The Times They Are A-Changin Essay

Change is something that has been fought for throughout history. Rather than submitting to tyranny, people always rise to the occasion to invoke what they deem is right. Through the use of diction, tone, and imagery, Bob Dylan, author of the poem, “The Times They Are A-Changin’”, describes an era of rapid development that creates a struggle between the “everyman” who calls for change and “the authority” who refuse to keep up with the evolving, dynamic world. The diction within the poem emphasizes the tension between the “everyman” and “the authority”. A struggle can both be seen and felt with the very word choice incorporated. Several uses of this can be seen in the third stanza regarding the politicians. Instead of being forward in asking
Upon review, the narrator implies that the politicians will be “hurt” if they choose to delay necessary change. The word “hurt” shows the desperation of the public by associating the lack of change with pain. The apparent rift between the citizen and politicians only widens upon a viewing of the lines, “there’s a battle outside and it is ragin’ / it’ll soon shake your windows and rattle your walls” (lines 25-26). The word “outside” plays a role in the poem as it represents distance between the “everyman” and “the authority”. This emphasizes, the idea that the politicians are far removed from the harsh realities faced by their own citizens. By comparison, the diction addressing the “everyman” in the first stanza seems more like a warning. The lines, “Come gather’ round people / Wherever you roam / And admit that the waters / Around you have grown”, provide a feeling that is
Some examples within the lines create scenes for the audience which may come off as harsh or even downright combative. The first stanza acts as a host to an early example of the descriptive imagery used by the narrator. The line, “Then you better start swimmin’ or you’ll sink like a stone” is powerful due to the mental picture it constructs (line 8). The picture that materializes is one of an “everyman” that must almost “survive” the change, lest he or she drown in it by not being active. To include imagery that implies join or die, the message starts to become more crucial and worthy of concern. Strong imagery can also be seen in the third stanza where the “everyman” must take a stand against the politicians. The line, “There’s a battle outside and it is ragin’ / It’ll soon shake your windows and rattle your walls”, implies that this conflict is a violent one that requires resolution (lines 25-26). Between this battle imagery and the “join-or-die” imagery from before, one could envision a much grander conflict that seems war-like in comparison. Imagery can often be quite effectual in writing in deriving the deeper meaning behind the words. In recall, imagery was used to illustrate the harsh struggle for change. In “The Times They Are A-Changin’”, by Bob Dylan, diction, tone, and imagery were used to describe a struggle for change between those in power and