4.3 Writer's Workshop - Spoken Word Poem and Critical Thinking Essay
Writer's Notebook 1: Can Poetry (Music) Change the World?
In the past 40 years, artists of all kinds have responded to problems. In music, the lyrics (the words) are powerful examples of poetry. Lyrics can be written for many purposes - entertainment, education, a way to express emotions or to process events, to raise awareness of a cause, or to respond to an issue or problem. This lesson will explore three of these songs - one from the 1980s, one from 2010, and one from 2015.
TEARS ARE NOT ENOUGH
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Album cover shows the parched Ethiopian land.
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Tears Are Not Enough is a song that was recorded in 1985 by a group of Canadian musicians under the group name, Northern Lights. Purpose: to raise money for relief for people in the African country of Ethiopia. People were starving because they had not had enough rain and could not grow food. Result: The song ended up being the #1 hit in Canada for the year 1985 and money from the sales of the song supported efforts to help Ethiopia. |
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Here are some of the lyrics. You may wish to read them twice – the second time with more expression than the first: |
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As every day goes by |
How can we look away 'Cause every single day We've got to help at any cost We can bridge the distance Only we can make the difference Don't you know that tears are not enough…. |
Do you remember the concepts of theme and mood?
THEME
Remember, the theme in a story, movie, or poem is its underlying message, or big idea. It is the critical belief about life that the author is trying to convey.
MOOD
Mood is the atmosphere or emotion of a story or poem. A mood can be calm and peaceful, depressing or gloomy, hopeful, happy, angry, or any other atmosphere or emotion.
What mood do you think is created in Tears Are Not Enough? What words support the development of this mood? As you listen to the music, think about how both the words and images contributes to the mood.
Listen to the song. If your home facilitator is with you, he or she may be able to name some of the famous Canadian singers. Try not to laugh at the 1980s hairstyles! Think:
- What is the theme of the song?
- What is the mood of the song?
Open your Writer's Notebook and complete responses for this song. Then return to the lesson.