In the first verse, Dylan uses the idea of water to show how time is running out for the citizens of America and how the volume of water is gradually rising. He emphasizes if people don’t adapt to this change in their environments and the rising water it is possible that they might drown in the water. He suggests the “growing water” to show the increase in the volume of water and uses words such as “drenched” and “swimming” to emphasise on the ideas of water. His feelings and fear of the changing environment is evoked by the fear he expresses using visual imagery of the rising water. The imagery of the rattling windows invokes visceral feelings in the reader. He uses the fear of drowning to portray this idea of fear of the various protests and changes that are taking place outside. Furthermore, words like “rattling” are an example of auditory imagery and metaphors and are used to make a more realistic connection with the readers about the effects of the protests and the changes outside on the people themselves such that he can make them feel the same way about the changes as he does. He uses the word “you” and “your” several times in order to make a personal connection with the audience as well as to relate to his audience so that they can understand his plight and his concerns about the change to help them understand how this is going to directly affect them as well. This hence, portrays a message of instability and the concept of war and peace is brought out effectively through the auditory imagery used of rattling windows and the destruction that one will soon be able to see. This song was written with the purpose of being an anthem for the civil rights movement directed at the frustrated youth. It summed up the anti-establishment feelings of people who would later be known as hippies. It had the main purpose of showing people who were treated unfairly, specifically the black community in old America that a change was coming soon and this song was taken as a symbol of hope and something that they could use.
Furthermore, Dylan appeals to the wider audience by making the situations that he describes realistic and by using abstract figurative language to show his feelings. As discussed above, the effect of the rising water is an abstract idea of his state and his feelings of suffocation and fear of the changing environments. He also appeals to the entirety of the population as he calls on to “writers and critics”, “mothers and fathers”, “senators and congressmen” and overall refers to his audience as “people”. So, although he speaks to each and every one of them privately by using the pronoun “you”, he also refers to them collectively as he ties in all the different parts of society that will be involved in this movement. He shows that this change will affect everybody and no one will be spared from this change. So, no matter who you are or what you do, you will be a victim of this change if you don’t adapt to survive in it. Him including the entirety society in his song further unites the country which has been so broken so far, he involves the minorities and the ones often overlooked which brings with it a sense of unity tying the entire community in order to place everyone on the same pedestal and telling them that whatever’s coming will come for them all and the sense of inequality is abolished.
In conclusion, Dylan brings out the main global issue of equality, unity but along with that a sense of instability, revolution and conflict in the country. These themes along with the use of powerful words and structure of the song that conveys its message in a unintended anthem makes it a powerful symbol and a piece of art to which everyone can relate. Hence, in the anthem like song he acts as a voice for the people of the USA as he warns them of the forthcoming movement by evoking a powerful and visceral image.