Melissa Rizzo, Editor in Chief
@mrizzo_courant
In mid-August, Associate Professor of Linguistics at Columbia University, Dr. John McWhorter, published a New York Times article titled “How Hip-Hop Became America’s Poetry,” in which he analyzed the prevalence of poetry in modern-day society. Dr. McWhorter determined that today’s poetry is consumed primarily through music, more specifically in the form of rap, as a result of a long historical relationship between hip-hop songs and poems.
When this conclusion is put into the context of age demographics, high school, and college students emerge as the largest consumers of poetry, given that music listening peaks among older teens and young adults, ages 16-24.
As an avid poetry reader and writer myself, I took a keen interest in expanding on Dr. McWhorter’s observations, facilitating an open dialogue with my peers to investigate their perception of the music they listen to. Would a high school student equate their Spotify playlist to a compilation of poetry? Moreover, are there specific poetic elements within certain songs that resonate particularly with high school students?
The first student I spoke with, senior Isabel Cavanagh, recognizes poetry to be most present in songs centered around love. “This idea of self-reflection is a common theme amongst poets, but also in music where lyricists reflect on their past experiences and actions, mostly in the context of romance,” said Isabel.
“I built a house for love to grow
I was so young that it was hard to know
I’m as lost now as I was back then
Always make a mess of everything
It’s about time that I face myself
All I do is bleed into someone else
Painting walls with all my secret tears
Filling rooms with all my hopes and fears
…
I’ll be the one to catch myself this time
Trying to learn to lean in to it all
Ain’t it funny how the mighty fall?
Looking back I don’t regret a thing
Yeah, I took some bad turns that I am owning
I’ll stand still and let the storm pass by
Keep my heart safe ’til the time feels”
– “To Be Loved” by Adele
Isabel offered “To Be Loved” as one of her favorite examples of lyrics that embrace poetry and evoke emotion. “Adele’s personal reflection, raw vulnerability, and selective word choice result in a piece that uses key elements, such as symbolism and description, to resonate with her audience,” Isabel said.
Poetry, Isabel notes, is often created with that same purpose: to establish an emotional connection with an audience. “Poetry has always been a way to communicate feelings, and I think music does the same. Both poetry and lyrics have strong emotional impacts on their audience, so I would definitely consider them interchangeable in many respects,” said Isabel.
Senior Eva Campbell also notes strong connections between poetry and music. “Each of my favorite songs contains a central theme or message, which is also quite common in poetry,” said Eva.
“Sometimes in our lives
We all have pain, we all have sorrow
But if we are wise
We know that there’s always tomorrow
Lean on me when you’re not strong
And I’ll be your friend,
I’ll help you carry on
For it won’t be long
‘Til I’m gonna need somebody to lean on
Please, swallow your pride
If I have things you need to borrow
For no one can fill those of your needs
That you won’t let show
You just call on me, brother, when you need a hand We all need somebody to lean on
I just might have a problem that you’ll understand We all need somebody to lean on.”
– “Lean on Me” by Sandra Reaves-Phillips
Eva finds “Lean on Me” to be particularly impactful on her perception of friendship and asking for help. “‘Lean on Me’ is one of my favorite songs since it highlights the real importance of having someone to count on,” Eva said.
This message, Eva says, is conveyed through the song’s literary elements. “The strong thematic principle in ‘Lean on Me’ is delivered through its poetic qualities such as rhythm and repetition. As a result, this song lent itself quite excellently to Morgan Freeman’s Lean on Me,” said Eva.
To Eva, this song is not only a vehicle to reinforce the messages of kindness, friendship, and support presented in the movie “Lean on Me,” but it is also a constant reminder of those values in her day-to-day life. “The movie ‘Lean on Me’ is not only a depiction of a groundbreaking time for African Americans, but it also tells the story of Joe Clark, a man who saved thousands of black students from drugs and crime, remaining a pillar of support for the African American community, as the song describes,” Eva said.
Students are also drawn to songs that evoke specific emotional responses. Senior Lily Auerbach often listens to music for motivational purposes. “One of my favorite songs is ‘Uncharted’ by Sara Bareilles since it is all about taking a leap into the unknown. The motivational effect it has on me demonstrates the song’s poetic elements, as both poets and lyricists usually have emotional or inspirational impacts on their audience,” said Lily.
“Just me in a room sunk down in a house in a town
And I don’t breathe
No, I never meant to let it get away from me
No, I’m too much to hold
Everybody has to get their hands on gold
And I want uncharted”
– “Uncharted” by Sara Bareilles
Once again, it’s the poetic devices within this song that speak to listeners. “The juxtaposition between the very word ‘uncharted’ and feelings of constriction or suffocation creates a sense of hope. This conveys the idea that everyone has the ability to break free from anything that might be holding them down,” said Lily.
So, overall, while it’s not safe to say that every high school student is a poetry connoisseur, I think it’s clear that several teenagers do recognize the poetic effects of music. Whether students listen to a song for the purposes of self-reflection, ideological inspiration, or motivation, the poetic elements in music are key vehicles that not only facilitate an artist’s self-expression, but also establish connections between the lyrics and their audience. As a result, certain songs can act just like well-written poems: stimulating teenagers both intellectually and emotionally.
Even though society can sometimes undervalue poetry, it seems to almost secretly remain particularly alive among teenagers, and that’s largely thanks to music.
