American Pie Rhetorical Devices

The 1960s and 1970s were times of great change in the United States. These changes were initiated by a handful of extraordinary people whom have created a path for the next generations to finish what they have started. These extraordinary people have made a lasting impact on the United States’ citizens to this day. Martin Luther King and Malcolm X had helped with the rights of African Americans, Rachel Carson who promoted taking care of the environment, and the LGBT organizations that fought for equality.

The 1960's was a decade of tremendous social and political upheaval. In the United States, many movements occurred by groups of people seeking to make positive changes in society.

American Pie” is an impressionistic ballad by Don Mclean which features unique and intriguing lyrics. It has imaginative changes in tempo, vocal delivery and instrumentation, and imparts a wide range of emotions ranging from pure joy, to melancholy and despair. The song takes the listener on an autobiographical journey through the turbulent 1960’s with references to the events that shaped the era. Don Mclean was enshrined in the Songwriters’ Hall of Fame in 2004 for his work on “American Pie” (Don McLean: Songwriters Hall of Fame Inauguration). With its use of formal structure, allusions, and figurative language, the song, “American Pie”, has many poetic qualities.

The song American Pie is a representation of loss during the transition into the 1970s. It was written in 1971 by Don McLean and filled with his views on the state of society, political changes, and cultural changes. The cultural changes and the loss of everything society knew produced the lost generation that McLean was apart of. He demonstrated his disapproval of the direction of the country by using music, faith, and war as examples of the changes and loss his generation faced.

In the earlier half of the 1960s, the Civil Rights movement was blossoming. Led by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. It was based on the concept of non-violence and peaceful protest as exhibited by Gandhi. “We affirm the

The 1960’s The 1960’s were a time of radical change. It was a decade where people began to question authority, and time of confrontation. The decade's radicalism began with the assassination of John F. Kennedy in November of 1963. This event changed the country's idealistic views, and started an upheaval of

During the early 1930’s through the mid 1960’s there were many different approaches African American’s took for achieving social changes, and the Civil rights they deserved. Many great African American leader’s such as Martin Luther King Jr, Malcom X, and James Baldwin contributed towards the betterment of blacks living in America. Aside from individual African American leaders there was also groups that fought for black civil rights such as The Black Power Movement, Black Panthers, and Civil Rights Activist. Other events that transpired during this time period had also effected the civil rights movement in America. For instance: The altercation with Rosa Parks refusing to give up her seat on a bus to a white male ultimately led to The Montgomery Bus boycott protest,

The civil rights movement of the sixties is one of the most controversial times of the last century. Many, if not all, who lived through that time, and the generations following were enormously impacted. At the time passions ran so high that violence at peaceful

The Civil Rights movement of the 60’s had strings attached in every aspect of life, from Martin Luther King Jr. who was a reverend who reached from the teachings of Mahatma Gandhi; to Roy Wilkins, former leader of the NAACP and political activist: to Rosa Parks, who just wanted to sit on the bus undisturbed and equally; to Jackie Robinson, who was the first African American to play in major league (white) baseball, consequently breaking barriers and opening opportunity for those who came after him. To suggest that any of the men and women amongst those who marched and spoke with leaders such as the icons listed were not considered instrumental in the Civil Rights movement throughout the 60’s in the U.S. is ludacris.

In the song American Pie, by Don McLean, produced in 1971, McLean uses this song to commemorate the death of singer Buddy Holly but he is able to also describe what he thinks is one of the most influential periods of American history; 1959-1970. The speaker in the song is Don because he’s telling what has happened since the death of Buddy holly and how much has influenced a change in society. In the song “bye bye mrs American pie” there to represent the innocence of American that Holly took when he died. I chose this song because it was one of my father’s favorite songs. And since the main idea of the song is about death, after my father died I felt a connection with the song. American pie relates to an old saying "as American as apple pie".

Kennedy and Martin Luther King had a lot to do with the changing society during the times because both of them were very influential people. Even though Kennedy got assasinanted before Martin Luther King he didn't get the chance to do everything he planned to do. After Kennedy died a lot of his plans were still carried out. Martin Luther King on the other hand was fighting for our equal rights and many other things before he go

Sadly he was assassinated at the young age of 39, in Memphis, Tennessee. Another notable civil rights activist was Malcolm X. His thoughts on how protesting should be done were much more radical than King’s and were often violent. Through this movement, the sixties saw the de-segregation of schools as well. To put it simply, the sixties were monumental in how our society remains today. The United States today serves as the most diverse country in the world, all due to the help of the Civil rights movement of the sixties.

‘American Pie’ was written in 1971 and topped the music charts in 1972. Don Mclean wrote it partly as a biography and partly as the story of the evolving America through the 1950’s, 1960’s, and 1970’s. Don Mclean wrote the song to tell a story about his generation and how it had and continued to change since he was younger. It took Mclean over ten years of work and with the combination of many ideas American Pie was born. In American Pie by Don Mclean, he shows America’s lost innocence in the song after the 1950’s through symbolism, allusion, and denotation.

American Pie With every aspect of our lives we are making a point, arguing a belief, or refuting some other aspect of our existence. Aesthetic pieces, most avidly poems and songs, argue a message both in the lyrics and in the meaning posed between the lines. “American Pie,” in a multitude of ways, argues that American lives and memories are closely intertwined with the music of the time period. Not only does “American Pie” argue a message it also pulls many generations together. Today, thirty years after the initial release, “American Pie” still has an effect in our music and continues to be popular with all age groups. Don McLean accomplishes this task through using the context of the time period, placement of words, the words

Television, a telecommunication medium some may not survive without. Today’s generation may refer to television as a technological norm; delusional of a world where television was non-existent. Notably, television unites the nation through local or world events, politics, education, and entertainment. Philo Farnsworth, “Father of Television,” invented the television; the electronic transmission of fixed or mobile images. Furthermore, Farnsworth’s invention influenced a new form of media. Young Farnsworth’s scientific, technological imagination as well as, competitive battle with a major-league corporation, RCA, enticed the growth of one of the most popular media mediums; television.