Why a pop song is ephemeral
On pp. 46 and 47 in The Poetry of Pop, Adam Bradley describes how most pop songs are “ephemeral,” in the sense that their creators seek to make an immediate impact on the listener, within what is usually a limited time frame. On the other hand, pop musicians can also be obstructive, like poets, in the sense that they want to encourage repeated listening. They want to keep listeners coming back by encouraging them to wonder what may be happening under the surface of a catchy or pretty song. Choose a song that you think demonstrates this principle. What about this song makes it ephemeral? What makes it obstructive? How do these traits blend to create an artwork with a deeper poetic meaning?
-Your response to this prompt should be three to five complete pages. In your response, you should pay close attention to the formal, patterned qualities of the lyric and song. What about the sound or language in this song is compressed in order to enhance its vivid, sensual qualities? You may discuss patterns such as rhyme, rhythm, vocal quality, pitch, tempo, timbre, or instrumentation (to name a few of the patterns we’ve discussed in class). If you believe that the song you chose doesn’t have a very deep meaning, it is probably not worth analyzing. Beware of this as you choose the topic for your paper.
-You may also choose to write on another topic with approval from the instructor. Your topic must be approved by the end of my office hours on 2/14.
-No matter which song you chose, I encourage you to discuss it with me before you start writing.
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