Poetry and Weird Al

     Alliteration, assonance, similes, and metaphors are no strangers to poetry and literature. Alliteration, the repetitive use of the same consonant sound, can be used to force words to sound sharp, pointed, or abrupt. Examples: cute kitten, slippery slide, plastic people, good God. Assonance, the repetitive use of the same vowel sound, can be used to sound airy, fluffy, light, or feminine. All rhymes are a type of assonance. Examples: shout loudly, fast pass, hot shot, home phone.
     Metaphors and similes are used to compare two unlike things in hope of finding similarities. A simile is a comparison using "like" or "as" while a metaphor compares two things by calling one the other. Example: "Life is like a box of chocolates." On the surface, a box of chocolates and life don't seem to have much in common, but when Forest Gump explains, "You never know what you're gonna' get," the simile makes sense. Metaphor example: Life is a gray grain of sand on the world's most beautiful shore.
     Weird Al has an incredible talent of rewriting songs to sound almost identical to their originals. This ability is difficult! Replacing words, phrases, and verses with similar ones that mock rhythm and syllables can be a daunting task. Weird Al, however, does such a good job that I do not know the real lyrics to "American Pie" anymore. Pathetically attempting to parody N*Sync's "Tearin' Up My Heart," I came up with the following:

"You're tearing up my couch 

and my shoes.

Why can't you use the scratch post 

I bought for you.

And no matter how many toys I leave around the house

You make me so mad at you."