Redux-Poetry In Your Music?
Please Quote One Of Your Favorite Song Lines Or Lyrics And Explain How It Exhibits At Least One Poetry Term? Make sure that your quoted lyrics are appropriate. Please italicize the song lyrics, include the song title/artist(s), and qualify or establish the connection between the poetry term and the lyrics. (Due Wednesday 2-03-2010 By 3:30p.m.)
posted by Greg T at Tuesday, February 02, 2010
21 Comments:
"There's a glow off the pavement, you walk me to the car..." -Taylor Swift. This line demonstrates the poetry term of imagery. It gives the clear picture of what the artist is seeing. You can see the glow from the lights on the pavement. It gives the reader/listener a clearer picture of the situation. She is showing the listener what she is going through by setting up the background. Most poets do the same thing. They use a lot of imagery to really show the reader what they are talking about. They show what they are going through by letting the reader see what they are seeing. Songwriters use imagery because you are only hearing the words, not seeing a picture. They have to help the listener create the picture.
And like a little girl cries in the face of a monster that lives in her dreams
Is there anyone out there cause it's getting harder and harder to breath." These lines exhibits imagery and slant rhythm. The lines are vivid in how they describe what the little girl is seeing and doing. The listener gets a picture in their head of this little girl and the monster. Also the listener can feel that it’s hard to breath because of the emotion in the line before it. If the line before the “breath line” was not there it would have not made that line as powerful as it is. It also exhibits slant rhythm. at the end of the first line is "dream" and at the end of the second line it says "breath." So the lines almost rhythm all the way.
"I've never seen a smile that can light the room like yours (like yours)
It's simply radiant, I feel more with everyday that goes by
I watch the clock to make my timing just right"
A day to remember: You had me at hello.
The song is a guy relating a girls smile to a light, filling the whole room.
"So I paint my eyes a light green.
The silver beams,
Are twirling and swirling ,
Throughout your dreams,
Like air traffic streams"-Air Traffic by Owl City.
This line from the song demonstrates the poetic term, imagery. Imagery is defined as using one of the five senses which he does. Painting the eyes a light green gives the listener the image of what his emotions are through his eye color. Like most poets, he is giving the image of his emotions and feelings through an object because you can't see what they are feeling. It is a painted image for a reader or listener.
dancing in the moonlight
everybodys feeling warm and bright
its such a fine and natural sight
everybodys dancing in the moonlight
~Toploader
This part of the song shows the poetic term, imagery. Imagery is using one out of five senses. In these lines you can imagine how people are feeling, which is warm and bright...meaning happy. Since they all are in a good mood they all feel like dancing.
Changes, by 2Pac, does a great job of using imagery to better express ideas to the listener. He talks about a lot of serious issues and does a great job describing them, but some of them are a bit vulgar so I will give examples instead of directly quoting the songs. 2Pac talks about how children are using crack-cocaine at a young age and he describes their fall from a life with potential to a life of standing in Welfare lines and living on the street. He also hits on the sight sense when he says “I see no changes all I see is racist faces, misplaced hate makes disgrace to races.” 2Pac is facing a lot of adversity from the white police force and DEA, so he describes himself as looking around an all he can see is racist faces. I honestly can’t think of anything more poetic that Changes.
"Toupee or Not toupee, that is the question
It refused to stay as it all turned gray
A William Shakespeare's receding hair
Please excuse the pun it's hair today, gone tomorrow
So be thankful for what precious locks you have" -Ruga From Me To You by Owl City
These lines exhibit a little bit of exact rhyme and it even includes an Allusion. The entire song has rhyme but at the part of the song where it goes "It refused to stay as it all turned gray" is a huge example of the exact rhyming in this song. Also, many times throughout the song, a commical "toupee or not toupee" is thrown in the mix. This line ir referring to Willaim Shakespears "to be or not to be" quote. Just gives it a commical aspect considering this song is not the most serious of all songs.
I went on with my life, college and my career
Ended up locked up like an animal for a year
Where the C.O.'s talk to you like they were the overseer
Then I got sent to the hole, when my exit was near
At night in my cell, I'd close my eyes and I'd see her
Hold her close in my dreams, but when I woke she disappeared
By Immortal Technique - You never know
In this verse, there are metaphors and similies. Similies include, "Ended up locked up like an animal for a year
Where the C.O.'s talk to you like they were the overseer". The metaphor in this verse was "Then I got sent to the hole, when my exit was near." I feel like the verse shows much symbolizism as do most poems.
“I’ll be missing you”, by Puff Daddy and Faith Evans.
Yeah... this right here (tell me why)
Goes out, to everyone, that has lost someone
That they truly loved (c'mon, check it out)
Seems like yesterday we used to rock the show
I laced the track you locked the flow
So far from hanging on the block of dough
Notorious, they got to know that!
Life ain't always what it seems to be
Words can't express what you mean to me
Even though you're gone
We still a team
Through your family I'll fulfill your dreams…
This song describes the friendship between the Notorious B.I.G and Puff Daddy. Puff Daddy is sharing his feelings and about there friendship. He talks about how they will reunite in the future but until then Puff will be missing him.
Jordan Lawler
"I swim, but I wish I never learned,
the water's too polluted with germs."
I enjoy this line from Sublimes song "Badfish" not because it is profound or deep but because it has what few modern songs do these days: humor. There is comic relief in every form of entertainment, with all these songs about anger and sadness, wouldn't that be well welcomed?
This line shows a very simple yet the most simple poetry tool, which is simple rhyme.
“Well I think about all the other ways I could've played
All the other simple moves I could've made
All the other cards that I could've dealt
All the books I didn't read upon my shelf
All the other ways I could've sung my songs
I've realized that none of it wen't wrong
It was all play
How could it be any other way?”
This song “Other Ways” by Trevor Hall is one of my favorites because it talks about how you can do something another way but be happy with the way it happened. It shows me to understand that things happen sometimes one way but there is no other way we could have made that happen.
These lyrics show the poetry term of rhyme, he rhymes with played and made, sung my songs and none of it wen’t wrong, it was all play and how could it be any other way.
"This is my temporary Home
It's not where I belong
Windows and rooms that I'm passin' through
This was just a stop,on the way To where I'm going
I'm not afraid because I know this was
My temporary home."
-Carrie Underwood
This song "Temporary Home" by Carrie Underwood is one of my favorites because it is explaining that even though there are many hard times in life we don't think we can get through, it's just a stop in life and we still have so far to go. I think the song has alot of sensing because many people feel like they walk through life and dont know what to do or where to go but they just have to remember they aren't here forever so might as well live life to the fullest or at least try because it is well worth it.
"If you are what you say you are, a superstar, then have no fear, the camera's here and the microphone…” These lyrics by Lupe Fiasco implement repetition because this chorus repeats itself multiple times throughout the song. It was uses rhymes such as “are” and “star”, and “fear” and “here”. Creative! Lupe also uses imagery in this quote because it talks about how being a superstar entitles privileges such as flashing lights from cameras. This allows the listener to create an image of how Lupe may feel when performing.
"You always played with passion
No matter what the game
When you took the stage
You'd shine just like the sun." and also "Now the oak trees are swaying
In the early autumn breeze
A golden sun is shining on my face
Through tangled thoughts
I hear a mockingbird sing
This old world really ain't that
Bad of a place." Both of these lyrics are from the song "Why" by Rascal Flatts. These lyrics show examples of similes and imagery. It very well depicts the image seen through the eyes of the author of the world. While you listen to it you can see what the artist is talking about. There is also some ryhmeing but it does not stand out very well.
"And you're kept in an open cage
So you're free to leave or stay
And sometimes you get confused.
Like there is a hint that I'm trying to give you. It's hard to see your way out. When you live in a house in a house. 'Cause you don't realize
That the windows were open the whole time." (Talking Bird by Death Cab for Cutie) This lyric comes from a song that tells the story of a bird who is trapped in a cage as well as a house. Through time the bird has become more and more rugged. The creature is confused on whether life outside the cage is better the the one inside the house.
This song uses two poetic utilities, irony and symbolism. The irony is that the bird is unsure of the life outside the house is better then his current one. Mostly he is unsure if he could even make it out. In the end of the song it is revealed that the window was open the whole time and he could have escaped with ease. Finally, the song uses symbolism. The bird represents a woman in a relationship. She feels trapped and isn't sure if she wants to keep it or if she wants a divorce.
"She can't see the way your eyes will light up when you smile
She never noticed how you stop and stare whenever she walks by
And you can't see me wanting you the way you want her
But you are everything to me"-Taylor Swift
This song lyric really displays some great poetry because it kinda rhymes.
"And though it’s red blood bleeding from her now
It feels like cold blue ice in her heart..."-Grey Street/Dave Matthews Band. This song is one of my all time favorites by my all time favorite band. The lyrics actually relate to important things in life and in this particular song, the lyrics I chose hold a simile within. I don't quite understand what this line is explaining, but I can infer that the lyrics portray a woman that either has a broken heart or has a problem with seeing the world how she wants to see it. Overall, this line from the song, Grey Street, is a perfect example of a simile.
"We were young and we lived it up
But those nights never lasted long enough
Looking back we were so naive
What happened to the days when we shared our dreams?
Guess we made it this far
Guess we're doing alright
Looks like we made it out alive
Yeah we made our mistakes
But we followed our hearts
Even though we drift apart
For always, forever
The secondhand kiss of a summer night
For always, forever"
Every Avenue: For always, Forever.
This song has a great amount of significance because it really shows how time can't be wasted. The main theme is to make the best of what you've got. Don't gloom on the bad, or the mistakes that you've made, life can always get better.
"you get the best of both worlds, Chillin' out, take it slow. then you'll rock out the show" -- "Best of Both Worlds" Hannah Montana
This quote from the song "Best of Both Worlds" uses Jargon of the younger generation in the chorus. the word "Chillin'" is short for "just chilling" which to the younger generation can range from a relaxed state of being to spending some quality time with your friends.
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Dream On - Aerosmith
"Every time that I look in the mirror
All these lines on my face getting clearer
The past is gone
It went by, like dusk to dawn
Isn't that the way
Everybody's got their dues in life to pay"
This stanza from Dream On demonstrates the use of imagery and end rhyme. The rhyme is based on syllables and on the sound of the word. Later in the song it becomes almost slant ryhme. It also produces some great imagery based on the image he gives himself when looking in the mirror. He's looking back on hs life and doesn't like waht he sees and that becomes very clear.
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