Writing An Argumentative Essay About The Nobel Prize In Literature

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One of the greatest honors that a literary figure could receive is the Nobel Prize in Literature, but what if this achievement is awarded to a singer instead of the traditional writer or poet? The Nobel Prize in Literature is a prize that is awarded yearly, typically to an author, who has produced outstanding work in the field of literature. The award is presented based on the individual's work as a whole, not just one particular component. One noteworthy winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature is Bob Dylan who obtained the award in 2016. This American, folk singer and songwriter was said to have won the honor 'for having created new poetic expressions within the great American song tradition.' His songs have been influenced by the poets of modernism and the bohemian era, while his lyrics incorporate social struggles and political protest. Even though Bob Dylan's writing style and presentation of his works may be untraditional when it comes to placing him alongside the same standards as previous recipients, he deserves the Nobel Prize in Literature because he has effectively been able to tell stories through his meaningful lyrics as a different form of art.

This astounding honor sheds more light on the amazing work Bob Dylan has done and demonstrates the countless lives he has touched all across the world. In 2016 when Dylan received the award, he was just as surprised as anyone else was at the time and had expressed that during his acceptance speech. He believes that "if a song moves you, that's all that's important. [You] don't have to know what a song means." A song has the same ability to move a person as a poem or other form of written material does because it depends on how the reader or listener interprets it. It is important that the work of art had meaning, and in this case, Dylan's words do. They are able to move and inspire people, while also informing them and telling stories. In addition, he is said to have won "for inventing ways to make songs do what they hadn't done before" (Sheffield 2). Dylan stands out from other artists because his songs have such deep meaning, allowing the listener to easily understand. He attacks real life issues and is able to grab the attention of the listener, making them interested and caring about the subject that underlies his music. In his song "The Times They Are a-Changin", he sings "Come senators, congressmen/ Please heed the call/ Don't stand in the doorway/ Don't block up the hall/ For he that gets hurt/ Will be he who has stalled/ There's a battle outside/ And it is ragin'/ t'll soon shake your windows/ And rattle your walls/ For the times they are a-changin'." (Dylan 1964). Years prior to the release of this song, Dylan had said that he wanted to write song that had a lot of meaning, with short concise verses that piled up upon one another to create some sort of hypnotic illusion. At the time, the civil rights movement and the folk music movement were closely linked for a while. Dylan used this opportunity to express his feelings on the matter and called to the people and American government to realize the real issue at hand, all in the form of song.

When paired with music, or lacking that aspect, lyrics may have a greater impact than words written in a poem because it provides people with a deeper understanding and connection to what is being presented to them.

The way language is conveyed and utilized in songs has the ability to express emotions that would be hard to get across in most works of writing.

Some may argue that although Bob Dylan has qualified for and has earned countless different musical awards in his career, he does not deserve the Nobel Prize in Literature because his writing style does not encompass the normal terms to which the average winners meet regularly. In the New York Times article, "Why Bob Dylan Shouldn't Have Gotten a Nobel", Anna North expresses her views on why Dylan was not qualified to receive the award. She states that the committee should "have chosen a writer who has made significant innovations in the form, … a writer from the developing world, which remains woefully underrepresented among Nobel laureates" or "a writer who has built an audience primarily online". The 2016 win of the Nobel Prize in Literature should have been awarded to someone who has made an impact on the world with their writing and work overall. Since Dylan is already a well known artist across the world, a new writer missed the opportunity to be recognized for their impactful work. In the article, North goes on to say that Dylan "is great because he is a great musician, and when the Nobel committee gives the literature prize to a musician, it misses the opportunity to honor a writer". Bob Dylan is internationally famous and he has already had a lot of worldwide recognition by receiving many music awards, so he does not need to add this win to his long list of accomplishments. North purely uses this method in order to introduce qualifiers into her writing, and uses this fact to illustrate the importance of this to other writers who she claims to be much more worthy of the prize. However, Dylan winning the Nobel Prize in Literature expresses a paradigm shift because everyone who has won the award before him was a traditional writer but, as a singer and songwriter, he broke the preexisting trend. In the article "Why Bob Dylan deserves his Nobel literature win" it is argued that "in the work of Bob Dylan, the words and the music cannot be separated. Take your favorite Dylan line… Whichever it is, when you say them to yourself, as we all do in times of need, you'll be hearing his voice, his sound, his music." Bob Dylan's work is clearly unlike any other musical artists. His music and his lyrics are able to convey messages that they are not initially intended to. This allows him to have the same effect on people as does a writer or a poet.

The Nobel Prize in Literature is an amazing honor that any literary figure would be lucky to obtain one day in their career. However, when singer and songwriter, Bob Dylan won the award in 2016 it took the world by storm. Even though he is not a traditional winner for the award, he still deserves to be recognized and earn the Nobel Prize as he has been able to accomplish the same amount, if not more, than previous nominees. After Dylan has broken the preexisting trend of the winners being writers, I think that another musician could be able to win the prize as well. Someone who may be good choice for the Nobel Prize in Literature in the future could be singer and songwriter, Frank Ocean.