Please complete the following tasks before the end of the period. Post your final product as a comment to this post. Please number your responses according to the order below. I have jury duty today- if you have any questions or get stuck, you can email me- I may or may not be able to use my phone to respond.
1. Be sure that your URL link list is complete. Confirm that you have successfully linked your classmates. If your link is faulty, or does not appear on Mr. Kefor's blog, please write it, along with your name, neatly on the board. Your classmates can then include you in their lists.
2. Revisit our song from last week, “Little Green” by Joni Mitchell. If you were absent or if you've misplaced the lyrics, you may locate them online. You can also locate your thesis under the comments to the post below. For each of your 3 devices or elements, complete a what-how-why progression. Consider what device or tool is being used, how it is being used, and why it is being used. This is the type of thinking that should pervade a successful analysis. Here is a random example (for a different song); mimic this format for each of your 3 devices:
WHAT: "Song #1," by the Kefor Jazz Trio, is infused with celestial imagery pertaining to the cosmos and the seemingly infinite world beyond our earthly limits.
HOW: These images are largely visual, and are repeatedly paired or juxtaposed with their earthly or homebound counterparts, which inhabit the opening of each stanza.
WHY: This infusion of celestial images, carefully balanced against the limits of the speaker's terrestrial limitations, serves as a conveyance of the infinite and suggests that our inner voices and emotions can transcend our surroundings and have effects far beyond our comprehension.
Be particular; be specific. Pinpoint the nuances between and among the tools. Adverbs (repeatedly, intermittently, pervasively, sparingly, subtly, etc.) are particularly helpful for the "how" sections. The "why" sections should convey the means by which each element supports the universal idea in its own unique way. There should be little to no duplicates- in other words, imagery is likely serving the song in a different way than, say, symbolism. They are performing different functions. This is as much (or more) about thinking as it is about writing.
3. Select an album from your theme-genre to review. Your review will be graded as a quiz on the 0-9 Song Analysis rubric. Type the album title and artist here. In class, we will go over the methods of approach for this, as it differs from the thesis-driven mode of the song analysis. Set up an outline document into which you should paste the track losing (in order) and the lyrics to all of the songs. Spend the remainder of the class listening to (if you have headphones) and annotating the lyrics in the document. Color coding this may be wise, in order to separate the lyrics from your observations. You may not finish this process, which is okay, but please work until the end of the period.
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How, What, Whys for Joni Mitchell’s “Little Green”
By Matthew Jacobs
What: “Little Green” by Joni Mitchell makes use of powerful emotional similes comparing a child to various other things both symbolic and literal.
How: By making comparisons between the subject of the song and the color related to emotions of spring and the northern lights the song shows its feelings toward the subject in a powerful emotional way.
Why: This comparison will make one of the greatest expressions in words of a mothers love for her child and pain related to loss.
What: “Little Green” by Joni Mitchell makes use of symbolism to show abstract concepts in a simple but accurate way.
How: Making statements with alternative meanings to allow the listener to understand the ideas that the singer is trying to get across without shouting it into the crowd
Why: Making use of symbolism is far more efficient and sounds better than simply stating what you feel. Emotions are complicated but by making comparisons to common events people can understand the idea is conveyed more easily.
What: “Little Green” by Joni Mitchell includes allusion to events of the ages and things related to the life of the subjects
How: By mentioning but not stating directly details from other events during this general time period the song allows people to recall the details themselves.
Why: As part of the story of this little girl that the song is about various things need to be addressed including the location of her father. These references allow bits of the story to be given a form of short hand.
Alternating between the beauty of the child "Little Green" and struggle involved in a father abandoning the mother, Joni Mitchell utilizes naturalistic simile, extended symbolism, and historical allusion to contrast the beauty of a child and the sorrowful sacrifice an unprepared mother needed to make.
What: Joni Mitchell uses naturalistic simile comparing the child’s name to the spring and the Northern Lights.
How: Mitchell compares the likeness of the name Little Green and the colors of the spring season and the Northern Lights in each chorus, also stating that the winters cannot fade the spirit of the child due to it being green.
Why: Mitchell uses these similes to create a connection for the reader between the natural beauty of the spring and northern lights and the natural beauty of the child. This adds a sense of sympathy for the child and the mother.
What: Joni Mitchell uses extended symbolism throughout the song to portray a timeline of the struggles met by the single mother.
How: Mitchell uses the phrase “He went to California” to represent the abandonment of the mother and child by the father. She also states “He’s a non-conformer” to give the reader the idea that the father refuses the classic life of settling down with your wife and child, and instead he left for California to live a rebellious life.
Why: This symbolism discretely paints the reader the mental picture of a girl who got the short end of the stick in an accidental pregnancy. The abandonment of the father to a new life in California before the birth of the child sets the tone for the song, where a child was already born into a life with great disadvantages. These things allow the reader to relate to the sorrows of the girl, and they justify her decision to adopt, or “sign the papers”.
What: Joni Mitchell alludes to the drug district dubbed “California” within the actual state of California at this time.
How: Joni admits “He went to California Hearing that everything’s warmer there”. Within the historical context of this time, there was a drug district within California called “California” that promised many law-ignoring people an opportunity to live freely and potentially make money.
Why: The classic temptation associated with drug used comes to play here, versus the good will and conscious of a father that must provide for a child. Stating that he left merely for the “warmth” of California weakens the will of the father in the readers eyes. He chose the warmth of a new life over the warmth of the child he was responsible for. The purpose of this is to degrade the reader’s opinion of the father in a way to exaggerate the goodness of the mother.
Showing that they are sad due to a loved one dying “Little Green have a happy ending” is said in “Little Green” by Joni Mitchell in which characterization from three different perspectives, vivid imagery and personification is being shown.
Device #1: Characterization
WHAT: Giving multiple meanings and creating thought provoking stanzas by saying “Born with the moon in cancer” which is not only referring to the girl dying of cancer, but referring to the Zodiac sign.
HOW: Using the characterization in this song, each stanza has more than one meaning.
WHY: Characterization is making the listener have to think more because each stanza is very meaningful and thought provoking.
Device #2: Imagery
WHAT: Using imagery to give more detail and visual creativity to help the listener see the “image being portrayed”. An example of imagery in the song is “Her eyes are blue”.
HOW: By adding imagery in the song, the listener can imagine the picture that is being explained.
WHY: The purpose of imagery in the song, is to help the listener get a detailed picture of the song and to “paint a picture in the mind of the listener”.
Device #3: Personification
WHAT: Personification in the song is used to send the message that “Its okay to stop fighting cancer, and die”. An example of this is “Weary of lies you sending home”, which is saying “You can give up and stop suffering.
HOW: Adding personification in the song, the listener can feel the struggle that the family and girl is going through and how hard the girl is fighting to live.
WHY: Personification also adds a deeper and hopeless feeling in the song, because the family knows the girl can’t survive and they are telling her that it is okay to give up.
What: Joni Mitchell uses Astrological allusion in her song “Little Green”
How: She alludes to astrology and celestial characteristics in her introduction, “Born with the moon in cancer”.
Why: She does this to show the importance in her child’s. It shows the bright innocence of the young girl, and how she is a near angel in Joni’s eyes.
What: Joni Mitchell uses emotional shift in her song, “Little Green”
How: In the shift from explaining, to giving her daughter away, the tone shifts to melancholy.
Why: Mitchell wants to convey the emotion in her expiriences.
What: Joni Mitchell utilizes an allegorical representation of the 1960’s counterculture in “Little Green”
How: The entire song speaks of the many individuals who ran to San Francisco to join the counter culture ways, often leaving behind their lives.
Why: Mitchell does this to show the true struggles that the counter culture endured.
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2. Throughout the teenager days Joni Mitchell goes through, "Little Green" utilizes seasonal imagery, positive simile, and multiple narrative point of view to show the suffrage of giving up a loved one.
Device 1-
What: “Little Green,” by Joni Mitchell applies seasonal imagery showing spring views.
How: The senses showing spring and winter views are repeated with ways of enjoying the entertaining and cold days throughout some stanzas.
Why: The senses of seasonal imagery implies that the child is having a good time throughout each day whether bitter or not.
Device 2-
What: The similes throughout “Little Green” pertain to a positive statement to bring light to her soul.
How: These similes are used deftly through 2 stanzas to show the positivity and how strong Joni can be with giving up a child.
Why: Joni puts positive simile to help her go through the moments without her child a little better; she knows the child is having a full life to live without her.
Device 3-
What: Narrative point of view are changed with a different person each with a connection to the child.
How: Point of view is changed delicately from stanza to stanza without a drastic change. Each narrative has a relationship with the child pertaining to the same condition.
Why: He uses different point of view to show how each person reacts to the same setting.
3. Album: Good movies by Greg Laswell
1. POINT OF VIEW:
What: "Little Green" by Joni Mitchell is written in multiple person narrative point of. view to show different sides of the story being told in the song.
How: The point of view actively contributes to the personal feel of the song
Why: This leaves a lyrically profound effect.
FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE:
What: The song is infused with figurative language taking place in different times/ seasons.
How: The figurative language is admiringly emotional and provides a time frame of events.
Why: The seasonal figurative language contributes to the sorrowful feel of the lyrics.
TONE:
What: "Little Green" is composed of a bittersweet tone pertaining to the subject of the child in the song
How: The tone cautiously gives the song a glum feeling.
Why: The bittersweet tone suggests possible outcomes of the man, the woman, and the child.
2. Album Title: 21
Artist: Adele
"Little Green" Joni Mitchells How, What, Whys.
What: "Little Green" adds soft imagery to this world of sacrificing for the better good.
How: "So you sign all the papers in the family name." It shows how they are bringing the child home, or giving it up to adoption.
Why: The imagery is sad and its supposed to show how she(the singer) is living with the chose of giving up her daughter.
What: The song uses vast characterization to bring about the story of this song.
How: "He went to California. Hearing that everything s warmer there." It talks about how the father left them to go somewhere nice instead of staying.
Why: Its a story and every story has characters, whether they be like-able or not.
What: "Little Green" uses second person view to show the story.
How: "You re sad you re sorry, but you're not ashamed." Its talking about how the mother isn't ashamed of what she did, but she is sad for what she did, but the mother must have known that the daughter would be in a better home.
Why: Its to show what the father is doing, what the mother is dealing with and the daughters life.
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2.Providing the image of a conflicted mother forced to make a difficult decision in "Little Green", Joni Mitchell uses multiple person narrative point of view, consistent characterization, and seasonal imagery to show the pain of giving up a child, but how it will ultimately give the child the ability to "have a happy ending."
Device 1:
WHAT: "Little Green," by Joni Mitchell, has multiple of examples seasonal imagery pertaining to nature and the weather.
HOW: The images portrayed in this song are very descriptive and occur in almost every stanza.
WHY: This seasonal imagery helps to portray the feelings of the speaker and the future she hopes to give her child.
Device 2:
WHAT: In "Little Green" by Joni Mitchell, multiple person point of view is used showing the story from the view of the speaker, the child, and the husband.
HOW: The point of view is used throughout the entire song, switching back and forth between the different character's points of view.
WHY: This use of multiple person point of view serves as a way for the listener to see the story from different view points and understand the characters' feelings in the song.
Device 3:
WHAT: Joni Mitchell utilizes consistent characterization to describe the people in the song.
HOW: The use of characterization is used consistently throughout the song, focusing on describing the child that the mother is going to give up.
WHY: This device is used to further elaborate on the characters and give you a deeper understanding of them in this song.
3. The album I am going to use is titled "Human Again" by Ingrid Michaelson.
What: Joni Mitchell uses seasonal Imagery in her song “Little Green” to show how her daughter’s life is going to be better now that she put her up for adoption.
How: These images a repeated threw out the song from crocuses to icicles. New birthday cloths as well now that she’ll be living with a family that can provide for her.
Why: To accept that her daughter will now have a better life with nicer things and a family that can take care of her. To express that she is not ashamed because of all the things that will come to her child because she gave her up.
What: Mitchell characterizes the people involved in the story from the child to the father and adoptive parents.
How: She calls the father a “non-conformer”. She calls little green a gypsy dancer
Why: To tell the story and classify the situation and who was involved.
What: Joni Mitchell sings in the second person narrative to tell little green how her life is going to be.
How: she says he and you. “Born with the moon in Cancer Choose her a name she will answer to Call her green and the winters cannot fade her Call her green for the children who've made her Little green, be a gypsy dancer”
Why: to sing the song as if it wasn’t her or to tell the story to little green.
2. How, What, Why
What: “Little Green”, by Joni Mitchell, is painted with repetitious symbolism that conveys her fluctuating emotions over her child that she’ll soon have to give away.
How: The symbols that she uses range from times when she’s happy she has her child, to times where she is beyond sad that she has to give her up so she can live a better life.
Why: The symbolism found throughout the song show Joni’s feelings towards losing her child, however, being as sad as that situation is, she’s happy that her child will grow up with a family that can support her properly.
What: “Little Green”, by Joni Mitchell, is deepened by her use of allusion in the song to represent the feeling of joy she had from having a child, to the feeling of sorrow she had when she had to put her up for adoption, as well as the father that abandoned them.
How: She uses allusion to show how she has no way to support her child because of the father’s abandonment and how she has to now put her up for adoption.
Why: The use of allusion in this song helps by subtly telling the story of how Joni had to give her child away and why she did without being blatant about it.
What: Joni Mitchell, in the song “Little Green”, uses an emotional shift to portray her mixed feelings towards losing her child.
How: The shift happens subtly after the first verse of the song, going from the joy of having a child to the sadness of the father leaving for California.
Why: Through the use of this shift, Joni is able to show the dramatic change in her life that happened so quickly without much warning and how she handled it.
3. ----
1. My link list is complete.
2. WHAT: In "Little Green", Joni Mitchell utilizes both second person point of view and third person objective point of view in her lyrics, creating a multiple narrative point of view.
HOW: Mitchell mainly tells the song’s story through third person objective point of view, describing the mother and father’s actions, and then continues to add in the listener, referring to them as a character in the song.
WHY: Through the usage of a multiple narrative point of view, Joni Mitchell proceeds to explain what the mother and father did to the child, as well as infusing the listener as a character. She includes the listener to put them in her shoes and convey what actions she had to do through toughest decision she ever had to make.
WHAT: In “Little Green” Mitchell uses pure, natural figurative language, while including some of Earth’s most magical wonders.
HOW: Joni Mitchell repeatedly incorporates various uses of figurative language, pertaining to natural occurrences, in her lyrical stanzas.
WHY: These uses of seasonal figurative language, (commonly personification and metaphors) provide an organic feeling to the song’s lyrics. Seasons represent changes, and evident, difficult decisions had to be made, that wouldn’t only change the mother and father’s lives, but most importantly would forever change the child’s life.
WHAT: A bittersweet tone is utilized consistently by Joni Mitchell in her song, “Little Green”.
HOW: It is evident through the song’s melody and lyrics that Mitchell is sad throughout her decision making process but knows that it is in the best interest for everyone that the child needs to be given away.
WHY: The tone towards the song creates the feeling that Mitchell is truly sad that she must give up her own child, but she does realize that she is making this decision in the love she has for her daughter. It provides the atmosphere that sometimes we can’t do what we want, but we have to act for the best.
3. A possible choice for my album review is "AM" by: Arctic Monkeys.
1) my list is complete
2) Device #1...
WHAT: In "Little Green" by Joni Mitchell, she uses a bittersweet tone to show off the feelings and emotions behind the song
HOW: The word choice and meaning behind those words clearly show that the tone is very somber and sad (the words are very emotional and descriptive of things going on in the song)
WHY: Joni really wants you to feel her pain and sadness when she is giving up her daughter through this song, but she also wants you to understand that she doesn't regret her decision even though it was a hard one to make.
Device #2...
WHAT: In "Little Green" a use of multiple person narrative POV throughout the song helps to tell this story
HOW: Joni Mitchell changes the POV in order to help in telling the story, she uses mostly third person but soon switches it up to second person to help the song tell the story
WHY: This helps to the listener really understand the different things going on and it helps them to get the whole picture
Device #3...
WHAT: In "Little Green" Joni Mitchell uses seasonal figurative language
HOW: Joni Mitchell use the figurative language by referencing seasons and nature/natural elements
WHY: By using the figurative language it gives the song a more raw and descriptive nature to it and helps to better imagine how she (Joni Mitchell) is feeling
3) Album...
Halcyon by: Ellie Goulding
or
Night Vision by: Imagine Dragons
1. My link list is complete.
2. Device #1
What: "Little Green" by Jon Mitchell uses both second and third person objective points of view in the song, utilizing multiple person narrative point of view.
How: Joni Mitchell alternates point of view to actively connect different perspectives.
Why: The different point of views allow a shift in perspective in the song, enabling the reader to see different angles of the story.
Device #2
What: Figurative language pertaining to nature is located throughout the song.
How: Joni Mitchell references different seasons and nature-like elements.
Why: The use of nature as the focus of the figurative language implies new life and new beginnings, a common theme in nature itself, that also applies to the meaning of the song.
Device 3
What: A bittersweet tone is conveyed by Joni Mitchell to portray her true feelings toward her decision.
How: The tone is used consistently, and accurately describes her attitude regarding her tough choice.
Why: Bittersweet ties in the heartbreak of having to give up her daughter, as well as the peace she has made with the choice because she knew it was the right one to make.
3. Album
Suburbia I've Given You All and Now I'm Nothing- The Wonder Years
What// Joni Mitchell's song, Little Green, is infused with allusions to the 1960’s.
How// The allusions are being used as a reference to the 1960’s culture movement
Why//The allusions help identify a specific time period that the situation is taking place in.
What// Joni Mitchell’s song Little Green, characterization is used to identify who/ what Mitchell is singing to.
How// Characterization is used throughout the whole of the song with no shift.
Why // Mitchell uses characterization as a way to identify and be specific with who the speaker is speaking to.
What// A prevalent device used in Joni Mitchell’s song Little Green is natural imagery.
How// The imagery is used in a seasonal way to bring up shifts in time/ show how much time has elapsed.
Why// to evoke senses from the listener to make the song easy to relate to
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