Comp II: Challenge the Canon

Bristol Community College

Instructor: Tom Grady Due: May 16

Prompt: For many, the idea of appreciating poetry is a daunting one. When you look at the lyrics to a song you like, they resemble poetry, but are they Poems with a capital “P”? For many, poetry is for those who are, as Sam Grabelle says, “older, smarter and whiter than myself.” Here’s where the notion of the Literary Canon can a troubling one to English scholars at all levels. What determines a work of art as Genuine? Official? Beautiful?

Explore the notions of aesthetics and the Canon by exploring how poetry’s conventions are used in the very music we listen to everyday. Your mission is to select a canonical poem from the textbook and compare it to song lyrics of your choice. Remember, you are arguing for the artistic legitimacy of the music of your times.

The parts:

1) 1 copy of the poem, its title and the poet’s name. The poem should be typed out exactly as it appears in the anthology. Many believe there’s a way of ‘knowing’ a poem through the writing of it.

2) 1 copy of the song’s title, lyrics and songwriter’s name. The lyrics should be typed out exactly as they appear online or in the liner notes, if available.

3) 5 page comparison. You should demonstrate your insights: the poem and song’s similarities/differences in theme, style, subject matter, attitude or a combination. Point out specific uses of poetic techniques: alliteration, ambiguity, consonance, etc. Importantly, though this essay is short, your interpretation of the poem and song should be clear and your claims defended with the language of the poems themselves.

Getting there

There are a couple of approaches to this project that might be helpful.

· Consider the music first. Examine a song’s lyrics seriously to see if they indeed have any depth. Is there anything there which has any more depth than what you interpret upon a first read? Was it the melody, perhaps, which has most of the song’s weight? Madonna’s “Take a Bow,” for instance, has surprising depth to it, compared to, say, “Express Yourself” Usually, a song which is suitable for this project will make some use of symbolism.

All the world is a stage

And everyone has their part

This passage from “Take a Bow” plays on the idea of human behavior resembling theatrical performance. Whereas there’s not much to say about the selection from “Express Yourself”:

Express what you’ve got

Baby, ready or not

· Another approach might be to read the poems in the anthology first. See if you’re struck by the similarity they have to a song you know.

Possible groups/songwriters to consider:

Beatles Van Morrison Irving Berlin The Who Sex Pistols Fiona Apple The Doors The Rolling Stones UB40 Hole No Doubt Whiskey Town Jeff Tweedy Ani DiFranco Billy Bragg Citizen Cope Jay Ferrar Steve Earle Son Volt Greg Brown

Bob Dylan Suzanne Vega Cole Porter Silverchair Alanis Morrissete Tracy Chapman Paul Simon Smashing Pumpkins U2 Dire Straits Bob Marley Bruce Springsteen John Haitt REM Counting Crows Slaid Sleeves Townes Van Zandt Mos Def Eddie From Ohio Woody Guthrie Old 97’s

Tom Waits Joni Mitchell The Clash Talib Kweli Steel Pulse Sonic Youth Sneaker Pimps Elbow Beck The Cranberries Steely Dan Neil Young Nirvana Green Day Foo Fighters Indigo Girls Dandy Warhols Wilco Ween Steven Marley John Lennon

Considerations:

The hardest part of the project for many will be making your selection. Avoid a song that’s too ambiguous and/or impenetrable (Stevie Nicks, Led Zepplin, Tori Amos). Furthermore, avoid the American Idol, Ashley Simpson, Celine Dion, cliché factory.

Consider using the Title III Writing Lab.

Do not use any secondary sources and avoid any biographical information as a claim for the author’s intent. The writer’s life is immaterial to the lens you’re using here. This is Reader Response criticism in the strictest sense. Remember it’s not why s/he wrote it, it’s what do the words convey?

Typically, a Google search with your song title in quotes with lyrics written after will call up the lyrics to most songs.

Your paper will be assessed on your ability to demonstrate:

1) balance in your comparison

2) thematic inference between two works

3) stylistic inference/application of prosody

4) differences between the two poems

5) ambiguities/multiplicity of meaning where appropriate

6) Depth of explication to support your positions

7) Holistic interpretation of both poems

In addition, the following criteria will be applied:[1]

• Writing: Students will move through the processes of writing: inventing, composing, revising, and editing according to the conventions of Standard Written English.
• Critical reading: Students will critically read and respond to a variety of texts.
• Audience, purpose, voice: Students will compose in a voice appropriate to the audience and purpose of the writing.
• Thesis: Students will formulate a thesis and support it with evidence.
• Organization: Students will compose coherent and cohesive essays and other texts.
• Research, documentation: Students will locate, evaluate, integrate, and document primary and/or secondary source materials to support a position.

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[1] Developed by the Writing Committee of Project Connect, a partnership of public higher education institutions in southeastern Massachusetts—Bridgewater State College, Bristol Community College, Cape Cod Community College, Massasoit Community College, and the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth.