Rhetorical Analysis of Choice: "Ohio" written by Neil Young

Tin soldiers and Nixon coming,
We're finally on our own.
This summer I hear the drumming,
Four dead in Ohio.

Gotta get down to it
Soldiers are cutting us down
Should have been done long ago.
What if you knew her
And found her dead on the ground
How can you run when you know?

Gotta get down to it
Soldiers are cutting us down
Should have been done long ago.
What if you knew her
And found her dead on the ground
How can you run when you know?

Tin soldiers and Nixon coming,
We're finally on our own.
This summer I hear the drumming,
Four dead in Ohio.

Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young's biting "Ohio" penned by Neil Young represented the outcry of American youth in response to unjust war and corrupt politics. Young wrote this caustic hit immediately after hearing the news of the Kent State massacre in 1970, in which the National Guard opened fire on young Vietnam War protestors, killing four students, none of whom were involved in the demonstration. In his song "Ohio," Young effectively portrays the frustrations and disappointment of counter-culture Americans in their government through his use of imagery, repetition, and defiant diction. 

Young doesn't hesitate to put images into the heads of his listeners by using metaphoric, descriptive language. He describes the National Guard as "tin soldiers," belittling the armed forces in suggesting they are slaves to their orders just as toy soldiers are insentient possessions. When Young states, "This summer I hear the drumming," the listener recalls old-fashioned warfare terminology, such as Civil War era drummers, who tap out commands. In his allusive phrasing, Young indicates that young Americans such as himself feel under attack of their own senseless government, abusing its power in order to toy with its people. 

Unlike many of his songs, Young repeats his one verse and chorus without any variation of the words. The signature line of the song, "Four dead in Ohio," is the obvious example of Young's use of repetition. By rehashing this phrase at the end of the chorus, and through the end of the song, Young shows that this tragedy is something he won't forget, and something he believes others should not forget. By replicating his verse and chorus, Young reinforces the paranoia felt by American youth in regards to authority, especially the government waging a war they oppose. 

Neil Young's recalcitrant diction is something which not only defines him as a songwriter but also the tone of "Ohio." Blunt in his word choice, Young contrasts the insincerity he feels the American government embodies. Using personal pronouns, he makes it clear that this is an issue of "us versus them." "We're finally on our own," he writes, expressing solidarity for the students of Kent State and all those who feel targeted or neglected by the government. Young confrontationally addresses a second audience of "Ohio" when he asks, "What if you knew her and found her dead on the ground?" By including a rhetorical question, Young is not glossing over anything and demands a moral reaction. 
In this cutting song, Young is able to reinforce his feelings of anger and distrust through his rhetorical choices. While his explicit language directly addresses the listener, his use of metaphorical images repeatedly provides underlying messages and tones. Young's rhetoric effectively reflects the resentment and disillusionment of the counter-culture movement in this context.