The Sun's Third Stone

The Lyrics of "The Third Stone from the Sun" as a Poem

The above-mentioned Hendrix song is a formal performance song with various subdivisions and recognizable passages. There is a first section that begins with Hendrix's lyrical chording on the guitar. By reading the lyrics of the record, it is clear that it is an instrumental composition. This is due to Hendrix's incorporation of acid rock and jazz into the album, both of which are artistic approaches that might be seen in a poem (Hendrix). In addition, he incorporates short fragmented passages into the literary sense, giving the impression that it is more like a poem than a song in the making. He used words that are compelling and composition in verse which serves to invoke emotion and provide imagery to the reader. In so doing, it appears as though the lyrics can stand independently on their own without the need for a rhythm that would translate them into a song.

Structure of the Song

In terms of structure, the lyrics of the song are divided into several stanzas and verses. As far as poems are concerned, they also have the structural format that is mentioned above which help to easily prove that the song may play the role of a poem perfectly without any mayhem. The development of the elements of the piece is done before the performing experience just to ensure that the song falls within the rendition for which the writer of the lyrics had intended for them. As far as stage performance is concerned, the staging of the first stanza is done with a lowered pitch. In so doing, the general wording of this particular stanza of the poetic song is slowed down thus making it quite difficult for anyone to comprehend the message for this specific part. The greater picture is that understanding the first stanza would be next to impossible if one does not have the hard copy of the lyrics or somewhat aware of the song that is presented.

The Hidden Meanings

Comprehending most poems is often tricky due to the intentionally hidden meaning. One has to read in between the stanzas of a particular poem carefully before getting the clear picture of the actual meaning. This is because the reader is meant to ponder deeply regarding the same and this is the same case with Hendrix’s lyrics behind the song the Third Stone from the Sun. Each stanza has a hidden meaning that can only be understood if at all one reads the lyrics bit by bit (Hendrix). The first stanza takes approximately one minute before the song gets to the second stanza.

Imagery and Descriptions

By reading the lyrics to the first stanza, a beautiful scene is formed in mind; an image that comprises of mysterious mountains and green grass appears. This is the use of imagery to drive the point home which is commonly known as a poetic device in most cases. As the stanza draws to a close, the singer or rather the poet makes a wish. He gets intrigued by the scene that is described and ends up getting caught in the thought of seeing the mountains and the green vegetation surrounding it at close proximity. However, the only problem that seems to be deterring the idea from coming into action is the absence of the kinky machine.

Reciting the Second and Third Stanzas

The second stanza starts immediately the one minute scheduled for the first stanza has elapsed. Just as some of the songs are structured, the musician feels challenged to speak in a slow tone at the beginning of a stanza as though reading the lyrics of the part. On the same note, Hendrix reads the second stanza in a tone that appears to be enunciatingly casual. This is the same tone that if one had decided to read a poem, they would read it aloud to the public or the intended audience. The best part of the second stanza is that the act of reading it makes it rather lyrical than musical. This particular stanza takes one minute and thirty seconds to conclude.

The third stanza which is the last is ushered in by guitar playing and jazz drumming. Also, Hendrix commends it by reading through it as opposed to the first stanza which was sung. The exception to this part is that he raises the pitch of the way he makes his pronunciations. When reciting a poem, there are instances that require tonal variation. However, reading the last stanza of a poem is always accompanied by a high tone that tells the audience that the presentation has concluded. This implies that in most instances involving the presentation of the song, Hendrix has employed the devices that suggest it to be a poem rather than a song. In order for him to enunciate the last verse of the third stanza, he slows down. All the factors that I have considered in this article only prove the fact that the aforementioned song may be used as a poem.

Work Cited

Hendrix, Jimi. Jimi Hendrix (songbook). Hal Leonard, 2013. Internet resource.