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"Spread Your Wings" / "Self Reliance" by Ralph Waldo Emerson

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"Spread Your Wings" / "Self Reliance" by Ralph Waldo Emerson

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Queen, the band, announced a similar verdict to Emerson's "Self Reliance" through the expression of self. In "Spread Your Wings" written by John Deacon, tells a narrative of a man named Sammy who is encaged in a lonely life, working at an (Emerald) Bar. His dreams are to escape the chains of his job and run off somewhere distant, to pursue his wild fantasies. However, his boss, a skeptical and unencouraging man, criticizes his dreams to pursue freedom and to face "reality." This story is similar to "Self-Reliance" because it preaches the idea of pursuing your dreams.

In "Self Reliance" Emerson writes, "Great men have always
done so and confided themselves childlike to the genius of their
age, betraying their perception that the absolutely trustworthy was  stirring at their heart, working through their hands, predominating in all their being" (Emerson, Par. 2). To analyze, what Emerson is saying is that all intelligent individuals disregarded society's expectations and these men have only relied on themselves, through their hearts and true desires. Emerson's lines are quite similar to the ones in "Spread Your Wings", with the chorus repeating, "Spread your wings and fly away / Fly away, far away / Spread your little wings and fly away / Fly away, far away / Pull yourself together / 'Cause you know you should do better / That's because you're a free man"(Deacon). What Deacon is writing here is encouraging Sammy (even to the audience) to fulfill one's ambitious goals and not let others be the authority to one's world, because humans are all free-willed men. In both writings, it talks about freedom and sustaining one's life how they want to interpret it, rather than let another perceive it.

Moreover, both Deacon and Emerson mention the theme of being misunderstood. Emerson clearly states in his poem, "Pythagoras was misunderstood, and Socrates, and Jesus, and Luther, and Copernicus, and Galileo, and Newton, and every pure and wise spirit that ever took flesh. To be great is to be misunderstood. . . . " (Emerson, Par. 5). To explain, Ralph Waldo Emerson lists all these influential figures to claim evidence that to be great is to be misunderstood. For example, Pythagoras was murdered, Socrates was forced to drink poison, Jesus was nailed to the cross, Luther was excommunicated, Copernicus, Galileo, and Newton's theories and philosophy were either banned or criticized. In Deacon's songwriting, Sammy is misunderstood by his boss. In the story, he says, " 'Boy, you'd better begin / To get those crazy notions / Right out of your head / Sammy, who do you think that you are? / You should've been sweeping / Up the Emerald Bar' " (Deacon). To add on, he comes back up in the second verse, preaching, " 'Now listen, boy! You're / always dreaming / You've got no real ambition / You won't get very far / Sammy boy, don't you know who you are? / Why can't you be happy / At the Emerald Bar?' " (Deacon). The dialogue from the boss displays how misunderstood Sammy is, not being understood for his true intentions and mindset. In summary, both communicate that great minds, ever ordinary people, are misunderstood for their individuality.

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Queen - Spread Your Wings (Official Video)

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"Mulholland Drive" / "Fame is a fickle food" by Emily Dickinson

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"Mulholland Drive" / "Fame is a fickle food" by Emily Dickinson

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"Mulholland Drive" directed by David Lynch, tells the story about fame and the wicked reality that actors/actresses suffer from. It expresses the dark side of fame and the grand delusions some people suffer within the film industry. Similar to "Fame is a fickle food" by Emily Dickinson, she explains the danger surrounding the concept of fame as well, through metaphorically comparing it to food. From these two writings alone, it displays how paramount individuality is and how people conform to the repetitive standards for recognition. David Lynch and Emily Dickinson both favor self-identity as it is clearly evident through the rest of their works, through a unique artistic style. Lynch's works convey surrealism and the act of the subconscious while tackling real-life issues and consequences. Emily Dickinson is known for her rebellious style by breaking conventional writing norms and the vivid imagery she displays, while also talking about the real world. They are both outsiders looking in, using the medium of writing and visuals to illustrate the true intentions behind human nature.

In "Mulholland Drive" Diane, an actress suited for success, goes to Hollywood to show off her new skills and acting abilities. She stumbles upon Rita, a girl who lost her memories and aids her in uncovering her true identity. The story plays out like a traditional mystery, but there are references to dreams and illusions throughout the way. Diane is praised throughout her experience as an actress, with praise from her director and plenty of opportunities.  However, tables quickly turn as it turns out the entire movie was played out through Diane's fantasy. In reality, Rita is the star living the life of praise and opportunities any actress could dream of. It turns out Diane is actually jealous of her and tried to plan a (failed) assassination due to her envious nature, with her roles being rejected as she strives to make a living. The movie ends with her not being able to take the truth of fame as a result, ending her life.

In "Fame is a fickle food" Emily Dickinson writes, "Fame is a fickle food / Upon a shifting plate / Whose table once a / Guest but not" (Dickinson, Lines 1-4). These lines tie into the overall theme of the story with Diane's desire to be successful, yet fame in favor of another with the industry constantly changing. In return, to cope with the pain she suffers from, she creates her own dream world. To add on, Dickinson continues to elaborate, "The second time is set / Whose crumbs the crows inspect / And with ironic caw / Flap past it to the / Farmer’s corn / Men eat of it and die" (Dickinson, Lines 5-10). In these lines, Dickinson highlights how the food is poison (food referring to fame). With this context, Diane slowly dies from fame, psychologically and physically. When the film presents her in the real world, she is seen in a mentally broken state, almost dehumanized. She also literally dies from the dark side of fame she faces, proving that she was broken beyond all capacities. In summary, these two writers express the dark natured, cold-blooded side of stardom through different methods of imagery.

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Mulholland Dr. Official Trailer #1 - Robert Forster Movie (2001) HD

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"The Times They Are a- Changin'" / "I Hear America Singing" by Walt Whitman

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"The Times They Are a- Changin'" / "I Hear America Singing" by Walt Whitman

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Bob Dylan is an American song-writer that emphasized political issues and values in the 1960s through his songs. He confessed he is admittedly more of a poet than a songwriter, being able to paint a clear narrative through his lyrics into the audience's heads. One of Bob Dylan's well-known songs, "The Times They Are a-Changin'" was known to be the anthem of the youth in the 1960s. According to Dylan himself, it was supposedly about the political movements at the time like the Civil Rights Movement, the Vietnamese War, and much more.

Through his lyrics, Dylan supports unity and uprising through different mediums of people and jobs. For example, in the first verse, he writes, "Come gather 'round, people / Wherever you  roam" (Dylan). In the second verse, he claims, "Come writers and critics / Who prophesize with your pen." (Dylan). In the continuing verses but the last, he always starts with the word "come" to signify a sense of harmony, for people to come together and make a change. Walt Whitman does something similar with his poem, "I Hear America Singing" by listing the different types of workforces among the American nation. For instance, he writes, "The carpenter singing his as he measures his plank or beam,  / The mason singing his as he makes ready for work, or leaves off work,..." (Whitman, Lines 3 and 4). From lines 5-7, it continues the same structure with cataloging the different types of labor, always starting each line with "The." Overall, Whitman and Dylan's pieces of art both use repetition to display the variety amongst the American citizens, yet portray the same theme of unity through metaphorically singing or nonconforming.

Furthermore, they both deliver the essence of America, the land of the free where the country is shaped by the voices of its people. In Whitman's poem, "singing" is represented through a universal construct, shown by the line, "Each singing what belongs to him or her and to none else," (Whitman, Line 9). Similar to Whitman's style, Dylan does the same with his song. For instance, Dylan voices, "As the present now /  Will later be past / The order is rapidly fadin'/ And the first one now / Will later be last" (Dylan). To elaborate, he talks about the fast pace in society, and in the past verses, he talks about the consequences of conforming to the prejudices of the world. In general, Whitman and Dylan dedicate each of their work toward everyone getting together despite their differences, whether it be due to the devastations of the world or simply because of harmony.

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Bob Dylan  The Times They Are A Changin' 1964

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"Intuition" / "The Soul unto itself" by Emily Dickinson

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"Intuition" / "The Soul unto itself" by Emily Dickinson

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John Lennon's song "Intuition" is similar to Emily Dickinson's poem "The Soul unto itself" by conveying the meanings of self-judgment. In this song, Lennon would rather believe in his own intuition rather than others, highlighting a major aspect of individualism. Emily Dickinson's expression for self-identity is clearly evident through the writing about a soul and oneself. She believes it is secured within humans, with great power people hold above themselves rather than others.
For instance, Lennon writes in his song, "My intentions are good, I use / my intuition / It takes me for a ride / But I never understood other people's superstition / It seemed like suicide" (Lennon). He writes that he thinks for himself and sees others conforming as death to themselves, to their authenticity. These lines are similar to ones in Dickinsons, writing "Secure / against its own - / No treason it can fear - / Itself - its Sovereign - of itself" (Dickinson, lines 5-7). They both illustrate that the soul is of its own, that nothing else can beat its influence with it being nothing compared to the outside world. Also, Lennon writes, "It's good to / be alive / And when I'm deep down and out and lose communication / With nothing left to say / It's then I realize it's only a condition / Of seeing things that way" (Lennon). This brings up the point that there may be a struggle and may depend on the person to be aware and fix that problem. Just like in Dickinson's poem, "The Soul unto itself / Is an imperial friend - / Or the most agonizing Spy / An Enemy - could send -" (Dickinson, lines 1-4). These lines are similar in ways as they both address how the self can suffer conflict from time to time. In the end, the soul can be the greatest friend or enemy, depending on the outlook on life.

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"Gattaca" / "The Soul Selects Her Own Society" by Emily Dickinson

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"Gattaca" / "The Soul Selects Her Own Society" by Emily Dickinson

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"Gattaca" is a movie that represents individuality in a controlling society, where the main character (Vincent Freeman) makes his own path. Both this movie and Emily Dickinson's poem, "The Soul Selects Her Own Society," are both very similar in themes. They communicate the message to select one's own society, one's own vision.

In Gattaca, it tells a story of a world conducted by genes that control a person's fate. In this world, children are born from genetic manipulation, but those who are naturally born are described as "invalids." That invalid is Vincent, and he was always raised with caution. On the other hand, his brother, Anton, was born with a superior genetic integration. Ever since Vincent was a child, he dreamed of being a part of the Space program "Gattaca" however, his label as an Invalid stops his ambitions from coming alive. Eventually, Vincent works at Gattaca as a janitor but gets recommended by an agent to a man named Jerome, who became paralyzed after his failed suicide attempt. They make up a deal where Jerome gives his samples of DNA to Vincent, with the downside of him having to get rid of his own genetic traces every day through intense grooming. Eventually, Vincent gets the job at Gattaca and gets used to this schedule of posing as Jerome to secure his job. This is similar to "The Soul Selects Her Own Society," when Dickinson describes in her poem "The Soul selects her own Society — / Then — shuts the Door — / To her divine Majority — / Present no more —" (Dickinson, Lines 1-4). These lines are similar to the story of Gattaca, Vincent being the one to select his own society and in a way, shutting the door to his true identity by being someone else (Jerome). To add on, Dickinson writes, "Unmoved — she notes the / Chariots — pausing — / At her low Gate — / Unmoved — and / Emperor be kneeling / Upon her Mat —" (Dickinson, Lines 5-8). Society is his own enemy, therefore just like in this poem, he is unmoved by the ways of the world and instead makes the world his own. He is in control of his destiny, therefore he practically shapes his future through his determination to work for the space program. In general, he is the product of his own outcome in life, rather than the world deciding he is "invalid." Vincent is a strong demonstration of individuality, seeking self-preservation throughout the narrative.

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"All the Madmen" / "I'm Nobody! Who are You?" By Emily Dickinson

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"All the Madmen" / "I'm Nobody! Who are You?" By Emily Dickinson

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David Bowie's song "All the Madmen" is similar to Emily Dickinson's poem "I'm Nobody! Who are You?" by elaborating on the theme of isolation from a masked crowd by being oneself. In Bowie's song, although it was about his half-brother Terry, it could be interpreted as a way of self-fulfillment through his lyrics. He would rather delve into his own insanity than corrupt himself into in the real world, with loners and liars. Likewise to Dickinson, she'd rather be nobody than somebody else, like conforming to fame or engaging with others delusions to be well-known.

In Bowie's song, he writes, "So I tell them that / I can fly, I will scream, I will break my arm / I will do me harm / Here I stand, foot in hand, talking to my wall / I'm not quite right at all, am I?" (Bowie). These lyrics are quite the same as one's in Dickinson's writing, "I'm Nobody! Who are you? / Are you - Nobody - too?/ Then there's a pair of us! / Don't tell! they'd advertise - you know!" (Dickinson, Lines 1-4). In their own way, they both delve into their own world, being seen either as mad or lonely. Furthermore, Bowie's chorus emphasizes, "'Cause I'd rather stay here / With all the madmen / Than perish with the sad men roaming free / And I'd rather play here / With all the madmen / For I'm quite content they're all as sane / As for me" (Bowie). Just like in Dickinson's, she mentions, "Are you - Nobody - too?" Bowie has friends who are just like him: the other madmen. Her poem also reads, "How dreary - to be - Somebody! / How public - like a Frog -" (Dickinson, Lines 5 and 6). Just like the ones in Bowies, where he asserts he'd rather be locked up than with the "...sad men roaming free." In the end, these two writers feel passionate about remaining true to their world than another's. This is an expression of individuality, with both geniuses claiming this belief throughout the rest of their lives.

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David Bowie- All The Madmen (Music Video)