The old and the new

I believe a person’s citizenship doesn’t reflect the love he has for a place of residence or his feelings for the country. Which is why I think one person that has spend extensive time in more then one place is more then capable of accurately representing two different countries it can even be more then just two.  I think home is where the heart is and if you was able to have your heart in more then one place that you should be able to feel the pride, joy and sorrow of whatever place your heart belong to or has at one time belong to. 

In Tagore Bangladesh National Anthem he is talking more about the spiritual and the natural beauty of the country. Describing the land and the how different seasons affect it and how in any season there is beauty to the country.  From what I learned the Anthem was written in “1906 during the British partitioning of Bengal which was a great time of unrest for the nation”.  Which kind of makes sense to keep people at ease to remind people that even if there is some uncertainty just look at the land and enjoy what it has to offer. While the last line plays into the theme of the unrest that is going on when it says that “ if sadness, Oh mother mine, casts a gloom on your face, my eyes are filled with tears!”  I feel what he is saying that there that if the British come and mess up the beauty of this country is going to become dark all the beauty the nature has giving this country is going to disappear and people will lose all the joy in life and there country.  From my vision of Bangladesh and from the description that the anthem gave me I think it does represent the culture for which it was written from the beauty of the land to sadness of it being taken over by the British.

 

Tagore India National Anthem is different from the Bangladesh because while the Bangladesh National Anthem spoke more of the natural side of the country talking about physical things like blossom fields, trees and banks of rivers the India once is more of a religious theme to it.  While a small portion of the anthem describes the natural beauty of India what stand out the most to me is “ ruler of the minds of all people” and “ they pray for your blessing and sing thy praise” both of does lines express a religious feeling to the anthem. Because India holds a great variety of ethnic groups song like that was a great way to unite the country because it spoke of a universal spirit. The anthem was officially adopted two days before the republic was declared which is perfect to combine all the different people that were part of that country.  As in the Bangladesh National Anthem I believe that the Indian National Anthem also represents the culture for which it was written for because it united the many different people that was about to create there own nation.

 

I believe that Americans are still very patriotic but I don’t think the anthem really represents the culture anymore. While you still have a lot of people who have the America flag raised from their windows. I think today’s culture is more interested in raising stock market prices and the next reality tv personality to obsess over. While I am writing this in a middle of a war I think most of the nation is more worried about the housing market and what new trend Paris Hilton will come up with. So while the Star Spangled Banner lyrics are beautiful I don’t know if the are as profound as the day the poem was written.

Beautiful View, Beautiful Mind.

Tagone used two different value concepts in creating the national anthems for two countries – for India, it is a religious approach; for Bangladesh, it is a patriotic expression. It should be not a controversial issue because India and Bangladesh were one nation before. In Tagone’s mind, these two countries have people hold the same religion and same natural view, as he described in the Bangladesh’s national anthem, should not be differenced by the political reason. In India’s national anthem, it mentions Bengal as one of the blessed districts by the “dispenser of India’s destiny”. Developed at 1906, “My Bengal of gold” is a poem for urging people get together. He praised how beautiful Bengal is. The mango grove, full-blossomed paddy fields, and the banyan trees, are all over Bengal and India. His tears were for the war of Bengal’s breakdown. His sadness was the hurt of the country he loved.
The United States national anthem is war-based. It sings in a praise of American solders’ glorify. It also emphases American’s motto: “In God is our trust.” This sprite is still alive in most American’s hearts. For freedom, people are willing to give up everything including their lives. That is why America named the United States-the states made Federal, not federal made the states. Also, I am amazed the positive attitudes American remain as usual in the down times. This spirit should never expire in the U.S. culture. Today, the United States as the most influence country in the world, I believe exaggerating how we embracing the diversity and all the advantages of people’s innovation can be the points to the new national anthem.

Haiti/Dominican Republic

Haiti
For our country, For our forefathers, United let us march. Let there be no traitors in our ranks! Let us be masters of our soil. United let us march For our country, For our forefathers. For our forebears, For our country Let us toil joyfully. May the fields be fertile And our souls take courage. Let us toil joyfully For our forebears, For our country.
For our country And for our forefathers, Let us train our sons. Free, strong, and prosperous, We shall always be as brothers. Let us train our sons For our country
And for our forefathers. For our forebears, For our country, Oh God of the valiant!
Take our rights and our life Under your infinite protection, Oh God of the valiant!
For our forebears, For our country. For the flag, For our country To die is a fine thing!
Our past cries out to us: Have a disciplined soul! To die is a fine thing, For the flag,
For our country.

Dominican Republic
Brave men of Quisqueya, Let us sing with strong feeling And let us show to the world
Our invincible, glorious banner. Hail, O people who, strong and intrepid, Launched into war and went to death! Under a warlike menace of death, You broke your chains of slavery. No country deserves to be free If it is an indolent and servile slave, If the call does not grow loud within it, Tempered by a virile heroism. But the brave and indomitable Quisqueya Will always hold its head high, For if it were a thousand times enslaved, It would a thousand times regain freedom.

The Haitian and the Dominican national anthem are both war based anthems. This is not surprising seeing as both countries have fought violently to declare their independence. These two countries are also neighbors because they share geographical locations, however there themes are different.
The Haitian anthem has a religious side to it. God is mentioned throughout the anthem as a way of saying that they are righteous for willing to die for their country. The mentioning of God also displays faith which coincides with the country’s culture today where religion plays a major part of these people daily lives. The anthem places a strong emphasis on unity which I think was done on purpose to reflect that without unity their independence might not have been possible. The Haitian anthem also pays homage to their ancestors and I think again this is because their ancestor fought to free them. The Haitian anthem idolizes the Independence that they had gain approximately 100 years before the anthem was written. This anthem I think was written specifically to reflect the country’s independence that it fought so hard to attain.
The Dominican Anthem also reflects their independence, but this anthem takes a very aggressive and brash approach. Claiming that it didn’t matter how many times they were enslaved, they had the courage and strength to once again be free. You can also feel the self pride that they have about themselves for having achieved such a daunting task of obtaining freedom. However while the Haitian anthem appeals to religion and unity this anthem focuses mainly on how strong their people are for having achieved freedom. I don’t think the Dominican Republic anthem accurately reflect Dominican’s culture today because the country has a very diverse culture and war like aggression is not one of them.

Dominican & Panamanian Anthems

Dominican & Panamanian Anthems!
By the time the Dominican anthem was created (1900), 66 years had passed since its liberation from the Haitian domination. In our history our country is allocated more than once as a colony. We had to fight more in several occasions against bigger countries that controlled our economy, our politics, and our social environment. This is why the basis of our anthem is patriotism. Emilio Prud’Homme established liberty as a principle. Liberty for us is what equality is for North Americans. We haven’t been colony for any other country since our Independence; however we’ve had some dictatorial governments, which have broken this important principle.
I do think this anthem truly represents Dominicans because as many of you may have noticed, Dominicans are characterized for being very attached (and some of them proud) of being Dominicans. And that’s the whole sense of the anthem, demonstrate our unity & freedom.

The Panamanian Anthem also resembles the principle of liberation. I guess that since latin American countries have been victims of foreign domination, once they become free they feel the need of shouting to the world: WE ARE FREE!! And more than that, they want to encourage their citizens to value what previous generations did for today’s country. They don’t want the history to be forgotten. The blood spilled by the fighters must be valued & appreciated. There is something that called my attention about this anthem:
“Ahead, with spade and stone-mason's hammer!
To work, without more delay!
In this way we shall be the honour and glory
Of this fertile land of Columbus.”
The writer knew about the richness of Panama’s Land. And he didn’t hesitate to encourage people to work and fight for a better economy. And indeed Panama has grown much & become very powerful of the best resource they have: their geography, the Panama Canal. So this anthem does reflect what this country is based upon.

Tagore Anthems

I feel it is possible for a writer to accurately represent two different countries. You don’t need to be a citizen of that country to understand the culture, way of life and mood of the place. All a person has to do is stay in that place and know what is going on there to write about it.
The Indian Nation considers the people to be the most valuable thing. The anthem refers to people in different states of India and their feelings towards their country. The references to the pride the people have for their country is clear. The anthem was written December 27, 1911. I can’t say whether this anthem accurately represents India, but it does capture the pride this country feels for their homeland.
Bangladesh national anthem gives a sense of love and unity. The words flow very nicely together giving the anthem a very calming reassuring tone. The nation holds valuable its people and national pride. The idea of unity happiness and love is very prevalent. The anthem was written in 1906 during a difficult period, the Partition of Bengal. The anthem reflects the pain of what was happening and the future the country was trying to move towards.

Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico

Anthem of the Dominican Republic

Brave men of Quisqueya, Let us sing with strong feeling And let us show to the world Our invincible, glorious banner. Hail, O people who, strong and intrepid, Launched into war and went to death! Under a warlike menace of death, You broke your chains of slavery. No country deserves to be free If it is an indolent and servile slave, If the call does not grow loud within it, Tempered by a virile heroism. But the brave and indomitable Quisqueya Will always hold its head high, For if it were a thousand times enslaved, It would a thousand times regain freedom.

Anthem of Puerto Rico

The land of Borinquen, where I was born, is a flower-garden of magical brilliance. An ever-clear sky is its canopy, and the waves sing lullabies at its feet. When Columbus reached these beaches, full of awe he exclaimed, "This is the lovely land that I seek."Borinquén is the daughter of the sea and the sun. the sea and the sun. the sea and the sun. the sea and the sun. the sea and the sun.

These two anthems of theses to different countries are very different. The Dominican Republic focuses more on freedom and how it praises those who fought the enslaved. And no matter how many times or how long the Dominican Republic will be enslaved it will over and over again regain it's freedom. The Puerto Rican anthem focuses more on how beautiful it's land and beaches are and how Columbus was able to reach this land and describe how lovely it is. It doesn't mention anything about freedom or it's people, unlike the Dominican Republic and our national anthem. But then again maybe the Puerto Rican anthem can also be projecting how proud the people are that their land is so beautiful and this can also symbolize unity.
I think that the Dominican Republic anthem represents it's culture and it's history. A former president of the Dominican Republic named Rafael Trujillo who ran presidency till his death was a dictator. He had so much power and according to my "family stories" he used his power using terrorizing the Dominican and Haitian people. He would send his troops so kill thousands of Haitians so that they will not be able to interfere or try to enter the Dominican Republic. This period was so devasting for these people. The Dominican people assissnated Trujillo and still till this day his stories are still told. I think that for that period around the 1930 and on this anthem reflects how opressed these people were and how they fought for their freedom. And this is why they will keep fighting to regain their freedom.

Anthems Trinidad and Guyana

Trinidad
Forged from the love of liberty
In the fires of hope and prayer
With boundless faith in our destiny
We solemnly declare:
Side by side we stand
Islands of the blue Caribbean sea,
This our native land
We pledge our lives to thee.
Here every creed and race finds an equal place,
And may God bless our nation
Here every creed and race finds an equal place,
And may God bless our nation.

Guyana
Dear land of Guyana, of rivers and plains,
Made rich by the sunshine, and lush by the rains.
Set gem-like and fair, between mountains and sea,
Your children salute you, dear land of the free.
Green land of Guyana, our heroes of yore,
Both bondsmen and free, laid their bones on your shore.
This soil so they hallowed, and from them are we,
All sons of one mother, Guyana the free.
Great land of Guyana, diverse though our strains,
We are born of their sacrifice, heirs of their pains.
And ours is the glory their eyes did not see,
One land of six peoples, united and free.
Dear land of Guyana, to you will we give,
Our homage, our service, each day that we live.
God guard you, Great Mother, and make us to be
More worthy our heritage, land of the free.

I picked the Trinidadian and Guyanese anthems because of their similar background in the Commonwealth. Both countries have an English speaking African/ Indian Majority. The landmasses are located in the Caribbean Sea the only difference in the two landmasses are that Trinidad and Tobago are islands versus Guyana which is contained part of South America. However they have different anthems like sister countries Bengal and India. Guyana's anthem is comprised of a concentration of the violent freedom of their countries and the blessings of their lush country. Trinidad's anthem consist more of Unity, Liberty, and Equality.

It is strange that both countries have very different anthems yet they are very similar in background. Looking further detail into both countries histories there is a reason as to why there are strong differences in the anthems. Trinidad and Guyana became independent states in the 1960s. They are considered the beauties of their respective areas. Yet the violence involved in Guyanese anthem is related to the fight for freedom but it is not because of their secession from the British Empire rather it is because of the indentured states which basically enslaved the mass population, not to say that Trinidad is not comprised of the same population but the difference is this indentured state lasted longer in Guyana. Also there is constant border disputes with rival Suriname. The Guyanese population does consist of a violent past, many elections held in the state were comprised of violent riots. Upon further inspection of the Trinidadian anthem, one can see that it seeks unity not just between the people but between the two island states that make up the country, something that Guyana does not have with its neighboring states.

While both states seek and maintain their freedom Trinidad keeps a harmonious anthem versus Guyana who has a war based anthem. The societal place of an anthem keeps the population united and proud. It is interesting to see to neighboring states sharing the same difference in characteristics as the Indian and Bengali anthems. These two anthems are both beautiful and representative of their respective countries.