Literary Devices in Song Lyrics

Introduction

Students will show their understanding of literary devices by searching for examples of literary
devices within the lyrics of their favorite song(s).

Now that you have a better understanding of what literary devices are and how to find them, it's
time to put your skills to the test! Here is your opportunity to research and analyze the lyrics of
your favorite song and the artist(s) who wrote them. Do you think that the music you're listening to
is comparable to poetry?

Task

Students will:

1. Recall the meanings of literary devices learned throughout the poetry unit.
2. Identify six literary devices within song lyrics: alliteration, metaphor, onomatopoeia,
personification, rhyme, and simile.
3. Determine the purpose of literary devices and decide if they help with better understanding
the message/meaning of a song.
4. Mark responses on worksheet provided.
5. Transfer learning by playing the song for the class and stopping the music to identify literary
devices.
Process

Materials Needed:

1. Phone or Chromebook
2. Headphones
3. Literary Devices Worksheet
4. Pencil

Step 1) Decide which song you want to pick. If you need to plug in your headphones and listen to
a few tunes to pick the best one -- that is okay. Please note: If you are unable to stay on task while
using your phone or Chromebook you will be asked to put all electronic devices away and will use
a song pre-selected by your teacher.

 The song selection process should only take between 5-7 minutes.
 No one at your table group should be using the same song.
 Tip: Take a look at your Literary Devices worksheet and make sure that you are hearing
examples in your song so that you can complete the assignment properly.
 Warning: Songs with excessive use of foul language will not be allowed. If you are
concerned that your song may not be appropriate, check in with your teacher to double
check.

Step 2) Once you have selected a song, you need to find the lyrics. For this assignment, we will be
using https://www.azlyrics.com/ as it is the easiest lyrics site to navigate.

 It should take no more than 5 minutes to locate your song lyrics on your phone or
Chromebook.
 Note: Please refrain from using Genius or any other lyric sites that do the work of analyzing
the song for you. Often times they focus on meaning of lyrics and not so much on literary
devices.

Step 3) Give your song a few listens with the lyrics in front of you. Are you hearing any of the
literary devices mentioned on the Literary Devices worksheet? If so, jot them down. If you spot
more than 1 you are more than welcome to write them all down or write down your favorite. You
can use the back of the sheet if you need more room

 Tip: If you are unsure whether or not the lyrics fit into a specific literary device category, ask
the members of your table group if they think it fits!
Step 4) Complete the Literary Devices worksheet and answer the question at the bottom. If you
are able to interpret the message of the song, make sure you jot down your thoughts on the last
few lines of the worksheet.

 Once everyone at your table group is finished, you can share what the meaning of your
song is and whether or not finding the literary devices helped you with that song analysis.

Step 5) Play your song for the class. You do not need to create a presentation of any kind for the
class. You will only need to project the lyrics on the screen and use 'Youtube Education' to provide
a classroom-friendly version of the audio.

 Extra Credit: If you would like to create a Google Drawing with the lyrics and a photo of
your artist(s) to show to the class while you play the song -- you will receive 2 extra credit
points for this assignment.
 Note: I will take volunteers first. After that, we will pick from the popsicle sticks to determine
the order in which the class will present!

Evaluation

Needs
Try harder Great job Excellent Score
improvement
1 3 4
2
Song selected was Song choice
Song choice included
not school included some of the
all of the literary
No song appropriate or did literary devices
Song Choice devices needed to
selected. not contain lyrics needed to complete
complete the
that could be the assignment, but
assignment.
properly analyzed. not all.
Literary 1-2 Literary
Literary 3-4 Literary Devices 5-6 or more Literary
Device Devices found
Device found within the Devices found within
analysis within the song
Analysis song lyrics. the song lyrics.
incomplete. lyrics.
Complete
Somewhat of an
understanding of the
understanding of the
No attempt at meaning of the song.
Minimal attempt meaning of the song,
trying to Capable of
Meaning of at trying to but may struggle to
determine the explaining why the
Song determine the explain how they got
meaning of particular meaning
Analysis meaning of the to that understanding
the song you was found and how
song you selected. and whether or not
selected. literary devices did
literary devices
or did not play a role
played a role.
in this analysis.
Presentation Unwilling to Presentation Presentation Presentation
 completed, but not completed. All
present to the completed, but not all literary devices literary devices
class. prepared. present in song identified during
lyrics. presentation.

Conclusion

Finally, you get to share the music that you love! Poetry exists in so many formats, and as we
have discussed before, a lot of popular songs are essentially poems set to music. Next time you
sing along with your favorite song in the car with your friends or family, try to identify the poetic
devices the songwriter used and share your findings. Maybe even try to write a song of your own
using your favorite literary devices!

Credits

Linked Websites:

 https://www.azlyrics.com/

Image:

 "Artist Collage Drawing" (musiccanada) Retrieved on 1 November 2018.

 "Keep Calm Meme" (wordpress) Retrieved on 1 November 2018.
 "Handwritten Lyrics" (ultimate-guitar) Retrieved on 1 November 2018.

Teacher Page

Standards:

 Grade 9 and 10 Reading

o 3.0 Literary Response and Analysis - Students read and respond to historically or
culturally significant works of literature that reflect and enhance their studies of
history and social science. They conduct indepth analyses of recurrent patterns and
themes. The selections in Recommended Literature, Kindergarten Through Grade
Twelve illustrate the quality and complexity of the materials to be read by students.
  3.7 Recognize and understand the significance of various literary devices,
including figurative language, imagery, allegory, and symbolism, and explain
their appeal.

Resources:

 Also located in the beginning of the 'Process' tab for Student's View
 Materials Needed:
o Phone or Chromebook
o Headphones
o Literary Devices Worksheet
o Pencil

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