The Lyric Based Approach

Objectives:
  • Students will analyze song lyrics for literary devices.
  • Students will compose original song lyrics related to the theme “Nature vs. Urban Life,” applying appropriate literary devices where applicable.
  • Students will utilize creative and analytical abilities as they experience writing the verses of a song as a literary art form.

Common Core Standards:
  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.9-10.4
    • Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in the text, including figurative and connotative meanings; analyze the cumulative impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone.
Materials:

Journal Timed Freewrite:
  • If time permits these timed freewrites can start each class, and create a rhythm to the beginning of each session, along with developing the craft of journaling as an integral process of generating, fostering, and capturing inspired thoughts and ideas.
  • Prompt: Consult the “Ecology Facts and Journal Prompts” handout to chose a topic for this class.



Vocabulary:
  • Literary device: A creative method used by an author to convey a message. Ex. Synonym
  • Verse: Group of lines in a song that usually establish the meter and tell the song’s story.
  • Prechorus: Suspenseful part of a song that comes after a verse and before the chorus.

Lyric Based Approach Introduction:
  • The approaches that artists have used throughout the history of song writing  are just as unique as the finished products they’ve left behind. For many, the process started with lyrical composition. Telling the story took precedence over the music for them. Bob Dylan, renowned singer/song-writer, is one such example. What distinguished Dylan from others was his careful, intentional use of words to convey his ideas. He understood that the lyrics of a song must communicate with immediacy, clarity and focused impact. Unlike written words on a page, he knew his lyrics would be judged at first sound, as an aural experience. Look no further than the plethora of literary devices he infused into his songs to fully grasp the value he placed on the lyrical first impressions he would make on his fans:
  • “I wish that for just one time you could stand inside my shoes/ You’d know what a drag it is to see you.”
  • “How does it feel to be without a home, like a complete unknown, like a rolling stone?

Activities:
  • Teacher will organize students into small groups or allow them to work alone, distributing the following materials to each group: “Songwriting Checklist,” “Literary Device Worksheet,” and the “Rhyming Worksheet.” (Lyric Based Approach Handouts).
  • Teacher will play at least one of the song examples provided on the “Figure of Speech Worksheet,” asking groups to determine which literary device is being employed. Next, groups will be given time to figure out the remaining examples from the Literary Device Worksheet#1.
  • Teacher will review the steps of the songwriting checklist, advising students to use the checklist as a guide as they compose their lyrics.
  • Students will complete the “Rhyming Worksheet” (in pencil) as a rough draft to a verse and pre-chorus to their song. The main focus is that students begin to think about rhyming words and a syllable count for each sentence. A title can come at the beginning or end of the lesson. *Students should be reminded that the worksheet is only an organizational tool and that the form of their song is subject to change later in the process. Lastly, they may use the back of the worksheet or additional paper for additional lyrics.

Homework/Extensions:
  • Students will peruse the lyrics to their favorite songs, looking for examples of literary devices.
    • Have students find TWO uses of literary devices in their favorite songs. Write them in their journals, to be shared the following class.
  • In 1967, Bob Dylan produced lyrics at such a prolific rate that the music was almost always an afterthought. As evidenced in the new documentary Lost Songs: The Basement Tapes Continued, some of the music wasn’t conceived until over four decades later (Dylan gave permission to a modern songwriting team to add music to his forgotten lyrics). In a letter to Bob Dylan, students will either criticize or defend the project. In their writing samples, students should include a claim and a counter-claim for their stance. Students may use the following links to aid them in their research: