Question

Read these lines from "The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll" and answer the question.

Answer 1

The correct anwer to this question about "The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll" is the following:

These lines show a contrast between formal and informal language and music and lyrics.

The song, "The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll" (1963) was written by Bod Dylan after the actual murder of Hattie Carroll, a Black working-class woman by Billy Zantzinger, the scion of a rich tobacco farming family. This serves as a contrast between the music, its rhythm and beautiful melody with the lyrics being sung.

Throughout the song, the mentioned lines are repeated as a chorus with a slight variation, telling us not to cry yet, since the worst is yet to come. These lines are the last chorus, after we know that Zantziner got away with manslaughter and was sentenced to just 6 months of prison. Here, Dylan addresses all of those who have been judging the case "objectively" with formal language (philosophize, disgrace, criticize) that its time to realize that the outcome was a justice failure and should cry for the injustice. This is marked by the use of informal language like the expression "bury the rag in your face", with rag meaning both mask and informal term for low quality newspaper. He is basically saying "read the trial outcome in this cheap newspaper and cry for the injustice"

Also, the contrast between formal and informal language would reflect the different social backgrounds of Hattie Carroll and Billy Zantziner.

Answer 2

Formal and informal language, music and lyrics