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. Logos appeals to reasoning and argumentation by applying statistics, factual evidence, and data. 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. In front of over 3000 people at the New York Riverside Church King preaches to a room filled with clergy and laymen concerned about the Vietnam. By continuing well 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. For example, this quote personifies war as being an enemy. King is effectively able to convey his point about his topic by using rhetorical devices such as logos, ethos, pathos. To make his claims stand out and have a deeper impact, he uses instances from Vietnamese history to show the level of injustice faced by its people how war has destabilized them. Perhaps a new spirit is rising among us. Just like the people of America, the Vietnamese also have a right to live free on the lands of their fathers. Some would be uninterested and some not knowing what to do. 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. Not only were they fighting for their own rights in 1976, but they were sending away the son, husbands, brothers of other Americans thousands of miles away to the country of Vietnam to fight an unjust war for the rights of the people in Southeast Asia. Later in his speech, King writes again using an advanced vocabulary to reinforce his academic background with, America would never be free or saved from itself until the descendants of its slaves were loosed completely from the shackles they still wear. By using the word shackles, the reader can easily create a vivid image in their mind of how restricted the poor must feel, and whether it be physically or mentally, they can understand how much the restrained are longing for a sense of freedom. 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. 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. They wander into the towns and see thousands of the children, homeless, without clothes, running in packs on the streets like animals (20). 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. 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.". In the 1967 speech, Beyond Vietnam, the author, activist Martin Luther King jr, states reasons why America needs to end their involvement in the Vietnam War. He then outlines the history of the war in Vietnam, showing that he is not simply preaching about religious ideals. He evaluates the psychological as well as social, political and economic implications of America's participation in Vietnam war. However, the persuasiveness of his speeches does not come solely from his ability to connect with his audience's emotions but from an extraordinary ability to reason and validate his point. 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. King wants his audience. Registration number: 419361 Rodriguez 1 Melanie Rodriguez Ms. Jimenez Composition II 20 October, 2017 A Rhetorical Analysis of Martin Luther King Jr.'s "Beyond Vietnam" "Never be afraid to do what's right. He successfully proves that The United States has done far more harm to the Vietnamese than good. Favorite Quote:Life is like a box of cheese and flower petal sometimes it's soft and sweet, sometimes it just plain stinks. Favorite Quote:Failures help one grow as a person. "The Speech Beyond Vietnam: A Time to Break Silence by Martin Luther King, Jr: Rhetorical Analysis." He talks about the innocent people killed in the crossfire, mostly children. 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. Comparing the Justice System during the 1960s to a corrupt bank allows the audience to connect to what Dr. King is saying. 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. 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. The idea of nonviolence is much larger than ordinary people see. Perhaps the most convincing part of the speech is the emotional appeal. 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. The image of death, as powerful as it is, becomes amplified when Martin Luther King associates the injustices of segregation with the Vietnam war. 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. A comment like this doesnt leave the reader unmoved. Public Speech. The speaker comments, that they wander into the hospitals with at least twenty casualties from American firepower for one Vietcong-inflicted injury. The author is using pathos as one of his central rhetorical strategies. 663 Words; Here, Martin Luther King Jr is getting the audience emotionally and completely invested by showing the effect of America in Vietnam on their lives. - M.J. We use cookies to give you the best experience possible. His speech grows deeply sarcastic at times. The most famous speeches in the United States history all have utilized rhetoric devices and strategies. 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. 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.". King was really able to speak to his audience by using evidence, reasoning, and a persuasive writing style throughout his speech. 838 Words This special lyrical and parallel structure helped get his main points across and allows a large audience to understand simple but powerful words (Layfield) . Martin Luther King Jr., Malcom X, and Stokely Carmichael all had quite famous speeches that took a stance on racial inequality. Please enter the email address that you use to login to TeenInk.com, and we'll email you instructions to reset your password. 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. Beyond Vietnam: A Rhetorical Analysis . Ironic elements are evident in abundance throughout Kings speech which elicit an comical tone and draws on the reality of the war. Dr. King's purpose is . 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. 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. Furthermore the Kings parallel structure clarifies and highlights his intent by building up to a more important point. 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. In case you can't find a relevant example, our professional writers are ready Finally, Martin Luther King Jr. uses parallelism within his own reflection to evoke emotions in his audience to show that . 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. Martin Luther King Jr proves to all throughout his speech Beyond Vietnam --- A Time to Break Silence that the Vietnam war was unjust by his use of emotional diction, the allusion of Jim crow, and repetition. 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. Overall, Martin Luther King Jr. eloquently argues against the United States involvement in Vietnam through his use of parallelism, diction, and imagery. (These links will automatically appear in your email.). 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. These statements serve to communicate to the audience that the speaker is someone of authority and should be listened to. Moreover, it is the poor and the helpless mainly who are falling prey to this war game. Apart from drawing a parallel between the situation in Vietnam and America, he shows neither stood to gain from it. StudyCorgi. 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. However, he wishes that they would have lived up to his respect, and continues to hope that they will do so in the future. Rhetorical Analysis Of Beyond Vietnam A Time To Break Silence In the speech "Beyond Vietnam- A Time to Break Silence," by Martin Luther King Jr. he expresses his opinion on how the Vietnam war is unjust. King demonstates this by saying, In deep disappointment, I have wept over the laxity of the church. King uses emotional words and descriptions to capture the audiences attention and convey the injustices caused by the Vietnam War. 350 5th Ave, New York, NY 10118, USA. 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. 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. In Hanoi are the men who led the nation to independence against the Japanese and the French, the men who sought membership in the French Commonwealth and were betrayed by the weakness of Paris and the willfulness of the colonial armies. He is disappointed in te church and his disappointment is worse because he feels so strongly for the church, as is evident through his tears. He does not want the church leaders to simply listen to his message. 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. 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. This convinces the reader to fully consider how the war has brought detrimental consequences, and through Kings diction, he is capable of convincing his audience to, When speaking about how the war had initially seem to have brought opportunities, he says, 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, and I knew that America would never invest the necessary funds or energies in rehabilitation of its poor. Evidently, the program for the poor was meant to be used in helping the poor, but as soon as the funds were directed to the Vietnam War, resources were no longer cast in their direction. Is Hydrogen Fuel Efficient Enough to Replace Fossil Fuels in the Near Future. Rhetorical Analysis In King's Beyond Vietnam. 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. Thank you! 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. Here, at ACaseStudy.com, we deliver professionally written papers, and the best grades for you from your professors are guaranteed! 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. Rhetorical Analysis of MLK's Speech "Beyond Vietnam". Martin Luther King Jr proves to all throughout his speech "Beyond Vietnam --- A Time to Break Silence" that the Vietnam war was unjust by his use of emotional diction, the allusion of Jim crow, and repetition. No one should be restricted from rights and opportunities that others are given for that long. May 4, 2022. https://studycorgi.com/the-speech-beyond-vietnam-a-time-to-break-silence-by-martin-luther-king-jr-rhetorical-analysis/. 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). Overall, Martin Luther King Jr. eloquently argues against the United States involvement in Vietnam through his use of parallelism, diction, and imagery. Welcome to the world of case studies that can bring you high grades! 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. 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. 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. King uses this metaphor to emphasize the treatment of African Americans in America. 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. 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,. Apart from highlighting the wicked nature of the war, King Jr 's speech also sets the urgency for protest. 4 May. Moreover, Martin Luther King Jr meticulously chooses specific words that carry with them a negative connotation that helps associate the Vietnamese war with injustice. 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. On April 4, 1967 Martin Luther King Jr. wrote a speech named, Beyond Vietnam- A Time to Break Silence addressing the Vietnam War. Then Dr. King says that the church should oppose the war simply because it is counter to the ministry of Jesus Christ. 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. 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. 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. It is just a continuation of the regimes that have been trying to oppress the Vietnamese. Copyright 2023 service.graduateway.com. 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. A Time to do What is Right. 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. 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. During this time period there was a lot of controversy surrounding the war. Luthers speech was a passionate rhetoric that preached his views about the future. He attempts to call upon sympathy within the audience by using highly expressive language. 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. Rhetorical Devices In Beyond Vietnam Speech 736 Words3 Pages All they wanted was "to save the soul of America" (King, Beyond, 42). 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. His use of diction and imagery arouses anger while increasing his credibility since he criticizes the unjust war he describes. 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. Martin Luther King (MLK) was an activist and a minister who claimed that the war on Vietnam was wrong. 2 February 2013. 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. 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. "Beyond Vietnam-A Time to Break Silence" is an article written by Martin Luther King Jr himself. One of Kings main techniques he uses to persuade the audience of his point is imagery. 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. He does it to engage peoples imagination and to awaken their consciences. Many great speeches are increasingly different. 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. (2016, Nov 14). 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). Due to the Vietnam War is that plenty of individuals, both Americans and Vietnamese were killed. He changes his tone from passive to passionate. 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 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. On April 4, 1967, Martin Luther King, Jr., an enormously influential civil rights activist, conveys his indignant and hopeful thoughts regarding the Vietnam War, in his speech "Beyond Vietnam," by utilizing biblical allusion, anaphora, and use of diction. 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. All they wanted was to save the soul of America (King, Beyond, 42). 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. Copyright 2023 IPL.org All rights reserved. Luther was a charismatic leader who took a firm stand against the oppressive and racist regime of the United States (US), devoting much of his life towards uniting the segregated African-American community of the US. Overall, Martin Luther King Jr. eloquently argues against the United States involvement in Vietnam through his use of parallelism, diction, and imagery. In other words, the resources were used for the soldiers, yet the poor still needed them just as so. Graduateway.com is owned and operated by Radioplus Experts Ltd 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. 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. His main purpose was to try to persuade the audience to . to help you write a unique paper. 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. The irony is explicit in Kings words that the war is just an attempt to cover and hide the more pressing issues before America. Read a rhetorical analysis of Martin Luther King Jr's Beyond Vietnam: Time to break silence. Over the past two years, as I have moved to break the betrayal of my own silences and to speak from the burnings of my own heart, as I have called for radical departures from the destruction of Vietnam, many persons have questioned me about the wisdom of my path. His speech emphasizes at transitioning from war to peace and from violence to a nonviolent and peaceful society. 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. 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.
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