Analysis Of Like A Rolling Stone

“Like a Rolling Stone”; a Poem in the Disguise of a Song
In 1965, Bob Dylan released “Like a Rolling Stone” which is widely regarded to be one of the greatest, if not the greatest song of all time. Dylan’s iconic folk rock style allowed him to use his lyrics to convey a story with intricate meaning and significance. “Like a Rolling Stone” discusses a woman, referred to as “Miss Lonely” (15), who expected to be handed everything and her fall from grace as life doesn’t turn out to be what she expected. As a result, she is relegated to living on the streets and watching her life spin out of control. In order to convey this story, Dylan uses elaborate poetic devices and his skillful ability to craft language. Consequently, “Like a Rolling Stone”

For example, the poem’s title and repetition of “like a rolling stone” (14) compares the woman’s life with a rolling stone through a simile. The rolling stone (the vehicle) invokes the idea of something that has gone out of control, has lost direction, or has nothing left. As a result, the simile is able to explain how the woman’s life (the tenor) shares these attributes. Another figure of speech used within the lyrics of the poem is an implied metaphor. Dylan states “you used to ride on the chrome horse” (34). In this implied metaphor, Dylan compares a chrome horse (the vehicle) to its slang connotation which is a motorcycle (the tenor). Chrome may be mentioned to bring forth the idea of something that is at the center of attention due to its polished look. In addition, the horse may be used to suggest the idea of freedom and power. Therefore, chrome horse seems to describe how the woman too may have felt powerful and at the center of attention as she rode on the motorcycle. Contrasting with this, Dylan uses the metaphor of “you’re invisible now” (53) to explain how things are. While the woman is not literally invisible, the idea of something that is invisible (the vehicle) suggests something that doesn’t exist or isn’t noticeable. Therefore, the woman (the tenor) is being compared to the qualities of something that is

For example, in each nine-line stanza, the final words all rhyme with each other. Furthermore, these words all rhyme with “feel” at the end of the beginning two lines of each chorus. This serves to bring together the nine-line stanzas (which discuss how things were and are) with the chorus (which poses the question of what she thinks of how things are now). Another aspect of rhyme within the lyrics is that within each nine-line stanza, lines five and six have end-line rhyme, as well as lines seven and eight. This also adds to the flow of the lyrics and brings the lines within the stanzas together. Finally, there are several instances of internal rhyme. For example, the lyrics state “dime in your prime” (2), “frowns on the jugglers and clowns” (30), “understood that it ain’t no good” (32) and “steeple and all the pretty people” (45). Ultimately, Dylan’s usage of rhyme emphasizes key lyrics and important