Monday, February 27, 2012

A Winter Walk

Hello All,

For the latest blog, write a short-short story (one paragraph) inspired by Walter Martin and Paloma Munoz's artwork entitled A Winter Walk

Remember to use one simile and one example of personfication.

While you're at their website, check out some of their other artwork.  It's imaginative and unsettling . . .

Sunday, February 5, 2012

Song Lyrics and Poetry

Hello All,

For Wednesday's post, find a song whose lyrics you would classify as poetry.  Provide a brief justification as to why this song would warrant being described as a poem.

For example, I've been listening to Leonard Cohen's new album Old Ideas, and I would classify his song "Crazy to Love You" as a poem.  Here are the lyrics:

Crazy To Love You

Had to go crazy to love you
Had to go down to the pit
Had to do time in the tower
Begging my crazy to quit

Had to go crazy to love you
You who were never the one
Whom I chased through the souvenir heartache
Her braids and her blouse all undone

Sometimes I’d head for the highway
I’m old and the mirrors don’t lie
But crazy has places to hide in
Deeper than saying goodbye

Had to go crazy to love you
Had to let everything fall
Had to be people I hated
Had to be no one at all

I’m tired of choosing desire
Been saved by a sweet fatigue
The gates of commitment unwired
And nobody trying to leave

Sometimes I’d head for the highway…

Had to go crazy to love you
You who were never the one
Whom I chased through the souvenir heartache
Her braids and her blouse all undone.

"Crazy to Love You" has rhyme, of course, but most songs use rhyme.  What makes this song a poem is the personfication ("Begging my crazy to quit"), the implied metaphors ("souvenir heartache"), the parallelism ("had to go crazy to love you/ had to let everything fall") and the antithesis ("had to be people I hated/ had to be no one at all").  Thus, I would argue with "Crazy to Love You," Leonard Cohen has written both a great song and a great poem. 

If you're interested in what the song sounds like, you can find it here.