Music as Poetry

"I Don't Want To Be"
Gavin Degraw

I don't need to be anything other
Than a prison guard's son
I don't need to be anything other
Than a specialist's son
I don't have to be anyone other
Than the birth of two souls in one
Part of where I'm going, is knowing where I'm coming from

[Chorus:]
I don't want to be
Anything other than what I've been trying to be lately
All I have to do
Is think of me and I have peace of mind
I'm tired of looking 'round rooms
Wondering what I've got to do
Or who I'm supposed to be
I don't want to be anything other than me

I'm surrounded by liars everywhere I turn
I'm surrounded by imposters everywhere I turn
I'm surrounded by identity crisis everywhere I turn
Am I the only one who noticed?
I can't be the only one who's learned!

[Chorus]

Can I have everyone's attention please?
If you're not like this and that, you're gonna have to leave
I came from the mountain
The crust of creation
My whole situation-made from clay to stone
And now I'm telling everybody

[Chorus]

I don't want to be [x4]

This song is an example of good poetry because of its use of figurative language, such as the line "I don't have to be anything other/Than the birth of two souls in one." I especially like this part because it is a creative way of saying he is content with his identity and who he was created to be. One typically wouldn't describe themself as a "birth of two souls in one."

Another example is the line "I'm tired of looking 'round rooms/Wondering what I've got to do/Or who I'm supposed to be." This conveys the message of the song, that he is sick of trying to be somebody else and just wants to be himself, without bluntly stating it. The phrase "looking 'round rooms" creates a visual picture of his fruitless searching, and helps to convey the deeper meaning of the song.

In the third stanza, he uses repetition in the lines, "I'm surrounded by liars everywhere I turn/I'm surrounded by imposters everywhere I turn/I'm surrounded by identity crisis everywhere I turn." By repeating the same basic phrase three times it enforces the fact that everyone around him seems to be living a fake life, and he almost can't find himself in it all. Then he contrasts this hopelessness with the question, "Am I the only one who noticed?/I can't be the only one who's learned!" This contrast makes him stand out against the rest of the world and reveals that he has learned to accept his identity.

Kehinde Wiley

In this painting (right) I think Kehinde Wiley was inspired by the portrait of Napoleon on his white horse (left). His work shows a distinct contrast between the classical background and his subjects, which are dressed in street clothes and don't seem to fit into the surroundings. It is a very interesting juxtaposition between the formal style of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries and modern pop-culture imagery. He puts black men back into a history from which they have typically been excluded from, which I think is his way of making a statement to society.

Banksy

I enjoyed looking at Banksy's work because I think it is incredibly creative and witty. I like them because they are not just decorative pieces but make a statement and have definite meaning behind them. He protests war, mocks the Israeli and Palestinian separation wall, and is not afraid to rebel against authority and put his art wherever he wants.
I think graffiti is definitely art as long as it is done with purpose. Some graffiti artists have a lot of talent and it is simply their way of expressing themselves. Although sometimes its not used in acceptable places, it is art as much as Banksy's pieces are. I think writers and artists use different names so that they can be anonymous, and so people will focus on the work and its meaning, instead of the artist.
Some work needs to be shared with others, while other work should simply be kept to the author or artist. It is beneficial to write just for yourself but its also important to get feedback and share with others.

Photo

I like this photo because of its unique perspective. So often do we pay attention to the plants and pretty flowers on the ground but rarely look up in a forest. This photograph is a reminder that there are a lot of things in the world that have unexpected beauty, however we don't appreciate them simply because we don't take the time to notice them. I especially like the colors and the way the light shines through the leaves of the trees