietnam through his use of parallelism, diction, and imagery. King, Martin Luther Jr. Beyond Vietnam: A Time to Break Silence. Church Meeting, 1967, Riverside Church, New York City. 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. Moreover, Martin Luther King states that after the French were defeated, it looked as if independence and land reform would come again through the Geneva Agreement (King). He does this by appealing to certain issues the public see as important, using irony, and using diction and tone in persuasive ways. Here, Martin Luther King Jr is getting the audience emotionally and completely invested by showing the effect of America in Vietnam on their lives. Both religion and society condemn war and even popular religious figures have stood up to speak against it for the toll it takes upon human lives and for it is against the spirit of humanity and brotherhood. It is clear that he wants the audience of church leaders to go back to their churches and fearlessly speak out in opposition of the war. 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). The irony is explicit in Kings words that the war is just an attempt to cover and hide the more pressing issues before America. He then outlines the history of the war in Vietnam, showing that he is not simply preaching about religious ideals. 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. 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. On April 4, 1967, King addressed a crowd of 3,000 in Riverside Church by delivering a speech titled, "Beyond Vietnam," in the midst of the cruelty of the Vietnam War. A lot of parts from Martin Luther Kings dream have come true, but it is still not all that is how King wanted it to be. He also makes an emotional plea by vividly describing the conditions in Vietnam. 1) Controversial Opinions of MLK 2) Religious figure talking about political problems 3) Malcolm X and his ideas Fitting Response EXIGENCY First Persona-Martin Luther King Second Persona-American Population and the Civil Rights Movement Third Persona- Vietnamese Population Rhetorical Analysis Of Martin Luther King Beyond Vietnam 534 Words3 Pages 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. King draws sympathy for his cause from the reader who sees the unjustness of the situation he and his followers are dealing with. 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. He states, repeatedly, To begin, King uses figurative language in the first half of his speech to highlight the destructive nature of the war, strengthening his overall position. 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. The speech was given to a large, mixed audience of primarily civil rights activists. Though disappointed, King still loves the church. Copyright 2023 service.graduateway.com. Acting almost as a climax, King lyrically urges his audience to voice their opinions and wage a war against this unjustified war in Vietnam. During this time period there was a lot of controversy surrounding the war. He evaluates the psychological as well as social, political and economic implications of America's participation in Vietnam war. Dr. Kings purpose is to make the church leaders he is speaking to aware that the time has come for them to speak out loudly in opposition of the war in Vietnam. While his words clearly deliver his disappointment over the path American government had chosen, it also expresses a clear intention to not be with the wrong and instead listen to ones inner voice. King spoke for the weak that did not have the voices to speak for themselves; for example, he represented the poor. 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. Using the approach, the context of the speech will be analyzed according to the classical cannon of rhetorical. 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). 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. 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. https://studycorgi.com/the-speech-beyond-vietnam-a-time-to-break-silence-by-martin-luther-king-jr-rhetorical-analysis/. 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. In short, this makes the audience more inclined to listen to the rest of Martin Luther king Jr's speech, as well as setting the bottom line that the Vietnam War creates devastating problems for everyone. 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. He uses the word 'We', connecting with the audience and ensuring them that together they will bring change to social conditions and attitudes. In multiple paragraphs of his speech, King effectively appeals to emotion by using personal anecdotes that involve him speaking to people of poverty directly. Rhetorical devices are included in Martin Luther Kings speeches to prove conflict. The American intervention came at a time when the Vietnamese were expecting freedom and peaceful life and it came in a manner that was even devastating compared to the French occupation. 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. He also mentions emotional situations the readers probably cant even imagine. King uses personal anecdotes, elaborate word choice, and reliable facts to persuade his audience of the injustice of the war. He applies ethos to establish credibility, pathos to appeal to emotions, and logos to support his claims with hard evidence. 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. Rhetorical Devices In Beyond Vietnam Speech 736 Words3 Pages All they wanted was "to save the soul of America" (King, Beyond, 42). 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. In "Beyond Vietnam: A Time to Break Silence," Martin Luther King, a civil rights leader, uses his voice to bring attention to the injustices of race. The speech deemed racial segregation to be an inhumane practice that subdivides society into groups that essentially alienate them from the true sense of humanity; which is brotherhood. This demonstrates to the audience that he realizes it is going to be difficult for them to speak out in opposition of the government. By repeating the phrase, "for the sake," he creates a rhythmic flow that causes his audience to be more receptive to his idea. He notes how essential it is to break silence before all hope is lost. Luthers speech was a passionate rhetoric that preached his views about the future. (These links will automatically appear in your email.). He attempts to call upon sympathy within the audience by using highly expressive language. 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 doesnt address their oppressor, the U.S. government. 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. By repeating the phrase, "for the sake," he creates a rhythmic flow that causes his audience to be more receptive to his idea. So, what America is doing to other nations like Vietnam also matters. But be assured that my tears have been tears of love (8). Pharapreising and interpretation due to major educational standards released by a particular educational institution as well as tailored to your educational institution if different; His pleas are first to the audiences sense of logic and their immediate concerns for their own country. 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? Don't let the fear of striking out keep you from playing the game. What Is the Macro Environment in Business Analysis? Through utilising figurative language to juxtapose optimistic progress and demonic destruction, King is able to emphasise how devastating the Vietnam War is. Retrieved from https://studycorgi.com/the-speech-beyond-vietnam-a-time-to-break-silence-by-martin-luther-king-jr-rhetorical-analysis/, StudyCorgi. "The Fine Art of Baloney Detection" Essay by Carl Sagan. King uses this metaphor to emphasize the treatment of African Americans in America. Please enter the email address that you use to login to TeenInk.com, and we'll email you instructions to reset your password.