Contemporary Connections – Speeches, Past and Present

The Revolutionary War did not complete the transformation of the United States from a British colony to a nation devoted to human rights; four million slaves were outsiders to the principles of freedom espoused by the Declaration of Independence. Many Americans recognized this contradiction, and the nation grew into a "house divided against itself." James Cameron, a Gandhi biographer, said, "All the history of revolution shows that it is easy to inflame people to attack, [but] immensely difficult to curb them in the disciplines of dignity." So then the question remains: How did America move from the violent resistance advocated by Patrick Henry as necessary to gain freedom from England to the peaceful civil disobedience of the American Civil Rights Movement?

In part, the answer lies in abolitionist writing which included rhetorical strategies intended to persuade readers of the cruelty of enslavement. Slave narratives and abolitionist writing became a mirror through which this newly-formed country could view itself.

 

Frederick Douglass himself became a living, breathing counter-argument to the southern slaveholders’ claims that slaves did not have the intellectual capacity to become functioning independent citizens. His incisive antislavery and abolitionist writings eloquently described his struggles and experiences as a slave and gave a voice to the movement. Douglass became a beacon of hope, the voice of a people struggling for equal footing. He believed that African-Americans would gain their rights and freedom through education rather than through violent raids and attacks. This belief, for which Douglass worked tirelessly through his life, became one of the key foundations for the Civil Rights Movement.

As a key leader in the Civil Rights Movement in the United States, Martin Luther King, Jr. led a successful campaign for human rights and against discrimination in federal and state laws. King's rhetorical mastery relied on strong emotional appeals, especially empathy. However, his persuasiveness was also rooted strongly in the philosophy of passive resistance which he adopted from Mahatma Gandhi, the political and spiritual leader who led India's struggle for independence from Britain.

 

King's Rhetoric

The autobiographies and fiction written by Douglass and other abolitionist writers also included the rhetorical strategies you found in the works of Thomas Paine. Why are these kinds of rhetorical arguments used so often? Aristotle said that rhetorical arguments could be divided into artistic (pathos and ethos, proofs that are attached to the writer) and inartistic (logos, proof which is separate from the writer) categories. When a writer uses all of these approaches effectively, he persuades a reader to adopt his position. But beyond the argument, you also judge the work's aesthetic value. In other words, you say the work is a beautiful work of art.

One such essay is Martin Luther King's "Letter From A Birmingham Jail," a model of rhetorical devices studied in high schools and universities all over the world today. King wrote the letter from a Birmingham, Alabama jail where he was being held for his participation in a protest. The open letter, published in newspapers, magazines, and his book Why We Can't Wait (1964), is King's response to eight white clergymen who published a statement in which they called for the civil rights battle to be conducted in the courts.

"Letter from Birmingham Jail" is considered such an effective argument that it is even used to teach law students how to argue a case. Did you notice this format and these rhetorical devices as you read the letter?

Keep in mind that although you remember and are moved by the emotional appeals King makes, his pathos is perfectly balanced by ethos and logos. King uses five rhetorical devices in his famous "I Have A Dream" speech that are particularly effective:

1. emphasizes phrases by repeating the beginning of sentences
2. repeats key theme words
3. utilizes well-known quotations and allusions
4. includes specific examples to cement an idea
5. use metaphors to highlight contrasting concepts
   

 

As a writer, it is important for you to recognize that any good composition, whether written, spoken, or drawn, is carefully planned. Compositions have integral parts that work together in a complex and subtle arrangement to produce meaning. SOAPSTone (Speaker, Occasion, Audience, Purpose, Subject, Tone) is an acronym for a series of questions that you must ask yourself when you read or write a composition. You will have a chance to practice applying the SOAPStone method in the following assignment.

The SOAPStone Method

SOAPSTone Aspect	Question
Speaker	Who is the speaker or writer?
Occasion	What is the time and place of the speech?
Audience	Who is the intended audience for the speech?
Purpose	What is the writer's purpose for writing this speech?
Subject	What is the speech's main idea?
Tone	What is the speaker's overall attitude towards the subject he or she is writing about? How do you know?

 

 

Speeches Past and Present Review

Now that you have explored the influence of past writers on the rhetoric used by contemporary orators such as Martin Luther King, Jr., review your knowledge in this non-graded activity. First, read each question and select the appropriate answer. Second, read each statement and decide whether it is true or false. Click on the player button get started.