Water
By Ralph Waldo Emerson
The water understands
Civilization well;
It wets my foot, but prettily,
It chills my life, but wittily,
It is not disconcerted,
It is not broken-hearted:
Well used, it decketh joy,
Adorneth, doubleth joy:
Ill used, it will destroy,
In perfect time and measure
With a face of golden pleasure
Elegantly destroy.
In Emerson's "Water," antique words are used to personify water, implying that water is a double-edged sword by nature. The diction is very formal, adding extra wisdom and meaning to the words. The speaker is using a natural element such as water to simplify humanity. Just as with people, water sneaks up and does something negative to a person, but does it in a delightful manner, so as to deceive its victim. Emerson wrote, "It wets my foot, but prettily," implying that even though the speaker's foot was drenched, the water did it in such a beautiful way, that he was distracted from his annoyance at being wet. The author also writes, "Well used it decketh joy," and "Ill used, it will destroy." This exemplifies the double-edged sword that water can be. If water is used properly, it can be beneficial to humankind, but if its power is underestimated or mistreated, it can breed sickness and disastrous storms. This is a strong message that reflects on society too; it reminds people that anything used suitably is advantageous, but if used incorrectly, it has the ability to create more evil than good.
Note 5:
Overboard
By: Justin Bieber (feat. Jessica Jarrell)
It feels like we've been out at sea, whoa
So back and forth that's how it seems, whoa
And when I wanna talk you say to me
That if it's meant to be it will be
Whoa oh no
So crazy is this thing we call love
And now that we've got it we just can't give up
I'm reaching out for you
Got me out here in the water
And I
I'm overboard
And I need your love
Pull me up
I can't swim on my own
It's too much
Feels like I'm drowning without your love
So throw yourself out to me
My lifesaver
(Lifesaver, oh lifesaver)
My lifesaver
(Lifesaver, oh lifesaver)
Whoa
The lyrics to one of Justin Bieber's hit songs, "Overboard," vividly portray the powerful ocean, implying that the ups and downs of relationships are similar to the strong pulls of the ocean's tide. When he says, "It feels like we've been out at sea, whoa. So back and forth that's how it seems, whoa," the lyricist is comparing the good and the bad parts of love to the waves going in and out. Sometimes there are good times in relationships; these euphoric times are similar to calm ocean waters, serene and happy. Like waves though, just as soon as a relationship is steady and happy, it becomes a struggle again. The speaker says, "Feels like I'm drowning without your love," demonstrating the power of the waves, hardships in relationships, to drag a person down. In order to overcome these tough times, the two people in the relationship need each other to use as "lifesavers," to keep them afloat even throughout the waves of relationships.
Note 6:
from The Sleepers
By Walt Whitman
I see a beautiful gigantic swimmer swimming naked through the eddies of the sea,
His brown hair lies close and even to his head, he strikes out with courageous arms, he urges himself with his legs,
I see his white body, I see his undaunted eyes,
I hate the swift-running eddies that would dash him head-foremost on the rocks.
What are you doing you ruffianly red-trickled waves?
Will you kill the courageous giant? will you kill him in the prime of his middle-age?
Steady and long he struggles,
He is baffled, bang’d, bruis’d, he holds out while his strength holds out,
The slapping eddies are spotted with his blood, they bear him away, they roll him, swing him, turn him,
His beautiful body is borne in the circling eddies, it is continually bruis’d on rocks,
Swiftly and out of sight is borne the brave corpse.
Walt Whitman's poem displays the sheer force of the ocean's current, reminding readers that even though certain things, such as the swimmer, may seem invincible, there are forces in life more powerful than anyone can imagine. As the poem begins, the swimmer is described as courageous and undaunting, making him seem indestructible. As the lines continue though, the waves creep into the mental images, threatening to overtake him. Just as in life, the seemingly imperishable swimmer is caught off guard, and even though he fights with all his strength, he is overpowered by the supremacy of the water over all of nature. Although it is a pessimistic view, the author is implying that sometimes no matter how much you struggle to overcome something, you simply may not succeed. There are some situations in life that are similar to the amazing strength of water, and it is near to impossible to come out on top. The author finishes off by mentioning the "brave corpse," a reminder that you don't have to go down without a heroic fight.
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