Bob Quote by David Bennun
![“The question now becomes about defining your terms. What is literature? Unless we allow it to encompass the oral tradition from which it grew, which means taking it back to Homer and beyond, it demands the written word - poetry and prose. [Bob] Dylan is no slouch at the written word, both in its…” quote by David Bennun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/44f/david-bennun-25818_bob_the-question-now-becomes-about-defining_1554900.jpg)
“The question now becomes about defining your terms. What is literature? Unless we allow it to encompass the oral tradition from which it grew, which means taking it back to Homer and beyond, it demands the written word - poetry and prose. [Bob] Dylan is no slouch at the written word, both in its own right, and transcribed from his lyrics, which have often been acclaimed as poetry and may well stand up as such. But that is not his métier.”
About This Quote
Source Interview: The Guardian, 2015
Literature must include oral traditions and written forms, recognizing poetry in lyrics as well as prose.
In simple terms: Literature includes spoken and written works, like poetry in songs.
Key Takeaway
Broaden definitions of literature.
Themes
definition
literature
tradition
Mood
thoughtful
analytical
Type
explanatory
critical
When to use this quote
- academic debate
- literary criticism
- education
- cultural analysis
Key Concepts
Oral tradition
written word
poetry
song lyrics
Questions to Reflect On
- How does oral tradition shape modern literature?
- Should song lyrics be taught as poetry?
A Different Perspective
Some argue literature should be limited to written texts only.
![“[Bob] Dylan may, for whatever reasons of his own, do nothing of the sort with the Nobel committee. Up there on Parnassus, that is his unquestionable prerogative. But here on my anthill, it's mine to say: oh, do piss off, you ineffable snobs.” quote by David Bennun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/9d7/david-bennun-25818_bob_bob-dylan-may-for-whatever-reasons-of-hi_3038552.jpg)
![“[I have] my own view about [Bob] Dylan's Nobel prize. Which is, I'm firmly in the Nay camp. I do think the award is a category error, but that's not why. Not in itself. What bothers me is the perceived status of the categories. If pop lyricists were routinely considered for the prize as are…” quote by David Bennun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/874/david-bennun-25818_awards_i-have-my-own-view-about-bob-dylan-s-nob_2927909.jpg)
![“Plenty more of the Nays sound perfectly sincere, though. They may genuinely dislike [Bob] Dylan; they may even enjoy or admire him, but just don't think he's all that. Fair enough. The reaction of such folk seems to be chiefly amazement tinged with befuddlement: they've given him what? You're…” quote by David Bennun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/39f/david-bennun-25818_admire_plenty-more-of-the-nays-sound-perfectly_2792431.jpg)
![“The Yeas are relatively uniform. They view [Bob] Dylan as one of the greatest artists of his or any era, who deserves to be taken as seriously as any litterateur. Where they vary is in some cases not even accepting the distinction: Dylan in their eyes is a literary titan, and the award of the…” quote by David Bennun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/0e5/david-bennun-25818_accepting_the-yeas-are-relatively-uniform-they-vie_2349023.jpg)
![“Lyrics should not need to stand on their own; many of [Bob] Dylan's do, but in common with other great lyricists, he has written plenty that falters on the page but soars in song.” quote by David Bennun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/012/david-bennun-25818_bob_lyrics-should-not-need-to-stand-on-their_2028095.jpg)
![“The same is true of ranking him thus against any work of literature. [Bob Dylan] has been made, through no fault of his own, the object of odious tokenism.” quote by David Bennun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/1e2/david-bennun-25818_bob_the-same-is-true-of-ranking-him-thus-aga_1878124.jpg)
![“First of all, there are those who simply don't care for [Bob] Dylan, or at least, don't think he's that great. Some of the former sound very much as if they are afflicted with the kind of contrarianism inevitably bred by cultural orthodoxy - Dylan is overwhelmingly rated a giant and a marvel, the…” quote by David Bennun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/799/david-bennun-25818_bob_first-of-all-there-are-those-who-simply_1193536.jpg)
![“The [Nobel] prize is for literature.[Bob] Dylan is a songwriter. Here is where the argument starts to get interesting, because here is where it is no longer a question of either cultural orthodoxy or personal taste.” quote by David Bennun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/cfa/david-bennun-25818_argument_the-nobel-prize-is-for-literature-bob-dy_729655.jpg)
![“[Bob Dylan] is principally a recording artist, and if he weren't, it is unthinkable he would have had such an impact. He is to be heard first and read second. Well, what about plays, you could reasonably ask. Is [William] Shakespeare not great literature? Yes, obviously: but his work is great…” quote by David Bennun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/0dd/david-bennun-25818_art_bob-dylan-is-principally-a-recording-art_442460.jpg)
![“Without music, there is not the faintest chance [Bob Dylan] words would now be garlanded as they are.” quote by David Bennun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/e12/david-bennun-25818_bob_without-music-there-is-not-the-faintest_295494.jpg)
![“There's no reason - not yet, anyway - to believe [Bob] Dylan himself endorses such an attitude; or that he would think of himself as a more profound and worthy recipient than, for instance, any of the brilliant Motown or girl-group lyricists who are more likely to be awarded a Nobel prize for…” quote by David Bennun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/4bb/david-bennun-25818_abba_there-s-no-reason-not-yet-anyway-to-beli_130714.jpg)
![“The general sentiment among the Yeas is, no accolade is too high for their man; and the Nobel being, literally, the gold standard among prizes, it is surely his [Bob Dylan] due.” quote by David Bennun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/7b4/david-bennun-25818_accolades_the-general-sentiment-among-the-yeas-is_1029179.jpg)
![“I have seen quite a few folk whom I know to be both fair minded and, as it happens,[Bob] Dylan fans, take up cudgels for this position. To them, it's not necessarily that Dylan doesn't merit the highest honour. It's that he doesn't merit this specific highest honour [Nobel prize], in the way a…” quote by David Bennun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/423/david-bennun-25818_bob_i-have-seen-quite-a-few-folk-whom-i-know_1379291.jpg)
![“The point is not that [Bob] Dylan doesn't need a Nobel to attest to how good he is (although he doesn't.) It's that pop music, pop music of any kind, doesn't need the Nobel committee to damn it with the faint praise of such an award to its sole chosen representative.” quote by David Bennun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/fee/david-bennun-25818_awards_the-point-is-not-that-bob-dylan-doesn-t_1685357.jpg)
![“Except in these latter-day songs, [Bob] Dylan is a grizzled old prophet who's already been to hell and back.” quote by Jay Michaelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/fcd/jay-michaelson-15590_bob_except-in-these-latter-day-songs-bob-dyl_3830.jpg)
![“The most recent incarnation of [Bob] Dylan has been the traveling journeyman/ charlatan who sings roots music, snarls dark lyrics that make "All Along the Watchtower" sound like a Disney tune, hosts an old-school radio show, and turns up in some unusual places, like ads for Chrysler and Victoria's…” quote by Jay Michaelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/734/jay-michaelson-15590_ads_the-most-recent-incarnation-of-bob-dylan_17700.jpg)
