Analytical Essay - Stop and Stare by OneRepublic

In the song, "Stop and Stare" by OneRepublic, there are many literary devices used within the lyrics. Also, this song has a much deeper meaning. A meaning about life. The lyrics describe the acceptance of life and what it might throw at you, then taking those things and look at them through other people's eyes. For example, the lyric : "I'm shakin' off the rust," shows a representation of taking in the good things in life and shaking off the bad. Also, "...can you see what I see?", is  another lyric that portrays the meaning of looking at a situation through another person's eyes. However, this song has more meaning connected to it. For example, the lyrics help us realize that sometimes people have to "stop and stare" to notice what we have to do to get through a tough situation or move on from something that may feel as if it were the hardest thing to do. "And you'd give anything to get what's fair, but fair ain't what you really need." This quote represents the meaning to realize what you don't need and that everything in life is not fair or the way you want it to be. The quotes; "I've got my heart set on anywhere but here," and "Yeah, I know that everyone gets scared, but I've become what I can't be," are great examples of the meaning to move on from bad situations and just focus on the good things. Although this song is filled with meanings to life and great advice on how to live through tough times, the use of literary devices is also great. Some literary devices used are: personification, metaphor, hyperbole, and repetition. The first line of the song is; "This town is colder now, I think it's sick of us." This is an example of personification. An example of a hyperbole is; "Every glance is killing me." This is a hyperbole because of it's exaggeration of the glance that the artist is talking about. With all of these great meanings and uses of literary terms, the lyrics to this song are very deep and meaningful. However, when the actual song is played with all of the music and everything, the song gets ten times more inspirational.