The definition of a memoir is a retelling or recount of a life lived, often in book or movie form. When you write the history of your life in a book, this is an example of a memoir. Mem‧oir /ˈmemwɑː $ -wɑːr/ ●○○ noun countable 1 → memoirs 2 formal a short piece of writing about a person or place that you knew well, or an event that you experienced Examples from the Corpus memoir. And I have written a memoir trying to explain my ongoing fascination with her life and work. Show English Meaning(+) Noun (1) an account of the author's personal experiences (2) an essay on a scientific or scholarly topic. A memoir may skip around or only cover one or two events. Purpose - An autobiography's purpose is to inform a reader or record events. A memoir's purpose is to explore a theme and pass on insights. Length - An autobiography is generally a book-length manuscript. A memoir can be any length, from a personal essay of a few pages to an entire book. ? Memoir Definition A memoir is an account of your experiences related to events from your personal life or history that you witnessed. A memoir is sometimes also called an autobiography, as the two terms share the same meaning to some extent.
- Memoir In English Definition
- Examples Of A Memoir
- Meaning Of Memoir In English Dictionary
- Meaning Of English Names
- What Is A Memoir
Title page of Henry Thoreau's memoir, Walden (1854)
A memoir (/ˈmɛmwɑːr/;[1] from French: mémoire: memoria, meaning memory or reminiscence) is any nonfictionnarrative writing based in the author's personal memories.[2][3] The assertions made in the work are thus understood to be factual. While memoir has historically been defined as a subcategory of biography or autobiography since the late 20th century, the genre is differentiated in form, presenting a narrowed focus. A biography or autobiography tells the story 'of a life', while a memoir often tells the story of a particular event or time, such as touchstone moments and turning points from the author's life. The author of a memoir may be referred to as a memoirist or a memorialist.
Early memoirs[edit]
Memoirs have been written since the ancient times, as shown by Julius Caesar's Commentarii de Bello Gallico, also known as Commentaries on the Gallic Wars. In the work, Caesar describes the battles that took place during the nine years that he spent fighting local armies in the Gallic Wars. His second memoir, Commentarii de Bello Civili (or Commentaries on the Civil War) is an account of the events that took place between 49 and 48 BC in the civil war against Gnaeus Pompeius and the Senate. The noted Libanius, teacher of rhetoric who lived between an estimated 314 and 394 AD, framed his life memoir as one of his literary orations, which were written to be read aloud in the privacy of his study. This kind of memoir refers to the idea in ancient Greece and Rome, that memoirs were like 'memos', or pieces of unfinished and unpublished writing, which a writer might use as a memory aid to make a more finished document later on.
The Sarashina Nikki is an example of an early Japanese memoir, written in the Heian period. A genre of book writing, Nikki Bungaku, emerged during this time.
In the Middle Ages, Geoffrey of Villehardouin, Jean de Joinville, and Philippe de Commines wrote memoirs, while the genre was represented toward the end of the Renaissance, through the works of Blaise de Montluc and Margaret of Valois, that she was the first woman to write her Memoirs in modern-style.[4]
Until the Age of Enlightenment encompassing the 17th and 18th centuries, works of memoir were written by Anthony Ashley-Cooper, 1st Earl of Shaftesbury; François de La Rochefoucauld, Prince de Marcillac of France; and Louis de Rouvroy, duc de Saint-Simon, who wrote Memoirs at his family's home at the castle of La Ferté-Vidame. While Saint-Simon was considered a writer possessing a high level of skill for narrative and character development, it wasn't until well after his death that his work as a memoirist was recognized, resulting in literary fame.[5]
From the eighteenth century[edit]
An excerpt from the manuscript 'Memoires on Napoleon's campaigns, experienced as a soldier of the second regiment', written by Joseph Abbeel, 1805-1815.[6]
Over the latter half of the 18th through the mid-20th century, memoirists generally included those who were noted within their chosen profession. These authors wrote as a way to record and publish their own account of their public exploits. Authors included politicians or people in court society and were later joined by military leaders and businessmen. An exception to these models is Henry David Thoreau's 1854 memoir Walden, which presents his experiences over the course of two years in a cabin he built near Walden Pond.
Twentieth-century war memoirs became a genre of their own, including, from the First World War, Ernst Jünger (Storm of Steel) and Frederic Manning's Her Privates We. Memoirs documenting incarceration by Nazi Germany during the war include Primo Levi's If This Is a Man, which covers his arrest as a member of the Italian Resistance Movement, followed by his life as a prisoner in Auschwitz; and Elie Wiesel's Night, which is based on his life prior to and during his time in the Auschwitz, Buna Werke, and Buchenwald concentration camps.
Memoirs today[edit]
Memoir In English Definition
In the early 1990s, memoirs written by ordinary people experienced a sudden upsurge, as an increasing number of people realized that their ancestors’ and their own stories were about to disappear, in part as a result of the opportunities and distractions of technological advances. At the same time, psychology and other research began to show that familiarity with genealogy helps people find their place in the world and that life review helps people come to terms with their own past.[7]
With the advent of inexpensive digital book production in the first decade of the 21st century,[8] the genre exploded. Memoirs written as a way to pass down a personal legacy, rather than as a literary work of art or historical document, are emerging as a personal and family responsibility.[9]
The Association of Personal Historians was a trade association for professionals who assisted individuals, families, and organizations in documenting their life stories.[10] It dissolved in 2017.
Collections[edit]
With the expressed interest of preserving history through the eyes of those who lived it, some organizations work with potential memoirists to bring their work to fruition. The Veterans History Project, for example, compiles the memoirs of those who have served in a branch of the United States Armed Forces – especially those who have seen active combat.[11]
Academia[edit]
The term 'memoir' has been used in an academic context to describe an essay on a learned subject. Examples include explanatory texts accompanying geologic maps.[12]
See also[edit]
Look up memoir in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. |
References[edit]
- ^'memoir noun - Definition, pictures, pronunciation and usage notes'. www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com.
- ^'memoir'. Merriam-Webster.com. Merriam-Webster. July 5, 2015.
- ^'memoir'. Oxford Dictionaries. Oxford University Press. July 5, 2015.
- ^(in French) Viennot, Éliane, Marguerite de Valois et l'écriture de l'histoire, 1574-1614, Études Épistémè, 17, spring 2010.
- ^Saintsbury, George (1911). Saint-Simon, Louis de Rouvroy, Duc de, In Chisholm, Hugh. Encyclopædia Britannica, 24 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press, pp. 47, 48.
- ^'Gedenkschriften over Napoleon's veldtochten, meegemaakt als soldaat bij het 2e regiment carabiniers te paard, 1805-1815'. lib.ugent.be. Retrieved 2020-08-28.
- ^Ledoux, Denis (2006). Turning Memories Into Memoirs: A Handbook for Writing LIfestories. Writer. ISBN978-0974277349.
- ^Henke, Harold (2001). Electronic Books and ePublishing: A Practical Guide for Authors. Springer Science & Business Media. ISBN978-1852334352. Retrieved 2014-12-12.
- ^Balzer, Paula (2011). Writing & Selling Your Memoir: How to Craft Your Life Story So That Somebody Else Will Actually Want to Read It. Writer. ISBN978-1599631356. Retrieved 2019-08-28.
- ^Wright, Chris (2002-01-17). 'Ordinary people'. The Phoenix. Phoenix Media/Communications Group.
- ^'Veterans History Project (Library of Congress)'. loc.gov.
- ^https://www.worldcat.org/title/amani-memoirs-a-provisional-soil-map-of-east-africa-kenya-uganda-tanganyika-and-zanzibar-with-explanatory-memoir/oclc/6022506
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Memoirs. |
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If you are having a hard time writing your memoir, you should check out memoir examples that we've prepared for you. These wonderful samples will show you what a truly good memoir is and what it might look like. We've also explained what a memoir is, chose interesting tips, and provided a memoir essay structure for you.
? Memoir Definition
A memoir is an account of your experiences related to events from your personal life or history that you witnessed.
A memoir is sometimes also called an autobiography, as the two terms share the same meaning to some extent.
But here’s the deal:
There is a slight difference between writing a memoir and writing an autobiography, and it is important to truly understand it in order to benefit most from reading an example of memoir.
Let’s have a look at this difference!
Memoir Versus Autobiography
Autobiography | Memoir |
Focuses on the author’s entire life | Describes just a certain part of the author’s life |
Tells about famous people's lives | Can tell anyone’s story |
Is structured chronologically, covering the author’s life from birth to death | Can be focused on one or several periods and do not have a strict chronological order |
Focus on pure fact | Carry the emotional side of life |
Writing your memoirs is an excellent exercise and a good start for a beginning author.
You can learn from it different approaches to captivating readers, develop a skill to express emotions in the right way, and train your writing style.
And what is more pleasant:
After practicing this assignment for some time, you can know how to write a memoir book.
![Books Books](https://booklife.com/image-factory/http/localhost/amazongetcover/9780465060696.jpg/w204.jpg)
If you want to read about other types of assignments, read Overnight Essay blog. We can also help you to write your paper of any complexity.
? Memoir Tips
A person who writes a memoir is a memoirist or… simply a student who has been assigned this task. No matter to which category you belong, the following memoir writing tips will help you write a killer memoir sample:
- choose an intriguing title (something like The Other Side of Me or A Day to Remember); it can help you a lot to interest the audience;
- express your personal opinions and impressions (use for instance: to my mind, in my opinion, it seems, it turned out that, etc.);
- add a lot of sensory details (for example, instead of simply stating that a girl had an angry look on her face, you can specify that her face reddened and her teeth were clenched – these are valuable observations, which can make your description more vivid);
- write about memories that are important for you – it's impossible to write a good memoir without feeling a deep connection between yourself and the situation which you describe;
- be yourself when writing a memoir – you can hide your point of view in many academic writings, but this type of work requires you to be honest and show your personal traits;
- choose a proper tone and try to maintain it throughout your memoir essay – it’s an excellent exercise to develop your writing style;
- do research, even if you remember the situation, try to collect as much information as you could, including your friends' commentaries, photos, blog posts – everything that can reveal more details;
- take care about your memoir idea – whether your writing is funny, well-structured, or creative and unusual, it means nothing if you don't put a message in it.
The most famous memoir books are based on the principles listed above. Keeping to them, you can create a masterpiece or, at least, get an A at your college.
But that isn’t all we can offer you:
You can find even more truly good ideas for your memoir in this list of informative speech topics for college students.
?️ Memoir Examples to Your Attention
Finally, you can observe these memoir writing examples to know how to write one yourself.
Of course, you can use these memoir ideas, but reading these samples can also give you enough inspiration to develop your own paper from the very beginning.
Let’s begin. Duplicate files sweeper.
My Pursuit of Happiness
Actually, I started my pursuit of happiness as soon as I came into this world. My Mom says that I was an extremely capricious baby – I could cry out loud for a rather long period of time until all my demands were satisfied. A little terrorist, with large rainy eyes and a loud voice, I was! Later on, as I grew up, I preserved my willingness to do everything to get what I wanted, but I learned some new and more effective methods of achieving my goals.
I remember that, when I was 4 years old, I wanted to have a dog. Absolutely nothing, even my allergy to dogs, could prevent me from making my dream come true…
Comment: Thetitle is captivating – it sets the tone, but it does not reveal all the secrets. This example of a memoir contains some self-criticism. The author sounds truly sincere when s/he calls himself (herself) a terrorist.
A Revolution at School
The events of that sunny spring day turned out to change the course of history at our school. I am proud of being one of the revolutionaries who drove the change.
The problem was our school uniform, which was more or less bearable in winter but became a cause of students' torture in spring because it was too hot.
This is why the girls from our class agreed to wear jeans instead of the uniform one day, to show our protest against the silly school rule of wearing the uniform even when it was too hot for it. We felt a bit scared before the beginning of the first lesson. Mrs. Stone, our Geography teacher, had to be the first to see our silent protest…
Comment: The authorexpresses his/her feelings and emotions about an important event at school. Note that this sample memoir focuses more on the event than on the author's personality.
? Memoir about Yourself
A memoir about yourself or a personal memoir differs from just a personal essay. A memoir about yourself is a piece of writing in which a person reflects on important personal events. It is a place where the author analyzes and describes why certain events were so crucial.
But you might fairly ask: “What is the difference between a personal memoir and a personal essay?” Here is the answer!
To some extent, the personal memoir and the personal essay are pretty similar. However, there is one important difference! Clean system memory android. The essay can be a reflection on any events or just a description of anything personal. The memoir focuses on past and life-changing experiences.
In short, the personal memoir aims at answering the three questions:
- What event or events were important in the author’s life?
- Why were they so crucial?
- How they affected the author’s life?
? Example of Memoir About Yourself
Examples Of A Memoir
We’ve created a great example of a personal memoir for you. Here you can see how you can structure your story and what it can be about. Let’s dive in!
The Life-Changing Morning
That morning the sky was especially grey, and the whole atmosphere did not dispose of something good. I woke up alone in my tiny flat in the middle of nowhere. It did not felt like something bad is happening or even is going to happen shortly. However, the way I felt was hard to describe. I took my morning coffee and then heard a knock on the door. It was a postman with an envelope in his hand. I opened the letter and read it out loud. It said that I was invited to the University of Oxford to study journalism. My dream came true! I was filled with happiness, motivation, and thirst to start my studies as soon as possible. I can still remember this special and life-changing moment.
Comment: First of all, the author chose the right, captivating title, which invites a reader to discover what had happened that morning. Secondly, the personal memoir focuses on the important event that had changed a young person's life. Thirdly, he reflects on how he felt when it happened.
? One-Page Memoir: What Is It About?
A memoir doesn’t have to be a thick book. It can be of any length and cover any important life events. Making your memoir relatively short means that you should focus on one particular event. Jimmy carter memoir.
Besides, this event should be captivating and life-changing. It would be best to tell about the emotions you experienced and what they brought to your life. The text can be concise, for instance, only 1 page. However, it should be interesting enough to evoke a reader's emotions in such a short time.
Meaning Of Memoir In English Dictionary
So, here is a few recommendations for your one-page memoir:
- Cover one event only.
- Choose the most captivating and life-changing event.
- Don't forget to express your emotions.
- Mention why this event was crucial for your future life.
? Memoir Essay Structure
If your task is to create a memoir essay, you may be surprised because itdoesn’t have any typical structure.
You see:
The way you do your memoir writing depends only on your style and preferences.
If you want to combine two different stories into one and underline the message by inferring it from both of them – do it.
If you want to tell a situation when you feel fear or anxiety, there is a nice place to put a flashback to make readers understand you better – then, do it as well.
Meaning Of English Names
Memoir writing structure is a field where you can apply creativity and originality.
What you must include are:
- the details of your memoir
- the message
- why this story matters to you
What Is A Memoir
Other elements are free for you to add to your paper. Let your inner writer choose which of them do you need to make a memoir writing breath-taking.
So, after looking through these examples of memoirs, you have a pretty good idea of how to write your own papers in this genre. Good luck with your memoirs! We are certain that you will make them unforgettable!