“Nothing is permanent in this wicked world, not even our troubles” remarked comic Charlie Chaplin. Chaplin, one of the most important figures in film history, communicates that everything eventually fades away. As a result, nobody should fret too much in their troublesome times because their problems will not last forever, and essentially, they should let them go. “Let it Be”, one of the Beatles’ greatest hits, shares with listeners a similar message. In 1969 when Paul McCartney, one of the band’s lead singers, wrote the song, he experienced a great deal of stress, anxiety, and depression because the Beatles were in the midst of separating and he found himself alone in trying to keep the group together.
Furthermore, countries around the world, like Ireland and Vietnam, were experiencing armed violence and wars. Stressi
...ng over these problems, he dreams of his mother, Mary, who passed away when he was fourteen years old, coming to him in a dream and advising him to let his worries go. Through the use of metaphor, repetition, and symbolism, McCartney illustrates that when dealing with issues, people should simply let their problems go instead of stressing about them because in the end, everything will turn out fine.
To help convey that in times of conflict, people should let their problems be, McCartney uses many literary devices. For instance, in his “hour of darkness”, his mother soothes and prompts him to move on and ignore his troubles (The Beatles, 3). In “darkness”, it is hard for people to see their surroundings and they may feel lost. Similarly, in his times of conflict, McCartney is clouded by his worries and does not know what to
do until he simply lets his worries be and relaxes. Using a metaphor to connect his periods of gloom with darkness conjures strong imagery and allows the audience to understand the song better. In addition, the Beatles’ lead singer constantly repeats “let it be” throughout the work (The Beatles, 2). In an interview, McCartney states that in a dream, his mother advised him to let his worries go and everything will turn out fine, which sums up the phrase “let it be”.
Repeating his mom’s advice for his audience, he further emphasizes and highlights that people should not fret excessively when facing problems. Frequently hearing this expression increases the likelihood of McCartney’s message to fully sink in his listeners’ minds. Finally, he sees “a light that shines on [him]” in bothersome times (The Beatles, 17). Beaming on him, a light lifts McCartney’s spirits and calms his plagued mind. The “light” that he refers to symbolizes his mother and her tranquility. Instead of straightforwardly mentioning his mother, he represents her as a light to add a deeper, more personal significance and meaning to the song. Using these literary devices, the songwriter is able to more effectively and powerfully convey that people should not worry about their problems excessively.
Metaphors, repetition, and symbolism all assist him by producing vivid imagery, adding emphasis to certain paramount expressions, and heightening the song’s significance. These three devices all help McCartney in communicating that individuals should not dwell too hard on problems that they face because with time, they will fade away. Personally, I relate to this song because in the past, I have found myself worrying and not getting enough sleep due
to overstressing on issues. Luckily, I was able to learn how to move on and let them go. In essence, McCartney sharing his advice figuratively boosts his ability to tell people to just “let it be”.
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