An Analysis Of Stephen Dobyns's 'Loud Music'

In life, a person can feel morose, with the whole world crashing on top of them, or content. When people are unhappy about their situation, they can deal with their emotions in different ways. Many resort to methods that require them to think about something else, but some will do the exact opposite and find an activity where they can ignore their problems. An accessible way to forget about the gloomy aspects in life is music. Stephen Dobyns poem, "Loud Music", addresses how songs and their volume can remove his dispiriting thoughts. Although it seems beneficial to him, he should not be able to continue because he knowingly hurts other people in the process of helping himself.
Dobyns describes his ongoing situation with his stepdaughter and …show more content…
The juxtaposition he applies throughout the poem, contrasting him with his stepdaughter, reinforces the idea that everyone has a way to calm themselves down. Since the "bass note is like a hand smacking the gut", it demonstrates how he uses music to think about the pain rather than his current situation. This is similar to snapping a rubber band to direct your attention to the stinging instead of resorting to a more harmful approach. Also, his parallelism vividly describes how he likes "the music loud...jam-packing the room" to depict a raging party. Parties, where people drink until they are intoxicated, can loosen people up and make them neglect their priorities. To truly understand Dobyn's desire for such music, one must look at how he sees the world. As he views his ideal picture, he wishes to find "the ocean on one of those days" where it is gloomy. His alliteration with the letter "O" supports the idea of a depressed mood because it sounds low and discouraged. The personification of the wind and thick clouds creating "gray and restless" water show how people in his life can have an unpredictable nature. This affects him as a person because he does not have anyone to depend on. His perfect case shows his negative outlook on the world. Although, he has gained comfort with the dullness and finds ways, such as music, to make his life exciting even if it is harmful to his …show more content…
He would be able to listen to his music when she is not around or through headphones. Although this is still harming him, it is his decision. Even if coping methods are dangerous and lethal, the person should still have a choice on the matter. It is their life and they should be able to control it how they wish if they are not crippling others. If they have exhausted all other methods and decide that they no longer want to live, then they should be able to kick the bucket. This is not to say that help lines should be demolished because there should be help to those who seek it to escape their