Break-up songs are everywhere and they use many types of literary devices to explain how good/bad the relationship was; in other words washing the dirty laundry. “Bury My Heart” is a song, created and sung by K. Michelle, wrote after her 2011 break-up. During the song, she explains, using poetic devices such as hyperbole, imagery, metaphors, and allusion, all the pain this has put her through. K. Michelle’s use of poetic devices in her song, “Bury My Heart”, allows the listener to understand how something makes/made her feel, further understand her emotions, have a visual of the emotion she is feeling, and better understand her perspective on the subject of the poem based on what she has been through in the past.

First, a literary device K. Michelle uses is hyperbole, specific words and phrases that exaggerate and overemphasize the basic crux of the statement. K. Michelle’s use of hyperbole allows the listener to understand how this certain thing made/makes her feel. “They say that all wounds heal over time,” according to K. Michelle, “But why does it feel like I could die?” The love that she had put her so high in the sky that when gravity came and brought her to reality, she fell to the ground with no parachute, depending on how high she was, causing severe damage to her heart. Since the listener now understands how this man used to make her feel, they will understand her mood, the feeling a song evokes on the listener, of the song.

In addition to hyperbole, K. Michelle uses imagery, anything that appears to our five senses, sight, smell, sound, taste, and touch, and metaphors, a word/phrase used to convey something in which it has no literal comparison. K. Michelle’s use of metaphors and imagery allows the listener to have a visual of the emotion she is feeling. “Please someone tell me I’m dreaming /Eyes opened wide…Bury my heart /So I won’t hurt again.” said K. Michelle. (K. Michelle). K. Michelle makes you feel bad because she has been hurt so many other times; now she never wants love again because, for her, love always ends in pain. Since through imagery and metaphors the listener can see how K. Michelle is feeling, their tone, the perspective or attitude that the author adopts with regards to a specific character, place or development, will be established appropriately; fulfilling the songs sole purpose.

Finally, K. Michelle uses is allusion, a reference designed to call something to mind, either obvious or not. K. Michelle’s use of allusion allows the listener to better understand her perspective on the subject of the poem based on what she has been through in the past. As said by K. Michelle, “When you wake up inside of an empty room /And you know it was once filled with love.” (K. Michelle). K. Michelle said. K. Michelle references to how good the love used to be and how the love is now, thus making the listener understand why she wants to ‘bury her heart’. Using allusion to show your perspective on the subject of the poem, allows the reader to understand why you say the things in a certain way; therefore understanding the song’s meaning as a whole.

Using literary devices will, depending on the combination of devices used, enhance your songs. Meter enhances the tone, and imagery and metaphors emphasize the mood; this good for the artists because it shows them that there are limitations when writing a song with literary devices. This is another way to further explain yourself without being so blunt. It is also a way for your listener to understand your song that much easier.
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Work Cited
K. Michelle.