| This study examined the rhetorical potential of anti-war song lyrics produced during the Vietnam War for the New Left. A set of methodological questions were developed and applied to written literature produced by the New Left and commentary written about this movement to reveal the New Left's major ideological premises and supporting illustrations. These same questions were then applied to a sample of one hundred and twenty anti-war song lyrics produced during the Vietnam War. This method allowed for a comparison of the New Left ideology and the elements of ideology contained in the song lyrics to determine if there was any relationship between the data sets.; Information obtained from song lyrics was juxtaposed with the New Left ideology to find points of congruence in explicitly revealed content. Where there was correspondence, the song lyrics were analyzed for their potential to sharpen perception, heighten emotion, and redefine perception and experience.; This study concluded that the anti-war song lyrics produced during the Vietnam War did have rhetorical potential for the New Left participants. The song lyrics were found to be thoroughly ideological in nature, corresponding not only to the New Left ideology, but also to the New Left's style of thinking and use of language. Moreover, the song lyrics were found to possess the potential to sharpen a listener's perception of people, events, and places: heighten a listener's value related emotions, and redefine a listener's perception of people and behavior. Through these rhetorical maneuvers in song lyric the New Left ideology was both propounded to, and rendered concrete for, the New Left ideologues. |
