A Time to Do Something Right

The 1960’s were a time of chaos; the Vietnam War was in full swing. This was also a time when civil rights movement just started gaining great momentum, especially because of one Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Dr. King not only influenced civil rights, but he was speaking out about the immorality of the war. In “Beyond Vietnam – A Time to Break Silence” Dr. King’s use of imagery and language paints a picture of how negative the war would be not only for Vietnam, but for the United States and the rest of the world. Dr. King’s purpose of the speech is to make the church leaders aware that the time has come for them to stand up and speak out about the opposition of the war. In Dr. King’s speech, he offers many practical reasons for the war, not just religious ones. He then outlines the history of the war in Vietnam, showing that he is not simply preaching about religious ideals.

King used his persuasive speech to influence Americans to speak out about the war, but to do it in a peaceful way. Dr. King wanted to convey the point that silence is betrayal to themselves and their country that they loved. He gains credibility by informing his audience that “over the last eight years, I have had the privilege of preaching here every year, and it is always a rewarding experience.” Because he has spoken at this place before, the audience knows him as a speaker and gives him more trust.

Dr. King speaks with confidence and clarity, and because of his confidence, the audience is confident in him. His dramatic voice and facial expressions also helps to get the audience pumped up and captures their attention. Dr. King uses several examples of figurative language in his speech; one example is his use of metaphor “And some of us who have already begun to break the silence of the night have found that the calling to speak is a vocation of agony, but we must speak. We must speak with all the humility that is appropriate to our limited vision, but we must speak.” Dr. King compares speaking out against the war to breaking the silence of the night, to show how unspoken of the horrors of the war has been. He also used repetition of we must speak in order to play on the emotions of the audience and motivate them to want to cause a change. He also uses another metaphor; “We can no longer afford to worship the god of hate or bow before the altar of retaliation.” in order to show the audience how damaging it is to fight hate with more hate.

Dr. King uses personification when he uses, “If America’s soul becomes poisoned, part of the autopsy must read: Vietnam.” This is a powerful quote because it explains how desensitized America has become to the war and violence. Dr. King wants to emphasize to his audience just how wrong it is for Americans to be fighting the war in Vietnam.

Martin Luther King, Jr. ends his speech with a quote from the bible; “Justice will roll down like waters, and righteousness like a mighty stream.” (Amos 5:24). By quoting this, Dr. King recognizes his church goers, and uses this biblical reference to show how influential one’s voice can be if they use it to make a positive change.

In conclusion Dr. King wanted to show everyone that love is more powerful than war. Throughout his years of fighting for civil rights, he ended up being correct. Dr. King influenced many people with his language and passion, people who stood up for themselves and the America that they wanted, a better America.