Analysis Of "My Back Pages" By Bob Dylan

906 words - 4 pages

Analysis of "My Back Pages""My Back Pages"Bob DylanMy guard stood hardWhen abstract threatsToo noble to neglectDeceived me into thinkingI had something to protectGood and bad I define these termsQuite clear, no doubt somehowAh, but I was so much older thenI'm younger than that now."My Back pages" by Bob Dylan can be interpreted in any number of ways by any number of people for such is the beauty and artistry of his work. It possesses this quality which allows it to reach out and touch any individual who will permit it to do so. As far as what it is that these prose say to me I firmly believe that these lyrics are so elusive that their personal significance could change from moment to moment. As is such I will try to write quickly. In a general sense, with these verses Dylan is trying to say that the younger one is the more he thinks he knows but in reality he knows much less and as one approaches maturity he knows much more and is aware of that which he is in truth unaware.Dylan has rightfully come to the conclusion in this piece that in his younger years he acted in a purported "adult" manner when in truth his views, goals, and purpose couldn't have been further from this reality. He relates how he strove after certain "noble" pursuits in his youth and quite successfully in fact, only to discover that that which once allured him so was hollow and that which he neglected was in fact of the greatest value. He prematurely made up his mind about the world, about what is good and what is evil only to discover that his conceptions were false. He points out a frightful mistake which so many youth make. They think that they know it all or at least enough and place emphasis where it isn't due only to realize that as a result of their narrow-mindedness they wasted a great deal of their time.With nearly every verse of this poem Dylan seems to be imparting another lesson. He seems to beg us to keep an open mind to every new idea and every new person we come across while beseeching us to take notice of that which is true and right. He cautions us not to whittle our lives away with futility yet he warns us against excessive worry. Altogether, this short piece seems to be a well of paradoxical counsel that is both realistic and human.They say that poetry can speak to the reader and that what it says is dependent on that reader. "My Back Pages" speaks to me personally and I find it so relevant to where I am on this road as a...

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