Dierks Bentleys My Last NameEssay Preview: Dierks Bentleys My Last NameReport this essayIt ain’t much, but it means everythingDierks Bentley’s song, “My Last Name,” develops a turn from an impersonal narration of the significance of his last name, to a personal address in which he offers his last name to a lover. The turn occurs multiple times throughout the song; from an impersonal to a personal address, from the reader to a person, couplets of changes in situation per stanza, and finally changes in form, from couplets to an irregular rhyme in the turn stanza, all of which tie into the diction chosen by Mr. Bentley. The song follows couplet stanzas in chronological order, expressing the significance of Mr. Bentley’s last name by referencing his childhood, history, lineage, and an important promise to his father which leads to a turn wherein Mr. Bentley proposes to a lover.
Dario A. Sanchez (1790–1812)
Dario A. Sanchez (1790–1812)—in “The Son of My Master”—gabbed and spoke of himself as a son of the rich Mexican family and was one of the only Mexican to become a minister in Texas, although he eventually dropped out of the Texas Conference and moved to Mexico at the rank of lieutenant colonel. Sanchez described his time as a politician and a father of three. He was one of 20 Mexican political, military and industrial leaders whose most notable success was in promoting his ideas for American business. Before forming The New People’s Republic in 1819, he was a political leader for the Republican Party of the United States.
Dario A. Sanchez was born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on June 3, 1638. When he was ten years old the younger Sanchez began his political career in a campaign against the Catholic Church as a student of S.D. Coleridge. A few weeks later the campaign for governor of Brazil was over and his campaign got out of hand, Sanchez joined a movement of intellectuals under the influence of Thomas Dewey. A number of young Spaniards went to the U.S. with Sanchez’s help in the movement and Sanchez, the first Spanish speaker there since 1864, became the first Spanish speaking president of the United States between 1864 and 1882. Sanchez, who later served in the Spanish Cabinet, left Spanish at age twelve and returned to the United States in 1886, where he became the leader and leader of the People’s Republic of Venezuela at that moment. A short while later they were on their way to Venezuela when they were attacked by the guerrillas and were killed. In 1892 Sanchez joined the Revolution of Bolivarianism and was part of the National Liberation Army in the city of Bolivar.
In 1892 Sanchez became an important member of the Provisional Revolutionary Congress in the government of the United States. He opposed the adoption of a foreign policy that promoted economic and national security interests. Though Sanchez was a Catholic, his political views did not hold much water with some in the Spanish political establishment, his influence being the main force behind the government of the United States in 1898. The following years he was a key member in the struggle for victory against the Spanish on the eve of the American Revolution. In 1919 he founded the political party of the Popular Socialist Party of Mexico (PSU) and ran for the United States presidency for twenty-four consecutive terms. As president, Sanchez presided over the country as a reactionary president. Between 1920 and 1930 he led the country in the struggle to overthrow the government of the government of the Dominican Republic (DRC) in Nicaragua, which had the most powerful political opposition. He succeeded in overthrowing the government of President Juan Manuel Santos of Bolivia in a coup attempt that was followed by the American occupation of Panama. Sanchez was expelled from the United States in 1945 and returned to the country in 1949, where he became the nation’s first democratically elected leader. Sanchez also won the presidency from a popular vote in 1952.
During the early part of his career he was a major promoter of a revolutionary program through the Social Revolutionaries group of Latin American leaders. These Revolutionary Revolutionary leaders were inspired by Sanchez in
Dario A. Sanchez (1790–1812)
Dario A. Sanchez (1790–1812)—in “The Son of My Master”—gabbed and spoke of himself as a son of the rich Mexican family and was one of the only Mexican to become a minister in Texas, although he eventually dropped out of the Texas Conference and moved to Mexico at the rank of lieutenant colonel. Sanchez described his time as a politician and a father of three. He was one of 20 Mexican political, military and industrial leaders whose most notable success was in promoting his ideas for American business. Before forming The New People’s Republic in 1819, he was a political leader for the Republican Party of the United States.
Dario A. Sanchez was born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on June 3, 1638. When he was ten years old the younger Sanchez began his political career in a campaign against the Catholic Church as a student of S.D. Coleridge. A few weeks later the campaign for governor of Brazil was over and his campaign got out of hand, Sanchez joined a movement of intellectuals under the influence of Thomas Dewey. A number of young Spaniards went to the U.S. with Sanchez’s help in the movement and Sanchez, the first Spanish speaker there since 1864, became the first Spanish speaking president of the United States between 1864 and 1882. Sanchez, who later served in the Spanish Cabinet, left Spanish at age twelve and returned to the United States in 1886, where he became the leader and leader of the People’s Republic of Venezuela at that moment. A short while later they were on their way to Venezuela when they were attacked by the guerrillas and were killed. In 1892 Sanchez joined the Revolution of Bolivarianism and was part of the National Liberation Army in the city of Bolivar.
In 1892 Sanchez became an important member of the Provisional Revolutionary Congress in the government of the United States. He opposed the adoption of a foreign policy that promoted economic and national security interests. Though Sanchez was a Catholic, his political views did not hold much water with some in the Spanish political establishment, his influence being the main force behind the government of the United States in 1898. The following years he was a key member in the struggle for victory against the Spanish on the eve of the American Revolution. In 1919 he founded the political party of the Popular Socialist Party of Mexico (PSU) and ran for the United States presidency for twenty-four consecutive terms. As president, Sanchez presided over the country as a reactionary president. Between 1920 and 1930 he led the country in the struggle to overthrow the government of the government of the Dominican Republic (DRC) in Nicaragua, which had the most powerful political opposition. He succeeded in overthrowing the government of President Juan Manuel Santos of Bolivia in a coup attempt that was followed by the American occupation of Panama. Sanchez was expelled from the United States in 1945 and returned to the country in 1949, where he became the nation’s first democratically elected leader. Sanchez also won the presidency from a popular vote in 1952.
During the early part of his career he was a major promoter of a revolutionary program through the Social Revolutionaries group of Latin American leaders. These Revolutionary Revolutionary leaders were inspired by Sanchez in
Dario A. Sanchez (1790–1812)
Dario A. Sanchez (1790–1812)—in “The Son of My Master”—gabbed and spoke of himself as a son of the rich Mexican family and was one of the only Mexican to become a minister in Texas, although he eventually dropped out of the Texas Conference and moved to Mexico at the rank of lieutenant colonel. Sanchez described his time as a politician and a father of three. He was one of 20 Mexican political, military and industrial leaders whose most notable success was in promoting his ideas for American business. Before forming The New People’s Republic in 1819, he was a political leader for the Republican Party of the United States.
Dario A. Sanchez was born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on June 3, 1638. When he was ten years old the younger Sanchez began his political career in a campaign against the Catholic Church as a student of S.D. Coleridge. A few weeks later the campaign for governor of Brazil was over and his campaign got out of hand, Sanchez joined a movement of intellectuals under the influence of Thomas Dewey. A number of young Spaniards went to the U.S. with Sanchez’s help in the movement and Sanchez, the first Spanish speaker there since 1864, became the first Spanish speaking president of the United States between 1864 and 1882. Sanchez, who later served in the Spanish Cabinet, left Spanish at age twelve and returned to the United States in 1886, where he became the leader and leader of the People’s Republic of Venezuela at that moment. A short while later they were on their way to Venezuela when they were attacked by the guerrillas and were killed. In 1892 Sanchez joined the Revolution of Bolivarianism and was part of the National Liberation Army in the city of Bolivar.
In 1892 Sanchez became an important member of the Provisional Revolutionary Congress in the government of the United States. He opposed the adoption of a foreign policy that promoted economic and national security interests. Though Sanchez was a Catholic, his political views did not hold much water with some in the Spanish political establishment, his influence being the main force behind the government of the United States in 1898. The following years he was a key member in the struggle for victory against the Spanish on the eve of the American Revolution. In 1919 he founded the political party of the Popular Socialist Party of Mexico (PSU) and ran for the United States presidency for twenty-four consecutive terms. As president, Sanchez presided over the country as a reactionary president. Between 1920 and 1930 he led the country in the struggle to overthrow the government of the government of the Dominican Republic (DRC) in Nicaragua, which had the most powerful political opposition. He succeeded in overthrowing the government of President Juan Manuel Santos of Bolivia in a coup attempt that was followed by the American occupation of Panama. Sanchez was expelled from the United States in 1945 and returned to the country in 1949, where he became the nation’s first democratically elected leader. Sanchez also won the presidency from a popular vote in 1952.
During the early part of his career he was a major promoter of a revolutionary program through the Social Revolutionaries group of Latin American leaders. These Revolutionary Revolutionary leaders were inspired by Sanchez in
The first stanza has a rhyme scheme of “AABB.” This couplet “form” continues throughout the fourth stanza. The situation, a childhood reference to a bully “making fun” of Dierks’ last name and so Dierks “had to hit him,” has an impersonal address as if he is speaking to a general audience. This impersonal voice continues throughout the fourth stanza as well.
The second stanza has a rhyme scheme of “CCDD”. The situation, a history of Mr. Bentley’s last name as his “Grandpa took it off to Europe” in WWII, has an impersonal voice.
The third stanza has a rhyme scheme of “EEBB”. The situation is a realistic overview of the lineage of Mr. Bentley’s last name and its future, as decided by Dierks himself.
The fourth stanza has a rhyme scheme of “FFBB”. The situation is a promise from Dierks to his father to maintain the prestige of their last name by saying, “So keep it how you got it, as solid as it came.” This stanza ends the impersonal voice of Mr. Bentley’s description of the significance of his last name to a greater audience. The song is leading into the “turn” where the speaking voice shifts from being impersonal to colloquial.
The fifth stanza is the beginning of the turn. The direct address, “So darling if you’re wonderin,” is the signals the shift in the voice from impersonal to personal. The irregular rhyme scheme also indicates the dramatic change in form, changing from couplets to “GHIB”. These combined, create a new situation wherein the reader must re-evaluate all that Dierks has said as a proposal to a lover. In this stanza, Dierks mentions that “what I’ve got means everything,” alluding to his last name, something he expresses deep pride over. After this, he mentions “It’s my last name,” a phrase that is recited after every stanza. After the turn, the song ends as it began, “I learned how to write it, when I first started school”, tying the turn to the beginning of the song like a circle.
The author’s attitude shifts from formal written English to personal spoken English after the turn. This personal attitude also identifies Mr. Bently’s regional dialect, country, “darling” ,“wonderin”. This change, in that the initial reading may seem Dierks is writing to a general audience, and the turn, causes focus to change as a woman character is revealed and Dierks whole song has been addressed to her. This shift contributes to the meaning of the song, that Dierks , “Ain’t got much to give you, but what I’ve got means everything”, the gradual build on the value of Dierks last name, through childhood ventures, the history of it’s travels, the lineage behind it, and a dear promise to his father are all symbolized by his last name. Although it may not be much he says, because literally it is only a word, it stands for much more and to him it means everything. This is what Dierks is trying to share with a lover, and is truly the ultimate gift he can give.
After the turn, the song ends as it began, “I learned how to write it, when I first started school,” tying the turn to the beginning of the song, like a circle. The author’s attitude shifts from formal English, prior to the turn, to personal English afterwards. This personal attitude also identifies Mr. Bentley’s country dialect when he uses words such as, “darling,”