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Song Analysis: All Of Me By John Legend

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A song is more than just words accompanied by a melody with a repeated refrain. Although the audience often views a song as just that, the artist takes various factors into consideration to make their piece stand out. John Legend’s song “All of Me”, that was released in October of 2013 and awarded the Academy Award for Best Original Song in 2015, includes elements of poetry and numerous literary devices to intensify the effects of the song and ultimately provoke the audience to feel the emotions he intended to elicit. The song’s raw tone and vulnerability continue to draw a diverse audience to the artist’s music even after 2013 when the song first hit the charts in the music industry and sparked yet another unsurpassed successful period for …show more content…

Legend creates imagery by the use of his informal diction which conveys a typical mood, tone, and atmosphere for the listener. Additionally, the artist repeatedly uses personification throughout the song to add detail that helps the audience envision the story themselves. He includes phrases such as “smart mouth” and “beautiful mind” to create a clearer image of his interpretation of the situation between him and the one he adores. Furthermore, Legend sings the line “[t]he world is beating you down” as he is assuring the person addressed in the song that even through the difficult times, he will not leave her side. Although the word itself may not literally beat her down, the use of this line dramatizes the effect of all the hardships that she faces and even when they worsen, the artist continues to support …show more content…

He repeats the line “[a]ll your perfect imperfections” to draw attention to the self contradictory statement that provides latent truth. Additionally, the artist sings that “even when I lose I’m winning” which is another paradox that shows his dedication and commitment to the woman addressed in the song. Despite going through losses in his own life, having her by his side creates a feeling of constant triumph for the artist. The use of this literary device often shows contradiction towards traditional ideas that again, arrest more attention towards the line and provoke imminent thought. In order to make the song catchier, more tuneful, and appealing, John Legend enforces the use of a quatrain rhyme scheme. The ABAB rhyme scheme gives the lines a more natural “sing-song” rhythm and makes the melody together with the flow of the words more appealing to the listener. Likewise, the writer implements various hyperboles to emphasize certain lines through the use of exaggeration. Legend repeats the lines “you got my head spinning” and “I’m out of my mind” not to overstate the words themselves, but to direct the listeners attention to the vast effects the woman must have on the

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