ENGL 1102 Guided Analysis Class Activity
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University Of Georgia *
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1102
Subject
English
Date
Apr 3, 2024
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docx
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Uploaded by EarlMeerkat479
Guided Analysis Class Activity
Overview:
When performing a literary analysis, it’s critical that you are able to separate the act of summarizing from that of analyzing. To help you stick to analysis as closely as possible,
let’s work with the explication questions found in this worksheet.
Task:
In groups, read the song lyrics you have been assigned a couple of times. Then, begin to answer the following questions together.
What is the song’s title, and who is the artist?
“Ultraviolence” by Lana Del Rey
Who is the speaker in the song? What kind of person
is the
speaker?
The speaker is Lana Del Rey, who has aspects of both violence and softness that accompanies the “feminine rage.
Is there an identifiable audience for the speaker? What can we know about it (her, him, or them)?
There is no immediately identifiable audience
in the song, but we know that it is recounting
past feelings to someone.
What is the occasion prompting this song’s creation?
Lana Del Rey is talking about the ups and downs of love, there is not a specific event that prompted this song.
What is the setting in time (hour, season, century, etc.)?
The song does not specify a specific a specific
century, however, it feels old fashion like, perhaps from the mid 1900s
What is the setting in place (indoors or out, city or country, land or sea, region, nation, hemisphere)?
The song doesn’t mention a specific location, however it can be assumed that it is in the US
since both New York and Woodstock were mentioned. What is the central purpose of the song?
The purpose of the song is to shine light on the feelings that accompany infatuation as a result of being oblivious to manipulation.
State the central idea or theme of the song in a sentence.
The song's central idea is dealing with a sense
of toxic infatuation with someone.
What is the tone of the song? How is it achieved?
The tone is retrospective as Lana reminisces upon her past relationship, and she achieves this by frequently using the past tense through words like “was” and “used to”.
Discuss the diction of the song. Point out words that are particularly well chosen and explain why.
The diction of the song is quite emotive and flowery (decorative). It is somewhat poetic, using words like “ultraviolence”, “deadly nightshade”, “tears of gold”, and “heaven is on Earth.”
Discuss the imagery of the song. What kinds of imagery are used? Is there a structure of imagery?
The song uses multiple kinds of imagery such as dark, romantic, and film-like. I don’t think there is a structure to the imagery, rather it is
just all over the song. Point out and explain any symbols.
-
Deadly Nightshade: Lana herself is compared to deadly nightshade as a symbol of something that is beautiful as well as violent.
-
Violins: Lana uses the sound of violins as a play on words to symbolize the sound of violence.
Listen to the song together. Point out significant examples of sound repetition and explain their function.
A paramount example of sound repetition is the use of the word “ultraviolence” in the chorus. As the title of the song, the concept of ultraviolence is shown throughout the whole song but shown explicitly in the repeating chorus. The function of this repetition is to emphasize Lana’s urge to continue experiencing this person’s “ultraviolence”.
Discuss the adaptation of sound to sense.
Does the beat/melody of the song match the subject matter? How does the music influence our understanding of the lyrics?
The beat/melody of the song sort of emphasizes feelings of yearning and infatuation that she feels for the man who does not treat her well, with elongated vocals and a slow beat that is reminiscent
of a pensive character with recurring, somewhat lustful thoughts.
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