Bless The Broken Road

Journeys are about many different aspects to how people carry out life, physical and emotional journeys, but also journeys of self-reflection. For this assignment the chosen related text, composed by Rascal Flatts, is ‘Bless The Broken Road’. The purpose of this document is to compare my related text to the statement, “More than anything else, journeys are about the challenge of self reflection”. The use of symbolism, similes and Metaphors will be discussed, when analysing ‘Bless the Broken Road’. Examples of techniques from each text will be tabulated, and their effect explained.

‘Bless The Broken Road’, uses language techniques to emphasise the meaning of the songs message, and the journey he reflects back on. A technique he uses to emphasise the statement, that journeys are about the challenge of self-reflection is symbolism, such as the line “others who broke my heart…”. The words ‘broke my heart’ aren’t literal, but are but are metaphorically used to symbolise the anguish he felt when others left him. The symbolism used helps to show how the composer looks back on his journey and how he reflects on his emotions at that time.

The way the composer uses techniques to convey meaning is important to the overall affect of the song, and the emotional journey it creates. Another way the composer self-reflects on his journey is through the use of similes. The line “Others who broke my heart, they were like Northern Stars” is a simile in the way the composer compares his past lovers to the North Star. He uses this line to emphasise how his losses, led him on his journey to finding true love; that each heartbreak gave him hope to carry on. The line is also symbolic; ‘Northern stars’ is symbolic in comparison with the way that the three wise men were lead to Jesus, in how the composers past lovers had lead him to finding his true love. This gives an easier understanding to the audience on how he felt, and makes it easier for them to sympathise with his experience. In