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Song lyric analysis essay
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Christmas is fast approaching and with it comes the joyful bliss of Yuletide carols and christmas songs that seem to spark the cheery feeling in us all. With that comes my favorite christmas song that illuminates special holiday memories from the past, "This Christmas" by Chris Brown. This is a song spent listening too with family and friends rejoicing in times of play and rest, encompassing some of the best memories of my younger days. When I think of precious moments that over flood my mind while listening to this song, I am reminded of a season filled with joy and revelry. Whether it be crafting the perfect gift for a loved one, going to church on christmas morning, decorating the christmas tree, constructing a gingerbread house with the family, visiting Santa at the mall, or even attending a christmas parade. No matter what the event was, it was a time to rejoice and create new memories with the ones I loved and to be grateful for the things we had. …show more content…
As the sounds and lyrics of the song flood my ears, mental images of past christmas events are invoked, as this can be explained by the dual-coding theory which argues that images can be expressed as both verbal and non-verbal systems.
In this case, the units containing the information underlying our use of a word, are called logogens and encompass the verbal system. Whereas, imagens are the units in the dual-coding theory containing information that produces the mental image which make up the non-verbal system. Thus, as I think of the lyrics being sung by the artist, for example the word fireside, it may invoke a mental image of firewood or even an image of my family and I watching christmas movies by the fire. This would represent an example of a mental image that was produced by logogens, in which a similar situation can produce a mental image but instead, imagens are
involved. Furthermore, the words in the lyrics that produce a mental image also have concreteness, meaning the degree to which a word refers to things that can be heard, felt, smelled, or tasted. Thus, the more a specific word from the song has inherent meaning to it, the more vivid the mental image will be. This can be referred to as the vividness of visual imagery, meaning the degree to which images are clear and resemble an actual percept. In comparison, imagery can also be used as a mnemonic technique by utilizing the method of loci (using distinct images of objects in familiar locations). Furthermore, this relates to distinctiveness in which the most distinctive image or word in a set of similar items are better remembered, also referred to as the von Restorff effect. Thus, the most distinctive set of words in the song that produce a vivid image is "the fireside is blazing bright", which is specifically important because it is a tradition to sit by the fire and share the things we are most thankful for along with praying. Furthermore, in explaining how working memory is involved in visual imagery, working memory requires monitoring or the manipulation of information that allows for the integration, processing, retrieval and disposal of certain visual information. Thus, when listening to the song, visual images are produced in which information about the aspects of that mental image is processed and manipulated in order to retrieve the meaning of that image from past experiences. Therefore, using top-down processing to produce a mental image that illustrates a specific event. Long-term memory relates to visual imagery in which, something from the song may invoke an image that relates back to an event that was specifically important to you, which inherently became distinct from other images. This image may be embedded in your brain because it was something of importance to you or because the song may have been paired with a specific event numerous times, in turn leading to consolidation.
John McPhee used similes throughout his essay “Under the Snow”. One of his similes was him describing how a researcher put the bear in a doughnut shape. It was to explain to the audience that the bear was wrapped around with room between her legs for the bear cubs to lay when they are in hibernation. He describes the movement of the bears and the bear cubs like clowns coming out of a compact car. The similes help the audience see how the moved and how they were placed after the researcher moved them.
In 102 Minutes, Chapter 7, authors Dwyer and Flynn use ethos, logos, and pathos to appeal to the readers’ consciences, minds and hearts regarding what happened to the people inside the Twin Towers on 9/11. Of particular interest are the following uses of the three appeals.
The repetitions of the song, constantly remind us of the way people celebrated Christmas in the late 1950’s. “Have a happy holidays” uses the literary device of repetition to remind us to have a safe holiday. “Rocking around the Christmas tree” uses the literary device of repetition to inform us that people danced around the Christmas tree to celebrate the holidays.
Throughout the course of this novel, Ishmael Beah keeps the readers on the edge of their seat by incorporating interchanging tones. At the beginning of the novel, the tone can be depicted as naïve, for Beah was unaware to what was actually occurring with the rebels. Eventually, the tone shifts to being very cynical and dark when he depicts the fighting he has endured both physically and mentally. However, the most game changing tone is towards the end of the novel in chapters nineteen and twenty. His tone can be understood as independent or prevailing. It can be portrayed as independent because Beah learns how to survive on his own and to take care of himself. At the same time, it is perceived as prevailing and uplifting because Beah was able to demonstrate that there is hope. Later in the novel, Beah travels to
In the book Into the Wild, Jon Krakauer wrote about Christopher McCandless, a nature lover in search for independence, in a mysterious and hopeful experience. Even though Krakauer tells us McCandless was going to die from the beginning, he still gave him a chance for survival. As a reader I wanted McCandless to survive. In Into the Wild, Krakauer gave McCandless a unique perspective. He was a smart and unique person that wanted to be completely free from society. Krakauer included comments from people that said McCandless was crazy, and his death was his own mistake. However, Krakauer is able to make him seem like a brave person. The connections between other hikers and himself helped in the explanation of McCandless’s rational actions. Krakauer is able to make McCandless look like a normal person, but unique from this generation. In order for Krakauer to make Christopher McCandless not look like a crazy person, but a special person, I will analyze the persuading style that Krakauer used in Into the Wild that made us believe McCandless was a regular young adult.
A good example of imagery can be found at the end of the story in the last paragraph. For this part of imagery, the main character Jackson Jackson has received his grandmother’s regalia from the pawn shop employee without having to pay the total of $999 he originally had to pay. (Alexie) “I took my grandmother’s regalia and walked outside. I knew that solitary yellow bead was part of me. I knew I was that yellow bead in part. Outside, I wrapped myself in my grandmother’s regalia and breathed her in. I stepped off the sidewalk and into the intersection. Pedestrians stopped. Cars stopped. The city stopped. They all watched me dance with my grandmother. I was my grandmother, dancing.” This statement made at the end of the story indicates a strong sense of imagery that details Jackson’s emotions towards getting his grandmother’s regalia from the pawn shop. The yellow bead he mentions was his strongest symbol of feeling toward his grandmother, feeling as if he were a part of that yellow bead, in this case, his grandmother. Jackson describes in more detail of how he felt more like his grandmother after he wrapped the regalia around him. The pedestrians, city, everything around him was watching him feel like his grandmother, like some sort of flashback he could be
The Letter from Birmingham Jail was written by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in April of 1963. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was one of several civil rights activists who were arrested in Birmingham Alabama, after protesting against racial injustices in Alabama. Dr. King wrote this letter in response to a statement titled A Call for Unity, which was published on Good Friday by eight of his fellow clergymen from Alabama. Dr. King uses his letter to eloquently refute the article. In the letter dr. king uses many vivid logos, ethos, and pathos to get his point across. Dr. King writes things in his letter that if any other person even dared to write the people would consider them crazy.
Imagery is when the author presents a mental image through descriptive words. One prime example of imagery that the author uses is in paragraph 3; where she tells of a moment between a man and a woman. In this narration she states the time, year, outfit of each character described, and what the female character was doing. These details might come across as irrelevant, or unnecessary, but this is Didions way of showing what the blueprint of notebook it. Using imagery reinforces the foundation of the essay, and what the essay’s mission was.
Imagery is a way to describe objects, scenarios, scenes, etc. by using language that would appeal to physical senses such as; smell, sight, touch, taste, and sound. For example, “Then the darkening firs And the sudden whirring of water of the knifed down a fern-hidden Cliff and splashed unseen into mist in the shadows.” (II. 5. 3-4) This quote is explaining how the day is turning into night, the trees are darkening, the water is swaying with the wind, and the trees vanishing behind the thick fog. “we slogged Through the
Many people have transformed, or changed, throughout their lives, either in a positive or a negative way. But what does it mean to transform? That can be different between people and the way they think. Some think it's something unacceptable and you should try avoiding it, others want to transform themselves. To transform, you just need to see the true meaning of things and be happy. It is possible to change, but you need a reason to change. You need motivation, just like how you need the motivation to do the things you love to do.
Pollan’s article provides a solid base to the conversation, defining what to do in order to eat healthy. Holding this concept of eating healthy, Joe Pinsker in “Why So Many Rich Kids Come to Enjoy the Taste of Healthier Foods” enters into the conversation and questions the connection of difference in families’ income and how healthy children eat (129-132). He argues that how much families earn largely affect how healthy children eat — income is one of the most important factors preventing people from eating healthy (129-132). In his article, Pinsker utilizes a study done by Caitlin Daniel to illustrate that level of income does affect children’s diet (130). In Daniel’s research, among 75 Boston-area parents, those rich families value children’s healthy diet more than food wasted when children refused to accept those healthier but
In a quote by John Mill, “Does fining a criminal show want of respect for property, or imprisoning him, for personal freedom? Just as unreasonable is it to think that to take the life of a man who has taken that of another is to show want of regard for human life. We show, on the contrary, most emphatically our regard for it, by the adoption of a rule that he who violates that right in another forfeits it for himself, and that while no other crime that he can commit deprives him of his right to live, this shall.” Everyone’s life is precious, but at what price? Is it okay to let a murderer to do as they please? Reader, please take a moment and reflect on this issue. The issue will always be a conflict of beliefs and moral standards. The topic
The movie trailer “Rio 2”, shows a great deal of pathos, ethos, and logos. These rhetorical appeals are hidden throughout the movie trailer; however, they can be recognized if paying attention to the details and montage of the video. I am attracted to this type of movies due to the positive life messages and the innocent, but funny personifications from the characters; therefore, the following rhetorical analysis will give a brief explanation of the scenes, point out the characteristics of persuasive appeals and how people can be easily persuaded by using this technique, and my own interpretation of the message presented in the trailer.
Jonathan Kozol revealed the early period’s situation of education in American schools in his article Savage Inequalities. It seems like during that period, the inequality existed everywhere and no one had the ability to change it; however, Kozol tried his best to turn around this situation and keep track of all he saw. In the article, he used rhetorical strategies effectively to describe what he saw in that situation, such as pathos, logos and ethos.
Christmas at home, I know that all I will have to do is listen to the old familiar notes of “Holy Jolly Christmas” to feel right at home.