Table of Contents Song Analysis Essay OutlineIntroduction to "Strange Fruit" by Billie HolidayExtended Metaphors in the SongVerse AnalysisConclusionExample Song Analysis EssayWorks Cited : Overview of Song Analysis EssayIntroduction to "Strange Fruit" by Billie HolidayOverview of the song's theme and historical contextSignificance of the song in the context of civil rightsExtended metaphors in the songComparison between lynching victims and fruitSymbolism trees and fruits in the songAnalysis of the versesAnalysis of the lyrics of each verseHow Billie Holiday uses metaphors to convey the horrors of lynchingConclusionThe importance of "Strange Fruit" as a protest songThe use of extended metaphors to highlight the dark imagery of the songSong Analysis Essay ExampleThe song that I am going to analyze is the song Strange Fruit by Billie Holiday. The song Strange Fruit is a song about the lynching of black people in South America in the first half of the 20th century. The majority of lynching victims in the 20th century were African American men. Strange Fruit's lyrics are considered extended metaphors. It was first written as a poem by Abel Meerpol in 1937, then recorded and popularized by Holiday on April 20, 1939. "This poem, turned into a song, was one of the first national protests against cruelty toward black people . This was one of the first steps taken that spurred the civil rights movement. It has its place in history, and yet it is not remembered today. In this article, I will analyze the lyrics of Strange Fruit in more detail as well as how Holiday uses extended metaphors in her song. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an Original Essay The song contains very haunting lyrics with the use of extended metaphors. As mentioned above, this song protested racism and lynching in the 20th century. Abel Meerpol first wrote this poem after seeing a photograph of two African American boys named Thomas Shipp and Abram Smith who were violently beaten, murdered by a white mob, and then hung from a tree to die on August 6, 1930 The photograph which was taken by photographer Lawrence Beitler is considered the most famous lynching photograph in history. Abel was then inspired to write a poem about this photograph 5 years later and Billie Holiday recorded it in 1939. I believe the extended metaphors throughout Billie Holiday's song are that she uses metaphors to compare the hanging of the two boys hanging from the tree to fruits like apples hanging from the tree. Fruit is usually hung on trees, but listening to the song and hearing Holiday describe hanging bodies is disturbing and very strange, hence the title of the song, as trees are not meant to be used for hanging fruit. corpses. The song can also be seen as a metaphor as Billie Holiday cleverly does not use the word lynching throughout the song, trying to make us understand the true meaning of the song through her similes. In the first verse of Billie Holiday, she sings "Trees of the South." bear a strange fruit, Blood on the leaves and blood at the root, A black body swaying in the southern breeze, A strange hanging fruit referring to the blood of corpses staining the tree. The poplar symbolizes courage but also symbolizes death because of the strange fruits hanging on the tree. This is ironic given that the poplar, which symbolizes..