Counting Crows

Counting Crows

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Tuesday, March 3, 2009

Comparisons Reflection

Please write a paragraph reflecting on what you learned from our unit on comparisons (metaphors and similes). Thanks! :)

22 comments:

  1. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  2. Metaphores play a big role and contribute alot of meanings to a song and helps the listener imagine and compare two different things to each other. They help one use their imagination and gives them a better understanding of the song and it's meaning.

    Similies definately makes a song come to life and more interesting because you get to use your brain and find out what to different parts of the song are being compared to that are the same but also are different in many ways. Thus both of these different writing styles make songs more interesting and make them more meaningful.

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  3. Similies and Metaphors are comparisons that contribute to the meaning of a song. Similies and metaphors help give a song more meaning and feeling. They give the listener a solid idea of what the writer is talking about. Metaphors and similies also make it easier to understand what the writer is conveying. In the song "You're a god", Vertical Horizon claims the women he loves is a god, or she is royalty and beautiful when she clearly is not a real god. Claiming that this woman is a god helps readers understand how he views her. Metaphors and similies portray messages and make is easier to understand what is being said or what someone/something is being compared to.

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  4. Songwriters often use comparisons such as similes and metaphors to enhance the message they are trying to convey and to further envelop the listener into the song. An example of using simile to help demostrate the meaning of the song is used in "Candle in the Wind" by Elton John. John uses the simile, "like a candle in the wind" to help get out the meaning of the song. This song was written about a woman (Marilyn Monroe) who died young, before she even had a chance to shine to her full potential. "Like a candle in the wind", her flame went out and she passed away. In the song "Hero/Heroine" by Boys Like Girls, the speaker uses a simile, "I feel like a hero and you are my heroine" to describe the love he has with his significant other. She makes him feel stronger and invincible, like a "hero", and she is his heroine, fighting alongside him. Metaphors are also used by songwriters to perform the same task. Tom Cochrane describes his zest for life in "Life is a Highway" in the metaphor "life is a highway". Cochrane is using metaphor to tell that life is just one big journey, and in the verses of this song he continues the message. In "Suddenly I See" by K.T. Tunstall, the speaker uses compariosn to describe the object of her inspiration, a girl. Tunstall uses such metaphors as, "her face is a map of the world" and "everything around her is a silver pool of light" to illustrate the effect that this girl has on her and how much of an inspiration she is. Comparisons allow artists to further illustrate the meaning of their lyrics to their listeners, and are a key tool in songwriting.

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  5. The contribution of metaphors and similes in songs is undoubtably helpful in sending the overall message and theme of the song. Metaphors add a more insightful element to the lyrics by not being as blunt and obvious as similes can be. The importance of metaphors can be seen from a broader spectrum, such as "Even heroes have the right to bleed" in Superman by Five For Fighting. The song does not come right out and say that all heroes are human, but rather delineates it in a simple line that can often be overlooked.

    Similes are easily discerned due to its requirement of the use of "like" and/or "as."
    However, the importance of similes is arguably at the same level of metaphors. Although similes can be blunt and obvious at times, they can also be just as insightful as metaphors if the wording is done appropriately. The theme(s) of a song may not be as respectfully displayed without the use of metaphors and similes.

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  6. The usage of metaphors and similes throughout songs contribute to the overall meaning and emotion shown throughout each piece. When these literary devices show up within a song, it is to compare two different things with or without the use of like or as. For example, in the song “Love Story” by Taylor Swift there is an extended metaphor used in the song to show her love for someone. She compares her life to the story of Romeo and Juliet. Without this metaphor you would not be able to quite understand the depth of her fascination for this particular person. The same holds true for the use of similes because the only difference between the two is whether or not there is like or as involved. An example of a simile is in “She’s Like the Wind” by Patrick Swayze. He compares this girl to the wind because she can one minute be there and the next moment gone. It is because of this simile that the listener gets the bigger picture of their relationship. Metaphors and similes add to the meaning of the song by comparing two different things. Without these literary devices, song lyrics would have a different meaning and understanding.

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  7. Alot of songs have comparisons like metaphors and similies and this helps the listening relate to the lyrics better. The writer uses comparisons to express how he or she feels in hopes that the listener will also be able to relate and know the feeling being expierenced. Most comparisons are used to express emotions and feelings throughout the song.In "Life is a Highway" , the singer is expressing how to him life feels like a highway, always turning and experiencing obsticles yet you keep on moving. In one of my songs "Sometime around midnight" the singer uses similies to evoke emotion out of the listener and to describe how people feel when they are faced with their fears. "Shes holding her tonic like a cross", this line is a good similie because it portrays how emotionally unstable the girl really is. If this similie was not used we probably would not know how the girl really felt. Simlies do alot to give the listener hints about the emotional expierences the people in the songs are going through and that helps contribute to the overall meaning of the song greatly.

    Along with similies, metaphors also do alot to contribute to the over all meaning to the song. Metaphors evoke emotion and express details used in the song without using like or as, but they still do their part in comparing things to each other. Metaphors descirbe the way things are instead of what they are "like". The contribute to the meaning because like similies they are describing what the singer is feeling. This is very important because if people could not relate to what the singer is feeling, they would not listen to the song. Music would have no meaning to anyone because there would be no emotions to relate to, but metaphors create certain feelings and emotions that help to draw people into the song. In Greenday "Time grabs you by the rist and directs you were to go" is a good metaphor because time doesnt literally grab you by the wrist but it does have a significant effect on your life because time is the only thing we don't have control over. It waits for noone and when a person listens to this song, the singer wants them to be like "I know what you mean!", or "I know how you feel!". Without comparsions a person might not be able to relate as well and music might not be as popular. Metaphors and similies both play major roles in connecting people to songs and without them music would not be the same.

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  8. In songs the artist uses similes and metaphors to get a certain point across. They use them to illustrate different meanings for things. Similes are used to compare to unlike things useing the words "like" or "as". One song that has a simile in it is "Where The River Goes" by Stone Temple Pilots. The whole song is about where life takes you and what you have to go through on your journey in life and what you may have to face. When they say "I wanna be as big as a mountain, I wanna fly as high as the sun, I wanna know what the rent's like in heaven..." it means I wanna be as big as a moutain is refuring to i want to be a bigger person in life and get over my fears. I wanna fly as high as the sun is stateing that i wanna be with the others that have died in my life. Same thing when they say I wanna know what the rent's like in heaven is saying that they want to go see their lost ones in heaven that have died.

    People use metaphors when they are kinda alike but are unrelated in general. An example of a metaphor is "Rusty Cage" by Soundgarden. The whole song is about being in a bad relationship and wanting to get out of it. When it says "To watch my blood begin to boil." Someones blood can not really boil. This is refuring to the fact when people are in relationships and they fight they get frustrated and angry at the other person and its just how they feel. Each band uses different poetic devices to illustrate deeper meanings to what the artist's are actually trying to say. Things like this make you take a step back and actually really think about the song. Thats what similes and metaphors are.

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  9. Metaphors and similes contribute to the overall meaning of the song by using them as symbolism. In some songs the similes and/or metaphors in the song somtimes symbolize thhe title of the song. They can also be saying the same thing in just diffrent ways. Like how in waterfalls by TLC they say "dont go chasing waterfalls" which basically summarizes the whole meaning of the song which is dont follow someone or something htat can lead you to danger or a terrible situation.

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  10. Songs use many poetic devices to help convey different messages. Making comparisons, such as metaphors and similes, adds several things to the overall meaning of a song. A comparison will often evoke a strong image in the mind of the listener, causing the lyrics and the experience they describe or the theme they discuss to become more real. A comparison also makes the speaker’s words more relatable.

    The similes found in “Thinking of You” by Katy Perry, such as “an Indian summer in the middle of winter” and “a hard candy with a surprise center” put her feelings into simple, relatable terms for the listener and it may help the speaker be better understood. If the listener was struggling to empathize with the speaker’s emotions, the comparisons to common scenarios and objects allow the listener to finally identify with the speaker.

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  11. Comparisons found within lyrics enhance the meaning found in every song. Similes and metaphors are great tools that help to improve song lyrics. A good example of a song that uses comparisons to boost its true meaning is "Love Story" by Taylor Swift. In the song, Taylor uses Romeo and Juliet to characterize the characters within the song. This comparison helps the listener be able to image the relationship between the two lovers. Another example of a song that promotes the value of comparisons is "Life is a Highway" by Tom Cochrane. Cochrane uses the metaphor of comparing life to a highway. This metaphor allows the listener to be able to relate their own life to the lyrics. Comparisons that are used in song lyrics help develop the true meaning found in every song.

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  12. Comparisons give a second and deeper meaning to songs. It makes a connection that the listener can feel and relate to. It is also easier for the song writer to tell a story if it is not dircetly what happens; making it easier, if it is a tough subject, to talk about and let out in the open. In the song "Life Is a Highway" it refers to life being a highway; which everyone knows is not true. It compares to how life have it's twists and turns and can be inconsistant.

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  13. JUDY
    A simile is a stated comparison between two things that are unlike but that have something in common using the words "like" or "as". While a metaphor is a form of figurative language that makes a comparison two things that have something in common, without using the words "like" or "as". This comparison is implied rather than stated directly. When similes are used in a song it makes the song have a deeper meaning to it. There is more feeling that is incorporated when it comes to songs that have similes in them. Metaphors in songs have a stronger and deeper feeling than similes. It says that something is that other object.

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  14. Similes and metaphors are comparsions than can help serve as support to song's message. They can help give a song an overall message or feeling. For instance, in Elton John's "Candle in the Wind", and Taylor Swift's "Love Story" a metaphor is the song title that helps show what the lyrics are describing. Both of these songs use their metaphor to show the message of their song. By comparing two or more things using similes and metaphors, it helps the listener/reader understand the meaning more prominently. Even though similes and metaphors are sometimes difficult to understand, they can change a simple song to a monumental ballad.

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  15. Comparisons are extremely common poetic devices used to add depth to songs. Similes and metaphors are both effective however similes are more direct. They offer a comparison between two similar things. In Kelly Clarkson's "Addicted", similes are used to describe the way she is feeling about her addiction, "It's like I'm lost, It's like I'm giving up slowly." It is easy to describe actions. Describing feelings are harder. Similes help to pinpoint the exact emotion the speaker is experiencing. The song in itself can refer to a hundred possible meanings but the similes allow the speaker to describe exactly how they are feeling.
    Metaphors offer a bit more depth and intuitive guessing. Often, they are not obvious. For example, Kelly Clarkson could be using drug addiction as an extended metaphor for an unhealthy relationship. It is possible, but also up for interpretation. There are times when the meaning of a metaphor is agreed upon. In Led Zeppelin's "Stairway to Heaven," the piper that will "lead us to reason" represents fame leading people to their dooms. It can be disputed, however, and this is how metaphors make a piece of writing interesting.

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  16. STEPHEN F
    Similies and metaphors help to form and shape the message that a song can convey. In Love Story by Taylor Swift the entire song was one big metaphor of Romeo and Juliet and their forbidden love; that Taylor Swift relates to her love for a boy that she has met and compares it to the way that Romeo and Juliet where nor allowed to be together and how they suffered and longed to be together. In this case the entires song was a metaphor. Similies just as metaphors are used in songs to convey a special message to the listeners to help them understand in a more authentic way to get it across to them more easily.

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  17. Metaphors and similes greatly contribute to the overall meanings of songs. Similes use like or as to show comparisons between two different things. One song from class that uses this is “She’s Like the Wind” because the girl cannot really be like the wind, but Patrick Swayze is describing how he can feel her there, but is unable to see her. Also, it could mean that she is there one second and the next, like the wind, she is gone in a flash. Another song that uses similes is “My Life” by The Game. “My life used to be empty like a glock without a round” is comparing how lonely he felt to a gun without bullets. This contributes to the meaning of the song because it is talking about his life. Another type of poetic device is a metaphor. A metaphor is a comparison without the use of like or as. An example from class is “Life is a Highway” by Tom Cochrane because life is not literally like a highway. He uses this phrase to show that life has many twists and turns and can be rough and hard just like a highway. Another example is “Lose Yourself” by Eminem. “The clock's run out” is a metaphor in this song because a clock never runs out. Instead, he is trying to say that time in life runs out easily and if you do not follow your dreams, then you will end up losing yourself. Overall, metaphors and similes are unique ways to portray the meaning of a song.

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  18. Comparisons are very much like metaphors and similes. Comprisons work in songs to show relation from one thing to another. The contribute to the meanig by making it easier for the listener to understand what the singer is trying to convey. In the song "little Acorns" they compare people to squirrels. They show this by talking about collecting little acorns like squirrels do. Similes are comparisons as well, they use like or as where as a comparison doesn't have to. A metaphor is more obscure. The metaphor of the press being Vultures in John Mayer's song "Vultures" is a comparison as well as a metaphor.

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  19. Seamus Slattery
    Ms. Malone
    Poetry of Song
    March 3, 2009
    Metaphor and Simile analysis

    Metaphors and similes are used to compare things. They bring to life the similarities between two objects through figurative language. Similes are comparisons using like or as such as “he is as strong as an ox” or “I am as sick as a dog”. Metaphors on the other hand are direct comparisons without being compared, but rather taking on the embodiment of whatever it is being described as such as “he is a snake” or “she is a fox”. These poetic devices have been used in many works of poetry and songwriting is no exception. Many songwriters use these devices to convey the message that something they are describing is like something else. Sometimes they even refer to something as something completely different but with the meaning still there such as in Muse’s hit song Starlight, the starlight is not actually starlight but the singer’s goals of imaginative success. These devices enhance songs by engrossing you in the lyrics by associating the meaning and events of the song with something you are familiar with. Also many times it is not easy to figure out what the meaning of the song is and it challenges your intelligence which makes many people that much more engrossed in the song. They give the lyrics texture and keep people on their toes while they are listening to a song which gives people the feeling that the music is special to them.

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  20. Many songs including famous ones use similes and metaphors to contribute to the overall meaning of a song. Some examples of songs with similes and metaphors are Love Story, Addicted, and Life is a Highway. Love Story by Taylor Swift has similes and metaphors like when she says “That you were Romeo, you were throwing pebbles And my daddy said stay away from Juliet.” She’s not really Juliet and he is not really Romeo. What she’s saying is that they are madly in love and their parents don’t want them to be together. Artists use similes and metaphors to say something but in a poetic way. This gives more meaning to what they say because they are saying it in a hidden way where you have to look deep enough to see them.

    joe A.

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  21. Similes and metaphors are useful tools that help enhance the clearity of a song's meaning. They help to create a visual for the listener because they often compare feelings to every day objects. Similes are easier to pick out because they always have "like" or "as". Metaphors are tricky because they do not have these clue words. Metaphors are more plentiful though, because they are easier to write and flow better with songs. Both metaphors and similes help in creating visuals and help the listener understand the songs and thier meanings.

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  22. sorry i posted it on my blog.

    Comparisons like Metaphors and Similes contribute to meanings of songs, they make you think about what it really means, what message is trying to get across.They make the song more Descriptive and Puts a Picture in your Mind. like in the song Oil and Water by Incubus. the simile " you and i ar, like oil and water" they dont mix in go together, you visulize it.

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