Firework

Katy Perry
Do you ever feel like a plastic bag
Drifting thought the wind
Wanting to start again
Do you ever feel, feel so paper thin
Like a house of cards
One blow from caving in
Do you ever feel already buried deep
Six feet under scream
But no one seems to hear a thing
Do you know that there's still a chance for you
'Cause there's a spark in you
You just gotta ignite the light
And let it shine
Just own the night
Like the Fourth of July
'Cause baby you're a firework
Come on show 'em what your worth
Make 'em go "Oh, oh, oh!"
As you shoot across the sky-y-y
Baby you're a firework
Come on let your colors burst
Make 'em go "Oh, oh, oh!"
You're gonna leave 'em fallin' down down down
You don't have to feel like a waste of space
You're original, cannot be replaced
If you only knew…

1. 1. “Firework” by Katy Perry
English 12 Oral Presentation
December 9th, 2010
2. 2. Outline 1. Introduction to
Katy Perry 2. References to
fireworks in music/literature 3.
Inspirations 4. Audience – who
will “hear” this song? 5. Major
themes presented 6. Figurative
language 7. The Music 8. The
Music Video 9. Critical Acclaim
& Opinion 10. Sources 11. The
Song
3. 3. Who's Katy Perry?
<ul><li>Born October 25th,
1984 </li></ul><ul><li>Santa
Barbara, California
</li></ul><ul><li>Former
Christian folk singer turned pop
star
</li></ul><ul><li>Influenced by
Alanis Morrissette's “Jagged
Little Pill” (1995)
</li></ul><ul><li>Her debut
album “One of the Boys”
featured hits “I Kissed a Girl”
and “Ur So Gay” (and you
don't even like boys...)
</li></ul>
4. 4. Why Fireworks? Reference
to title: Singular firework
Positive connotation (typically)
Other songs titled “Fireworks” -
Tragically Hip, Roxette, Drake,
Animal Collective... Reference
to Jack Kerouac's On The
Road: &quot;[...] the only
people for me are the mad
ones, the ones who are mad to
live, mad to talk, mad to be
saved, desirous of everything
at the same time, the ones
who never yawn or say a
commonplace thing, but burn,
burn, burn like fabulous yellow
roman candles exploding like
spiders across the stars and in
the middle you see the blue
centerlight pop and everybody
goes 'Awww!'
5. 5. Audience Who will “hear”
this song? Youth (based on
most of her other songs...)
Troubled spirits? Those
looking for inspiration
American audience?
Reference to Fourth of July...
NOT for death metal fans...pop
genre
6. 6. Themes Presented Could be
considered as personal
philosophy Human spiritual
growth and awakening
Revelation of self to others
Individual worth and self-
esteem
7. 7. Figurative language?
<ul><li>Do you ever feel like a
plastic bag
</li></ul><ul><li>Drifting
through the wind
</li></ul><ul><li>Wanting to
start again
</li></ul><ul><li>Do you ever
feel so paper thin
</li></ul><ul><li>Like a house
of cards </li></ul><ul><li>One
blow from caving in
</li></ul><ul><li>Do you ever
feel already buried deep
</li></ul><ul><li>Six feet under
scream </li></ul><ul><li>But
no one seems to hear a thing
</li></ul><ul><li>Personal
 appeal at start of song – use of
various similes
</li></ul><ul><li>“ Six feet
under scream” mixes imagery
of burial and frustration
</li></ul><ul><li>“ No one
seems to hear a thing”
indicates lack of connection
with others </li></ul>
8. 8. Metaphor for the spirit...
<ul><li>You just gotta ignite
the light </li></ul><ul><li>And
let it shine
</li></ul><ul><li>Just own the
night </li></ul><ul><li>Like the
Fourth of July
</li></ul><ul><li>Baby you're a
firework
</li></ul><ul><li>Come on let
your colors burst
</li></ul><ul><li>Boom, boom,
boom </li></ul><ul><li>Even
brighter than the moon, moon,
moon </li></ul><ul><li>Light
imagery is huge here –
symbolizes the human
potential... </li></ul><ul><li>“
Let your colors burst” portrays
inner talents as
colors...metaphorical
</li></ul><ul><li>“ Even
brighter than the moon” uses
hyperbole to inspire us...
</li></ul>
9. 9. Sound Devices
<ul><li>Make 'em go “Oh, oh,
oh!” </li></ul><ul><li>As you
shoot across the sky-y-y
</li></ul><ul><li>Boom, Boom,
Boom </li></ul><ul><li>Even
brighter than the moon, moon,
moon </li></ul><ul><li>It's
always been inside of you,
you, you
</li></ul><ul><li>Cause baby
you're a firework
</li></ul><ul><li>Come on
show 'em what you're worth
</li></ul><ul><li>Use of
repetition for sound effect and
mood </li></ul><ul><li>Use of
“boom” to imitate opening of
spirit – onomatopoeia
</li></ul><ul><li>Rhyme
scheme is irregular, but
present where convenient...
</li></ul>
10. 10. Other figurative
language <ul><li>You don't
have to feel like a waste of
space, </li></ul><ul><li>You're
original, cannot be replaced.
</li></ul><ul><li>If you only
knew what the future holds,
</li></ul><ul><li>After a
hurricane comes a rainbow.
</li></ul><ul><li>Maybe you're
the reason why all the doors
are closed,
</li></ul><ul><li>So you can
open one that leads you to the
perfect road
</li></ul><ul><li>Like a
lightning bolt, your heart will
blow </li></ul><ul><li>“ Waste
of space” - bullying language
</li></ul><ul><li>“
Hurricane...rainbow” - weather
metaphor for potential
</li></ul><ul><li>The “perfect
road” - metaphor similar to
Robert Frost </li></ul><ul><li>“
Like a lightning bolt” - use of
simile to describe process
</li></ul>
 11. 11. ♪ The Music... ♫
<ul><li>Heavy bass beat
typical of dance music
</li></ul><ul><li>Addition of
cello adds sophistication
</li></ul><ul><li>Vocal role of
Perry overpowers
1. Imagery: It is the use of figurative language to
create visual representations of actions, objects
and ideas in our mind in such a way that they
appeal to our physical senses. For example:
 She sells seashells at seashore.
6. Allegory: It is a literary technique in which an
abstract idea is given a form of characters,
actions or events. For example:
 “Animal Farm”, written by George
Orwell, is an example allegory using the
actions of animals on a farm to
represent the overthrow of the last of the
Russian Tsar Nicholas II and the
Communist Revolution of Russia before
WW II. In addition, the actions of the
animals on the farm are used to expose
the greed and corruption of the
Revolution.

 The room was dark and gloomy. -The
words “dark” and “gloomy” are visual
images.
 The river was roaring in the
mountains. – The word “roaring”
appeals to our sense of hearing.
7. Irony: It is use of the words in such a way in
which the intended meaning is completely
opposite to their literal meaning. For example:
 The bread is soft as a stone.
 So nice of you to break my new PSP!

2. Simile and Metaphor: Both compare two

distinct objects and draws similarity between
them. The difference is that Simile uses “as” or
“like” and Metaphor does not. For example:

 “My love is like a red red rose” (Simile)

 He is an old fox very cunning.
(Metaphor)

3. Hyperbole: It is deliberate exaggeration of

actions and ideas for the sake of emphasis. For
example:

 Your bag weighs a ton!

 I have got a million issues to look after!

4. Personification: It gives a thing, an idea or an

animal human qualities. For example:

 The flowers are dancing beside the lake.

 Have you see my new car? She is a
real beauty!

5. Alliteration: It refers to the same consonant

sounds in words coming together. For example:

 Better butter always makes

the batter better.