Monday, September 8, 2008

Poetry, general and specifics

One of Emily Dickinson's poems...

Rests at Night
The Sun from shining
Nature- and some Men-
Rest at Noon-some Men-
While Nature
And the Sun- go on-

I giggled a little at this poem, mostly because it's such a simple way to state anger. I interpreted this poem to mean that during the day, the sun shines while men, probably women too, work. But at noon when the sun is highest, or working its hardest, some men are lazy and don't work at all. The poem could also be talking about night jobs where men/women sleep during the day and work at night, but I thought that was unlikely...

I like dicussing poetry, so I'll type another of my interpretation, but this is one of my favorite songs, not exactly Emily Dickinson



Not sure how to cite this, so, Pink Floyd:

Mother do you think they'll drop the bomb
Mother do you think they'll like the song
Mother do you think they'll try to break my balls
Ooooh aah, Mother should I build a wall

The first stanza introduces the topic, which is "mother," and it introduces how the author feels towards his mother. He's asking her for help and guidance, and the third line foreshadows a bit of fear for the unknown world and leaving the nest, or leaving home. In the last line the author asks if he should "build a wall," and walls are usually known for keeping things in, or out. In this case, its probable that the author is asking his mother if he should stay secluded and protected. And "the wall" is also a reference to the title of the album...

Mother should I run for president
Mother should I trust the government
Mother will they put me in the firing line
Ooooh aah, is it just a waste of time

Many kids tell their parents that they want to be president when they grow up, or become an astronaut, or just kids just demonstrate big hopes to be something well-known and heroic. Children are known for looking for affirmation and support, especially from their parents, so the author is indicating that he wants to know what his mother thinks of his hopes. And he is also demonstrating dependence on his mother because he wants to know her opinion and it appears that her opinion would affect his by the amount of questioning the author does throughout the song. By asking "should I trust the government," the author indicates that he is moving on to bigger subjects, subjects not approached by most children, so the author is showing more maturity than most children.

Hush now baby, baby don't you cry
Mama's gonna make all of your
Nightmares come true
Mama's gonna put all of her fears into you
Mama's gonna keep you right here
Under her wing
she won't let you fly but she might let you sing
Mama will keep baby cosy and warm
Ooooh Babe Ooooh Babe Ooooh Babe
Of course Mama's gonna help build the wall

This does not apply to all mothers, but many mothers put their fears into their children with hopes of keeping them safe. Safety for one's children is a big factor of parenting, hence the "better safe then sorry" quote that is often used. The author is stating that his mother won't let him "fly," or be independent, but she will let him "sing," partial independence that does not involve danger or risk. So, the author's mother is going to keep her child under her wing and not let him fly for himself.


(guitar solo)

Mother do think she's good enough for me
Mother do think she's dangerous to me
Mother will she tear your little boy apart
Oooh aah, mother will she break my heart

This stanza represents fear for love, which is dangerous for one's heart and emotions, and when a boy falls in love and leaves with a woman, the mother is possibly the most jealous person in the boy's life, especially because it's another woman taking her little boy way. The author is again seeking approval from his mother.

Hush now baby, baby don't you cry
Mama's gonna check out all your girl friends for you
Mama won't let anyone dirty get through
Mama's gonna wait up till you get in
Mama will always find out where you've been
Mamma's gonna keep baby healthy and clean
Ooooh Babe Ooooh Babe Ooooh Babe
You'll always be a baby to me
Mother, did it need to be so high.

Mother will always take care of her little boy, it appears that he is her top concern. She's going to keep tabs on him, and he will always be a baby to her and he's always going to need her guidance, in her opinion. "Mother, did it need to be so high," the boy is asking if the wall that he asked to build really needs to be this high. Does he need to be so protected and sheltered?

1 comment:

raynard said...

Wow this was a really interesting post. I never really thought to analyze music the same way we analyze poetry, but it makes a lot of sense, as music is merely poetry with background music (okay maybe not as simple as that, but you get the point)

To answer your question at the end of the post, I think anyone who needs to ask their mother about all this does in fact need to sheltered and protected.