Free Essay with Poem and Song Comparison

The song "No scars to your beautiful" was composed by Alessia Caracciolo, Andrew Wansel, Warren Felder and Coleridge Tillman. It was recorded as part of Alessia's debut album. On the other hand, the poem "accepting the difference" was written by Audrey Heller. This paper presents a comparison between the song and the poem. Specifically, it explores the primary elements such as theme, structure, figurative language and literary devices.

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The song portrays the theme of self-love. The theme is the central idea of a literary work and is different from the subject. From the outset, the author paints the picture of a woman who desires beauty and affirmation. There is, however, hope that waits for her in the midst of the darkness. The songwriter emphasises the theme when she explains that there is no better person than the self and no better life than the current life. The author aims to persuade the hearer that she is beautiful and without any scar. By just reading aloud the lyrics without even listening to the song one immediately feels a sense of self-acceptance.

The predominant theme of the poem, on the other hand, is tolerance. The author explains the need to accept other people's viewpoints. Also, she highlights the dangers of displaying a judgemental attitude towards others (Heller 1). The title of the work beautifully summarises the theme. There is an essential relationship between the topic and the theme of the poem. In many literary pieces, the subject is often different from the theme. However, in Audrey's work, the title "accepting the differences" logically relates to the theme of tolerance. There is a similarity in the themes of the song and the poem as both express acceptance. The one depicts acceptance of the self while the other portrays the acceptance of other people's opinions.

The structure of a literary work helps significantly in conveying the message intended to buy the authors. Rhyme is an important aspect of composition in poems (Kisak 38). The author uses rhyme appropriately in her work to convey a sense of movement. For instance, the first and second lines end with similar sounding words "you" and "through." Likewise, the third and fourth lines end with the words "round" and "sound" which have similar phonology. Except for the first verse, the song mainly employs consonance. In the song, the music provides part of the rhythm which explains the absence of a conspicuous rhyme structure.

The poem is a lyrical kind because it is short and boldly expresses the author's opinion concerning prejudice (Kisak 41).It does not have particular structure regarding sentence arrangement. The song, on the contrary, has a clear pattern of stanza and chorus. The verse-chorus-bridge method creates musical appeal that stimulates enjoyment to the hearer.

The use of linguistic devices is common in songs and poems. Tools such as metaphors, personification and similes expand the creative space for poets and lyricists (McGuigan 10). For instance, the song uses a metaphor by comparing beauty to pain. The writer also personifies hope by stating that hope is "waiting." Hope is a positive virtue and would normally be associated with light. However, the composer depicts hope to be waiting in the dark. This creates an image of dramatic irony. Nonetheless, it is possible to have hope in a negative situation. The writer possibly uses this irony to show that hope is not a product of safety and comfort but can only arise from desperate circumstances.

The poet uses imagery to emphasise the theme of tolerance. She describes the "differences" as "solid and sound." In this context, term solid could symbolise necessity and validity of the differences. Logically, the need for differences would create a necessity for the willingness to accept those differences. Both the song and the poem display effective use of imagery to create aesthetic interest in their works.

Another important aspect of the song is repetition. In the bridge of the song, some voices mimic the singer. The repetition helps to reinforce the theme and create a rhythmic flow (McGuigan 12). The line "oh-oh..." is also repeated to build a musical suspense as the listener waits for the next sentence. The chorus is also replicated to enhance the structure of the song. The spoken narrations also enhance variety and suspense.

An allusion is also portrayed in the poem. In the third line, the author alludes to the going round of the world. She alludes an expression that is well-known and applied extensively in everyday speech. Secondly, the phrase portrays symbolism. Evidently, the author does not mean the physical movement of the earth around the orbit. She implies that tolerance fosters peaceful coexistence and enhances freedom. When people are free to move and conduct their businesses, the world "goes around."

Conclusion

The song and the poem both exhibit creative use of stylistic devices to communicate the authors' intentions. The choice of style often depends on the mood and thematic considerations of the work as well as the strategy of the author. Both authors have used the devices to convey the theme of their works. Language techniques such as metaphors and imagery as well as symbolism are also evident in both works. There are however some differences in the structure of the literary pieces. Notably, the song uses a structured pattern whereas the poem has no distinct structure.

Works Cited

Heller, Audrey. Poem Hunter. 13 October 2008. web. 19 March 2018.

Kisak, Paul F. Literary devices: all writers should know. Philadelphia: Createspace Independent Publishing Platform, 2015. web.

McGuigan, Brendan. Rhetorical devices. New Jersey: Prestwick House Inc, 2011. Print.