Transcript Poetry Analysis

Poetry Analysis
Kim Miller-Davis
October 18, 2012
Rocky Mountain High
Words by John Denver
Music by John Denver and Mike Taylor
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OwARpaKHx
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Literal Meaning
The song tells the story of a person who
relocates to the Colorado Rockies and finds
happiness.
Deeper Meaning
John Denver is actually telling the story of a
young person who achieves a state of spiritual
and emotional fulfillment through his
connection to the earth.
Some Background Information
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Proposed as Colorado State Song
Provoked Controversy
Some thought it was a song about drugs
Objections were overruled
The Objectors were wrong. “High” did not mean
being drugged-out.
Throughout the song, “high” references the feeling
of connection that humans experience when they
are spiritually and emotionally fulfilled.
Types of Components
He uses tone, figurative language, and imagery
to tell the story of his spiritual journey.
Argument One
Denver recreates the spiritual journey through
changes in tone in each stanza that represent
the transitions from spiritual bankruptcy to
emotional fulfillment to the ultimate
achievement of the final “high.”
The Tone in Each Stanza=
Each Stage of Spiritual
Development
1st stanza:
Sets the stage for the overall positive message
He was born in the summer of his 27th year
Comin' home to a place he'd never been before
He left yesterday behind him, you might say he was born again
You might say he found a key for every door
2nd stanza: Descriptions of his life before suggest a sadness and a
lack of investment & connectedness
When he first came to the mountains his life was far away
On the road and hangin' by a song
But the string's already broken and he doesn't really care
It keeps changin' fast and it don't last for long
3rd stanza:
Thunder & lightening provoke awe, not fear
Nature is Nurturing
But the Colorado rocky mountain high
I've seen it rainin' fire in the sky
The shadow from the starlight is softer than a lullabye
Rocky mountain high
Remaining Stanzas
4th stanza: Unrestrained possibilities/empowerment
5th stanza: Self-reflection & self-evaluation
6th stanza: Shift in person suggests universal access/God
is different than Old Testament God. Directly contrasts
with stanza two where the character doesn’t care
7th stanza: Concern goes outside himself to empathy for
the world itself.
8th stanza: reconciliation with the possibility of
destruction
9th stanza: warmth and interconnectedness of human
beings
Argument Two
Denver uses figurative language to explain how
the man’s connection with nature brings about a
spiritual high.
Figurative Language
“He was born in the summer of his 27th year
Comin' home to a place he'd never been before
He left yesterday behind him, you might say he was born again”
In this stanza, “born” does not mean physical birth. It is a metaphor for the
spiritual awakening Denver experiences when he moves to the Rocky
Mountains.
“You might say he found a key for every door”
In this line the “key for every door” is a
metaphor for the opportunities & possibilities ahead of
him.
“When he first came to the mountains his life was far away
On the road and hangin' by a song”
Denver was not literally “hangin’ by a song” but
he was adrift; he lacked any true connections to
people and places.
“But the string's already broken and he doesn't really care
It keeps changin' fast and it don't last for long.“
“The string’s already broken” means that any
connections Denver experienced prior to his
rebirth were so tenuous that they could easily
be severed.
“The shadow from the starlight is softer than a lullaby
Rocky Mountain High”
“The shadow from the starlight is softer than a
lullaby” means the stars are more calming than
a mother’s song. Since Denver has just been
“born” he needs to be nurtured.
Argument Three
In addition to plays with words, Denver provides
several different images of the Rocky Mountains
as a place of worship to further the theme of
spiritual awakening.
“He climbed cathedral mountains, he saw silver clouds below
He saw everything as far as you can see”
“Cathedral mountains” provides an image of
mountains that are majestic and church-like. For
Denver, visiting with God happens in the outdoors.
“Now he walks in quiet solitude the forest and the streams
Seeking grace in every step he takes”
“Now he walks in quiet solitude the forest and
the streams” facilitates imagery of a person
walking alone, peaceful and content with nature
and God.
“Seeking grace in every step he takes” provides
imagery of Denver’s search for moral goodness
and benediction from the Creator.
“It's Colorado rocky mountain high
I've seen it rainin' fire in the sky
Friends around the campfire and everybody's high
Rocky Mountain High”
“Friends around the campfire and everybody’s
high” creates vivid imagery of the same time of
human connectedness and camaraderie that occurs
during traditional worship.
Connections
Text To Self:
I love the mountains and being outside in
nature. It is where I feel most peaceful.