class songs

“Jimi Thing” by Dave Matthews Band
Euphemism: “Sometimes a Jimi Thing slides my way”
The unfamiliar phrase “Jimi Thing” could be replacing something that society would find offensive or inappropriate.
Imagery: “I’m on my back/ Staring up at the ceiling”
This creates a mental visual image that assists the listener in seeing the world through the eyes of the narrator.
Alliteration consonance: “take a taste”
Ambiguity: “If you could keep me floating”
This could have either literal or figurative meaning. The narrator could be physically floating or just using the word “floating” to describe continuance despite hardships.
Ambiguity: “the end of this tunnel”
This could indicate either a real tunnel or some kind of a challenge that the narrator wants to overcome.

“Free Bird” by Lynard Skynard
Imagery: “There’s too many places I gotta see”
This creates a mental visual picture because the listener is able to imagine a variety of places in the world that the narrator wants to see.
Simile: “I’m as free as a bird now”
The narrator is so free that he is able to compare himself to a free bird.
Alliteration assonance: “leave here”

“Mrs. Robinson” by Simon and Garfunkel
Alliteration consonance: “Sitting… sofa… Sunday”
Hyperbole: “Look around you, all you see are sympathetic eyes”
This could be an exaggeration; even if one sees a lot of sympathetic eyes, there is a very small chance that nothing else is visible.
Allusion: “Joe DiMaggio”
Joe DiMaggio was a baseball player who is still famous today and is being referred to in the song.
Allusion: “Jesus loves you more than you will know”
This refers to not only Jesus Christ himself, but also the song that was written about him, which says, “Jesus loves me, this I know…”
Imagery: “Stroll around the grounds”
This allows the listener to imagine her wandering around, trying to find where she is comfortable.
Personification: “A nation turns its lonely eyes”
Although a nation is composed of individual people, a nation is not one individual person. In a way, it cannot turn its eyes if it is not a person.
Euphemism: “Put it in your pantry with your cupcakes”
This could be considered euphemism because by adding on the prepositional phrase, “with your cupcakes,” the writer makes this line sound more innocent.