Analysis of Three Poems - Essay Example

Analyzing Poems Introduction The three poems, Sounds of Silence, Blowing in the Wind, and Don’t Need This Body, by Simon and Garfunkel, Bob Dylan, and John Mellencamp respectively, have one unifying strand as regards their thematic content. They are all concerned with the frailties of human nature. The first two poems are largely focussed by the weaknesses and fallibilities of the human character. The third poem, on the other hand, reads like a graphic reminder of the shortness of human existence and the inevitability of death or demise. In sum, the poems sound like reminders for human beings to adjust their actions, perspectives and livelihoods in order for them to live in ways that are sensitive to some of the issues that lie hidden away from unperceiving eye, and which cause much of human suffering that is witnessed in the modern world. The Sound of Silence Garfunkel’s poem, “The Sound of Silence,” illustrates a moment of awakening for the speaker. In the first line, he refers to darkness as an “old friend,” (Garfunkel 1). The hidden meaning is that the speaker has lived with or in this darkness for a long time. Symbolically, this darkness represents ignorance and a general loss of direction and common sense. In a broad sense, this poem invites the readers to examine their own live in order to redeem themselves from systems of darkness, which systematically prevent them from the pleasures and joy of reality. In lines 12 and 13, the speaker talks of , “When my eyes were stabbed by the flash of a neon light/ That split the night,” (Garfunkel 12, 13). This moment appears to be the supreme moment of awakening. Symbolically, the darkness could imply the common misconceptions, prejudices, dogma, indoctrination and other kinds of information that cannot stand the test of credibility. Such systems have the effect of blinding humanity from the real truths. They are also the causes of suffering, conflicts, and other ills, which afflict societies. This poem is a mockery to the modern discourse of communication and human existence, which have eroded the natural sense of humanity. The poem relies significantly on figurative language to make meaning out of the many issues of general human interest. The poet directs the readers to some of the important issues that are often ignored by humanity in their rash to meet their daily needs. Generally, the poet seeks to remind humanity of some of the basic concerns that must be addressed in order for people to live in totality. By assigning the quality of sound to silence, the poet employs the technique of inversion and contrast to achieve his thematic objectives. Blowin’ in the Wind In the poem “Blowin’ in the Wind” the poet uses the technique of questioning to interrogate some of the weaknesses that prevent people from finding solutions to issues that appear to be quite ordinary. The question, “How many...?,” is repeated severally throughout the poem. At every instance, the question is directed towards a different subject, which, in essence, comprises the underlying themes in the poem. Such themes include death and suffering, negligence, loveless relations, reward, recognition and the permanence of phenomena. The persona delves into multiple issues that concern a range of subjects of human interest. In the first two lines, the poet appears to hint at the theme of human struggle: “How many roads must a man walk down/ Before you call him a man?” (Dylan 1, 2). This line captures the futility of human efforts, which lead man to engage in multiple struggles, which are often poorly rewarded. This line reads like an indictment to the unfeeling world that fails to recognize the selfless struggles and sacrifice that some people engage into for the sake of improving the welfare of the society. This line could apply to themes of poor working conditions in the modern employment sector and other roles that fail to attract the necessary rewards and acknowledgement from people. The other question, “How many times must cannon balls fly/ before they are forever banned,” Dylan 5,6), is directed at the theme of elusive peace. The poet awakens the sensibilities of the modern society to the horrors of war. In this rhetorical question, the author expresses disgust with wars and conflicts that afflict the world, and which leave behind high levels of human suffering and general adversity. Through this rhetorical technique, the poet mocks at the formal systems, philosophies and policies that support conflicts and warfare. The same theme of human suffering is extended in lines 19 and 20 of the poem, “Yes, how many ears must one man have/ Before he can hear people cry?,” (Dylan 19, 20). In these particular lines, the words “one man” and “cry” must be understood in broad and multiple contexts. The meaning of “one man” could be exploited symbolically to apply to various discourses that relate to power and authority. Some of the suffering in the modern world has been contributed, to a significant degree, by the ineptitude of governments, bad policies, or systematic oppression by people who wield different kinds of power, whether legitimately or illegitimately. Symbolically, this question is directed at such authorities and personalities, which through mistakes of commission or omission bring about human suffering in communities and individuals. In essence, this poem tackles a range of human failings that are the root causes of much of the bad happenings that afflict the world. The rhetorical technique allows the poet to condense multiple kinds of suffering and challenges within a specific style. Generally, the technique makes it possible for the author to bring out satirical elements, irony, and other elements that are necessary for mocking the systems and human actions that lead towards various kinds of suffering. By consistently retaining the same kind of response that answer lies in the wind, the poet appears to suggest that humanity often overlooks basic solutions in preference for some superficial issues and egocentric pursuits that skirt around the real solutions. It is a poem that celebrates simplicity and innocence and mocks at the modern discourses that claim to depend of science, policy, structure, strategies, which go against the simple truths of human compassion, love, and care for the sanctity of life. The poet reminds people about some of the solutions they overlook in their daily dealings. The poet directs the attention of readers to basic things that concern issues of human concern. It is important to consider some of the issues that concern the interest of humanity. According to the poet, some of the solutions that concern the challenges of the modern world could be found by training some focus on available matters. According to the central concern of the poet, it is possible for humanity to harmonize relations by training their focus on basic matters instead of relying on superficial issues that concern modern challenges. Dont Need This Body Evidently, the speaker in this poem is an elderly person undergoing a psychological process of bracing himself to the imminence and inevitability of death. Nostalgia: “All I got left is a head full of memories,” (Mellencamp 15). Despite the obvious melancholic mood that informs the poem, the persona insists that death and aging are natural processes that should not elicit fear and terrible feelings in people. The rendering of this poem in first person increases the sense of realism by making the feelings of the speaker vivid and emotive. The words of the speaker hint at the premonition of death and the encircling gloom: “And a thought of my upcoming death,” (Mellencamp 16). The theme of aging is evident from the speaker’s reference to the body as “washed up and worn out for sure,” (Mellencamp 12). From the tone of the words, there is a terrible solitude caused by the loss of company and peers; “Well, all my friends are sick or dying,”Mellencamp 13). The persona is resigned to the inevitability of death and conveys a lurking attitude of contentment of a life fully lived. Psychological he is adjusted to the transition of mortality as he asserts that he will rest easy. He shores up his inner strengths and confidence in an introspective and cathartic process as he approaches the call of mortality. This resolute aspect of personality and the enduring courage in the face of death is achieved through the technique of repetition. Some lines such as “This getting older, well it aint for cowards,” (Mellencamp 1), and “Washed up and worn out for sure,” Mellencamp 12) are repeated severally in the poem to provide emphasis and slow rhythm, which hints at some aspect of finality in the poem. This poem sounds like a graphic reminder of the inevitability of death. The poet makes the point that human nature is temporary and that there is the need for people to prepare themselves for the eventuality of death. In actual sense, there is often the need for humanity to celebrate death as a conclusion of a life well lived. The poet makes a retrospective focus into matters of reality by focussing on some of the issues that must engage the thoughts of humanity while still alive. In general terms, these three poems read like investigations into the element of reality. It is important to make comparisons of the three poems in light of some of the challenges that concern human nature. The poets train their focus on the basic failings of humanity, which occur as a result of overlooking some of the issues that engage human concern. It is important to assess the merits of the arguments made by the three poets in light of some of the fundamental issues they ascribe to the weaknesses of human nature. The poems sounded like investigations into the mysteries of humanity that often distract people from exercising balance and rationality in their daily existence. The themes of death and suffering are brought out in clear light by the author with the intention of reminding the readers about the consequences of certain actions. By reading these poems in totality, it is possible for the readers to get the impression of change of character that aligns with some of the issues that affect humanity. The poets go behind some of the issues that relate to human concerns in a way that connects actions and consequences. Figurative techniques have been used successfully to highlight the dominant themes in the poem. As such, it becomes important to examine the inner details of these poems as an investigation into human nature and weaknesses. Works Cited Mellencamp, John. Dont Need This Body. MetroLyrics. 2012, Web. 10 Oct 2012. Garfunkel and Simon. Sounds of Silence. Lyrics Depot. 2012. Web. 10 Oct 2012. Dylan, Bob. Blowin’ in the Wind. LyricsFreak. 2012. Web. 10 Oct 2012. Read More