Pop Music as a New Poetic Voice

            Robert Frost is known for his real depictions of rural life, T.S. Eliot for his portrayal of human emotion and thought. Confessional poets are known for their portrayal of their own lives through the words in their poems and Beat poets for their portrayal of the changing lifestyle post World War II. But what is pop music known for? Its catchy lyrics and entrancing beats? Or its power to overcome generation after generation?

            Poetry, especially that of confessional and beat poets, is known for evoking emotion and depicting real life with symbols, imagery, and metaphors. However, the same can be said for pop music. Songs like “God Only Knows” and “You Still Believe In Me” by The Beach Boys have lyrics so pure and heartfelt that they cannot help but evoke the most real emotions from its listeners, just as poetry portrays real emotional feelings. Pairing these lyrics up with the melodies that are used in pop music, any pop song can be just as effective and moving as any poetic piece of writing.

           

            However, upon the death of Robert Frost and T.S. Eliot, the American people started to turn their focus more towards pop music as a way of life more then focusing their attention on the literary and poetic world. Pop music was, and still is, a genre of music that appeals to the common, working class population. A hit pop song generally is comprised of lyrics that its audience can relate to- which is one reason why The Beach Boys did so well at this time, because their songs appealed to what the young generation was interested in. Pop music, although it could contain the same portrayal of emotions and meaning in its lyrics as poetry could, was a means of expression that could be heard daily all across the nation, during a time where the younger generation was finally starting to be heard. Bands that created this music could be admired and looked up to, concerts could be attended, and each song could be reproduced and covered by aspiring musicians all across the world, all of which contributed to how pop music became such a driving force behind the era of the sixties and such a loud and effective public voice.