Temporary like Aeneas: Bob Dylan and the Classics

Thomas E. Strunk (Loyola Academy)

The originality of Bob Dylan’s music is matched only by his eclectic use of the western literary tradition.  The music of Bob Dylan is a treasure of literary influences and references.  The genealogy of Bob Dylan’s music has been well documented by scholars such as Christopher Ricks and Michael Gray.  Poets such as Rimbaud, Ginsberg, and Keats are often cited as influences along with authors like Kerouac and Dickens.  The songwriters Hank Williams and Woody Guthrie are also distinct models.  One influence which seems to be omitted in most studies is the impact of the classics on Bob Dylan.  We now know that Bob Dylan studied Latin in high school and was active in his school’s Latin Club.  Bob Dylan does cite a number of ancient authors in his memoir Chronicles: Volume One.  My paper will focus on the significance of the classics, particularly Vergil, on Bob Dylan’s music.  I will trace this influence through the different stages of Bob Dylan’s musical career.