A CRITICAL METAPHORICAL ANALYSIS OF VERBAL VIOLENCE IN SELECTED TIV POLITICAL CAMPAIGN SONGS

Abstract

Instrumental to political campaigns and vote canvassing are songs, particularly composed as a medium for expressing conflict, rallying support, and shaping public opinion. Within the domain of political discourse, whether linguistic or non-linguistic, metaphors and verbal abuse are often prevalent, serving as tools to persuade, incite, or denounce. This linguistic study, therefore, is a critical metaphorical analysis of Tiv political songs (TPS), with the aim of examining the intricate relationship between metaphors, verbal abuse, and political songs; and establishing their historical context, linguistic strategies, and social impact. Through an inclusive analysis, using Charteris-Black's Critical Metaphor Analysis as the framework, and a qualitative design, this paper reveals the nuanced subtleties of metaphors and verbal abuse in TPS, their implications for democracy, and avenues for future research. Songs are purposively selected from two prominent artists and analysed based on their thematic preoccupations, metaphorical inclinations, and obnoxious predispositions. Active metaphors artists use to incite conflict, eulogise and garner support are identified. The study concludes that as a traditional component of culture, artists utilise metaphorical language and poetic licence within the genre to propagate verbal violence.