Linguistic expressions of love in bob dylan’s protest songs from 1961 to 1965

The results show that Bob Dylan’s linguistic expressions, particularly lexical items, structural devices, and rhetorical devices play an integral part in communicating the artist’s ideas

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BINH DUONG PROVINCIAL PEOPLE’S COMMITTEE

THU DAU MOT UNIVERSITY

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PHAN THI QUE MINH

LINGUISTIC EXPRESSIONS OF LOVE

IN BOB DYLAN’S PROTEST SONGS

FROM 1961 TO 1965

MAJOR: ENGLISH LANGUAGE MAJOR CODE: 8220201 MASTER THESIS IN ENGLISH LANGUAGE

BINH DUONG PROVINCE – 2020

BINH DUONG PROVINCIAL PEOPLE’S COMMITTEE

THU DAU MOT UNIVERSITY PHAN THI QUE MINH

LINGUISTIC EXPRESSIONS OF LOVE

IN BOB DYLAN’S PROTEST SONGS

FROM 1961 TO 1965

MAJOR: ENGLISH LANGUAGE MAJOR CODE: 8220201

MASTER THESIS IN ENGLISH LANGUAGE

SUPERVISED BY Dr NGUYEN HOANG TUAN

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BINH DUONG PROVINCE – 2020

STATEMENT OF AUTHORSHIP

I hereby certify that the thesis entitled “Linguistic expressions of love in Bob Dylan’s protest songs from 1961 to 1965” is entirely my own original work This thesis has not been submitted to any organizations or publishers for the awards or degrees

Apart from the act of consulting the information for a reliable study as references, this thesis was written on my own without plagiarizing the other scholars’ ideas or contents Moreover, if there are any uses of the works of any other authors, in any form, I clearly acknowledge their authority

I am fully aware of the fact that there should be the injunctive relief in the violations of copyright, and claims for damages of the author as well as a penalty

by the law enforcement agency

Signature

Phan Thi Que Minh

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

First of all, I would like to show my gratitude to my former supervisor, Dr

Ly Quyet Tien, for helping me to choose an interesting and humanitarian thesis topic I would like to express my very great appreciation to main supervisor, Dr Nguyen Hoang Tuan, for his great efforts to shape the ideas for the thesis as well

as for his considerable influences on my thesis

Besides, I would like to send a big thank you to all of the lecturers at Thu Dau Mot University for offering valuable lessons, positive encouragements, enthusiastic supports and ingenious solutions during the time of learning and working on my thesis

I am particularly grateful for the assistance given by my colleagues at my school, particularly my principal, vice principals, and my English faculty members who offer me tremendous opportunities to fulfill my duty at school as well as to take up and finish my study

Last but not least, I would like to offer my special thanks to my family, especially my mother, my husband, my daughter and son who are inseparable companions for my journey to the final destination

ABSTRACT

The study is conducted to explore the linguistic expressions in Bob Dylan’s protest songs from 1961 to 1965 by the literary research method with the help of the statistical steps The reliable sources of material were used to consult the information about the thesis topic Based on the above theory, nine protest songs written by Bob Dylan from 1961 to 1965 were found out To achieve the objective

of the study, this thesis made a decision on examining the lexical items, structural devices and rhetorical devices

The results show that Bob Dylan’s linguistic expressions, particularly lexical items, structural devices, and rhetorical devices play an integral part in communicating the artist’s ideas of love to human beings This coalescence exerts far-reaching effects of human love on the audience Consequently, from the findings, it is believed that linguistic expressions contribute to making the meaning more profound as well as enhancing the audience’s artistic senses Moreover, the outcomes may promote the public’s awareness of the linguistic expression significance in conveying and expressing human ideas and thoughts not only in written but also in spoken languages

Key words: Bob Dylan; linguistic expression; protest song; feeling; human

CONTENTS

STATEMENT OF AUTHORSHIP III ACKNOWLEDGEMENT IV ABSTRACT V CONTENTS VI

CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION 1

1.1 Background to the study 1

1.2 Purpose of the study 2

1.3 Problem statement 2

1.4 Rationale 3

1.5 Research questions 4

1.6 Significance of the study 4

1.7 Organization of the study 5

1.8 Chapter summary 5

CHAPTER 2 LITURATURE REVIEW 6

2.1 An overview of the study 6

2.2 Terms and definitions 6

2.2.1 Definition of love 6

2.2.2 Definition of linguistic expressions 8

2.2.2.1 Lexical items 9

2.2.2.2 Structural devices 10

2.2.2.3 Rhetorical devices 10

a Metaphor 11

b Simile 12

c Irony 13

d Rhetorical question 14

e Personification 14

2.2.3 Definition of protest song 15

2.3 Previous studies 16

2.4 Chapter summary 19

CHAPTER 3 METHODOLOGY 20

3.1 Research design 20

3.2 Data collection and sampling 21

3.2.1 Data collection 21

3.2.2 Sampling 23

3.2.2.1 Summary of JOHN BROWN in 1962 23

3.2.2.2 Summary of BLOWIN’ IN THE WIND in 1963 23

3.2.2.3 Summary of MASTER OF WAR in 1963 24

3.2.2.4 Summary of A HARD RAIN A-GONNA FALL in 1963 24

3.2.2.5 Summary of THE TIMES THEY ARE A- CHANGIN’ in 1964 25

3.2.2.6 Summary of WITH GOD ON OUR SIDE in 1964 25

3 2.7 Summary of Mr TAMBOURINE MAN in 1964 26

3.2.2.8 Summary of IT’S ALRIGHT, MA (I’M ONLY BLEEDING) in 1964 26

3.2.2.9 Summary of LIKE A ROLLING STONE in 1965 27

3.3 Data analysis 27

3.4 Chapter summary 28

CHAPTER 4 FINDINGS 29

4.1 The disillusionment with the current government 29

4.1.1 Lexical items 29

4.1.2 Structural devices 36

4.1.3 Rhetorical devices 37

4.2 The attempts to seek for peace and freedom 39

4.2.1 Lexical items 40

4.2.2 Structural devices 45

4.3 The accusations against war and stripping of the warmongers’ masks 47

4.3.1 Lexical items 47

4.3.2 Structural devices 56

4.3.3 Rhetorical devices 59

4.4 The gloomy outlook on the hazardous life 63

4.4.1 Lexical items 63

4.4.2 Structural devices 70

4.4.3 Rhetorical devices 72

4.5 The desire for breaking the impasses 75

4.5.1 Lexical items 76

4.5.2 Structural devices 84

4.5.3 Rhetorical devices 85

4.6 The need for changing 86

4.6.1 Lexical items 86

4.6.2 Structural devices 91

4.6.3 Rhetorical devices 93

4.7 The opposing view about the class discrimination 94

4.7.1 Lexical items 94

4.7.2 Structural devices 99

4.7.3 Rhetorical devices 102

4.8 Discussion 103

4.9 Chapter summary 107

CHAPTER 5 CONCLUSION, IMPLICATIONS, LIMITATIONS AND SUGGESTIONS 108

5.1 Conclusions 108

5.2 Implications 112

5.3 Limitations and suggestions for further research 114

5.4 Chapter summary 114

REFERENCES - 1 -

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CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION

This chapter discusses the studies related this thesis topic, the issues that are not focused in other studies, the reasons for doing this research, the aim of this study, the research questions, and the significance of this study

1.1 Background to the study

Protest songs are one of the popular topics that attract scientific studies Many articles about protest songs are found They discuss the issues related to musical works Generally, the studies are about the impacts, functions, themes, or lyrics of the songs

According to Denisoff (1972), protest songs function as public political statements to raise people’s awareness of social issues They contain political oppositions to policies, which are against those in authority for justice Moreover, in terms of lyrics, the songs make considerable impacts to condemn the people in power (Weinstein, 2006) Thus, the functions and impacts of protest songs are the primary issues commonly conducted in studies Ziv (2019) claims that protest songs including pro-peace and anti-war songs are admitted to be social products that can evoke emotions and affect the audience’s attitudes Furthermore, the functions of protest songs enable protesters to be identified and assert their positive position in social hierarchy (Stewart, 2009) Since protest songs focus on movements, social relationships, and self-direction, the messages can help the audience boost their strong egos

That is the reason why there are studies on the themes of protest songs to reflect historical periods These songs demonstrate the call for peace and social justice and leave the future generation with legacies of protest music (Hamm, 2017) In other words, the main ideas and messages of the songs are regarded as the contributory factors that help to shape the generation’s perception Besides this, the lyrics of protest songs are the potent tools that help the artists deliver their thoughts and ideas to the audience

Although the studies related to protest songs admit the significant roles in voicing the public attitudes towards and the opposition to the society’s political policies, there are few of them carried out to examine the linguistic expressions in those songs

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While linguistic expressions are regarded as an ingenious device expressing the writer

or the speaker’s thoughts (“Linguistic Expression,” 2010) Therefore, it is believed that there should be a study on what linguistic expressions are used in protest songs to reflect the writer’s ideas as well as affect the audience’s perception

Among the composers writing protest songs, Bob Dylan has been considered to

be the laureate of social movements, and has been described as “the voice of a generation” (“The politics of Bob Dylan,” 2003) For this reason, it is important to find out and examine what linguistic expressions, especially which lexical items, structural devices and rhetorical devices used in Bob Dylan’s protest songs to express his ideas

It is hoped that with the finding results, this thesis makes contributions to enhancing the ability to perceive the artistry and understand the meanings literary works Moreover, this help to improve the English teaching by using lyrics of songs

1.2 Purpose of the study

This thesis aims at performing an analysis of the linguistic expressions of love

in Bob Dylan’s protest songs from 1961 to 1965 In particular, this thesis focuses on determining which lexical items, structural devices and rhetorical devices are used in the selected songs to express the artist’s ideas and thoughts The results of the research will be considered to suggest the role of linguistic expressions in conveying as well as interpreting or understanding the meaning of works Simultaneously, it is hoped that there might be proposals to be made for teaching English in terms of literature

1.3 Problem statement

Bob Dylan was announced to be the recipient of the Nobel Prize in Literature on October 13th 2016 for being the trailblazer in creating poetic expressions within song tradition by American writers, which has aroused global controversy (Lombard, 2016)

It is argued that there are other American writers who are far better suited to be awarded than Bob Dylan such as Phillip Roth or McCarthy This songwriter is, however, still proclaimed to be the winner Therefore, there must be good reasons for the jury to reach such a controversial decision It is his lyrics that may have accounted for making great

Gray (1981) points out that Bob Dylan reflects the impact of various social facts happening contemporaneously through his works like cultural, political and social events Graaf (2014) claims that through Bob Dylan’s magical words in the songs written in the 1960s, the whole human condition is laid bare The lyrics in Bob Dylan’s songs themselves contain and reflect the artist’s ideas and thoughts Marqusee (2005) agrees that the uprising in the1960s along with racial oppression, political culture, and traditional beliefs have carried considerable clout with Dylan

Overall, although there are various studies related to Bob Dylan and his works have been conducted, linguistic expressions are not focused to assess the important roles in conveying the meanings, creating the values of artistry, as well as boosting the audience’s ability of artistic perception It is believed that the linguistic expressions in Bob Dylan’s protest songs are the decisive factors that helps him communicate his ideas

to the audience successfully To study the linguistic expressions, the thesis makes a thorough examination on which lexical items, structural devices and rhetorical devices used in Bob Dylan’s protest songs and proves the combination among these features to make up the meaning of the selected songs

1.4 Rationale

Pinker & Bloom (1990) claim that language is used to express thoughts Similarly, Asoulin (2016) believes that main function of language is the instrument of expressing thoughts From the above theories, it is thought that if the linguistic expressions in Bob Dylan’s protest songs are studied, they may make valuable contributions to boosting the audience’s understanding of the artistic works The

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understanding of the linguistic expressions may help the listeners to improve their depth perception in literature This perceptive insight is based on good reasons, not based on subjective assessments Moreover, this finding can be useful for English teaching by using literary aspect

- What are the lexical items used in the songs?

- What are the structural devices used in the songs?

- What are the rhetorical devices used in the songs?

1.6 Significance of the study

This study is in the hope of having a thorough understanding in the linguistic aspects in Bob Dylan’s protest songs which contributes to conveying the ideas of the artist as well as lead to grasping his ideas of the audience To do this, this research focuses on examining lexical items, structural devices, and rhetorical devices in Bob Dylan’s protest songs from 1961 to 1965 Through the linguistic analysis, the results can indicate which linguistic expressions are used to express Bob Dylan’s human love

in his protest songs from 1961 to 1965 The findings prove the significant role of linguistic expressions in commmunicating the artist’s ideas and enhancing the audience’s ability to understand and perceive literature, particularly in terms of lyrics

Moreover, the study in this subject is still essential for those who want to widen the knowledge of linguistic expressions’ functions in further research This research is

in significance of being a useful source of teaching and learning at intermediate level

Another reason for this study is that the thesis makes it possible for following researchers to have a critical evaluation of Bob Dylan’s linguistic expressions and their

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influences on musical works Therefore, it might lead to another promising result of further more research related to Bob Dylan’s music

1.7 Organization of the study

The research has five chapters: Introduction, literature review, methodology, findings and conclusions, implications, limitations and suggestions

Chapter 1 presents the background, the purpose, the problem statement, the rationale, research questions, and the significance of the study

Chapter 2 provides the overview of the study, terms and definitions and the previous studies

Chapter 3 introduces the research design, data collection and sampling and the data analysis

Chapter 4 focuses on the findings of the linguistic expressions through the lexical items, structural devices and rhetorical devices and comes up for the discussions

Chapter 5 aims at drawing the conclusions, having the implications, imposing the limitations and making the suggestions for further research

1.8 Chapter summary

This chapter discusses the background, the purpose, the problem statement, and the rationale To pursue the objectives of the study, this thesis frames the research questions, and points out the significance of the study

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CHAPTER 2 LITURATURE REVIEW

This chapter gives an overview of the study and discusses relevant concepts such

as linguistic expressions, love, and protest songs

2.1 An overview of the study

According to Öhman (2002), linguistic expressions are meaningful to the language users and become the medium for expressing the content In Bob Dylan’s protest songs, linguistic expressions play an integral part in conveying the artist’s messages to the audience, especially the works written in 1960s Therefore, it is necessary to find out what linguistic expressions used in Bob Dylan’s protest songs In particular, the scope of the research is restricted to protest songs written in 1960s, which meet the demands of the number of views on the popular websites

This thesis applies mainly the literary research method to a have a detailed examination of the linguistic expressions The purpose of the thesis is to determine what linguistic expressions, particularly the lexical items, structural devices and rhetorical devices used to express the artist’s ideas The results can help to evaluate the significant roles of linguistic expressions in conveying messages to the audience as well as creating the artistic values and enahancing the audience’s perceptive ability

2.2 Terms and definitions

Third, Bible Hub 2004-1017 defines that “love covers sins and ends fights while hatred stirs up strife” (Pro 10:12; Pet 4:8) Barks (2007) believes that the heart is the complete human reality and everything including feelings and love spreads completely from a person to a person in the ecstatic core where heart–vision begins Similarly, Esthner & Hicks (2014) regards feelings containing love as the inner emotions running

in people’s heart and mind From the above concepts, love is a kind of feeling depriving from heart This kind of feeling can help people forgive sins, put an end to struggle and revenge

Moreover, according to Lapper (2013), human love is understood from a different angle in which this feeling is realated to human values In this understanding, the desideratums of loving, being loved, being accepted and being respected are concentrated on He believes that the kindness among human makes people feel love and loving and being loved make people human Besides, Chaudhury (2016) admits that human love develops a sense of justice which might judge and assess human behaviors On the one hand, Heinamaa (2020) states that the human love makes a connection among individuals through the anxious care for others’ comfort, health or happiness

In terms of human love, in comparison with the above definitions, the first school

of thoughts including Boylan (2008) and Honrby (2015), makes people think of the common feeling of members in a family or among relatives The second one with

of the society like the disillusionment with the government or the gloomy outlook on the hazardous life

These endearing feelings are all included in Bob Dylan’s protest songs When listening to Bob Dylan’s protest songs from 1961 to 1965, the audience is able to perceive his strong sense of love and enthusiastic feelings at any level of this kind of emotion Not only through the ears but also through the mind do the listeners notice, become aware of and understand Bob Dylan’s human love Contrary to two other sides

of theories, Bob Dylan’s love is over the limit for the beloved members in his life, but

it is on the top of emotion

2.2.2 Definition of linguistic expressions

First of all, a linguistic expression is defined as any spoken, written or signed form representing a linguistic unit A linguistic expression is used to produce the certain expression (“Linguistic Expression,” 2010) To be more specific, a written linguistic expression is used to express the ideas in the writing process (“Written Linguistic Expression,” 2010)

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According to Hoque (2015), there are five basic components of linguistic expressions They are phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics, and pragmatics In other words, this system is a means of communication which consists of words, grammar, sounds, symbols, and the figures of speech and this combination of linguistic factors enables the ideas to be communicated to the listeners or the readers

Moreover, Urakova (2018) believes that in linguistics, there is an association of semantic, grammatical and phonological units to make up the vocabulary Therefore,

“the subject-matter of lexicology is the word, its morphemic structure, history and meaning” (Urakova, 2018, p.1) Drew & Holt (1998) states that figures of speech as other factors like lexical, syntactic, intonational, or prosodic become a part of constructing the messages of the senders

Based on the above theories, this thesis decides to examine three factors, lexical items, structural devices and rhetorical devices which create the profound meanings and express the ideas in Bob Dylan’s protest songs

2.2.2.1 Lexical items

It is suggested that lexical entries contain information about word types called lexemes These smallest linguistic expressions convey semantic content (“Word meaning,” 2019) Stede (1993) admits that it is crucial for the writers to decide which lexical items should be selected so that the ideas and contents can be expressed adequately Stede believes that through this selection, the writers’ intentions and attitudes can be successfully conveyed

On the one hand, Wanner & Bateman (1990) claims that the different aspects of the same message can be performed by various groups of words Moreover, these aspects can be the decisive factors that influence the choices of lexical units Nordquist (2019) states that words are the building materials, which are used to construct pieces

of writing by the writers To make the work more effective, the choices of word must

be based on a number of factors associated with the type of audience that product is intended for Therefore, in a written work, precise choices of lexical items enable the artists to create the profound impacts on the audience “The best writing creates a vivid

2.2.2.2 Structural devices

A structural device is a term referring to the structure and grammar It is the combination among words or phrases to form sentences and displays the rules of grammar To that end, a structure is understood as a set of principles that combines separate structural factors into a larger one (Bickerton, 2009) Patel (2008) indicates that understanding the structures contributes to understanding the meaning of a work Besides, Williams (1993) agrees that emotions and linguistic expressions have a close relationship with structures

Through the definitions and its functions, it can be agreed that in a musical work, structural devices play an important role in displaying the ideas of the artist Therefore,

in Bob Dylan’s protest songs, structural devices make great contribution to making up the vivid meanings

2.2.2.3 Rhetorical devices

Additionally, another important linguistic tool in writing is the rhetorical device

In Holman’s viewpoint, rhetorical devices “are used to clarify meaning, to provide vivid examples, to inanimate object to amuse or to ornament They have an essential aesthetic purpose widening and deepening the range of perception and response to the world of objects and ideas” (1995, p.196) These devices use types of sentences, structures, or pattern of meaning to evoke a possible response from the audience (Somers, 2019)

In terms of rhetoric, since the main purpose of this thesis is to examine the linguistic expressions, in which the rhetorical devices is a part that together with the other ones like lexical items and structural devices to form the linguistic expressions

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To put it another way, the figures of speech, although important, make up a part of various linguistic expressions on the analysis of Bob Dylan’s protest songs Thus, this thesis focuses only the types of rhetorical devices found in Bob Dylan’s protest songs They are metaphor, simile, irony, rhetorical question, and personification Moreover, this thesis finds that Bob Dylan uses the rhetoric as a means to perform appropriate and figurative expressions in particular situations Thus, the thesis makes an analysis of the rhetorical devices in the simple aspects of reflecting the meaning without focusing deeply on the detailed investigation

a Metaphor

Metaphor is a figurative speech which defines one thing in terms of another Although each word has its literal meaning, it can be used to mean another Lakoff and Johnson (1980) claim that metaphor’s influence is pervasive in daily life It has become human thoughts and actions In terms of meaning, metaphor by its very nature reflects how people think and act In this focus, Lakoff and Johnson (1980) point out that the human conceptual system plays a significant part in what people perceive and how they understand the events by relating their experiences to others Thus, there is a need for a new concept, conceptual metaphor It is stated that “The essence of metaphor is understanding and experiencing one kind of thing in terms of another” (Lakoff and Johnson, 1980, p.5)

According to Lycan (2000), there are similarities between similes and metaphors shown through the comparisons of the two entities In other words, metaphor is the ellipsis of a simile On the other hand, Beardsley (1967) states that if the metaphor is considered a short form of simile, there must be a synonymous meaning without any anomalous aspects Being on Beardsley’s side, Davidson (1978) agrees that the metaphor has its specific meaning which is anomalous from the simile Similarly, Kövecses (2010) claims that there is a resemblance between the two subjects when they are put in comparison However, he states clearly that although the comparison is implied in two different entities, it is not simile which shows the comparison through

It can be seen that there are many different studies about metaphors which have justifiable reasons for their theories However, the metaphor in Bob Dylan’s protest songs is similar to Kövecses’ theory It is a form of comparison in which the two entities bear resemblance to each other and it is surely different from simile

The simile is understood as a “predicative comparison asserts or denies a likeness between two things in such a way that one of them describes the other” (Bredin,

1998, p 74) To put it another way, the subject is then described by the predicate Walaszewske (2013) claims that the major changing in meaning depends on the interchange between the subject and its predicate Walaszewske gives an example “gold mines are like encyclopedias” to illustrate the theory Gold mines are described in terms

of encyclopedias It can be understood that gold mines are so available in a big number and organized that it is easily found

c Irony

In “What is irony? The most common types of irony” (2019), it is defined that

“irony is a storytelling tool used to create a contrast between how things seem and how they really are beneath the surface” It is the use of words or phrases whose meaning is the opposite of someone really means Thus, it is called the figurative meaning To put

it another way, with the ironical way, the listeners are supposed to understand the dissimulation through the implicit meaning (Groeben & Scheele, 2003)

On the other hand, Kotthoff (2003) claims that irony is a typical way of mockery

in which the comments are intended to make people become silly Attardo (2000) has the similar concept of irony with the conclusion that although the irony has a positive evaluation of the subjects, this kind of irony does not frequently happen

Grice (1975) believes that the implied meaning of the irony must be opposite to the literal meaning While Wilson & Sperber (1992) admits that although there is a discrepancy between the two ways of understanding between the literal and figurative meanings, they are contraries rather than opposite Another similar definition of irony indicates the divergence between how the statement’s meaning seems to be and its literal meaning “As a literary technique is used when a certain outcome is revealed, but

is not what readers were expecting or hoping for” (“Examples of irony”, 2018)

Based on the above theories, the irony found in Bob Dylan’s protest songs bears resemblance to the conclusion of Wilson & Sperber’s (1992) and Groeben & Scheele Groeben & Scheele (2003) It is believed that the irony is a means of expression which suggests a different meaning from the literal meaning of the words or phrases In this understanding, the irony does not need to suggest the opposite meaning to the literal

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one or expose the mentioned subject to the ridicule, but the meaning must be different from the literal one Thus, the irony in this focus is expected to discover the writer’s real feelings or intentions by the listener (2003)

d Rhetorical question

Anilotti (1982) defines rhetorical questions as those which have the form of questions but functions as statements The aim of rhetorical questions is to initiate discussions instead of seeking the information In other words, if the information-seeking questions focus on getting the information, rhetorical questions, on the one hand, are raised to provide information Han (2002) points out that these questions seem

to imply the answers that are understood by both message senders and receivers Similarly, Špago (2016) states that although a kind of question, a rhetorical question serves the purpose of conveying a message in a memorable and persuasive way like a statement

In succinct summary, the rhetorical questions found in Bob Dylan’s protest songs from 1961 to 1965 shows the functions of providing information, and implying answers understood by both the artist and the audience in form of questions Thus, this thesis is based on these theories above to examine the role of conveying messages

e Personification

According to Lakoff & Johnson (1980), personification is understood as a metaphor that is connected with ontology in which the entity is specified as a person This kind of human implication helps to point out the salient features of the non-human objects Similarly, Wales (1996) states that with the personification, the writer uses the prototypes of human beings to reference something else Therefore, it is the way to pervade the cognition of the writer to the listeners

Another definition about personification written by Graesser, Mio, & Millis (1989) claims that “personification occurs when animal, objects, social organizations and abstract notions are given qualities of people” (p 141) To make it clearer, Graesser, Mio, & Millis (1989) adds that by giving the concrete foundations to the abstract concepts, the comprehension can be achieved explicitly Closely akin to Graesser, Mio,

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& Millis, Hamilton (2002) points out that “we personify when we metaphorically ascribe agency to normally inanimate objects, turning non-existent or imaginary entities into realistic actors or agents” (p 411)

Reference to the above theories shows that the personification applies the human qualities metaphorically to making the non-human objects understandable There are the basic similarities Lakoff & Johnson (1980), and Hamilton (2002) Particularly, through the use of personification, the non-human objects are turned into lively ways

of his cognition expressions

2.2.3 Definition of protest song

According to Denisoff (1972), protest songs can be vigorously exploited around the movements so as to boost the participants’ spirit to overcome difficulties and develop their countries Protest songs, therefore, become multi-purpose tools to raise public’s spirits as well as fortify the revolutionary members against the people in power

He concludes that protest songs are kinds of socio-political opinions which are publicly expressed to develop an awareness of how social problems are In addition, protest songs suggest or deduce an answer to social problems that are thought to be different from what most people consider to be normal and acceptable by nature (Denisoff, 1972)

Besides, protest songs are understood as the ways of showing the writers’ disapproval of a political subject (dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/protest-song) Similarly, Haynes (2008) points out that protest works are “songs whole lyrics convey a message which is opposed to a policy or course of action adopted by an authority or by society as an institution” (p.1) Weinstein (2006) regards protest songs

as a considerable disagreement over the government’s policy, and moreover as opposition to the authority who do justice Weinstein (2006) admits that its lyrics impact greatly upon or even force a significant answer from the authority

According to Dunson (1965), protest songs are valuable devices in reflecting social inequalities with the hope to better people’s living as well as create an egalitarian society Denisoff (1972) mentions that protest songs have functions like propaganda

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songs with six primary goals such as soliciting outside support, reinforcing the value structure of supporters, promoting cohesions and solidarity among followers, aiming to recruit individuals, invoke solutions, and highlight a social problem or discontent In summary, protest songs are utilized to keep the movements’ members to be together and moreover to attract other ones to join it

From the above theories, it would be better if these factors are integrated with each other so that it can be appropriate for what have been compiled in Bob Dylan’s protest songs Yaffe (2011) regards Bob Dylan’s songs in the 1960s as “finger-pointing” (p.7) Yaffe indicates that the role of lyrics in these works is critical in communicating thoughts and information which is intended to be against politic plans

In that case, protest songs are the points of view widely voiced to raise a consciousness

of social issues Moreover, Taylor & Israelson (2015) claim that through Bob Dylan’s protest songs, it can be seen that the artist does not “shy away from challenging those

in authority” and he “serves the role of gadfly, questioning authority and revealing their true motives” (Taylor & Israelson, 2015, p 52) Taylor & Israelson (2015) also state that Bob Dylan’s works in 1960s tends to approach the civil rights and the injustice These factors are integrated in Bob Dylan’s protest songs They have multi-functions like raising public’s awareness, showing the opposing attitudes towards policies, reflecting the social inequality and issues, playing the propaganda roles and suggesting

or deducing answers to social problems

2.3 Previous studies

There are previous studies related to the songs and lyrics of different composers such as Bob Dylan, Leonard Cohen, Trinh Cong Son or of varied themes such as Disney lyrics, children’s songs, educational songs In general, these studies focus on studying various aspects They are about figures of speech, lyrics about a scientific area, influence of lyrics besides music on communicating the authors’ thoughts and messages and issues in translation process

A research related to linguistic expressions in Bob Dylan’s music is “Like a Rolling Stone: A Mixed-Methods Approach to Linguistic Analysis of Bob Dylan's

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Lyrics” conducted by Czechowski, Miranda & Sylvestre in 2015 The study analyzes Bob Dylan's song lyrics to determine what factors make these works evolve during the long period of 50 years of his career With the quantitative method, the researchers discover that the words expressing the cognitive complexity, religious content, and collective focus increase significantly, while the words referring to social referents reduce dramatically The result of the study shows that Bob Dylan's song lyrics mainly mentions the social themes which are associated with “hardships, romance, religion, family, politics and law, as well as oppression” (Czechowski, Miranda & Sylvestre,

2015, p 99)

Discussing the use of linguistic expressions in Bob Dylan’s songs, Khalifa (2007) in “A Semantic and Syntactic Journey Through the Dylan Corpus” conducts the first investigation with lexical items, which shows the frequency of the word class like nouns, verbs, adjectives and complex noun phrases The second investigation related to syntactic reveals the archaic and non-standard forms Khalifa (2007) concludes that there is a combination among three factors such as Germanic vocabulary, Romance syntactic and the typical British archaic constructions The combination shows Bob Dylan’s tendency of using language to reduce the differences among these discrepant features Khalifa (2007) points out that, in terms of word choices, there is an emerge of certain kinds of vocabulary like verbs of physical or mental perception in Bob Dylan’s works Therefore, this makes his corpus different from the others’ discourses which are related to impression and expression

The study mentioning the linguistic expressions carried out by Tran Thi Phuong

Ly in 2019 is “Symbolic interaction in the “river-mountain” in the lyrics of Trinh Cong Son” The researcher studies the symbolic interaction of the symbolic images of “river-mountain” in terms of cultural anthropology and semantics It is concluded that the interplay between river and mountain appear frequently in the relations of symbiosis, symmetry, and convergence It is this kind of interaction that creates the unique combination and gives the audience the coherent, penetrating, philosophical sense of Trinh Cong Son’s lyrics The results of the research indicate that through the interaction

of the songs are opaque, which requires the audience interpretation In other words, Turppin & Stebbin claim that these texts are less communicative in utterances with explicit messages created by the syntax and words

Another study about linguistic expressions is “Conceptual metaphors in Leonard Cohen’s lyrics” by Johannsson in 2016 Johannsson discusses the conceptual metaphor

used as a device of linguistic expression in Ten New Songs written in 2001 by Leonard

Cohen The researcher states that the conceptual metaphors might be aligned with

human thoughts and the conceptual metaphors of love, life and death are associated with emotional experiences in Leonard Cohen’s works

Additionally, “The analogy between artistic and linguistic meaning-The linguistic model of internationalism of revisited” taken up by Salar in 2013 mentions the linguistic expressions in artistic works In the study, the researcher points out that the pragmatic view of language plays an integral part in fitting the audience’s true intuitions about the artistic meaning To put it another way, Salar states that if the language is experiential, the linguistic meaning itself contains the artistic meaning

to express his ideas and thoughts, this thesis is conducted, particularly focusing on how lexical items, structural devices, and rhetorical devices are used to make up the meaning

In this method, the message presupposes an interpretation which is based on the psychological experiences among the author, the work and the reader (Bateson, 1972) Literary research is commonly thought to be qualitative in nature, for “it involves the exploration of ‘qualities’ or features” (Khan, 2013, p.4) This kind of study is mainly dependent on the library study to detect “the psyche, emotions, attitudes, and dispositions etc which symbolize a character, work, writer, etc and define behavior patterns…” (Khan, 2013, p 4) Altick (1987) defines literary research as a method that illuminates “the work of art as it really is’ as well as the work ‘was to its first audience’, seeing ‘the writer as he (or she) really was, his cultural heritage and the people for whom he wrote as they really were” (p 6) Altick (1987) adds that literary research method enables researchers to examine and assess an artistic work

The advantage of the literary research is the request of “maturity of mind rather than irresponsible handling” (Khan, 2013, p.7) He indicates that the research is conducted under the condition of historical understanding It is, in fact, the result of

“scholar’s reading, experience and reflection” (Khan, 2013, p 7) The interpretation relies on the thoroughly mental reaction of social, intellectual and literary condition of

a period in the past Therefore, this method is believed to show the real meaning that leads to detecting the truth

Although, this thesis mainly uses the method of literary research which is related

to qualitative method, there are statistical steps in listing songs written by Bob Dylan and in sorting protest songs from 1961 to 1965 as well as in counting of the view number on the internet

Dylan from 1961 to 1965 They are John Brown – 1962, Blowin' in the wind – 1963,

Masters of war – 1963, A hard rain’s a-gonna fall – 1963, Oxford town – 1963, Talking world war III blues – 1963, Only a Pawn in their game – 1963, The times they are a- changin’ – 1964, With god on our side – 1964, Mr Tambourine Man – 1964, It's Alright, Ma (I'm Only Bleeding) – 1964, Chimes of freedom – 1964, The lonesome death

of Hattie Carol – 1964, Like A Rolling Stone – 1965, Maggie’s Farm – 1965

The reason for choosing songs written in this period is that, through his songs in the 1960s, Bob Dylan has become a significant factor in the revolution of hundreds of thousands of people (Blanton, 2001) He provides humans with emotional-drive works,

among which songs like Blowin’ in the wind, Like a rolling stone become anthems for

the civil rights movement Palantonio (2019) admits that although it may be cliché if

The Times They Are A-Changin’ is called another anthem of that revolutionary period

It is, however, worth being evaluated for that rank

His songs in the 1960s are the masterpieces of depicting the current situation as

a place of fear, anticipation, and anxiety (Blanton, 2001) He states that “Bob Dylan also became the catalyst for culture change and has described as the most influential popular musician of the twentieth century” (2001, p 10) Besides that, Jack (2012) claims that Bob Dylan’s songs in this period become classic protest songs, which are packed with bad omens of war, social injustice, and other fears These songs impact greatly on leading thinkers and cultural leaders of that era Having similar stance,

Attwood (2009) claims that John Brown is one of the perfect works telling the audience

the mistaken traditional beliefs about war through the story of the mother and her son

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fighting in the war, which becomes so memorable Jack (2012) claims that, to the American, his works in this period are regarded as the torch providing the later generation with illumination By virtue of Bob Dylan’s early 1960s protest songs, he becomes the icon of civil rights and protest leader of many civil rights workers at the

time Schlansky (2009) believes that Blowin’ in the Wind, Master of war, A Hard Rain’s

A-Gonna Fall, Oxford town, and With God on our side are the most striking anti-war

songs in which instead of waiting for death like other contemporaries, Bob Dylan takes the brave decision to disclose the nature of war

Markhorst (2018) shows his great admiration to Bob Dylan that it is

unemaginable if this song-composer writes the song It’s alright ma (I’m bleeding) at

the age of twenty four since the picture of the human condition is depicted as the mosaic Through the timeless word selection and meaning metaphors, the song becomes the masterpiece that have great influences on the next generation Moreover, Attwood

(2013) states that Tambourine Man is the song that raises the voice of gentleness, of

kindness, of affection and considered to be the most important lagacy at that time

Besides that, this thesis was based on the number of views on YouTube, Bob Dylan Vevo, there were nine protest songs to be chosen Each selected song must be a protest song written by Dylan from 1961 to 1965 and had at least one hundred thousand views Combining with the critiques and reviews as well as other sources of writng about these selected protest songs, nine songs were identified as different leitmotivs, or

aspects of human love They were found out including John Brown, Blowin' in the wind,

Masters of war, A hard rain’s a-gonna fall, The times they are a-changin’, With god on our side, Mr Tambourine Man, It's Alright, Ma (I'm Only Bleeding), Like A Rolling Stone

There were seven aspects of human love expressions were determined From these aspects, this thesis picked out which linguistic expressions, particularly lexical items, structural devices and rhetorical devices are found out to express human love

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Next, this thesis made the summary of the association in meaning among these factors at the end of each aspect to evaluate how linguistic expressions are used to develop Bob Dylan’s ideas

Finally, this thesis made the deduction from the data about the linguistic expressions contributing to Bob Dylan’s ideas and drew the conclusion

3.2.2 Sampling

3.2.2.1 Summary of JOHN BROWN in 1962

John Brown expresses ingrained aspirations for pacifism In this song, Bob

Dylan narrates the story of an American mother whose son, John Brown, goes off to war in a foreign country She takes the view that her son will be mightier and his life will be more meaningful if he is dressed in a military uniform and goes into the battle

to serve his nation Contrary to her expectation, the song laments the cruel and tragic fates of the American soldiers who realize that they are just puppets in a play In a faraway country, ironically, they imperil themselves to kill their fellow creatures Through the mother’s disillusionment, the song shows the very nature of war with the facts of heavy losses, both in the physical body and mental trauma, and conveys the message of pacifism

3.2.2.2 Summary of BLOWIN’ IN THE WIND in 1963

Blowin’ in the wind is a protest song involved in the Vietnam War1 During the song, Bob Dylan’s cravings for humanity, freedom, and peace are shown through the image of a journey On this hard journey, the pedestrians have to experience and encounter countless difficulties in order to reach the destination The writer portrays a life packed with hardships and challenges for the purpose of expressing a deep yearning for human love so that human beings can altogether realize and esteem true values of life They are freedom, and peace The artist, however, disappointingly points out that, people, for some reasons, succumb to their fates or turn a blind eye to injustice, human

1 The Vietnam War and active U.S involve the war in 1954 "Blowin' in the Wind" recorded in 1962 gives strong meaning to social movement and the Vietnam War (Anschutz, 2017).

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sufferings and deaths Thus, this protest song is like a ringing endorsement of holding

a populist appeal to a sense of freedom and peace

3.2.2.3 Summary of MASTER OF WAR in 1963

Masters of war is released in the time when American face the fierce of being

constantly attacked in the 1960s because the government get involved in wars and crisis like the Cold War, Vietnam War and the Cuban Missile Crisis Bob Dylan is opposed

to the people in authority who stand behind and trigger the struggle In Bob Dylan’s view, it is the authority is to blame for the deaths and sufferings that the soldiers and

civilians are having Unlike the songs John Brown and Blowin’ in the wind, Master of

war shows the artist’s trenchant view about brutal and needless wars He discloses the

sophisticated plans to get civilians taken part in war and great benefits that the masters

of war get and issues strong condemnations of the people in authority

3.2.2.4 Summary of A HARD RAIN A-GONNA FALL in 1963

A hard rain’s a-gonna fall is regarded as the “true voice” of the ordinary people

who fight against the tyranny of the oppressor for the pacifism It is related to the Cuban Missile Crisis in 19622 and is the insight of American government’s demagogy The song is against the deception of the government’s speeches on television, on the radio

or in the newspaper in which the distortion of the reality is the primary reason that causes the conscious contemporaries to refusing to believe in this society

Based on the conversation of a mother and his son, the artist foretells about the gloomy future The son with blue eyes is the symbol of innocent children who witness and live in a world that has so many terrible events happening The song expresses Bob Dylan’s determination to change the world and craving for fighting against the injustice

2The Cuban Missile Crisis occurred in October 1962 between the United States and the Soviet Union during the Cold War (https://history.state.gov/milestones/1961-1968/cuban-missile-crisis)

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3.2.2.5 Summary of THE TIMES THEY ARE A- CHANGIN’ in 1964

The times they are a-changing was written in 1964 two months after the largest

gathering for Civil rights at that time called “March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom” 3 happened The song is like a call for people to change and accept the current

of new ideas, if not, people will drown and perish

The song, however, does not state exactly what the new order is, what people think is unacceptable in the current society or what are expected to be in the future The artist just reminds people of the time they have to change in order to be accepted It is

an inevitable change

In addition, the song is believed to support the Civil Rights Movement (Graaf, 2014) Therefore, in Bob Dylan’s voice, the nature of change inherently includes progress Through the song, it is claimed that history is moving upwards, nothing can prevent it from moving forward Hence there is a need of adjusting to the present situation, whether they like it or not

3.2.2.6 Summary of WITH GOD ON OUR SIDE in 1964

With god on our side was written in the time when the Cuban Missile Crisis took

place in 1962 Historically, this is a significant historical period when people all over the world, especially American witness many important events such as the war against the Indians, The Spanish-American War, the Civil War, the First and the Second World War, the Cold War and the nuclear threat Therefore, the song is like a sad reflection

on the serious menaces to world peace

Bob Dylan lists as many wars as American army force get involved in and through which the American spirit of suzerainty is pointed out During the song, the audience can feel the strong sense that Americans think about themselves as heroes of

3 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom occured on August 28, 1963 with the participation of

250,000 people because of “the employment discrimination, civil rights abuses against African Americans, Latinos, and other disenfranchised groups, and support for the Civil Rights Act” (March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, 2017)

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the world and have the right to control over and interfere in other countries no matter what happen It is this ideology that gives the American people very reason to start up

and take part in many wars all over the world By saying With God on our side, Bob

Dylan ironically pleads for his country’s evasive actions of other countries

3 2.7 Summary of Mr TAMBOURINE MAN in 1964

Written in 1964, the song was inspired by Bruce Langhorne, who had a gigantic tambourine and played it Bob Dylan is impressed by its big size like a wagon-wheel

In the song, however, Mr Tambourine man is identified as a state of being saved from

the power of evil Although the song does not reference directly any issues, the character is trying in vain to escape from his impasses in reality Therefore, Tambourine man is like his imaginary character who can give the artist a moral support

The song is about an attempt to search for an escape from the current situation More exactly, Bob Dylan makes the audience experience the confusion between the state of being conscious and dreaming The man makes attempts to get rid of the crazy sorrow in reality, but he seems to reach an impasse

The song contains a series of Bob Dylan’s questions about the way that can lead humanity to happiness and fulfilment and implies an escape from the impasses in reality Through the song, Bob Dylan shows his tough row to hoe and desires for freedom

3.2.2.8 Summary of IT’S ALRIGHT, MA (I’M ONLY BLEEDING) in 1964

‘It's alright, Ma (I'm only bleeding), written in 1964, is an outstanding

masterpiece and ranks among the top five of the greatest songs by Bob Dylan (Graaf, 2014) It is in this song that Bob Dylan indicates directly to those who are under criticism It is like an appeal to awaken people who have gone astray

Additionally, the human condition is the major issue reflecting the gloomy picture of being stuck in the mud The song shows the artist’s fruitless efforts to retain human dignity, but he finds that life shut the door on his attempt On the one hand, the song makes the audience sense the indignation that grows in the writer’s mind, although

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he consoles his mother with a niggling injury Therefore, the audience can feel the mild undercurrents of nihilism, and resignation

3.2.2.9 Summary of LIKE A ROLLING STONE in 1965

Like a rolling stone is regarded as “one of the most influential songs of all

time-across all genres” (Mcdonald, 2016) The song is literally about the criticism of the sumptuous lifestyle of a woman Profoundly, it implies the class division in Bob Dylan’s time through the description of a woman who depends much on material wealth and loses significant values as a man When at the peak of life, the woman seems to be sunk in the debauchery and keep herself in ignorance of human values Although there are warnings about the indifferent ways of living, she disregards the advice As a result

of that, the woman faces the difficult and unpleasant life It is the unavoidable consequence that those who are always on the move and lukewarm about human condition existing around them have to take

3.3 Data analysis

The data analysis is based on the literary research method besides the statistics

on the number of songs written by Bob Dylan This method is a tool that can help to identify, evaluate and synthetize the works (Fink, 2005) This method leads to the systematic and explicit results Fink (2005) claims that the conclusion of the research review is based on the other scholars and researchers’ original studies rather than the interpretation Thus, the results are reliable and accurate

To determine the protest songs that had the good evaluations from the audience and scholars, this thesis focused on the views of at least one hundred thousand visits on Bob Dylan Vevo, and Bob Dylan TV websites and consulted the critiques of those songs for further information about the songs’ contents Nine protest songs in this period were selected and seven aspects of human love were identified Based on the aspects of human love, this thesis examined which lexical items, structural devices and rhetorical devices are used to convey Bob Dylan’s messages to the audience Then, this thesis deduced the reasons why Bob Dylan employed these linguistic expressions To

analysis

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CHAPTER 4 FINDINGS

This chapter discusses the linguistic expressions used in nine protest songs by Bob Dylan through seven aspects of human love are found This thesis focuses on three major factors such as lexical items, structural devicé and rhetorical devices in examining Bob Dylan’s linguistic expressions in expressing human love in his protest songs

4.1 The disillusionment with the current government

The first aspect of human love called the disillusionment with the current

government is mostly found in John Brown The disillusionment is built gradually by

the false illusion Bob Dylan uses a wide range of lexical items, structural devices, and rhetorical devices to build up a picture of war illusion Then, step by step; from the grand illusion, the ideas of disillusionments are put into the audience’s minds pervasively and bitterly because the expectations and hopes are crumbled From the disillusionment, Bob Dylan shows his voice for pacifism and peace It is a kind of love

4.1.1 Lexical items

The lexical items found in John Brown show Bob Dylan’s human love in the

disillusionment aspect The disillusionment is built on the first big illusions, and then this illusion is gradually shattered into pieces The mind map below divided into two

parts, one for illusion, and one for disillusionment (see figure 4.1.1)

Linguistic expressions of human love

Disillusionment

Illusion ADJECTI VES

su re

pr ou d glad

NOUNS good old-fashioned w ar

medal smile grin

at las t

final ly

ceas e to c

om e/(n ot) t o com

e

look (eve

ry w here )

try ( one

’s b est) scar e drop

VE RB S

blown off slow NOUNS

in someone’s shoes

Figure 4.1.1 The disillusionment with the current government

metal brac e

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It gives the psychological insight about the American mothers’ traditional beliefs

at the current time It reflects the mental pains depriving from the trust betrayal

From the mind map, it can be seen that the illusion and disillusionment are expressed through the lexical items which show the facial expressions and physical appearances, the proud looks, the desperate waiting, the physical and mental pain, the unexpected discontinuity, the hard efforts, the bitter disappointment, and the doleful expressions

First, the illusion is developed through the pride of the mother whose son is going to serve his nation The lexical items focus on expressing the foolish pride which creates the false illusion

The illusion is shown through the adjectives indicating pleasant attitudes of a proud mother such as “sure, proud, and glad” These words complement each other to manifest the mother’s confidence and satisfaction when seeing John Brown in the uniform of the army, holding a gun Moreover, the pride of the mother is shown through the adjective “fine” preceded by an adverb of degree “so” as a great compliment “You look so fine” is a way of placing the emphasis on the mother’s satisfaction since what

he is doing meets her expectations

His mama sure was proud of him!

“Oh son, you look so fine, I’m glad you’re a son of mine”

You make me proud to know you hold a gun…

She made well sure her neighbors understood

The mother’s compliments including, these adjectives “fine, glad, and proud” are considered to be the encouragements These feelings contrast sharply with a worried state of mind of a mother who makes her farewell to her son to enter a fierce battle These adjectives help Bob Dylan explains the mother’s unusual feelings It can be inferred that she is too proud of her son to recognize the realities of war Bob Dylan

He stood straight and tall in his uniform and all

And she bragged about her son with his uniform and gun

“Brag” is a verb used to indicate the act of speaking too proudly about someone

or something because of the inside thoughts and feelings of extreme satisfaction Bob Dylan shows the mother’s over pride through this verb She talks too proudly about her son, who is in a uniform and carries a gun to her neighbor Moreover, the verb “brag about” makes the audience feel the woman’s happiness simply because her children can live up to her expectations The artist implies that the illusion is too big for her to foresee the dangers

To enhance the overwhelming emotion, the mother’s pride is illustrated with the verb “stand straight” in describing the soldier’s appearances “Stand straight” supplemented with the adjective phrase “tall in his uniform” makes John Brown look like a valiant warrior, which depicts a gallant soldier The author intentionally uses body language to draw a picture of a mighty soldier whose august look makes his mother proud By this description, the audience can feel the illusion that makes not only John Brown but his mother also feels contented with this choice

“Do what the captain says, lots of medals you will get”

Additionally, the verb in imperative form “do what the captain says” emphasizes the mother’s dangerous illusion Bob Dylan asserts the mistaken conventional beliefs that people in his time espouse through the verbs They make the listeners recognize her illusion about war without physical and mental losses and take pity on the mother