PROMPT: As we have seen from Billie Holiday to Beyonc, protest music is a powerful genre in America. Choose a song that makes a strong social commentary. Write an essay in which you analyze how the artist’s message is conveyed. Consider how they manipulate language to create this message.
Connotation – emotional definition of word
Tone the accumulated impact of connotation
Theme The subject plus the authors tone on the subject. Ex. Love is difficult when it is not mutually felt.
Thinking of these two definitions, identify words in your song that have additional meaning. Annotate your song to show the strongest connotative language. How does this impact the overall tone of your song?
Underline which lines have the strongest connotation or tone. Considering the tone and the subject of your song, what is the theme the artist creates in the lyrics?
Identify the four strongest lines that help you understand how the authors tone help creates meaning.
Write a 4 paragraph essay explaining how tone helps create theme in your song.
