Humanity Hallows Issue 4 Out Now!
Pick up your copy on campus or read online.
By Joanna Shaw
The American singer/songwriter Bob Dylan has become the first ever musician to win the Nobel Prize for Literature. The decision was kept completely under wraps, and had been delayed for almost a week, before being announced yesterday. Dylan is also the first American to win since 1993.
The judges justified their decision by saying that Dylan, “Has created new poetic expressions within the great American song tradition.” Dylan can certainly be appreciated as a poet in his own right, taking his stage name from poet Dylan Thomas and his songs such as ‘The Times they are A Changin’, ‘Mr Tambourine Man,’ and ‘Blowin’ In the Wind, each carrying a strong sense of poetic rhythm and telling its own story.
In an article for The Guardian in 2008, it was revealed that Dylan considers the 18th century Scottish poet Robert Burns as his greatest inspiration. Burn’s poem ‘A Red Red Rose,’ is said to be one of Dylan’s favourites. He reflects his inspiration from Burns in his music, as his lyrical flow can be compared to the great Romantic poets.
An array of well-known names have congratulated Dylan on his Nobel win, including US President Barack Obama who took to Twitter to congratulate the singer.
Congratulations to one of my favorite poets, Bob Dylan, on a well-deserved Nobel. https://t.co/c9cnANWPCS
— President Obama (@POTUS) October 13, 2016
In an interview with the BBC, CP Lee, a musician, writer and so-called Dylanologist from Manchester, called Dylan “A master of using words. He has a way of using words that very few musicians have achieved. He has affected a lot of people.”
Musician and songwriter Billy Bragg said, “Dylan puts poetry into the form of music, he opened the door to the psychedelic movement of music.”
Mick Hucknall of band Simply Red summed up many people’s feelings for Dylan when he said, “He is the greatest living poet.”
Joanna is a first year MA student in Multimedia Journalism. Check out her blog booklifereads.tumblr.com, or follow her on Twitter @booklifereads.
Following the passing of iconic Stone Roses and Primal Scream Bassist Gary ‘Mani’ Mountfield, there have been growing calls for him to be immortalised in a way that reflects both his cultural impact and the deep affection shared between the musician and his home city. GRIT Studios has answered the calls from fans, announcing plans…
Featured image: Evie Peattie Often overshadowed in popular narratives by the heritage houses of Paris or Milan, London’s fashion ecosystem has long traded on creative freedom. As London Fashion Week prepares for its 42nd year, running from the 19 to 23 February, the British capital is poised to reaffirm its reputation not simply as a…
Featured image: Sebastian Garraway Beats vibrate through a polished floor. Bodies move with a swinging grace, surrendering to the rhythm without hesitation. An instinctual sliding jig sways wide-legged jeans cut just above the ankle. Sweat drips from sharp scissor-cut hairstyles onto porous Fred Perry polos. You’ve guessed it: Northern Soul. The late 1960s phenomenon is…
Featured image: Evangeline Causton Local lad Harry Styles will take to the stage at Manchester’s Co-op Live for the city’s first-ever Brit Awards, before returning for his one-night-only show on March 6 to celebrate the arrival of his fourth album, Kiss All The Time. Disco, Occasionally. When cryptic billboards bearing the words “WE BELONG TOGETHER” appeared across Manchester city…
Leave a reply