Sunday, September 15, 2013
Wu-Tang Forever
In the article Drake Drops Wu-Tang-Inspired Song, to the Dismay of Wu-Tang Fans Everywhere
the author Aisha Harris talks about how Drakes new song "Wu-Tang Forever" is an awful ode to the Wu-Tang Clan. The language of the piece is very critical of the song and sounds to be mocking what Drake has done. The diction of the article is colloquial, most likely pointed towards urban areas or city populations. The words the author chooses are quite simple, using everyday language that is easy to understand. The language, diction and syntax of the article all contribute to the idea that the author is using humor to say that Drake's new song does an awful job of honoring the Wu-Tang Clan.
The language in the article is the most concrete way to tell that the author is making fun of Drake's new song. Through the whole thing the language is extremely mocking and humorous. When the author chose to add in the comment, "Others dislike the instrumentals for Drake’s tune as well: 'How can Drake title a song 'Wu-Tang Forever'…when the entire thing sounds like it was made in a bubble bath?' one music fan tweeted." (Harris) it backs up the idea that the language is humorous and cynical towards Drake's lyrics. The last sentence of the article is another example of the language, "I recommend just enjoying it for what it is." (Harris) obviously the author does not enjoy the new song and is telling the reader or listener to just take the song for being a rap song and not taking it as an honor to the Wu-Tang Clan.
The diction used in the article sounds like everyday language, it doesn't have very complicated words or obscure words either. I think the author does this so than it can reach a wide audience, I also think the author did this so than it will add to the tone of being mocking toward Drake. There were not any unfamiliar words or big words in the article at all, some of the words he uses are "legendary", "genuinely", and "innovative". (Harris) The words are in no way challenging for the average reader which the author did to make the article very easy to understand. The diction is very simple so that article is blunt and gets to the point.
The syntax in the piece contributes to how the sentences and ideas flow together. Harris uses a lot of semi colons and commas to emphasize different parts of the sentences. In this sentence "Or maybe they genuinely expected Drake’s new song to both resemble and live up to the work of the legendary hip-hop group, beloved for their innovative sampling, gritty beats, and intricate lyrics" Harris uses multiple commas to create parallelism between the different parts of the Wu-Tang Clan's songs. The simple use of syntax makes it easy for the reader to understand the author's point of view.
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I'll be honest with you, I thought the Wu-Tang Clan was some sort of Asian gang until the very end when you explained it was a hip hop group... Kind of emberassing. When you say that the words are colloquial, where is the region they tie to? Is it probably urban areas, where people aren't using stuffy or pompous language..? Your examples of Harris' smooth syntax are great; the words really do flow well. You make a lot of good analyses but I think you need to finish them off, and be a bit more thorough. Also, the quotes you say suggest mocking sarcasm, like how it sounds like it was made in a bath or how one should simply take it for what it is, I don't think they suggest sarcasm at all. In my opinion this piece is simply a criticism with a disappointed tone. I'm actually not familiar with rap music or the crowds that listen to and review rap, so I can't really contribute any kind of opinion... Sorry :p
ReplyDeleteIt definitely seems like the language in this piece makes fun of Drake’s song. With this language, the author creates a mocking tone. I agree with Mary that the language is not sarcasm, it’s just mocking or humorous. I’m not sure that, based on the quotes you pulled, the author is necessarily saying that she doesn’t like the song. I think she is just saying that it shouldn’t be looked at as some kind of wonderful tribute to the Wu-Tang Clan. Your examples for diction were good, saying how the author uses diction to quickly get to the point. Finally, you accurately describe different aspects of syntax, such as semicolons and commas, but I think you misidentify your quote. You write that “’…their innovation of sampling, gritty beats, and intricate lyrics’” is an example of parallelism, but I think this is simply a list using commas. An example of parallelism in The Nuts and Bolts of College Writing is “Touchstone satirizes courtly manner, woos Audrey, and tries to avoid marriage” (51). The words “satirizes”, “woos”, “tries to avoid” are what create parallelism in the phrase.
ReplyDeleteI think I would have to agree with Mary and Jackie about the sarcasm. It seemed to be more mocking (and maybe a little bit disappointed) than sarcastic. There was definitely humor there, though! The last line in particular made me laugh. It was as if the author was begrudgingly admitting that it was an alright song if you ignored the fact that it was supposed to be inspired by the Wu-Tang Clan. I think in general your post was pretty good! Like Mary, I'd like to see a little bit more with regards to analyzing and tying everything together. Going into more depth on things like the use of commas and semicolons would be helpful. Still, great job!
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