Well, this is my last blog for AP Lit. I’ve got to
say, it has been a lot of fun writing all these different posts over the year,
from books to poems to music to movies to whatever seemed to have noteworthy
literary merit, there’s a blog for it. For this last blog, I felt it only
fitting to find some work that had pertinence toward my current situation with
approaching graduation and the anxiety of AP tests and finals coming up in the
following few weeks. I also wanted to explore some more of the lyrics of Rush,
so for this I found one of their lesser known works, “Madrigal”, to analyze for
some meaning for myself. The title of the song refers to a form of 16th
century cantata-like poetic work in which there was not necessarily a specific
form but each line sought to express as much emotion as possible. Neil Peart’s
lyrics masterfully take on the challenge, essentially describing a man who
finds himself beaten down by the foes and fears of his life and in the process
struggles to maintain some sort of meaning and purpose in his life. The short
song opens with the lines, “When
the dragons grow too mighty To slay with pen or sword/I grow weary of the battle
And the storm I walk toward”. Clearly, Peart is describing a person who is
constantly attacked by oppressive forces greater than they are, and in natural
response are forced to defend themselves from utter destruction, in the process
finding themselves progressively worn down and tired in the process. I think it
is fair to say that everyone at some point in their lives feel the ominous presence
of the “dragons” that constantly wear down on people, whether it is school,
final exams, work, business, anything that serves to wear down a person both
physically and mentally to the near point of defeat. In such attacks is the
struggle to maintain meaning and purpose of one’s own life, as the attacks of
the dragon make it very easy to forget who you are. The song attests to such
circumstances with the lines, “When all around is madness
And there's no safe port in view”. Like the existentialist dragon of Grendel predicted, chaos is a weapon that can manipulated powerfully against others, and the various dragons of our own lives know how to inflict it dangerously well. While the pessimistic thoughts of anxiety, disillusionment, and chaos may not be the most uplifting qualities of my situation, the song provides an answer to all such questions and foreboding thoughts, which is finding peace in acknowledgement of fellowship and friendship with another person. The song reflects this with the lines, “I long to turn my path homeward to stop awhile with you…There's a beacon in the darkness in a distant pair of eyes”. The great comfort that this song brings to the world-weary narrator is the comfort of knowing that he has someone worth living for, someone who is a living testament to the fact that he should not let the trials and tribulations of the world bring him down to such a state of despair. While the song may imply this person to be a woman that he loves, I think when looking at the song in a broader sense it can apply to bonds that people have with friends and family as well. The hope is the recognition that no matter how difficult life will get, there will always be those who can be counted on to be there for you and remind you that the dragons of this world are only as strong as you let them be, and that there is always strength to be found to carry on into the light of the coming day.
And there's no safe port in view”. Like the existentialist dragon of Grendel predicted, chaos is a weapon that can manipulated powerfully against others, and the various dragons of our own lives know how to inflict it dangerously well. While the pessimistic thoughts of anxiety, disillusionment, and chaos may not be the most uplifting qualities of my situation, the song provides an answer to all such questions and foreboding thoughts, which is finding peace in acknowledgement of fellowship and friendship with another person. The song reflects this with the lines, “I long to turn my path homeward to stop awhile with you…There's a beacon in the darkness in a distant pair of eyes”. The great comfort that this song brings to the world-weary narrator is the comfort of knowing that he has someone worth living for, someone who is a living testament to the fact that he should not let the trials and tribulations of the world bring him down to such a state of despair. While the song may imply this person to be a woman that he loves, I think when looking at the song in a broader sense it can apply to bonds that people have with friends and family as well. The hope is the recognition that no matter how difficult life will get, there will always be those who can be counted on to be there for you and remind you that the dragons of this world are only as strong as you let them be, and that there is always strength to be found to carry on into the light of the coming day.
Well, that’s all
folks!
