Can lyrics be seen as high quality, Modern day poety/literature? Can I write a thesis on this theory?

Question

For example, why can't Bob Dylan or Conor Oberst be called the Shakespeare or W.B. Yeats of their generation/country, just because the expression (lyrics, songs) is in a different, more socially accurate form than poetry, plays or novels?

Answer 1

I GET WHAT YOU ARE SAYING... BUT IT REALLY DEPENDS ON WHERE YOU ARE AND WHO YOU ARE ASKING.  

ALMOST EVERYONE CAN ENJOY SOME KIND OF MUSIC BUT NOT TOO MANY PEOPLE ACTUALLY ENJOY READING.  THERE AREN'T A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO HAVE BRAINS THAT WILL SLOW DOWN ENOUGH TO UNDERSTAND LITERATURE AND FIND THE RHYTHM IN THE WORDS, OPEN THE GATES TO THE IMAGINATION... ESPECIALLY TODAY IN SUCH A FAST PACED WORLD WHEN WE WILL DOWNLOAD A SONG AND LISTEN TO IN A SPAN OF ABOUT 5 MIN. ALL THE WHILE, FULLY TAKING IN THE ESSENCE AND UNDERSTANDING THE  SAME STORY OF THE 650 PAGE NOVEL THAT WE DON'T WANT TO MAKE TIME TO READ AND COMPREHEND.

MOST PEOPLE ARE ONE WAY OR THE OTHER... "I GET MUSIC" OR "I GET BOOKS."  THEN THERE ARE THOSE SELECT FEW THAT CAN SMOOTH OUT THE DIFFERENCES AND MAKE SONG AND POETRY COME TOGETHER CLEANLY... YOU WILL FIND THOSE PEOPLE IN THE UNDERGROUND AND URBAN COFFEE SHOPS SPITTIN LYRICS TO THE BEAT OF A BONGO WHILE THE SMALL CROWD SNAPS THEIR FINGERS, AWAY FROM THE GET IT NOW, STARBUCKS CROWD THAT CALLS THEM WEIRD FOR TRANSCENDING "THIS OR THAT..."

HOPEFULLY YOUR THESIS CAN CHANGE THE THOUGHTS OF THOSE WHO MAKE THE RULES AND IN TURN CHANGE THE WORLD SO THAT WE WILL ALL REALIZE THAT BOB DYLAN IS 2PAC SHAKUR IS JOHN LENNON IS E.A. POE IS SHAKESPEARE IS E.B. AND ROBERT BROWNING...

Answer 2

absolutely

there are university level courses on bob dylan, and hes been bestowed a few honorary degrees

Answer 3

I totally think so!!!

As long as you have a valid question and have your own theory behind it for your research, I totally think that it can be done.

All the best :)