Poetic Elements Within the Blues

Blues is one of the most captivating genres of music. The genre was originated in the late 1800’s as a method used by African American slaves to express the circumstances as well as to put emphasis on their feelings and emotions. In order to create these feelings in this music, blues artists incorporate many of the same techniques used to write poetry. One of the most easily identifiable songs in which it is easy to see the relation between poetic elements and blues music is the song “Empty Bed Blues” by Bessie Smith.

The lyrics to “Empty Bed Blues”, when not being sung, appear to be a regular poem. But when performed, the lyrics are transformed into a powerful and meaningful blues song. Bessie Smith is one of the most well-known and influential blues singers of the 1920’s. By incorporating poetic devices into the lyrics of her song, Bessie is able to better able to portray her attitudes and emotions to the audience By using the elements of imagery, rhyme, repetition and word choice normally found in the blues allows the audience is given more insight into her present circumstanc...