The ability to form personal beliefs, opinions, and ideologies have transcended through out time, while remaining omnipresent in today’s society as well. Although commonly argued that personal beliefs are associated with one’s psyche and personal understanding, the practice of influencing or altering an individual’s belief remains prevalent, most prominently in the midst of global quarrel. Thereby, individuals of whom possess powerful beliefs implore that those blind to them achieve opinions similar to theirs.
The pursuit of expansion yields innumerable arguments and persuasive tactics such as speeches, marches, and movements; Franklin Roosevelt’s 1933 Inaugural Address, preaching the infamous line, “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself,” or Martin Luther King Jr’s “I Have a Dream” speech both hope to promote positive change in society by attempting to change people’s beliefs and perceptions.
By observing the tactics of these global figures, one visibly acknowledges the success in persuasion aided by the utilization of rhetoric approaches through eloquence, and interestingly, they continue to participate in the formation of specific beliefs in today’s society as well. This time however, rhetoric methods radiate within a different category: art.
Although passion and fluency act as tools in constructing an effective speech, as proven by the figures previously mentioned, poetic assembly in the form of a song ensues authentic emotion from its audience, thus inducing just enough vulnerability to consider a change of action, perception, or ideology.
Ever imagine how the portrayal of specific scenes in movies would change if the music was muted? Most would say it would lose most to all meaning. Think about it…horror movies would be extinct without the threatening music causing the surge of adrenaline. That’s what makes it exciting, right? Considering this absurdity, it is evident that music deems superior in altering emotions, thus giving it the authority to convey a message.
Solely, Taylor Swift’s raw, heartbreaking tale of the deterioration of young love in her greatest song to date, “All too Well,” and the hostile condemnation of a specific significant other in The All-American Rejects’ “Gives You Hell” is enough to make one run from love or punch a hole in the wall for absolutely no reason other than the song just made you. Nevertheless, songs invoke compelling emotions with mind-changing potential. Specifically, Michael Jackson’s “Man in the Mirror” urges self-change to ultimately achieve global change. Utilizing rhetorical devices to appeal to his audience: the world, Jackson alludes to the wind to infer that “going with the flow” represents human instinct, distracting them from the imperfections of the world. Emphasizing poverty and hunger, he questions “Who am I to be blind?” to juxtapose physicality and mentality; he metaphorically admits absent-mindedness by comparing it to the harsh reality of actually being blind. He assumes that this behaviour is disappointing because he tends to dismiss his gift of sight which could be used for change.
Ultimately, Michael Jackson takes a stab at the mass oblivion to significant issues by persuasion. By personifying the wind when he admits that it is “blowing my mind” to depict an alteration in his mind-set while simultaneously pleading to look at the man in the mirror, meaning that in order for a major shift to ignite, one must change themselves first.
