It is not the person who delivers the speech that determines the speech’s success; it is the confidence, determination, and skill with which they speak it. Every experienced writer and speaker knows the importance of using literary devices in one’s argumentative work, and Martin Luther King Jr. was evidence of this statement. Through the entirety of his speech, “Beyond Vietnam- A Time To Break Silence,” Dr. King used multiple literary tools to enhance his argument that the United States should withdraw from Vietnam. Indisputably the most prominent literary tool in the speech is emotional appeal. King used it a number of times in each part of the speech to emotionally connect with his audience. One example of this appeal is the following quote:
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King used these devices to help set the tone of his speech. A simile used in the introduction provided tremendous clarity on King’s true feelings for the war. He said, “...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” (King). The simile- “...like some demonic destructive suction tube” (King)- combined with King’s usage of excellent stylistic tactics and word choice gave the war a very negative connotation which aided him in turning people against it. Irony also played a role in Dr. King’s speech on more than one occasion. He utilized it to really stress how Civil Rights and racism related to Vietnam; he did this by stating how the U.S. was forcing African-American men to fight overseas and risk their lives in order to grant Vietnam’s citizens freedoms they themselves were not even allotted at home in their own country and again when he pointed out that blacks and whites were fighting and dying side-by-side in Vietnam despite not being able to interact on their own soil. King used irony to point out how incredibly unjust he believed the war to be n a way that he could still connect on a relatable level with the majority of his audience. Overall, Martin Luther King Jr.’s usage of literary devices in “Beyond Vietnam- A Time to Break Silence” strengthened his argument for American withdrawal from Vietnam. Whether it be emotional or ethical appeal, word choice and style, figurative devices, or many of the other possible tools he employed in his speech, every great writer and speaker is able to realize the importance of including these tools in their
King used these devices to help set the tone of his speech. A simile used in the introduction provided tremendous clarity on King’s true feelings for the war. He said, “...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” (King). The simile- “...like some demonic destructive suction tube” (King)- combined with King’s usage of excellent stylistic tactics and word choice gave the war a very negative connotation which aided him in turning people against it. Irony also played a role in Dr. King’s speech on more than one occasion. He utilized it to really stress how Civil Rights and racism related to Vietnam; he did this by stating how the U.S. was forcing African-American men to fight overseas and risk their lives in order to grant Vietnam’s citizens freedoms they themselves were not even allotted at home in their own country and again when he pointed out that blacks and whites were fighting and dying side-by-side in Vietnam despite not being able to interact on their own soil. King used irony to point out how incredibly unjust he believed the war to be n a way that he could still connect on a relatable level with the majority of his audience. Overall, Martin Luther King Jr.’s usage of literary devices in “Beyond Vietnam- A Time to Break Silence” strengthened his argument for American withdrawal from Vietnam. Whether it be emotional or ethical appeal, word choice and style, figurative devices, or many of the other possible tools he employed in his speech, every great writer and speaker is able to realize the importance of including these tools in their