My experience of synesthesia

In my undergrad period, my major is English literature and translation, so that I often paid attention to metaphorical expression which occurred in different writers' works. My graduation thesis focused on Bob Dylan's metaphor usage in his songs. Interestingly, I found different kinds of synesthesia in his numerous lyrics. I put several of them in the table below. The phenomenon demonstrates that Bob Dylan is a creative song writer and is apt at linking visual sensation with auditory and tactile sensation. Coincidently, he is also a painter. This matter of fact sort of testifies my assumption that his career as a painter and that as a musician mutually expedite each other.

As to me, I learned painting for several years and I really love music. Thus I sometimes link colors with musical tones. High pitch is vivid azure or yellow; low pitch is grey, brown or black. Sometimes I also felt my gustatory sensation activated when I'm listening to music. Heavy percussion music was bitter and violin solo was sour. I once did a photoshop work based on my own interest. I tried to define different musical instrument as different food which has different colors and tastes. I used lemon to represent violin, orange for guitar, pawpaw for piano and grapes for saxophone. My roommate, however, used completely different fruits for the four instruments. Both of our explanation makes some sense but neither of us agree with each other.

Table of Dylan's Synesthesia Usage:

Tenor:	Vehicle:	Type of Sensory Transformation:	Example:	Album:	Year:
Pain	Object that gives of sound	Tactile Perception to Auditory Perception	I lay awake and listen to the sound of pain	Together Through Life	2009
Light	Soft Object	Visual Sensation to Tactile Perception	In the soft light of morning I'll follow you with my eyes	Modern Times	2006
Pain	Spark	Tactile Perception to Visual Sensation	She looked at him and he felt a spark tingle to his bones	At Budokan	1979
Kiss	Object with color	Tactile Perception to Visual Sensation	The kings of Tyrus with their convict list, Are waiting in line for their geranium kiss	Blonde on Blonde	1966
Thunder	Bell	Auditory Perception to Tactile Perception	As majestic bells of bolts struck shadows in the sounds	Another Side of Bob Dylan	1964
Chime	Light	Auditory Perception to Visual Sensation	Seeming to be the chimes of freedom flashing	Another Side of Bob Dylan	1964
Shadow	Part of the Sound	Visual Sensation to Auditory Perception	As majestic bells of bolts struck shadows in the sounds	Another Side of Bob Dylan	1964