You are on page 1of 1

The very first line of the song, How many roads call him a man, establishes the social

and political tone


the song has. The first line is allegorical in regards to when exactly the coming-of-age of youths is
recognised; the roads are a metaphor for life experiences, suggesting that perhaps if people were to walk on
an endless road, they would still be thought of as less. The second line, How many seas mustin the sand,
is another metaphor for how many struggles and obstacles one must face before they can be considered
adequate enough in a society that continually looks at them as less qualified or fit to be respected. Dylan
incorporates an acute criticism of war in the third line when he says, Yes, and how many times forever
banned; the structure of this line is similar to that of lines 1 and 2, where Dylan questions as to what extent
of something qualifies it for acceptance, or in this case, eradication. Dylans repeated use of the line, The
answer, my friend is blowing in the wind, is continually meant to reinforce the notion that the answers are
still out there, but we have yet to to seek them out.
Dylan repeats his metaphorical representations of life when he says, Yes, how many years can a mountain
washed to the sea. This line is different because instead of inquiring as to what makes people, people, Dylan
asks how long can something beautiful exist, until it too dissolves away into nothingness. The most glaring
criticism of the injustices people face is expressed by Dylan when he demands to know, Yes, and how many
years can some people exist to be free. This is an inquiry of the subjugation of people who have
populated the US for years, and how to this day, the values the US espouses and their status as people is
incongruent. Dylans following line is now a criticism of all the sycophants and those obsequious to
authority when he asks, Yes, and how many times can a man turn his head he just doesnt see? Here
Dylan is demanding to know, at what point can people accept the harsh reality, instead of living in some
farce, where injustice, trials and tribulations are nought but some fairy tale. Dylan ends this verse of the song
with the line, the answer, my friend isblowing in the wind. Once again, emphasising the idea that the
answers are indeed out there, and just that we are the ones who need to find them out.
Dyland is once again fantasising about when racial equality will become a reality when he says How many
times a man can look up, before he can see the sky? As to allude to some fantasy where anyone and
everyone can look up, and see the sky, free from any prejudice regarding their differences. Dylan criticises
the US government again when he says, And how many ears must one man have, before he can hear people
cry? This is a question, posed possibly to inquire after how many repeated crises will the government listen.
It is important to note that this song was released a year after the Cuban missile crisis, where the threat of
global nuclear annihilation was on everyones minds. In Dylans line, he is asking after how many threats to
international peace, will the government actually heed the peoples will? This verse of the song is largely
marked by criticism of the US governments actions when Dylan says, And how many deaths will it take till
he knows that too many people have died? Dylan is now demanding to know at what point will the US
government consider the cost of human lives, and its own agenda. This line once also has some historical
significance as US escalation in the Vietnam Civil war was imminent; discussions regarding ground troop
deployment and intensive bombing campaigns were being considered by the US government. Dylan
concludes the song with the same line he uses to conclude the previous verses; The answer, my friend is
blowing in the windblowing in the wind.

You might also like