Music is Poetry

Presentation Syllabus

 

What?

Back when entertainment consisted of live theater, live music, reading and dances, people also entertained themselves by writing and reading poetry.  Since then, inventions like television, movies and recorded music have contributed to poetry’s diminishing popularity.  Where did poetry go? 

 

The answer is:  music.  Poetry’s appeal has simply shifted from written words to written words, sung to music.  Chanting and telling stories to musical accompaniment is an ancient practice dating back to Greek times and beyond.  What is new is recording. 

 

Recorded music is poetry in its newest form.  What could be more wonderful than spending Fridays (and some Wednesdays) in English class, as spring progresses, listening to all different kinds of music?  Fun Fridays of this nature, in addition to some practice for your Senior Project Presentations are the motivators for this assignment.

 

Your Assignment:

1. Choose a song with lyrics by a band of your choice.  Mrs. Tate encourages everyone to pick a song they really like, as this will make for a better presentation by you and will treat our class to the broadest range of musical genres.  Additionally, different genres of music will encourage us all to embrace all styles of music.  (Lyrics must, of course, be free of profanity and be otherwise appropriate for school). 
2. Complete poetry analysis sheet for the song you choose.   Your selection will be approved based on this sheet, and you will be graded on the depth, sincerity and veracity of your analysis.  (Obviously, songs must meet the standards explained on analysis sheet.  If not, you may not present it.)
3. Present this song to our class as a poem:
• showing the lyrics to us (on overhead or handouts of your creation)
• discussing its meaning
• teaching us about its poetic devices and about the song’s deeper significance (as referenced by all those poetic devices)
• Give us an “assignment” while listening to song;  assignment is a “special something” to listen for – a sound, lyric, chord whatever-- that makes the song especially cool!
• Share the song with us by playing it (on cd).

 

Grading:

Your grade for this presentation will consist of grades for each of the following:

1. Poetry Analysis Sheet
2. Presentation required elements (see #3, above)
3. Your presence/ delivery of presentation, using excellent: eye contact, posture, confidence, voice/ volume

 

Poetry Analysis Sheet:

 

Answer each of the following on separate paper (typed work is great) in one thoughtful, well-developed paragraph.

 

Song Title: ____________ Name of Artist/Band: ______________

 

I.     WHAT does the song say?  That is, the surface meaning, not symbolic meaning.  Tell what happens in the song by telling its story.  Begin with:  “On the surface, this song. . .”

 

 

II.  HOW does the song MEAN?  Here you analyze the song by writing down any and all significant poetic devices contained in the song.  You must also convey what they mean/ that is, how they are used and the poet’s reasoning for using them. 

 

Figurative Language:  (remember Macbeth?)  Simile, metaphor, paradox, hyperbole, allusion, alliteration, assonance, symbolism, personification, imagery . . . to name a few. 

 

Other devices such as: repetition, format, rhyme, change in repeated line, anything else?

 

III. WHAT does the song MEAN? (symbolically?)  Because songs/poems use the devices you talked about above, they often mean more than what they say on the surface.  Tell what the “below-the-surface” meaning or message is.  Start by explaining the title, and go on from there.

 

IV.    ATTACH a copy of the song’s complete lyrics to this analysis sheet when you submit it.  Sheets without lyrics will not be scored.