Is Music Poetry?

Many may not think of it but the lyrics to a song are poems. Some songs are bad poems and others are works of art but regardless if there is some structure, rhythm and rhyme to the words it may just be a poem.

Which Song Do I think is poetry: "Speechless" by Lady Gaga

When someone mentions Lady Gaga their usual reaction is, "That weirdo that sings about sex all the time?". I don't usually think this because when I hear Lady Gaga I think of ingenuity. I think this in particular when hearing her song "Speechless". This song is both amazing when sung by Lady Gaga and read. Her songs usually have double meanings one being a provative message and the other deeper meaning is usually a message meant to inspire. This song in particular may sound or read like she is talking about an ex-boyfriend and how he broke her heart but really is about her father, his heart condition and his journey to wellness. She wrote this song when her father had a heartattack and had to have open heart surgery in order to survive. In this song, when you know the true meaning, you can feel her sorrow and love for her father and her pleading for him to realize his importance to her. She expresses this when she sings,"I'll never talk again and I'll never love again/ I'll never write a song, won't even sing along/I'll never love again, so speechless/You left me speechless, so speechless". By reading this song you can see that Lady Gaga not only has a talent for entertainment but a talent for poetic words too.

Lyrics: http://www.metrolyrics.com/speechless-lyrics-lady-gaga.html

Which Song Do I Not Think Is Poetry: "Party in the USA" by Miley Cyrus

Miley Cyrus may be an idol for preteen girls but she and her music does not fool me. Her songs usually have no meaning and are meant for dancing or is just a catchy tune. Her song "Party in the USA" is the very definition of the previous sentence. It is a song that is all about her, how she doesn't fit in and just dances her butterflies away. It makes no sense and is just a song you can dance to with words that give you something to sing along to. You can see this when she sings, "So I put my hands up, their playin' my song/And now I'm going to be okay/Yeah! Its a party in the USA!/Its a party in the USA!. All of these words are just words and have no feeling or inspiring message to it other than get up and dance. This song, in my book, is not poetry and I can not understand why it is so popular.

Lyrics: http://www.metrolyrics.com/party-in-the-usa-lyrics-miley-cyrus.html

Now to Talk about Rap Music
#1 Is Rap/Hip Hop music a poetic expression?

Yes and No. Yes because true rap music has feeling and talks about real events in life. The lyrics are usually harsh and unforgiving but the message gets to you and you just get it. No because some rap songs like "In Da Club" by 50 cent make no sense and are all about drinking and girls.

#2 What literary characteristic or poetic terms does this music express?

Rhythm and Rhyme

#3 What type of critic are you?

Thematic Critic. Music is important to me and I'm always trying to figure out the meaining behind certain songs. I'm always the one to figure out the songs second meaining when other people just sing the song and not think about it.