Poetry & Music

I chose to compare two songs for the poetry comparison paper and while writing it I started to think about the similarities between the two mediums. Back when poetry was really, really popular, they didn't have songs with lyrics, only classical music. However poetry was probably more popular than music at the time (music had no real method of playback back then, and you could read poetry whenever and wherever). Thus, poetry had a much more widespread appeal and was therefore used to reach a wider audience of people. Today, music is obviously extremely more popular than poetry. However, it is used much in the same way poetry was. Just like how poets would many times contain a message within their poem that required in-depth analysis to figure out, so do many songs today. Songwriters will often write lyrics based off of their own views on the world and situations that many people find themselves in to reach the masses and convey a message, much in the way poets did. Thus, songs are used today in the way poetry was way back when. The medium changes but many of the messages stay the same.

Comments

[ben L]

I think that is a really good idea using two songs. To me songs seem to have a bit more meaning than poetry. And I feel that you are right on when you say that songs are like modern day poetry.

[Mark B]

I totally agree, songs are kind of like the new form of poetry. It's weird how most people, like in school, don't really like poetry or think that it is lame, when everyone likes songs that really are poetry. I am glad that we did the poetry song presentations because it really helps me o realize how poetic songs can be and it helps me to appreciate them a lot more.

[Theresa Y.]

Yes, I also agree that songs and poetry are similar. I don't think all songs can be comparable to poetry, because some songs are just meant to sound good, with words thrown together that people find some meaning from. But then again, so is some poetry not meant to really contain a message, but just to sound good. So, I guess songs and poetry are similar, in that both can convey a message, but at the same time, both can be written just to be written to sound good.

[Brett N]

I think that songs now are a much better way for peoople, kids especially, to listen to poetry. Compared to how many people listen to music, there are few people who read poetry on a regular basis. I think this is because in our word today, there has to be more of a stimulus in oder to get peoples attention. Words on a paper are no longer able to grab the attention of as many people as it used to, so songs provide poetry that adds a auditory stimulus which makes it more appealing to people in today's world, especially kids.

[Shannon M]

I don't think you can really pit poetry against music. I think they're pretty much the same thing, and to say that one is better than the other doesn't really work out. Lyrics, along with poetry, is just a way for someone to express their feelings. One has music behind it..the other doesn't.