The Poetics of American Song Lyrics (American Made Music Series)

The Poetics of American Song Lyrics is the first collection of academic essays that regards songs as literature and that identifies intersections between the literary histories of poems and songs. The essays by well-known poets and scholars including Pulitzer Prize winner Claudia Emerson, Peter Guralnick, Adam Bradley, David Kirby, Kevin Young, and many others, locate points of synthesis and separation so as to better understand both genres and their crafts. The essayists share a desire to write on lyrics in a way that moves beyond sociological, historical, and autobiographical approaches and explicates songs in relation to poetics. Unique to this volume, the essays focus not on a single genre but on folk, rap, hip hop, country, rock, indie, soul, and blues.The first section of the book provides a variety of perspectives on the poetic history and techniques within songs and poems, and the second section focuses on a few prominent American songwriters such as Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, and Michael Stipe. Through conversational yet in-depth analyses of songs, the essays discuss sonnet forms, dramatic monologues, Modernism, ballads, blues poems, confessionalism, Language poetry, Keatsian odes, unreliable narrators, personas, poetic sequences, rhythm, rhyme, transcription methods, the writing process, and more. While the strategies of explication differ from essay to essay, the nexus of each piece is an unveiling of the poetic history and poetic techniques within songs.Charlotte Pence of Knoxville, Tennessee, is the author of The Writer's Path: Creative Exercises for Meaningful Essays. She is also the winner of the Black River Chapbook Competition for her poetry chapbook The Branches, the Axe, the Missing. The Poetics Of American Song Lyrics Is The First Collection Of Academic Essays That Regards Songs As Literature And That Identifies Intersections Between The Literary Histories Of Poems And Songs. The Essays By Well-known Poets And Scholars Including Pulitzer Prize Winner Claudia Emerson, Peter Guralnick, Adam Bradley, David Kirby, Kevin Young, And Many Others, Locate Points Of Synthesis And Separation So As To Better Understand Both Genres And Their Crafts. The Essayists Share A Desire To Write On Lyrics In A Way That Moves Beyond Sociological, Historical, And Autobiographical Approaches And Explicates Songs In Relation To Poetics. Unique To This Volume, The Essays Focus Not On A Single Genre But On Folk, Rap, Hip Hop, Country, Rock, Indie, Soul, And Blues. The First Section Of The Book Provides A Variety Of Perspectives On The Poetic History And Techniques Within Songs And Poems, And The Second Section Focuses On A Few Prominent American Songwriters Such As Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, And Michael Stipe. Through Conversational Yet In-depth Analyses Of Songs, The Essays Discuss Sonnet Forms, Dramatic Monologues, Modernism, Ballads, Blues Poems, Confessionalism, Language Poetry, Keatsian Odes, Unreliable Narrators, Personas, Poetic Sequences, Rhythm, Rhyme, Transcription Methods, The Writing Process, And More. While The Strategies Of Explication Differ From Essay To Essay, The Nexus Of Each Piece Is An Unveiling Of The Poetic History And Poetic Techniques Within Songs. -- Amazon.com. The Day Johnny Cash Died / Lamar Alexander -- Reduced To Rhyme: On Contemporary Doggerel / David Caplan -- The Sonnet Within The Song: Country Lyrics And The Shakespearean Sonnet Structure / Charlotte Pence -- Rap Poetry 101 / Adam Bradley -- It Don't Mean A Thing: The Blues Mask Of Modernism / Kevin Young -- Gangsta Rap's Heroic Substrata: A Survey Of The Evidence / John Paul Hampstead -- At The Crossroads: The Intersection Of Poetry And The Blues / Keith Flynn -- Country Music Lyrics: Is There Poetry In Those Twangy Rhymes? / Pat Pattison -- Words And Music: Three Stories / Wyn Cooper -- The Triumph Of Icarus: Sam Cooke And The Creative Spirit / Peter Guralnick -- The Jo Blow Version / David Kirby -- A Nobel For Dylan? / Gordin Ball -- Lyric Impression, Muscle Memory, Emily, And The Jack Of Hearts / Claudia Emerson -- Don Khan And Truck-driving Wives: Dylan's Fluctuating Lyrics / Ben Yagoda -- Thoughts On Me And Bobby Mcgee And The Oral And Literary Traditions / David Daniel -- The Soup That Could Change The World / Beth Ann Fennelly -- Laughing In Tune: R.e.m. And The Post-confessional Lyric / Jeffrey Roessner -- Sweetness Follows: Michael Stipe, John Keats And The Consolations Of Time / Eric Reimer -- Sweeping Up The Jokers: Leonard Cohen's The Stranger Song / Brian Howe -- Facing The Music: The Poetics Of Bruce Springsteen / Robert P. Mcparland -- Coming Into Your Town: Okkervil River's Black / Stephen M. Deusner -- Still Holding At The Seams: Magnolia Electric Co.'s Josephine And The Contemporary Poetic Sequence -- Not To Oppose Evil: Johnny Cash's Bad Luck Wind / Tony Tost. Edited By Charlotte Pence. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. Contents......Page 8 Introduction......Page 12 Part One. Poetic History and Techniques within Poems and Songs......Page 22 The Day Johnny Cash Died......Page 24 Reduced to Rhyme: On Contemporary Doggerel......Page 27 The Sonnet Within the Song: Country Lyrics and the Shakespearean Sonnet Structure......Page 47 Rap Poetry 101......Page 56 It Don’t Mean a Thing: The Blues Mask of Modernism......Page 64 Gangsta Rap’s Heroic Substrata: A Survey of the Evidence......Page 96 At the Crossroads: The Intersection of Poetry and the Blues......Page 111 Country Music Lyrics: Is There Poetry in Those Twangy Rhymes?......Page 127 Similarities and Differences between Song Lyrics and Poetry......Page 143 Words and Music: Three Stories......Page 155 Part Two. Analysis of Twentieth-Century Songwriters......Page 164 The Triumph of Icarus: Sam Cooke and the Creative Spirit......Page 166 The Joe Blow Version......Page 179 A Nobel for Dylan?......Page 190 Lyric Impression, Muscle Memory, Emily, and the Jack of Hearts......Page 201 Don Khan and Truck-Driving Wives: Dylan’s Fluctuating Lyrics......Page 207 Thoughts on “Me and Bobby McGee” and the Oral and Literary Traditions......Page 214 The Soup That Could Change the World......Page 220 Laughing in Tune: R.E.M. and the Post-Confessional Lyric......Page 224 Sweetness Follows: Michael Stipe, John Keats, and the Consolations of Time......Page 233 Sweeping Up the Jokers: Leonard Cohen’s “The Stranger Song”......Page 246 Facing the Music: The Poetics of Bruce Springsteen......Page 253 Coming into Your Town: Okkervil River’s “Black”......Page 264 Still Holding at the Seams: Magnolia Electric Co.’s Josephine and the Contemporary Poetic Sequence......Page 274 Not to Oppose Evil: Johnny Cash’s Bad Luck Wind......Page 282 A......Page 288 B......Page 289 D......Page 290 L......Page 291 M......Page 292 S......Page 293 V......Page 294 Acknowledgments......Page 296 Contributors......Page 297 C......Page 304 F......Page 305 K......Page 306 P......Page 307 S......Page 308 Z......Page 309 The Poetics of American Song Lyrics is the first collection of academic essays that regards songs as literature and that identifies intersections between the literary histories of poems and songs. The essays by well-known poets and scholars including Pulitzer Prize winner Claudia Emerson, Peter Guralnick, Adam Bradley, David Kirby, Kevin Young, and many others, locate points of synthesis and separation so as to better understand both genres and their crafts. The essayists share a desire to write on lyrics in a way that moves beyond sociological, historical, and autobiographical approaches and explicates songs in relation to poetics. Unique to this volume, the essays focus not on a single genre but on folk, rap, hip hop, country, rock, indie, soul, and blues.

The first section of the book provides a variety of perspectives on the poetic history and techniques within songs and poems, and the second section focuses on a few prominent American songwriters such as Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, and Michael Stipe. Through conversational yet in-depth analyses of songs, the essays discuss sonnet forms, dramatic monologues, Modernism, ballads, blues poems, confessionalism, Language poetry, Keatsian odes, unreliable narrators, personas, poetic sequences, rhythm, rhyme, transcription methods, the writing process, and more. While the strategies of explication differ from essay to essay, the nexus of each piece is an unveiling of the poetic history and poetic techniques within songs. Presents a collection of academic essays that regard songs as literature and that identify intersections between the literary histories of poems and songs. The essays by well-known poets and scholars locate points of synthesis and separation so as to better understand both genres and their crafts.