Good morning and welcome to the number 1 radio show, The Beat Goes On, I am your host, Caleb Argent, and today we will be going on a journey of reflection as we analysis the power words have in evoking human emotion through poems and modern songs alike. Poetry has been motivating, inspiring and inviting people to reflect on themselves for centuries. It has made people look back on the errors of their ways and come to terms with their mistakes. Poetry has the power to do all this because of the way the words within are written. Poets in the Romantic age (1800-1850) were very avant-garde minded and due to this, most of the utmost controversial and well known poets come from this age. As a result of this we here at The Beat Goes on have decided that our journey of reflection will began at the peak of poems in the romantic era with a famous poet named William Wordsworth and his poem “The World Is To Much With Us” and end in the 21st century with a famous song called "Gone" by Jack Johnson. In William Wordsworth’s poem “The World Is To Much With Us” the theme shows us that humanity has lost its way or is losing its way. Over time this idea of “Humanity losing its way” has brought about many controversial opinions and arguments between people who agree with the statement and people who disagree. This theme has changed a lot over the ages due to the different levels of technical advances at the time. In William Wordsworth’s poem he mainly focuses on the way society no longer
“There are a number of different lyrics used in songs that have been derived from poetry” (Kumar). Poetry is an older form of art and song lyrics have evolved from the art. However, it is a great debacle over which one can be considered the higher art form. The underlying question is if song lyrics have evolved past poetry, or has poetry remained artistic and intellectual. Despite bearing some superficial similarities, the differences between “To a Daughter Leaving Home” and “Never Grow Up” in imagery, message, and point of view are prevalent causing poetry to be considered a higher form of art.
In the realm of music, words and melodies work together in order to form a complete idea of an artist’s work. However, by abandoning the melodies and reading closely into the lyrics of a song, readers are able to draw meaning and make observations from the text that could be overshadowed by its melodies. A fine example of a song where this method is applicable is Paul Simon’s “Graceland.” Examining the lyrics reveals the story of a man making a pilgrimage to Elvis Presley’s Graceland estate in Memphis, Tennessee in the same way a religious person would journey to a holy site. Through usage of imagery, tone, and metaphorical devices throughout allow this song to function as a comically surreal poem.
Poems like these are still written in today’s society but are expressed through different mediums than the poetry of old. While this song was originally released in 1928, it didn’t gain popularity until 1939. In today’s society, poems are found more often in music than in a book, although those are common too. Song’s in today’s society often rhyme or tell a story and can be analyzed just as poetry
Music is a universal way in which people connect, and it does this through its use of literary devices to make the songs meaningful while still appealing. The song, “Wait and See,” uses literary devices like similes and metaphors to contribute to the theme of society’s mistakes and their impacts on the
As a growing number of teens use technology on a daily basis, teenagers are reading less poetry. Accordingly, they are listening to more and more music. Numerous examples of poetic merit can be found in music at their fingertips. Thus, it is safe to argue that song lyrics are today’s main form of poetry. “Rocky Mountain High” by John Denver and Mike Taylor is an excellent example of this, for it includes figurative language, imagery, and a thematic statement. All of which are elements of poetic merit.
This is a critical analysis of two poems – The world is too much with us by William Wordsworth, and The Unknown Citizen by W.H. Auden focusing on how the two poems highlight the mundane drudgery of life. It is a drudgery, and one that people do not even recognize because they are consumed in leading materialistic ways of life, conforming to the state and the society or both.
Music has been a long standing form of expression for hundreds of years. More recently however, it has become a way for artists to make social commentaries on the society they live in. During the 1970s, Punk bands and Ska bands emerged in England and rose to become a major source of social commentary through their upbeat music. Specifically looking at music from The Stranglers, The Specials, and The Clash, it is clear that lyrics clouded with anger and passion can be best communicated through upbeat sounds and melodies. Each of these groups communicates a need for radical change in society; but each one goes about this in a different way. Through the songs, “I feel like a Wog,” by The Stranglers, “A Message to you Rudy,” by The Specials, and “White Riot,” by The Clash, these bands point out that there is a common enemy in Society. They are forcing the mainstream to realize unpleasant truths about the culture that they inhabit. The future of England was unknown, and these songs were written during a time where people were worried about their place in the world. Faith in the system was dying and these bands gave way to a future generation to improve upon society that will present a more positive and equal multicultural Britain. Through the music it is clear that multicultural Britain was complicated; there were tumultuous times that these bands were commenting on, which pitted races against each other but also brought them together in fighting back against suppressive societal
In William Wordsworth's sonnet "The World Is Too Much with Us" the speaker conveys his frustration about the state in which he sees the world. Throughout the poem the speaker emphatically states his dissatisfaction with how out of touch the world has become with nature. Typical of Italian sonnets, the first eight lines of the poem establish the problems the speaker is experiencing such discontent about. Subsequently, the next line reveals a change in tone where the speaker angrily responds to the cynicism and decadence of society. Finally, the speaker offers an impossible solution to the troubles he has identified. Through each line, the tone elevates from dissatisfaction to anger in an effort to make the reader sense the significance of
According to Wordsworth’s speaker, the English people have forgotten all the things that used to make them so glorious, and he wants John Milton to return so he can inspire greatness and creativity once more. On the other hand, in the poem “Douglass,” the speaker deplores the idea that peaceful protests no longer exist and that violent outbreaks
Addressing one of the world’s worst problems, the poem “The World Is Too Much With Us” tells a great warning. Even being written in 1802, William Wordsworth’s poem still applies to our day and age because of repeating trends. However dark or gloomy the poem got, Wordsworth showed there is light in the end of the tunnel if we heed his warning and do something about it. Seeking to change the norm of our tenancy to be selfish, the poet dared to say the world was out of tune with nature and life itself. The people of the world need to recognize that nature is yelling out to us for something greater than just average everyday living. Warning us to help nature, not trash it or our lives, Wordsworth continues tells
It is said that everyone marches to the beat of a drum; it starts as a mere noise in the background but before you know it you are lost in the passionate lyrics of your favorite love song or the empty resonating chords of a depressing ode. I have been listening to music for as long as I can remember but it was not until two years ago when I developed a certain fascination for a particular genre that made me realize that what makes a song amazing is its lyrics and melody. Those two components of any “song” have the ability to convey feelings to a listener and persuade them into feeling the same way as an artist. It made me realize how influential the language used in lyrics is on the target audience. On a broader spectrum I thought of the extents
One of the most powerful and efficient feelings in the world is empathy. With it, humans have the ability to love, care, and communicate. Each author, poet, and artist enlightens and shares with their readers a piece of knowledge that allows them to reflect on their lives in a way similar to how the former once did. Their words are a guidance when the lost are in the shadows, an inspiration when their minds overflowed with ideas, and the confidante when they're in need of a friend. Using their humanizing quotations, I was able to seek in myself answers I wouldn't have discovered without a nudge from each source's experience. In parallel moments, there were feelings of captivity, perplexity, and instability; and with a lack of progression, there was no room to think or grow.
Songs on the radio generally have no deep or thought-provoking meaning to them, but when they deeply relate to society today, it gets interesting. Average songs display lyrics with themes of love and relationships, but “Chained to the Rhythm” by Katy Perry gets political in its hidden meaning. A theme is defined as the main idea of literary work, and in “Chained to the Rhythm” exhibits various interpretations but a certain theme emerges above others. Perry’s lyrics talk about how society functions today and how members intentionally avoid the real problems that are happening in our nation. “Chained to the Rhythm” written by Katy Perry presents the theme of people choose whether to avoid seeing the real problems that need to be solved in the
Jonas Erik Altbergg better known by his recording pseudonym “Basshunter” is a Swedish Singer-DJ-Songwriter. His hit song Now You’re Gone received international renown and popularity, reaching number one on UK music charts. In this song Basshunter is reminiscently speaking to a lost lover, and it follows the tale of his regrets over this lost love. The themes of love and regret that are espoused in the song are so applicable to common life that the song has become highly successful. This essay will be focusing on Basshunter’s use of poetic techniques to illustrate and highlight these themes.
Many poets and artist usually write with a purpose and to bring to light certain issues. A major theme of many poets and singers throughout the years has been politics or how things are at a given time due to the polices in place or governmental structure. By doing this the authors and composers are able to express to others their feelings and make issues more known. The poet William Blake and punk rock artists The Sex Pistols both try to bring awareness and express the similar feeling of their class in society being abandoned by their government in the year they were writing their works. The poem “London” by William Blake is about the chaos and helpless situation going on in London during the french revolution in the 1790s. While “God