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. They wander into the towns and see thousands of the children, homeless, without clothes, running in packs on the streets like animals (20). 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. The United States got involved in the Vietnam War because they wanted to stop the spread of communism. May 4, 2022. https://studycorgi.com/the-speech-beyond-vietnam-a-time-to-break-silence-by-martin-luther-king-jr-rhetorical-analysis/. "The Speech Beyond Vietnam: A Time to Break Silence by Martin Luther King, Jr: Rhetorical Analysis." Luthers speech was a passionate rhetoric that preached his views about the future. Favorite Quote:What doesn't kill you only makes you stronger. 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. Finally, Martin Luther King Jr. uses parallelism within his own reflection to evoke emotions in his audience to show that . 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. 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. (These links will automatically appear in your email.). "Beyond Vietnam-A Time to Break Silence" Rhetorical Analysis Introduction In this paper the speech "Beyond Vietnam" of Martin Luther king will be analyzed through the framework of Neo-Aristotelian criticism. While his I Have a Dream speech is considered his best one, his other speeches too offer a glimpse of his powerful rhetoric and his art of persuasion. 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. At the heart of their concerns, this query has often loomed large and loud: Why are you speaking about the war, Dr. King? Why are you joining the voices of dissent?(King). In his speech on the meaninglessness of the Vietnam war and to persuade the audience to listen to its own conscience rather than to conform to the idea of war in the name of patriotism, King Jr draws from the realms of economy, society, polity as well as religion and philosophy. cite it correctly. (2016, Nov 14). He picks from history as well as politics and also supports his choices with philosophical wisdom. By repeating the phrase, "for the sake," he creates a rhythmic flow that causes his audience to be more receptive to his idea. Which of your works would you like to tell your friends about? 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. Dont He is using historical facts to create a parallel between the current situation and the past. This demonstrates to the audience that he realizes it is going to be difficult for them to speak out in opposition of the government. Furthermore his speech did not. ' (Document, The war in Vietnam to do this day has gone down as one of the influential and controversial wars in United States history. In multiple paragraphs of his speech, King effectively appeals to emotion by using personal anecdotes that involve him speaking to people of poverty directly. 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. Therefore, to remain silent would truly be betrayal. Let us not wallow in the valley of despair. (King). 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 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. Read a rhetorical analysis of Martin Luther King Jr's Beyond Vietnam: Time to break silence. We use cookies to give you the best experience possible. He spoke at Riverside Church in New York City, a venue that had a history of hosting progressive speakers and thinkers. 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). 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. In a sense, he dives right into the idea that it is unrealistic for them to find freedom in a region halfway across the world when they couldnt even find it in America. He applies ethos to establish credibility, pathos to appeal to emotions, and logos to support his claims with hard evidence. He also focuses on the maltreatment of humanity, and how the Vietnam War is a start to the violence that occurs in America. Copyright 2023 IPL.org All rights reserved. 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.". Rhetorical Analysis of MLK's Speech "Beyond Vietnam", Key Ingredients to Being a Successful Student. Please enter the email address that you use to login to TeenInk.com, and we'll email you instructions to reset your password. Lastly, Martin Luther King uses logos in his famous speech. King Jr delivered his "Beyond Vietnam -- A Time to Break Silence" in 1967 in NewYork City. Due to the Vietnam War is that plenty of individuals, both Americans and Vietnamese were killed. This part of the speech is evoking violent images of death that would affect the emotions of the audience. Encompassed within this quote is pathos because the harsh accusation leads the reader to think poorly of the government while pitying the poor. 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. He was in the process of proving that it wasn 't a money issue in America, but an equality issue. As example, King uses I have a dream that one day and Let freedom ring.. to open his points on how Americans should change against racial indifferences. The rhythm and frequent repetition are used to drive home his key points, stressing the importances of his goal. The war in Vietnam to do this day has gone down as one of the influential and controversial wars in United States history. May 4, 2022. https://studycorgi.com/the-speech-beyond-vietnam-a-time-to-break-silence-by-martin-luther-king-jr-rhetorical-analysis/. 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 views on America's involvement in the Vietnam War. 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. 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. For instance, he does when he depicts the, "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." It allows them to imagine what might happen if America were to keep fighting in the war. 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. Titled as the I Have a Dream Speech, he read this speech to the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. Kings main motive was to persuade people to see how war was destroying lives, society and economy and being silent meant being in approval 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). Correct writing styles (it is advised to use correct citations) 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. The most famous speeches in the United States history all have utilized rhetoric devices and strategies. 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. He notes how essential it is to break silence before all hope is lost. These statements serve to communicate to the audience that the speaker is someone of authority and should be listened to. 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 also mentions emotional situations the readers probably cant even imagine. 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. Ironic elements are evident in abundance throughout Kings speech which elicit an comical tone and draws on the reality of the war. 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. Analyzes the literary device martin luther king jr. uses in his speech is allusions, adding to the importance on how awful the vietnam war was corrupting the united states. To construct a clear and strong picture and show how condemnable the war exercises in Vietnam were, King compared it with an arena of gladiators which even if it amuses and engages, is something absolutely animal and barbaric. Hence, Kings works always had the recurring theme of the unity and strength of combined willpower. Comparing the Justice System during the 1960s to a corrupt bank allows the audience to connect to what Dr. King is saying. Would you like to get a custom case study? To achieve this, he used rhetorical strategies such as appeal to pathos and repetition. It also reminds people of inequality through images of everyday life in the United States. The third section is King's call for change. 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. 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. America is overlooking its own poor and pouring resources into a war which does not offer any political, economic or social advantage. Just like the people of America, the Vietnamese also have a right to live free on the lands of their fathers. StudyCorgi. King Jr knew that war creates confusion and that his audiences mind was boggled with questions. 663 Words; In the speech, Martin Luther King specifically indicates that America needs to end the war with Vietnam. Finally, as the speech comes to a close, King writes, If Americas soul becomes totally poisoned, part of the autopsy must read: Vietnam. King goes so far as to suggest that the war will bring America to its death if it continues overlooking the problems Americans are facing at home. requirements? (These links will automatically appear in your email.). You may use it as a guide or sample for 4 May. 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. His choice of words in the speech is meant to have a direct effect on the audience's psychology. He uses the word 'We', connecting with the audience and ensuring them that together they will bring change to social conditions and attitudes. 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.". down the pipe, "I watched this program broken and eviscerated" through the "buildup in Vietnam,". King supports his discussion by establishing authority and appealing to his listeners emotions. One of Kings main techniques he uses to persuade the audience of his point is imagery. King was establishing his point that America was more troubled about healing and adjusting other countries, but would never invest the same in their own country. If you have a suggestion about this website or are experiencing a problem with it, or if you need to report abuse on the site, please let us know. This comparison is very sobering. Though disappointed, King still loves the church. The image of death, as powerful as it is, becomes amplified when Martin Luther King associates the injustices of segregation with the Vietnam war. The war was only going to consume lives and resources. "The Speech Beyond Vietnam: A Time to Break Silence by Martin Luther King, Jr: Rhetorical Analysis." 2022. 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 a solemn tone, he talks about their crops being destroyed and their water being poisoned, presumably referring to Agent Orange. King wants his audience. Luther starts off by explaining that Vietnam heavily takes away valuable money of the US. Dr. King genuinely believes that the war is in direct opposition to the teachings of Christ and therefore the church must speak out in a united voice against it. Acasestudy.com 2007-2019 All rights reserved. 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. King, Martin Luther Jr. Beyond Vietnam: A Time to Break Silence. Church Meeting, 1967, Riverside Church, New York City. In this way, he personifies war as a demon that consumes people's lives and a nation's valuable resources which would otherwise be happy if it was not being ruined by bombs and bullets. 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. 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. You are free to use it to write your own assignment, however you must reference it properly. (2022) 'The Speech Beyond Vietnam: A Time to Break Silence by Martin Luther King, Jr: Rhetorical Analysis'. King uses quotes as these to suggest to convince them of the destruction of the Vietnam War, with pathos, by strongly appealing to his audience's emotion. For example, King says, We have waited for more than 340 years for our constitutional and God given rights (2). Don't let the fear of striking out keep you from playing the game. The rhetoric helps prove how the poor lived worse in the. Go back to Mississippi, go back to Alabama, go back to South Carolina, go back to Georgia, go back to Louisiana, go back to the slums and ghettos of our northern cities, knowing that somehow this situation can and will be changed. Issues have been resolved because now the draft is less common because more people volunteer for war so the poor are not forced. 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. 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. His use of diction and imagery arouses anger while increasing his credibility since he criticizes the unjust war he describes. At 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. As he notes towards the end of his speech, "If we will make the right choice, we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our world into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood ". The Braveheart speech, while famous for being powerful, is very different from another powerful speech, the one from Dead Poets Society. Overall, Martin Luther King Jr. eloquently argues against the United States involvement in Vietnam through his use of parallelism, diction, and imagery. [emailprotected] All rights reserved. The speaker comments, that they wander into the hospitals with at least twenty casualties from American firepower for one Vietcong-inflicted injury. 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). 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. 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. However, his words while they aim to bring the pain of the Vietnamese alive before the audience also include a request that a progressive nation should stand with humanity and not lose control of its feelings. 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. He then outlines the history of the war in Vietnam, showing that he is not simply preaching about religious ideals. He uses metaphorical imagery, powerful diction,and symbolism to create an impact on the audience.