Then the segregation of African Americans and White Americans started. This makes the irony explicit and that Vietnam being a smaller and weaker nation was being made to face injustice which it never deserved or desired. He believed that the Vietnam War diverted money and attention from domestic programs created to aid the black poor and would benefit only the banks who fund wars and the industries that supply the war. Though disappointed, King still loves the church. 350 5th Ave, New York, NY 10118, USA. The third section is King's call for change. 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. His use of diction and imagery arouses anger while increasing his credibility since he criticizes the unjust war he describes. King was really able to speak to his audience by using evidence, reasoning, and a persuasive writing style throughout his speech. 838 Words Correct writing styles (it is advised to use correct citations) 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 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. The speaker comments, that they wander into the hospitals with at least twenty casualties from American firepower for one Vietcong-inflicted injury. Retrieved from https://studycorgi.com/the-speech-beyond-vietnam-a-time-to-break-silence-by-martin-luther-king-jr-rhetorical-analysis/, StudyCorgi. 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. 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. (These links will automatically appear in your email.). No one should be restricted from rights and opportunities that others are given for that long. King Jr makes a strong statement against war and his speech successfully evokes compassion and sympathy for the poor and the weak in both Vietnam and America. Moreover, it is the poor and the helpless mainly who are falling prey to this war game. His first reasons are all about practicality. Not to mention, many young people protested because they were the ones being drafted while others were against the war because the anti-war movement grew increasingly popular among the counterculture and drug culture in American society and. 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 war according to King Jr. is nothing more than a political game played for the sake of fun and ego. The rhetoric helps prove how the poor lived worse in the, King, a supporter of President Lyndon B. Johnson and his Great Society, became concerned about U.S. involvement in Vietnam. 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. 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. 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. War makes the innocent lose hope and leaves behind horrific memories for generations on both sides. The rhetoric helps prove how the poor lived worse in the. Since an autopsy is only done on dead creatures, King is saying that eventually, the soul of America might die. The imagery paints a dark picture in the audiences mind. 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. [emailprotected] Rhetorical Analysis In King's Beyond Vietnam He strengthens his argument through his use of rhetorical questions and an anecdote. It also reminds people of inequality through images of everyday life in the United States. For example, this quote personifies war as being an enemy. He says, To me the relationship of this ministry to the making of peace is so obvious that I sometimes marvel at those who ask me why Im speaking against the war (12). 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. 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. Martin Luther King notes that we have been repeatedly faced with the cruel irony of watching 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 (King). There is at the outset a very obvious and almost facile connection between the war in Vietnam and the struggle I, and others, have been waging in America. 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. (2022, May 4). Apart from being an advocate of Mahatma Gandhi's idea of nonviolence, Martin Luther King Jr was a great leader and rhetor of all times. He does not want the church leaders to simply listen to his message. Overall, Martin Luther King Jr. eloquently argues against the United States involvement in Vietnam through his use of parallelism, diction, and imagery. Dr. King paints a vivid, heart-wrenching picture of the devastation in Vietnam. He uses the word 'We', connecting with the audience and ensuring them that together they will bring change to social conditions and attitudes. Apart from drawing a parallel between the situation in Vietnam and America, he shows neither stood to gain from it. In this way, he appeals to the emotions of the audience and challenges the logic behind an unnecessary war. Thank you for sharing this page with a friend! What Is the Macro Environment in Business Analysis? To achieve this, he used rhetorical strategies such as appeal to pathos and repetition. By repeating the phrase, for the sake, he creates a rhythmic flow that causes his audience to be more receptive to his idea. King is effectively able to convey his point about his topic by using rhetorical devices such as logos, ethos, pathos. The paper also analyzes Martin Luther Kings speech I have a dream with the purpose of rhetorical devices and how well they have been used in the speech, and how Afro-Americans conditions have been at the time. 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. 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. Thank you for sharing this page with a friend! Thank you! 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 opinion on America's involvement in the Vietnam War. 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 United States got involved in the Vietnam War because they wanted to stop the spread of communism. However, he wishes that they would have lived up to his respect, and continues to hope that they will do so in the future. 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? Furthermore, such a vivid picture will linger permanently in the audiences mind, which will make them think about the terrible outcome in the future. 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. Dream like you will live forever, live like you will die today. 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. 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. Read a rhetorical analysis of Martin Luther King Jr's Beyond Vietnam: Time to break silence. 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. There were many reasons why so many Americans were against 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. The irony is explicit in Kings words that the war is just an attempt to cover and hide the more pressing issues before America. 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). 663 Words; 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. By expressing how much he believes in the American dream and a new dawn, it reassures people that even though there is little progress at a time, King will always fight not only for himself, but his family, friends, and all those who are not held to the same respect. Some would be uninterested and some not knowing what to do. 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. Dr. King says that the war is draining valuable resources that could be helping the poor in our own country. Beyond Vietnam- A Time to Break Silence speech delivered on April 4, 1967, revolved around the growing concern with America's involvement in the Vietnam war. StudyCorgi. Martin Luther King Jr. was a social activist that led the Civil Rights Movement, and other movements until his assassination in 1968. assume youre on board with our, Martin Luther King Jr. vs. President Obama, https://graduateway.com/rhetorical-analysis-of-martin-luther-kings-beyond-vietnam-a-time-to-break-silence/. An Analysis of Martin Luther King Jr's Beyond Vietnam Martin Luther King Jr. builds an argument to persuade his audience that American involvement in the Vietnam War is unjust. He repeatedly stresses upon breaking the silence because in this situation being silent was a sin. All of the valid arguments and vivid imagery Dr. King uses combine to make this a very effective, passionate and memorable speech. Furthermore the Kings parallel structure clarifies and highlights his intent by building up to a more important point. Likewise, during this time period, America [put little effort into] rehabilitation of its poor creating an even harder life for them (Source A). These emotionally charged images would seemingly convince anyone that the cause for this war could not possibly be just. "The Speech Beyond Vietnam: A Time to Break Silence by Martin Luther King, Jr: Rhetorical Analysis." He applies ethos to establish credibility, pathos to appeal to emotions, and logos to support his claims with hard evidence. Copyright 2023 IPL.org All rights reserved. Additionally, Kings statement that Southeast Asia is eight thousand miles away strengthens the irony by making Southeast Asia seem like a place which is completely disconnected from America. 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. 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. With an urgent tone, he repeats the phrase, we must speak (4), several times. Rhetorical Analysis of MLK's Speech "Beyond Vietnam". 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. By showing his own emotions, King inspires compassion in the. 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. King uses emotional words and descriptions to capture the audiences attention and convey the injustices caused by the Vietnam War. His speech grows deeply sarcastic at times. 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. 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. Read More Use Of Nonviolence In Cesar Chavez's Speech 409 Words | 2 Pages Martin Luther King Jr. was extremely passionate about nonviolence. It also describes the Jim Crow laws and the busboy cot from 1955. He talks about the innocent people killed in the crossfire, mostly children. This essay was written by a fellow student. 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. The paper concludes that Kings dream have not come true, but, Rhetorical Analysis Of Martin Luther King Beyond Vietnam. 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." Overall, Martin Luther King Jr. eloquently argues against the United States involvement in Vietnam through his use of parallelism, diction, and imagery. 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. Thank you! StudyCorgi, 4 May 2022, studycorgi.com/the-speech-beyond-vietnam-a-time-to-break-silence-by-martin-luther-king-jr-rhetorical-analysis/. 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). Right at the outset, King involves religious figures to establish the credibility for his reason and to prove that war was improper and inhuman. "The Fine Art of Baloney Detection" Essay by Carl Sagan. 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. It encompasses all humanity and not just America. This special lyrical and parallel structure helped get his main points across and allows a large audience to understand simple but powerful words (Layfield) . Copyright 2023 IPL.org All rights reserved. Analysis Of Martin Luther King's Beyond Vietnam: A Time To Break Silence Martin Luther King Jr. in his speech, "Beyond Vietnam- A Time to Break Silence, discusses the Vietnam war. All they wanted was to save the soul of America (King, Beyond, 42). 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. 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. 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. 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. He is using historical facts to create a parallel between the current situation and the past. Through utilising figurative language to juxtapose optimistic progress and demonic destruction, King is able to emphasise how devastating the Vietnam War is. King is well aware that an audience that experiences strong emotional response to this speech is more likely to be convinced of his. There were many reasons why so many Americans were against the war. If he had not shown knowledge of the background of the war, it would be easy to dismiss his other pleas as lofty religious ideals. Apart from highlighting the wicked nature of the war, King Jr 's speech also sets the urgency for protest. At last the paper discusses and assesses how to what an extent Kings dream came true with self-elected sources as backrest for the asses. 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. King builds an effective argument by using imagery, noting the irony associated with the war, and pointing out the contrast between America before the war and America then. 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. 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.