He IS considered the greatest living song writer and I guess if you consider writing song lyrics a form of literature - musical poetry, as it were - then it makes perfect sense. And who hasn't heard a Bob Dylan song?? His exposure is certainly global, which is more than you can say for a lot of previous winners, most of which few of us have ever heard of, let alone read!!

I think it's a brilliant choice. Many of his songs are more associated with other performers, so some of these songs may surprise you.

Influential songs

100 greatest Bob Dylan songs

I think it is the coolest thing ever.

Hearing about this put a smile on my face. If literature means creative works involving words, he most certainly fits in the category.

He's one of my very favorites but he remains a very misunderstood character. His goal wasn't to be a prophet or a spokesman, he wanted to be famous. Like Elvis (his words).

Here's an interview, it must be about a dozen years old. The best explanation starts at the 5:30 minute mark but the whole thing is worth watching.
Dylan with Ed Bradley

Here's another interview from the 60s where people are looking for deep meaning in things that to him have no necessary meaning at all, he won't fall for their nonsense. There are modern day cuts with him speaking to that effect.

Deep meanings aren't there

Long overdue, very pleased about it.

He has certainly enriched the lives of many of us, in a different way but as much as some of the scientists and so on that receive the prize.

Here's a list of poets who have won this prize in the past. Some are also known for drama or prose, but others, like TS Eliot, were known for their poetry.

I think it's perfect.

I'm very happy about it.

Excellent choice.

Fabulous, inspired choice. It sure did make us smile.

Well deserved!

For writing I guess it's OK. It is a creative work and I recognize his talent in writing. I don't get the fervor over his singing though. If I had a cow that sounded like he sings, I'd feel compassion to put the poor thing out of its misery since it must be suffering.

I'm with you Jim! Never a fan of Bob. LOL at cynic...YEP!

I like Bob Dylan; I like what he writes. I don't think it is literature. You want to consider a Nobel Prize for poetry? I'm OK with that, but not literature!

Surely there were more deserving candidates! Basically I went "WHAT?!" when I heard this...similar to my reaction when I heard that Trump was running for president. HA!

A little OT... but still on "musical poetry", I guess. Shel Silverstein... famous for writing a lot of poems gear toward younger kids... those "Sidewalk" books. WELL, you're never too old to learn. As a teacher aid, helping a special needs student in his English class, discover that the lyrics to Johnny Cash' "A Boy Named Sue" and Dr. Hook's "Cover of the Rolling Stone" are BOTH from him!?!

Jim, TS Eliot won the Nobel Prize for his poetry. William Butler Yeats. Rudyard Kipling. Poets who have won Nobel Prize in Literature.

I believe that Dylan should be awarded the prize in poetry, not literature. That's my complaint. To me, literature is prose, not lyric poetry.

When I was in college (1974) his lyrics/poems were already in my course's poetry anthology.

I think that if people can find deep meaning in a poem or lyrics, regardless of whether the author intended such, then it is good poetry.

Jim, perhaps you are thinking of the Pulitzer Prize, which does have a number of different classifications, including poetry. The Nobel Prize is only "literature" in all forms. The Pulitzer is offered for a volume of poetry published within that year, while the Nobel is for a body of work over many years.

Pulitzer Prize in Poetry

I don't care for all the songs about anger, from him and all the 'famous' rock bands. Delayed development -- and actually *funny* coming from men LONG past adolescence.

I wonder what joni mitchell's reaction is.

In my opinion, too many of her views are extreme and off the wall, ones that few people share. Like all performers, she likes being the focus of attention but unlike most, she's too often unwilling to graciously acknowledge what others do.