Every Grain of sand

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poem tells a story within its words, even if it is not directly stated. Nearly every word and phrase in a poem, and even its punctuation has a meaning and a message that the author is trying to send across to the reading or listening audience. Not always is it easy to immediately understand what the poet is trying to say, but within the words and punctuation, over time and with analysis, interpretation is possible. Poetry is a group of so many words that a poet carefully chooses to show certain meaning. The song “ Every Grain of Sand” that is written by Bob Dylan deserves to be called poetry because of his careful use of tone, symbolism, allusion, simile and enjambments.
Tone is an important part of poetry. It sets the mood of the piece and gives the audience a sense of what is going on and how the narrator feels. In “ Every Grain of Sand” the tone is one of sadness and depression. There is a certain desperate tone in the poem, as the narrator looks for help in “the hour of [their] deepest need.” This is evident in the first and second lines of the first stanza when it is written ”In the time of my confession, in the hour of my deepest need / When pool of tears beneath my feet flood every newborn seed.” The “time of confession” sets a solemn tone, for when a person is confessing it is usually a quiet, personal, and regretful time. This sad emotion that the tone sets is further emphasized when the author uses words and phrases like “sorrow of Night,” “violence”, “chill”, “bitter”, “loneliness” and “broken mirror of innocence.” These all set a mood of sadness, anger, bitterness, hatred and darkness that the narrator feels in his hour of need, as they carry the burden, or the “chains,” of their past mistakes. Although most of the poem keeps with a sad tone, the tone shifts slightly. Line fifteen says “ Then onward on my journey I come to understand...” This line shows that he is slowly on his way, realizing things he perhaps did not at first.
Symbolism is another important poetic device that is used throughout this poem. One’s entire understanding of the poem relies upon their understanding of the symbols applied. Bob Dylan uses symbolism on numerous occasions throughout his song “ Every Grain of Sand”. In the line “ When the pool of tears beneath my feet flood every newborn seed,”(1. 2) Dylan uses the flooding of the newborn seed to represent how the tears ...

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...f Sand” create a feeling of searching for something, especially at the beginning. The first enjambment is in the first three lines of the poem, where the speaker is just trying to explain how he feels, and continues talking, without taking any breaths. The second stanza also includes enjambment, showing that there was a little bit of a realization that is some one to help in times of need, or a thought going on. In the fifth stanza there are not any enjambments. This shows that the speaker is thinking about each thing that he has experienced, the punctuation shows him pausing after each thought. Having enjambments in a poem gives a new feeling and possibly a new meaning.
Bob Dylan’s use of effective tone, symbolism, allusion, similes, and enjambments in his song “Every Grain of Sand” is reason enough for it to be considered poetic. Although it is rhythmic, the piece flows for the many other reasons we’ve explored. It has deep and hidden meanings that are left to the audience’s interpretation, and it uses expressive language to tell its story. Songs, therefore, can be poetic if they include all the right elements.

work Cited

http:// www.findlyrics.com/song/d/Dylan_Bob/10766.html

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