The idea that everyone is an author and that almost anything can be authored is something most people never even consider. Once you stop and think about it though, it makes sense. Most people think of an author as someone who tells a story. A story is a telling of a series of events that either the author or a character narrates. It also provides some sort of meaning or lesson. In my opinion, music is one of the most relatable forms of expression. As shown in many Garth Brooks songs, the lyrics tell a story and convey a theme, which is widely acknowledged as authoring.
Initially I wouldn’t have thought of a song as a piece of authored work. I only thought of authoring to be a written, published literary work. Michel Foucault, a French philosopher, classifies that what “we today call ‘literary’ [includes] (narratives, stories, epics, tragedies, comedies)” (qtd. in Mentan). Comedies and tragedies are often categories used to categorize a play. Already the definition of literary is broadened from read works. All literary works are authored. That would mean anything that is narrated, tells a story, is a performance, or in any way falls into those categories, is considered literary and therefore authored. An author was just someone who wrote the piece and received credit in the form of praise or reimbursement for it. Now, I see authoring as any means of communication by someone.
Garth Brooks sings a song of faith and love called “Unanswered Prayers.” Brooks also co-wrote the song with Pat Alger and Larry Bastian. Usually you don’t think about the writing process behind the song lyrics. Sometimes people don’t even listen to the words. They just like having a background rhythm. If you do take the time to listen to the words, especiall...
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... mean he doesn’t answer doesn’t mean he don’t care/ some of God’s greatest gifts are unanswered prayers.” Having a moral to the story gives it ethos and adds substance. The reader or listener feels like they gained something from the author, something that can be applied in everyday life. The author becomes accessible and relatable which makes the audience want to listen.
Garth Brooks’ “Unanswered Prayers” is a great example of unconventional authorship. It includes various aspects that are supported by known philosophers and critics with ethos. Foucault, Barthes, Nehemas, and Booth all have respected and acknowledged ideas on the subject. Brooks owns the lyrics, conveys his ideas in performance, has a classified type of authoring, tells a story, and presents a lesson. With all of these supported pieces, Garth Brooks is an author as well as an artist and performer.
In the minds of the general population many would argue that the most significant part of any piece of literary, artistic, or vocal work is the title. The title often times resonates through the heart of an audience, while simultaneously imprinting specific emotions and thoughts in their psyche. In Lawrence Levine’s “The Quest for Certainty”, the title is used to address the motivation enslaved African-Americans possessed in which they ultimately utilized to create sacred music. An understanding of the title “The Quest for Certainty” needs to first be analyzed in a contextual manner, to understand its power. Quest is defined as “a long or arduous search for something” . This “something” that quest is referring to in context of African-American slavery is freedom.
A man by the name of Charles Simic once said, “Poetry is an orphan of silence. The words never quite equal the experience behind them”(Quote Land). Poems have been written for thousands of years. When most people think of poetry, they either think of a sonnet, limerick, all the way down to a haiku. They also think that a poem is something that must be recited, but in reality a poem can also be sang as a song. Lately more and more songs that are being released have a story behind them, trying to express feelings of loneliness, death, or past experiences. One of the best examples would be rap. Rappers love to tell about “their” life in the city; when the times were rough because they were poor and all the violence going on. But rap isn’t the only type of music that can be interpreted as a poem.
American singer-songwriter and folk musician Bob Dylan describes in his autobiography, as well as his life and music in general, the ambiguity of folk songs and their ability to be openly shared, interpreted, and even fabricated, and he believes that human nature is such that we are most comfortable with this opacity. The work of African American artist Kara Walker reinforces this belief, and applies it to history with the exploration of cultural ideas regarding race, sexuality, identity, gender roles, repression, and violence.
Many people would argue that the most important, most significant part of any piece of literary, artistic, or vocal work is the title. The title often times resonates through the minds of an audience; simultaneously, this essential feature of any piece of work imprints specific emotions and thoughts in the psyche of an author’s captivators. In Lawrence Levine’s “The Quest for Certainty”, the title is used to address the motivation enslaved African-Americans of generations ago possessed that ultimately was utilized to create sacred music. Validation in one’s identity is not something everyone in this world can attribute to owning. Individuals from the inception of time to now have always questioned their existence and purpose, and the lives
Song lyrics have set off a great generation of our leisure time than reading poetic devices, therefore song lyrics are better than poetic devices. Song lyrics have dropped numerous lines that attach to us now a days and make us listen to the line over and over unlike poetic devices. Song Lyrics have so much meaning by word choice and by relations.”Mr. Rager” by Kid Cudi, is about people fed up with society and plan on taking a journey. “Dreams” by Edgar Allen Poe, is about a man who dreams of a greater life. Mr. Rager, the song by Scott Cudi, has a better meaning than Dreaming, the poem by Edgar Allen Poe, by personification, allusion, and symbolism.
Writing is a type of art because it requires you to think and be creative in the way you want it to be. I have a diary that I wrote almost everyday. They help me think about my day and sometimes turn my bad day into a good day. I write whatever comes into my head at that moment, and reflect on my day. Writing make me think deeper to what happen and help me turn my negative thought to positive. Writing is a very powerful tool. When I write, I have the power to change the story. I am the author of my own story so I can be as creative as I want.
Even though the speakers are identified as the authors, they can more accurately be described as characters based on themselves. We know that this type of lyric was most likely performed in front of an audience probably set to music. The public’s relationship to such work can be likened with dramatic performance of today such as a musical or a...
People write for many reasons. They write to educate, , and to entertain to express
Music sets the mood for many of the events and celebrations of our lives. From happy to sad, people rely on songs to set their mood. That is why songwriting is a popular form of expression for many people. Songwriters often write very personal emotional songs but they may also write songs for plays, movies, and commercials. Songwriting can be a lucrative career if a song takes off in popularity or it may just be a hobby, however one thing remains constant, music is one of the most important expressions of imagination.
For me, writing is like my 13-year-old self. That was the age where I started to really familiarize myself with hobbies I enjoyed such as a painting, playing the guitar, and making videos. It is how I feel towards writing also; it is full of so many different styles and genres, all of which give an opportunity for the writer to be creative. Writing is different for every individual, but for me, writing is a creative and thought-provoking process.
In A Short and Easy Method of Prayer, Madame Guyon touches on how one can accept all things God through prayer. Through the simple steps of meditation and reading accompanied by meditation, Madame Guyon teaches the reader how to use those steps to have a relationship with God. As a person of the Quietism faith in the seventeenth century, Madam Guyon was going against the norm of the church structure. Not only was she advocating people did not need to go to weekly services but she was also going against the male’s leaders of the church. One of the questions this book can help historians to answer is how religion shape everyday life. However, the readers need to keep in mind the biases surrounding this book. This is just one of the many religious
Everybody in this world has a talent. He or she can use his talent to express about himself or herself. Also, the writers can explain some themes from their societies in their articles, novels, and books. The artistic works can treat some problems and face the society with it. For an example, Khaled Hosseini on his novel The Kite Runner, explains some themes from the society like, how the children affected by their parents, how the society and the religious matter effect on the people, and the value of having someone by your side supports you.
Grief is a very horrible and sad feeling and often is caused by lose of something or someone important to someone. In the story “always a motive” by Dan Ross and the song “Tears in heaven” both protagonists had lost a son at some point in their past and convey their feeling of grief in their own ways. Dan Ross shows that his character is hurt very badly because of his son’s death and tries to get away from it. Eric Clapton deals with his grief by expressing it in a song to his son trying to reach to the other side asking questions that cannot be answered. Both of these pieces of literature convey a feeling of helplessness and desperation.
Prayers are not recipes or formulae, they are love poems. They need not be factual, but they must be true.
Expressing yourself without music would be nearly impossible. Music is a pastime for some, but a lifestyle for others. If music wasn't around, musicians wouldn't be able to write meaningful songs that showcased their emotions. Music is an outburst of the soul for musicians. For example, if a drummer had experienced a difficult heartbreak, and wanted to take his anger out on something, he could not make music on drums. Or if a singer just came back from a life changing vacation and wanted to sing about it, he couldn’t. Musicians would have no outlet, and therefore not have a way to express themselves, and maybe not even have a job. Even if you are not a professional musician, but just play around on an instrument, it still acts as a way of expression.