CSU Long Beach Use Metaphor in Firework by Katy Perry Paper For this paper, you only need to do the Analysis and conclusion part by using the metaphor crit

CSU Long Beach Use Metaphor in Firework by Katy Perry Paper For this paper, you only need to do the Analysis and conclusion part by using the metaphor criticism to analyze a song “Fire work” by Katy Perry. I will provide a powerpoint by explaining what is metaphor and also will give out one sample paper of how the analysis and conclusion should look like. At least analyze three points by using the lyrics, and complete the conclusion as well. Look at the sample paper and use the same way as the writer did to write the analysis part. And also please provide one source from the interest that is related to this song to write the paper. I used one source already so please try to look for something else. Please read the powerpoint and sample paper before starting the paper, and please follow the format correctly. Thank you for your help 🙂 Student Last Name 1
Student Name
COMM 301
Dr. Heyse
14 November 2019
A Metaphoric Criticism of Rascal Flatts’ “Life is a Highway”
Introduction
In 2006, Disney Pixar released the wildly popular children’s animated movie, Cars. In its
opening weekend the film brought in $60 million and maintained its number one ranking at the
box office for two straight weeks. Like most Disney movies, part of the film’s success was due
to its soundtrack. In 2007, its soundtrack was nominated for Best Compilation Soundtrack
Album at the Grammys. In this paper, I analyze how song writers use metaphors to teach
children about the complexities of life. I argue that Rascal Flatts’ cover of “Life is a Highway” in
the movie, Cars, teaches kids about the ups and downs of life using simple driving and
geographic settlement metaphors. This argument is significant because the movie, Cars, has
become a household film to show young children. It is important to understand how children are
learning about complex topics, like life, and if the topics are being communicated appropriately.
Description of Artifact
“Life is a Highway” was originally sung by country singer, Tom Cochrane, in 1991. It
was made popular by country band, Rascal Flatts. Rascal Flatts’ cover of the song was released
on June 9, 2006, the same day Cars hit the box office. Rascal Flatts took Cochrane’s song and
transformed it into a more upbeat melody that has stuck with many since the movie’s debut. At
its peak in 2006, the song made it to number three on the Billboard Hot 100 charts. Since the
song’s release, the group has sold millions of digital copies. This song is worthy of study because
it is featured in one of Disney’s most popular movies, resulting in its exposure to a big audience.
Method
Student Last Name 2
I will use a metaphoric criticism to analyze how Rascal Flatts’ lyrics in “Life is a Highway”
communicated a message about life to children. According to Foss, metaphors are “nonliteral
comparisons in which a word or phrase from one domain of experience is applied to a different
domain” (285). It is the joining of two terms that normally belong in different categories.
Consumers then use their understanding of one of the terms and apply it to the other term.
Metaphoric criticism is based on theorizing by Aristotle and Cicero. Aristotle defined a metaphor
as “the transference of a name from the object to which it has a natural application,” while Cicero
defined a metaphor as “embellishment” (Foss 286). Ultimately, both philosophers view metaphors
as decorative devices to use sparingly. Today, we experience reality through description.
Metaphors give the rhetor the power to choose the attitude taken towards the artifact they are
describing. They choose the “rules, roles, and scripts that the rules dictate” when choosing specific
metaphors (Foss 287). Recently, many theorists have gone on to develop their own ideas and
definitions of metaphors. For example, Thomas Hobbes thought of metaphors as deceptive
rhetorical devices that should be avoided. On the other hand, George Lakoff, Mark Johnson, and
Kenneth Burke share the idea that “metaphors play a critical role in the discovery and description
of ‘the truth’” (Foss 289).
The two key terms used to analyze metaphors are vehicles and tenors. The tenors are the
subject of the statement or artifact, while the vehicles are the frames used to describe the subject
(Foss 293). The first step in a metaphoric criticism is to examine the artifact and its context to
understand the complete experience. The second step is to isolate the metaphors by identifying any
comparisons between two things (Foss 290). Some will be easily identifiable with the use of the
word “like,” while others may not be as easy. For example, in some metaphors, the vehicle is stated
while the tenor is implied. Generally, however, the metaphors will be comparisons between nouns
Student Last Name 3
(Foss 291). The third step is to sort the metaphors. This step requires picking apart the metaphors
and grouping them by tenor and vehicle to distinguish patterns (Foss 291). The final step is to
explain the artifact after grouping its metaphors. Looking at the frequency and intensity can help
determine the significance and explanation for the metaphors used (Foss 293). I found this method
to be the most appropriate for analyzing “Life is a Highway” because the song is cluttered with
metaphors to describe the idea of life.
Analysis
After reading the lyrics of “Life is a Highway” I was able to identify multiple vehicles
and tenors used to characterize the complexities of life. Rascal Flatts uses driving and
geographic settlement metaphors to spread this message.
Driving
The driving metaphors are as follows:
Tenor
Vehicle
Life
Highway
Life
Road you travel on
Life (implied)
Bend, stand
Life
Rough road
Life (implied)
Ride it all night long
In the song, there are a number of driving metaphors to describe life. For all of the
metaphors the tenor is life, whether it is implied or explicitly stated. The vehicles are all frames
related to driving. Most kids have been in a car and can understand the simple comparisons that
the band makes. The driving metaphors Rascal Flatts uses in their song share a positive outlook
on life. They want to convey to their young audience that life is constantly changing like a
“highway” or a “road you travel on.” Rascal Flatts implies that in life you sometimes you “bend”
Student Last Name 4
and sometimes you “stand.” They also state that life can be a “rough road.” These frames of life
suggest that everyone’s life is different, just like roads. Some lives may have more
complications. Although there are some days in life that are better than others, Rascal Flatts still
wants to “ride it all night long.” They do not give up on life when they have a complication. This
metaphor provides listeners with a positive mindset to rely on after handling the issues that arise
in everyday life. It makes listeners want to overcome the hardships they face and to understand
that there is still more life to experience after.
Geographic Settlements
The geographic settlement metaphors are as follows:
Tenor
Vehicle
Life experiences (implied)
Cities, town
Life experiences (implied)
Mozambique, Memphis nights, Khyber pass,
Vancouver lights
In the song, there are also a couple of geographic metaphors to describe life. The tenors
are implied experiences that an individual may encounter in their lifetime. The vehicles are
frames of geographic settlements. Rascal Flatts uses broad geographic settlement terms like
“cities” and “towns” to describe new experiences one may have in a lifetime. The band gets
more specific by naming precise locations such as “Mozambique,” “Memphis nights,” “Khyber
Pass,” and “Vancouver lights.” Although kids may not know where these places are, they can at
least understand that they are different places. Furthermore, they are understanding that within
all these different locations, people are experiencing different events. Rascal Flatts is pushing an
enthusiastic attitude to these different occurrences that happen over the course of a lifetime. They
want their listeners to appreciate the differences new encounters in life may bring no matter
where they may find themselves.
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Conclusion
Using a metaphoric criticism, I found that Rascal Flatts’ song, “Life is a Highway,”
communicates a lesson on the complex topic of life to children through its use of driving and
geographic settlement comparisons. Their comparisons present a positive perspective on the
events that occur in life, good and bad. Their lyrics teach children that life is not easy and that
they should enjoy it as it comes. By analyzing the metaphors used in their song that many kids
have heard, we can better understand what content helps kids internalize such dense topics such
as life.
Student Last Name 6
Works Cited
Foss, Sonja K. Rhetorical Criticism: Exploration and Practice. 5th ed. Long Grove, IL: Waveland
Press, 2018.
Rascal Flatts. Cochrane, Tom. “Life is a Highway.” Cars (Motion Picture Soundtrack). Disney
Enterprises, Inc./Pixar, 2006, track 3.
A Metaphoric Criticism on the song “Firework” by Katy Perry
Introduction
In 2010, the famous American pop singer Katy Perry released a popular song,
Fireworks. This song came from her third studio album, Teenage Dream. This particular
song was created to bring awareness to the importance of self-empowerment. This
inspirational single was commercially successful reaching number one on the billboard plus
got more than five nominations for best song of the year and sold more than 10 million copies
in the United States. In this paper, I analyze how this songwriter uses metaphors and
analogies to allow a more versatile way of understanding how important a person is. I argue
that Katy Perry song “Firework” motivates individuals to reveal their true self to the world
without being afraid. This argument is significant because the music video shows different
real life scenarios of how people are struggling to deal with their own insecurities and
difficulties. It is important to understand how much of a positive impact music has on those
who feel stuck and don’t know how to reach out for help and are trying to get through their
everyday problems.
Description of Artifact
“Firework” was written by Katy Perry, Stargate, Sandy Wilhelm, and Ester Dean
while produced by Stargate and Sandy Vee at Soapbox studios in Atlanta Georgia. This lyric
is a dance-pop song who was influenced by Jack Keroucas novel, On the Road. Since this
song was self-empowering and inspirational to Katy, it became of importance and was
released as a Teenage Dream third single on October 26, 2010. This song rapidly became one
of the top songs around the world and was certified Diamond by the Recording Industry
Association of America. Two days later after releasing the song, an accompanying music
video, directed by Dave Meyers was released. It portrays Perry singing and dancing around
Budapest as it shows scenes of young people becoming confident in themselves. Since its
release, this song made it number one on the Billboard Hot 100 and the top five on 20 charts
around the world. This song is worthy of study because it has inspired many people around
the world and has made it one of the biggest sporting events in America, the Super Bowl in
2015.
Method
We will use metaphoric criticism to analyze how Katy Perry music lyrics “Fireworks”
has positively communicated a message to those people who fear showing who they really
are. According to Foss, metaphors are “non literal comparisons in which a word from one
domain of meaning is applied to another” (285). It is the joining of two terms that normally
regarded as belonging to different classes of experience. Metaphoric criticism is based on
theorizing by Aristotle and Cicero. Aristotle defined a metaphor as “the transference of a
name from the object to which it has a natural application” while Cicero defined metaphor as
“embellishment” (Foss 289). Although they have different definitions, they ultimately both
agree that metaphors are decorative and extraordinary uses of style. Metaphors gives the
rhetor the power to choose the attitude taken toward the artifact they are describing. They
choose the “rules, roles and scripts that the rules dictate” when choosing specific metaphors
(Foss 287). Overtime, theorists have been influenced and have developed their own ideas and
definition of metaphors. For example, Thomas Hobbes is another theorist that adds on and
defines metaphors as deceptive and frustration of language and others like Kenneth Burke,
George Lakeoff and Mark Johnson all share the idea and argue that all thought is metaphoric,
“metaphors play a critical role in the discovery and description of “the truth” (Foss 289).
There are two key terms that are used to analyze metaphors. The two terms are
vehicles and tenors. The tenors are the subject or the focus of the artifact and the vehicle is
the frame or lens used to describe the subject (Foss 293). While doing this method, the first
step is to examine the artifact as a whole and consider the context, understanding the
complete experience. The second step is to isolate the metaphors and locate the tenors and
vehicles, notice the commonalities between the two things. (Foss 290). Some metaphors will
be easy to distinguish by locating the term “like” or “as” while others may not be easy to
spot. The third step is to cluster or sort the metaphors in similar tenors and/or vehicles to
distinguish patterns (Foss 291). The final step is to explain the metaphors found in the
artifact, the function and or potential effects. Observing the artifact and looking at the
frequency and intensity of a term or phrases can help determine the significance of the
metaphor used. (Foss 293). We found this method to be the most appropriate for analyzing
“Fireworks” because the song follows a repetition of metaphors that describes the importance
of revealing who you truly are.
Analysis
After reading the lyrics of “Fireworks” we were able to identify …..
Conclusion
Works Cited
Foss, Sonja K. Rhetorical Criticism: Exploration and Practices. 5th ed. Long Grove, IL:
Waveland Press, 2018
Lyrics:
Do you ever feel like a plastic bag
Drifting thought the wind
Wanting to start again
Do you ever feel, feel so paper thin
Like a house of cards
One blow from caving in
Do you ever feel already buried deep
Six feet under scream
But no one seems to hear a thing
Do you know that there’s still a chance for you
‘Cause there’s a spark in you
You just gotta ignite the light
And let it shine
Just own the night
Like the Fourth of July
‘Cause baby you’re a firework
Come on show ’em what your worth
Make ’em go “Oh, oh, oh!”
As you shoot across the sky-y-y
Baby you’re a firework
Come on let your colors burst
Make ’em go “Oh, oh, oh!”
You’re gonna leave ’em fallin’ down down down
You don’t have to feel like a waste of space
You’re original, cannot be replaced
If you only knew what the future holds
After a hurricane comes a rainbow
Maybe a reason why all the doors are closed
So you can open one that leads you to the perfect road
Like a lightning bolt, your heart will glow
And when it’s time, you’ll know
You just gotta ignite the light
And let it shine
Just own the night
Like the Fourth of July
‘Cause baby you’re a firework
Come on show ’em what your worth
Make ’em go “Oh, oh, oh!”
As you shoot across the sky-y-y
Baby you’re a firework
Come on let your colors burst
Make ’em go “Oh, oh, oh!”
You’re gonna leave ’em fallin’ down down down
Boom, boom, boom
Even brighter than the moon, moon, moon
It’s always been inside of you, you, you
And now it’s time to let it through
‘Cause baby you’re a firework
Come on show ’em what your worth
Make ’em go “Oh, oh, oh!”
As you shoot across the sky-y-y
Baby you’re a firework
Come on let your colors burst
Make ’em go “Oh, oh, oh!”
You’re gonna leave ’em fallin’ down down down
Boom, boom, boom
Even brighter than the moon, moon, moon
Boom, boom, boom
Even brighter than the moon, moon, moon

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