Literature Through Music

“Music expresses that which cannot be said and on which it is impossible to be silent”-Victor Hugo.

Since music has its richness in terms of the layers of composition and range and also because of its long tradition as a medium of storytelling, classical music stands out as a literary genre of music.
The oldest form of literature is oral literature and in any case music can be written down. Yet others might say that music is literature even though it doesn’t have words but what are words but sounds that express meaning. In a musical piece each note has meaning; maybe not in the same way as words so that one note translates as horse or another as a balloon but they carry meaning that tells us a character is happy or depressed or really angry with the world. Most important is that music can tell a story which is what literature is all about.

The emotions of music are “cross-modal,” and can easily spread from sensory system to another.Most of you know how certain music may mirror your own thoughts and feelings. Lyrics or melodies can potentially communicate the message that you want to convey. Songs can capture an emotional state or personal situation in the best way possible.

“Music exists to speak the words we can’t express,” and “When words fail music speaks.”

Music is a mechanism for humans to connect with one another. It encourages us to share parts of ourselves through the sounds that are strung together or the singer’s prose. When telling our stories or channeling who we are with music, an awareness can develop and a bond can be solidified.

Music is so much a part of our lives that its presence in literature can help readers relate to fictional situations and characters. Also, characters who love music are often creative people (as is the case with real-life music lovers), and creative people tend to be quite interesting.

Of course, music can be considered literature, as songs can be considered poems given a melody and set to a rhythm. You are however referring to the less obviously literary kind of music – wordless instrumentals or the part of the song without vocals. Here it gets tricky. Character is happy or depressed or really angry with the world. Most important is that music can tell a story which is what literature is all about.