ANALYSIS OF SONG LYRICS AS POETRY
Song lyrics, as well as poems, should use words to move the listener to an emotional response, or open up new ways to view the world. First, consider your song and all the following techniques used by the writer. How does the lyricist use these methods to create the experience?
On a separate piece of paper, please include the name of the song, the name of the artist, the lyrics to the song and your responses to all of the following questions.
- What is the song about? What is the situation, story or subject matter?
- What is the theme? Theme is the subject as well as the message the lyrics convey about the subject. An example would be a song about love (subject) with a theme that love is painful and destructive.
- To understand how the writer communicates the theme, find examples of the following and explain each:
- Symbolism
- Figurative language (imagery, simile, metaphor, personification)
- Poetic devices (hyperbole, antithesis)
- Sound devices (rhythm, rhyme, alliteration, onomatopoeia)
- Next, look at the structure. Do the lyrics have any divisions? Do they follow a pattern of organization? Is the organization part of its meaning? Why do you think the author chose this structure?
- Discuss the overall impact of the lyrics. What thoughts or emotions does the song express? What is powerful about the song which makes you as the listener appreciate it? Why do you think that this song, above others, has an effect on you?