Pub #4 - "Embracing Change And Self-Discovery"

“Embracing Change And Self-Discovery”

            Change is an inevitable part of life, and as people grow, their perspectives and beliefs can change as well. However, not everyone is accepting of these changes, and society can often be repelling to these people who strayed from the “norm”. One song that tackles this topic is by a music artist who goes by the name of Steve Lacy, with a song called “That’s No Fun.” In this song, the first few lines start off by saying, “Hey Steve man, you-you've changed man. Me? I changed? I don't know you're just, you're just different. Like, you're not the same Steve that I knew. I'm not gonna be the same Steve that you knew. That was, five years ago.” These first few lines are a dialogue of what Steve has been told before when it comes to his self-discovery. Due to this, he has suffered from people close to him being repulsive. From just the first few lines, we can see that it is much more than just a song, it is a work of poetry that speaks to people about staying true to yourself even if people won’t agree. There are also other famous, well-known poets that have felt the same way when it came to their own self-discovery.

            One poem that stands out is by Robert Frost called “The Road Not Taken.” This piece of work is filled with metaphors, and it all represents a change in himself. The first two lines of the poem start off with, “Two roads diverged in a yellow wood, And sorry I could not travel both.” This is a metaphor with the two roads representing which direction he could’ve taken with his changes, one of these roads being what society considers the “norm,” and the other being true to oneself, regardless of whether it is against the grains of society or not. Robert Frost gives a strong and powerful implication to this topic, even if it isn’t direct, which tackles the same idea that Steve Lacy was going for in his song “That’s No Fun.” Not only that, but Steve also uses metaphors in his song, “When I say change, I mean evolve, All my old friends they just dissolve.” Steve is implying that his old friends who can’t change are simply drying out and reaching a dead end in life. Along with these metaphors, Steve is also using a rhyme scheme, using ending words like evolve and dissolve, guy and high, change and strange. This can be compared to "The Road Not Taken” in the way that Robert Frost uses rhyme schemes throughout his whole poem by using words such as, wood, stood, could, fair, wear, there, and the list goes on. Both of these artists use these rhyme schemes to solidify their ideas and expressions, which gives off a certain flow to their own poetry.

            It is often said that life imitates art, poetry is described as a literary form of art. In this poem called “Change On Change” by Elizabeth Barrett Browning, she describes changes in nature to represent changes and growth in human life. This idea is represented by the following lines, “Three months ago, the stream did flow, The lilies bloomed along the edge…The frozen river is as mute,— The flowers have dried down to the root; And why, since these be changed since May, Shouldst thou change less than they?” This poem takes place during the winter, where rivers freeze and flowers dry in response to their environment. She uses nature as a metaphor for changes that people experience. As humans, we are conditioned to change and adapt to our surroundings, the same as nature does. These are the same ideas that are represented in “That’s No Fun.” Along with using these powerful metaphors, Elizabeth also uses a rhyme scheme similar to Steve’s song. She uses words such as flow, snow, edge, hedge, may, they, and many more throughout the poem. Similarly to the song, these rhymes are meant to solidify the words that are stated, along with giving a flow that will further emphasize what is said.

            Art is beautiful in the ways that feelings can be expressed from something so simple like taking a photo to something as complex as music. It is meant to appeal to our senses and our philosophies. Steve Lacy’s song “That’s No Fun” is a form of art in the way that it uses poetry, it appeals to the ears, and it is meant to express himself to other people who may be facing similar challenges. Like “The Road Not Taken” by Robert Frost and “Change On Change” by Elizabeth Barrett Browning, Steve’s music uses literary techniques like metaphors and rhyme schemes. These techniques are used to appeal to more than just our sense of hearing, but also our sense of sight in the way that it is able to paint a picture in our head.