- published: 11 Jun 2013
- views: 25591
A memoir (from French: mémoire: memoria, meaning memory, or reminiscence), is a literary genre, forming a subclass of autobiography – although the terms 'memoir' and 'autobiography' are almost interchangeable. Memoir is autobiographical writing, but not all autobiographical writing follows the criteria for memoir set out below. The author of a memoir may be referred to as a memoirist.
Memoirs are structured differently from formal autobiographies which tend to encompass the writer's entire life span, focusing on the development of his or her personality. The chronological scope of a memoir is determined by the work's context and is therefore more focused and flexible than the traditional arc of birth to old age as found in an autobiography.
Memoirs tended to be written by politicians or people in court society, later joined by military leaders and businessmen, and often dealt exclusively with the writer's careers rather than their private life. Historically, memoirs have dealt with public matters, rather than personal. Many older memoirs contain little or no information about the writer, and are almost entirely concerned with other people. Modern expectations have changed this, even for heads of government. Like most autobiographies, memoirs are generally written from the first person point of view.
There is music and laughter lately
and there's prayers and praise there
are reasons to be so happy and beliefs to embrace
there are times to be so angry I'd rather lie in the sun
It's the summer of my lifetime
I've been blessed with some fun
I'm a season past springtime
and my life has gone boom
keep my eyes on the Father
everything is in bloom
Everything will just get better
through the seasons I'll roam
when all of the music's over
I will get to go home
I don't need theology
to know that God's been good to me
He's given me a family
and a place to lay my head
Flung into the great unknown
I was walking on my own
now I'll never walk alone
if I did I would be dead
I can't use it all myself
so I take it off the shelf here it is,
enjoy yourself put away your drudgery,
use it up,
there's always more
that's what it's intended for
be the Lord's ambassador