This shows that it is probably not the first time the writer has seen the poor children outside on the streets however he has always been oblivious and too carried away by his own personal life to “see their needs”. The writer then rhetorically questions himself “who am I, to be blind?” Firstly, this is a metaphor and hence an instance of figurative language as though the author might not be physically blind, he compares himself to one that is blind. This juxtaposition of the writer’s wealth and the children’s poverty shows that they are from different classes while the writer has the luxury of choosing coats, the children are not even able to get sufficient food. The writer then uses personification in “This wind is blowing my mind” – given the wind a humanlike quality because of the word “blowing” and also serves as an image to portray his state of mind by telling the audience that in the chilly weather is not affecting him physically, but mentally because he is greeted by the sight of “kids in the street, with not enough to eat”. The writer first wears his “favourite winter coat”, turning “up the collar” as he leaves his home. In the first verse, the writer begins by creating a winter setting by using visual imagery. It brings about questions such as, “What is the individual’s responsibility to society? Can we change the world by changing ourselves? What is the power of one person to create change?” The audience is in general subjective and perhaps not specific as the song is basically to inspire others to help themselves before they help others. the impoverished children in the streets) and how he desires and feels that to make a really major change, he must start with himself (the man in the mirror.) This song focuses on self-reflection and the inner struggle of one individual to become better, more upright and more moral. He speaks about how certain situations he has seen has really affected him (e.g. This song is about a man who resolves to (or is trying to alter his ways) before he starts changing the world. * What is the tone of the song? How does it make you feel? How is it trying to make you feel? Write a paragraph explaining what the tone is, and how things like the speaker/audience relationship and the language discussed in the last paragraph affect the tone. “The writer uses the simile “you’re cold as ice” to tell the audiences that he believes the audience is a mean person.”) Of what, exactly, is an example? How do they help the message of the song? Write a paragraph (e.g. * Explain the meaning of the figurative language and imagery. The summary will serve as your first paragraph. What is the song about? Who is the speaker? Who is the audience? These things should all be included in the summary. Take a look at yourself and then make the change You gotta get it right, while you got the time Take a look at yourself and then make the change) Take a look at yourself and then make that They follow the pattern of the wind ya’ see That there are some with no home, not a nickel to loanĬould it be really me, pretending that they’re not alone?Ī widow deeply scarred, somebody’s broken heart I’ve been a victim of a selfish kind of love Take a look at yourself, and then make a change If you want to make the world a better place
They follow each other on the wind ya’ knowĪnd no message could have been any clearer With summer’s disregard, a broken bottle topĪnd one man’s soul (and a one man’s soul) Man in the Mirror (sung by Michael Jackson, written by Siedah Garrette and Glen Ballard)