my language my soul essay

Essay on My Favourite Language

Students are often asked to write an essay on My Favourite Language in their schools and colleges. And if you’re also looking for the same, we have created 100-word, 250-word, and 500-word essays on the topic.

Let’s take a look…

100 Words Essay on My Favourite Language

Introduction.

My favourite language is English. It’s a global language that connects people from different parts of the world.

Why I Love English

Learning english.

Learning English helps me understand different cultures. It also improves my communication skills.

English is a powerful tool for global communication. It’s my favourite language because it opens up a world of opportunities.

250 Words Essay on My Favourite Language

Rhythmic flow.

Spanish, often referred to as the language of love, possesses an inherent musicality that makes it a joy to speak and listen to. Its rhythmic cadence, emphasised by the rolling of ‘R’s and soft ‘J’s, creates a melodious flow. This linguistic melody, combined with the language’s expressive nature, fosters an emotional connection, making Spanish not just a language of communication, but also of emotion.

Cultural Depth

Beyond its auditory appeal, the allure of Spanish lies in its cultural richness. The language carries with it the history of numerous civilizations, from the ancient Iberians to the modern Spaniards. It is the language of Cervantes, García Márquez, and Neruda, offering a gateway to a vast literary treasure trove. Every Spanish word and phrase carries a story, a piece of a vibrant tapestry of history and culture.

Global Reach

Spanish’s appeal extends beyond its native speakers, with over 460 million people speaking it worldwide. It serves as a bridge, connecting continents and cultures, fostering international understanding. The language’s global presence provides countless opportunities for communication, education, and business, making it not just a favourite but a practical choice.

In conclusion, Spanish, with its rhythmic flow, cultural depth, and global reach, is my favourite language. It is more than a mere tool for communication; it is a medium for connection, an avenue for understanding, and a vessel for cultural exploration.

500 Words Essay on My Favourite Language

The world is a mosaic of cultures, and languages are the colourful pieces that make up this beautiful picture. Among the myriad of languages I’ve encountered, French has always held a special place in my heart. Its melodic rhythm, its rich history, and its global applicability make it my favourite language.

The Melody of French

The historical richness of french.

French is not just a language; it’s a walk through history. From the courts of Louis XIV to the revolutions of the 18th century, French has been the language of diplomacy, philosophy, and arts. It has been the voice of iconic figures like Voltaire, Rousseau, and Victor Hugo, who used it to express revolutionary ideas that reshaped the world. The historical richness of French adds a layer of depth and sophistication that makes learning it a journey through time.

The Global Applicability of French

French is a global language, spoken by over 220 million people worldwide. It is an official language in 29 countries and numerous international organizations, including the United Nations. This wide usage makes French a valuable tool for global communication. Moreover, the influence of French culture in areas such as gastronomy, fashion, and cinema extends the language’s relevance beyond pure communication, making it a gateway to a rich and diverse cultural experience.

The Challenges and Rewards of Learning French

That’s it! I hope the essay helped you.

Happy studying!

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Wegener's Wanderlust

My Language, My Self – A Personal Essay

One of the most delightful words I have come across in Portuguese is beija-flor . Kiss-flower. Doesn’t that sound pretty? Can you guess what it might be? It means “hummingbird.” Compared to the rather utilitarian onomatopoeia in English, isn’t beija-flor  so much more visual, metaphorical, even sensual? One of the best things about learning language as an adult is that you have the ability to marvel at language, to discover new ways of expression.

I was ten years old when I learned my first foreign language. Growing up in rural West Virginia, I had had little prior contact to any language aside from English. But when my mother and I moved to Germany, there was no question: I would learn German and I would attend a German school. Some may consider this to be an ideal language learning experience—I was at a young age and in a complete immersion environment. Moreover, none of my fellow students could speak English yet. I can still recall our 5 th grade English teacher asking our class whether they thought they would learn English more quickly than I would learn German. Though they all enthusiastically agreed they would have the upper hand, I proved them wrong. Of course, I experienced a good amount of frustration during this time, too. Writing was a tortuous struggle and it took years before my written German caught up to my spoken German. And I remember trying to read my first book in German—and promptly throwing it down in anger and tears. So many words I didn’t understand! Nevertheless, within six months, I was speaking German fluently; by a year, no one could distinguish me from a native speaker.

Bom Dia! Tudo bom?

Fast forward two decades and I now find myself in another curious linguistic situation. For the past year and a half, I have lived in Brazil and have made various attempts at learning Portuguese. I have taken classes, worked with a tutor and am currently meeting with a language mentor on a weekly basis while participating in an online distance learning course. I used post-it notes around our entire apartment, labeling everything from our refrigerator to our shower head in Portuguese. And I try, whenever possible, to make small talk about topics I am able to understand (you guessed it: the weather, food, and babies!).

Ironically, as a language teacher of 10+ years, I know exactly what else I should be doing to become more proficient in Portuguese. I should be reading Brazilian newspapers, watching Brazilian telenovelas, listening to Brazilian music. I should be dedicating several hours a day to memorizing all verb forms and their various vowel endings. I should be reviewing vocabulary flashcards on a regular basis. This is, after all, what I would expect from my students of German.

But I haven’t been fully able (or willing) to commit to Portuguese. So, what’s with this perceived reticence? What is holding me back?

Part of it, I think, is the fact that learning a new language requires a re-wiring on the learner’s behalf. Things that you knew to be true in your native language (or any language you learned prior to this one) no longer apply. For example, the Subjunctivo do Futuro in Portuguese is perceived very differently than Konjunktiv II in German. I recently learned that you use the Subjunctivo do Futuro even when you are talking about concrete plans in the future–because they have not yet happened and are still in your “imagination”, as my mentor put it. I found this extremely frustrating, because in German the subjunctive is reserved only for hypothetical situations, wishes and polite requests. But I also had an epiphany: the Brazilians approach the future with a far greater amount of doubt and skepticism than Germans! I suddenly felt I had gained a deeper insight into the way the Brazilian mind works. Language truly does shape the way you perceive and process the world.

You must also be willing to give up a part of yourself, to accept the humility and ignorance that inevitably accompanies language learning. You have to be willing to make many, many mistakes, to be misunderstood and to feel like a child. Over and over again. You desperately feel the need to convince people that you are, in fact, an intelligent, thinking and competent human in your other language(s). Learning a language takes a tremendous amount of courage.

At the same time, you need to be open to the prospects of taking on a different persona in your new language. When I used to teach at the immersion Language Schools in Middlebury, there was a cautionary tale that circulated each summer about two students of Russian who fell in love with each other during their program. At the end of the summer, when the Language Pledge was lifted and they were permitted to speak English again, their attraction for one another quickly dissipated and they went their separate ways. Love, for them, appeared to work only in Russian and did not translate to their English selves.

Maybe I am hesitant to create another linguistic self, because I already feel so comfortable in my split German/English identity. How would a Portuguese “me” fit in to the mix? How much effort would it take to make that shift happen–really, truly happen? What will it take to get me to that point?

Muttersprache

Multilingualism among expat children is the norm (truly, I cannot think of any family I know whose children are monolingual). And though policy makers back at home in the States are unwilling to see the benefits, countless studies confirm the advantages of multilingualism, particularly among children.

I always imagined I would raise my child bilingually, in English and in German. When I was pregnant, I read up on different theories and methods of early bilingual education. But when my son was born, I could not bring myself to consistently speak in German to him. I felt like I was not being my “authentic” self. All of the nursery rhymes, songs and games I knew were in English. My early childhood was in English. Yes, I could try to learn these in German, but I would be using them in a sort of emotional void, robbed of all nostalgia. And therefore I’d be missing out on a beautifully unique opportunity to emotionally connect with my son, the way my mother and grandmother connected with me. It is therefore perhaps logical that “native language” is Muttersprache (mother language) in German; a native speaker is Muttersprachler . It turns out that the language I want my son to learn from me, his mother, is primarily English.

And, not surprisingly, his second (or: other first?) language is Portuguese, which he is exposed to at least four hours every day at daycare. For our current situation, this makes a lot of sense; our next post will be Mozambique, another Portuguese-speaking country, so he will continue learning Portuguese there. I do hope to introduce German to him in the future, but for the moment, we are sticking to these two.

Interestingly, I find myself gravitating toward Portuguese words when talking about my son. Berço sometimes comes to mind more quickly than “crib”, or I ask my husband where the mamadeira is instead of our baby’s bottle. While my son continues to babble in baby talk, my husband and I are eagerly awaiting to hear whether his first words will be in English or Portuguese.

And maybe, just maybe, watching my son’s Portuguese self begin to take shape is the necessary motivation I need to take the plunge and cultivate my own linguistic self in Portuguese.

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One thought on “ my language, my self – a personal essay ”.

As much as I loved the post about our German class, I feel I have to comment on this post because it gave me so much to think about. I never really thought about learning a language that way. But it does make sense. As I was learning English, I always felt rather rebellious about the fact that teachers would try to correct my intonation. I was saying the words in the right order, did they want to take that from me too? I believe now I felt then I was being robbed from my own expression, the one I had acquired in my first language, if I tried to dub my thoughts into English. Now I realize it might be that I’m still resisting to take on that different persona mentioned in the text. Awesome post! Thank you for the great semester!

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Speaking, writing and reading are integral to everyday life, where language is the primary tool for expression and communication. Studying how people use language – what words and phrases they unconsciously choose and combine – can help us better understand ourselves and why we behave the way we do.

Linguistics scholars seek to determine what is unique and universal about the language we use, how it is acquired and the ways it changes over time. They consider language as a cultural, social and psychological phenomenon.

“Understanding why and how languages differ tells about the range of what is human,” said Dan Jurafsky , the Jackson Eli Reynolds Professor in Humanities and chair of the Department of Linguistics in the School of Humanities and Sciences at Stanford . “Discovering what’s universal about languages can help us understand the core of our humanity.”

The stories below represent some of the ways linguists have investigated many aspects of language, including its semantics and syntax, phonetics and phonology, and its social, psychological and computational aspects.

Understanding stereotypes

Stanford linguists and psychologists study how language is interpreted by people. Even the slightest differences in language use can correspond with biased beliefs of the speakers, according to research.

One study showed that a relatively harmless sentence, such as “girls are as good as boys at math,” can subtly perpetuate sexist stereotypes. Because of the statement’s grammatical structure, it implies that being good at math is more common or natural for boys than girls, the researchers said.

Language can play a big role in how we and others perceive the world, and linguists work to discover what words and phrases can influence us, unknowingly.

How well-meaning statements can spread stereotypes unintentionally

New Stanford research shows that sentences that frame one gender as the standard for the other can unintentionally perpetuate biases.

Algorithms reveal changes in stereotypes

New Stanford research shows that, over the past century, linguistic changes in gender and ethnic stereotypes correlated with major social movements and demographic changes in the U.S. Census data.

Exploring what an interruption is in conversation

Stanford doctoral candidate Katherine Hilton found that people perceive interruptions in conversation differently, and those perceptions differ depending on the listener’s own conversational style as well as gender.

Cops speak less respectfully to black community members

Professors Jennifer Eberhardt and Dan Jurafsky, along with other Stanford researchers, detected racial disparities in police officers’ speech after analyzing more than 100 hours of body camera footage from Oakland Police.

How other languages inform our own

People speak roughly 7,000 languages worldwide. Although there is a lot in common among languages, each one is unique, both in its structure and in the way it reflects the culture of the people who speak it.

Jurafsky said it’s important to study languages other than our own and how they develop over time because it can help scholars understand what lies at the foundation of humans’ unique way of communicating with one another.

“All this research can help us discover what it means to be human,” Jurafsky said.

Stanford PhD student documents indigenous language of Papua New Guinea

Fifth-year PhD student Kate Lindsey recently returned to the United States after a year of documenting an obscure language indigenous to the South Pacific nation.

Students explore Esperanto across Europe

In a research project spanning eight countries, two Stanford students search for Esperanto, a constructed language, against the backdrop of European populism.

Chris Manning: How computers are learning to understand language​

A computer scientist discusses the evolution of computational linguistics and where it’s headed next.

Stanford research explores novel perspectives on the evolution of Spanish

Using digital tools and literature to explore the evolution of the Spanish language, Stanford researcher Cuauhtémoc García-García reveals a new historical perspective on linguistic changes in Latin America and Spain.

Language as a lens into behavior

Linguists analyze how certain speech patterns correspond to particular behaviors, including how language can impact people’s buying decisions or influence their social media use.

For example, in one research paper, a group of Stanford researchers examined the differences in how Republicans and Democrats express themselves online to better understand how a polarization of beliefs can occur on social media.

“We live in a very polarized time,” Jurafsky said. “Understanding what different groups of people say and why is the first step in determining how we can help bring people together.”

Analyzing the tweets of Republicans and Democrats

New research by Dora Demszky and colleagues examined how Republicans and Democrats express themselves online in an attempt to understand how polarization of beliefs occurs on social media.

Examining bilingual behavior of children at Texas preschool

A Stanford senior studied a group of bilingual children at a Spanish immersion preschool in Texas to understand how they distinguished between their two languages.

Predicting sales of online products from advertising language

Stanford linguist Dan Jurafsky and colleagues have found that products in Japan sell better if their advertising includes polite language and words that invoke cultural traditions or authority.

Language can help the elderly cope with the challenges of aging, says Stanford professor

By examining conversations of elderly Japanese women, linguist Yoshiko Matsumoto uncovers language techniques that help people move past traumatic events and regain a sense of normalcy.

My language, my soul

Language is spoken Language is written Knowing your language is knowing yourself Our languages lead us to our roots They connect us with our ancestors My language, my soul Speaking isiXhosa makes me feel relieved It takes me back to the hills The hills of my small village in the Eastern Cape Speak your language, know yourself Speak your language, connect with your ancestors Black child! Be proud of your language Ziqhenye ngolwimi lwakho Ba motloho ka pua ea hau Zingce ngolwimi lwakho

My language, my soul Your language, your soul Our language, our soul

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‘I am the master of my fate’: A Short Analysis of William Ernest Henley’s ‘Invictus’

By Dr Oliver Tearle

‘Invictus’ is a famous poem, even to those who haven’t heard of it. This is because, although the title ‘Invictus’ may mean little to some (other than, perhaps, as the title of a film – of which more shortly), and the author of the poem, William Ernest Henley, is not much remembered now, the words which conclude the poem – ‘I am the master of my fate, / I am the captain of my soul’ – are well-known. The poem is sufficiently famous to warrant closer attention and analysis.

William Ernest Henley, like his most famous non-famous poem, is somebody whom we both know and don’t know. Even those who don’t know his name are aware of his influence. Henley (1849-1903) was friends with Robert Louis Stevenson , and when Stevenson wrote his first novel, Treasure Island (1883), he was inspired by Henley’s distinctive appearance to create the famous fictional pirate. (Henley, who had suffered from tuberculosis from an early age, had his left leg amputated below the knee while still a teenager,  was the inspiration for Stevenson’s one-legged pirate .) Henley’s daughter Margaret was the inspiration for Wendy Darling in J. M. Barrie’s Peter Pan . During his lifetime, Henley was a prominent and influential figure on the literary scene: H. G. Wells dedicated The Time Machine to him and W. E. Henley’s followers and acolytes were punningly known as ‘the Henley Regatta’.

Anyway, here is ‘Invictus’, and a short summary and analysis of this iconic poem.

Out of the night that covers me, Black as the pit from pole to pole, I thank whatever gods may be For my unconquerable soul.

In the fell clutch of circumstance I have not winced nor cried aloud. Under the bludgeonings of chance My head is bloody, but unbowed.

Beyond this place of wrath and tears Looms but the Horror of the shade, And yet the menace of the years Finds and shall find me unafraid.

It matters not how strait the gate, How charged with punishments the scroll, I am the master of my fate, I am the captain of my soul.

‘Invictus’, Henley’s one poem which is now at all remembered, was written in 1875 when Henley was still in his mid-twenties, was originally published in 1888 without its distinctive title (the Latin for ‘unconquered’). Indeed, the title wasn’t even Henley’s idea, but when Sir Arthur Quiller-Couch added the poem to The Oxford Book of English Verse in 1900, he appended the memorable Latin title. Even today, the title remains far less well-known than that rousing penultimate line, ‘I am the master of my fate’.

Invictus: analysis of poem

And then consider how the lines ‘Beyond this place of wrath and tears / Looms but the Horror of the shade’ do not make room for the afterlife (‘ but the Horror’), suggesting that death leads to darkness and nothing more. Yet life, too, can be a realm of blackness and darkness: ‘Out of the night that covers me, / Black as the pit from pole to pole.’ Is this black ‘night’ a reference to depression? ‘Invictus’ seems to be not simply about coping with a physical condition – the loss of a leg at a young age, owing to tuberculosis – but a mental one, too. If depression makes one feel that one has lost control over one’s life, the assertion in the final two lines of ‘Invictus’ are a declaration that the poet intends to take back self-control, or at least announce his determined attempt to do so.

The poem introduced a couple of famous phrases into the language: ‘bloody, but unbowed’, and the final two lines: ‘I am the master of my fate: / I am the captain of my soul.’ Like Kipling’s ‘If’ , it became popular with readers and has remained reasonably popular because it offers a stoic approach to life’s hardships.

Henley by all accounts exuded a masculine strength and vigour (and had a large red beard and a hearty laugh – a sort of Victorian Brian Blessed, we might say). Although it often doesn’t pay to be too reductive in terms of offering a biographical analysis of poetry, ‘Invictus’ was almost certainly inspired – at least in part – by Henley’s loss of the lower half of his left leg: he would remain ‘unbowed’ and ‘unconquered’ by this physical setback. Clint Eastwood’s 2009 film about the 1995 Rugby World Cup in South Africa is named Invictus after the poem, and for good reason: Nelson Mandela recited the poem to his fellow prisoners while he was incarcerated on Robben Island.

Image: William Ernest Henley , from  The Story of the House of Cassell  (1922), Wikimedia Commons.

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10 thoughts on “‘I am the master of my fate’: A Short Analysis of William Ernest Henley’s ‘Invictus’”

One of my favorite poems!

The name for Stevenson’s pirate, Long John Silver, comes from a place – George R. Stewart figured out that Stevenson took the name from an old mine on Mt. St. Helena (near Napa Valley), the Old Juan Silverado Mine.

Nice fact! :)

It is a magnificent outpouring of defiance in the face of the inevitable. It’s glorious he didn’t need to touch pen to paper again.

Yes, I learned of this poem from watching the movie.

Glad to know more about the poem and the poet. Thanks!

• Pingback: ‘I am the master of my fate’: A Short Analysis of William Ernest Henley’s ‘Invictus’ | Phil Slattery's Blog

Great tidbits about the poet!

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Essays About Language: Top 5 Examples and 7 Prompts

Language is the key to expressive communication; let our essay examples and writing prompts inspire you if you are writing essays about language.

When we communicate with one another, we use a system called language. It mainly consists of words, which, when combined, form phrases and sentences we use to talk to one another. However, some forms of language do not require written or verbal communication, such as sign language. 

Language can also refer to how we write or say things. For example, we can speak to friends using colloquial expressions and slang, while academic writing demands precise, formal language. Language is a complex concept with many meanings; discover the secrets of language in our informative guide.

5 Top Essay Examples

1. a global language: english language by dallas ryan , 2. language and its importance to society by shelly shah, 3. language: the essence of culture by kelsey holmes.

• 4.  Foreign Language Speech by Sophie Carson
• 5. ​​Attitudes to Language by Kurt Medina

1. My Native Language

2. the advantages of bilingualism, 3. language and technology, 4. why language matters, 5. slang and communication, 6. english is the official language of the u.s..

“Furthermore, using English, people can have more friends, widen peer relationships with foreigners and can not get lost. Overall, English becomes a global language; people may have more chances in communication. Another crucial advantage is improving business. If English was spoken widespread and everyone could use it, they would likely have more opportunities in business. Foreign investments from rich countries might be supported to the poorer countries.”

In this essay, Ryan enumerates both the advantages and disadvantages of using English; it seems that Ryan proposes uniting the world under the English language. English, a well-known and commonly-spoken language can help people to communicate better, which can foster better connections with one another. However, people would lose their native language and promote a specific culture rather than diversity. Ultimately, Ryan believes that English is a “global language,” and the advantages outweigh the disadvantages

“Language is a constituent element of civilization. It raised man from a savage state to the plane which he was capable of reaching. Man could not become man except by language. An essential point in which man differs from animals is that man alone is the sole possessor of language. No doubt animals also exhibit certain degree of power of communication but that is not only inferior in degree to human language, but also radically diverse in kind from it.”

Shah writes about the meaning of language, its role in society, and its place as an institution serving the purposes of the people using it. Most importantly, she writes about why it is necessary; the way we communicate through language separates us as humans from all other living things. It also carries individual culture and allows one to convey their thoughts. You might find our list of TOEFL writing topics helpful.

“Cultural identity is heavily dependent on a number of factors including ethnicity, gender, geographic location, religion, language, and so much more.  Culture is defined as a “historically transmitted system of symbols, meanings, and norms.”  Knowing a language automatically enables someone to identify with others who speak the same language.  This connection is such an important part of cultural exchange”

In this short essay, Homes discusses how language reflects a person’s cultural identity and the importance of communication in a civilized society. Different communities and cultures use specific sounds and understand their meanings to communicate. From this, writing was developed. Knowing a language makes connecting with others of the same culture easier. 

4.   Foreign Language Speech by Sophie Carson

“Ultimately, learning a foreign language will improve a child’s overall thinking and learning skills in general, making them smarter in many different unrelated areas. Their creativity is highly improved as they are more trained to look at problems from different angles and think outside of the box. This flexible thinking makes them better problem solvers since they can see problems from different perspectives. The better thinking skills developed from learning a foreign language have also been seen through testing scores.”

Carson writes about some of the benefits of learning a foreign language, especially during childhood. During childhood, the brain is more flexible, and it is easier for one to learn a new language in their younger years. Among many other benefits, bilingualism has been shown to improve memory and open up more parts of a child’s brain, helping them hone their critical thinking skills. Teaching children a foreign language makes them more aware of the world around them and can open up opportunities in the future.

5. ​​ Attitudes to Language by Kurt Medina

“Increasingly, educators are becoming aware that a person’s native language is an integral part of who that person is and marginalizing the language can have severe damaging effects on that person’s psyche. Many linguists consistently make a case for teaching native languages alongside the target languages so that children can clearly differentiate among the codes”

As its title suggests, Medina’s essay revolves around different attitudes towards types of language, whether it be vernacular language or dialects. He discusses this in the context of Caribbean cultures, where different dialects and languages are widespread, and people switch between languages quickly. Medina mentions how we tend to modify the language we use in different situations, depending on how formal or informal we need to be. 

6 Prompts for Essays About Language

In your essay, you can write about your native language. For example, explain how it originated and some of its characteristics. Write about why you are proud of it or persuade others to try learning it. To add depth to your essay, include a section with common phrases or idioms from your native language and explain their meaning.

Bilingualism has been said to enhance a whole range of cognitive skills, from a longer attention span to better memory. Look into the different advantages of speaking two or more languages, and use these to promote bilingualism. Cite scientific research papers and reference their findings in your essay for a compelling piece of writing.

In the 21st century, the development of new technology has blurred the lines between communication and isolation; it has undoubtedly changed how we interact and use language. For example, many words have been replaced in day-to-day communication by texting lingo and slang. In addition, technology has made us communicate more virtually and non-verbally. Research and discuss how the 21st century has changed how we interact and “do language” worldwide, whether it has improved or worsened. 

We often change how we speak depending on the situation; we use different words and expressions. Why do we do this? Based on a combination of personal experience and research, reflect on why it is essential to use appropriate language in different scenarios.

Different cultures use different forms of slang. Slang is a type of language consisting of informal words and expressions. Some hold negative views towards slang, saying that it degrades the language system, while others believe it allows people to express their culture. Write about whether you believe slang should be acceptable or not: defend your position by giving evidence either that slang is detrimental to language or that it poses no threat.

English is the most spoken language in the United States and is used in government documents; it is all but the country’s official language. Do you believe the government should finally declare English the country’s official language? Research the viewpoints of both sides and form a conclusion; support your argument with sufficient details and research. 

Check out our guide packed full of transition words for essays .If you’re stuck picking your next essay topic, check out our guide on how to write an essay about diversity .

I Think Therefore I Teach

Tips for A level students. Lesson ramblings for teachers (helpful ideas too!)

Soul, Mind and Body: Philosophical Language and Thought

Preview of lesson plans

Quote (found on PowerPoint): pairs/ groups discuss what does Aquinas mean?

Bubble: everything I can remember about Plato (focus on key words too)

Work through PowerPoint (up to slide 12), discussing ideas and potential issues as going along (e.g. do all the characteristics of the soul actually work?)

Alien Landing: Sheet with collection of images (images used on PowerPoint) students need to use images to explain to partner (as if they were an alien) what they mean. Take it in turns.

Students summarise ideas on sheet.

One minute (in pairs) tell your partner everything you can remember about Plato’s ideas, switch, other partner on Aristotle.

Same activity, same pairs, same philosopher but this time one minute on why their argument works/is convincing.

PowerPoint (slides 12-21) Discuss ideas, quotes and potential evaluation

A3 sheet with boxes linking different critics to specific thinkers – transferring information learnt into another format.

Fill out glossaries: key words/ names

If you would like your own copy of this power point, just click on the image below to add it to your shopping cart.

If you would like a Lesson Pack with activities and worksheets, that complements the power point, please click on the image below:

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Test your Knowledge of  Body, Mind and Soul by having a go at the Quiz!

Online lesson:

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3 thoughts on “ soul, mind and body: philosophical language and thought ”.

Thank you so much for all of this Aimee! This whole website is so useful!

All the best, Thomas

would it be a good enough example to talk about phantom limb when evaluating Descartes, in relation to the body being divisible and the mind not being affected, when in fact the mind is affected?

Hello, how do access the powerpoint and revision guide as the page to go to is close?

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Forgetting My First Language

No one prepared me for the heartbreak of losing my first language. It doesn’t feel like the sudden, sharp pain of losing someone you love, but rather a dull ache that builds slowly until it becomes a part of you. My first language, Cantonese, is the only one I share with my parents, and, as it slips from my memory, I also lose my ability to communicate with them. When I tell people this, their eyes tend to grow wide with disbelief, as if it’s so absurd that I must be joking. “They can’t speak English?” they ask. “So how do you talk to your parents?” I never have a good answer. The truth is, I rely on translation apps and online dictionaries for most of our conversations.

It’s strange when I hear myself say that I have trouble talking to my parents, because I still don’t quite believe it myself. We speak on the phone once a week and the script is the same: “Have you eaten yet?” my father asks in Cantonese. Long pause. “No, not yet. You?” I reply. “Why not? It’s so late,” my mother cuts in. Long pause. “Remember to drink more water and wear a mask outside,” she continues. “O.K. You too.” Longest pause. “We’ll stop bothering you, then.” The conversation is shallow but familiar. Deviating from it puts us (or, if I’m being honest, just me) at risk of discomfort, which I try to avoid at all costs.

I grew up during the nineties in Sheepshead Bay, a quiet neighborhood located in the southern tip of Brooklyn, where the residents were mostly Russian-Jewish immigrants. Unable to communicate with neighbors, my parents kept to themselves and found other ways to participate in American culture. Once a month, my dad attempted to re-create McDonald’s chicken nuggets at home for my two brothers and me before taking us to the Coney Island boardwalk to watch the Cyclone roller coaster rumble by. On Sundays, my mom brought me to violin lessons, and afterward I accompanied her to a factory in Chinatown where she sacrificed her day off to sew blouses to pay for my next lesson while I did homework. These constant acts of love—my parents’ ideas of Americana—shaped who I am today. Why is it so difficult for me, at age thirty-two, to have a meaningful discussion with them? As an adult, I feel like their acquaintance instead of their daughter.

During my visits back home from California, our time together is quiet, our conversations brief. My parents ask about my life in Cantonese over plates of siu yuk and choy sum while I clumsily piece together incomplete sentences peppered with English in response. I have so much to say, but the Cantonese words are just out of reach, my tongue unable to retrieve them after being neglected in favor of English for so long. I feel emptier with each visit, like I’m losing not only my connection to my parents but also fragments of my Chinese heritage. Can I call myself Chinese if I barely speak the language?

My parents taught me my first words: naai , when I was hungry for milk, and gai , when I was hungry for chicken. I was born in New York City and spent most of my childhood, in Brooklyn, speaking Cantonese, since it was (and still is) the only language that my parents understand. In the nineteen-eighties, they immigrated to the U.S. from Guangdong, a province in southern China. The jobs they found in hot kitchens and cramped garment factories came with long hours, leaving them no time to learn English. As a result, my parents relied heavily on the Chinese community in New York to survive. I looked forward to running errands with my mother in Manhattan’s Chinatown, where I heard Cantonese spoken all around me in grocery stores, doctors’ offices, and hair salons. On special occasions, we would yum cha with my mother’s friends and eat my favorite dim-sum dishes like cheung fun and pai gwut while they praised my voracious appetite. At home, we watched “Journey to the West,” a popular Hong Kong television series that aired on TVB, and listened to catchy Cantopop songs by Jacky Cheung on repeat. Before I started school, my only friends were the children of other Cantonese-speaking immigrants, with whom I bonded over our shared love of White Rabbit candies and fruit-jelly cups. Cantonese surrounded every aspect of my life; it was all I knew.

When I first learned English in elementary school, I became bilingual quickly with help from English-as-a-second-language classes. I switched back and forth seamlessly between the two languages, running through multiplication tables with my mother in Cantonese and, in the same breath, telling my brother in English that I hated math. I attended my parent-teacher conferences as a translator for my mother despite the obvious conflict of interest; “Jenny is an excellent student over all but needs just a little more help with math,” my third-grade teacher said, which I’d relay to my mom with pride only after redacting the bit about math.

It wasn’t an issue that my math skills weren’t strong. My parents encouraged me to excel in English class because they believed it to be the key to success in America, even if they never learned the language. English would aid in my performance across all subjects in school because that was the language my teachers taught in. But, most important, my parents believed that a mastery of English would promise a good, stable job in the future. This missing piece in my parents’ lives would propel me forward for the rest of mine.

Before long, I learned that there was also significant social currency in adopting English as a primary language. Outside of E.S.L. class, I encountered the first of many “ching chongs” shouted my way. “Do you know that’s what you sound like?” a kid asked, laughing. I did not know, because “ching chong” had never come out of my mouth before. Still, it went on to be a common taunt I endured, along with “No speaky Engrish?,” even though I spoke English. I was humiliated based on how I looked and the fact that I could speak another language. It was an easy decision to suppress Cantonese in an effort to blend in, to feel more American. This didn’t actually work; instead, I felt a diminished sense of both identities.

As I entered my teen-age years, my social circle shifted. I attended Brooklyn Technical High School, where the students were predominantly Asian. For the first time since I was a preschooler, most of my friends looked like me. My personality evolved; I became bold, rebellious, and maybe even a bit brash compared with the painfully shy wallflower I had played in the past. I dyed my hair magenta and shoplifted makeup for the thrill. Upon meeting other Chinese American students who spoke English at home with their parents, I became furious that my parents weren’t bilingual, too. If they valued English so much and knew how necessary it was in this country, why didn’t they do whatever it took to learn it? “Mommy and Baba had to start working. We had no money. We had no time. We needed to raise you and your brothers.” All I heard were excuses. I resented them for what I thought was laziness, an absence of sense and foresight that they should have had as my protectors. When I continued to be subjected to racial slurs even after my English had become pitch-perfect, I blamed my parents. Any progress I made towards acceptance in America was negated by their lack of assimilation. With nowhere to channel my fury, I spoke English to my parents, knowing that they couldn’t understand me. I was cruel; I called them hurtful names and belittled their intelligence. I used English, a language they admired, against them.

Over time, Cantonese played a more minor role in my life. When I went away for college at Syracuse University, I heard it less often. After starting my first advertising job, I spoke it infrequently. And now, as an adult living thousands of miles away from my family, I understand it rarely. It served no purpose in my life other than to humor my parents when they called me.

My fluency eroded so gradually through the years that there isn’t a definitive moment when my vocabulary became less extensive, my grammar less polished. It didn’t occur to me that my Cantonese was regressing well beyond the tip of my tongue until it was too late. First, my directions were off. I started saying jau , which means “right,” when I meant to say zo , which means “left.” This caused my dad to make wrong turns when I navigated in his car. Then, the names of colors started to escape me. “I like your green dress,” I said to my mom in Cantonese once. “This is blue, silly!” she laughed. And a couple of years ago, I tried replicating my grandma’s steamed-egg recipe but asked my dad how she used to pan-fry them. “You mean ‘steam,’ right?” He intrinsically knew how to decipher my broken Cantonese. Eventually, I struggled to construct sentences altogether, often mispronouncing words or failing completely to recall them.

The struggle to retain my first language feels isolating but isn’t unique; it’s a shared pain common among first- and second-generation immigrants. This phenomenon is known as first-language attrition , the process of forgetting a first or native language. My brothers are further along in this process—they have more trouble communicating with my parents than I do. They’re both older than I am by nearly a decade, so they’ve had more time to forget. The frustration is palpable when they rummage through what’s left of their Cantonese to make small talk, whether it’s describing the weather or pointing out what’s on TV.

My closest friends include first-generation Chinese Americans who also have fraught relationships with their parents. Our group chats read like a Cantonese 101 class: “How do you say . . . ,” “What’s the word for . . . ,” “What’s the difference between . . .” Emotional connections between a child and parent are weakened if the only language they share is also the language being forgotten. This is the case for many children of immigrants; to “succeed” in America, we must adopt a new language in place of our first—the one our parents speak best—without fully considering the strain it places on our relationships for the rest of our lives.

There are many milestones I wish I could have shared with my parents—awards I’ve won, career changes I’ve made, occasions I knew they would have been proud of. But I couldn’t find the words in between the ums and ahs, the never-ending games of charades to explain the happenings in my life. Throughout my career as a strategist in advertising, gwong gou , Cantonese for “advertisement,” was the furthest I got when explaining my job. After I decided to move across the country from New York City to Los Angeles, I didn’t know how to say “California.” Instead, I mangled the translation and strung together the Cantonese words for “other side of America, closer to China.” My parents guessed correctly. “ Gaa zau ?” And, after my now-fiancé proposed, I mistakenly told my parents, “I’m married!” My mother thought she had missed a wedding that hadn’t happened yet, all because I didn’t know the word for “engaged.” It took a few rounds of online searches to find the Cantonese translation (most translation apps default to Mandarin), coupled with a photo of my engagement ring, before my mother understood.

It’s deeply disorienting to have thoughts that I so eagerly want to share with my parents but which are impossible to express. Cantonese no longer feels natural, and sometimes even feels ridiculous, for me to speak. My parents and I have no heart-to-heart conversations, no mutual understanding, on top of cultural and generational gaps to reckon with. My mother has a habit of following her sentences with “Do you understand what I’m saying?” More often than not, I don’t. She hasn’t mastered translation apps yet, but, like me, she’ll resort to using synonyms and simpler phrases until I’m able to piece her words together. My heart aches, knowing there’s a distance between us that may never fully be bridged.

On my mom’s sixty-fourth birthday, at the peak of the pandemic , I became increasingly anxious over her mortality, compounded by the preëxisting health conditions that put her more at risk. My parents may look younger than their ages suggest, but there’s no avoiding the fact that we have a limited amount of time together. Did I really want to spend the rest of our lives with a language barrier between us? I made it a goal to relearn Cantonese, and, ultimately, rebuild the relationship with my parents. I attempt conversations with the kind women behind the bun counter at Taipan, my favorite bakery in Manhattan’s Chinatown, or the waiters at East Harbor Seafood Palace, my go-to Cantonese restaurant in Brooklyn. I listen to Jacky Cheung these days on Spotify instead of a cassette tape and transport myself back to my parents’ living room. I watch Wong Kar-wai movies like “ In the Mood for Love ” and hang on to each of Maggie Cheung’s beautifully spoken words, repeating them over and over until I get the tones just right. But, most of all, I call my parents and stammer through more meaningful conversations with them, no matter how challenging it gets.

Looking back, forfeiting the language passed on to me from my parents was the cost of assimilation. I don’t view this as a blemish on my family’s narrative but rather as a symbol of our perseverance. I feel pangs of guilt when I have trouble interacting with my parents, but I remind myself not to be discouraged. During a recent chat, I mentioned a fund-raiser that I had hosted for Heart of Dinner, an organization that delivers fresh meals and groceries to Asian seniors experiencing food insecurity in New York City. I deployed all of the translation tools in my arsenal to explain my motivation for fund-raising, fumbling through one of our longest conversations. The nuances would be lost in translation, but I punched the words in anyway: anti-Asian violence, isolation, elderly Asians afraid of leaving home, pandemic. It was a hot papier-mâché mess of an explanation, but, like my blatantly incorrect request for my grandmother’s egg recipe, they still understood. “ Gum ho sum! ” Such a good heart.

Our weekly calls are livelier now. I have a backlog of topics and no idea how to broach them, but, armed with my phone and a bit of patience, I’m up for the challenge. Though Cantonese no longer feels natural for me to speak, it will always be my first language—even if it takes a few translation apps and a lifetime for us to get reacquainted.

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Becoming Bilingual: An Experience That Changed My Life

John Nobile Carvalho is a Biochemistry major from Uberlandia, Minas Gerais, Brazil. John’s inspiration for writing this paper was in finding the most significant and impactful moments of language learning. The reason he considers his essay important is “because during the writing process I was able to recall memories and think of the journey I’ve been on, and all the challenges I’ve faced while learning two languages.” He also credits remote learning with providing plenty of time to devote himself to his studies and this project: “I was aware that this factor could help me focus and write something interesting for people who are not bilingual as well as people who are bilingual.” Besides being a student, John is also a musician and a book lover, and counts the blues and science-fiction books among his passions. He states that he “could never live a day without playing my guitar for a few minutes, or not reading a few pages of a book. These are the two ways I have to escape reality and enjoy the moment.”

The process of becoming a bilingual person can be seen as a long journey, which has several challenges, but at the same time several achievements. Learning a new language can be considered a challenge because it goes far beyond just learning to use words, expressions and knowing how to apply correct grammar, and what I mean by that is that you have to make mistakes, live in situations where you feel vulnerable, and go through difficulties. Even though it is not a simple task, I believe that this process allows us to develop persistence, willpower, maturity and a lot of discipline. Given the explanation, I ask myself the following question: what was my process of becoming bilingual, and how did that make me who I am today?

Well, my journey started relatively early in my life. The first memories I have in mind, when I had contact with the English language, was around the age of 7 years old. I mainly remember the moment when my father used to listen to songs that had quite different lyrics than what I was used to listening to in Brazilian music. I remember asking my dad what those words were and what they meant, and I also remember referring to them as ‘‘strange words.’’ I can perfectly remember the way my father had explained to me that it was English; he said it was a type of language that human beings use and that in particular it was used elsewhere in the world. That fascinated me, and with each day that passed by, I would ask my father to show me more and more music by American artists; this led me to develop a passion for Blues, Rock, Jazz, and Soul Music. I loved the rhythm, melody, and harmony of the songs of these musical genres, but there was a big problem. I could not understand practically anything about what the lyrics were saying, and that was quite frustrating.

After a while, it started to bother me, so I realized it was time to take an initiative. I realized it was time to seek to understand the meaning of the lyrics of the songs I loved so much. I remember sitting on the floor of my room, trying to read and pronounce each word in the rhythm in which I heard them in the songs. I also remember feeling quite angry at first because I could not understand anything at all. Over time, this curiosity made me discover that I could use online translators and websites that made music translations available from English to Portuguese. At that moment I realized that there were no more limits for me. I knew that everything would start to flow naturally.

Basically, my relationship with the English language started to develop organically, and after a few months of practicing English, the words that did not make any sense started to make all the sense. I was obsessed with learning new words, phrases, and expressions. When I least expected it, with the help of subtitles, I was able to watch cartoon shows, movies, and documentaries in English. I felt fulfilled when I was able to understand certain simple dialogues, for example in the video games that I used to play, and for me, that was rewarding. Another memory I have was when I joined elementary school, and the public school where I studied used to offer English classes, and I remember having ease in these classes thanks to all the effort and dedication that I had put into studying and practicing English on my own.

As time went by, my relationship with the English language was solidifying and becoming stronger and stronger. I practically did not listen to music in Portuguese anymore; I did not care about watching cartoons and films in Portuguese anymore, which made me more immersed into American culture. I remember in 2009, when I was only 11 years old, my cousins and colleagues who played football with me asked me why I did not like to watch Brazilian and South American football like “A Liberators da America” (South American Tournament). I always said that European football championships like the Premier League (from England) were more interesting, but they did not understand that I thought it was interesting because I was discovering a “new world”. Right after I turned 14, my parents gave me my first skateboard, and it motivated me, even more, to continue learning things related to English and American culture. I used slang in English with my friends and tried to speak in English with my English teachers at school. I used to sing and play songs in English. I found it fascinating the fact that in less than seven years I had already learned so much about English.

During these seven years of studying and learning the English language, I remember listening to a lot of people around me, like my parents, uncles and aunts, cousins and several friends saying that I was doing the right thing. English was a synonym for “success and mystery” in my mind. They used to say “João, you must learn the English language, as this will bring you great opportunities in your future”. Everyone was absolutely right, and I say this because all the incentives and motivations they gave me were essential for my evolution and progress. I am incredibly grateful mainly for my parents, because thanks to them, I was able to have access to a good education. I was able to access the necessary resources to continue making progress. Without them none of this would have happened, and I would never have gotten as far as I did.

Now, after fourteen years of dedicating myself to studying the English language, I realize that my view on it has changed dramatically. At first, I was just a child venturing into a strange and unknown language, and that was incredibly attractive. When I say that my vision has changed drastically, I mean that now this language is not only a source of curiosity. It has practically become the tool that allows me to connect with the world, and in a way even with myself. I can say with all conviction that being bilingual is one of the most important tools I have in my life. I would say that English for me today is like the oxygen that I breathe all the time, and what I mean is that I can no longer live without it.

English is not just another language that exists in the world. For me, English has shaped my identity and the person I am today. What I mean by that is that English is not just a language, in my life it goes much further. A beautiful example that I always carry in mind is how English made me develop a beautiful conception of music. I consider myself a musician, and I consider music as one of the greatest inventions of mankind, and thanks to the English language I was able to venture into the world of music. Nowadays I study music every week in English: I play in concerts; I play with my friends, so through this example, it is evident how English managed to shape one of the main characteristics of my identity. Another example that comes to mind is that since I was a child, my biggest dream of all has been to become a scientist in the future. That dream only started after I watched countless scientific documentaries, read several books by phenomenal scientists like Carl Sagan and Neil deGrasse Tyson, and with every day that passes I am sure that my dream will be realized. Thanks to English, I was able to develop the habit of reading, watching documentaries, searching for information and building knowledge, and in my opinion, I think this is incredible. Through the study of this language, I was even able to value my mother tongue even more because like English, Portuguese is an intriguing and spectacular language that I am proud to speak.

To emphasize how crucial the process of becoming bilingual has been in my life, I can tell you how my life has changed completely since I moved to the United States. My first real contact with American society was a wave of feelings and emotions. To clarify what I am trying to say, I could use the experiences of author Orhan Pamuk (2007) as an example, when he describes how frustrating and difficult it is to adjust and adapt to a new culture and a new language. The silence was sometimes my only form of expression, as it was his. However, the best part is that this “wave of feelings and emotions” made me realize that all the years of study and my effort should be valued and put into practice. After a few months, I already felt more comfortable, so I was able to enjoy everything that this new environment had to offer me. I developed not only a love affair with the English language but also with the city of Boston. I had an epiphany and a profound reflection that, like Brazil, the United States is also the place I refer to as home.

This leads me to another interesting and profound reflection that I have been experiencing lately. The fact of moving to the United States is not only a great opportunity to have a beautiful future, and it is not just another phase of my life. It is also an opportunity to be able to connect worlds and cultures. Amin Maalouf (1998) clearly describes how beautiful it is that bilingual people living in other countries can be sources of knowledge, and according to him, these people have a great responsibility in acting as bridges that connect different cultures.

Maalouf is absolutely right, and his reflection resonated with me because I feel this responsibility; I feel responsible to share the American culture with my friends and family who live in Brazil. Likewise, I am responsible for sharing Brazilian culture with American society. I think this is extremely important because if I do that, I can make a difference in the world, I can help the world. I can help the world become a harmonious place, and I feel that I can use the knowledge I have to help people to develop more empathy, respect, and love for people from different places and cultures. Being bilingual and living in another country means having the responsibility to help people and eliminate any kind of prejudice, intolerance, and misunderstanding that they have in mind.

Given all these facts, contexts, and personal experiences, I return to my question: what was my process in becoming bilingual, and how did that make me who I am today? Well, the answer is quite simple, I have had an incredible journey so far. Every second studying English, all my effort, every person involved, every mistake made, every learning experience — all of this was crucial to getting me to where I am today. This journey brought me knowledge and reflections, which helped me to better understand the world and myself. I would never have imagined that English would bring me so many opportunities — all of this was beyond my expectations. I am sure that English will bring me more unique experiences, and I can say with all gratitude that I am ready for all of them.

Maalouf, Amin. (1998). Deadly Identities (Brigitte Caland, Trans.). Al Jadid , 4(25). Retrieved from https://www.aljadid.com/content/deadly-identities .

Pamuk, Orhan. (2007, April 7). My First Passport: What Does it Mean to Belong to a Country? (Maureen Freely, Trans.). The New Yorker . Retrieved from https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2007/04/16/my-first-passport .

I am the master of my fate, I am the captain of my soul

By William Ernest Henley

“I am the master of my fate, I am the captain of my soul”, concluding lines of ‘Invictus’, contains an ironic meaning apart from the motivational aspect. Famous leaders had often quoted these lines for encouraging others to stand firm in the face of adversity.

William Ernest Henley

He is best remembered for his poem ‘Invictus’ published 1875.

Poem Analyzed by Sudip Das Gupta

First-class B.A. Honors Degree in English Literature

The last two lines of William Ernest Henley’s poem ‘ Invictus ‘ contain invaluable advice to those who blame God for their failures. It is not only about God, but the mindset that makes one surrender while faced with challenges. Challenges make one stronger but mentally submitting oneself to those impediments extinguishes the inner light that one carries inside the heart from infancy. Through these lines, Henley tried to say that it’s not about how difficult the path is, it’s about one’s attitude to keep moving forward without submitting oneself to fate’s recourse.

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Explore I am the master of my fate, I am the captain of my soul

• 3 Rhyme Scheme
• 4 Sound and Meter
• 5 Figure of Speech
• 6 Explanation
• 7 Historical Context
• 8 Notable Uses
• 9 Similar Quotes

This famous quote, “I am the master of my fate, I am the captain of my soul” appears at the end of one of the best poems of the Victorian era, ‘Invictus’ by William Ernest Henley . This motivational poem talks about a person’s battle with mental and physical impediments. One has to understand the overall idea of the poem to get to the core of the last two lines. The development of poetic ideas helps one to understand the meaning of these lines that depends on the overall subject matter of the poem.

However, in the first stanza , the speaker refers to the blackness of night that encapsulates his mind. Thereafter, in the second stanza, the speaker says he has not “winced or cried aloud” as his head is “bloody, but unbowed.” In the third stanza, he refers to the “ Horror of the shade” of Hell that shall find him. But, he is unafraid. In the final stanza, the speaker refers to the “strait gate” that leads one to heaven. Moreover, he says he doesn’t care “how charged with punishments the scroll” is. The reason is, he is the master of his fate and the captain of his soul. In this way, the last two lines more appropriately refer to one’s fearlessness in religion and the self-knowledge that, in reality, controls one’s life, nor the otherworldly powers.

In the poem, ‘Invictus’ , the speaker remarks at the end, “I am the master of my fate,/ I am the captain of my soul.” The first line of this quote means what is going to happen with the speaker, he is fully responsible for that. The reason is that he is the master of his fate. So, one’s fate is in one’s control. It depends on how one makes it work for oneself. Thereafter, in the last line, the speaker remarks that he is the captain of his soul. The captain is the person who is in command of a ship. Here, the ship is the speaker’s soul. So, in which direction the soul will be heading, depends on one’s deeds, not on predestination.

Rhyme Scheme

These lines don’t rhyme together. When the overall stanza is taken together, the rhyming and internal connectivity between the lines appear. The last stanza of ‘Invictus’ reads :

It matters not how strait the gate ,       How charged with punishments the scroll , I am the master of my fate ,       I am the captain of my soul .

Here, the “gate” in the first line rhymes with “fate” in the third line. Likewise, “scroll” in the second line rhymes with “soul” in the last line. This alternative rhyming scheme creates an internal connection between the rhyming lines. The idea of the first line is connected with the idea of “I am the master of my fate.” Similarly, the reference to the scroll of punishments is closely associated with the line, “I am the captain of my soul.”

Sound and Meter

These two lines begin similarly to create a resonance of the poet’s idea. Now, metrical analysis of the lines presents another similarity. There are a total of eight syllables in each of these lines. The stress falls on the second syllable of each foot. After dividing the syllables metrically and stressing (here the stressed syllables are emboldened) on the second syllable of each foot, it looks like:

I am / the mas- / ter of / my fate , I am / the cap- / tain of / my soul .

So, these two lines as well as the overall poem is in iambic tetrameter . The rising rhythm of these lines is a reference to the speaker’s courage and optimism. Moreover, each line sounds like “daa-dum”, “daa-dum”. The shortness of lines and easy-to-pronounce syllables create an urgency inside the poem. However, the structure of the lines makes it easier to pronounce the lines and emphasize more on the stressed syllables. Moreover, readers can also see that the stress falls on the important words of these lines such as “ am “, “ mas -ter”, “ fate “, “ cap -tain”, and “ soul “.

Figure of Speech

First of all, this kind of beginning with a similar kind of phrasing, “I am the… ” is a figure of speech known as anaphora . The poet uses to device for creating a resonance of his idea. Here, he emphasizes that he is the master of his fate and captain of his soul. For forcefully saying these statements he employs this device. Apart from that, the full stop at the end, makes the above-mentioned statement an assertion of the poet.

Thereafter, these two lines contain metaphors . In the first line, “I am the master of my fate”, the poet compares fate to a thing that can be controlled and the speaker compares himself to the master or controller of that thing. Moreover, this line contains an alliteration in the phrase, “ m aster of m y.” Here, the consonant sound “m” gets repeated for the sake of emphasis. This repetition of consonant sounds is also known as consonance .

Whereas, in the second line, “I am the captain of my soul”, the speaker compares his soul to a ship and he is the captain of this ship. This metaphor of the ship also contains a biblical allusion . Apart from that, the poet uses irony in these two lines. Here, the poet criticizes the concept of Christian predestination and divine control over one’s soul.

Explanation

I am the master of my fate,

In these famous lines of ‘Invictus’ , the poet Henley proclaims his authority over the ruling of fate and his soul. This analysis of the last two lines of the poem closely studies what the poet meant here. To begin with, the first line of this quotation, “I am the master of my fate”, means the speaker is the controller of his fate. But why does the speaker say so? If one looks at the first two lines of the last stanza of this poem, there the speaker says,

It matters not how strait the gate, How charged with punishments the scroll,

Here, the poet alludes to a phrase from the King James Bible, which says,

Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it. [Matthew 7:14]

But, here the poet doesn’t use the phrase from the Bible to praise the idea. Rather he intends to criticize the idea of predestination and God’s control over one’s life. For this reason, the speaker of the poem firmly asserts that he is the one, and only one, who can control his fate, not the divine power. It is true. One’s life or more appropriately the so-called “fate”, depends on one’s choices and determination to fulfill his goals. Fate is an abstract concept that people frame inside their minds. Hence, only a person can change or reframe his or her fate. Neither angels nor God has any control over one’s fate. Only a man can control his fate as he is the master of it.

I am the captain of my soul.

Thereafter, in the second line of this quote, the speaker asserts that he is the captain of his soul. It means that the speaker is responsible for his future. His acts in this world will determine in which direction his soul will move forward. If one refers back to the first two lines of this stanza, one can find that here the poet refers to the punishments one will face in hell. After not getting the allowance to the realm of heaven, according to the biblical texts, the soul of a person has to go the hell. There the soul suffers for the deeds that it did on earth. Apart from that, God has the ultimate rule over where one’s soul might rest in the future.

In contrast to this idea, the poet firmly says, “No!” Only a person is the rightful owner of his soul, not God. It is a human who bears the soul throughout his or her life. So, the jurisdiction over where the soul will go must be in the hands of that person. For this reason, the speaker of the poem metaphorically compares himself to the captain of his soul.

Historical Context

The poem to which these lines belong was written in 1875 and published in 1888. It was an era of high ideals and the attitude of not bowing down in adversity. The era is called the Victorian era, a period of possibilities. Hence this poem also reflects this Victorian spirit. However, when Henley was 16 years old, his left leg was amputated due to the complications arising from tuberculosis. In the 1870s, he faced a similar problem with his other leg. But later, in August 1873, the distinguished surgeon Joseph Kister saved his remaining leg. After recovering from his ailment, he wrote the verses that became the poem ‘Invictus’ .

From the last two lines of the poem, it becomes clear that after recovering from the disease, he understood the divine power had not assisted him. The doctor did. Moreover, he was also determined and didn’t accept the perception that was going to be his reality. The choice (traveling to Edinburgh to meet the surgeon) Henley made in August 1873, changed his future. Apart from that, in 1859, Charles Darwin introduced the theory of the evolution of humankind through his famous book, “On the Origin of Species”. It changed the perception of humanity. The divine authority started to falter. During this critical phase, when divinity lost its grace and scientific inquiry gained importance, Henley wrote these memorable lines, “I am the master of my fate,/ I am the captain of my soul.”

Notable Uses

In history, famous figures quote these two lines of Henley’s poem. Likewise, Winston Churchill, in a speech to the House of Commons on 9 September 1941 , paraphrased the lines,

We are still masters of our fate. We still are the captains of our souls.

Nelson Mandela, while he was imprisoned at Robben Island Prison, recited this poem to other prisoners to empower them by its message of self-mastery. U.S. President Barack Obama quoted the last stanza at the end of his speech at the memorial service of Nelson Mandela in South Africa on 10 December 2013. Ironically, the Oklahoma City Bomber Timothy McVeigh quoted the poem as his final statement before his execution.

Several writers also quoted the poem as well as the last two lines in their works. Likewise, Oscar Wilde reminisces the last line in his ‘De Profundis’ letter. C.S. Lewis , in his “The Pilgrim’s Regress” (1933), paraphrased the last two lines,

I cannot put myself under anyone’s orders. I must be the captain of my soul and the master of my fate. But thank you for your offer.

Moreover, Gwen Harwood used the last line of the poem as the title of her 1960 poem, ‘I am the Captain of My Soul’ .

The last two lines of the poem are also used in films such as Casablanca (1942), Sunrise at Campobello (1960), The Big Short (2015), and Star Trek: Renegades (2015). The singer Lana Del Rey paraphrased the lines in her song “Lust for Life”.

Similar Quotes

The following quotes can inspire readers like the last two lines of ‘Invictus’ .

If—  by Rudyard Kipling

If you can dream—and not make dreams your master; If you can think—and not make thoughts your aim.

These lines belong to one of the well-known inspirational poems of English literature. Here, the poet urges one to dream and think, but not get trapped up in dreams and thoughts. This poem is one of the best Rudyard Kipling poems .

Dreams by Langston Hughes

Hold fast to dreams For if dreams die Life is a broken-winged bird That cannot fly.

Here, the poet compares life with a bird and hope with its wings. Without hope, life becomes flightless. ‘Dreams’ is one of the best-known poems by Hughes .

Our Deepest Fear by Marianne Williamson

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.

The first two lines of this poem set the tone and mood of the poem. Here, the poet refers to a paradox of fear that lies within us.

Ulysses by Alfred Tennyson

One equal temper of heroic hearts, Made weak by time and fate, but strong in will To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield.

These immortal lines belong to one of the best Alfred Tennyson poems . Readers might be thinking about why we have quoted these lines. Read the last line, again and again, until the energy and verbal force rings in the ears. Then one can understand the real meaning of these lines quoted above.

You can read about 10 of the Most Famous English-Language Poems here .

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I may give my personal opinion. YES is an allusion to the Bible verses cited, but have You read it cover to cover? It means what the poet really says,”strait is the gate, and few are those who enter it…. We all have FREE WILL, GOD does not want to force us into Him. So, we get to choose, we are the masters of our fate and captains of our soul. GOD bless You 🙂

Thank you for sharing your opinions with us – they are always welcome.

Well said Ms. Cristina. Good for you, your transparency is extremely revealing of your knowledge of the Bible. Obviously, you are a well read person. Best of luck and may you have a great life. God bless you.

From one Captain to another…

What paganism and godlessness!

I don’t think so. I think if there is a god he granted us free will and the ability to choose to do what is right over what is wrong.

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Gupta, SudipDas. "I am the master of my fate, I am the captain of my soul". Poem Analysis , https://poemanalysis.com/william-ernest-henley/i-am-the-master-of-my-fate-i-am-the-captain-of-my-soul/ . Accessed 11 August 2024.

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To This Essayist and Cultural Critic, the Black Tradition Is Resistance

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WHO WILL PAY REPARATIONS ON MY SOUL? Essays By Jesse McCarthy

Jesse McCarthy welcomes everyone to read “Who Will Pay Reparations on My Soul?,” but he’s expressly keen to reach “the younger generations struggling right now to find their footing in a deeply troubled world.” Some of that potential readership came of age in the period bookended by the police killings of Michael Brown, in 2014, and both Breonna Taylor and George Floyd, in 2020 — the same period during which McCarthy wrote the essays in this stunning debut collection. For African-Americans in particular, these were years that yielded much about which to despair, and no doubt much despairing occurred, and does still. The risk of succumbing to that despair is real; but doing so would be at odds with the Black tradition. The Black tradition, McCarthy understands, is resistance.

Its most visible form perhaps is social and political activism — the Black Lives Matter movement, as a recent example, arose in direct response to the 2012 killing of Trayvon Martin. But, as McCarthy illustrates, Black resistance just as often happens in the arts, the church, the academy, the streets. All are required. What the author — an assistant professor of English and African-American studies at Harvard — mainly hopes to convey is “the basic premise that nothing is outside of our purview, that there are no limits to the ideas, realms of knowledge, creative traditions or political histories that we can lay claim to and incorporate.” Further, he stresses that “the knowledge of the accumulated genius of our literary, intellectual, political and religious traditions is crucial to determining a course not only through the present crisis, but through those still to come.”

“Who Will Pay Reparations on My Soul?” is a representative sample of that genius. McCarthy’s analyses and observations are masterfully articulated, as are his dissents — for instance his convincingly explained, personal decision to resist the trend of capitalizing “Black” in reference to the community to which he happens to belong, in part because of the precedent set by Toni Morrison.

McCarthy’s essays are richly varied, and one surmises the abundant intersections of art and race were in large measure informed by his own experiences growing up Black in America and in France. Topics range from the troubling lessons gleaned from the 2015 Bataclan massacre in Paris; to the globalization of Harlem’s artistic mecca; to trap, or, as McCarthy aptly describes it, “the funeral music that the Reagan revolution deserves.” He asks what Kara Walker’s colossal 2014 sphinx sculpture, entitled “A Subtlety, or the Marvelous Sugar Baby,” says about history; profiles the influential poet and scholar Fred Moten; and composes an “open letter” to the R&B artist D’Angelo, whose 2014 album, “ Black Messiah ,” McCarthy observes, “speaks plainly to the unquenchable, unmistakable sweetness of black life.”

Importantly, McCarthy dedicates some plainspeak to the “unquenchable, unmistakable” bitter sweetness of Black life, too. Consider, for instance, as he notes in “Language and the Black Intellectual Tradition,” how the abolitionist David Walker responded to the antebellum suggestion of sending Black people back to Africa: “America is more our country, than it is the whites — we have enriched it with our blood and tears ,” he wrote in 1829. “The greatest riches in all America have arisen from our blood and tears: — and will they drive us from our property and homes, which we have earned with our blood ?” Black Americans would not be driven from their property and homes and sent anywhere. To the contrary, they would, over time, acquire homes and properties that were once denied them.

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Dance is the hidden language of my soul, dancers are the individuals who speak a language of secrecy, one that enables them to seek freedom, and live their life beyond limits..

Dancers are the ones who paint a story with their body. Dancers are the ones who dream with their feet. Dancers are those who know that dancing with your feet is one thing, while dancing with your heart is another. Dancers are the individuals who speak a language of secrecy, one that enables them to seek freedom, and live their life beyond limits. This same language has allowed me to see the world in a whole new way, as a dancer, and as a writer.

As a child, restricted by the walls of a motionless classroom, I often found it very difficult to perform certain writing assignments, such as the generic “Write an essay about an experience that taught you an important lesson,” or, “Discuss, in five paragraphs, your opinion on the importance of making mistakes.” These broad topics bored me, time to time again, yet I could never figure out the reason why. As a child, I was moved by the aesthetic sensation of rhetoric, but whenever I would write, I could never make my message come to life. As a result, my writing was of little substance and lacked creativity.

At the age of nine my great aunt, Debbie, passed away of cancer. I still remember how my mother told me, grasping my diligent hands, gazing into my glistening eyes, as if she knew as much as I did that I was trying to hold back a waterfall of tears. “Sweetie, I‘m afraid I have some bad news. Your Aunt Debbie…well…she left us last night but she is in a better place now and she isn’t hurting anymore. I know this will be tough for all of us but she would want you to be happy, and remember her for her cheerful spirit.” I could feel my heart drop to the pit of my stomach, and it was as if my heart no longer had clarity, an empty feeling that would never fully cease.

She was such a powerful woman, one who knew exactly what she wanted in life, one who was not going to let anything, or anyone, stand in her way. You could find her with a novel in her left hand, cigarette in her right, an addiction that symbolized her carefree spirit. At least that’s what I liked to think. I always wondered why she loved reading so much. To me, it was tasteless and dull. Perhaps I admired her for her passion for books, the way she hungered for this secret language, one that abolished her internal troubles, and most importantly, the sickness that pierced her health. She used to always tell me, “Nothing great in the world has ever been accomplished without passion.” At the time, I never understood the significance of these words, but it wouldn’t be long until they played a major role in my life.

Days, weeks, months passed, and I began to find peace in her passing, realizing that she was still a part of me. Slowly, but surely, I began to be myself again, and it was during this time that dance would change my life forever.

I only went to the dance studio two days a week, but those two days were all I needed. My instructor’s voice bounced off the wall, “Okay class this is the combination you will be doing today, Tombee, Battu, Pas De Bouree, Chaine, Jete.” I constantly whispered these words under my breath, afraid that the other students would hear what I was doing. I was amazed that the independent syllables could have so much emphasis, such as the final syllable in the word “Battu.” As this word rolled off my teacher’s tongue, it was as though the word rolled through my soul. The pronunciation was crystal clear, and it escaped her mouth in such an effortless manner, “Baaa..tuu.” I spelled the word in my mind repetitively, mentally writing each letter in a fiery red color. For days on end, I continued this process, spelling out a collection of words, such as “Frappe,” ”Developpe,” and “Ramasse.” My tendency to spell these words, letter for letter, was a mental game that only I felt destined to play. This “mental game” kept me occupied. I continuously spelled out words, letter for letter, as if there was no end in sight. Looking back, I think this was my way of curing the sense of isolation that had always separated me from everyone else.

I was amazed that these words could evoke such strong emotions, and change the way I thought, and felt about language, something that had never happened before. I felt a connection to these words. These words symbolized so much more than terms that shaped the world of dance. These words offered me comfort. They gave me hope that one day I could release all of my troubles into the exhilarating sensation that is dance. These words offered me a personal identity, one that both highlighted my strengths and weaknesses as not only a dancer, but as a person. As the years passed, my emotional connection to dancing only deepened and the dance studio would become a place where I was free to release my inner voice.

I take full pride in knowing that the only way I can free myself of emotional frustration is by dancing. It is such a fluent aspect to my life, one that never fully ceases, even when my body isn’t moving. The language of dance flows through my veins, my mind, my heart, and above all, my soul. I believe that one must be extremely passionate in order to see the beauty that language has to offer, in all dialects and fashions. Language is a key ingredient to our lives, one that distinguishes us from others, and one that is certainly taken for granted.

I think this is exactly what my great aunt was trying to teach me. She taught me that one must be passionate in order to find beauty in the simplest things here on earth, such as language, and I could not agree more. I have learned through my experiences though, that language is not simple, it is actually very complex. It ultimately offers each and every one of us a personal identity, a sense of character, a “marker” to identify us by. I now understand how language affects someone, and if one is robbed of his or her dialect, he or she might as well be robbed of his or her personal identity.

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27 hidden joys, appreciation for some of life's most discredited pleasures..

Life is full of many wonderful pleasures that many of us, like myself, often forget about. And it's important to recognize that even on bad days, good things still happen. Focusing on these positive aspects of our day-to-day lives can really change a person's perspective. So in thinking about the little things that make so many of us happy , I've here's a list of some of the best things that often go unrecognized and deserve more appreciation:

1. Sun showers

3. tight hugs, 4. discovering new foods you like., 5. laying in bed after a long day., 6. and being completely relaxed, 7. "this reminded me of you", 8. breakfast foods, 9. over-sized clothes, 10. contagious laughs, 11. car rides with that one person, 12. random (i miss you/ i love you) texts, 13. the city at night, 14. surprises, 15. blanket cocoons, 16. good hair days, 17. really good coffee, 18. days where you're in a good mood naturally and for no particular reason, 19. conquering a fear, 20. when they give you a lot of guac at chipotle, 21. being so comfortable with someone that you can literally talk about anything, 22. home-cooked meals, 23. tattoo stories, 24. leaves changing color in fall, 25. butterflies in your stomach, 26. peanut butter & jelly sandwiches, 27. when you can't stop laughing, cool off with these 8 beers.

Summer is hot and humid, and it's almost like summer was made specifically to drink the refreshing, cold, crisp wonderful, delicious, nutritious nectar of the gods. Which is none other than beer; wonderful cold beer. With summer playing peek-a-boo around the corner while we finish up this semester, it's time to discuss the only important part of summer. And if you haven't already guessed, it's beer. There are few things I take more seriously than my beer, in order are: sports ... and beer. Here are my favorite summer brews:

Coors Light Summer Brew:

This summer shandy begins this list, it's a mix of lemon, lime and orange. While this is by no means a craft beer, it still has it place as a refreshing summer brew to enjoy.

Leinenkugel Summer Shandy

Solid choice for any summer get together, great taste with a hint of citrus.

Leinenkugel Sunset Wheat

Distinctly reminds me of Fruity Pebbles, but nonetheless is a wonderful summer beer.

Want to know more about beer?

Summertime is the perfect time for beer, and that's why International Beer Day is on August 2nd. Our community has you covered with more stories about beer, including:

• The Benefits of Drinking Beer : Let us count the ways. There are more than you might think.
• Delicious Beer Substitutes : Is beer not typically your thing? Try one of these instead.
• Unique Beer Flavors to Try : Whether it's hard apple cider or the tase of wild blueberries, these are great options.
• If College Majors Were Beers : Business, sports medicine, design – there's a beer for every major.

Sam Adams Summer Ale

Sam Adams is known for their traditional Boston Lager, but their Summer Ale is damn good.

Hell or High Watermelon

Made with real watermelon, not much is more summer-esque than juicy watermelon in July.

Blue Moon Summer Honey

I love me some Blue Moon, so the summer brew is a no-brainer on this list.

LandShark Lager

Fun fact: LandShark is owned by Anheuser-Busch, and is more commonly know as the signature drink of Jimmy Buffet's Margaritaville.

Obviously Corona had to take the number one spot. To me, there's nothing more refreshing than a cold Corona with lime on a hot summer day.

So whether you're on a sandy beach, a fishing boat, or at a pool, just remember what our dear friend Jack Nicholson said, "Beer, it's the best damn drink in the world."

Drink responsibly and never drink and drive.

7 Reasons SoCal Rocks!

75 degrees and sunny, plus, no humidity. I mean do I really need to say more?

SoCal summers are the best summers by far, and honestly, no argument is needed. But, if you aren't sure why SoCal summers are the best, here are 7 reasons why!

Perfect Weather

You'll get an effortless tan.

Being outside is inevitable when the weather is this nice, so slap on some low SPF and enjoy the perfect weather as you become a bronzed beach babe!

You can exercise with a view

Who said working on your summer bod has to stop when summer starts? In SoCal there are hundreds of gorgeous hiking trails in the mountains or on the cliffs overlooking the beach, so maintaining your summer bod is easy on the eyes and a lot less of a drag!

You don't have to worry about bug bites

The likelihood of you getting bit by a bug is slim, so you don't have to worry about smelling like bug spray whenever you want to go outside.

In n Out all day, every day

No explanation needed.

We have outdoor concerts

At the county fair or on the beach, summertime means outdoor concerts with good music and great friends.

We live where people vacation

We're lucky enough to live in paradise and we don't take that for granted. We take advantage of our sunsets on the beach and backyard staycation without spending a pretty penny on visiting somewhere that isn't nearly as perfect as SoCal. We're pretty spoiled.

25 Lyrics for Selfie Captions

Because let's be honest, we all use lyrics..

Sometimes you can't think of the perfect caption for your Instagram post. I love using lyrics as my captions because there's so many great lines in songs that just seem to fit in the moment . Here are some lyrics that could work for your selfie or pictures of you with your friends!

1. “Don’t get too close, it’s dark inside. It's where my demons hide.”

Imagine Dragons, Demons

2. “Tonight, we are young.”

Fun., We Are Young

3. “Cuz I may be bad, but I’m perfectly good at it.”

Rihanna, S&M

4. “Tell me how they got that pretty little face on that pretty little frame.”

Justin Timberlake, Summer Love

5. “I can’t wait to fall in love with you, you can’t wait to fall in love with me.”

6. “sweatpants, hair tied, chillin with no makeup on.”.

Drake, Best I Ever Had

7. “Why you so obsessed with me?”

Mariah Carey, Obsessed

8. “We ain’t ever getting older.”

The Chainsmokers feat. Halsey, Closer

9. “I didn’t know that I was starving until I tasted you.”

Haille Steinfeld, Starving

10. “Didn’t they tell you I’m a savage?"

Rihanna, Needed Me

11. “I’m gonna make you miss me.”

Sam Hunt, Make You Miss Me

12. "Cheers to the freakin weekend.”

Rihanna, Cheers

13. “Love’s a game. Wanna play?”

Taylor Swift , Blank Space

14. “You don’t know about me, but I bet you want to.”

Taylor Swift, 22

15. “Let’s set each other’s lonely nights, Be each other’s paradise.”

Justin Bieber, Company

16. “Trippin’ on skies, sippin’ waterfalls."

Troye Sivan, Youth

17. “Wish we could turn back time, to the good old days.”

Twenty One Pilots, Stressed Out

18. “But you will remember me for centuries.”

Fall Out Boy , Centuries

19. “Something about you makes me feel like a dangerous woman."

Ariana Grande, Dangerous Woman

20. “Don’t act like it’s a bad thing to fall in love with me.”

Justin Timberlake, Not A Bad Thing

21. “Darling, I’m a nightmare dressed like a daydream.”

Taylor Swift, Blank Space

22. “Find me where the wild things are.”

Alessia Cara, Wild Things

23. “I’m high on lovin’ you.”

Florida Georgia Line, H.O.L.Y.

24. “If you’re gonna be somebody’s heartbreak, somebody’s mistake, if you’re gonna be somebody’s first time, somebody’s last time, be mine.”

Hunter Hayes, Somebody's Heartbreak

25. “Don’t be afraid to take the road less traveled on.”

Lauren Alaina, Road Less Traveled

Bruce Springsteen's Top 7 Lyrics

Everything bruce says in his classic rock songs..

Anyone who was born and raised in New Jersey (or anywhere really) knows of Bruce Springsteen, whether or not they like him is a whole other situation. I hope that his hundreds of classic rock songs and famous high energy performances, even in his sixties he can put on better concerts than people half his age, are at least recognizable to people of all ages. Love him or hate him (I identify with the former) you have to admit that some of his songs and interviews have inspirational quotes and lyrics.

Want to know more about Bruce Springsteen?

One of the great American artists of all time, Bruce Springsteen has had a profound impact on the music world. Our community has you covered with more about him:

• How I Learned To Love Bruce Springsteen : It was an acquired taste, and here's exactly what made him stand out.
• 4 Of My Favorite Songs From 'The Boss', Bruce Springsteen : He has so many hits, but these are the best of the best.
• 18 Most Memorable Bruce Springsteen Lyrics : "Ain't no sin to be glad you're alive" and many more!
• Bruce Springsteen: To Lose Your Audience : He's dabbled into political music, so no surprise that can be divisive.

Here are a few of Bruce Springsteen's most memorable song lyrics because whether you're a die hard fan who named your dog after the man (I totally did that) or you have other opinions, you have to admit that some of his lyrics are on point:

1. "Talk about a dream Try to make it real You wake up in the night With a fear so real Spend your life waiting For a moment that just don't come Well don't waste your time waiting." (Badlands)

This is one of my personal favorites. Maybe it is a little lengthy, but it really hits on some major points.

2. "It's a town full of losers/ I'm pulling out of here to win" (Thunder Road)

Maybe this only resonates with people who hate their hometown (which is most college students I know). However, I once watched an interview where Lady Gaga said that this was the lyric that inspired her to become a musician. Which is pretty cool if you ask me.

3. "You've got to learn to live with what you can't rise above" (Tunnel of Love)

It's the Bruce Springsteen version of "if you can't beat them, join them."

4. "I got something in my heart / I been waitin' to give/ I got a life I wanna start/ One I been waitin' to live" (Leah)

For some reason, I have always loved this less popular song.

5. “God have mercy on the man/ Who doubts what he’s sure of” (Brilliant Disguise)

This had to be included because this is my favorite Bruce Springsteen song, but it is also a solid quote.

6. “Well everybody’s got a hunger, a hunger they can’t resist/ There’s so much that you want, you deserve much more than this/ Well, if dreams came true, aw, wouldn’t that be nice?/ But this ain’t no dream, we’re living all through the night/ You want it? You take it, you pay the price” (Prove it All Night)

Maybe it is not one of my favorite Bruce Springsteen songs, but this lyric is still powerful.

7. “Is a dream a lie when it don’t come true, or is it something worse?” (The River)

"The River" is another one of my favorite songs, it has so many quotable lyrics. This is just one of them.

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Jamila Lyiscott - “3 Ways To Speak English” TED Talk

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Essay on Dance

500 words essay on dance.

Dancer refers to a series of set of movement to music which we can either do alone or with a partner. Dancing helps us express our feelings and get active as well. If we look back at history, dance has been a part of our human history since the earliest records. Thus, an essay on dance will take us through it in detail.

My Hobby My Passion

Dance is my favourite hobby and I enjoy dancing a lot. I started dancing when I was five years old and when I got older; my parents enrolled me in dance classes to pursue this passion.

I cannot go a day without dance, that’s how much I love dancing. I tried many dance forms but discovered that I am most comfortable in Indian classical dance. Thus, I am learning Kathak from my dance teacher.

I aspire to become a renowned Kathak dancer so that I can represent this classical dance internationally. Dancing makes me feel happy and relaxed, thus I love to dance. I always participate in dance competitions at my school and have even won a few.

Dance became my passion from an early age. Listening to the beats of a dance number, I started to tap my feet and my parents recognized my talent for dance. Even when I am sad, I put on music to dance to vent out my feelings.

Thus, dance has been very therapeutic for me as well. In other words, it is not only an escape from the world but also a therapy for me.

Get the huge list of more than 500 Essay Topics and Ideas

Hidden Language of the Soul

Dance is also called the hidden language of the soul as we use it to express ourselves when words fall short. The joy which comes with dancing helps us get over our sorrow and adversity sometimes.

Moreover, it is simply a translator for our hearts. What is most important to remember is that dance is not supposed to be perfect. There is no right way of dancing, as long as your heart is happy, you can dance.

When we talk about dance, usually a professional dancer comes to our mind. But, this is where we go wrong. Dance is for anybody and everybody from a ballet dancer to the uncle dancing at a wedding .

It is what unites us and helps us come together to celebrate joy and express our feelings. Therefore, we must all dance without worrying if we are doing it right or not. It is essential to understand that when you let go of yourself in dance, you truly enjoy it only then.

Conclusion of the Essay on Dance

All in all, dance is something which anyone can do. There is no right way or wrong way to dance, there is just a dance. The only hard part is taking the first step, after that, everything becomes easier. So, we must always dance our heart out and let our body move to the rhythm of music freely.

FAQ of Essay on Dance

Question 1: Why is Dance important?

Answer 1: Dance teaches us the significance of movement and fitness in a variety of ways through a selection of disciplines. It helps us learn to coordinate muscles to move through proper positions. Moreover, it is a great activity to pursue at almost any age.

Question 2: What is dancing for you?

Answer 2: Dancing can enhance our muscle tone, strength, endurance and fitness. In addition, it is also a great way to meet new friends. Most importantly, it brings happiness to us and helps us relax and take a break from the monotony of life.

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My School Essay in English (100, 200, 300, 500 words)

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My School Essay 100 Words

My school is a place where I get educated; learn new subjects under the guidance of trained and skilled teachers. I study at a school that is near my home. It is one of the best schools in my entire town. The management of my school believes that it isn’t only academic excellence that we should be after, but also the overall personality development and evolving into a good and useful human being.

The school has two playgrounds – one is a tennis court and the other one is a cricket ground. We also have a nice swimming pool and a canteen. It also has a beautiful garden where students relax and play during recess. Even in games, sports and tournaments, it has made much progress. My school has won many trophies, shields, and medals in many extra-curricular activities. In debates also, the students of my school secure good positions. It is considered to be one of the best schools in my locality.

My School Essay 200 Words

The school is called the educational institution which is designed to provide learning spaces and create an environment for the children where the teaching of the students is under the direction and guidance of the teachers.

My School is one of the best educational institutions where I get an education and make progress towards the goals of my life and make me capable of achieving them. Besides education, there are several significant roles that my school plays in my life. My school is performing well in all fields. It develops my physical and mental stamina, instills confidence, and

gives me tremendous opportunities to prove my skills and talents in different fields. In the academic field, it has made a mark. Its students secure top positions in the board examinations.

I go to school with my other friends. We study in our school in a great friendly environment. We reach school at a fixed time. As soon as we reach we line up to attend the assembly. Attending the school assembly is a wonderful experience. I enjoy for being first in a row in a school assembly. As soon as the assembly ends we rush to our respective classrooms. We take part in all school activities. One of my school fellows is the best singer and dancer. She has recently won the best singer award at the annual arts festival. Our school organizes all-important national events like Independence Day, teachers’ day, father’s day, etc. My school also gives every student abundant opportunities to take part in extracurricular activities like sports and music.

All of us are proud of being a part of it. I am fortunate enough to be a student at this school. I love and am proud of my school.

My School Essay 300 Words

An institution where higher education is taught is commonly called a school, University College, or University. Most countries have systems of formal education, which is sometimes compulsory. In these systems, Students progress through a series of schools. The names for these schools vary by country but generally include primary school for young children and secondary school for teenagers who have completed primary education.

My school is a place where I not only get educated but also get trained in other necessary competitive skills like sports, music, and dance. I am proud of my school because it provides us with all the basic facilities like a big playground, a central library, a big auditorium hall, a science lab, and a good computer lab. That is why my school is rated as one of the best schools in my entire area. My school has produced many great people in my country. It has a big and beautiful building that looks shiny from far away. I reach my target at a fixed time. I came to school with other friends of mine. We happily enter the schools with great confidence. We take part in a school assembly and then we move into our classrooms.

This all is done by a very efficient and well-trained teaching staff of my school. The best schools are those that make the students the best and the best school is made by the best teachers. We study under the guidance of the best teachers. My school has a dedicated teacher for all the subjects as well as extracurricular activities like music and sports. I consider my school as the best school because it supports and encourages every student to do their best and make progress. Fortunately, my school provides the best environment, the best teachers, and the best facilities.

Our Class teacher greets us daily and asks about us. He is quite a cool and kind man. He entertains us along with teaching his subject. We learn a lot of things like discipline, self-help, confidence, and cooperation here. As I enter my classroom I feel quite happy and relaxed.

My School Essay 500 Words

The place where children as the leaders of tomorrow study and where the future of the nation is shaped are called schools. Education is an essential weapon for tomorrow, so the good schools of today are important for the best future of a nation. Schools are the center of learning where we attend classes on various subjects, interact with the teachers, get our queries

answered, and appeared in exams. In my school, learning is more like a fun activity, because of the extra-talented teaching staff.

My school is a government primary school located on the outskirts of the city. Usually, when people think about a government school, they perceive it to be at an isolated location and have poor basic amenities and teaching facilities. But, despite being a government school, my school defies all such speculations. Teachers of my school are not only knowledgeable about the subjects they teach but also are skilled enough to teach through fun activities. For example, our physics teacher explains every concept by stating real-life examples that we could relate to. This way we not only understand the subject better. Moreover, not a moment I remember, when any teacher had ever replied rudely to any of the students. They always patiently listen and provide answers to all the queries posed to them. Learning at my school is fun and it is made possible only because of the teachers.

My school is very important in my life, in a way even more than my family. My family gives me love, care, and affection, and provides for all my other essential needs. But, all of this isn’t enough to make me a good human being and succeed in life.  Favorably, I am lucky enough to be enrolled in a prestigious school, and gaining a wonderful education, looking forward to realizing my dreams one day. The most necessary for success in life is education, and only my school provides it to me. Without my school and the education that it gives, I would be like a confused and wandering soul, almost aimless in life.

My school helps with my educational and overall personality development. It imparts education through classes, tests, and exams to teach me how to conduct myself confidently. It just feels so great to be in my school and be a part of everyday activities, be it lectures, sports, or Something else. While in school, I always feel happy, confident, enthusiastic, and loved. I make friends at school, those whom I will never forget and will always love them. My family supports my materialistic needs, but school is the place where my actual physical, social, and mental development takes place.  I know that every question that crosses my mind will be answered by my teachers. I also know that my school friends will always be at my side whenever I need them to be. As much as the studies, my school also stresses much on These activities as the management thinks that extracurricular activities are very essential for our overall personality development. My school provides dedicated teachers and staff for each extracurricular activity. We have a big sports ground with kits for all the major sports; a covered auditorium for dance and music and a separate basketball court.

The role my school plays in my personality development is fantastic. It not only imparts education in me but also teaches me how to conduct myself and how to behave decently and properly. I get trained in all the other necessary skills of life, like how to keep calm in challenging situations and help others as well. My school teaches me to be a good and evolved human being, to stay composed and progressive always. It also teaches me to be kind and generous to others and not differentiate them based on their caste, religion, ethnicity, or other divisions. These are some of the most essential personality traits that my school imparts to me, something that I will always be thankful for. Every time I think of my school, I think of it as a temple of education. A temple, where my soul meets education, making my life more meaningful and useful to society and the nation as well. It is a place where my aspirations get a wing and I get the strength and confidence to realize them. No other place in the entire world could replace my school and the role that it plays in my life. I will always be thankful to my friends, teachers, and the staff of my school, for making it such a comfortable and Educational place of learning.

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How to cite ChatGPT

Use discount code STYLEBLOG15 for 15% off APA Style print products with free shipping in the United States.

We, the APA Style team, are not robots. We can all pass a CAPTCHA test , and we know our roles in a Turing test . And, like so many nonrobot human beings this year, we’ve spent a fair amount of time reading, learning, and thinking about issues related to large language models, artificial intelligence (AI), AI-generated text, and specifically ChatGPT . We’ve also been gathering opinions and feedback about the use and citation of ChatGPT. Thank you to everyone who has contributed and shared ideas, opinions, research, and feedback.

In this post, I discuss situations where students and researchers use ChatGPT to create text and to facilitate their research, not to write the full text of their paper or manuscript. We know instructors have differing opinions about how or even whether students should use ChatGPT, and we’ll be continuing to collect feedback about instructor and student questions. As always, defer to instructor guidelines when writing student papers. For more about guidelines and policies about student and author use of ChatGPT, see the last section of this post.

Quoting or reproducing the text created by ChatGPT in your paper

If you’ve used ChatGPT or other AI tools in your research, describe how you used the tool in your Method section or in a comparable section of your paper. For literature reviews or other types of essays or response or reaction papers, you might describe how you used the tool in your introduction. In your text, provide the prompt you used and then any portion of the relevant text that was generated in response.

Unfortunately, the results of a ChatGPT “chat” are not retrievable by other readers, and although nonretrievable data or quotations in APA Style papers are usually cited as personal communications , with ChatGPT-generated text there is no person communicating. Quoting ChatGPT’s text from a chat session is therefore more like sharing an algorithm’s output; thus, credit the author of the algorithm with a reference list entry and the corresponding in-text citation.

When prompted with “Is the left brain right brain divide real or a metaphor?” the ChatGPT-generated text indicated that although the two brain hemispheres are somewhat specialized, “the notation that people can be characterized as ‘left-brained’ or ‘right-brained’ is considered to be an oversimplification and a popular myth” (OpenAI, 2023).

OpenAI. (2023). ChatGPT (Mar 14 version) [Large language model]. https://chat.openai.com/chat

You may also put the full text of long responses from ChatGPT in an appendix of your paper or in online supplemental materials, so readers have access to the exact text that was generated. It is particularly important to document the exact text created because ChatGPT will generate a unique response in each chat session, even if given the same prompt. If you create appendices or supplemental materials, remember that each should be called out at least once in the body of your APA Style paper.

When given a follow-up prompt of “What is a more accurate representation?” the ChatGPT-generated text indicated that “different brain regions work together to support various cognitive processes” and “the functional specialization of different regions can change in response to experience and environmental factors” (OpenAI, 2023; see Appendix A for the full transcript).

Creating a reference to ChatGPT or other AI models and software

The in-text citations and references above are adapted from the reference template for software in Section 10.10 of the Publication Manual (American Psychological Association, 2020, Chapter 10). Although here we focus on ChatGPT, because these guidelines are based on the software template, they can be adapted to note the use of other large language models (e.g., Bard), algorithms, and similar software.

The reference and in-text citations for ChatGPT are formatted as follows:

• Parenthetical citation: (OpenAI, 2023)
• Narrative citation: OpenAI (2023)

Let’s break that reference down and look at the four elements (author, date, title, and source):

Author: The author of the model is OpenAI.

Date: The date is the year of the version you used. Following the template in Section 10.10, you need to include only the year, not the exact date. The version number provides the specific date information a reader might need.

Title: The name of the model is “ChatGPT,” so that serves as the title and is italicized in your reference, as shown in the template. Although OpenAI labels unique iterations (i.e., ChatGPT-3, ChatGPT-4), they are using “ChatGPT” as the general name of the model, with updates identified with version numbers.

The version number is included after the title in parentheses. The format for the version number in ChatGPT references includes the date because that is how OpenAI is labeling the versions. Different large language models or software might use different version numbering; use the version number in the format the author or publisher provides, which may be a numbering system (e.g., Version 2.0) or other methods.

Bracketed text is used in references for additional descriptions when they are needed to help a reader understand what’s being cited. References for a number of common sources, such as journal articles and books, do not include bracketed descriptions, but things outside of the typical peer-reviewed system often do. In the case of a reference for ChatGPT, provide the descriptor “Large language model” in square brackets. OpenAI describes ChatGPT-4 as a “large multimodal model,” so that description may be provided instead if you are using ChatGPT-4. Later versions and software or models from other companies may need different descriptions, based on how the publishers describe the model. The goal of the bracketed text is to briefly describe the kind of model to your reader.

Source: When the publisher name and the author name are the same, do not repeat the publisher name in the source element of the reference, and move directly to the URL. This is the case for ChatGPT. The URL for ChatGPT is https://chat.openai.com/chat . For other models or products for which you may create a reference, use the URL that links as directly as possible to the source (i.e., the page where you can access the model, not the publisher’s homepage).

Other questions about citing ChatGPT

You may have noticed the confidence with which ChatGPT described the ideas of brain lateralization and how the brain operates, without citing any sources. I asked for a list of sources to support those claims and ChatGPT provided five references—four of which I was able to find online. The fifth does not seem to be a real article; the digital object identifier given for that reference belongs to a different article, and I was not able to find any article with the authors, date, title, and source details that ChatGPT provided. Authors using ChatGPT or similar AI tools for research should consider making this scrutiny of the primary sources a standard process. If the sources are real, accurate, and relevant, it may be better to read those original sources to learn from that research and paraphrase or quote from those articles, as applicable, than to use the model’s interpretation of them.

We’ve also received a number of other questions about ChatGPT. Should students be allowed to use it? What guidelines should instructors create for students using AI? Does using AI-generated text constitute plagiarism? Should authors who use ChatGPT credit ChatGPT or OpenAI in their byline? What are the copyright implications ?

On these questions, researchers, editors, instructors, and others are actively debating and creating parameters and guidelines. Many of you have sent us feedback, and we encourage you to continue to do so in the comments below. We will also study the policies and procedures being established by instructors, publishers, and academic institutions, with a goal of creating guidelines that reflect the many real-world applications of AI-generated text.

For questions about manuscript byline credit, plagiarism, and related ChatGPT and AI topics, the APA Style team is seeking the recommendations of APA Journals editors. APA Style guidelines based on those recommendations will be posted on this blog and on the APA Style site later this year.

Update: APA Journals has published policies on the use of generative AI in scholarly materials .

We, the APA Style team humans, appreciate your patience as we navigate these unique challenges and new ways of thinking about how authors, researchers, and students learn, write, and work with new technologies.

American Psychological Association. (2020). Publication manual of the American Psychological Association (7th ed.). https://doi.org/10.1037/0000165-000

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