I choose Supermarket Flowers by Ed Sheeran from his album Divide, untimely because I think it is a very beautiful song. I feel that it is very heartfelt. The song is about the death of his grandmother but it is told though his mother’s point of view.
Even though the song is written about something quite sad, it does have positive moments. This is shown in the line “a heart that’s broke is a heart that’s been loved”. I love this line because it is showcasing how special she was. Heartbreak comes with love but that doesn’t mean we should avoid love. This is further explained in a later line by saying, ” A life with love is a life that has been lived.”
There is also an angel metaphor for his grandmother in the song. The lyric reflecting this is, ” You were an angel in the shape of my mom – when I fell down you’d be there holding me up” This is really showcasing a mother’s love. In life, they are holding us up but even in death they are still there watching over us. Mothers are larger then life sometimes. They are figures that seem to always see the best in us and I thought that an angel was a perfect representation of that idea.
The entire song has an abundance of imagery. The song explains going though the house and cleaning everything up after her death. I thought this was very powerful because it felt very real and ordinary. It has a simplicity to it that just makes it hit home. It feels very personal.
This is a link to the lyrics. https://genius.com/Ed-sheeran-supermarket-flowers-lyrics
Story Power 
Hi Lauren! First of all, this is one of my absolute favorite Ed Sheeran songs! This song is perfect for this prompt because of all the poetic devices used. The metaphor of his grandmother being an angel is definitely very prevalent throughout the song. He even sings, “spread your wings as you go,” which further adds to his use of an angel for his grandmother throughout the song. Before I read your analysis, I didn’t know that the song was about his grandmother through his mother’s perspective. This adds a whole new element to the song and makes it even more poetic in my opinion. Overall, I definitely think that this song is a poem and just a great song in general. Great job!
LikeLike
Lauren, I love this song (and Ed Sheeran!) as well as this defense of poetry! I also defended an Ed Sheeran song, and I am realizing how he uses many similar poetic devices in this song as well as in his song “English Rose, ” you should give that one a listen too if you haven’t, you’ll love it! This is a really strong defense of this song as a poem, and Ed Sheeran is DEFINITELY a poet!
LikeLike
I love this song Lauren! I think what makes Ed Sheeran’s songs so beautiful and poetic are his metaphors and imagery. His songs always have such in-depth comparisons and will walk you through a story. I think his voice also adds to the sweetness of songs. He always come across very poetic
LikeLike
I really like your analysis of this beautiful song! I think it’s interesting how he sings the song in the point of view of his mother, which I didn’t know of before I read this. Also, I completely agree with your point that his songs feel very personal. I love how powerful and soothing Ed Sheeran’s songs are because they can affect every listener’s emotions differently.
LikeLike