In the tumultuous period following the assassination of Martin Luther King, panic pervaded the United States. The nation found itself in a state of chaos and desperate for guidance. It was at this vulnerable moment that Robert F. Kennedy, a talented speaker, delivered the subversive speech in Indianapolis not only to heal people from the grief of losing a great man but also to bring the disoriented nation together. To achieve his goal, Robert F. Kennedy used three rhetorical devices in his speech: imagery to build a strong emotional connection with his audiences, parallelism to emphasize the importance of peace and unity among the country, and allusion to encourage people to learn from the tragedy of assassination.

Robert F. Kennedy applied imagery to appeal to the emotions of his audiences powerfully. He  conveys in the speech, "For those of you who are black and are tempted to be filled with hatred and mistrust of the injustice of such an act against all white people, I can only say that I feel in my own heart the same kind of feeling.” By creating a vivid image of the nation’s pain and regrets over the assassination, Kennedy successfully stepped into the shoes of the audience and showed his care for the people. Another example is when Kennedy says, “And let us dedicate ourselves to what the Greeks wrote so many years ago: to tame the savageness of man and make gentle the life of this world.” By comparing savagery and gentleness, Kennedy resonated with his audiences emotionally, expressing his eagerness to embrace a world of tranquility and harmony.

Robert F. Kennedy further used parallel structure in his speech extensively. A typical example is when he states, ”What we need in the United States is not division, what we need is not hatred, what we need is not violence and lawlessness.” By creating a rhythmic pattern, John F. Kennedy presented the contrasting ideas side by side to make his argument more convincing.  To revive a nation that just suffered great pain from losing Martin Luther King, Kennedy emphasized the importance of peace and unity over

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division and violence, providing strength and hope to American citizens. He also underscores the urgent need for peace and positive changes saying, “We have to make an effort to understand, to get beyond, or go beyond these rather difficult times.” Kennedy believes that reaching cohesion among the nation is the superior goal.

The use of allusion also made Robert F. Kennedy’s speech much more persuasive. In the seventh paragraph, Kennedy alluded to Aeschylus’s poem by stating, “Even in our sleep, pain which cannot forget falls drop by drop upon the heart, until, in our own despair, against our will, comes wisdom through the awful grace of God.” The underlying message of this poem is gaining wisdom and harvest from suffering, which Kennedy used to emphasize the value of obstacles for the nation’s growth. This effectively restored people’s low morale and stimulated them to turn their grief into motivation. Except for these, allusion can also be spotted in "Martin Luther King dedicated his life to love and to justice between fellow human beings. He died in the cause of that effort.” By alluding to the Christian concepts of love and justice, Kennedy claimed that King’s contributions were morally ethical and significant and that people should be inspired by his death to do something beneficial for the nation’s progress.

In conclusion, Robert F. Kennedy's speech in Indianapolis utilized a variety of rhetorical devices to emphasize the urgent need for peace, and unity, and the importance of learning from tragedy. Through powerful imagery, Kennedy created strong emotional connections with his audience, making his speech extraordinarily thought-provoking. Using parallelism, he urged Americans to unite and make efforts towards a common goal. Additionally, his skillful use of allusions not only added depth to the speech but also encouraged people to reflect and learn from the tragic events. By combining these rhetorical devices, Kennedy delivered an engaging speech that had a profound impact on American history.