Freezing Time: A Lyrical and Thematic Analysis of Ed Sheeran's "Photograph"

Song Analysis Ed Sheeran - Photograph Lyrics Loving can hurt, loving can hurt sometimes But it's the only thing that I know When it gets hard, you know it can get hard sometimes It is the only thing that makes us feel alive We keep this love in a photograph We made these memories for ourselves Where our eyes are never closing Hearts are never broken And time's forever frozen still So you can keep me Inside the pocket of your ripped jeans Holding me closer 'til our eyes meet You won't ever be alone, wait for me to come home Loving can heal, loving can mend your soul And it's the only thing that I know, know I swear it will get easier, Remember that with every piece of you Hm, and it's the only thing we take with us when we die Hm, we keep this love in this photograph We made these memories for ourselves Where our eyes are never closing Hearts were never broken And time's forever frozen still So you can keep me Inside the pocket of your ripped jeans Holding me closer 'til our eyes meet You won't ever be alone And if you hurt me That's okay baby, only words bleed Inside these pages you just hold me And I won't ever let you go Wait for me to come home Wait for me to come home Wait for me to come home Wait for me to come home You can fit me Inside the necklace you got when you were sixteen Next to your heartbeat where I should be Keep it deep within your soul And if you hurt me Well, that's okay baby, only words bleed Inside these pages you just hold me And I won't ever let you go When I'm away, I will remember how you kissed me Under the lamppost back on Sixth street Hearing you whisper through the phone, "Wait for me to come home." Song Analysis Analysis 1. Determine the subject of the poem: What does the song mean?  This song is about a person that is away from his or her partner. He/she is telling their partner to keep a picture of them and remember all of the good and bad memories they’ve had together until they return to their side. 2. Identify the poem’s narrator: Who is speaking? To Whom? Under what circumstances?  The narrator of this song is a male or female that is talking to their partner. The two are currently apart from one another, the narrator is telling his/her partner to remember the times they’ve spent together. 3. Note the diction (word choice) of the poet: What are the words denotations and connotations? Denotations: The literal meaning of a word  wait for me to come home: meaning the narrator wants their partner to wait for them. Connotations: An idea or feeling that a word invokes  You can fit me/Inside the necklace you got when you were sixteen: this is not meant to be taken literally, it means that the narrators partner could fit a photo of them inside their necklace that they received when they were sixteen. Are the words concrete or abstract?  I think that the words used in the song are concrete because the meaning of the words are portrayed in a physical manner. Is it free of clichés?  This song is a cliché because it’s about a couple that is away from each other and the one that left is telling their partner to wait for them. They tell their partner to remember the memories they have together. How does the diction contribute to or detract from the song?  The word choice contributes to the song because it makes the song more meaningful and heartfelt. 4. Determine the tone of the poem: Is the poem serious? Ironic? Satiric? Contemplative? Ambiguous?  I think the song has a serious tone to it because it talks love and the struggles of separation. Song Analysis Point out the words that set the tone  When I'm away, I will remember how you kissed me  You won't ever be alone  I swear it will get easier Determine whether the tone changes within the poem  No, the tone does not change through the course of the song 5. Determine the rhythmical devices used: What is the length of the stanza?  4 lines What is the rhyme scheme? End rhyme? Internal rhyme?  Free verse Does the writer employ any other metrical devices?  No I don’t think so What form does the song take? Open or closed?  Closed poem 6. Note the use of other literary devices: What allusions does the poem contain?  Allusions to loss/love Listen to the sounds in the song. Make note of assonance, alliteration, and onomatopoeia.  Assonance: ou sound repeated  Alliteration: none  Onomatopoeia: none Does the singer use figurative language?  Symbolism: photograph – represents the times they’ve shared/their love for one another  Imagery: the singer paints a picture of some of their memories together  Personification: only words bleed Are there any examples of synecdoche or metonymy?  Synecdoche: none  Metonymy: none Note the use, or absence, of punctuation?  Only commas and periods are used Titles are important. Is the title the best the writer could have chosen? What would be a better title for the work? Why? Song Analysis  Yes, I felt that this was the best title for the song because throughout the song the writer would reference all the photographs containing their memories 7. Determine the values of the poem: Does the writer succeed in recreating his experience within the reader? How?  Yes, you can see/feel the importance of what is happening in the song. The narrator clearly gets their message across to both the reader and their partner. Is the experience intensely felt by the reader?  Yes, you can clearly feel what the narrator is feeling through the song by the way that they expressed their message to their partner Does the song succeed in sharpening the reader’s awareness of something significant?  Yes, the song shows you how hard it is being apart from someone you love