At A Window Analysis

Loneliness is an emotion many people express in art in order to feel better. These works of art are often songs and poems. The song "Eleanor Rigby" by The Beatles and the poem "At a Window" by Carl Sandburg explore loneliness and how it affects those who experience it. Poetry and song have both been used to express emotion for decades. The two art forms are so comparable that practitioners of either try to convert those on the "other side" to express their art in the other way. As Adam Kirsch says, "... to the poet, turning a rapper into a poet is a cultural promotion; to the rapper, it looks more like a forfeiture of authenticity" (1). Both poets and song artists believe their form of expression is suitable, but in specific cases, song

and poetry can rise above each other in quality. "Eleanor Rigby" portrays loneliness by showing two lonely people and how their lives parallel each other. Similarly in "At a Window", the speaker writes about how all they wish for is someone to spend their time with. Both pieces explore how loneliness can make people feel hopeless and wish for company. In contrast, the pieces use a different tone to show their similar messages. "At a Window" uses a earnest, emotional tone which makes the reader feel and connect with the speaker. "Eleanor Rigby" however, has a candid and objective tone, plainly showing the lives of it's characters through a third-person point of view. The first-person point of view in "At a Window" helps the poem to feel more personal and emotional. The Beatles' song "Eleanor Rigby" is more artistic with it's use of poetic devices than the poem "At a Window" by Carl Sandburg because of it's unique use of rhyme and assonance.
"Eleanor Rigby" and "At a Window" use some similar poetic devices to portray the speaker's or characters' loneliness.

The song "Eleanor Rigby"'s use of poetic devices has become commonplace for many musical genres and artists. In general, poetry and song have situated themselves side by side in our culture. There are good and bad poems and songs, but they often have the same messages and use the same devices to portray those messages. As Pete Astor writes in "Poetry of Rock", "As such, song lyrics now fulfilled a new set of functions for a new audience. A difference in the engagement with lyrics was signalled by Goldstein's collection; it was the beginning of the time when the rock a pop fan could situate their tastes alongside more 'high' cultural values"(144). Songs have risen to having just as much prestige as poems in our modern society. Both "At a Window" and "Eleanor Rigby" use alliteration to show their main message of the effects of loneliness. "Eleanor Rigby" uses alliteration in "Waits at the window, wearing the face" to bring attention to what is being said (The Beatles Line 6). In "At a Window", alliteration is used when Sandburg writes, "One little wandering, western star" (Line 14). The use of alliteration in both of these pieces contributes to their rhythm and style. Another poetic device that both "Eleanor Rigby" and "At a Window" use is repetition. In "Eleanor Rigby" repetition is used frequently, most often with the phrase, "All the lonely

people" (The Beatles 9). This emphasizes that there are many lonely people in the world, and often others don't know about them. "At a Window" also uses repetition for emphasis in, "A voice to speak to me in the day end, / A hand to touch me in the dark room" (Sandburg 9-10). The author stresses how much they want someone to be with them. The similarities in the poem "At a Window" and the song "Eleanor Rigby" show that songs and poetry can be comparable art forms.
Despite their similarities, there are differences between "At a Window" and "Eleanor Rigby". First, "Eleanor Rigby" uses rhyme, and "At a Window" does not. This adds to the artistic value of "Eleanor Rigby" and contributes to it being more artistic than "At a Window". The Beatles use rhyme when they write, "Of a sermon that no one will hear / No one comes near" (14-15). Song lyrics like this are sometimes considered to be taking the place of poetry, and few people buy poetry or actively seek it out like music. As Alexandra Petri writes, "If we really want to read it, it is everywhere. Poetry, taken back to its roots, is just the process of making — and making you listen" (1). Music can achieve the same art as poetry can, and in the case of "Eleanor Rigby" can rise above certain poems in their artistry. "At a Window" uses an allusion to the poem "The New Colossus" which is associated and featured on the Statue of Liberty. Sandburg alludes to "The New Colossus" when he writes, "Give me hunger, pain and want, / . . . . / From you doors of gold and fame," (4-6). The allusion has an affect on the meaning of them poem, but less so for it's overall artistic value, unlike the use of rhyme and assonance in "Eleanor Rigby" which happens throughout the song. "Eleanor Rigby" uses assonance with the lines, "From his hands as he walks from the grave / No one was saved" (The Beatles 29-30). Similarly to rhyme, this assonance is poetic and adds to the rhythm and message of a song or poem. The differences between "At a Window" and "Eleanor Rigby", set "Eleanor Rigby" apart as being more poetic.
"Eleanor Rigby" by The Beatles and it's use a assonance and rhyme is more poetic than the poem "At a Window" by Carl Sandburg.

By using these and other poetic devices, "Eleanor Rigby" is more convincing in its message. Song lyrics and poetry have again and again proven themselves to be comparable art forms, and "Eleanor Rigby" is more artistic than the poem "At a Window". Expressing our emotions through poetry and song is healing and relieving for many

people.