Close Read Essay

What can a careful analysis of each of these songs reveal?

Sometimes, it's not until a piece of art is examined in fine detail that new meanings arise. When cultural context, the artist's intentions, even your own prior knowledge, are set aside, a new way of "seeing" the art can emerge. This is the purpose of a close reading (sometimes called an explication). For this essay, you will conduct a close reading of a song. The goal is to delve deeply into this song, in hopes of uncovering new ways to understand it. You will have wide latitude in how you choose to engage it. You may look at the function of the song as a whole or highlight its minute details. (For example, one might do a close reading of the whole of Michelangelo's Mona Lisa or consider only the hands.) As always, ground your analysis in a strong thesis, supported by evidence from the song. Choose only one of the following songs, either lyrical or instrumental, for your analysis:

Instrumental songs—

1. "Psycho" (Suite for String Orchestra) [Music by Bernard Herrmann, 1960]
2. "Variations 1 - 4" [Music by Andrew Lloyd Webber, 1978)
3. "Claire de Lune" (Third movemnt of Suite bergamasque) [Music by Claude Debussy, 1905]
4. "L'Autre Valse D'Amelie" [Music by Yann Tiersen, 2001]
5. "The Great Pumpkin Waltz" [Music by Vince Guaraldi, 1966]
6. "March" (from "Raiders of the Lost Ark") [Music by John Williams, 1981]

Lyrical songs—

1. "The Way I Feel Inside" [Music and lyrics by Chris White, 1968]
2. "Diamonds are a Girl's Best Friend" [Music and lyrics by Jule Styne and Leo Robin, 1949]
3. "Carol Brown" [Music and lyrics by Bret McKenzie and Jemaine Clemen, 2009]
4. "The Land of Might-Have-Been" [Music and lyrics by Ivor Novello and Edward Moore, 1924]
5. "Human Nature" [Music and lyrics by Steve Porcaro and John Bettis, 1982]
6. "Help Me, Rhonda" [Music and lyrics by Brian Wilson and Mike Love, 1965]

All songs are available in the Dropbox section of this blog.

Requirements:

• MLA Style, including parenthetical citation
• 3-page minimum
• Include a works cited page

The best papers:

• Stay focused on a single song, veering from any outside considerations
• Have a concise thesis which clearly outlines your findings on the song
• Are informative in tone
• Clearly support their thesis with solid evidence, citing from the song's musical and/or lyrical structure
  
• Conclude with a summation of the song
• Properly cite evidence using MLA's parenthetical citation method
• Are in compliance with MLA Style

Due: Wednesday, Nov. 7th (Draft 1; Bring 2 copies)