Dylan deserving of 2016 Nobel Prize for Literature

History was made when songwriter Bob Dylan was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature on Oct. 13 “for having created new poetic expressions within the great American song tradition.” This choice is expanding the bounds for literary arts as now songwriters are now being considered true poets along with T.S. Eliot and Pablo Neruda, which is making quite a few people rather upset.

These upset people argue that the Nobel Prize is for true writers and true poets, not for music. This way of thinking, though, is rather flawed as the prize was given because of his poetry that can be read as well as sung.

Dylan definitely deserves this Nobel Prize because of his amazing poetry and the way he was able to use language in such a unique way to construct many tales about human progress in the ’60s.

As one member of the Nobel Prize committee said, “He is the greatest living poet.”

But also on top of the controversy, there is something else that is troubling the Nobel Prize committee, and that is Bob Dylan himself. As of yet, no one has been able to contact the mysterious man about his win, even though he has already played two concerts since the announcement.

The Nobel Prize committee has released an official statement that they have now given up contacting the man after being certain he knew of his win and continued to ignore requests to speak about it. They have also stated that the award ceremony will go on whether Dylan is there or not.

This is about the most Bob Dylanesque thing he could have possibly done, as he is famous for his mysterious and low down personality.

When I first heard of this win, I teared up while smiling because Dylan has been someone I’ve looked up to for longer than I can remember. His beautiful verses of rhythm and rhyme pulse and entangle themselves within you, and if you have read even just a few of his song lyrics, you know along with me that he deserves this award as the greatest living poet today.

I will leave you now with one of my favorite Dylan verses:

“Inside the museums infinity goes up on trial

Voices echo ‘this is what salvation must be like after a while’

But Mona Lisa musta had the highway blues

You can tell by the way she smiles”