English Classics - Lyrics Series

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The Sound of Silence

"The Sound of Silence," originally titled "The Sounds of Silence", is a song by the American music duo Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel. The song was written by Paul Simon between 1963 and 1964, a time when the Americans were overwhelmed with domestic and global chaos and violence. The song was adopted as an anti-war song when the Vietnam War was raging. Garfunkel once commented that "The Sound of Silence" is about people's inability to communicate with each other, particularly on the emotional level.

1. What is suggested when the persona addresses "darkness" as an "old friend"?

  1. He is drunk or dream walking.
  2. He enjoys talking to an imaginary friend.
  3. He is lonely with no real friends to turn to.
  4. He often suffers from insomnia.

Your answer:

Think about why the persona talks to an imaginary friend (instead of a real human) time and again.

2. The persona sets the scene of his dreams with the following lines:

In restless dreams I walked alone
Narrow streets of cobblestone
'Neath the halo of a street lamp
I turned my collar to the cold and damp

Which of the following adjectives does NOT describe the scene?

  1. gloomy
  2. lively
  3. chilly
  4. solitary

Your answer:

What atmosphere do the underlined words create?

3. What does the persona imply in the following lines?

People talking without speaking
People hearing without listening

  1. People don't speak loudly and clearly.
  2. People don't get the main ideas in daily conversations.
  3. People have meaningful conversations.
  4. People cannot communicate effectively and sincerely.

Your answer:

The difference between "talking" and "speaking", "hearing" and "listening" is emphasised in the structure. "Speaking" and "listening" seem to suggest a more meaningful exchange of idea.

4. What message is conveyed when the persona compares "silence" to "cancer"?

  1. "Silence" is harmful and destructive.
  2. "Silence" is growing inside your body.
  3. "Silence" is threatening your health.
  4. "Silence" can cause cancer.

Your answer:

Consider the similarity of "silence" and "cancer" in the context of the song, which is about communication breakdown and emotional disconnection.

5. What happened in the persona's dreams as described in Verses 2 to 5?

  1. He was stabbed.
  2. He saw a lot of people.
  3. He tried to talk to the crowd.
  4. No one heard him.
  1. (i) & (ii)
  2. (ii) & (iii)
  3. (ii), (iii) & (iv)
  4. all of the above

Your answer:

Verse 3:
"And in the naked light I saw
ten thousand people... ",

Verse 4:
"Fools," said I, "You do not know
silence like a cancer grows
...
But my words, like silent raindrops, fell
and echoed in the wells of silence..."

Verse 5:
"And the people bowed and prayed
to the neon god they made..."

6. Which of the following adjectives does NOT describe the feeling of the persona?

  1. frustrated
  2. desperate
  3. alienated
  4. peaceful

Your answer:

Is the overall mood of the song calming or dark?

7. The title of the song is an oxymoron, a figure of speech with two words of opposing meanings put together. "The Sound of Silence" is self-contradictory as silence should be a complete absence of sounds. Which of the following expressions is NOT an example of oxymoron?

  1. a deafening cry
  2. a true lie
  3. a wise fool
  4. a sweet sorrow

Your answer:

Deafening means loud, and a cry is like a scream, which is also loud.

8. Match the following figures of speech / literary devices with the right examples from the lyrics.

A. parallel structure B. alliteration C. simile
D. personification E. rhyme F. metaphor

8a. Hello darkness, my old friend
I've come to talk with you again
8b. Left its seeds while I was sleeping
And the vision that was planted in my brain
8c. No one dared
Disturb the sound of silence
8d. Hear my words that I might teach you
Take my arms that I might reach you
8e. But my words, like silent raindrops, fell
And echoed in the wells of silence
8f. The words of the prophets
Are written on the subway walls
And tenement halls

A. Parallel structure is the repetition of a pattern, phrase, or structure within a poem or prose passage.
e.g. I came, I saw, I conquered.

B. Alliteration is the repetition of initial consonants.
e.g. The little lilac lightly landed on the lily pad.

C. Simile is a figure of speech that directly compares two things by using "like" or "as".
e.g. She is as pretty as a peony in bloom.

D. Personification is a figure of speech that gives an animal, object or idea human characteristics.
e.g. The moon was resting in the midnight sky.

E. Rhyme is the repetition of vowel sounds and all consonant sounds that follow after.
e.g. old/cold, eat/heat, cool/school

F. Metaphor is a figure of speech that directly equates or substitutes two unlike things.
e.g. Time is money.

9. Decide if the following statements on the lyrics are True (T) or False (F).

9a. A contrast between darkness and light is shown in the lyrics.
9b. There is a regular rhyming pattern throughout the song.
9c. Imagery about religion is used in Verse 5.
9d. There is a refrain (i.e. a repeated verse) in the song.

9a. Contrast is a difference between two people or things that are shown clearly / highlighted when they are put close together.

9b. Rhyming words are words ending with the same sound. They are usually found at the end of the lines.

9c. Imagery appeals to our five senses and bring pictures to mind.

9d. All verses of the song are different.

10. Which of the following themes or issues is NOT explored in the song?

  1. freedom
  2. indifference
  3. isolation
  4. communication breakdown

Your answer:

The song shows a fruitless attempt to build meaningful relationship and connection with others.

The Sound of Silence

Score Sheet

Questions Results
Question 1
Question 2
Question 3
Question 4
Question 5
Question 6
Question 7
Question 8a
Question 8b
Question 8c
Question 8d
Question 8e
Question 8f
Question 9a
Question 9b
Question 9c
Question 9d
Question 10
Total

Extended Questions: Think and Share

11. What do you think "neon light" and "neon god" in the lyrics symbolise?

12. "The Sound of Silence" was a song written in the 1960s and it is about people's inability to communicate with others. Do you think the themes and situation in the song are still relevant to the present day?