Like Toy Soldiers Literary Devices

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“There isn’t a more dangerous menace to civilization than a government of incompetent, corrupt, or vile men” (Ludwig von Mises). The government have previously publicized to the world their apathy towards the carnage of innocent people. Is civilization truly stable when the higher authority running the world are full of corruption and greed? Eminem or Marshall Mathers, a popular rap artist, believes that the citizens of America should fear the American government. He enunciates his emotions and opinions concerning civilization and the government lyrically through his rap songs. Mosh and Like Toy Soldiers, both songs by Eminem, have many powerful literary devices that aid his opinion concerning corruption, but Like Toy Soldiers’ usage of literary…show more content…
The song Mosh was created by Eminem to apprise the public about the threat this corrupt government poses against civilization. He uses the song as a protest and to advise the public that he will rebel and be their leader on this mission against corruption. He states, “Put your faith and your trust as I guide you through the fog, to the light at the end of the tunnel.” His usage of metaphors in this line is very astonishing; he compares fog to the confusion caused by the government and compares the light at the end of the tunnel as the hope that he can provide. Controversially, he also parallels the President to a terrorist, “This coward that we have empowered. This is Bin Laden, look at his head noddin’.” Although the metaphor is not explicit, one is required to infer in order to understand the disguised metaphors he uses. Bin Laden is the leader of Al Qaeda, a terrorist group that caused 9/11: the terrorist attack on the American World Trade Centre. Comparing him to this terrorist is very ironic because they oppose each other. However, this may…show more content…
His usage of this song is to equate his career to a toy soldier; even if he wins the battle, he will never win the war. He states, “We all fall down like toy soldiers.” This metaphor compares everyone, specifically himself, to fallen toy soldiers. In war, the government uses its citizens to fight it’s wars; even if they win the war, the soldiers return with the memories of lost ones. In the music industry, producers make money off songs, and conflicts between artists is considered advertisement. However, the artists still have to deal with the reality of the conflict, which could result in harm. This is why he parallels himself to a fallen toy soldier: a puppet in this industry. “Their loyalty to us is worth more than any award is.” He compares the loyalty of these soldiers to any award, and says it their loyalty is worth more. Since he has experienced a death of a friend, he now understands how these soldiers feel; he won the war but still lost a friend. He uses different rhymes to aid the listeners into understanding; he states, “I’m supposed to be the soldier who never blows his composure. Even though I hold the weight of the whole world on my shoulders.” This rhyme says that the responsibility of a soldier is equivalent to the weight of the world. In the song he also declares, “That was never my object for someone to get killed. Why
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