A Comparison Of Slow Dancing In A Burning Room And Never Give All The Heart

“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.

The first stanza foregrounds the importance of love to the lyrical voice. Throughout the stanzas, the lyrical voice will express his/her particular feelings about something that occurred particularly to him/her. It shows the writing through experience. The poem begins by saying that this lover has no riches and, consequently, couldn’t share them with the lyrical voice “No riches from his scanty store/ My lover could impart”. Notice the alliteration on “scanty store”, which gives a soft feel to the first part of the stanza. Then, the lyrical voice states that this lover gave him/her something that he/she values more “He gave a boon I valued more-”: his heart “He gave me all his heart!”. Notice the great emphasis made on the last line and how the lyrical voice accentuates it by using a final dash and creating a pause at the end of the previous line.

Songs, used to create messages, give singers the ability to speak about concerns that are relevant in the current everyday life. A powerful ways songwriters achieve this is by applying the use of imagery. Lyricists use this help readers of literary works to understand specific ideas that the writer is trying to convey. By using symbolism in songs, singers can discuss issues in ways that connect with the listener on a deeper level. Using this method in songwriting is crucial when discussing important subjects; influencing the public in a way that is not direct and more effective. In “ Don’t You Cry For Me,” songwriter Cobi uses repeated images of trees and individuals hanging as metaphors for his feelings towards facing injustice. It is through

"Never Give All The Heart - Poem by William Butler Yeats." Famous Poets and Poems - Read and Enjoy Poetry. Web. 12 Dec. 2010.

The author persuades people to use their head before just using the words heart or love to give the word its true meaning. Carruth also displays what happens to words when they tend to be misused which is that they usually lose their value over time if they are not of great importance. Through his writing style in the poem, Carruth shows how people freely use the word “heart” and how it affects the meaning of the word. He opens and closes the poem with a question, refers to the heart as 'it' in the first stanza, and shows uncertainty of the importance of the heart in the first stanza as well.

without warning”. Then in the third stanza, where he illuminates the allure of letting go of

Alliteration is a key aspect to how the reader experiences the poem; it especially gives interest toward alliteration of the letter T. This alliteration begins in the very first line “Tell all the Truth but tell it

William Butler Yeats’ “Never Give All The Heart” is about vulnerability, love, and blame. It warns of both the fickleness of women and that if one loves in an overbearing manner it will actually be detrimental. Yeats’ personal inspiration for the poem was likely Maud Gonne, a woman whom he proposed to four times, who rejected him all four times and then proceeded to marry someone else.

The lyrics of songs inspire people to think and do many things. Today, songs expressing the quality of being beautiful and important in society can be found. Songs encouraging love and taking chances within oneself and others are listened to. None the less, there exists songs expressing hatred, anger, sorrow, and feelings of desolation. Lyrics are limitless, they simply express that of the person's internal emotions. Songs can convey a misunderstanding or an unclear interpretation. Much like the lyrics of today, slave songs conveyed a deep and heart-wrenching message, that to many listeners, were never quite understood. Songs are simply an expression of truth. In an environment which otherwise punished truth,

This poem is a bittersweet one, titled ‘Love Is Not All’. As my ‘just right’ poem, the wording more complicated and phrasing interesting. Love isn’t the only important thing in life, but it is still important to the writer. The writer has someone who cares for them, this is told by the writers choice of words. “I might be driven to sell your love for peace” is being cared for but recognising that there are more important things in life to keep you alive. In a later line though, the writer expresses insecurity, “It well maybe. I do not think I would” while talking about someone else’s love. Love cannot fix everything, but it is still craved and important is the moral of this poem. I inferred this by the lines “ Love cannot fill the thickened lung with breath, Nor clean the blood nor set a fractured bone”, being cynical and logical; this line is showing love isn’t that ‘useful’ so to

The ability to portray a narrative through a song helps visualize the meaning of a unique story. Depending on the message the song delineates, can either put a saccharine smile on one’s face or generate a cascade of tears. The impactfulness of a story, especially through a song, provides meaningful lyrics which may relate to a dramatic event in a person’s life. Since the days of Native Americans singing songs and telling oracles, the lyrics a song possesses forms special stories that helps a person with their individual struggles in life. Therefore, people often refer to songs to revitalize an unpleasant day. Notable artists usually achieve significant success when they produce impactful songs that many can relate to. Their awareness

Brandon Griggs, a writer for CNN stated, “You could argue that many of today's mainstream poets are songwriters and rappers, whose lyrics are analyzed for meanings,” (Griggs 1). In recent years, people have been discussing whether or not songs are becoming more artistic and poetic than poetry. Through analysis of the song “Sunburn” by Ed Sheeran and the poem “Unrequited Love” by Joline Gordon, it will be revealed if song lyrics have the same or have even more artistic and poetic abilities and devices. These two works were chosen due to the fact that they share the same overlying theme of loving someone you can not have. The debate over whether which one is more artistic than the other is something that can be discussed because of the similar

The controversy about songs being a form of art has been talked about for ages, even during the middle ages, an unknown poet wrote, “What we now know as poetry, then, began as a song, though the tunes and the music have been lost beyond recall” (Williamson xi). The controversy is being put to the test with the poem, “Don’t quit” and the song “Hall Of Fame”. Both are about the idea of perseverance but have different speakers and audiences. “Hall Of Fame” is about a coach talking to his players saying if you push through the hard times and work that you can achieve your goals. Whereas “Don’t Quit” is a psychologist talking to their client about not letting the challenges that life throws at them for achieving the goals in life.

Poems and songs use figurative language to paint a vivid picture for the reader or listener. Poems and songs, though, are very different from each other. Songs take a poem that is written by the artist and bring it to life thus intriguing listeners more than if they had to read a boring poem. Two poems that are very similar yet very different are the song “All We Have” by Machine Gun Kelly and the poem “Tomorrow Is Not Promised”. Between the song “ All We Have”, and the poem “Tomorrow is not promised”, the song is better developed because it uses more literary devices which translate to a more fluid song that listeners will love which is why song lyrics are a higher art form than poetry.