literary Terms/devices through the rolling stones
Characterization
Definition: It is in the initial stage where the writer introduces the character with noticeable emergence and then following the introduction of the character, the writer often talks about his behavior; then as the story progresses, the thought-process of the character. The next stage involves the character expressing his opinions and ideas and getting into conversations with the rest of the characters.
Example: The song Memory Motel describes a woman that the singer had fallen in love with. She was a "Hannah baby was a honey of a girl. Her eyes were hazel her teeth were slightly curved. She took my guitar and she began to play." Later, he says, "She got a mind of her own and she use it well." Also, "she drove a pick-up truck painted green and blue." So they don't get very deep, but you get the picture.
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Symbolism
Definition: A symbol in literature is anything (truly, ANYTHING!) that stands for something else.
Examples: The song "Winter" is a song about depression. Winter represent depression -- "It's sure been a cold, cold winter; my feet been draggin' cross the ground" and "And the fields has all been brown and fallow; And the springtime take a long way around." Conversely, the song mentions the future with "And I hope it's gonna be a long, hot summer; And a lotta love will be burnin' bright; And I wish I been out in California." Summer symbolizes happiness and joy."
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Repetition
Definition: As a rhetorical device it could be a word, a phrase or a full sentence or a poetical line repeated to emphasize its significance in the entire text.
Example: Just listen to It's Only Rock N Roll and you will most likely end up singing the lines "It's Only Rock N Roll, but I like it" over and over. "It's Only Rock N Roll" is said seven times in the song while the word "I like it" is repeated eighteen times. So why do they says this? Maybe to tell you not to take roll n roll so seriously and have fun.
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Simile
Definition: The basic definition of a simile is comparing two things using "like" or "as."
Example: In the Rolling Stones' cover of Bob Dylan's "Like a Rolling Stone," the song compares someone's fall from grace -- from a life of privilege to being poor or homeless -- or "like a rolling stone (a homeless vagabond)."
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Metaphor
Definition: The basic definition of a metaphor is comparing two things without using "like" or "as."
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Example: In "Beast of Burden," Mick Jagger states that "I'll never be your beast of burden" (a donkey or mule). He is comparing himself to an animal that slows people down; that's perhaps is less than the person he's singing to. "I'll never be your beast of burden I've walked for miles my feet are hurting" and "Put me out with no shoes on my feet but, put me out, put me out put me out of misery."
In others words, he's not going to be your whipping boy. He's not going to carry the burden -- emotional or physically. |
Persona
Definition: It can be defined in a literary work as a voice or an assumed role of a character that represents the thoughts of a writer or a specific person the writer wants to present as his mouthpiece.
Example: Mick Jagger uses the persona of the devil in Sympathy for the Devil to show the atrocities of mankind. They used to say how "the devil made me do it," but the devil (Jagger) points out that "after all it was you and me (mankind). |
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Paradox
Definition: It is a statement that appears to be self-contradictory or silly but may include a latent truth. It is also used to illustrate an opinion or statement contrary to accepted traditional ideas.
Example: The Rolling Stones contradict themselves in two songs that creates a paradox. In one song they announce that Time is on My Side; however, in another they decree that Time Waits for No One. This creates a paradox.
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Allusion
Definition: An allusion is a figure of speech whereby the author refers to a subject matter such as a place, event, or literary work by way of a passing reference. It is up to the reader to make a connection to the subject being mentioned.
Example: In the song "Saint of Me," the chorus refers to how "they'll never make a saint of me." In other words, no one is ever going to convert him. The verses in the song refers to those who God or others have converted such as Paul. " Saint Paul the persecutor/Was a cruel and sinful man/Jesus hit him with a blinding light/And then his life began"
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Tone
Definition: in written composition, is an attitude of a writer toward a subject or an audience.
Tone could be applied to nearly any song from happy-go-lucky song such as "Start Me Up" and "waiting on a Friend" to more melancholy songs such as "Wild Horse" and "Miss You." I'm going to jump off the Rolling Stones' bandwagon here and use "It's My Life" by Bon Jovi. Notice how a different tone changes the meaning of the song.
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