A Hard Rain's A Gonna Fall Analysis

            Revolving around a rather macabre inquisition with his son in “A Hard Rain’s A Gonna Fall”, Bob Dylan constructs the song via the use of rhythmic syntactical patterns which include numerable sporadic verses of abstract irony, and paradoxical allusions to the world to convey the pain and pelting burden of this “Hard Rain”.

`           Throughout the entire song, Dylan utilizes a rhythmic syntactical pattern in which he repeats a select phrase in every stanza, unique to each specific stanza. For example: “I’ve” (Stanza 1), “I saw” (Stanza 2), “Heard” (Stanza 3), “I met” (Stanza 4), and “Where” (Stanza 5). In addition, Dylan concludes each stanza with the chorus which aids to hold and reinforce the song’ meaning. Dylan’s purpose behind structuring his song in this manner was likely to create an almost pulsating effect, like the patter of “rain”, in which his meaning, to make obvious the irony of our world strikes deep into the hearts and souls of the audience. The pattern, though at first glance redundant, actually serves to insure the communication of Dylan to his audience, from the enigmatic mind of his own to the willing minds of theirs.

            Defining the song is simple, for Dylan’s prevalent use of irony is inescapably present. The irony Dylan employs is unrelated to any single object or idea, besides that of irony’s own independent existence in our world. “I saw a newborn babe with wild wolves all around it” juxtaposes the innocence and vulnerability associated with newborns to the evil and malicious intent attached to wolves. One would expect the caring arms of a mother to hold and cherish her child, not the cold breath and hunger of a wild wolf; thus the irony is created. A deeper more figurative example of Dylan’s sporadic irony would be “I saw ten thousand talkers whose tongues were all broken”. Here, the expectation is common sense, a talker would no doubt be expected to talk but , in contrast, their tongues are broken forever silencing them from the world around them. Through this veil of irony Dylan weaves, he makes an allusion to the modern world and the countless who suffer day by day, with minds, mouths, and voices of their own who will never be heard.

            Within Dylan’s facade of irony lies paradox, mind-bending ideas that through their confusion and haze hold meaning, evocative meaning. “I met one man who was wounded in love- I met another man who was wounded with hatred” The first verse in this line holds the paradox while the other holds the more common understandable example. At first glance, love is not something that brings pain, suffering, or a wound. However, under this first level, love can in truth bring pain or wound. An absence of love can scar or damage one’s soul.