Like a rolling stone as lyrical poetry

Bob Dylans Like a rolling stone is an example of lyrical poetry. The following points
prove that this song fulfills the characteristics for lyrical poetry. To begin with, it has a unique
style. It has human experience. Thirdly, it transmits the feelings of the author and the subject
regarding the whole situation.

Throughout the song, it can be observed that a certain style is embedded into it. It has a
repetition in the chorus with the verse How does it feel? The song uses a rhythm (beat) to give
emphasis to the main word or words in each line. Also, the song contains a lot of figurative
language. For example, when, he uses the phrase get your kicks for you, to describe how
people would make her happy rather than her making herself happy.

Human experience is the most abundant characteristic that the song has. Bob describes
the experiences of a person struggling with their addiction to fame. He talks about how the
person was making mistakes and being oblivious while continuing on their fantasy. One thing
that pops out the most is how he advises the subject and contrasts how everything changed
because the advices werent followed.

Bob describes how the feelings of the subject change after fame left her. One example of
the emotions that the subject goes through according to Bob is loneliness and humiliation. He
calls her Miss Lonely and tells her that now she doesnt feel so proud. Before the fall, she used
laugh and talk loud but afterwards her mood drops completely. When Bob asks her How does it
feel?, he reinforces the feelings she has because whenever he says it, he starts describing what
her answer must be.

In conclusion, all the points mention before prove that Like a rolling stone is indeed
lyrical poetry. It uses figurative language, a rhythm and repetition to deliver the message. Said
message is filled with human experience so that it can have an impact on the listener. Finally, the
message when delivered, provokes a feeling that would vary from person to person according to
their opinion regarding the fate of the subject.
LIKE A ROLLING STONE, MORE THAN
JUST A SONG?
Like a Rolling Stone was released on July 20, 1965 by
artist and songwriter Bob Dylan. This song was so
acclaimed by the public that, decades later, it was inscribed
as one of the 100 best songs of all time. Along with his song,
Bob has received several recognitions. His biggest award, in
my opinion, is the Nobel Prize for Literature. He became the
very first singer to win this award.
With the above statements, I can move on to emphasize what I believe is most
important: Bob Dylan's legacy and his song's importance. There is no question that
Bob was important to music history, but what did the song mean to him? And most
importantly, what did it mean for the history of music?
Regarding the first question, we know already that artists are troubled souls. This
lets us believe that the song is more than just that. It is therapy for him. It is said
that the song was written about his intimate friend Edie Sedgwick and her struggle
with fame. Even Bob Dylan doesn't know what the song is about (he said so). This
means it came from his heart. It came as an expression of his feelings. The song
helped him lessen his burden.
For the second question, we can find the answer lying in his legacy. He was one of
the first to introduce 6 minute songs to the radio. He inspired artists such as Bruce
Springsteen, Jimi Hendrix, among others. He even, as previously mentioned, won
the Nobel Prize.
I sincerely believe Bob Dylan has been and will always be one of the best and most
important artists in music history, regardless of the genre. To wrap everything up, I
will paraphrase what the Swedish committee said about him, 'He deserves to be
remembered next to the Greek poets, next to the Romantics, next to the bards that
started what we know as poetry, just because he revolutionized it.'.
 What I have learned

Sincerely, after this activity, I learned that art can be deceiving. What looks like a song
might not only be just a song. In the case of Like a rolling stone, I got to know that troubled
souls look for ways to express themselves. Sometimes, these expressions come out as beautiful
representations of human experiences. I also learned from the song, that doesnt matter how or
where you got in life, you should always value what you have and be humble. Finally, this
activity opened my mind into a new level of understanding regarding whats around me. As I
said before, not everything is the same as it looks and it is up to us to understand the meaning
behind the words. It is up to us to read between the lines.
 "Like A Rolling Stone"

Once upon a time you dressed so fine

You threw the bums a dime in your prime, didn't you?
People'd call, say, "Beware doll, you're bound to fall."
You thought they were all kiddin' you
You used to laugh about
Everybody that was hangin' out
Now you don't talk so loud
Now you don't seem so proud
About having to be scrounging for your next meal.

How does it feel?

How does it feel
To be without a home
Like a complete unknown
Like a rolling stone?

You've gone to the finest school all right, Miss Lonely

But you know you only used to get juiced in it
And nobody's ever taught you how to live out on the street
And now you're gonna have to get used to it
You said you'd never compromise
With the mystery tramp, but now you realize
He's not selling any alibis
As you stare into the vacuum of his eyes
And say do you want to make a deal?

How does it feel?

How does it feel
To be on your own
With no direction home
A complete unknown
Like a rolling stone?

You never turned around to see the frowns on the jugglers and the clowns
When they all come down and did tricks for you
You never understood that it ain't no good
You shouldn't let other people get your kicks for you
You used to ride on the chrome horse with your diplomat
Who carried on his shoulder a Siamese cat
Ain't it hard when you discover that
He really wasn't where it's at
After he took from you everything he could steal.

How does it feel?

How does it feel
To be on your own
With no direction home
Like a complete unknown
Like a rolling stone?

Princess on the steeple and all the pretty people

They're all drinkin', thinkin' that they got it made
Exchanging all precious gifts
But you'd better take your diamond ring, you'd better pawn it babe
You used to be so amused
At Napoleon in rags and the language that he used
Go to him now, he calls you, you can't refuse
When you ain't got nothing, you got nothing to lose
You're invisible now, you got no secrets to conceal.

How does it feel

How does it feel
To be on your own
With no direction home
Like a complete unknown
Like a rolling stone?