Using Music to Teach Figurative Language With Panic at the Disco
While employing music in the literature class is not a new technique, it is important to keep the selection of music being studied fresh and current in order to demonstrate relevance to students' lives. Equally important is ensuring that the music selected meets the needs of the lesson's objectives by including the literary elements being studied at the time. When using song lyrics to teach figurative devices to upper-level students, it is important not to simply ask students to conduct a scavenger hunt to find literary terms in the musical selection. Rather, they should be asked to explore how the figurative devices function in the song to shape meaning. Just as it does no good for someone to be able to identify a hammer and a screwdriver if they don't understand how those tools function in construction, students should not be simply taught to identify figurative language without being taught how those literary tools function in constructing meaning.
This lesson uses Panic at the Disco's song, "Hey Look Ma, I Made It" in order to explore how figurative devices function together to shape meaning. In particular, students will explore how the song-writers employ metaphor, inversion, irony, and tone to shape a complex and nuanced argument. To increase depth of analysis, students will read and re-read the text several times. They will work with partners and engage in whole class discussion to further support their learning. They will demonstrate proficiency of close-reading skills by writing an analytical paragraph at the end of the lesson that captures their understanding of the text. Finally, they will gain an understanding of how to transfer this skill to any text by completing several reflective activities throughout the lesson.