Term Limits - 1001 Words

Living in the present and looking back at the past, we as citizens see what has worked and what can be improved; Congress is a good example of this. Some may say that Congress is a failure and some may be happy and proud of the way it functions and runs our country. For those who do not approve of it, the idea is to start fresh and get new ideas, people and habits into office. With the way Congress works today, that may not be the easiest tasks. In order to make changes in Congress, time is needed; a significant change cannot be made over night and expect it to run smoothly. One of the ways to bring change and settle the debate of whether or not to ‘restart Congress’ is to set term limits on congressional members. There should be term†¦show more content†¦Pork-barrel spending, special interest of their own state, and how can they make themselves look good are thing that will be on their mind at some point. Setting term limits would allow Congress to become more of a â€Å"citizen† Congress because more everyday people, not just the wealthy, would be running for office (balancedpolitics.org). New Politian’s would not have time to find loop holes or exploit the system because they would be focusing on what they need to get done in order to make their constituents happy. One of the major benefits to term limits is the potential for new ideas rolling through Congress, and Politian’s with a more focused mind set. The founding fathers did their part of making sure no one person is given too much power by ensuring that the United States has checks and balances. The 22nd Amendment has contributed to the checks and balances by limiting presidents to two terms in office. Term limits should also be in place for congressional members. This may be another way to ensure no congressional member ever has too much power within the government. Candidates would be running for the purpose to the serve people and not to just benefit themse lves. Term limits would also stop the political reward and power abuse within Congress, leading to committees being assigned to individuals based on merit and their expertise to make informed decisions. Doing allShow MoreRelatedEssay on Term Limits: We Dont Need Career Politicians660 Words   |  3 Pagesshow that Americans want term limitation by margins as high as three-to-one, even four-to-one. Congressional term limitation is the most important issue of our time because the future direction of our country depends upon it. There is no other way to restore government to, us, the people. There is no substitute for term limits. There are many second steps, depending upon where you sit, but there is only one first step toward turning the country around. It is congressional term limitation. ThereRead More Members of Congress Should Have Term Limits Essay1811 Words   |  8 Pageslegislative system for over forty years, it is evident that tyranny has not necessarily been eradicated from the United States (Vance, 1994, p. 429). Term limits are a necessity to uphold the Founders’ intentions, to prevent unfair advantages given to incumbents, and to allow a multitude of additional benefits. Initially, the Founders intended to have a limit on the amount of time any one person could serve. In the Articles of Confederation, a rotation in office system was described, so that no oneRead MoreThe Rule Term Limits Rules1094 Words   |  5 PagesThere has been four major law change that affect the way that california is the way today.The first of the four changes is term limits, they change this rule so that there would be no more career politician , but that not the case. In the old rule term limits rules you were allowed to be in the senate for 6 terms and in the assembly for 3 term. Now the term limits you get 12 terms not matter where you are. This new system bring in a lot of advantage, and little disadvantage but there is always falseRead MoreTerm Limits Essay1070 Words   |  5 PagesTerm Limits There is a movement sweeping the United States that state legislatures, by virtue of the Tenth Amendment, have the constitutional power to establish a new qualification for federal office, specifically, a restriction on the number of terms their congressional delegations may serve in Washington. The legal battleground covers two sections of the Constitution. Proponents of term limits will highlight Article I, Section 4, which they say gives each state the authority to prescribeRead MoreCongressional Term Limits934 Words   |  4 PagesCongressional terms have no limits. Controversy exists between those who think the terms should be limited and those who believe that terms should remain unlimited. The group that wants to limit the terms argues that the change will promote fresh ideas and reduce the possibility of decisions being made for self-interest. Those who oppose term limits believe that we would sacrifice both the stability and experience held by veteran politicians. They also point out that our election process allowsRead MoreTerm Limits Of Congress : Congress1675 Words   |  7 PagesTerm Limits in Congress More than seventy-nine congressmen have been in office in both the United States House of Representatives and the Senate for twenty years or more; Patrick Leahy, Dianne Heinstein, Mitch McConnell, Mac Thornberry, and many, many more. James Madison states in Federalist 48 that â€Å"The legislative department is everywhere†¦ drawing all power into its impetuous vortex†(Will). Congress corrupts with power and the only way to stop this is to impose term limits on the US Congress.Read MoreTerm Limits Should Not Be Beneficial1859 Words   |  8 PagesDebate Paper Putting limits on the amount of terms a member of Congress can serve is a highly debated issue. Many people are against term limits. They argue that term limits are unconstitutional and that they infringe on the rights of the American people to choose who they want to represent their states. However, many people also argue that term limits would be beneficial. Term limits would be beneficial because it would put an end to career politicians, give new people a chance to solve theRead MoreAmendment : The Term Limit Amendment2483 Words   |  10 PagesAMENDMENT XXVIII (The Term Limit Amendment) Text of Amendment All members of the House of Representatives and the Senate will be allowed to serve in their positions for a total of twelve years. Members of the House may serve six two-year terms, and members of the Senate may serve two six-year terms. This is not limited to consecutive terms, meaning that if a member of the House serves for say four consecutive terms, and then either decides to take a year off or doesn’t get re-elected, they willRead More Term Limits For Legislators Essay3092 Words   |  13 Pages Term Limits For Legislators When the Constitution of the United States was adopted in 1789, it was without direction regarding term limits for legislators. At the time, professional politicians were unheard of, and the idea of someone serving for more than one or two terms was unlikely. So the Constitution did not formally address the issue of term limits, although it was understood that officeholders would limit themselves to one or two terms and then return to private life (1). With the adventRead MoreThe Term Limits Movement For State Legislatures1665 Words   |  7 PagesAbstract: The term limits movement for state legislatures has been gaining momentum. Fourteen states adopted limit initiatives in 1992. The goal of this final paper was to determine the factors that have contributed to the growth of the term limits movement. Much background research was conducted to determine the characteristics of the movement. Past research suggested several apparent reasons for the growth of the movement. These reasons included the existence of direct initiative, rates of

How Is Realism A Reaction Against Romanticism - 2190 Words

Define Modernism. How does Modernist painting compare to painting of the Old Masters? Modernism is a development that, alongside social patterns and changes, emerged from wide-scale and extensive changes in Western culture in the late nineteenth and mid twentieth hundreds of years. An Old Master ought to be a craftsman who was completely prepared, was a Master of his neighborhood specialists organization, and worked freely, yet by and by artworks thought to be delivered by students or workshops will be incorporated in the extent of the term How is Realism a reaction against Romanticism? Realism has been predominant in expressions of the human experience at numerous periods, and is in substantial section a matter of method and preparing, and the evasion of stylization. Realist gems may accentuate the revolting or shameful. There have been different authenticity developments in expressions of the human experience. The authenticity workmanship development in painting started in France in the 1850s. Courbet was a grand figure in his own time and he stands as the leading artist of Realism. Why did he choose to forgo academic traditions for realist works? Courbet was a French painter who drove the Realist development in nineteenth century French painting. He dismissed scholastic tradition and the Sentimentalism of the past era of visual craftsmen. His freedom set a sample that was imperative to later specialists, for example, the Impressionists and the Cubists. CourbetShow MoreRelatedThe Revolutionary Style Of Art1555 Words   |  7 Pagesto study art history, we were impressed to discover how the human beings are looking every day for change and develop, and the art work as a mirror that reflect that change. Starting from Neoclassicism art which was a reaction to the Rococo art. To the Romanticism art that was a reaction to the Neoclassicism art, and reaching the Realism art which was a reaction to both Neoclassicism and Romanticism arts. All these art movements came as a reaction to the previous one, but that does not mean that theRead MoreRomanticism and Realism: Examples of Mark Twain and Herman Melville Novels1398 Words   |  6 PagesEnglish Essay Rough Draft Romanticism and realism are two very different styles of writings. They both came about in the 19th century. Writing through romanticism is a way to express your emotions in a deeper way, but writing through realism is a way to express your true feelings about how the world is. In Herman Melville’s Moby Dick he uses romanticism to express his point. In The War Prayer by Mark Twain, the speaker talks about the real aspects of war. Romanticism first came about in the 18thRead MoreRealism : Romanticism And Modernism974 Words   |  4 PagesWithin the time period studied this semester, it seems that different art movements arose in reaction to the movement of the time. Romanticism arose in response to Neo-Classicalism. Realism reacted against excessive idealization and de-emphasis of the â€Å"real† by the Romantics. Two groups arose in reaction to Realism: the Impressionists, who further developed the idea of â€Å"conveying the real,† and the Symbolists, who harkened back to Romanticism’s focus on emotions and subjectivity. Additionally, theRead MoreThe Raven and Romanticism Essay509 Words   |  3 PagesThe era of Romanticism spans from the late 1700s to the mid 1800s following the French Revolution; therefore, Romanticism encompasses characteristics of the human mind in addition to the particular time in history when these qualities became dominant in culture. Romanticism depicts an artistic movement which emerged from reaction against dominant attitudes and approaches of the 18th century. Romanticism established realism in literature through creativity, innovation, explorationRead MoreAnalysis Of John Steinbeck s The Grapes Of Wrath 1594 Words   |  7 Pagesmovement of artist and designers who rebelled against late19th century historicist traditions, and embraced the new economic, social and political aspects of emerging modern world. Formal characteristics include open form, free verse, discontinuous narrative, juxtaposition, intertextuality, classic allusions, borrowing from other languages and cultures, unconventional use of metaphors, metanarrative, fragmentation, and parallax. A reaction against romanticism, an interest in scientific method, theRead MoreRomantic Art And Romanticism1271 Words   |  6 Pagescovered what stood out to me was how interconnected everything was. Interconnected to the time in history that the art stemmed from, but also each style would impact and drive the ones to come. When looking from a Romantic piece to a Post-Impressionism piece they seem so incredibly different from each other that it’s hard to fathom their connectivity or even that the are from the same century. When looking more closely we can see the progression from one to another and how each would drive the next movementRead MoreRealism And Romance Coexistence By Charlotte Griffiths Essay1935 Words   |  8 Pages Realism and Romance Coexistence Charlotte Griffiths S00902011 Regent’s University London English Literature: Introduction to Medieval and Renaissance Literature ENL401.R_T1 George Yeats 24 October 2016 Get rid of titles for each section to create natural flow in essays Introduction In both literature and art, realism usually expresses a message in a way that depicts situations in a real way while romanticism explains messages by utilizing fiction. RomanticismRead MoreTheme Of Realism In Henry James949 Words   |  4 PagesLiterature II Prof. Terence McNulty Realism by definition, is described as the faithful representation of reality or verisimilitude.† It is an artistic movement, practiced by many authors, which took place in the late 1800’s, and began as a reaction against romanticism. Realism centers on the â€Å"psychological development† of characters, detailed portrayal of people and settings, and presenting life â€Å"as is†. William Dean Howells a realist novelist stated, â€Å"Realism is nothing more and nothing less thanRead MoreAnalysis Of The Poem Build A Fire With The Film The Revenant 1558 Words   |  7 Pagesday existence than the metaphorical or supernatural. The writers turned to research and the harsh realities of the universe and began a new period in American literature identified as the Naturalist and Realist era. Realism aroused in the 19th century as a reaction against Romanticism which governed research before and is marked by the close to life writing. The naturalist, in particular, observed the nature as a powerful, unpredictable force that had full control over people behavior. Notable authorsRead MoreA Brief Introduction to American Literature3396 Words   |  14 PagesAmerican literature is part of world ¡Ã‚ ¯s literature, however, it always has its unique flavor that cannot be easily ignored. Most critics hold that the history of American literature can be divided into six parts, orderly, colonial period, romanticism, realism, naturalism, modernism and post-modernism. Although American literature in its true sense did not begin until 19th century, however, we always talk about colonial period as a preparatory introduction to American literature. To follow the suit

William Goldings Lord of the Flies Essay - 1255 Words

The Beast that Kills Slowly Savagery is the condition of being primitive, uncivilized or the quality of being fierce or cruel (Google). It is something that comes easy to everyone at certain times in our life. People will learn it is harder to be good than bad. Being bad comes natural to everyone; people like the thrill of taking a chance. People are trained to be civil and polite from the time one grows up and it is not that hard because of the society everyone lives in. What would happen if the people’s democracy fell and everybody is left with nothing? How would the citizens react? Would they act like they were trained to do ever since they were born, or would they disregard all of it and do as they please because there is no definite†¦show more content†¦Ralph is the oldest and also the boy who found the conch, so all the boys thought he should be in charge. This gives Ralph all the power within the group after all the boys become infatuated with the precious conch. With nothing left on the island, the conch is power and with power comes responsibility. To be a good leader, one must be willing to listen to suggestions, make tough decisions for the betterment of the group, and know boundaries. Ralph had good intentions in the beginning but soon begins to think only his way is right. But even when something can bring a whole group together, it can tear that same group apart. As soon as the power moves to Jack, the conch’s power over the boys disappears. Jack, Piggy, and Ralph start to fight and in the middle of the tousle, a boulder falls, killing Piggy and shattering the conch. Golding writes, â€Å"The conch exploded into a thousand white fragments and ceased to exist† (Golding 181). As the conch disappears, the dictorial system vanishes also, leaving the boys with no structure. The broken conch represents all civilization and ideas that pertain to it. The conch was the glue that held everyone together. By blowing on it, all the boys met in the same spot and came together as a group, but by fawning over the thing, it eventually drove a stake in between them with jealousy and aggravation and hunger. With no structure, people begin to change. They allow themselves to change, but not by theirShow MoreRelatedAllegories In William Goldings Lord Of The Flies885 Words   |  4 Pagesrevolutionized his field with his model of the human psyche. According to his model, the mind is divided into three aspects: the id, ego, and superego. William Golding’s allegorical novel, Lord of the Flies, employs these three aspects of the psyche through intricate characterization representing the concepts of id, ego, and superego. Lord of the Flies tells the story of a group of young British boys who are stranded on an island in the South Pacific. They become trapped when their plane is shot downRead MoreWilliam Goldings The Lord of the Flies1027 Words   |  5 PagesEnglish author William Gerald Golding wrote Lord of the flies as his first novel in 1954. Golding would later become famous as a novelist, playwr ight, and poet, yet before Lord of the flies publishers had rejected his works many times. Fortunately for Golding and future readers, his new editor Charles Monteith helped him to make some changes to the text and publish the book in September 1954 as Lord of the Flies (â€Å"William Golding† par.7). This book became hugely successful, and in 1983 Golding wasRead MoreWilliam Goldings Lord of the Flies: A Review1479 Words   |  6 PagesLord of the flies is anything but an easy book to digest. It comes upon the reader like a heavy meal on a suffocating summers day. The main idea is fairly simple actually: a group of children stranded on an isolated island are trying to reenact the norms of the society they used to live in before their arrival on the island. Gradually, things descend more violently with the children looking to kill the beast that lives in the heart of the jungle. What they are unable to realize though is that theRead MoreSymbolism in William Goldings Lord of the Flies1918 Words   |  8 PagesSymbolism in William Golding’s ‘Lord of the Flies’ Definition: A symbol is something that is itself as well as something else. In literature it means literal or objective sense coupled with abstract meaning. Symbolism refers to serious and extensive use of symbols in a work of literature. Symbolism in Lord of the Flies: The novel is rich in symbolism. A host of different interpretations of the novel’s symbolism – political, psychological and religious – exists. We will look at some of the prominentRead MoreWilliam Goldings Lord of the Flies Essays1958 Words   |  8 PagesIn William Goldings Lord of the Flies, the color pink is hard to overlook. Throughout the text there is pink mentioned at virtually every turn: The pink platform, cream-pink conch, pink mountain, pink faces of the children, pink pig, etc. This color represents a vast amount including, This color represents compassion, nurturing and love. It relates to unconditional love and understanding, and the giving and receiving of nurturing. (Judy Scott Kennis, The Color Pink) Pink further details, BrighterRead MoreEssay William Goldings Lord of the Flies1768 Words   |  8 PagesWilliam Goldings Lord of the Flies The first chapter of the novel, The Lord of the Flies, by William Golding is effective in establishing the characters, concerns and language for the remainder of the book, as well as introducing the main themes of the novel; that the problems in society are related to the sinful nature of man and good verses evil. In Golding’s first chapter, the main characters are introduced, we see many ominous signs of what’s to come through the authors choice of languageRead MoreEssay William Goldings Lord of the Flies4998 Words   |  20 PagesWilliam Goldings Lord of the Flies   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In the novel, Lord of the Flies, William Golding tells the story of a group of boys on an island left out to self survive. The time was World War II when the plane the boys were in was shot down leaving young survivals on a deserted island without any adults. The whole story is about what happens during their stay on the island representing metaphoric ideas of humanity in each incident as Golding describes. Golding has reportedly said that he wroteRead MoreWilliam Goldings Lord of the Flies Essay1510 Words   |  7 Pagessignificance and an In-depth look in the characters of this story In viewing the aspects of the island society, the author William Goldings Lord of the Flies as a symbolic microcosm of society. He chooses to set the children alone in an unsupervised world, leaving them to learn the ways of the world in a natural setting first hand. Many different perspectives can also be considered. Goldings island of marooned youngsters becomes a microcosm. The island represents the individual human and the various charactersRead MoreWilliam Goldings Lord of the Flies Essay1265 Words   |  6 PagesWilliam Goldings Lord of the Flies Everything is breaking up. I dont know why. - Ralph What is going wrong on the island and why? The group of evacuees, all boys roughly aged between five and twelve, is dividing into two sets of people, each following either the ideal of civilisation, or the ideal of savagery. At the beginning of the novel, every boy, conditioned by society, was following the ideal of civilisation, that being the only ideal they knew. HoweverRead MoreAnalysis of William Goldings Lord of the Flies Essay700 Words   |  3 PagesAnalysis of William Goldings Lord of the Flies Civilization is the progress toward a society of privacy. The savages whole existence is public, ruled by the laws of his tribe. Civilization is the process of setting man free from men. (Ayn Rand) This quote explains this story, Lord of the Flies, in many ways. This book is about a plane full of boys escaping from the war happening in there society but unfortunately got shot and crashed down on an island. This plane contains boys coming back

Intellectual Properties And How Can You Protect It

What is Intellectual Properties and How Can You Protect It? What is Intellectual Property? Intellectual Property or IP is a representation of creations of the mind, or something that can be legally owned, Intellectual Property allows protection through patents, trademarks, copyright, designs, circuit layouts and plant breeder’s rights. Almost any business can have some form of intellectual property that they need to protect. What are your rights and how can you protect your intellectual property? Explore the various forms of protection for intellectual property including: Patents, Copyright, Trademarks, designs. Protecting Intellectual Property can be done through various ways, both including simple things you can do as a person, and†¦show more content†¦Patent Protection: A patent provides a legal right to stop someone from a third party from manufacturing, using and selling an invention or design within Australia, it can be used to license someone to use or manufacture an invention on agreed terms. Design Protection: In Australia one can register a design, an application can be filled containing one design, a single design can be used in relation to multiple products. What is copyright infringement? Copy right infringement is essentially a breach of copyright from a third party, copy right infringement occurs when someone other than the holder of the copy right uses a copy righted material, it could also be describing as someone using an â€Å"expression† of someone else’s work. For example, if someone were to create a logo of piece of art, if this were to be copyrighted and someone came along and took the whole design and used it form themselves this would be classed as a breach of copy right or a copyright infringement. In this case the expression of someone’s work would be the logo in play, this has been stolen and used in a way that breaches its copyright. What are the costs and benefits of protecting your IP Protecting your IP can come with a cost, this will all depend of which path you are taking to protect your work, for example if you are working to protect a design there will be fees involved, once paid you can safely

Annie Leibovitz Biography and Image Sample Analysis Free Essays

Annie Leibovitz is a famous American portrait photographer and is best known for taking extraordinary and yet unique photos of celebrities. She is one of the most demanded photographer for celebrity pictures and became a celebrity herself that way. Most of the photographs she taken have been featured mostly in magazines such as Rolling Stones, Vanity Fair and Vogue. We will write a custom essay sample on Annie Leibovitz Biography and Image Sample Analysis or any similar topic only for you Order Now Leibovitz has always been interested in the arts since a young age. Her mother was a dance instructor and influenced her to take dance classes not only from her, but from many other teachers. In high school she focused in music. She specialized in the guitar and wrote numerous songs, eventually becoming the head of her schools’ folk sing club. When she attended university however, she took an interest in visual arts and considered being a painting instructor as a career. It wasn’t until her family was stationed in the Philippines (her father was an Air Force lieutenant colonel) and a trip down Japan, that she was awestruck by the wonderment of photography. When she went back to school, she took night classes for photography. â€Å"A thing that you see in my pictures is that I was not afraid to fall in love with these people.† – Annie Leibovitz. This quote is a little look of how she sees her images, and how much she loves what she takes. Indirectly she also means that we should love what we take pictures of because what’s the point of making others like a photograph you don’t like. Photograph One â€Å"Where Romance is Celebrated† (2009) This is a photograph featuring Zac Efron as Prince Philip and Vanessa Hudgens as Princess Aurora in the Disney film, Sleeping Beauty, recreating the awakening kiss scene. This is one of the many photographs Leibovitz took for Disney Parks â€Å"What will you Celebrate?† campaign portraying highlight movie moments of different Disney animations. The atmosphere of the photograph is enchanting and the gesture of the two faces together is quite romantic. The costumes and make up enhances the features of the models, making them look too perfect. The dark background and roses make the photo also very surreal; almost fairy tale-like. In this photograph the roses and the bed frames around Efron and Hudgens to make emphasis on them together. Leibovitz also uses Rule of Thirds to make their faces the centre of interest. She uses artificial lighting above them making an angelic effect and intensely shines on the princess’s face, making her complexion paler thus contrasting with the dark background. Photograph Two â€Å"John Lennon and Yoko Ono† (1980) In this photograph is the last photograph ever taken of John Lennon embracing Yoko Ono naked on a bed before he was assassinated. It is an intimate moment between the two; holding each other tenderly while he’s giving her a kiss displays their deep love for one another. The bareness and position he is in also displays the vulnerability of human passion. The one evident compositional element is making John Lennon the centre of interest, by making the eye focus on him because he’s curled up in a ball or fetal position. Also Yoko’s black clothing contrasts Lennon’s light skin. Leibovitz uses natural lighting, but since this is on of her earlier photographs the lighting is nothing to creative and simple. Conclusion and Legacy In the being the majority of her images were in black and white because of her lack of education, but later self taught herself about colour development and uses that more often. Leibovitz approach to taking her images is unexpected and out of the box; one never really knows what her next piece will turn out. She captures her effects with artificiality, flair and outrageousness that makes her artwork different from other portrait photographers. Generally she doesn’t really care about other’s opinions on how to take photos and often gets in trouble by the media by doing things that might offend other people. But all in all, we should admire her genius as a photographer and her â€Å"risk taking† attitude on how to interact with her subjects and audience. I first got interested in Leibovitz because of the Miley Cyrus incident and the work we went over in class, she truly is fascinating in how she see celebrities in such unusual poses. Out of the two photographs that I chose in this essay, the one I like the most is â€Å"Where Romance is Celebrated† because the Disney series are my favorite works by her. I just can’t help loving and reminiscing my childhood. How to cite Annie Leibovitz Biography and Image Sample Analysis, Essay examples

Ransom Death Essay free essay sample

The power of death as a common experience for mortals is further compounded as Malouf advocates that men, even from different socio-economic backgrounds can forge a connection based on their similar emotions, as depicted through Priam’s connection with the ‘ordinary’ carter, Somax. Death, as the final experience of all mortals, is shown to be able to catalyse deeply human connections between men, through which Malouf draws an allusion to the cyclical nature of life and death. Malouf begins his novel by demonstrating the overarching significance of death, and the emotional turmoil it causes, especially to those close to it. Achilles is first displayed not as a mighty warrior, as one would expect from The Illiad, but as a ‘man’, looking out to the shore, with his mind as ‘the most active part of him’. Malouf immediately signals his own interpretation of the text, as he details emotional transformations that are the result of such underlying turmoil. Malouf here demonstrates that the seemingly impenetrable warrior Achilles, who had learnt ‘never to betray what he felt’, can experience truly human emotions. The murder of Patroclus on the battlefield serves as an emotional trigger for Achilles, who is reduced to ‘weep[ing] without restraint’. Such expression of raw, unmediated emotion subverts typical Homeric ideals of role, and hence Malouf establishes that an experience of death can catalyse emotional change which transcends the more simplistic traditional expectations. Similarly, Priam, who is deeply roubled by the murder and savage desecration of his son’s noble body, undergoes a significant emotional change when he receives a vision from the goddess Iris. From his role as a ‘ceremonial figurehead’ who ‘stands still at the centre’, his radical plan can be also be attributed to the significant turmoil he experienced as he watched his son being brutally dragged under the city walls. Priam undergoes such a change that even Hecuba, ‘who knows all [his] doubts and foibles, is shocked by his seemingly outrageous plan to ransom Hector’s body. Hence, Malouf demonstrates the extent of change which can be caused by the heartache associated with loss. The overwhelming power of death in inducing change in humans is advocated throughout Ransom, as Malouf parallels the resulting heartache felt by men, and hence foreshadows the forthcoming unity that men can form over their common experience. Somax’s reaction to the loss of his children is juxtaposed with that of both Achilles and Priam who are extraordinary people living extraordinary lives. Somax is the epitome of simpleness, of humility as he ‘is dazzled by the whiteness’ and ‘hangs his head’. Being ‘A simple folk like him’, Somax is unable to provide for his children as Priam can. He cannot grieve as Priam does as when ‘it’s done, the fleas go biting and the sun comes up again’. Having said this, both can relate to being fathers and to ‘knowing what it is like to lose a son’. Somax too, ‘has a broken heart’ as he ‘stares off into the distance’ and the pain he feels for watch lost son and daughter is palpable. Malouf utilises this connection to highlight the way in which everyone experiences loss in a similar way, no matter status, origin or wealth. The ability to respond to loss varies from person to person, but the reaction of utter sadness is felt by everyone who experiences such tragedy. In the patriarchal society of 8th century Greece, social and class structures played a major role on the lives of its inhabitants, yet through the sharing of their common experience of death, Priam and Somax are able to overcome them to form a basic human connection. At the end of part 2, Malouf chooses to emphasise the contrast between the two men by juxtaposing the regal ‘high ones’ with the ‘rough-cut’ Somax. The significant difference between the two men is highlighted when what Somax perceives as a ‘chickenhawk’ is referred to by his royal company as ‘Jove’s emblem’. Hence, Malouf emphasises the disparity between the ‘representational, ideal’ world of Priam with the more ‘earthly’ Somax. However, once the two men leave their ordinary surroundings and set off on their journey, they are able to connect through the ‘fellow-feeling’ of a ‘father’. In fact, from the very first interaction between the two men, Malouf shows that they find common ground as fathers, with Priam mistaking the physical ransom for his restored son. Immediately, Somax’s ‘heart softens’, as he empathises with the feelings of a lost son. This is further compounded through Somax’s vivid and emotive recollections of his sons’ deaths, which results in Priam’s ‘eyes moisten[ing]’. Priam, who was previously held aloof from truly human interactions in his role as king is finally able to express honest emotion, predominantly catalysed by the evocations of the tragic deaths of Somax’s sons. Through this newfound unity which these two men share through their tragic experiences of their sons’ death, Priam is able to be ‘restored’ as ‘a man remade’. In doing so, Malouf endorses the ideal that men can forge connections based on common experience, of which the most intrinsic is death. Malouf demonstrates the liberation achieved when one can finally accept their death, a ‘fee paid in advance’ for mortals. He suggests that grief can only be sated when one truly accepts the undeniable nature of death as a part of the human life cycle. The release of this outrage is the source of monumental emotional change, as shown by the shift in Achilles’ thinking. Hector, as an ‘implacable enemy’ to Achilles is ultimately ‘no longer an affront’ to him as they sit in ‘perfect amity’, demonstrating the extent of Achilles’ change. Where initially he could not even entertain the thought of respect for Patroclus’ killer, through his meeting with Priam he understands the value of honour in death, and is united not only to Priam, but also to Hector himself. This change can also be attributed to the effects of the modern re-assessment of The Illiad, where the traditional black-and-white world the characters inhabit changes dynamically into a shifting one, where conventional roles become less defined. Through this confrontation, Malouf is able to reiterate that â€Å"death is in our nature†¦ and for that reason†¦ we should have pity for one another’s losses†, thus alluding to the inevitability of death, and the power acceptance of this fate can have on drastically changing one’s life.

Ode to the West Wind free essay sample

?Ode to the West Wind is a poem addressed to the west wind. It is personified both as a Destroyer and a Preserver. It is seen as a great power of nature that destroys in order to create, that kills the unhealthy and the decaying to make way for the new and the fresh. The personification of the west wind as an enchanter, as a wild spirit is characteristic of Shelleys poetry. Shelleys personification of the west wind can be called myth poesies, another kind of metaphor. The poem is divided into five stanzas or parts. Each part consists of 14 lines. The rhyming scheme is aba, bcb, cdc, ded; and a rhyming concept at the end. Sub Topics 1. Stanza 1 2. Stanza 2 3. Stanza 3 4. Stanza 4 5. Stanza 5 Stanza 1 Back to Top The poet addresses the west wind as Wild and the Breath of Autumns Being. It is a powerful force which drives the dead leaves which are yellow, black, pale and hectic red, to distant places like ghosts from an enchanter. The west wind carries winged seeds to their dark wintery beds underground which remain there till the west winds sister in the spring season blows and these seeds then blossom into sweet, scented flowers. The earth then will be alive with these living lives or colours and scents or fragrances. In this way the west wind acts both as a Destroyer and Preserver. Stanza 2 Back to Top The Shelley describes the powerful effect of the west wind in the sky. The west wind brakes away the Clouds like earths decaying leaves from the boughs of Heaven. After being plucked, these assume the fierce posture of black rain and hail. These rain clouds are compared to the outspread hair covering the sky from its horizon to its zenith. The wildness and confusion in the sky is compared to some fierce Maenad, the worshipper of Bacchus, the Greek God of wine. Maenad worships god in a frenzied fashion, uplifting her hair like tangled clouds. These indicate the approaching storm. The West Wind becomes a dirge (funeral song) which is being sung for the dying year. The night becomes a vast tomb where vapours have been built like arches and will soon come down as rain and hail. Stanza 3 Back to Top The west wind blows over the blue Mediterranean sea which has been described as a vast sleepy snake, which dreams of old civilization (palaces and towers) rich in flowers and vegetation. The sea sees old palaces and towers in sleep, which quiver when the west wind blows. Both the Mediterranean and the Atlantic seas are affected by the West Wind. The Atlantics surface gets cut into chasms to make way for the West Wind and the vegetation below the surface trembles in fear at the force of the west wind. Stanza 4 Back to Top The West Wind now becomes a personal force. The poet says that if he were a dead leaf, a swift cloud, a wave, he could experience the West Winds power and its strength. In his childhood, the poet had the power and strength and could probably out speed the west wind, but now he (the poet) no longer has the strength as he has been weakened by the problem, and burdens of life and he is no longer tame less,, swift and proud as he used to be in his childhood. He is blushing as he has fallen on the thorns of life meaning he is facing many problems/crisis in his life which has drawn away all his strength and power; and he is now looking up to the west wind, requesting him for his help. Stanza 5 Back to Top Despair and trauma which the poet is experiencing now gives way to a new hope. Shelly offers himself to the west wind in the same way as the sky, the ocean and the forests do. He asks the west wind to be the musician who can take out a deep autumnal tone from him and maker harmoniums music from him in the forest. The poet offers himself to the west wind to be used as a lyre for this purpose. The music thus produced may be sad but sweet. The poet then goes on to compare himself to an unextinguished fireplace with ashes and sparks meaning that the poet still has some unburnt power in him. He requests the west wind to spread this power like it spreads ashes and sparks among mankind. The poet ends with the hope that the west wind will carry the poets words over the entire universe and be the trumpet of his prophecy. Winter is symbolic of despair, coldness and death; but spring gives hope to new life, birth beauty and colour. If there is despair now, hope is very close by so the poet says if winter comes, can spring be far behind. If there is despair and hopelessness now, there is hope and optimism close at hand. Summary In the first stanza, the speaker stands before an ancient Grecian urn and addresses it. He is preoccupied with its depiction of pictures frozen in time. It is the â€Å"still unravish’d bride of quietness,† the â€Å"foster-child of silence and slow time. † He also describes the urn as a â€Å"historian† that can tell a story. He wonders about the figures on the side of the urn and asks what legend they depict and from where they come. He looks at a picture that seems to depict a group of men pursuing a group of women and wonders what their story could be: â€Å"What mad pursuit? What struggle to escape? / What pipes and timbrels? What wild ecstasy? † In the second stanza, the speaker looks at another picture on the urn, this time of a young man playing a pipe, lying with his lover beneath a glade of trees. The speaker says that the piper’s â€Å"unheard† melodies are sweeter than mortal melodies because they are unaffected by time. He tells the youth that, though he can never kiss his lover because he is frozen in time, he should not grieve, because her beauty will never fade. In the third stanza, he looks at the trees surrounding the lovers and feels happy that they will never shed their leaves. He is happy for the piper because his songs will be â€Å"for ever new,† and happy that the love of the boy and the girl will last forever, unlike mortal love, which lapses into â€Å"breathing human passion† and eventually vanishes, leaving behind only a â€Å"burning forehead, and a parching tongue. † In the fourth stanza, the speaker examines another picture on the urn, this one of a group of villagers leading a heifer to be sacrificed. He wonders where they are going (â€Å"To what green altar, O mysterious priest †) and from where they have come. He imagines their little town, empty of all its citizens, and tells it that its streets will â€Å"for evermore† be silent, for those who have left it, frozen on the urn, will never return. In the final stanza, the speaker again addresses the urn itself, saying that it, like Eternity, â€Å"doth tease us out of thought. † He thinks that when his generation is long dead, the urn will remain, telling future generations its enigmatic lesson: â€Å"Beauty is truth, truth beauty. † The speaker says that that is the only thing the urn knows and the only thing it needs to know. Form â€Å"Ode on a Grecian Urn† follows the same ode-stanza structure as the â€Å"Ode on Melancholy,† though it varies more the rhyme scheme of the last three lines of each stanza. Each of the five stanzas in â€Å"Grecian Urn† is ten lines long, metered in a relatively precise iambic pentameter, and divided into a two part rhyme scheme, the last three lines of which are variable. The first seven lines of each stanza follow an ABABCDE rhyme scheme, but the second occurrences of the CDE sounds do not follow the same order. In stanza one, lines seven through ten are rhymed DCE; in stanza two, CED; in stanzas three and four, CDE; and in stanza five, DCE, just as in stanza one. As in other odes (especially â€Å"Autumn† and â€Å"Melancholy†), the two-part rhyme scheme (the first part made of AB rhymes, the second of CDE rhymes) creates the sense of a two-part thematic structure as well. The first four lines of each stanza roughly define the subject of the stanza, and the last six roughly explicate or develop it. (As in other odes, this is only a general rule, true of some stanzas more than others; stanzas such as the fifth do not connect rhyme scheme and thematic structure closely at all. ) Themes If the â€Å"Ode to a Nightingale† portrays Keats’s speaker’s engagement with the fluid expressiveness of music, the â€Å"Ode on a Grecian Urn† portrays his attempt to engage with the static immobility of sculpture. The Grecian urn, passed down through countless centuries to the time of the speaker’s viewing, exists outside of time in the human sense—it does not age, it does not die, and indeed it is alien to all such concepts. In the speaker’s meditation, this creates an intriguing paradox for the human figures carved into the side of the urn: They are free from time, but they are simultaneously frozen in time. They do not have to confront aging and death (their love is â€Å"for ever young†), but neither can they have experience (the youth can never kiss the maiden; the figures in the procession can never return to their homes). The speaker attempts three times to engage with scenes carved into the urn; each time he asks different questions of it. In the first stanza, he examines the picture of the â€Å"mad pursuit† and wonders what actual story lies behind the picture: â€Å"What men or gods are these? What maidens loth? † Of course, the urn can never tell him the whos, whats, whens, and wheres of the stories it depicts, and the speaker is forced to abandon this line of questioning. In the second and third stanzas, he examines the picture of the piper playing to his lover beneath the trees. Here, the speaker tries to imagine what the experience of the figures on the urn must be like; he tries to identify with them. He is tempted by their escape from temporality and attracted to the eternal newness of the piper’s unheard song and the eternally unchanging beauty of his lover. He thinks that their love is â€Å"far above† all transient human passion, which, in its sexual expression, inevitably leads to an abatement of intensity—when passion is satisfied, all that remains is a wearied physicality: a sorrowful heart, a â€Å"burning forehead,† and a â€Å"parching tongue. † His recollection of these conditions seems to remind the speaker that he is inescapably subject to them, and he abandons his attempt to identify with the figures on the urn. In the fourth stanza, the speaker attempts to think about the figures on the urn as though they were experiencing human time, imagining that their procession has an origin (the â€Å"little town†) and a destination (the â€Å"green altar†). But all he can think is that the town will forever be deserted: If these people have left their origin, they will never return to it. In this sense he confronts head-on the limits of static art; if it is impossible to learn from the urn the whos and wheres of the â€Å"real story† in the first stanza, it is impossible ever to know the origin and the destination of the figures on the urn in the fourth. It is true that the speaker shows a certain kind of progress in his successive attempts to engage with the urn. His idle curiosity in the first attempt gives way to a more deeply felt identification in the second, and in the third, the speaker leaves his own concerns behind and thinks of the processional purely on its own terms, thinking of the â€Å"little town† with a real and generous feeling. But each attempt ultimately ends in failure. The third attempt fails simply because there is nothing more to say—once the speaker confronts the silence and eternal emptiness of the little town, he has reached the limit of static art; on this subject, at least, there is nothing more the urn can tell him. In the final stanza, the speaker presents the conclusions drawn from his three attempts to engage with the urn. He is overwhelmed by its existence outside of temporal change, with its ability to â€Å"tease† him â€Å"out of thought / As doth eternity. † If human life is a succession of â€Å"hungry generations,† as the speaker suggests in â€Å"Nightingale,† the urn is a separate and self-contained world. It can be a â€Å"friend to man,† as the speaker says, but it cannot be mortal; the kind of aesthetic connection the speaker experiences with the urn is ultimately insufficient to human life. The final two lines, in which the speaker imagines the urn speaking its message to mankind—†Beauty is truth, truth beauty,† have proved among the most difficult to interpret in the Keats canon. After the urn utters the enigmatic phrase â€Å"Beauty is truth, truth beauty,† no one can say for sure who â€Å"speaks† the conclusion, â€Å"that is all / Ye know on earth, and all ye need to know. † It could be the speaker addressing the urn, and it could be the urn addressing mankind. If it is the speaker addressing the urn, then it would seem to indicate his awareness of its limitations: The urn may not need to know anything beyond the equation of beauty and truth, but the complications of human life make it impossible for such a simple and self-contained phrase to express sufficiently anything about necessary human knowledge. If it is the urn addressing mankind, then the phrase has rather the weight of an important lesson, as though beyond all the complications of human life, all human beings need to know on earth is that beauty and truth are one and the same. It is largely a matter of personal interpretation which reading to accept. MORE HELP The Raven Summary: The unnamed narrator is wearily perusing an old book one bleak December night when he hears a tapping at the door to his room. He tells himself that it is merely a visitor, and he awaits tomorrow because he cannot find release in his sorrow over the death ofLenore. The rustling curtains frighten him, but he decides that it must be some late visitor and, going to the door, he asks for forgiveness from the visitor because he had been napping. However, when he opens the door, he sees and hears nothing except the word Lenore, an echo of his own words. Returning to his room, he again hears a tapping and reasons that it was probably the wind outside his window. When he opens the window, however, a raven enters and promptly perches upon a bust of Pallas above his door. Its grave appearance amuses the narrator, who asks it for its names. The raven responds, Nevermore. He does not understand the reply, but the raven says nothing else until the narrator predicts aloud that it will leave him tomorrow like the rest of his friends. Then the bird again says, Nevermore. Startled, the narrator says that the raven must have learned this word from some unfortunate owner whose ill luck caused him to repeat the word frequently. Smiling, the narrator sits in front of the ominous raven to ponder about the meaning of its word. The raven continues to stare at him, as the narrator sits in the chair that Lenore will never again occupy. He then feels that angels have approached, and angrily calls the raven an evil prophet. He asks if there is respite in Gilead and if he will again see Lenore in Heaven, but the raven only responds, Nevermore. In a fury, the narrator demands that the raven go back into the night and leave him alone again, but the raven says, Nevermore, and it does not leave the bust of Pallas. The narrator feels that his soul will nevermore leave the ravens shadow. Analysis: The Raven is the most famous of Poes poems, notable for its melodic and dramatic qualities. The meter of the poem is mostly trochaic octameter, with eight stressed-unstressed two-syllable feet per lines. Combined with the predominating ABCBBB end rhyme scheme and the frequent use of internal rhyme, the trochaic octameter and the refrain of nothing more and nevermore give the poem a musical lilt when read aloud. Poe also emphasizes the O sound in words such as Lenore and nevermore in order to underline the melancholy and lonely sound of the poem and to establish the overall atmosphere. Finally, the repetition of nevermore gives a circular sense to the poem and contributes to what Poe termed the unity of effect, where each word and line adds to the larger meaning of the poem. The unnamed narrator appears in a typically Gothic setting with a lonely apartment, a dying fire, and a bleak December night while wearily studying his books in an attempt to distract himself from his troubles. He thinks occasionally of Lenore but is generally able to control his emotions, although the effort required to do so tires him and makes his words equally slow and outwardly pacified. However, over the course of the narrative, the protagonist becomes more and more agitated both in mind and in action, a progression that he demonstrates through his rationalizations and eventually through his increasingly exclamation-ridden monologue. In every stanza near the end, however, his exclamations are punctuated by the calm desolation of the sentence Quoth the Raven, Nevermore,' reflecting the despair of his soul. Like a number of Poes poems such as Ulalume and Annabel Lee, The Raven refers to an agonized protagonists memories of a deceased woman. Through poetry, Lenores premature death is implicitly made aesthetic, and the narrator is unable to free himself of his reliance upon her memory. He asks the raven if there is balm in Gilead and therefore spiritual salvation, or if Lenore truly exists in the afterlife, but the raven confirms his worst suspicions by rejecting his supplications. The fear of death or of oblivion informs much of Poes writing, and The Raven is one of his bleakest publications because it provides such a definitively negative answer. By contrast, when Poe uses the name Lenore in a similar situation in the poem Lenore, the protagonistGuy de Vere concludes that he need not cry in his mourning because he is confident that he will meet Lenore in heaven. Poes choice of a raven as the bearer of ill news is appropriate for a number of reasons. Originally, Poe sought only a dumb beast that was capable of producing human-like sounds without understanding the words meaning, and he claimed that earlier conceptions of The Raven included the use of a parrot. In this sense, the raven is important because it allows the narrator to be both the deliverer and interpreter of the sinister message, without the existence of a blatantly supernatural intervention. At the same time, the ravens black feather have traditionally been considered a magical sign of ill omen, and Poe may also be referring to Norse mythology, where the god Odin had two ravens named Hugin and Munin, which respectively meant thought and memory. The narrator is a student and thus follows Hugin, but Munin continually interrupts his thoughts and in this case takes a physical form by landing on the bust of Pallas, which alludes to Athena, the Greek goddess of learning. Due to the late hour of the poems setting and to the narrators mental turmoil, the poem calls the narrators reliability into question. At first the narrator attempts to give his experiences a rational explanation, but by the end of the poem, he has ceased to give the raven any interpretation beyond that which he invents in his own head. The raven thus serves as a fragment of his soul and as the animal equivalent of Psyche in the poem Ulalume. Each figure represents its respective characters subconscious that instinctively understands his need to obsess and to mourn. As in Ulalume, the protagonist is unable to avoid the recollection of his beloved, but whereas Psyche of Ulalume sought to prevent the unearthing of painful memories, the raven actively stimulates his thoughts of Lenore, and he effectively causes his own fate through the medium of a non-sentient animal. r. Heideggers Experiment by Nathaniel Hawthorne 68 Members Following Summary Themes Analysis More Summary (Masterplots II: Short Story Series, Revised Edition) Print PDF Cite Dr. Heidegger invites to his study four elderly friends to engage in an experiment. Three are men: Mr. Medbourne, Colonel Killigrew, and Mr. Gascoigne; the fourth is a woman, the Widow Clara Wycherly. The study is a dusty, old-fashioned room replete with a skeleton in the closet, a bust of Hippocrates, books and bookcases, and a portrait of Sylvia Ward, who died fifty-five years before the night of the experiment on the eve of marriage to the doctor after swallowing one of his prescriptions. The doctor shows his guests a faded rose that she gave him those many years before, and places it in a vase containing liquid from the waters of the region in Florida where the Fountain of Youth is located, sent to him by a friend. The rose revives and the doctor pours some of the liquid from the vase into four champagne glasses for his friends. They drink and shed their years, showing signs of intoxication. Dr. Heidegger suggests to them that they allow their experience in life to guide them in virtue and wisdom when they gain a second chance at youth. As they drink, their inhibitions vanish. Colonel Killigrew takes interest in the widow’s charms and flatters her; Mr. Gascoigne waxes eloquent in periods of a sort dear to politicians; Mr. Medbourne projects a plan to supply the East Indies with ice by means of whales harnessed to icebergs. Dr. Heidegger does not take part in the rejuvenating experiment; he witnesses their antics with gravity. Young again, they laugh at their quaint clothes, showing contempt for the traits of old age that they have shed. Finally, the widow asks the doctor to dance with her, but he pleads old age and rheumatism. The three other guests seek to join her in dance, and in the ensuing riot, the table with the vase of the Water of Youth and rose overturns. The liquid reaches a dying butterfly, reviving it so that it flies to rest on Dr. Heidegger’s white hair. The rose fades; the guests show their age again. The doctor states that he is glad not to have partaken of the liquid; he has learned that this unnatural return to youth was no occasion for satisfaction. His guests, however, undaunted, determine to sally forth in search of the Fountain of Youth in order to drink from it three times a day. Dr. Heideggers E Analysis of I Sit and Look Out by Walt Whitman I sit and look out† by Walt Whitman echoes all miseries and atrocities of life that rose to the surface in the wake of capitalism. 19th century witnessed a sea change in the lives of people as rat race for materialistic possession became more prominent and principles were relegated, concerns and emotions were sidelined from inside of human beings. The poet pen pictures such a sad tale of human life by attempting to pose as onlooker who watches everything but does nothing to alter situations. In this analysis of â€Å"I Sit and look out â€Å"by Walt Whitman, the capitalization of the verb â€Å"sit†denotes the action of an onlooker. It is also symbolic of the speaker who sits idle and shows no sign to do anything. His constant position is also indicative of his complacent confinement which is miles away from suffering multitudes. On the other hand, the idea of â€Å"I Sit and look out† is expressed through the term look out that speaks of his own position which is safe and secure, away from the sufferings of the mundane world. In ‘I sit and look out† by Walt Whitman, the usage of free verses is abundant which serves to denote a never changing situation. All throughout the poem, the poet keeps an undermined toned of pessimism and paints an apocalyptic imagery that hits the readers as they progress in the poem. â€Å"I Sit and look out â€Å"by Walt Whitman is also a fine instance of the author’s disillusionment with the world that is evident through the first two lines of the poem and it continues to the point where he exclaims; â€Å"I SIT and look out upon all the sorrows of the world, and upon all oppression and shame; I hear secret convulsive sobs from young men, at anguish with themselves, remorseful after deeds done; I see, in low life, the mother misused by her children, dying, neglected, gaunt, desperate; I see the wife misused by her husband-I see the treacherous seducer of young women; The poem is more of a study of this dystopian world where oppression and shame rule the roost of the society. The theme of â€Å"I Sit and look out â€Å"draws upon an image of seclusion as the poet feels that he is located and placed at an altitude that is way higher and away from the episodes of sufferings and misery. The paroxysmal sobs of youth stifled in World War, having an albatr oss around their neck is an imagery that speaks of their remorseful actions. Walt Whitman talks about children who have taken advantage of their own mothers and now she lies all alone distressed, her solitude beckons her children every moment. The poet speaks of a distressed time where wives are put to misuse by their husbands, cheated, abused and tortured. The husbands are pen pictured as â€Å"callous lovers’ who picks up young women and deceives them without a shade of remorse or guilt. The theme of â€Å"I sit and look out†points at the jealousy of the human race among themselves, unrequited love that is seemingly impossible to hide. The angst and the anxiety of the poet, the fear and the tension that rumbles up the poet’s mind while he sits comfortably in his place is an awakening call for the readers to rise up and take a step in altering the situation. Walt Whitman’s agony and meanness are justly defined in the lines; â€Å"I observe a famine at sea, I observe the sailors casting lots who shall be killd to preserve the lives of the rest, I observe the slights and degradations cast by arrogant persons upon laborers, the poor, and upon Negroes, and the likes; All theseall the meanness and agony without end I sitting look out upon,See, hear, and am silent. â€Å" The poet seeks to demarcate emotions in his poemby introducing camouflage to pertain jealousy and unrequited love behind the mask of smiles and affability. The ego is hosted and the sufferings are subdued and the speaker is never at rest although he doesn’t move from his position. Perhaps, the process of being an onlooker is more painful than being the victim. In other words, the poet calls one and all to rise and do what is right to free themselves from the shackles of pain and liberation and pacify their ego. It is the onlooker who sits silent through the dangerous aftermaths of war, the deaths of millions and autocracy that causes dents within the state. He has to bear the pain as he beholds the sight of prisoners-tortured and tormented-the most terrible byproduct of wars and battles fought. The pen picturisation is horrific, where sailors are thrown into the sea to fight the waves and survive to the shores. The poor workers, the Negros are subjected to slavery in the hands of the capitalist world where nothing prevails but oppression and penury. â€Å"I Sit and look out ‘transforms itself to be a worthy satire of troubled times where agony and not beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder. It’s good to know: Walt Whitman has been claimed as Americas first poet of democracy, a title meant to reflect his ability to write in a singularly American character Whitmans poetry has been set to music by a large number of composers; indeed it has been suggested his poetry has been set to music more than any other American poet except for Emily Dickinson and Henry Wadsworth Longfellow The story revolves around the life of Sophie, a teenager, who, like others of her age, is filled with fantasies and desires. She comes from a poor financial background, but hopes to be sophisticated in the future. Sophie dreams of owning a boutique one day ot being an actress or fashion designer, but her friend Jansie believes that both of them are earmarked for the biscuit factory. Jansie, who is more realistic, tries to pull Sophie to reality, but in vain. Sophie lives in a small house with her parents and brothers, Geoff and little Derek. Though she voices her feelings and desires, her parents belittle her, because they, unlike her, are more mature and has known the harsh realities of life. Sophie finds a sort of fascination for her elder brother Geoff, who, in her opinion, is tall, strong and handsome but reserved. She envies his silence and often wonders about his thoughts and areas of his life that she doesnt know about. The centre of this story is that Sophie fantasises about Danny Casey, an Irish football player, whom she had seen playing in innumerable matches. She makes up a story about how she met him in the streets and tells this to Geoff. Geoff, who is more sensible than Sophie, does not really believe her, even if she wants to. It seems an unlikely incident for Sophie to meet the prodigy in their street, but where Sophie describes the meeting inall her details, he begins to hope that it could be true. She tells him that Danny has promised to meet her somewhere again. Sophie gets so pulled into the story she made that she herself begins to believe that its true. She waits for the Irish player, but obviously, he never arrives. Then, she makes her way home, wondering how her brother would be disappointed on knowing that Danny Casey never showed up. However, Sophie still fantasises about her hero, unperturbed. The whole story is about unrealistic dreams and how we love to indulge in them knowing all the while that they have little possibility of coming true. But some, like Sophie, gets too involved in them and actually act on them. This is when disappointment makes its entrance into life. The story seem to hint at you that it is okay to dream, but dream with limits. This is actual reality and do not believe too much in movies and novels where the characters miraculously over come their challenges. This is a pessimistic way of looking at things, but sadly it is the true reality. Unless you are impossibly ambitious, hardworking, and have loads of patience and perseverance, such dreams are best to be kept under lock and key unless you like the taste of bitter disappointment A kind and humble shoemaker called Simon goes out one day to purchase sheep-skins in order to sew a winter coat for his wife and himself to share. Usually the little money, which Simon earned would be spent to feed his wife and children. Simon decided that in order to afford the skins he must go on a collection to receive the five roubles and twenty kopeks owed to him by his customers. As he heads out to collect the money he also borrows a three-rouble note from his wifes money box. While going on his collection he only manages to receive twenty kopeks rather than the full amount. Feeling disheartened by this Simon rashly spends the twenty kopeks on vodka and starts to head back home. On his way home he rants to himself about the little he can do with twenty kopeks besides spend it on alcohol and that the winter cold is bearable without a sheep-skin coat. While approaching a holy shrine, Simon stops and notices something pale looking leaning against it. He peers harder and distinguishes that it is a naked man who appears poor of health. At first he is suspicious and fears that the man has no good intentions if he is left in such a state. He proceeds to pass the man until he feels that for a second the man lifted his head and looked toward him. Simon debates what to do in his mind and feels shameful for his disregard and heads back to help the man. Simon gives the articles of clothing he can and wraps around the stranger. He aids him as they both walk toward Simons home. Though they walk together side by side, the stranger barely speaks and when Simon asks how he was left in that situation the only answers the man would give was: I may not tell and God has punished me. Meanwhile Simons wife Matrena debates whether or not to bake more bread for the nights meal so that there is enough for the following mornings breakfast. She decides that the loaf of bread that they have left would be ample enough to last till the following morning. As she sees Simon approaching the door she is angered to see him with a strange man who is wrapped in Simons clothing. Matrena immediately expresses her displeasure with Simon, accusing him and his strange companions to be drunkards and harassing Simon for not returning with the sheep-skin needed to make a new coat. Once the tension settles down she bids that the stranger sits down and has dinner with them. After seeing the stranger take bites at the bread she placed for him on his plate, she began to felt pity and showed so in her face. When the stranger noticed this his grim expression lit up immediately and he smiled for one brief moment. After hearing the story from the stranger how Simon had kindly robed the stranger after seeing him in his naked state Matrena grabbed more of their old clothing and gave it to Simon. The following morning Simon addresses the