Poetry Project: Song
and Poem
For many, the idea of appreciating poetry is a daunting one. Many feel
that poetry is not accessible or doesn’t speak to our everyday
experiences, but it’s important to remember that we engage with poetry
whenever we enjoy the lyrics of our favorite songs, too. In an effort to
recognize this connection and similarity, select a poem from either poets.org or www.poetryfoundation.org and compare it to the song lyrics of your
choice.
Please submit:
1.) A 3-5 page essay that makes a
point about how the two pieces are comparable in a significant way. You should
demonstrate your insights: the poem and song’s similarities/differences in
theme, style, subject matter, attitude or a combination as it relates to your
point. Identify specific uses of poetic techniques like alliteration,
ambiguity, rhyme, meter, metaphor, etc. Importantly, though the writing is
short, your interpretation of the poem and song should be clear and
explicit.
2.) 1 copy of the poem, its title and the poet’s name. The poem should
be copied and pasted exactly as it appears on the website. (It does not
need to be one of the poems we have studied but it may be, and if not, it must
be found on either poets.org or poetryfoundation.org. Poems found in places
like Poetry Hunter or Instagram are not acceptable.)
3.) 1 copy of the song’s title, lyrics and songwriter’s name. The lyrics
should be typed out exactly as they appear on the website or liner notes, if
available.
Getting there
There are a couple of approaches to this
project that might be helpful.
· Consider
the music first. Examine a song’s lyrics seriously to see if they indeed have
any depth. Is there anything there which has any more depth than what you
interpret upon a first read? Was it the melody, perhaps, which has most of the
song’s weight? Madonna’s “Take a Bow,” for instance, has surprising depth to
it, compared to, say, “Express Yourself” Usually, a song which is suitable for
this project will make some use of symbolism.
All
the world is a stage
And everyone has their part
This passage from “Take
a Bow” plays on the idea of human behavior resembling theatrical performance.
Whereas there’s not much to say about the selection from
“Express Yourself”:
Express what you’ve got
Baby, ready or not
· Another approach
might be to browse the poems on these websites. See if you’re struck by
the similarity they have to a song you’re
familiar with.
example how assignment should look
Song and Poem Sample Outline
Thesis: The poem “Getting Through” by Deborah Pope and
“Every Breath You Take” written by Sting (performed by The Police) both explore
the idea of unrequited love. While Pope’s piece presents a person who can not
let go to the past, Sting’s lyrics suggest the darker tone of an embittered
stalker.
1. While
both pieces are told from a first-person point of view, the speaker of “Getting Through” is more sympathetic than that
of “Every Breath You Take.”
2. Pope uses a one sentence series of similes to
convey her situation and its
implied sadness and beauty,
while Sting relies heavily on rhyme and repetition to reveal the
mindset of his speaker.
3. Despite the similarity in narrative point of
view and theme, the tone of the poem is one of sadness and misguided tenacity while
the song suggests an angrier tone.
Concluding idea: While both poems are about unrequited love, the
speaker in Deborah Pope’s poem is self-deprecating but unmoved in her
attachment to a past lover while Sting provides us with little evidence that
his speaker’s love was ever returned and presents itself more like possession
than affection.
Here’s the link to “Every Breath You Take” in
case you don’t know the song: https://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/police/everybreathyoutake.html
Here’s a link to the poem: http://www.napavalley.edu/people/LYanover/Documents/English%20123%20Deborah%20Pope%27s%20Getting%20Through.pdf.
I Can Only Imagine
Song by MercyMe
Lyrics
I can only imagine
What it will be like
When I walk by Your side
I can only imagine
What my eyes would see
When Your face is before me
I can only imagine
Yeah
Surrounded by Your glory
What will my heart feel?
Will I dance for You Jesus
Or in awe of You be still?
Will I stand in Your presence
Or to my knees, will I fall?
Will I sing hallelujah?
Will I be able to speak at all?
I can only imagine
I can only imagine
I can only imagine
When that day comes
And I find myself
Standing in the Son
I can only imagine
When all I will do
Is forever, forever worship You
I can only imagine, yeah
I can only imagine
Surrounded by Your glory
What will my heart feel?
Will I dance for you Jesus
Or in awe of You be still?
Will I stand in your presence
Or to my knees will I fall?
Will I sing hallelujah?
Will I be able to speak at all?
I can only imagine, yeah
I can only imagine
Surrounded by Your glory
What will my heart feel?
Will I dance for you Jesus
Or in awe of You be still?
Will I stand in your presence
Or to my knees, will I fall?
Will I sing hallelujah?
Will I be able to speak at all?
I can only imagine, yeah
I can only imagine
I can only imagine, yeah-yeah
I can only imagine
I can only imagine
I can only imagine
I can only imagine
When all I will do
Is forever, forever worship You
I can only imagine
The Jesus Fridge
Jeffrey McDaniel
Your fridge died last week. The light
still came on when you opened the door,
like a doll sticking out her yellow tongue,
but the jar of pickle spears, the oat milk
in its blue cardboard house, the yogurt
were warm as an average day in Santa Monica.
A couple hundred dollars of provisions
down the figurative drain. A new fridge,
a vertical morgue with shelves, was ordered
and set to be delivered from the truck’s womb,
when wait—the dead fridge came back to life.
The Jesus Fridge. The dead food healthy again.
This phrase was funny to you last week.
The collision of the mundane and mechanical
with the long-haired and sanctimonious.
But it’s not funny today. The world has changed.
This is a George Floyd moment for both Israelis
and Palestinians. Actually scratch that.
It’s a George Floyd moment for both Americans
who sympathize with Israel and Americans
who sympathize with Palestinians. It’s a holy fuck
moment for anyone who cares about human life.
Upstairs the bathtub is filling with blood.
How big would the swimming pool have to be
to hold all the red salty stuff spilled the last week?
Who will recline in the fresh blood bath?
What swimmers will adjust their goggles
and freestyle the miles of blood?
