Bud,

I'm really glad you mentioned "Blowin' In The Wind". I remember our discussion at the time. To my way of thinking, those are great lyrics by Dylan and are a terrific example of how rhyme, especially non-perfect rhyme, can be used to create an emotional outlook.

Since copyright laws allow me to critique a work and to use snippets from the work as examples in the critique, you've motivated me to write a little about these words (as I hear them, at least).

The song is in the AAA format and utilises a refrain at the end of each A-section. This form works well for telling stories. For clarity, I'll call each A-section a "verse".

Here's Peter, Paul and Mary's version...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ld6fAO4idaI

...and here's verse one.

Originally Posted By: "Bob Dylan"

"Blowin' In The Wind"

[VERSE 1]
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, how many times must the cannon balls fly
Before they're forever banned?
The answer my friend is blowin' in the wind
The answer is blowin' in the wind

  • To me, this is an 8-phrase verse. It could be argued that the questions are actually single phrases rather than two phrases. When they're set to the music, though, I hear two phrases, so I'll work with that.
  • The rhyme scheme is xaxaxa for the first six lines.
  • In line 7 there's a consonance rhyme with the 'nd' sound between "friend/wind"
  • In line 7 there is also assonance, with a short 'i' sound, that connects blowin'/in /wind
  • Line 8 repeats line 7 in a condensed form.
  • Lines 7 and 8 form the refrain that's repeated at the end of each verse.


The rhyme scheme of xaxaxa has three rhymes interspersed with non-rhyming lines.

Whenever a rhyming sequence of three presents itself, the brain waits for the balancing fourth rhyme. When it doesn't come, this causes a slightly unsettled feeling and is ideal for creating the state of mind conducive to reflection. It was no accident that Dylan asked such weighty questions and did it by leaving the rhyme scheme unbalanced. This is excellent prosody where he's matched lyric content to lyric emotion.

It's also worth noting that man/sand is an additive rhyme while sand/banned is a perfect rhyme.

At the end of verse 1, the only lyric connections are consonance and assonance as mentioned above. There is also the 'nd' sound that's common to banned/sand as well as the previously mentioned friend/wind. Consonance lacks significant resolution and, as such, it leaves the mind of the listener thinking, wondering. It seems to me that Dylan accomplished exactly what he wanted.

By repeating the last line, Dylan capitalises on the short 'i' assonance with blowin'/in/wind. When I hear this sung with the music, it's like the rocking motion of leaves that's created by a gentle breeze - so very suitable for the concept of "blowin' in the wind". I don't know how your brain hears the 'wind' when you listen to this song but, for me, it's simply a gentle movement of air and not a gale. This effect is something that Dylan has managed to accomplish through skilful prosody. It's really worth thinking about how he has managed to achieve this in an even 8, 4/4 time; it's outstanding. Lastly, the repetition of the last line also draws attention, and reinforces, the perspective that there are no easy answers to these questions.

All in all, "Blowin' In The Wind" is an amazing song.

Thanks again, Bud, for reminding me of this.

Regards,
Noel



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