"I Will Always Love You"

Dolly Parton is one of the most popular female Country vocalists of all time. She is an American Country music super-star, author, philanthropist, instrumentalist, actress, and singer-songwriter. Years after her birth on January 19, 1946; this Country diva rightfully earned her title as, "The Queen of Country Music." Describing her family as, "dirt poor" the dream for Dolly seemed nearly impossible. However, impossible turned into reality for Dolly. Now, she is tied with Reba McEntire as female Country artists with number one singles in four consecutive decades. With her many other number one hits, "I Will Always Love You" topped the charts in 1974 and is a classic well known by millions of people.

Twenty years later; pop sensation Whitney Houston performed, "I Will Always Love You," and made the songs one of the best-selling singles in music history. Growing up in New Jersey, Whitney was part of a middle class family. Her love of singing was inspired by her mother, Cissy Houston. Cissy would perform at numerous nightclubs and Whitney would occasionally get on stage with her mother and perform as well. In a New York City nightclub, Whitney's thirst for fame became a reality. World renowned record producer, Clive Davis, offered Houston a worldwide recording contract which Houston, to no surprise, signed.

Although, "I Will Always Love You" is a very well known song among millions of people, it is very simplistic when it comes to poetic devices. The few poetic devices that the song contains are objectification and cliche. Dolly wrote this song, and it was probably targeted toward somebody. She frequently uses personal pronouns such as, "I" or "we." By using these personal pronouns, Dolly write the song in first person narrative. When expressing how she is feeling, Dolly wrote; "Bitter-sweet memories/That's all I'm taking with me" (Parton). Objectification, the process by which an abstract concept is treated as if it is a concrete thing of physical object, is used to convey how she will have to take all of the memories that she has had with somebody who she loved very much, and leave with them. Again, Parton uses objectification when she says, "And I hope love, will treat you kind" (Parton). Irony is a major poetic device which is used throughout the whole song. Dolly's song is about how she will always love this person but, in reality, she is leaving that person. The final poetic device used by Parton, cliche, is used when she repeatedly says, "I will always love you" (Parton). Cliche is an overused expression or phrase, "I will always love you" is sort of like a cliche because it is used by everyone. However, just because Parton's song contains very few poetic devices does not mean that is is not good.

You may ask, who sang it better? The truth is, in each of these artists' ways, they captured a different essence of the song each time. Some think Dolly Parton may have sung it better, others believe Whitney Houston did. There really is no answer to that question because it depends on which version you prefer. Dolly Parton connected to the more emotional part of the song. Seeing as though she wrote the song, it is attached to a special place in her heart which made it easier for her to connect to. The way in which she sings and speaks at certain times throughout the song helps convey her emotions. However, Whitney Houston took a different approach to the song. Using her powerhouse vocals, Houston belts the song and has made it her own. The way in which Houston sings it is more current, and is better known by this generation. Although both of these artists have their own style, they each convey the overall meaning of the song.

Dolly Parton's "I Will Always Love You" is a classic, well known by everyone. However, Whitney Houston's cover made it more popular. Parton's version of the songs is more emotionally connected to her and all of her lyrics come from the heart. Houston's cover is flawless and her powerhouse vocals have made the song what it is to this day. All in all, both versions of this song are amazing and Dolly Parton and Whitney Houston can both be easily considered musical virtuosos.