American Literture Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

American Literture - Essay Example His dreams and activism of social and political changes reached crescendo with the composing in 1963 of When The Ship Comes In. It is an allegorical, metaphorical poetic anthem for those pushing for reforms and the establishment of a new generation and utopian state i.e. the arriving ship, where â€Å"the sun will respect every face on the deck† and where â€Å"the winds will stop† and â€Å"where the rocks will proudly stand†. In this new promised land, â€Å"the fishes will laugh† and â€Å"the seagulls, they’ll be smiling† because â€Å"the chains of the sea†¦..will be buried at the bottom of the ocean†. But Dylan cautioned that this can only be achieved through herculean efforts that involve drowning in the tide â€Å"Pharaoh’s tribe† and ‘conquering Goliath’. These biblical imageries in the conclusive verses unmask Dylan as a zealous, vindictive, self-righteous and petulant activist who waits for th e day when evil will be violently purged and the chosen people triumphs and be unqualifiedly liberated from the clutches of the oppressors and the unjust through bloody means (Varesi 35). These not only prove Dylan’s biblical influence but also that of Brecht and Weill’s song â€Å"The Black freighter† where Pirate Jenny was consumed with Bop Dylan is an advocate of change. In his Masters of War, Dylan made an indictment of America’s war policies and its military-industrial complex. The Times They Are A-Changing is an indictment of social injustice. Dylan is clearly a child of the 60’s, an age of radicalization and social and political protests especially war protests, an age of intellectual ferment wherein civil rights and liberties were promoted by blacks, women, gays and whoever else. That was the age of counterculture when the American value system was widely rejected especially in college campuses. There is a