Bob Dylan, a well-known American singer songwriter and recipient of the Nobel Prize in Literature, has often been called a “modern day troubadour.” Read the article by David Ward, “Is Bob Dylan a Poet?” published in the Smithsonian Magazine in October 2016.
Dylan’s beginnings as a folk artist who idolized Woody Guthrie solidified his storytelling and protest-singer status with songs such as “Death of Emmett Till” and “A Hard Rain’s a-Gonna Fall.”
Using information from the article, this week’s lecture and videos, discuss Dylan’s status as a “modern day troubadour.” Is it an accurate description of him and his music? Discuss his use of literary devices and possible compositional considerations discussed in the lecture. Do you know any other examples of “modern day troubadours”? Share an example with your classmates.
