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Intertextuality Essay

The document summarizes two songs - "When I Was Your Man" by Bruno Mars and "Flowers" by Miley Cyrus - and discusses how they use the literary device of intertextuality. In "When I Was Your Man," Bruno Mars regrets how he neglected his partner and wishes she finds happiness. In "Flowers," Miley Cyrus responds that she can make herself happy without needing flowers or attention from a man. The essay concludes that the songs are in dialogue with each other through intertextuality, though released 10 years apart, with one singer regretting his mistakes and the other asserting her independence.

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0% found this document useful (0 votes)
735 views2 pages

Intertextuality Essay

The document summarizes two songs - "When I Was Your Man" by Bruno Mars and "Flowers" by Miley Cyrus - and discusses how they use the literary device of intertextuality. In "When I Was Your Man," Bruno Mars regrets how he neglected his partner and wishes she finds happiness. In "Flowers," Miley Cyrus responds that she can make herself happy without needing flowers or attention from a man. The essay concludes that the songs are in dialogue with each other through intertextuality, though released 10 years apart, with one singer regretting his mistakes and the other asserting her independence.

Uploaded by

Sama Alkouni
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
Download as pdf or txt
Download as pdf or txt
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NOTES IN CLASS -26.FEB.

2023 SUNDAY

Summary of When I was your man:


Bruno Mars is regretting everything he didn't do for her ‘i should have bought you flowers”
the song will change and he is wishing her happiness “I hope he buys you flowers”
Summary of Flowers
Miley Cyrus is answering him ‘’I can buy myself flowers” she is saying that i dont need your
flowers, ‘talk to myself for hours” she dont need him to talk to her anymore she can talk to
herself, and understand herself more.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ESSAY ------26.FEB.2023

Intertextuality is a literary device that involves referencing, quoting or borrowing concepts or


ideas from other texts in a new work of art. It is a way to improve the meaning of a text by
connecting it to a larger cultural discussion. We will look at how intertextuality is used in the
songs "When I Was Your Man" by Bruno Mars and "Flowers" by Miley Cyrus in this essay.
The two songs are shown in each other as if the two singers are answering each other,
although there is a 10-year gap.

In “When I was your man” he was regretting how his relationship was ruined because of him
and he was regretting the way he was treating his partner and how he didn't give her enough
attention and didn't give her valuable things like flowers, nor spiritual things like listening to
her or dancing with her “That I should have bought you flowers And held your hand
should have gave you all my hour” and “ Take you to every party 'cause all you
wanted to do was dance Now my baby's dancing But she's dancing with another
man”. He was happy for her that she found a better man for her but he misses her after he
broke her heart and he never danced with her, but now she is dancing with someone that
loves her and she loves him. He was happy and sad; due to his ego and pride he broke up
and he is sad about that but he is happy that she became a strong woman. He realizes that
it’s his fault that they broke up and it was too late to realize that after she found the right man
for her. In the end, he wishes her that the man will treat her better than he treated her, “I
hope he buys you flowers I hope he holds your hand Give you all his hours When he
has the chance Take you to every party 'Cause I remember how much you loved to
dance Do all the things I should have done When I was your man”. He still remembers
what she likes and again blames himself for what he didn’t do for him, love.

In “Flowers” she is sad because they were good together, their love was like a dream that no
one can have “ we were good, we were gold kinda dream that can’t be sold”. They
started fighting and she couldnt get over it and couldn’t lie to herself anymore, all they build
from love and comfort they saw it burn as they fight, ” We were right 'til we weren't Built a
home and watched it burn Mm, I didn't wanna leave you I didn't wanna lie”. She wanted
to be weak and cry but then she remembered that she can do everything for herself, she
doesn't need a man to make her happy, she will make herself strong, happy, and
independent, and she can dance by herself, buy flowers to herself, hold her own hands, say
things and he won't understand because he doesn't know anything about her, and love
herself better than any man can. “Started to cry but then remembered I, I can buy myself
flowers Talk to myself for hours Say things you don't understand I can take myself
dancing And I can hold my own hand Yeah, I can love me better than you can”. He
wanted to break up not her, she loved him, and she didn't want to break up or fight, “I didn't
want to leave you I didn't wanna fight”.

In conclusion, The song “When I was your man” and “Flowers” both are intertextual, both of
the lyrics are in each other as if the singers are answering each other, although there is a
10-year gap. In “When I was your man” he was regretting not treating his love well and
giving her enough attention; he was blaming himself for their breakup, and he didn't give her
valuable nor spiritual things. In “Flowers” she was blaming him for not treating her well and
she was proud that she made herself better and she didn’t need any man to make her feel
happy, independent, and proud; She can do everything on her own.

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