BLOWIN' IN THE WIND - Bob Dylan

BOB DYLAN

Bob Dylan (born May 24, 1941) is an American singer, songwriter, artist, and writer. His early songs such as Blowin' in the Wind and The Times They Are a-Changin became anthems for the American Civil Rights and anti-war movements. His mid-1960s recordings, backed by rock musicians, climbed the heights of the United States music charts.

👉 Online Class 15 September 2021

BLOWIN' IN THE WIND - Bob Dylan

How many roads must a man walk down

Before you call him a man?

How many seas must a white dove sail

Before she sleeps in the sand?

Yes, and how many times must the cannonballs fly

Before they're forever banned?

The answer, my friend, is blowin' in the wind

The answer is blowin' in the wind.

Yes, and how many years can a mountain exist

Before it is washed to the sea?

Yes, and how many years can some people exist

Before they're allowed to be free?

Yes, and how many times can a man turn his head

And pretend that he just doesn't see?

The answer, my friend, is blowin' in the wind

The answer is blowin' in the wind.

Yes, and how many times must a man lookup

Before he can see the sky?

Yes, and how many ears must one man have 

Before he can hear people cry?

Yes, and how many deaths will it take till he knows

That too many people have died?

The answer, my friend, is blowin' in the wind

The answer is blowin' in the wind.

Rhetorical Question - A rhetorical question is one for which the questioner does not expect a direct answer. In other words, a rhetorical question is a question someone asks without expecting an answer. The question might not have an answer, or it might have an obvious answer.

Example: And how many times..........?

Refrain - a refrain is a line or group of lines that regularly repeat, usually at the end of a stanza in a poem or at the end of a verse in a song.

Example : 

The answer, my friend, is blowin' in the wind

The answer is blowin' in the wind.

Symbolism - A symbol is a person, object, place, event, or action that suggests more than its literal meaning.

Example :  'Light'  -a symbol of hope, spirituality, life, light can also serve as a symbol of immortality.

'Darkness' : a symbol of hopelessness, loneliness, fear, evil, darkness can also serve as a symbol of death.

Here in this song- 

Man - symbolizes ' the people who face injustice and hope for justice.'

Dove - symbolizes 'peace'

Cannonballs - symbolizes 'war'

Mountain - symbolizes 'rigidity of human nature.'

Sea - symbolizes ' change and true freedom that slowly erodes the rigidity of human nature.