Poetic Devices of America pie

Poetic Devices in “America pie” How Listener Connect the Music
The use of poetic devices in the song can help listener to understand the emotional state of said song. The song “America pie” was written by Don Mclean about the feeling and aftermath of a plane crash that kill the main music artists at the time Buddy Holly, J.P Richardson (also known as the big bopper), and Ritchie Valens were all killed that day in one terrible tragic accident. Through the use of poetic devices Don McLean could convey his emotions in his song “America pie” by intergrading in his music hyperboles, allusions, and imagery to add to the effect his song had.
Poetic devices helps to set the mood, the main chorus of “America pie” has a hyperbole in it. Use of a hyperbole over stating the feel or event can have a profound effect on the listener in this case “the day, the music, died” was as earlier mentioned referring to the plane crash farther more giving us the listener an insight to the feelings Don had for this accident. When one refers to that they feel something died when it really did not it shows a deep pain, sadness for what they are talking about to make you feel greater for it. On to another way to interpret “the day, the music, died” is that fact is people felt that the year following the event there was a so called lack of good music this made people feel like music died on that day. Moving to “ Them good ol’ boys drinkn’ whiskey ‘n’ rye / singn’ this will be the day I die” is a similar hyperbole to the first one but it show the teens being depressed after hearing of the news just adding to the effects of hyperboles. Hyperboles is one of the many poetic devices Don Mclean used in his music and one of the reason people feel this song was such a great song.
Don Mclean use imagery in his music to help the listener to have a mental image and to be more engaged in the song have a deeper understanding for it. When the listen hears this line” Drove my Chevy to the levee, but the levee was dry / Them good old boys were drinkin' whiskey ‘n’ Rye/ Singin "This'll be the day that I die / This'll be the day that I die"” the first thing to come to mind is a 1950 standard Chevrolet truck driving up to a levee (an embankment design to protects from floods) and the flood water low suggesting late summer. “Them good old boys were drinkin' whiskey in Rye “This line to me gives a image of guys sitting around a camp fire try to comprehend the plane crash that kill their favorites singers. The use of imagery in “America pie” was well balance and commented the hyperboles well.
References to past works can help us gain a better connection to the song these references are refer as allusions “America pie” is full of allusions to other songs. Remember the children tale of jack and the candle stick this line reminds me of it” So come on, Jack be nimble, Jack be quick, Jack Flash sat on a candlestick” it is not only an allusion to a child’s tale but the Rolling Stones song “jumpin jack flash” which Don allotted this line to “And moss grows fat on a rollin' stone” . This allusions is to a song by the Byrds, written by Gene Clark, Jim McGuinn (a.k.a. Roger McGuinn), and David Crosby called “Eight Miles High” in this line” Eight miles high and falling fast” is a clear reference to that song. In “America pie” there is many allusions to different songs and writer’s works that follow the accident and to go deep enough to find them all would be tough.

Don Mclean wrote a masterpiece with this masterpiece came many poetic devices for example allusions, imagery, and hyperbole that help the listener gain a deeper connection to the song. This is my own opinion and feelings for “America pie” with minim siting for the use of poetic devices in the song far surpasses the listener common understanding for the song. The song is full with double meanings; poetics devices, powerful words, and thick with emotion make one think long and deep about the song. The concluded this “America pie” is an excellent example of the use of poetic devices because they tie together so well to create a labyrinth of possible means for the song.