The Eternal Flame Essay, Research Paper
The
Allegoric Claim.Being a poet and songwriter, when I write using a
symbol it usually has an allegoric meaning, in fact, every single object I use
in either my lyrics or my poetry has a secondary meaning.? In all the songs I have wrote, I have
explained in my own notes the exact meaning of the symbol, and this is
necessary because some symbols have more than one meaning for me.? One of the most symbolic object I use is the
‘Eternal Flame’.? In the following page,
I will describe to you what my perception, indeed, my understanding of exactly
what the ‘Eternal Flame’ is.I first come across the concept of the ‘Eternal
Flame’ from a song, appropriately called ‘Eternal Flame’ by the Bangles.? In the song they use the ‘Eternal Flame’ as
an allegory, and I thought what is an ‘Eternal Flame’, and in reality can it
actually exist.? These are two questions
that I set about answering for myself.? I done numerous experiments to actually see what an
‘Eternal Flame’ looked like, but of course, the flames of matches and candles
burnt out.? You may ask why do
experiments, I had to do the experiments to prove that no flame in reality is
eternal, that was until I thought about it.?
There was one flame I knew that had never gone out since I knew it, and
I know it may sound stupid, but that flame was the flame in my house’s boiler
system.? The heart of the house.? I thought about this, and I imagined the
house as a person and thought what is the flame?? Is the flame the heart, or the brain, or the lungs of the human
being?? I arrived at the answer to that
question, the answer being none of them.?
Then I thought about a letter from my Best Friend, Ash, it had a list of
the fundamentals of life, and the answer was there, as was the infrastructure
of my whole philosophy, the ‘Eternal Flame’ is Faith.? When I say Faith, I mean everlasting faith in terms of the
‘Eternal Flame’.? And Faith is fuelled
by Happiness and Unity.Of course, you might not agree with my
interpretation of the ‘Eternal Flame’, but hey, this is my piece of paper.After coming to that conclusion, that the ‘Eternal
Flame’ was Faith, I compared the two, the ‘Eternal Flame’ can never go out
otherwise it cannot be eternal, and Faith can never disappear because it is not
physical, both can dim or be subdued, but neither can disappear.Now you know the general meaning of the phrase
‘Eternal Flame’ when I use it, but it always has to be taken in context, I
could be talking about the Faith in Allah to your Faith in Love.I will take two examples of lyrics of mine,Extract One’I want you always and forever, (name) let us be together, Like an eternal flame, let’s ignite, And in the darkest of all the nights, We will stay forever so, so bright, We’ll make the sun look like, The darkest night’???????????????????? ??????????????????????????????????????????????? (Extract
from: ‘When I See- The Princess of Dreams’)Extract Two’The flame that burns is so bright, It puts up against a wind, In a duel, In a fight, And as it wins, it burns all night, Showing its glorious might,Now let you be the flame, The flame that never goes out, The eternal flame, try it out’ ??????????????????????????????????????????????? (Extract
from: ‘DN’ part of Smile)Extract One uses the ‘Flame’ as an allegory for
Love, Faith in Love however many critics of my lyrics say it is an allegory for
Eroticism.? See, there are two opinions
of what the ‘Eternal Flame’ is, both have their roots.? My interpretation of this is; Have more
faith in love, let’s make start a relationship of Love (ignite), and even when
things aren’t going right in this world (darkest… nights), we will be happy
because we have Faith in Love and we will be together (bright), we will be the
best (sun like night).? My critics, and
there are many of them, say that in this section I use the ‘Flame’ for
Eroticism, basically sex.? Let us have
sex (ignite) and when we are in intercourse, that usually happens at night
(darkest night),? it will be the best
feeling (bright), and life will come out for both of us (sun night).? Of course my interpretation is much more
detailed than it is here, but I am sure you understand my point that the
‘Eternal Flame’ changes in meaning with the context.Extract Two uses the ‘Flame’ in the pure sense of
the meaning, Faith.? Faith is tested by
things, people (which I would say is rain because each rain drop would stand
for a person although I didn’t use this in these lyrics) and events (the wind)
and Faith has to fight these tests face on, through thick and thin, through the
hardships we face, indeed, as I have faced in this year with my family, and
eventually, you will come through and be the best and able to show your
colours, able to progress in this world.?
The ‘Eternal Flame’ here means that you mustn’t give up at any cost no
matter what the odds, just keep plugging away and you will get your just
reward.