Protest Song Analysis

Blowing In the Wind-Bob Dylan:

How many roads[MSS1]  most a man walk down
Before you call him a man?[MSS2] 
How many seas must a white dove sail
Before she sleeps in the sand?[MSS3] Yes, how many times must the cannon balls fly
Before they're forever banned?[MSS4] 
The answer my friend is blowin' in the wind
The answer is blowin' in the wind.[MSS5] 

Yes, how many years can a mountain exist
Before it's washed to the sea?
Yes, how many years can some people exist
Before they're allowed to be free?[MSS6] 
Yes, how many times can a man turn his head
Pretending he just doesn't see?[MSS7] 
The answer my friend is blowin' in the wind
The answer is blowin' in the wind.

Yes, how many times must a man look up
Before he can see the sky?[MSS8] 
Yes, how many ears must one man have
Before he can hear people cry?[MSS9] 
Yes, how many deaths will it take till he knows
That too many people have died?[MSS10] 
The answer my friend is blowin' in the wind
The answer is blowin' in the wind.

Bob Dylan explores many different themes of justice, war, peace and freedom. Throughout the entire song he asks the listeners many rhetorical questions to make them think about the world we live in. It was written in 1962 as a protest against the war and the civil rights movement. I chose this song because it intrigued me, I found it very frustrating but also challenging, because I don’t know the answers to any of them. I think this song is very well-written and is a fantastic protest song, because like what it did to me, it will get the listeners to think. Throughout the song, many literary devices are used:

·         Repetition- “The answer my friend is blowin' in the wind, the answer is blowin' in the wind.” This phrase is repeated many times in the song to get it stuck in your head and it makes a bigger impact. The format is very similar in each verse: a question is asked 3 times.

·         Metaphors- The song uses many metaphors and rhetorical questions, eg: “How many seas must a white dove sail, before she sleeps in the sand?” This is a reference to Noah and the Ark. Noah sent out many doves from the ark and never really knew if they would come back, but he kept sending them out and just hoping they would find land. This is what we should do we never should give up and one day we will find peace and justice (land). Metaphors are used to get the listeners to really think about the song and what is the underlying message.

·         Rhymes- In each verse, rhymes are used to make the song flow and make more sense.

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 [MSS1]Roads all around the world

 [MSS2]What should a man do for his country before people notice?

 [MSS3]Noah sent out many doves from the ark and never really knew if they would come back, but he kept sending them out and just hoping they would find land. This is what we should do we never should give up and one day we will find peace and justice (land).

 [MSS4]How long must the ever-going war go on before people do something about it?

 [MSS5]The wind/air is always there in your face, but you just need to look at it.

 [MSS6]This is a reference to the Civil Rights Movement, black people had little rights.

 [MSS7]We are ignoring the problems of the world.

 [MSS8]It is there, the answer is there but we just aren’t looking.

 [MSS9]People are crying because their family is dying and they can’t do anything about it. We are ignoring the cries of people in need.

 [MSS10]Our people are dying in war, why do we keep this going on?