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“Beyond Vietnam: A Time to Break Silence” Rhetorical Analysis

Martin Luther King Jr "Beyond Vietnam: A Time to Break Silence" oration is regarded

as among the most significant pieces of oratory in United States history. King delivered the

speech in 1967 to a substantial number of citizens who gathered at the Riverside church. His

oration exhibits a rhetorical style that reflects and maintains his call for a racially integrated

nation. King offers reasons for a non-violent civil rights movement against brutality in the

country. Using rhetorical triangles, anaphora, and parallel structure, King persuades his

audience to stand against injustice as he reflects on the Vietnam War.

King uses pathos in his speech to express his views on why they should break the

silence. He commences his oration by giving thanks for preaching in the church for the last

eight years. King has been preaching for a long time with the congregants and wants them to be

together through his message to unite the nation. Pathos is expressed in his quote, "Black young

men who had been immobilized by our community and sending them a thousand miles away.

We have been repeatedly faced with the brutality irony of viewing white boys and Negros on

television as they murder and perish together for an unjust nation” (America Rhetoric n.p).

King appeals to the manipulation subjected to the poor by the community and unfairness in the

war that diminished the hopes of citizens.

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Besides, the speech shows ethos when King recognizes his effort. King asserts that

"Another burden of responsibility was placed upon him in 1954 when he achieved the Nobel

Peace Prize” (America Rhetoric n.p). The award portrays him as a speaker and a civil rights

activist to the world. King is an ethical leader who fights for communism and unites people

together. He later claims his achievement is a calling that goes beyond national allegiance as he

commits himself to the ministry of Jesus Christ. Besides ethical rhetoric, logos are displayed in

his oration.

King's speech analysis shows Logos in his fight against violence. His quote, "I knew

that I could never raise my voice against the cruelty of the prejudiced in the ghettos without

having spoken to the greatest purveyor of ferocity the government” (America Rhetoric n.p).

King appeals to logos as he believes barbarity is unjust in every case. He claims the

administration to be an opportunist that does not allow citizens to speak the truth. His quote

"disputes are never resolved without trustful give and take on both sides" posits the fact we

cannot avoid the truth.

Conversely, anaphora is used in the oration to encourage people to fight for justice.

King says, "But we must speak. We must speak with the humility that is appropriate to our

limited vision, but we must speak” (America Rhetoric n.p). The phrase "we must speak"

encourages people to break the silence and do what is right. King disagrees with the way

Vietnamese were killed to stop the spread of communism. He tells the audience that if the war

continues, there will be no honorable intentions in Vietnam. King suggests that the authority

should immediately stop the menace and resolve conflict in America. The authority cannot

resolve Battles with the death of innocent citizens.

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Parallelism is used in the speech to spread the message to American citizens and the

world. King asserts that "This speech is not addressed to Hanoi or the National Liberation

Front. It is not addressed to China or to Russia," to make it clear that his message belongs to the

American citizens (America Rhetoric n.p). Besides, King uses rhetoric to evoke emotions in his

audience. The quote "For the sake of those boys, for the sake of this administration, for the sake

of the hundreds of thousands trembling under our cruelty, I cannot be quiet" illustrates a

rhythmic flow that gives the audience a grasp of his idea. Parallelism allows King to express

his call for action that goes beyond Vietnam.

King's "Beyond Vietnam: A Time to Break Silence" oration entails rhetorical devices

that make the speech historical. The civil rights activist uses rhetorical triangles to connect with

the audience and convey his message. King uses pathos when he depicts the death of boys on

television screens who get murdered without honor. The image of killings associates the

injustice of segregation with the Vietnam battle. Besides, ethos is seen where King remembers

his Noble Peace Prize award. King uses logos to make irrefutable statements. Rhetorical

devices such as anaphora and parallelism are used in the oration to encourage the citizens and

give them hope. The phrase "we have to speak" is an anaphora repeated to ensure the audience

has broken the silence. Parallelism helps King to initiate action towards citizens that will bring

change beyond the war. Overall, King views the American involvement in Vietnam War as

unjust.
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Works Cited

“American Rhetoric: Martin Luther King, Jr: A Time to Break Silence (Declaration against the

Vietnam War).” Americanrhetoric.com, 2021,

www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/mlkatimetobreaksilence.htm.