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To explore the author’s appeal of “Miss Misery” we must examine the rhetorical situation presented by the artist.

Purpose-The purpose is not merely to entertain the listener but to share words of loss, confusion, and longing. Merriam-Webster defines the human condition as “part of being a person.” This is a universal experience that is shared by all. The emotions and mindsets that propel us through each day. The expression of art is something that is also universally shared and practiced. It is through the medium of art that we create and delve what it means to be truly human. The lyrics and music of “Miss Misery” captures a piece of humanity and invites us to share in it.

Audience- The audience for music is quite literally everyone. We listen to music and sing along to lyrics because it is something to experience and to share.

Writer-Elliot Smith

Context- The artistry of Elliot Smith was always a baring of his soul. Although uncomfortable onstage and unused to large crowds, “Miss Misery” was an instant hit. Smith wrote the song for inclusion in the movie Good Will Hunting. He went on to perform the song at the Oscars and the song was nominated for Best Song (American Songwriter, 2024). In an interview about the success of “Miss Misery” Smith shared, “I don't really play it anymore. Right now it seems like it belongs to... it's associated with a weird parade of celebrity. I'm just gonna let it rest in peace at the Oscars (Smith, 1998).”

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The listener is influenced with powerful pathos. The artist uses a variety of figurative language to engage and connect with the listener. The lyrics and music are a constant appeal to emotion, eliciting feelings that are universally shared. First, the influence of the distractions of life that alleviate our pain for even a short while. Even listening to the song itself embodies this idea! We seek diversions in life such as gambling, social media, shopping, or even art. In the case of “Miss Misery” alcohol is a help to him to make it through the day. Next, loneliness is a theme consistently repeated. Once again, an aspect of the human condition that is powerfully shared universally. The loneliness is expressed by the repetitive line “Do you miss me, Miss Misery/Like you say you do?” The listener can share in this moment of longing and of being alone. The final emotional appeal is also cleverly embedded in the repetitive lyrics. Miss Misery is, presumably, not an actual person. Instead, misery is the feeling that he lives with-so closely that it’s now a relationship. Again, the use of pathos is evident because the lyrics persuade the listener to engage in an emotional connection of his pain. The pain of living so long with your pain that it becomes your companion.

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·       Personification and metaphor: “I'll fake it through the day, with some help from Johnnie Walker Red/send the poison rain down the drain (Smith).” He initially seizes the listener by evoking an image of the vice of alcohol numbing pain. Johnnie Walker, a brand of alcohol is personified by suggesting it extends help. He compares Jonnie Walker Red to poison-notably something that will kill you-and a drain, to the throat. The metaphor of the poison is something that he takes externally to kill something internally.

·       Metaphor: “With two tickets torn in half/and a lot of nothing to do/Do you miss me, Miss Misery/Like you say you do? (Smith)”. These lines represent a broken promise and the feelings of emptiness that accompany a lack of purpose.

·       Metaphor: “Do you miss me, Miss Misery/Like you say you do? (Smith)” gives the sense that this person is still a haunting presence in his life. The assumption that Miss Misery is a person is the initial impression, however, the inclusion of the name “Misery” implies this partner is a metaphor for Smith’s own sadness.

·       Allusion: The final stanza reveals that this is all just “a comedy of errors, you see/It’s about taking a fall (Smith).” Specifically, this allusion refers to Shakespeare’s The Comedy of Errors. The Folger Shakespeare Library describes this play as one that is filled with misunderstanding that becomes increasingly chaotic as the play progresses (Shakespeare, and Beyond). Therefore, we can infer that Smith invites us to look at his pain with a sense of light heartedness or even mockery. Yet, how often is the deepest sadness disguised under the guise of humor?

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The colors indicate the level of activation prompted by metaphorical sentences in comparison to literal sentences with 8 signifying the greatest amount of neural activity. (Image courtesy of Adele Goldberg, Council of the Humanities)

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References: How does music influence our minds and emotion:

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References: How does music influence our minds and emotion:

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1.     Smith delves into the human condition, but why does that prompt to consume his music. A study found that 25% of listeners report that sad music is something they find enjoyable. It is believed that life events specifically may motivate people to listen to sad music in order to cognitively cope, connect, and find comfort (Bogt, Canale, Eijnden,  Lenzi, Vieno, 2019.) Thus, not only do we all experience the human condition, we want to share it.

2.     Why is figurative language such a powerful tool in music? Research suggests that when we communicate through metaphor it can be more influencing. “These results suggest that using certain metaphorical expressions induces more of an emotional reaction than saying the same thing literally. Those expressions that have this property are likely to have the effects on reasoning, inference, judgment and decision-making that emotion is known to have (Kelly, 2014).”

3.     Figurative language is a key component of the intense emotions that music elicits. A study found that the use of figurative language increases as the level of emotion increases (Fussell, Moss, n.d.). “Miss Misery” extensively and effectively uses a variety of figurative language and achieves this.

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The use of figurative language greatly increases the body's emotional state.

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Works Cited

“Definition of THE HUMAN CONDITION.” Merriam-webster.com, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/the%20human%20condition. Accessed 13 Nov. 2024.

Fussell, Susan , and Mallie Moss. Figurative Language in Emotional Communication. Carnegie Mellon University and University of Nebraska, sfussell.hci.cornell.edu/pubs/Manuscripts/Fussell%26Moss.pdf.

Kelly, Morgan. “Neural Sweet Talk: Taste Metaphors Emotionally Engage the Brain.” Princeton University , www.princeton.edu/news/2014/06/25/neural-sweet-talk-taste-metaphors-emotionally-engage-brain. Accessed 2024.

Shakespeare, and Beyond. “The Comedy of Errors.” Folger.edu, https://www.folger.edu/explore/shakespeares-works/the-comedy-of-errors/. Accessed 13 Nov. 2024.

Smith, Elliot “Miss Misery Lyrics - Google Search.” Google.com, https://www.google.com/search?q=miss+misery+lyrics&oq=miss+m&gs_lcrp=EgZjaHJvbWUqBggAEEUYOzIGCAAQRRg7MgYIARBFGDsyDQgCEC4YgwEYsQMYgAQyBggDEEUYOTIKCAQQLhixAxiABDIKCAUQABixAxiABDIGCAYQRRg8MgYIBxBFGDzSAQgyNzU4ajBqNKgCALACAQ&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8. Accessed 13 Nov. 2024.

ter Bogt, Tom, et al. “Sad Music Depresses Sad Adolescents: A Listener’s Profile.” Psychology of Music, Sage Journal , 9 June 2019, journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/0305735619849622

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Miss Misery: A Rhetorical Situation into the Human Condition Reflection

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Miss Misery: A Rhetorical Situation into the Human Condition Reflection

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The creation of a digital project from an existing essay was not too difficult. I attempt, when writing, to organize my thoughts systematically and I feel that this translated easily into smaller sections. When creating these sections I did feel it was important to break down the concept of rhetorical situations by category. I personally enjoy the essay portion more because I like being able to fully explain and connect the ideas. I feel that adapting and creating a digital project, while useful for concentrating on specific points, lacks the continuity and flow an essay permits. I did like the inclusion of scholarly sources as it lends greater credibility to the observations being made. Overall, while prefer writing the essay, I can appreciate how structuring the information into categories is not only more user friendly for the reader but allows a greater degree of structure.