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. 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 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. His speech emphasizes at transitioning from war to peace and from violence to a nonviolent and peaceful society. - M.J. There were many reasons why so many Americans were against the war. Acting almost as a climax, King lyrically urges his audience to voice their opinions and wage a war against this unjustified war in Vietnam. down the pipe, "I watched this program broken and eviscerated" through the "buildup in Vietnam,". 6 Effective Content Marketing Strategies You May Have Overlooked, Market Analysis Definition (With Explanation and Examples). Thank you! To achieve this, he used rhetorical strategies such as appeal to pathos and repetition. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. Society's punishments are small wounds compared to the wounds we inflict on our soul when we look the other way." Many of us have felt the anxiety to speak up against what we know is wrong. So far we may have killed a million of them, mostly children (King). Dr. King says that the war is draining valuable resources that could be helping the poor in our own country. All rights reserved. us: [emailprotected]. He specifically mentions a poverty program that was looking promising before the United States became involved 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. 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. He efficiently uses the anecdote to tell how he has spoken with young men, telling them how violence will not solve their problems. If you use an assignment from StudyCorgi website, it should be referenced accordingly. By continuing well He picks from history as well as politics and also supports his choices with philosophical wisdom. On August 28th, 1963, Martin Luther King Jr gave us one of one of the most rhetorically moving speeches ever given. 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. To this day, Kings speech remains one of the most famous and influential speeches in, Martin Luther King was a determined activist for equality for all. 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). 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. Rhetorical devices are included in Martin Luther Kings speeches to prove conflict. To further strengthen, the credibility of his argument and question the morality behind the war, he says, Since 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. Here, at ACaseStudy.com, we deliver professionally written papers, and the best grades for you from your professors are guaranteed! Thank you for sharing this page with a friend! Right at the outset, King involves religious figures to establish the credibility for his reason and to prove that war was improper and inhuman. Ironic elements are evident in abundance throughout Kings speech which elicit an comical tone and draws on the reality of the war. 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. 663 Words; 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. 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. During this time period there was a lot of controversy surrounding the war. 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). If you are the original creator of this paper and no longer wish to have it published on StudyCorgi, request the removal. We try to make TeenInk.com the best site it can be, and we take your feedback very seriously. 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. Rhetorical Mlk Speech "Beyond Vietnam". 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. 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. 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. 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. This demonstrates to the audience that he realizes it is going to be difficult for them to speak out in opposition of the government. Rhetorical Analysis In King's Beyond Vietnam He strengthens his argument through his use of rhetorical questions and an anecdote. In multiple paragraphs of his speech, King effectively appeals to emotion by using personal anecdotes that involve him speaking to people of poverty directly. Comparing the Justice System during the 1960s to a corrupt bank allows the audience to connect to what Dr. King is saying. King uses personal anecdotes, elaborate word choice, and reliable facts to persuade his audience of the injustice of the war. Favorite Quote:"Faith is taking another step without seeing the entire staircase.". The war according to King Jr. is nothing more than a political game played for the sake of fun and ego. Furthermore, when these stylistic elements are concluded with his use of parallelism, King effectively establishes America's involvement in the Vietnam War as unjust. requirements? 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. He talks about the innocent people killed in the crossfire, mostly children. 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. Because of his crowd of mix races King made sure to make his speech imploring to all no matter what the race that they may be. Luther starts off by explaining that Vietnam heavily takes away valuable money of the US. We use cookies to give you the best experience possible. Favorite Quote:Failures help one grow as a person. 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. 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). In a solemn tone, he talks about their crops being destroyed and their water being poisoned, presumably referring to Agent Orange. submit it as your own as it will be considered plagiarism. The image of death, as powerful as it is, becomes amplified when Martin Luther King associates the injustices of segregation with the Vietnam war. Correct writing styles (it is advised to use correct citations) We use cookies to give you the best experience possible. 663 Words; All of the valid arguments and vivid imagery Dr. King uses combine to make this a very effective, passionate and memorable speech. He also states, I say to you today, my friends, so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. Overall, Martin Luther King Jr. eloquently argues against the United States involvement in Vietnam through his use of parallelism, diction, and imagery. "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. 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. 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. He does not want the church leaders to simply listen to his message. The third section is King's call for change. 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). 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. First of all, King makes his point clear by appealing to the reader's common sense, beliefs and values (logos). The image of death, as powerful as it is, becomes amplified when Martin Luther King associates the injustices of segregation with the Vietnam war. These arguments work because they point out that even though the war is not happening on our soil, it is having a devastating effect here, especially in poor areas where people cannot afford to be hindered any more than they already are. Dr. King's purpose is . Acting almost as a climax, King lyrically urges his audience to voice their opinions and wage a war against this unjustified war in Vietnam. As a civil right mover he gave this great speech to all Americans (black and white) so that he could give off the idea of equality on the same level. King, Martin Luther Jr. Beyond Vietnam: A Time to Break Silence. Church Meeting, 1967, Riverside Church, New York City. King is effectively able to convey his point about his topic by using rhetorical devices such as logos, ethos, pathos. 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. 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. StudyCorgi. He attempts to call upon sympathy within the audience by using highly expressive language. (2016, Nov 14). His pleas are first to the audiences sense of logic and their immediate concerns for their own country. By repeating the phrase, "for the sake," he creates a rhythmic flow that causes his audience to be more receptive to his idea. 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/. Through this speech, and his ideals of determination, many rhetorical devices are put to use to drive forth these points. 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. Copyright 2023 service.graduateway.com. Moreover, Martin Luther King Jr meticulously chooses specific words that carry with them a negative connotation that helps associate the Vietnamese war with injustice. 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). Rhetorical Analysis Of Mlk's Beyond Vietnam. (These links will automatically appear in your email.). 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. 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. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream. (King). Furthermore his speech did not. Finally, Martin Luther King Jr. uses parallelism within his own reflection to evoke emotions in his audience to show that . StudyCorgi, 4 May 2022, studycorgi.com/the-speech-beyond-vietnam-a-time-to-break-silence-by-martin-luther-king-jr-rhetorical-analysis/. 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. His choice of words in the speech is meant to have a direct effect on the audience's psychology. 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. Dr. King plainly states his purpose near the beginning of his speech. Apart from drawing a parallel between the situation in Vietnam and America, he shows neither stood to gain from it. He offers many practical reasons for the opposition, as well as spiritual and moral reasons. 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). 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. Encompassed within this quote is pathos because the harsh accusation leads the reader to think poorly of the government while pitying the poor. The rhetoric helps prove how the poor lived worse in the. StudyCorgi. It also uses a bit of strong imagery. 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.