The Thoughtful Bodybuilder- Personal Prose

Nila Horner

Personal Memoir and Essay

4 February 2016

The Thoughtful Bodybuilder

Joe Viviano looked absolutely nothing like his personality, and I don’t really think he realized that. Joe is the kind of person that will help anyone out to the best of his ability. Okay, well not everyone. If you were cruel to animals, mean to women, lied to his face, or caught in a public scandal, I doubt Joe would help you with anything. However, if Joe liked you, he would most definitely offer to take care of anyone who gave you a problem. Believe me-Joe definitely would have been able to take care of them.

Anyways, Joe woke up on that windy and bitter Wednesday morning in February looking forward to what he was going to do that day. Joe looked forward to most days, and is the only person I know who regularly wakes up with a smile on his face. He flung the covers out from under his twisted sheets, and put his feet down on the plush, 70s era carpet his mom had kept in his room since, well, as long as he could remember. He didn’t much notice the carpet, but what he did notice was the big wooden cross on his bedroom wall. This wasn’t one of those pretty, sterling silver crosses or painted decorations with a cute quote you can get at the Family Christian store. Joe liked the realism of the too-big wooden cross with the wounded body of Jesus nailed graphically to the post, although I doubt he would ever use the term “realism”. He kissed his fingers and touched the mini Jesus’ feet on the way out of his room before practically running down the hall to eat more raw protein than most humans consume in a week.

After eating as many eggs as there were students in his morning art class, Joe ran back into his room to get dressed. He never really noticed what he wore, as long as it showed off his arms. By cutting off the sleeves of his t-shirts, he had accumulated many piles of scrap fabric to donate to his mom’s crafting addition over the years. He spent a few minutes stretching in front of the full-length mirror over his closet, and flexed a few times before getting down to business. He slid the heavy closet door to the right, down the metal track on the floor, and went for the tiny drawer in the back. It was a fairly inconspicuous and dark resting place, lined with that red, velvety material common in drawers of all kinds.

Joe took the delicate object from the tiny drawstring bag and inspected it before placing it back in the bag, and shoving the bag and its contents in the side pocket of his over-the-shoulder book bag.

After driving to school and parking in the yellow lot on the hilltop, Joe got out of his beat up car and headed to class, oblivious to the strange looks judgmental young eyes gave him on campus. He was 54 years old, but people were usually shocked to hear that. His face was a little worn, and he definitely had a few grey streaks in his stringy ponytail, but his body was in peak physical condition. Like I said, the staring didn’t faze Joe at all. He was proud, in fact, to be the first man in the Viviano family to attempt college at all, even after all of these years. However, because he was an extremely buff older gentleman walking across campus at an institution built for eighteen year olds, people tended to stare. They also stared because he was wearing a cut-off tank top outside on a February morning.

Flinging open the building door, he wanted to make sure that his cargo had arrived safely. He threw his book bag on the indoor bench and pulled out the drawstring bag. He had an incredible intuition when it came to other people’s sadness, and he knew that his treasured belonging would cheer up the young woman down the hall. That’s all he wanted to do, to make people happy. People often initially cast Joe as creepy or strange, but he truly just wanted to help out the good people in the world.

As he entered the studio classroom and saw the sadness in her smile, he knew his grandfather’s possession would be just the thing to bring her some good luck for once this semester. He pulled out the delicate silver cross from the bag, and placed in on top of the girl’s many papers.

It’s the third week of class, and all of a sudden this extremely large man that my professor has placed me next to is confusing me by placing a really beautiful little necklace on my notebook. Is he hinting at something? What is the male version of a cougar? Did he seriously go out and buy me a cross necklace after I had casually told him about the one I’d misplaced last week?

I looked at the necklace he had set on my notebook, and listened with hesitance as he told me about the bullies he had endured as a child and how his grandfather had given him this necklace more than 40 years ago to remind him of God’s blessings. While he loved the necklace, he knew I would need it in the coming weeks before my surgery. Plus, the chain definitely wouldn’t fit around his insanely large neck.

Endowed Journalism as the Future

Nila Horner

The Business of Communications

15 November 2015

Endowed Journalism as the Future

            When journalists are worried more about marketing a story than actually researching or writing that story, the quality of their work decreases. When journalists are made to majorly concern themselves with the business and financial ends of news publication, they cannot devote the time and energy required to create well-informed pieces for public consumption. When news outlets are splattered with branded and sponsored content, journalistic integrity and consumer trust is called into question. Nonprofit or endowed journalism has the potential to allow journalists to continue to provide unbiased, factual and important stories to the public as the most promising business model for a journalistic enterprise in the future.

News organizations are crucial to providing information to keep our nation running smoothly. Journalistic enterprises act as fact checkers to politicians and campaigns, whistleblowers to corporate scandals, and in a variety of other roles to positively serve the public. The American Press Institute reports on their website “the purpose of journalism is thus to provide citizens with the information they need to make the best possible decisions about their lives, their communities, their societies, and their governments” (par.3). By allowing news organizations to perform the tasks they were founded on, nonprofit and endowed news organizations encourage democratic and social responsibility.

            In a world full of click-bait, celebrity news and viral videos, nonprofit organizations focusing on the value of hard-hitting investigative and expository journalism could bring value back to the media industry. Cronkite News offered a summary of a recent FCC report that outlined the “Information Needs of Communities.” Cronkite News said, “The FCC report said democracy requires a healthy flow of useful information and a system that holds powerful institutions accountable. The most significant problem arising out of the digital revolution, it said, is the shortage of local, professional, accountability reporting, which can uncover problems such as government waste and local corruption” (par.14).  When corporations and news organizations combine, the possibilities for corruption are endless and as of now, rampant. A recent study conducted by the media company Contently found that over 50 percent of consumers did not trust content which was sponsored (Lazauskas, par. 3). If readers do not trust content, how can they view a news organization as reliable? By endowing institutions made specifically for the purpose of unbiased journalism, the function of news organizations could fully reach their potential in serving citizens quality journalism to keep our democracy in check.

            Experts agree that the field of journalism needs innovation in these financially unstable times. Many independent papers are going under, and even big names in journalism are struggling to compete with new business models. On a hopeful note, organizations like ProPublica have shown us that nonprofit journalism is viable. In an interview with Business Insider, ProPublica Editor-in-Chief Stephen Engelberg said, "We look at this as what you might call a public good – much like the symphony or the ballet. The free market will not produce an optimum amount of investigative reporting” (par.4). In harnessing the missions of true journalism, ProPublica has shown the world that nonprofit journalism enterprises can be successful.

If journalistic enterprises were able to freely investigate worldly issues without having to rely on finance from corporate sponsors expecting advertising rights, fluff news and branded content would not have to be such a large part of the media company’s business plans. Fluff news is fun, but what good does it do for society? If news organizations were properly funded by philanthropic or governmental agencies, then news companies could do what they claim to be on a mission to do and contribute positively to society without having to rely on fluff pieces or native advertising.

In learning about the consumer trust issues that arise with native advertising and branded content, the staffing problems that occur when traditional news organizations are strapped for finances, and the degradation of hard-hitting journalism as a result of fluff journalism and funding through corporate sponsors, nonprofit journalism enterprises are the most promising business model to uphold the benefits of news reporting in this nation. While nonprofit journalism enterprises must overcome many hurdles, including grant funding and philanthropic endowments, investigative journalism and stories that promote societal well being and expository information should be reported by nonprofit organizations to reduce bias and remain ethical.

 Works Cited

Lazauskas, Joe. "The Problems Facing Native Advertising, in 5 Charts." The Content Strategist The Problems Facing Native Advertising in 5 Charts Comments. Contently, 16 Sept. 2015. Web. 15 Nov. 2015. <https://contently.com/strategist/2015/09/16/the-problems-facing-native-advertising-in-5-charts/>.

Nawaguna-Clemente, Elvina. "FCC Official: Fluff Journalism, Reduced Investigations Hurting U.S. Democracy." Cronkite News. N.p., 3 Oct. 2011. Web. 15 Nov. 2015. <http://cronkitenewsonline.com/2011/10/federal-communications-commissio-official-investigative-journalism-on-life-support-democracy-suffering-because-of-it/>.

Wei, Will. "How ProPublica Is Redefining The Journalism Industry." Business Insider. Business Insider, Inc, 27 Mar. 2013. Web. 15 Nov. 2015. <http://www.businessinsider.com/propublica-non-profit-investigative-news-2013-3>.

"What Is the Purpose of Journalism? - American Press Institute." American Press Institute RSS. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Nov. 2015. <http://www.americanpressinstitute.org/journalism-essentials/what-is-journalism/purpose-journalism/>.

"What Is the Purpose of Journalism? - American Press Institute." American Press Institute RSS. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Nov. 2015. <http://www.americanpressinstitute.org/journalism-essentials/what-is-journalism/purpose-journalism/>.

Beauvoir’s Logical Genius

Nila Horner
English 3552
13 October 2015
                                                           Beauvoir’s Logical Genius
     Simone de Beauvoir’s “The Second Sex” is often regarded as one of the most influential texts in feminist theory. The second edition of “The Norton Anthology of Theory and Criticism” features one chapter from the lengthy original text titled “Myth and Reality.” In this portion of the original text, Beauvoir reflects on the widespread marginalization of women in society. She claims that men pigeonhole women into one group as perpetuated by literature and believe women are in general without individualized thought. She states toward the beginning, “to pose Women is to pose the absolute Other, without reciprocity, denying against all experience that she is a subject, a fellow human being” (1266). Beauvoir is saying that each woman is a conscious individual, worthy of the natural desires of life. To classify women into one category at all, in Beauvoir's mind, would be to subject women to the degrading notion of being undeserving of basic human desires and rights. Her striking tone and passionate call for equality resonate throughout most of the piece.
     Toward the middle of the piece, Beauvoir spends a great deal of time discussing the woman as a Body. Beauvoir reflects on the complex relationship between the mind and body in women when she says, “ the bond that in every individual connects the physiological life and the psychic life is the deepest enigma implied in the condition of being human, and this enigma is presented in its most disturbing form in women” (1268). On first reading, it is strange that Beauvoir would draw attention to a point in which she believes women are dealing with an issue in a much different way than men. Throughout the entirety of the piece, she is hoping to halt the practice of generalizing the experiences and emotions of women. The statement that women have a more difficult time reconciling the relationship between the mind and the body seems contradictory to the main point of Beauvoir's paper. However, on further analysis, Beauvoir’s statement is actually an effective rhetorical strategy to accomplish her goals outlined in the paper. In making such a daring claim, Beauvoir is inviting deeper thought.
     In stating that women have a distinct psychological difference from men, readers may think Beauvoir is driving a wedge in her argument about the dangers of Otherness. However, when one considers the implications of her provocative statement, Beauvoir is in fact leading readers to see what she wants them to see. This statement near the end of the chapter titled “Myth and Reality” illuminates the universal nature of Beauvoir’s argument in that her bold statement invites men to relate to the opposite sex and alter sexist mannerisms, and encourages women to recognize their own lack of social privilege.
     Consider a man reading Beauvoir's point that women have a harder time than men connecting emotions with their bodily self. A male reader considering Beauvoir’s point could come to only one of three conclusions: disagree with the point, agree, or consider the point further.
In agreeing with the statement that women have a distinct disadvantage, a male reader has seen exactly what Beauvoir wanted her readers to see. The man here is recognizing his own privilege in that women have it worse in the world in some way. In agreeing, he is recognizing that women are in fact complex human beings capable of elaborate human thoughts and emotions. When he is able to see a woman as both a mind and a body, he is removing the idea that “the categories in which men think of the world are established from their point of view, as absolute...” (1268). By relating to a woman on an emotional level and considering her experiences, he is Subjectifying her instead of Objectifying her. He is taking a cue from a woman to shape his opinion, which in itself would be extraordinary in the time of Beauvoir’s writing. If a man were to agree with Beauvoir’s claim, her goals of treatment based on truth would be fulfilled.
     On the other hand, if a man disagrees with her statement that women are physiologically and emotionally more complex and have deeper issues, her success is much more subtle, but nonetheless effective. The man would disagree for one of two reasons. In the first case, he would argue that women do not have as difficult a time as men do connecting mind and body. In this case, he would be admitting that men do have weaknesses and troubles emotionally. The man is still perpetuating the idea that men are in some way more important, but by stating that men have a difficult time connecting the mind with the body, they are admitting a weakness. Additionally, by taking a position, the man would have had to consider the female experience for at least a moment to make his assertion that men do have it worse. If a man disagreed with the female author’s proposition, he would have had to care enough to consider her opinion.
     Beauvoir did not offer solutions in this piece, but instead pushed for discourse. We see this on page 1273 when she says, “what must be hoped for is that the men for their part will unreservedly accept the situation...” In considering her opinion by reading her piece, audiences were exposed to the issues, which was her goal.
     Thirdly, if men did not agree or disagree with her opinion, then they could say that they need to consider the issues further or that they could agree with parts of the argument but not the whole. If the reader wants to consider issues more thoroughly, Beauvoir would be glad the reader was inviting further inquiry and again was exposed to her issues. If a male reader believes that
her assumption is partially correct, then he would further her point that people are individuals. If he could think of some examples in which women had a more “disturbing” bodily relationship and some examples in which he believed men did, he would further her plea for the individual.
Beauvoir’s position as a female author places her in an interesting, yet still advantageous position. Her credibility at first may be considered compromised in a male-dominated society, but in fact, works to her logical advantage. If men did not think that Beauvoir was speaking for all women, they would have considered her an anomaly among females, but an individual nonetheless. Beauvoir wanted men to stop lumping all women into one category, and even if they think she is loony, they would have to admit that at least one woman does not fit into the mold that society imposed on the entirety of the female gender.
     If readers think Beauvoir is giving them insight into the female condition, men may start to consider the possibility that more women think like Beauvoir. In doing that, men may start to sympathize with women and attempt to relate to them. Whether men have ever had the slightest inclination toward these thoughts of female inequality or have never considered the plight of the woman, hopefully her piece will have caused further thought and discussion. If Beauvoir can explain to men the issues plaguing many women and get them to consider her points or even read her paper, she has completed her goal.
     Beauvoir’s message is universally relevant and serves a purpose to a reader of any gender, but her primary audience is most likely men. Men had most of the power in society in Beauvoir’s time, as they continue to have today. Political, economic, literary and social influence were in the hands of men in the patriarchy. Thus, in writing to a primarily male audience, she was trying to enact a change by reaching out to the most powerful people of her time. While
women may not have been her target audience, Beauvoir would have benefitted from reaching female audiences.
     If a woman read her piece, she would have to consider the social disadvantages of women Beauvoir identifies. Even if a particular female reader didn’t agree with the author’s points, she would have been, at the very least, exposed to feminist ideas. She even concedes the point that “it is very difficult for women to accept at the same time their status as autonomous individuals and their womanly destiny...” (1273). Beauvoir recognizes the hardships of her female contemporaries. However, even if readers do not agree with her points, they will have been exposed to her groundbreaking ideas. If a female spoke about this piece with disapproval, men would revert to the thought that females are not all the same. Again, Beauvoir’s ideas of individuality are communicated whether or not readers agree with the actual content of the piece. Additionally, if women did resonate with the idea of inequality and “Otherness,” women may have influence on compassionate men to read and relate to Beauvoir’s ideas. So, regardless of the opinions readers held about her or the piece or the gender of the audience, Beauvoir was achieving her goals of reaching out to people, communicating a problem, and creating discussion and thoughts on her issues.

The Transitional Nature of “Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard”

Nila Horner

Early Texts and Contexts

4 December 2015

The Transitional Nature of “Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard”

First published in 1751, Thomas Gray’s popular poem “Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard,” was written at a time of great restructuring within the literary world. Caught between the ideas of the neoclassical age surrounding formal and rational thought and the emotion and free-flowing verse characterized by the Romantic period, Gray is often regarded as a transitional artist because his pieces include influences from both literary movements. In analyzing form, literary devices, subject matter, and themes within “Elegy Written in a Country Courtyard, readers find identifiers woven throughout the text which mark the transition from the neoclassicism of the 18th century to the early Romantics.

The structured format of Thomas Gray’s poem is one of the main links between his poetry and neoclassical thought. Gray’s poem follows the popular 18th century notion of strict adherence to literary rules regarding formatting. Gray utilizes iambic pentameter within his piece which makes use of precise phrasing to stress certain syllables and lines in a calculated manner. For example, one of his stanzas says, “Full many a gem of purest ray serene, The dark unfathom’d caves of ocean bear: Full many a flow’r is born to blush unseen, And waste its sweetness on the desert air” (14).  Every other line in his stanzas are compatible, allowing the rhythm of the poem to feel steady. In this example, “serene” matches with “unseen” and “ocean bear” and desert air” work together to fulfill Gray’s pattern. In a repetition of corresponding syllables and lines, each of the poem’s 32 stanzas contains a similar style in a perfectly balanced 128 lines, adhering to the neoclassical tradition of iambic pentameter.

Additionally, Gray utilizes personification throughout his work, which was a common trait among neoclassical poems. Because ancient classical poets and authors spoke of grand notions such as love or pride as though they were living entities, many neoclassical artists adopted this practice. In the eighteenth stanza, he says, “The struggling pangs of conscious truth to hide, To quench the blushes of ingenuous shame, or heap the shrine of Luxury and Pride…” In capitalizing inhuman notions such as Luxury and Pride and speaking about them as though they were living, Gray personifies his ideas as a typical neoclassical artist.

Finally, Gray expresses neoclassical ideas in his presentation of a moral rule within the text. Neoclassical writers enjoyed commenting on ideas of morality within their work, and Gray subscribed to neoclassical ideals by presenting his ideas on right and wrong within his lines. He says, “The boast of heraldry, the pomp of pow’r, And all that beauty, all that wealth e’er gave, Awaits alike th’ inevitable hour. The paths of glory lead but to the grave” (stanza 9). Here, Gray argues that power, wealth, and beauty do not have any effect on the outcome men’s lives. No matter how powerful, attractive, or rich a person is, Gray reminds his readers that every person must die no matter their circumstances on Earth. In thinking about the morality of man and speaking about the inevitability of death, Gray presents the idea that no man could live forever and that wealthier people should not look down on less educated or rural people, as they all end up in the ground eventually. Because Gray writes out a lesson regarding morality within his text, his piece adheres to a traditional neoclassical writing style in this way.

While Gray utilizes many neoclassical techniques, his work marked a transition between two great literary movements because his language and subject matter often mirrored Romantic era ideals as well. One of the most marked indicators of Gray’s status as a transition to the Romantic style is his celebration of the common people. While more formal neoclassicist poetry of the 18th century tended to honor heroes, aristocrats or citizens with vast fortunes or fame, Romantic poets often wrote about everyday subjects and themes. Gray comments on the lives of rural workers when he says, “Oft did the harvest to their sickle yield, Their furrow oft the stubborn glebe has broke; How jocund did they drive their team afield! How bow’s the woods beneath their sturdy stroke!” (7). Gray does not comment on the elements of life known to wealthy aristocrats, but of the labor required in a difficult life on a farm. Gray says, “For them no more the blazing hearth shall burn, Or busy housewife ply her evening care: No children run to lisp their sire’s return, Or climb his knees the envied kiss to share…”(6). Again, Gray speaks of some of the trivialities of everyday life for common people as opposed to scenarios encountered by the wealthy or powerful. He discusses simple acts of rural family life and thus demonstrates his position as a transitional poet between the neoclassical and Romantic Eras.

The elements of nature discussed throughout “Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard” coupled with the rural setting place the piece in the Romantic era. As Romantic era poets often discussed the relationship between man and nature and Gray’s piece expresses a bond between the natural world and human beings, the poem falls into a Romantic category. The first three stanzas, for example, utilize strong natural imagery to describe the mood and setting. He says:

The curfew tolls the knell of parting day,

        The lowing herd wind slowly o'er the lea,

The plowman homeward plods his weary way,

        And leaves the world to darkness and to me.

Now fades the glimm'ring landscape on the sight,

        And all the air a solemn stillness holds,

Save where the beetle wheels his droning flight,

        And drowsy tinklings lull the distant folds;

Save that from yonder ivy-mantled tow'r

        The moping owl does to the moon complain

Of such, as wand'ring near her secret bow'r,

        Molest her ancient solitary reign.

In these stanzas, Gray discusses the sunset, the animals dwelling within the graveyard, and the sounds of nature heard while in this churchyard at dusk. He allows readers to wander with him through the outdoors and get a strong sense of his natural surroundings. Gray eloquently describes the setting of the poem in detail for readers, which is commonplace among Romantic Era poets. Gray rekindles the thought of nature as a valid subject matter in poetry unlike many neoclassical artists who ignores the natural world altogether. By including vast natural imagery, Gray strayed away from the classical poetry of his day into themes influenced by mother nature, which mark his transition from neoclassical poetry into Romantic style verses.

Thomas Gray wrote “Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard” in a style combining elements of two great literary movements. His balanced form, use of personification, and presentation of a moral rule cluster him among the neoclassicists. However, his celebration of common people and everyday happenings and strong natural imagery place him among the realm of Romantic poets. Gray’s poem has withstood the test of time because of it’s unique style utilizing ideas from both periods, marking a transition between the more formal sentiments of neoclassical poetry and the emotions set free by the Romantics who followed.

Works Cited

Gray, Thomas. “Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard.” Poetry Foundation. Poetry

Foundation, n.d. Web. 1 November 2015.

Analyzing Two of America’s Most Significant Poetic Works

Nila Horner

American Poetic Experience

14 February 2016

Analyzing Two of America’s Most Significant Poetic Works

Both America the Beautiful by Katharine Lee Bates and Defense of Fort McHenry by Francis Scott Key have become staples in the American poetic landscape. Most Americans know the words to a good portion of these poems set to music, and they continue to offer strong messages to the world about the United States. In terms of poetic value, both pieces have withstood the tests of time to offer unique and differing perspectives on American ideals. While Defense of Fort McHenry (DFM) and America the Beautiful (ATB) both present strong emotional appeals to readers regarding America’s strengths, ATB’s uplifting tone outlining America’s dedication to unity and brotherhood provide an appealing poetic experience and would have made a more fitting national anthem.

            The settings and perspectives of both pieces differ wildly. ATB is set from a place of knowledge and confidence in peace in one of America’s most beautiful settings. According to The Oxford Book of American Poetry, Bates was positioned at the top of a mountain whilst composing this piece, and was able to reflect on her nation as a whole (pg.187). The U.S. was not in an active conflict, and Bates was not engaged in or witnessing any sort of violence from her point of view overlooking peaceful landscape. On the other hand, DFM was set in a time of intense turmoil and international conflict. Violence was at Key’s doorstep, and he was witnessing the harrowing effects of war. He describes his conditions when he says, “And the rockets’ red glare, the bombs bursting in air…”(line 5). Clearly Key was not reflecting from a place of safety, but from a place of turmoil. This intensity and danger was evident in the bombs and rockets dotting his night sky. Additionally, the narrator does not know the outcome of the current battle at hand, and is questioning the events taking place. He says, “does that star-spangled banner yet wave, O’er the land of the free, and the home of the brave?” (7-8). The narrator is uncertain about the outcome of the battle, and is writing from a place of uncertainty while looking up at the sky for answers. While the narrator of DFM does show his belief in America’s strength to overcome when he says, “the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave,” he only has faith without the true knowledge that his nation will prevail (31). DFM does show confidence in America’s ability to overcome a challenge, but the lack of victorious knowledge sets the piece apart from ATB.

In terms of poetic appeal, ATM prevails because of its relatable content and positive message. Both ATB and DFM utilize appealing rhyming structures and are textually easy to understand by even modern readers. However, ATB is much more appealing as a poem on the page because of the content and simplicity. The content in ATB is much more positive and celebratory, while DFM provides poetic conflict in the narrative. Bates says, “O beautiful for spacious skies, for amber waves of grain, For purple mountain majesties…”(1-3). Bates positively describes the vast landscape of the United States and reminds readers of the true beauty of America’s natural habitat. Key also uses imagery to describe the setting, but does so in terms of conflict. He says, “on the shore, dimly seen through the mists of the deep, where the foe’s haughty host in dread silence reposes…” (9-10).  Key’s imagery evokes fear and apprehension as opposed to wonder. Americans in any time period can relate to the content of ATB, while DFM offers true understanding only for readers with battle experience and evokes feelings of patriotism in times of national threats to security. ATB’s more relatable content and peaceful imagery contrast with DFM’s wartime descriptions to provide a more pleasant poetic experience. ATB offers a relaxing look at a sight many Americans have seen and experienced as they see the world from Pikes Peak. Feelings of gratitude and abundance are prevalent as we look down over the world from a place of peace, beauty and freedom. Francis Scott Key wrote from a place of confinement, looking up in hope for freedom from place we will never see.

Overall, ATB would have made a better national anthem because of its content. The piece praises America’s unchanging and incredible natural beauty and also sends a message of peace and brotherhood throughout the diverse nation. Bates says, “God shed his grace on thee and crown thy good with brotherhood from sea to shining sea” (6-8). While some could make a case that the deeply religious tone could divert some readers, the overall tone of celebration and happiness conveys a message of togetherness. ATB aims to bring people together in universal brotherhood and overall praises the “nobleness” of America’s people (23). DFM, on the other hand, does celebrate America’s prosperity and tendency to overcome obstacles, but is set in time of conflict and promotes strength over peace. As opposed to an overwhelmingly positive and peaceful message, the wartime setting focuses more on America’s strength than unity. Both pieces are similar in literary significance, but convey different messages regarding ideals of the United States.

Both ATB and DFM have become staple celebratory pieces in American culture. Both pieces showcase unique points in America’s history. While ATB focuses on America’s natural beauty and praises the nations dedication to unity and togetherness in times of peace, DFM celebrates America’s strength and perseverance in times of challenge almost a hundred years earlier. In terms of content, both are inspiring, but ATB truly captures the unity in diversity and positive ideals America strives for, while also using language accessible to most readers. DFM utilizes a perspective from a historical conflict to offer faith in the strength of the United States. Ultimately, ATB’s messages of peace and universal brotherhood would have made a more positive and uplifting anthem, as opposed to DFM’s tale of strife and obstacle. Ultimately, both pieces offer a unique take on America’s varied and interesting past, and these pieces reflect many of America’s strengths through poetic interpretation.