romanticism in song lyrics

As a boy lays in a field of grass, near a stream, beneath the sun, he sings to the daisies. He is Mother Nature’s son. There is a childish peacefulness throughout the song. It is spiritual because Mother Nature is the stream and the wind and the field of grass. There is an almost surreal and dreamlike atmosphere and a certain sweetness in tone.

The word choice and diction throughout “Mother Nature’s son” are directly related to the tone of the song. Words such as young, singing, all day long, boy, and son contribute to the youthfulness of the poem. Beside a mountain stream, pretty sound of music, and swaying daisies sing a lazy song are peaceful diction. Poetic devices such as assonance, “young country”, and alliteration,”sitting singing songs”, are euphonic, offering pleasant soft sounds. Inversion is used for emphasis “all day long, I’m sitting singing songs for everyone.” Nature is personified as a motherly being and human attributes are given to the daisies.

The song presents to the listener a new ear to listen from. This ear is intuitive and can hear the sounds of nature.

In the song “Mother Nature’s son”, there is a deep appreciation of the beauties of nature which is a highly stressed Romantic quality. Rationalism and physical materialism are condemned throughout the piece. It is easy to imagine a poor boy who has no cares besides his individual and his connection to nature. He seems so connected that he becomes the son of Mother Nature herself. There is freedom from idealization and rationality as the boy sings along with the sounds of the universe. Emotion is held above reason and the senses over intellect. “Listen to the pretty sounds of music... beneath the sun.” The boy hears the noises of the earth and feels the warmth of the sun and isn’t concerned with much more than the peace he has found.