There were many reasons why so many Americans were against the war. Rhetorical Analysis of MLK's Speech "Beyond 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. King Jr knew that war creates confusion and that his audiences mind was boggled with questions. Correct writing styles (it is advised to use correct citations) 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. In Martin Luther King Jr's passionate speech about America's involvement in Vietnam, he manages to create a strong and compelling argument that America's involvement in unjust . He spoke at Riverside Church in New York City, a venue that had a history of hosting progressive speakers and thinkers. By showing his own emotions, King inspires compassion in the. Favorite Quote:Failures help one grow as a person. 2 February 2013. Which of your works would you like to tell your friends about? StudyCorgi. 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. 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. [emailprotected] Additionally, when King claims that all this horror is in the name of America, he appeals to his audiences 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 calls the situation some idle political plaything of a society gone mad on war. Then Dr. King says that the church should oppose the war simply because it is counter to the ministry of Jesus Christ. He uses the word 'We', connecting with the audience and ensuring them that together they will bring change to social conditions and attitudes. (2016, Nov 14). 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. King is effectively able to convey his point about his topic by using rhetorical devices such as logos, ethos, pathos. Copyright 2023 IPL.org All rights reserved. Rhetorical Devices In Beyond Vietnam Speech 736 Words3 Pages All they wanted was "to save the soul of America" (King, Beyond, 42). "Beyond Vietnam-A Time to Break Silence" is an article written by Martin Luther King Jr himself. This paper examines the conditions of the Afro-Americans lives from 1960-today with focus on education, work, income, police brutality and criminality. You are free to use it to write your own assignment, however you must reference it properly. 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). 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. King proved this partly with the quote, America would never invest the necessary funds in the rehabilitation of its poor so long as adventures like Vietnam continued (King, Beyond, 9). 804-506-0782 By repeating the phrase, "for the sake," he creates a rhythmic flow that causes his audience to be more receptive to his idea. 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. Rhetorical Analysis Of Mlk's Beyond Vietnam. 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. 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. submit it as your own as it will be considered plagiarism. 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. Dont This is an obvious and extremely effective argument, especially among a group of Christian church leaders. 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. He spoke at Riverside Church in New York City, a venue that had a history of hosting progressive speakers and thinkers. 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. By continuing well 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. His passionate tone flowed through these strategies, increasing their persuasive power on the people and encouraging them to follow/listen to his message on racial injustice. However, a very powerful speech, in manys opinion, is the Ive Been to the Mountaintop speech, given shortly before Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated. StudyCorgi. It also uses a bit of strong imagery. King also links the issue to the question of Americas integrity. 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. 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. 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. Furthermore his speech did not. King uses this metaphor to emphasize the treatment of African Americans in America. StudyCorgi, 4 May 2022, studycorgi.com/the-speech-beyond-vietnam-a-time-to-break-silence-by-martin-luther-king-jr-rhetorical-analysis/. He repeatedly stresses upon breaking the silence because in this situation being silent was a sin. 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. Dr. King says that the war is draining valuable resources that could be helping the poor in our own country. Favorite Quote:"Faith is taking another step without seeing the entire staircase.". Rhetorical Analysis, Martin Luther King Rhetorical Devices Analysis, Rhetorical Analysis of Martin Luther King Jr.S Speech, A Rhetorical Analysis Journey Through Martin Luther King Jr.s SpeechI Have a Dream. 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. On April 4, 1967 at Riverside Church in New York, MLK delivered "Beyond Vietnam" , which created a different perspective on the Vietnam war, in which is a negative thing. Martin Luther King Jr. disagreed with the way the war was being handled, and thought nonviolent demonstrations would be more efficient. 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. He shows a strong theme of determination, along with dedication, and perseverance. This is a logical fact with which no one can argue. 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. Welcome to the world of case studies that can bring you high grades! He successfully proves that The United States has done far more harm to the Vietnamese than good. It is not typical for churches to do so. Recognizing that citizens in poverty were not able to support their families while away from home at war, Martin Luther King included that war [and being enlisted in battle was] an enemy of poor to demonstrate how even though any man could be drafted, the economically stable left behind support for their family while the impoverished were ineligible of doing so (Source A). Furthermore, when these stylistic elements are concluded with his use of parallelism, King effectively establishes America's involvement in the Vietnam War as unjust. 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. describing the ways in which the war is detrimental to the American people, King writes that "Vietnam. His pleas are first to the audiences sense of logic and their immediate concerns for their own country. In conclusion, Martin Luther King Jr.'s "Beyond Vietnam" speech was a powerful and eloquent call for peace and justice. Ironic elements are evident in abundance throughout Kings speech which elicit an comical tone and draws on the reality of the war. So far we may have killed a million of them, mostly children (King). In his essay, Dr. King uses the metaphor America has given the Negro people a bad check, which came back marked insufficient funds (46). report, Rhetorical Analysis of Martin Luther Kings Beyond Vietnam: a Time to Break Silence. (2022) 'The Speech Beyond Vietnam: A Time to Break Silence by Martin Luther King, Jr: Rhetorical Analysis'. In addition, his use of parallelism allows him to appeal to his audience's pity for the oppressed in order for him to express his call to action, a call for activism that goes beyond Vietnam. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream. (King). 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. Would you like to get a custom case study? He expresses that the first step toward equality as the earth moving and nations running with fear. Nothing could be lower than being placed parallel to the senseless violence of Nazi Germany. Rhetorical Analysis In King's Beyond Vietnam He strengthens his argument through his use of rhetorical questions and an anecdote. 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. Perhaps the most convincing part of the speech is the emotional appeal. He attempts to call upon sympathy within the audience by using highly expressive language. To start, Dr. Kings use of metaphors allows his audience to understand his viewpoint better. Due to the Vietnam War is that plenty of individuals, both Americans and Vietnamese were killed. Please note that while we value your input, we cannot respond to every message. 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. 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. His speech emphasizes at transitioning from war to peace and from violence to a nonviolent and peaceful society. Analyzes how john kerry's "beyond vietnam- a time to break silence" by martin luther king jr. uses rhetorical devices that emphasize the importance and meaning of his speech. 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. The third section is King's call for change. Titled as the I Have a Dream Speech, he read this speech to the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. Later, he mentions, I am a preacher by calling, I suppose it is not surprising that I have seven major reasons for bringing Vietnam into the field of my moral vision. (King). 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. The idea of nonviolence is much larger than ordinary people see. Therefore, to remain silent would truly be betrayal. It is why he constructs an argument that will help people decide which side to stand with and which to not. 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. He efficiently uses the anecdote to tell how he has spoken with young men, telling them how violence will not solve their problems. 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. "The Fine Art of Baloney Detection" Essay by Carl Sagan. 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. 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. Many great speeches are increasingly different. He does this when he writes, "It was a step that rocked the richest, most powerful nation to its foundations" (King 96-97). 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). "The Speech Beyond Vietnam: A Time to Break Silence by Martin Luther King, Jr: Rhetorical Analysis." The speaker comments, that they wander into the hospitals with at least twenty casualties from American firepower for one Vietcong-inflicted injury.