using good music to teach English poetry

[tim]

I am teaching a high school English class, grade 11. Because I'm not an English major or a lit snob, I'm not really interested in dwelling on old poems out of a textbook. I'd rather have some fun with poetry and use some good music to teach it. I'm sure the kids would enjoy that a lot more too.

If you ever listened to a song and looked at some lyrics, and thought "man, my English teacher should have showed us this song to teach us X (metaphor, personification, simile, paradox, oxymoron, hyperbole, meter, symbolism, alliteration, assonance, consonance, and so on...) then let me know about it. I'm slowly combing through all my music looking for ideas, but if anything comes to mind please share.

Regular school common sense applies. I can't use anything with foul language.

So far I am using a bit of Paul Westerberg, Motion City Soundtrack, Death Cab For Cutie, Weakerthans, Loved Ones, and so on.

[mediocore]

Our teacher used "The Ghost Of Tom Joad" (Bruce Springsteen; there's a RATM version too) when we were reading The Grapes Of Wrath. The song's set in the mid-1990s and compares that time to the Dust Bowl era of the '30s.

[Guest markovianprocess]

In general I've found that reading through Bad Religion lyrics has given me a better grasp of the English language. The song Stranger Than Fiction has great lyrics, but I'm not sure if the line "giving head for crack" would really pass at a school. Definitely a band to consider though, even if it just means extending your class' vocabulary.

http://www.lyricsfreak.com/b/bad+religion/stranger+than+fiction_20011989.html

http://www.lyricsfreak.com/b/bad+religion/i+want+to+conquer+the+world_20011924.html

[Guest afsdan]

Our teacher used "The Ghost Of Tom Joad" (Bruce Springsteen; there's a RATM version too) when we were reading The Grapes Of Wrath. The song's set in the mid-1990s and compares that time to the Dust Bowl era of the '30s.

where'd you go to school? my english teacher did the same thing.

[murakami]

some of the stuff from Fevers and Mirrors by Bright Eyes i always thought had more poetic elements than most other songs....at least that i noticed.

[lonesomexloveus]

^^ agreed

also, thrice uses an e.e. cummings poem in 'a living dance upon dead minds'.

[riddle350]

I always thought Give Up The Ghost had such good poetic lyrics. Especialy the song "Farewell"

[rtw88]

The first thing that came to mind mind were the Weakerthans. There's a band called Christians and Lions that is totally appropriate and I believe that the singer is/has a masters in English. Neutral Milk Hotel would be another good one. Maybe Owen too, although he says 'fuck' in a lot of his songs.

You could also have you students pick a song of their choice and have them identify x amount of the things that you listed in that song.

As far as thrice goes, I'm pretty sure The Red Death off Illusion of Safety is also based on a poem by Poe.

[flicker]

DESTROYER.

seriously. you cant get much more 'lit major' than that.

http://www.deftone.com/destroyer/index.php?title=Rubies

http://www.deftone.com/destroyer/index.php?title=The_Bad_Arts

[xlovecolouredx]

for grade 11th chinese students ?

i suggest you use some joy division.

ian curtis is a natural born poetry....

[controlthebleeding]

I always thought Crooked Fingers (no matter how depressing) is pretty poetic. Maybe i'm wrong.

[smailtronic]

As far as thrice goes, I'm pretty sure The Red Death off Illusion of Safety is also based on a poem by Poe.

For our final paper in one of my college English comp classes, we had to pick ~8 non-literary things (movies, music, art) and write about their literary aspects. I used The Red Death and The Abolition of Man as two of my pieces.

[mediocore]

Our teacher used "The Ghost Of Tom Joad" (Bruce Springsteen; there's a RATM version too) when we were reading The Grapes Of Wrath. The song's set in the mid-1990s and compares that time to the Dust Bowl era of the '30s.

where'd you go to school? my english teacher did the same thing.

A small private school in Southern California (just moved to Denver a few months ago).

[riddle350]

Gatsbys American Dream have tons of literary references in their songs.

[adammuzzy]

every year in high school, the last day before april break, we'd do an english switch day kinda thing where instead of our english class we'd go to another english teachers class where'd they do a special lesson/fun activity.

i always picked to go to this dude mr. rea's. he was actually in the dropkick murphys i guess before they were named that / were big.

his activity was recognizing music as poetry and between the few years i went to it he played songs by the lawrence arms, the pogues, bright eyes, the weakerthans, alkaline trio, and a shit ton of other good bands.

[stranaspank]

Hold Steady is practically spoken word poetry, chock full of literary allusions and metaphor.

Also, Andrew W.K. He wrote a lot deeply symbolic songs (about partying).

[Guest kissthesharks]

2 Live Crew.

[enjoyadrian]

bright eyes, cursive/the good life

[Guest kissthesharks]

bright eyes, cursive/the good life

When he says bright eyes, cursive/the good life, he really means 2 Live Crew.

[tim]

I like the Hold Steady suggestion a lot.

Thanks guys.

I also want to find a good Springsteen song for this.

And yes this is for students in China. That means that anything too lit major-y will go over their heads. I'm trying to go simple and memorable. The good side of this is they are generally really interested and eager when it comes to foreign stuff. It will be something new and cool to them, because they are not like asshole teenagers in the west who think everything is "gay" or "retarded."

[Guest]

Fugazi is a good one. I wrote a whole paper on Waiting Room once.

[mcm1610]

If you don't mind swearing, Every Time I Die's lyrics often are solid. Lots of allusion and other shit.. dude went to school for English. Plus most of the songs are way open to interpretation because they are sarcastic and not-concrete.