“But my words, like silent raindrops fell
And echoed
In the wells of silence”
In “The Sound of Silence,” Paul Simon compares his words to silent raindrops. In these couple of lines he uses a simile “But my words, like silent raindrops fell” and a metaphor “And echoed in the wells of silence.”
The first type of metaphor in these two lines is a simile. Not only are raindrops refreshing, reviving, life giving, and fatal, but they make noise when they splash to the ground, something that does not happen when raindrops are silent. The quote contains the words “fell” and “echoed” but clearly states they are silent. This quote is a paradox because raindrops are not silent, especially when relating them to a loud echoing sound. Silence connotes death, stillness, and isolation, something that is clearly presented in the quote above. The quote shows that the attempted spoken words are ignored and become silent and quiet. However, to the speaker, the words are thundering and loud. This quote is a paradox but explains a difference in the way the speaker feels his words are interpreted by others. Not only does this evoke the loneliness and longing for attention but the means of desperation for someone to hear him, even though his cries are silent. His words can also be life-giving or deadly because raindrops are drops of water and water gives life, but too much of it can be fatal.
The next metaphor, “the wells of silence,” directly compares “silence” to “wells.” Wells are water holes, abysses, sources of life, death and hope. In comparing “silence” to “wells,” Simon is saying that the silence is in an abyss vast with life and death. Life begins and death ends it. The “silence” can be considered as the angel of death from the book of Exodus or the grim reaper, taking away the souls of people, causing death. When life keeps flourishing the angel of death will always be there to trim earth’s over abundance. The “well” is the planet earth, where life begins, sometimes wells are the main source of water to people which keeps them living here in earth, providing to the life cycle. Wells are portrayed many times as a source of hope of obtaining a dream, by being silent it crushes the dreams of all the people who depend on it. When dreams are crushed, people lose their personality and hope of life. The well in this quote can mean the death not of life but of hope, being silent lets the well decide that no longer will people hope and no longer will voices be heard.
The next metaphor, “the wells of silence,” directly compares “silence” to “wells.” Wells are water holes, abysses, sources of life, death and hope. In comparing “silence” to “wells,” Simon is saying that the silence is in an abyss vast with life and death. Life begins and death ends it. The “silence” can be considered as the angel of death from the book of Exodus or the grim reaper, taking away the souls of people, causing death. When life keeps flourishing the angel of death will always be there to trim earth’s over abundance. The “well” is the planet earth, where life begins, sometimes wells are the main source of water to people which keeps them living here in earth, providing to the life cycle. Wells are portrayed many times as a source of hope of obtaining a dream, by being silent it crushes the dreams of all the people who depend on it. When dreams are crushed, people lose their personality and hope of life. The well in this quote can mean the death not of life but of hope, being silent lets the well decide that no longer will people hope and no longer will voices be heard.
stiligt, humoristisk å informativt ! :)
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