Lit Terms 1-5 Remix

For my remix of the first five literary terms, I'm using my favorite thing, music. I've searched my own library and even Googled a few things to try to find some examples of the following terms.

Allegory: a tale in prose or verse in which characters, actions, or settings represent abstract ideas or moral qualities; a story that uses symbols to make a point

• I must start off by saying that it was very hard to find a song to fit allegory, seeing as there are so many songs that are allegories themselves. I just chose this particular song because I just read about it in Pete Townshend's autobiography, and I found the fact that he himself is still discovering the real meaning behind this song. 
• Pete claims that this song is really about his childhood: "Someone has been 'gone for nearly a year.' This could be ascribed to the dereliction of both my parents...As a result, 'your crying is a well-known sound.' That crying was mine as a five- and six-year-old...'Little girl, why don't you stop your crying? I'm gonna make you feel alright.' This is chilling to me even today: the implicit threat of abuse unless the child cooperates with the abuser. But 'little girl'? In my mind i was never alone when I lived with Denny--my imaginary constant friend was a twin girl who suffered every privation I suffered...Ivor the engine driver may well represent my abuser: 'we'll sort it out back at my place maybe,'..." It goes on from there. Townshend writes about how he is still discovering the allegory within the song. (Who I Am, Pete Townshend, p. 102-103)

Alliteration: the repetition of similar initial sounds, usually consonants, in a group of words 

•  There are also many songs that use alliteration; it is especially popular for titles. The first few that come to mind are Beatles tunes such as "Sexy Sadie" and "Rocky Raccoon." 
• I've had "Around the World" by the Red Hot Chili Peppers stuck in my head for about two weeks now, but now it's finally really come in handy. This song uses several alliterative lines: "Back from Bombay"/"In the woods of Wisconsin"/"Sittin' in the Swiss mountains"

Allusion: a reference to a person, a place, an event, or a literary work that a writer expects a reader to recognize

• Allusions, allusions everywhere! You tend to take them for granted when you understand them right off the bat. I've gone for a whole-song allusion to Alice in Wonderland/Alice's Adventures in Wonderland with "White Rabbit" by Jefferson Airplane. A well-known song alluding to a well-known story. (There's also Looking Glass by Hypnogaja, another song about Alice. I had to settle on one allusion, then realized that I know a few different songs with the same one.)

 Ambiguity: something uncertain as to interpretation

• At first "ambiguity" seemed to be the hardest word to find in song form. Then all I had to do was remember strange and nonsensical artists and I had a million options. (I also saw someone recommend some REM songs as examples, but I personally prefer the really ridiculous stuff.) I had a hard time choosing between Beck and the Butthole Surfers; I love both of those artists (especially the latter). I'm guessing that there are abundant metaphors in Beck's music, and the Butthole Surfers...well, certain things are probably stoned ramblings, but they also might make sense if you think about them. Or take drugs. (But I still love the guys) Anyway...I finally chose Beck's famous "Loser," mostly because of its...ambiguous video.

Anachronism: something that shows up in the wrong place or the wrong time

• I couldn't think of or find any songs that were about or included anachronisms...So I changed directions and tried to think of songs used as anachronisms. My first thought was "that one rap song in 'Django Unchained'" After a considerable amount of distraction remembering how positively awesome the movie was, I looked it up and found it to be "100 Black Coffins" by Rick Ross. Anyone who has seen the movie, or even just the previews, will recognize that this genre wasn't exactly...popular in the 19th century.