Are lyrics literature? Writers debate Dylan's Nobel

Poet and creative writing professor

Biswamit Dwibedi

is considering introducing the work of singersongwriter Bob Dylan, who won the Nobel Prize for Literature for 2016, into the course curriculum at Srishti Institute of Art, Design and Technology. “I already teach Beyonce Knowles' songs as part of the curriculum because I like teaching material that relates to under-represented, minority communities,“ says Dwibedi.

That's an idea that might raise eyebrows, just as Dylan's winning the literature Nobel has, with one camp cheering all the way and the other wondering how lyrics can be considered literature. “It was a surprise when the announcement was made but it takes a lot of imagination to recognize the fact that traditionally , verses were not written to be read but to be sung, like Homer's,“ says writer Jaishree Misra, who grew up listening to Dylan. She says she always felt “what Dylan wrote was poetry . His songs, in essence, summed up the feeling of a generation.“

It's not an argument every author buys, though. Popular author Anuja Chauhan feels there are more talented songwriters around. “One can argue that there are better songwriters who could have won the award like Jim Morrison, Paul Simon, Ed Sheeran and Leonard Cohen,“ says Chauhan, who named Dylan Singh Shekawat, one of the main characters in her novel, Those Pricey Thakur Girls, after the sing er-songwriter. “If lyricists and songsters are to be included in the literature category , and these are already famous people, then where does that leave relatively unknown (but very talented) writers? I think it is a popular choice, a bid to sex up the award. To appear cool perhaps, as opposed to fuddy-duddy ,“ she says.

Lyricists and musicians, however, say their work is as significant as that of authors. “His songs focus more on lyrics than tune,“ says writer and singer Radha Thomas, lead vocalist of jazz and blues band UNK. “The best poets in the world are songwriters. While Bob Dylan being awarded the Nobel Prize is a surprise, I think he is the right choice as he made a mark through protest poetry in the 60s and 70s.Not only has his work moved people, it has also stood the test of time.“

The Nobel committee had a similar take. “We're really giving it to Bob Dylan as a great poet. He's a great poet in the English speaking tradition. He is a wonderful sampler, a very original sampler. He embodies the tradition and for 54 years, he has been at it, constantly reinventing himself, creating a new identity,“ permanent secretary of the Nobel academy Sara Danius said later, comparing him to Homer and Sappho. “He can and should be read,“ she added. Misra says songwriters and lyricists are popularizing poetry by adding music to the words. “If Dylan had written poems and published a book, I wonder how many people would have read him. The reason we all know him is because he sang his songs,“ she says.