Bob Dylan Metaphors

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Music is a very powerful way for people to express the central concerns of their context. Bob Dylan’s Blowin’ in the Wind, Maggie’s Farm and With God on Our Side were all very prominent protest songs. Dylan used his poetic lyrics to express his ideas and concerns. Bob Dylan rose to fame in the 1960’s with songs reflecting the massive change the world was going through at the time. He was a civil rights activist and wrote many songs about social issues such as war, government, social injustice and civil rights. Some of his songs reflect his Christian beliefs and make reference to bible quotes. Although he has made many protest songs, he wanted to stay independent from the protest folk music movement. He felt that this group was too restrictive for him and didn’t allow him to express his unique ideas that are reflected in his music. He was always in love with music, Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis and Little Richard inspired …show more content…

This is reflected in Maggie’s Farm, by using metaphors in “I got a head full of ideas, that are driving me insane. It’s a shame the way she makes me scrub the floor”, “she” referring to the folk protest movement, showing that he is trying to express his unique ideas, but the movement he was forced into is very limiting and doesn’t allow him to fully express his ideas. His use of metaphor in “scrub the floor” shows that he feels trapped and enslaved by this movement. The imagery in “Well, he puts his cigar out in your face just for kicks” shows that the President is a very cruel man who lives off of the pain of others, enhancing the idea that the government is corrupt. Dylan’s use of repetition in “I am not going to work on Maggie’s farm no more”, strengthens his message and gets his point across. Dylan was strongly against the government and large movements, and his music effectively reflects his political

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