John Lennon "Imagine" by John Lennon Uses

¶ … John Lennon "Imagine" by John Lennon uses poetic devices to create an ideal of world peace. The song deals positively with the problem of people fighting each other by removing some reasons for fighting. He understands that this might seem unrealistic but still asks us to join him and others so everyone in the world can be united in peace. I believe Lennon's ideas would reduce violence but not eliminate it. "Imagine" is one track on the "Imagine" album released by John Lennon in 1971 (EMI Group Limited, 2013).

The song uses the poetic devices of rhyme, repetition and rhythm to dream up an ideal of world peace. Rhyme is used in lines such as: "It's easy if you try" and "Above us only sky"; "It isn't hard to do" and "And no religion too"; "I wonder if you can" and "A brotherhood of man" (AZLyrics.com, 2014). Repetition is used for the lines "You may say I'm a dreamer, But I'm not the only one.

I hope someday you'll join us" (AZLyrics.com, 2014), which are used together in 2 places and are followed by a line that is only slightly changed from "be as one" to "live as one" (AZLyrics.com, 2014). Rhythm is used in the gentle melody and also in the lyrics, which are almost hypnotic when read aloud. Lennon shows his talent by using three poetic devices in this song. The song deals positively with the problem of people fighting each other.

Lennon tries to picture a world in which all the reasons for fighting are removed "And the world will live as one" (AZLyrics.com, 2014). A denotative or literal (University of Ottawa, n.d.) meaning of that line could be that the physical planet Earth can have life as the number 1. However, the connotative or emotional/otherwise association (University of Ottawa, n.d.) of that line is that all the people in the world will be united in peace.

The other lyrics support that idea because Lennon removes some of the main reasons for people fighting: religion in "Imagine there's no heaven." "No hell below us" and "And no religion too" (AZLyrics.com, 2014); nationalism in "Imagine there's no countries" (AZLyrics.com, 2014); personal property in "Imagine no possessions" (AZLyrics.com, 2014); greed and hunger in "No need for greed or hunger" (AZLyrics.com, 2014); and anything else that might move us to kill or die in "Nothing to kill or die for" (AZLyrics.com, 2014).

Lennon tries to remove any reason people might fight each other and says he and other people believe world peace is possible if those things are removed because we'll be "Living life in peace" and "Sharing all the world" (AZLyrics.com, 2014).

While he is imagining that peaceful world, he also says, "You may say I'm a dreamer, But I'm not the only one; I hope one day you'll join us, And the world will live as one" (AZLyrics.com, 2014): Lennon understands that we might think his idea is unrealistic but he and some others believe it is possible and he wants us to unite with them and try to achieve world peace.

Do I agree with Lennon's ideas in "Imagine?" Yes and no because of a few things I know outside those song lyrics. People tend to fight because of religion, nationalism, personal property, greed, hunger, and anything else outside of ourselves that might move us to kill or die. If all those things suddenly disappeared, then there would probably be a lot less fighting among people. However, I do not believe that we would be completely nonviolent if they were gone.

For example, religion didn't come to Earth as a violent force from some other place; we made religion and we keep making religion. We made religion violent and we keep making religion violent because we are violent. Today, religion helps make us violent but we also help make religion violent because we are violent. The same goes for anything else outside of us: we might be violent about anything just because we are born violent.

If all the things Lennon mentions were removed, someone could still haul off and hit me because he doesn't like my face or that I snore or the way I chew my food or because I drank the last beer. So, if all the things Lennon mentioned were removed, we'd probably be less violent but we still wouldn't be "Living life in peace…" (AZLyrics.com, 2014). We are born with violence in us. 3. Conclusion "Imagine" by John Lennon uses the poetic.