A few weeks ago, I awoke to some pretty controversial news. A lot of people were heated on this issue, but I was overjoyed. A man had been given an honor that a lot of people said he didn’t deserve. No, this has nothing to do with the controversy of the latest election. I woke up with the news that Bob Dylan had been chosen for the 2016 Nobel Prize for literature. The Nobel Committee awarded Dylan this honor for “having created new poetic expressiveness within the great American song tradition.”
Dylan is the first musician to ever win the Nobel Prize for literature. Many critics were understandably upset about Dylan being elevated to the status of writers like William Faulkner, Ernest Hemingway and T.S. Eliot. The reason this decision sparked ample controversy is because the award brings up the greater philosophical question of “What is art?” and “What is literature?” This unanswerable inquiry is different to everyone and this award skirts the line of the answer. Of course, in the broader terms of philosophy, these questions are impossible to resolve. However, it is important to recognize that as society evolves, so does literature and art, and that is something that should be recognized no matter what the true definition.
I’ve been a Bob Dylan fan and a literature nerd for as long as I can remember, and I’ve always been fascinated by the depth and context of great lyricists. Dylan’s lyrics speak to me in a way that seem to constantly evolve yet stay relevant in my life in the same way that great novels and poetry have touched me. The complexity and wisdom that shine through his words convey an authentic American voice that stands the test of time. Not only do his lyrics speak with depth and movement, they spark action, feeling, and desire and have led movements of social justice and peace.
Dylan’s award Revolutionizes lyricists as true poets and opens the door for this genre of artistic expression to be evaluated. In the future, I want to see more artists be recognized for their songwriting. This award is opening the floor to the realization of lyrics as art, so we can expect to be seeing a little more attention on analyzing music. Most people literally listen to music for hours a day so it’s safe to say that music is important and has an undeniably has a huge impact on our society.
Music demands to be listened to, felt and analyzed. It is a vessel that we use to interpret and understand ideas and culture and a narrative that can be used as a beautiful tool to share compelling stories. Ignoring this is missing out on a part of our culture and something that can be so intriguing and insightful to our society.
I’m excited and hopeful that the future of literature is being expanded and developed. Bob Dylan is great artist and phenomenal writer and is more than deserving of the award. This award is the first step in expanding our view of artistic expression to fit our modern and dynamic world and is opening up the floor to analyze and interpret music as literature. The award redefines the boundaries of literature and art and I think that’s simply beautiful. I’m looking forward to the increased attention on lyrical analysis and the impact that it will have on our interpretation of our worldview moving forward.
