Tone Analysis- dramatic irony in "Paradise" by "Coldplay"

Through the use of a dramatically ironic tone in “Paradise,” Cold Play utilizes dismal hyperbole, employs disheartening figurative language, and contrasts slumbering imagery to tell the story of a girl whose dreams far surpassed her reality, “so she ran away in her sleep.”

            Throughout the song, there are instances of dismal hyperbole that help to further intensify the dramatically ironic tone. “She expected the world,” “dreamed of paradise…every time she closed her eyes,” and “every tear a waterfall” consist of “Paradise’s” hyperboles. “When she was just a girl, she expected the world” causes the effect of her running away in her dreams to escape reality to have more of an impact and evoke more emotion, as the innocent young girl expected far more than reality could actually grant her. Following suit, “dreamed of paradise…every time she closed her eyes” alludes to the girl’s strong desire to constantly escape to her dream filled paradise, which she can only escape to while she sleeps. By exaggerating and saying that every single time she closes her eyes she will go to this paradise, Coldplay is able to stress the girl’s distaste in reality and her desire to escape. As the young girl is unable to make this dreamscape a reality, she becomes disheartened every time she awakes. Showing this, “Life goes on, it gets so heavy…every tear a waterfall” portrays the burdens of her reality that depress and discourage her, causing her to cry. By stating that every tear is a waterfall, the narrator is able to stress just how saddened this child is by the life she is living. By employing dismal hyperbole, the dramatically ironic tone is able to be enhanced by the exaggerations of the child’s desire to escape reality and her depression of the life she is living.

            Following suit, the disheartening figurative language that presents itself throughout the song causes the dramatically ironic tone to evoke more emotion from its audience and further intensify its meaning. The narrator objectifies the girl’s life so that he is able to show the physical effects that these intangible aspects have. “Life goes on, it gets so heavy” allows the concept of life to become like a burdening object that weighs down on the girl, further showing how her life is nothing like her paradise dreamscape, and how it burdens her every time she is forced to wake up from her dreams. She does not enjoy the life she has, and it is nothing like she expected, but the dramatic and tragic irony of the situation is that she is able to obtain what she wants, but only while she slumbers. Following suit, the narrator utilizes personification to show the dreams and desires of the girl. “When she was just a girl, she expected the world but it flew away from her reach so she ran away in her sleep” personifies the dreams of the child, and is able to further enhance the irony of the situation by allowing her dreams to “fly away” from her until they are entirely out of her reach, but once again, she can reach these expectations in her dreams. Due to her ability to reach these expectations in her dreams, but not in reality, the ironic tone is further enhanced.

            Alongside hyperbole and figurative language, the narrator contrasts slumber-like imagery to a “stormy night” to enhance the tone and show the contrasting relationship between her reality and dreams. While the girl slumbers, she is able to achieve all of her hopes and far surpass her expectations, but in reality, she can never do this. To enhance this relationship, the narrator creates a stormy, dark night in which the narrator sleeps and escapes to her paradise. “In the night the stormy night she’ll close her eyes in the night the stormy night away she’d fly,” and “lying underneath these stormy skies” paints the vivid landscape of a turbulent, dark night that conflicts with the internal paradise of the girl, showing the conflictions of her fantasy and reality. Through this use of imagery, the narrator is able to create an atmosphere that visually compares the fantasy and reality of the girl. This enhances the dramatically ironic tone as well, as it is able to show how everything is pleasant in her dream-world, but reality awaits when she wakes up with the “stormy skies” and unpleasant truths.

            Through the use of a dramatically ironic tone, the narrator is able to tell the story of a girl whose dreams far surpassed her undesirable reality. She is unable to reach her goals and expectations in real life, but she is able to live in them while she sleeps.  As her dreams are the only place that she can be truly happy, so when the sun in reality sets, the sun in her dreamscape rises, and so lying underneath those stormy skies, she knows the sun must set to rise.

Irony in Alternative Rock- "Teenagers" analysis

Nicole Miller

Irony in Alternative Rock- “Teenagers” by My Chemical Romance

            Contrasting the stereotype of teenagers to the ludicrous idea of fearing them, in the song “Teenagers,” the band “My Chemical Romance” utilizes an interesting rhyme scheme, an ironic tone, and personal points of view to portray the absurd phobia of teenagers.

            Throughout the song “Teenagers,” an enrapturing rhyme scheme is present in nearly every single line. The last words of each line rhyme with each other to produce an aabb scheme. The repetitive rhyming allows the song to flow more smoothly and provide a rhythm for when the song is sung. For instance, “They’re gunna clean up your looks, with all the lies in the books to make a citizen out of you” and “the boys and girls in the click, the awful names that will stick, you’re never gunna fit in much kid” flows smoothly and with a steady beat, allowing the song to have more of an impact when it is sung. As the repetitive rhythm causes the song to be more enjoyable and flow easier, it allows for the song to be more memorable. By becoming more memorable and enjoyable, the song is able to evoke more emotion from the listeners, and allows the meaning of the song to have more of an impact.

            Following suit, the ironic tone throughout the song allows the audience to realize how ludicrous it is to fear a specific age group. The band mocks themselves throughout the song, characterizing themselves as people fearful of “teenagers.” Instances of mockery and irony include “they’re gunna clean up your looks with all work they gunna give you a smirk,” “teenagers scare the living sh!t out of me, they could care less as long as someone’ll bleed, so darken your clothes or strike a violent pose, Maybe they’ll leave you alone, but not me!” These instances point out some of the fears that people supposedly have regarding teenagers, characterizing them as a whole. The fears include that they will lie through their teeth, that they carry weapons at all times, do drugs, and are excessively violent. They would do anything to get what they want, and the only way to stop them is to blend in or become violent yourself. The fear of one specific age group is ridiculous, and to classify all teenagers as villainous blood-shedders is absurd. Just because some individuals of a certain age may be profiled as such does not mean that the group as a whole all share the same malicious characteristics. Through exaggeration and irony, My Chemical Romance is able to portray how nonsensical it is to judge a whole group of people by a few outlying individuals.

            Along with ironic examples and hyperbole, the use of personal points of view allow for the listener to be more connected to the song, and therefor more emotion may be evoked from its meaning. Throughout the song, both the first and second points of view are used. The second person point of view draws the listener into the song by directing actions towards them, such as “so darken your clothes or strike a violent pose,” “but if you’re troubled and hurt, what you got under your shirt we’ll make them pay for the things that they did,” and “maybe they’ll leave you alone, but not me.” The lyrics characterize the listeners as a teenager themselves, causing them to be the victims of this prejudice, and further understand how it is wrong to characterize an entire population based on a few outlying individuals. Following suit, the narrator forces himself into the persona of another teenager, causing a sort for the things that they did” utilizes both the first and second person point of view, as the listeners and narrator are forced into the victims of “teenage malicious.” By using personal points of view and forcing the listeners into the song and actions within it, the messages within the song carry a deeper meaning and cause the listeners to further understand how it is wrong to carry prejudice.

            As the listeners are forced into the persona of a teenage victim, they are forced to feel the effects of prejudice. This allows them to understand how it is wrong, and to act against carrying prejudice in the future. Regardless that a few teenagers rest outside the norm, the majority of teenagers could care less about violence and revenge, and are therefor not “another cog in the murder machine.”

Little Green Analysis

Nicole Miller

                                                “Little Green” analysis

           

Shifting from the description of a child to the loss of parenthood, Jodi Mitchell in “Little Green” utilizes naturalistic imagery, objective points of view, and a hopeful tone to show that good things can come of bad beginnings.

Through her use of naturalistic imagery, Joni is able to further convey her ideal that sorrow will present itself on occasion, regardless of the circumstances. When Joni utilizes naturalistic imagery, she is describing a scene in nature to the point where the listener is able to picture the scene in their head. Some instances of this imagery is “like the color when spring is born,” “there’ll be crocuses to bring to school tomorrow,” and “like the nights when the Northern lights preform, there’ll be icicles and birthday clothes tomorrow.” In all of these instances of imagery, some aspect of nature is shown. For instance, “like the color when spring is born” evokes the images of bright, vibrant colors and green grass filled with flowers, images that are typically associated with spring. Also, crocuses are flowers that emerge in the spring, further emphasizing the verdant nature of spring. Spring follows after the cold of winter, and begins with torrential rain. Through enduring the bad beginning of winter and drowning rain, the life and fresh start of spring can be enjoyed. Following suit, “like the nights when the Northern lights preform, there’ll be icicles and birthday clothes tomorrow” brings about the internal pictures of cold, snow-covered landscapes and green, vibrant lights. The Northern lights show across the North Pole region, where the landscape consists of a snow-tundra and bright, starry nights. The North Pole is frigid and desolate all year long, but the beauty of the Northern lights and starry nights can only be enjoyed in this region through enduring the cold long days. The aspect of birthday clothes follows along with the winter-like imagery because winter is about starting anew, and birthdays are about entering another stage in life, essentially starting fresh as well. Through enduring the struggles of the past year, one can start fresh when another comes along. Within these naturalistic instances of imagery, a hard start and struggle leads to the enjoyment of the spoils that follow.

Joni only utilizes objective points of view, avoiding first person point of view to keep her emotions out of the picture. She suffered through hardships that resulted in the birth of her daughter, and does not want her emotions within this time to alter her telling of “Little Green’s” story. She speaks from both the second and third perspective, but never allows herself to tell her own story. Instances of Joni using the second person perspective include “call her green,” “choose her a name,” “so you write him a letter,” weary of lies you are sending home,” “so you sign the papers,” and “you’re sad and you’re sorry but you’re not ashamed.” By directing the actions at her listeners and speaking as though her actions were committed by the audience, she successfully utilizes the second point of view. She tells her audience to “call her,” and “choose her a name,” as well as stating actions that the audience preformed, like “ you write,” you are sending,” and “you sign.” This way, Joni is able to tell the story by acting as though the audience is herself, and remaining able to be objective through using her audience as a median. Through directing her actions at her audience, Joni is able to remove herself and her emotions from the song. Joni also uses third person point of view to avoid letting her emotions taint her story-telling. Examples include “he went,” “he sends” and “child with a child.” The actions stated are performed by a man and a child, thus allowing the story to be told by others rather than Joni. By using the bystander point of view as well as the third person perspective, she is able to avoid making the song more personal, and able to take on the role of an objective story teller.

            The hopeful mood of the song also assists in her portrayal of the idea that good things can happen through tough beginnings. Hopeful, in and of itself, is the hope that something good will come of a bad situation. It happens in the face of hardship, and can evolve into good fortune. The use of a hopeful tone allows the listener to believe that something good is to come, and that the struggles of Joni’s life can result in something good for her child. Instances of particularly hopeful lines in the song include “be a gypsy dancer,” and “have a happy ending.” A gypsy is a person who is extremely free spirited, and lives their life exactly the way that they wish to. By wishing that her child is a gypsy dancer, Joni wishes that the child follows her dreams. Following suit, by wishing that she lives a happy ending, Joni hopes that she lives a good life and does not let the sorrow that occasionally occurs affect her from enjoying her life. Through the sadness of giving her child up for adoption, Little Green is able to live a far better life than she would have been able to with Joni and her limited recourses. Although she was given up, she was able to reunite with her parents and have a happy life. Through instilling hope into her song whilst telling the story of a struggle, she is able to allude to the theme that good things can come about from bad beginnings.

Throughout the song, the theme of fortune coming from struggles presents itself. Little Green was born under stressful conditions, but was able to grow up and lead a happy life, as well as be reunited with her parents. From Joni’s experiences, listeners can learn how they should not lose hope in the face of hardships, “regardless that “sometimes there’ll be sorrow,” as good things can come out of the worst situations.