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1. "Cry Freedom" Dave Matthew's Band
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1qprJ2Dulr4
http://www.lyricsfreak.com/d/dave+matthews+band/cry+freedom_20036558.html
2. "I Believe I Can Fly" R. Kelly
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QTahrYXCChI
http://www.lyricsfreak.com/search.php?a=search&type=song&q=i+beleive+I+can+fly
3. "Video" India Arie
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mq86e4Fhja0
http://www.lyricsfreak.com/i/india+arie/video_20067235.html
4. "Unwritten" Natasha Beddingfield
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b7k0a5hYnSI&ob=av2e
http://www.lyricsfreak.com/n/natasha+bedingfield/unwritten_10189966.html
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ReplyDeleteR. Kelly's "I Believe I can Fly" and Emerson's Self Reliance are related under the idea that people should believe in themselves, follow what they believe in, and act upon what each individual believes. Emerson explains that all individual is unique and must not be discouraged to act what they think because of society. This can be related to the idea of believing oneself and trusting their own thought. " To believe your own thought, to believe that what is true for you in your private heart is true for all men, -- that is genius" is a quote from Self Reliance and shows that Emerson goes as far as to define someone who believes in themselves as a genius. Also, "if I see it, I can do it If I just believe it, there's nothing to it
ReplyDeleteI believe I can fly I believe I can touch the sky I think about it every night and day Spread my wings and fly away I believe I can soar I see me running through that open door I believe I can fly,I believe I can fly,I believe I can fly" shows how important it is to believe in oneself and tells us that if you do then you can do anyting.
I agree with TJ's comment because both pieces of writing/song shows the importance of believing in oneself and acting according to what they believe in.
ReplyDeleteThe song "Unwritten" by Natasha Bedingfield is a song I always look to for encouragement and inspiration. The song's lyrics possess sentimental values that open people to their unlimited potentials. The song begins with the words of, "I am unwritten, can't read my mind, I'm undefined. I'm just beginning, the pen's in my hand, ending unplanned". The following lyrics state that 'I' am a person with infinitive potential and the ending to the things 'I' am capable of doing does not exist. This can be in close ties with Ralph Waldo Emerson's "Self-Reliance" in the sense that Emerson emphasizes the uniqueness of each individual and believes that it is everyone's duty to trust and develop their abilities without a set limit.
ReplyDeleteAnother memorable portion of Natasha Bedingfield's "Unwritten" is the part where Bedingfield sings, "I break tradition, sometimes my tries, are outside the lines. We've been conditioned to not make mistakes, but I can't live that way." It provides an insight to the singer's yearnings to break the common belief and set new standards. Even though hardships follow when trying to create new roads, she cannot give up. Emerson also emphasizes the building of a "new route", the "right course" in his text "Self-Reliance. He urged people to not look at what was done yesterday, but look for the RIGHT way to reach the destinations that you need to reach.
Seeing the points TJ and Ellen has made, I can agree that the song "I Believe I Can Fly" by R. Kelly is closely related to Emerson's "Self-Reliance" because of their similar view points on believing, and trusting oneself in order to achieve their goals.
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ReplyDeleteThe essay “Self Reliance” is written by Ralph Waldo Emerson, an American transcendentalist philosopher, lecturer, and writer. In “Self Reliance”, Emerson emphasizes the point about how we have to believe and trust ourselves when taking action. For instance, he says, “To believe your own thought, to believe that what is true for you in your private heart is true for all men, -- that is genius.” (Emerson 2) He also mentions, “Trust thyself: every heart vibrates to that iron string” (Emerson 2) which made me think about myself once again. These points lead to the idea of how men must accept the transcendent destiny, and how we have to advance on the “chaos and the dark.” No matter what happens, we have to continue to step forward in life.
ReplyDeleteFurthermore, “I believe I can fly” by artist R. Kelly seems to portray this idea in the lyrics of the song as well. It talks about a really depressed and lonely person who was about to give up on life. But then, after finding their true love they grab a sense of hope. In addition, it says that they were on the “verge of breaking down” but then they realized the effervescence of life and said, “I know it starts inside of me”. The main idea was saying that you need to trust in yourself in order to achieve miracles in life. Without trusting oneself, no one can even have a goal. So therefore, the lyrics to the song “I believe I can fly” isn’t trying to say how they believe in actually flying but that because they figured to believe in themselves, they realized that there’s nothing to achieving something. The main thing you have to acknowledge is that when believing in yourself, nothing is totally impossible. (Furthermore, the term fly seems to elaborate on the idea of freedom, independence, and future)
I think hat Ellen and I had similar thoughts with the fact that the most emphasized thought was that everyone should believe in themselves. We also used a similar quote, which shows how we both seem to have figured out the main point of both "Self Reliance" and "I believe I can fly".
ReplyDeleteRalph Waldo Emerson's essay "Self Reliance" is mainly about what its title states: self reliance. Through this essay the author emphasizes how important one's views are and how and individual should have the last statement for all his/her actions, no matter what others believe. Thus, I thought that it was extremely similar to Natasha Beddingfield's song "Unwritten." Although I am not familiar with the song, I could clearly see the connection between the two when reading over its lyrics. "Unwritten"is about a person who is writing a book for himself/herself and states that nobody but that individual is able to write in that book. As explained, the song also has a very individual theme and fights for that person's personal thoughts. Throughout the song, the phrase "no one else" is repeated numerously, also adding onto the theme of individuality. Another phrase that is repeated is "only you can let it in," again emphasizing the importance of trusting oneself. Thus "Self Reliance" and "Unwritten" are similar in that their central ideas are both about individuality.
ReplyDeleteIt was interesting to see how Caroline interpreted the connection between "Self Reliance" and "Unwritten" in a slightly different way than I did. I never actually saw connection when I first compared the two but now I can see how they do. Kudos for her for finding that out.
ReplyDeleteThe theme of R. Kelly's I Believe I Can Fly Emerson's Self Reliance are similar. Both refer to how one has to believe in him or herself to achieve something they want to rather than listen to others or have a lack of faith in one's own abilities.
ReplyDelete"Trust thyself: every heart vibrates to that iron string." is a quote from Self Reliance which has a similar underlying theme to the lines "If I can see it, then I can do it If I just believe it, there's nothing to it" from I believe I can fly as said before, both of them emphasize the trust in one's self.
Also, "If I can see it, then I can be it, If I just believe it, there's nothing to it" from I Believe I Can Fly reflects how a person 'can be' someone unique if they try to be. This idea is also very similar to "Self Reliance" as Emerson believes that people should not follow the ideas of others but construct their own beliefs.
Looking back at what Milton said, I believe that he has made a very good connection to "Self Reliance". Both emphasize individuality as "Unwritten" repeats the line "No one else". The quote "The rest is still unwritten" (from unwritten) also links a valid link between the 2 pieces as it describes how individuality is something that should be developed.
ReplyDeleteA connection the song lacked to the writing though was the idea that one had to have strong faith in him or herself.
"Self Reliance" by Emerson is an essay that advocates individualism, and avoiding being influenced by society and its standards & norms. The quote "A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds" demonstrates the idea of conformity being an act of ignorance, where people who are incapable of thinking for themselves tend to follow what everyone else is doing. This allows society to control their little minds and transform them into a component of society rather than an individual with individual thoughts.
ReplyDeleteIn "Unwritten" the lyrics clearly show the element of unpredictability when it comes to writing the course of your life. The lyrics "I am unwritten, can't read my mind, I'm undefined. I'm just beginning, the pen's in my hand, ending unplanned" openly state how one's life cannot be planned, and should not be planned. It seems almost as if it's saying since I am unwritten, you can't read my mind because I am unpredictable, and since I am an individual, my thoughts should be different from yours. Similar to "Self Reliance," the lyrics of "Unwritten" advocates the idea of thinking uniquely so that no one can predict what you are thinking or planning to do. If you're unpredictable, then you're not one of society's conformist components, but rather just an individual with the ability to think for themselves.
Looking at Milton & Caroline's connections between "Unwritten" and "Self Reliance," I see we all have a similar basic idea. We all see the lyrics of "Unwritten" as a push for individual thoughts and expressing yourself rather than what society wants you to express. We all saw that the two pieces advocated going against the act of conformity that could erase our identities as individuals and overwrite them as merely components of a uniform society.
Ralph Waldo's "Self-reliance" is about an individual having a strong belief in themselves. R. Kelly's song, "I Believe I Can Fly" and Ralph Waldo Emerson's "Self-reliance" have a deep connection about Individualism with each other. Throughout the song, R. Kelly passes a message about having faith in yourself. He says that if you believe in yourself, you will be able to do anything, even if you are alone. Both "Self-reliance" and "I Believe I Can Fly" have many spiritual aspects as well. Emerson believes that an individual must communicate all of their thoughts with God. According to him, everything exists with God and a man will not be able to be happy if they do not live with nature present in their lives. Furthermore, "I used to think that I could not go on And life was nothing but an awful song But now I know the meaning of true love I'm leaning on the everlasting arms" of "I Believe I Can Fly", R.Kelly refers to the darker times of his life and how he recovered from the depression after he was reminded of God's love for him. Thus "Self-reliance" and "I Believe I Can Fly" are because they both have a central theme of individuality and spirituality.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Caroline's post about the lyrics of "Unwritten" and "Self-reliance" because I can see how both Emerson and Beddingfield try to achieve and set a new standard without any sort of limitation.
ReplyDeleteRalph Waldo Emerson's "Self-Reliance" is a story that focuses on the idea of individualism. Likewise, the song "Video" by India Arie focuses on the theme of independence from cultural norms. Both of these documents support the theme of self-concern and individualism.
ReplyDelete"What I must do is all that concerns me, not what the people think." (Emerson 30) This line from "Self-Reliance" emphasizes the point that your problems and your duties are only yours. "Whoso would be a man, must be a nonconformist" (Emerson 15) is another quote from the story that advocates the idea of being your own self.
The song "Video" by India Arie, as mentioned before, focuses on independence from cultural norms. This theme is similar to the point and topic that Emerson is trying to explain in "Self-Reliance." In the song's seventh verse, the singer gives a lot of comparisons between what people usually have and what she (by herself) needs. "Keep your expensive cars and your Caviar, All I need is my guitar" (Arie 45-46) is one of the comparisons she makes. By emphasizing how she only desires what SHE needs to be entertained, she is supporting the idea of individualism and self-dependence. "I'm not that average girl from your video" (Arie 5) further advocates the idea of individualism.
Looking back at previous posts, I agree with what TJ had said about the similarities between "Self-Reliance" and "I Believe I Can Fly." However, I found it quite awkward to see that TJ used one quote from "I Believe I Can Fly" for both of his paragraphs. If he had tried to make connections with another quote from the song, it would support his thesis even more.
"I Believe I Can Fly"
"Unwritten" By Natasha Beddingfield
ReplyDeleteNatasha Beddingfield's song, "Unwritten," has been a song many listen to for words of encouragement and free thought. In the song, one finds lyrics such as, "No one else can speak the words on your lips. Drench yourself in words unspoken, live your life with arms wide open, today is where your book begins. The rest is still unwritten." Here, the message that you are the one that establishes your identity and influences how your life turns out. This is very much parallel to the message of Emerson's essay, "Self-Reliance." In his essay, he states, "Nothing is at last sacred but the integrity of your own mind. Absolve you to yourself and you shall have the sufferage of the world." What he says here is very similar to what Natasha Beddingfield in that he supports individualism and that it's fine to go against the norm as long as you stay true to yourself. That is what really defines the success of an individual.
In addition, the song, "Unwritten," continues to go on about some "book" that is "unwritten" which is different to each individual. Here, the book is a symbol to an individual's life and how it can turn out any which way depending on the individual's personal choices - not those of others. For example, Beddingfield sings, "I'm just beginning, the pen's in my hand, ending unplanned," which is stating that life will still be full of surprises and that nothing is set in one's life until it actually occurs. There's always chance to change. Similarly, in Emerson's essay, he states, "Place yourself in the middle of the stream of power and wisdom which flows into you as life, place yourself in the full center of that flood, then you are without effort impelled to truth, to right, and a perfect contentment." Here, he shows just how much a person should fully accept themselves and start following the path that they were made for. This is like what Beddingfield says in that people should look to themselves to determine how their life turns out - not others. Clearly, the song, "Unwritten," and the Emerson's essay, "Self-Reliance," are very much similar.
I really agree with TJ's post in that he fully and concisely explains how the song, "I Believe I Can Fly," and Emerson's essay are similar because they display almost the exact same messages, such as trusting one's self.
ReplyDeleteI feel that India Arie's "Video" relates strongly to Emerson's essay, "Self-Reliance". They have the same concept of individualism and believing in yourself.
ReplyDelete"I ain't built like a supermodel, but, I learned to love myself unconditionally, because I am a queen." This quote really shows the artist's belief that she really loves herself and accepts who she is, and doesn't try to fight it. "My worth is not determined by the price of my clothes," and "It really depends on whatever feels good in my soul," also shows how she does what she has to, and isn't flimsy to the opinions of others. The same comes out in "Self-Reliance"; "What I must do is all that concerns me, not what the people think." Here he also believes that it only matters to him, not to others. "Trust thyself: every heart vibrates to that iron string." This statement also exemplifies his belief that everybody should trust and like themselves.
Another notable point is their acceptance in themselves and their placement in life. "Every freckle on my face is where it's supposed to be, and I know our creator didn't make no mistakes on me." India accepts the way God formed her, and Ralph Emerson definitely feels the same. "Accept the place the divine providence has found for you, the society of your contemporaries, the connection of events." Once again, he takes trust in what God has prepared for him. Thus, I believe that India Arie's "Video" and Ralph Waldo Emerson's "Self-Reliance" are related in that context.
I agree with Sally's post about how "Self-Reliance" relates to "I believe I can Fly" in that they both talk about that how you need to have faith in yourself to accomplish things, and also that you need to really believe in yourself, even if you are alone.
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