Wilfred Owen And Stevie Smith On Death - 1889 Words

Chris Shea ENG 477 Professor Heidi Hartwig 04/21/16 Wilfred Owen and Stevie Smith on Death Death, especially that of loved ones: it can be a sensitive topic for anyone. The main connotation for the dead is that although not all circumstances can be revealed, the reasons behind their deaths can eventually be assumed by the living. And while that may be true in the physical sense as the dead cannot physically talk about their own deaths, two major British poets tend to disagree with that belief. In their works, both poets Wilfred Owen and Stevie Smith believe that the dead have more knowledge on the cause of their condition than do the living. One way Wilfred Owen and Stevie Smith present their beliefs on this issue is by presenting the public’s thoughts on said person after their death. And while the public may be sympathetic at times, often they are not in the case of Owen; and in the case of Smith, those who are sympathetic tend to not have a good sense as to what the circumstances were leading up to this person’s death. Overall, the public tends to be ignorant on this topic. Citing the public’s opinions on death is evident in the case of Wilfred Owen’s poetry, in both direct and indirect form. The more indirect approach is in his poem Disabled, although the main character in question is actually alive. However, the same scenario applies as this character is a permanently-disabled (and depressed) veteran; not to mention Owen (a soldier himself) wrote this in the final yearShow MoreRelatedLiterary Group in British Poetry5631 Words   |  23 Pagescentury feminist literature. Matthew Arnold was much influenced by Wordsworth, though his poem Dover Beach is often considered a precursor of the modernist revolution. Hopkins wrote in relative obscurity and his work was not published until after his death. His unusual style (involving what he called sprung rhythm and heavy reliance on rhyme and alliteration) had a considerable influence on many of the poets of the 1940s. [edit]Pre-Raphaelites, arts and crafts, Aestheticism, and the Yellow 1890s

Miles Davis Essay Free Essays

Jon Davis Perspectives in American Jazz Ben Martinson December 10, 2009 Miles Davis: The Last Pioneer in American Jazz Miles Davis represents the pinnacle of modern American Jazz. He was one of the foremost pioneers in the inventions of cool jazz, hard bop, free jazz, fusion and techno. He was, arguably one of the most influential figures in music, pushing the boundaries of what was commonly known as jazz into new directions that most people thought was impossible. We will write a custom essay sample on Miles Davis Essay or any similar topic only for you Order Now Davis was born on May 26, 1926 in Alton, Illinois to Dr. Miles Henry Davis, a successful dentist, and Cleota Mae Davis. Davis’ interest in music was sparked at the age of 13 when his father bought him a trumpet, and arranged lessons with accomplished local musician Elwood Buchanan. Oddly enough, Buchanan discouraged Davis from using vibrato in his music, which was a characteristic that Davis carried throughout the entirety of his career. Interestingly, his mother, Cleota Mae Davis, played blues piano but kept this facts hidden from her son. Because of his proficiency with the trumpet, he was accepted into the Julliard School of Music to study classical music. Davis quickly realized that the classical form was not for him, and desired a more non-traditional approach. Davis made the decision to drop out of the Julliard School because they were not accepting of his non-traditional approach. Davis focused on imperfect melodies in order to distract the users away from the composition of the music, and to concentrate more on the deeply rooted meanings in the music. Davis stated in an interview, â€Å"It’s [music] always been a gift with me, hearing music the way I do. I don’t know where it comes from, it’s just there and I don’t question it,† (Miles Davis Properties). After Davis dropped out of Julliard, he got to experience the greatest privilege that any musician of the time could hope for. He received the chance to play with the band of Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie. Davis’ performance was rapidly perfected by the influence of Parker and Gillespie (Miles Davis). He saw his first studio time under Parker and Gillespie with Savoy records in September of 1945. This represented a major change of pace for Davis, because he was now qualified to record as a solo artist. Savoy Records offered to sign him as a band leader, where he soon excelled to the point of starting his own nonet called the â€Å"Miles Davis Nonet. † Davis often came off as arrogant or rude because he demanded absolute perfection in all rehearsals and performances from his band members. These demands may have been rooted in the slaps on the knuckles he received as a child from Buchanan. Davis had rapidly become one of the most famous musicians of the time, and had no intention of slowing down. Davis enjoyed a rapid, lifestyle of fame success, and debauchery. His lifestyle began to catch up with him at the peak of his career when heroine became a severe problem in his life. Heroin addiction was not uncommon for musicians during the 1940s and 1950s. It is speculated that his addiction to heroin may have been influenced by both Parker and Gillespie, the two men that made him into a star (Miles Davis). However, the difference between Davis, Parker, and Gillespie was that Davis rid himself of his addiction to heroin by locking himself into a room until he was completely free of his habit and prepared to perform again. Davis rapidly got back to the world of jazz by performing at the Newport Jazz Festival in July of 1955. This performance was one of his best live shows, and proved to Columbia Records that he was ready to record one of his bestselling albums of all time, Miles Ahead. This album featured legendary collaborations between Gil Evans and Davis. It created the new sound of Miles Davis that moved away from Bebop, and more towards unheard of genres of music. In August of 1959 Davis’ success continued with the release of his most successful album, Kind of Blue. This album went on to earn quadruple-platinum success, and to be the best-selling jazz album of all time. â€Å"It never and entered my mind† is my favorite track by Davis. It is the first track on Davis’ album, Workin’ performed by the Miles Davis Quintet. The track features Davis playing a very cool, relaxed trumpet solo, with a walking scale on bass. The scale is a riff and it repeats the entire song. First and foremost when listen to this piece, I just feel extremely relaxed. The song carries a heavy romantic tone to it that one cannot help but fall in love with. It is very much like most of his early trumpet playing because it lacks vibrato, and is overall an extremely smooth piece. On September 28, 1991, one year after receiving the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, Davis died at the young age of sixty-five from a stroke, pneumonia and respiratory failure. Davis’ music has been, and will continue to be popular and one of the most sought after names in American Jazz. His influence on other genres spans wider than most people realize because of the amount of techniques and styles that he experimented with. No audience is out of reach of Davis’ music because of his uses elements of rock, pop, electronic, jazz and so many more genres. His self-discipline, talent, and love for music have earned him 9 Grammy Awards, including a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, a spot in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, stars on the Hollywood and Saint Louis Walks of Fame, and a Knighthood in Paris. These and countless other honors, combined with his record sales are proof of the popularity, influence, and success that Davis will enjoy for years to come in the fields of cool jazz, hard bop, free jazz, fusion and techno. Davis was a stickler for perfection and poured himself into every song he created and performed, and many musicians have him to thank for the success he has brought them. Works Cited Miles Davis Properties, L. â€Å"Miles Davis. † Miles Davis. 9 Nov. 2009 http://www. milesdavis. com/. Miles Davis Quintet. Workin’ Rec. 1956. Prestige, 1987. â€Å"Miles Davis. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. 2009. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. 9 Nov. 2009 http://www. rockhall. com/inductee/miles-davis. NPR, Ken Burns, and Columbia/legacy . â€Å"Miles Davis. † 9 Nov. 2009 http://www. pbs. org/jazz/biography/artist_id_davis_miles. htm. Ouellette, Dan. â€Å"Miles Ahead. † Billboard119 (2007): 48-49. Academic Search Elite. EBSCO. Pickler Memorial Librar y, Kirksville. 9 Nov. 2009. Keyword: Miles Davis. Paradowski, Robert J. â€Å"It’s About That Time: Miles Davis on and Off Record. † (2005). EBSCOhost. Pickler Memorial Library, Kirksville. 9 Nov. 2009. Keyword: Miles Davis. How to cite Miles Davis Essay, Essays

William Blount Essays - Blount County, Tennessee, William Blount

William Blount WILLIAM BLOUNT William Blount's great-grandfather, Thomas Blount, came to the Americas from England in 1660. He first resided in Virginia, then moved to North Carolina, and started his family. William was the eldest in his family, and was born in 1749 while his mother was visiting her father-in-law's Rosefield estate. This was near Palmico Sound, present day Windsor. William was said to have received a good education although little is known. He also apparently had intrest for government since he was little. When the war started in 1776, Blount was appointed paymaster, who was in charge of wages, in the army of North Carolina. Then in 1778 he married Mary Grainier. They had six children, and one became active in Tennessee's govern- ment. He spent the rest of his life in public office. Blount represented North Carolina in Congress. He sat in the lower house of the legislature for 4 years, from 1780-1784. During those years, he was the speaker of the house, and was a public speaker. He served in the upper house from 1788-1790, and spoke for them as well. Blount also took part in national politics, including two Continental Congress sessions in 1782-1783 and 1786-1787. Here he also represented his state of North Carolina. The next highlight in Blounts life, was being apppointed to be a delegate at the Constitutional Convention. At this time, he was 38 years of age. Although he already had a prior commitment to represent his state at the Continental Congress, He attended the Constitutional Convention for all but one month. He was a very quiet person who let other members take part in debates and and arguements, and kept his opinions to himself, whether they were follow- ing or opposing the crowd. He signed the Constitution with hesitation, and said only to make it the unanimous act of the States in the Convention. Although when it reached his state for ratification, he signed it without reluctancy, and gave his full support. Later in 1789, wanted to be elected to the Senate. This was inportant because it was the first United States Senate ever. After failing to achieve this goal, he moved out west past the Appalachian Mountains. While out west, William tried to get some of the Indians land, and claim it for America. This area later became Tennessee, where he resided for the rest of his life. In 1790, George Washington appointed Blount the first territorial governor Tennessee, and the Superintendent of Indian Affairs for the South. Then in 1796 Tennessee became a state, and he was appointed one of the two United States Senators. During his term as Senator, Blount was struck by a stream of bad luck. In 1797, his speculations out west led him to very serious financial problems. After this he started to plot to help British troops conquer Louisiana and Florida. He wrote a letter reffering to this plan, which fell into the hands of President Adams. The President gave it to the Senate who voted to dismiss Blount from office. This happened on July 8th 1797. After this episode, it was up for debate whether of not he should be alowed to hold office again, but the charges were later dropped and he resumed his position in the Tennessee Senate in 1798. He died in 1800 in Knoxville, Tennessee at the age of 51. I picked William Blount for two reasons; One because North Carolina is my favorite state, and the other because I have a cousin in California with the last name of Blount. When I first started researching his name, he seemed like just an ordinary signer, nothing of interest to his name. But then I was reading about the serious problems he encountered, I give him credit for being strong. Even though he wasn't particularly a very loudly outspoken man, he must have had some views and arguements that got him to the places he got to go. American History

My Last Duchess and Porphyrias Lover Essay Example

My Last Duchess and Porphyrias Lover Essay Example My Last Duchess and Porphyrias Lover Paper My Last Duchess and Porphyrias Lover Paper Essay Topic: Literature In Porphyrias Lover and My Last Duchess, Browning explores the male psyche by portraying two men so obsessed by domination and control that they are finally driven to kill their lovers. Written in the 19th century, these poems are set in a patriarchal society in which female subservience was expected and male supremacy absolute. In Advice to a Husband Cobbett states that A husband under command of his wife is the most contemptible of gods creatures. And it is this proclamation, viewed by many of the time that drives the protagonists of the two poems to the extremes. Despite the fact that the poems are written in dramatic monologues, the text contains certain clues which voice Brownings judgment and condemnation of the drastic actions taken by the male figures and thus societys role of trapping women under the rule of men. Neither the Duke nor the lover meet the expectations that the reader has of a protagonist of a Romantic poem. Instead Brownings presentation of flawed men as opposed to romantic heroes suggests that Browning is playing against his readers expectations. The Dukes description of his wife quickly reveals that he is a paranoid character; his speculative suggestion of what Fri Pandolf might have chanced to say reveals that he even suspects his wife of flirting with a monk. The lover is also a jealous character. He thinks that Porphyria is weak as she will not free herself from pride and vainer ties dissever, / And give herself to me forever. When the lover realises Porphyrias affections for him he becomes so crazed by power that he strangles her with the long yellow string of her own hair. In contrast to My Last Duchess, the poem makes completely clear to the reader that Porphyria is cruelly murdered by her lover. However the reader is led to suspect that a similar crime also occurs in My Last Duchess. The Dukes language is clinical and free from emotion as he declares I gave commands; / Then all smiles stopped together. In both poems, the men blame Porphyria and the Duchess for their own deaths due to what is deemed to be inexcusable behaviour. Browning however allows the reader to oppose the perspective of the male personas. In Porphyrias Lover the lovers descriptions of vainer ties are vague, so could be anything from another man to a social life excluding him. But as the reader is morally judgemental, no reason would be sufficient for murder. Even the lover himself feels the need to reassure himself of his action by saying No pain felt she; / I am quite sure she felt no pain. He also seems to fear Gods judgment as he says And yet God has not said a word! In My Last Duchess the Dukes reasoning for his wifes death shows irrational jealousy. He not only feels threatened by other men but of things, animals and even of the sunset which he describes as The dropping of the daylight in the West. As in Porphyrias Lover the reader does not believe the Duchess deserves her fate despite the fact that it is told from the Dukes point of view. His broken sentences show elements of self-doubt and he cannot clearly convey his argument for his partners death. Somehow I know not how It also appears that he senses his irrationality because he first states Whod stoop to blame / This sort of trifling? yet he continues to do just that. The Duke kills his wife in order to stop her looking as her looks went everywhere. This is because her role as wife is to be looked at, not to look at others. In death she is immortalised by means of a portrait in which she is trapped looking as if alive purely showing her husbands success through her beauty. The Duke regains the control that he thought he had lost by keeping his wife hidden: since none puts by / The curtain I have drawn for you but I. The Duke murders his wife because he refuses to lower himself: I chose / Never to stoop. This idea of hierarchy between men and women is also portrayed in Porphyrias Lover. Porphyria feels she has to provocatively offer herself in order to cheer her lover which is described by the male persona as stooping. The lover also states Porphyria worshipped me which conveys his heightened sense of ownership similar to the Dukes emotions when viewing the portrait of his wife. The lovers proclamation That moment she was mine, mine shows the power he holds over Porphyria and subsequently he kills her. In her death Porphyria becomes perfect to him as now he has total control. The Lover uses Porphyrias corpse like a puppet, positioning her to create different scenes: I propped her head up as before / Only, this time my shoulder bore / Her head And thus we sit together now / And all night long we have not stirred. These grotesque actions give the reader the impression that the Lover is dramatising their lives together singlehandedly, perhaps to ensure that nothing will ruin their eternity together. He even continues to create her emotions and wishes for her. When doing this he objectifies her further by referring to her as it. So glad it has its utmost will Although the Duke does not literally use his wifes body as an object like Porphyrias Lover, he uses the portrait he commissioned as a means of enjoying the visual aspects of his wife without having to deal with soul underneath. I call / That piece a wonder now shows clearly how the Duke believes his wife merely to be a possession of his. However unlike Porphyrias Lover, The Dukes perfection is somewhat tainted by the fact that another man painted her with a look of depth and passion which reveals the personality underneath the face. In this patriarchal environment in which My Last Duchess was set women and paintings were often considered to be the same as they are both commodities which show the wealth and success of a husband. Beautiful paintings showed that the husband could afford a talented artist and beautiful women came with smaller dowries thus showing that the male figure could meet the expense of his wife. The personas justifications for the murder of their partners are so weak that it is clear that Browning clearly deemed the male view that the best wife is a dead woman to be immoral. The characters personalities and the radical action taken provoke anger and shock within the reader and cause pity for the deceased women as Browning allows the reader to draw the conclusion that they were undeserving of their death. Not only does the murder seem unjust, but the way the male personas treat their dead lovers after their death stimulates bitterness. The Lovers manipulating of Porphyrias body presents a grotesque image whereas the Dukes use of his wifes portrait as a means of showing his power and success shows his character to be egotistical.

Indefinite Article Forms

Indefinite Article Forms â€Å"Chiamerà ² UN medico!† This means, â€Å"I’ll call a doctor.† But since we don’t know which doctor it is, we use the indefinite article â€Å"un,† which can be translated as â€Å"a.† The Italian indefinite article (articolo indeterminativo) indicates a generic, indefinite thing, which is considered unknown. Italian Indefinite Article Forms 1) Un The form â€Å"un† precedes masculine nouns beginning with a consonant except s consonant, z, x, pn, ps, and gn and sc, with usage corresponding to the article il: un bambino - a childun cane - a dogun dente - a toothun fiore - a flowerun gioco   - a game The form â€Å"un† also precedes masculine nouns that start with a vowel (including u): un amico - a friendun elmo - a helmetun incubo - a nightmareun oste - an innkeeperun uragano - a hurricaneun whisky - a whiskeyun week-end - a weekend Note that in front of a vowel the indefinite article â€Å"un† is never apostrophized since it’s not an elided form: unanno, unosso would be equivalent to una anno, una osso, both of which are incorrect. For the same reason un idea, un ora cannot be written without the apostrophe. Note the difference between un assistente (man) and unassistente (woman). 2) Uno The form â€Å"uno† precedes masculine nouns beginning with s consonant, z, x, pn, ps, and gn and sc, with usage corresponding to the article lo: uno sbaglio - a mistakeuno zaino - a backpackuno xilofono - a xylophoneuno (or also un) pneumatico - a tireuno pseudonimo - a pseudonymuno gnocco - a dumplinguno sceicco - a sheikhuno iato - a hiatus For words of foreign origin beginning with h, the same rules apply as lo. 3) Una (un) The form â€Å"una† precedes feminine nouns and is elided to â€Å"un† before a vowel (but not before the semivowel j), to be used with the article la: una bestia - a beastuna casa - a houseuna donna - a womanuna fiera - a fairuna giacca - a jacketuna iena - a hyenaUnanima - a soulUnelica - a propellerUnisola - an islandUnombra - a shadowUnunghia - a fingernail TIPS: Sometimes the indefinite article refers to a type, category, or variety and is equivalent to the word â€Å"ogni - each, every, any, all.†In the spoken language the Italian indefinite article is also used to express admiration (Ho conosciuto una ragazza!- I knew a girl!) or in the superlative sense (Ho avuto una paura!- I was fearful!).It may also indicate approximation and correspond to circa, pressappoco (about, approximately): dista un tre chilometri. (distance of three kilometers).In the example below, the use of the indefinite article overlaps with the definite article (articolo determinativo). Il giovane manca sempre desperienza. - All youngsters always lack experience.Un giovane manca sempre desperienza. - All youngsters always lack experience. Is there a plural? The indefinite article does not have a plural. However, the forms of the (articoli partitivi) dei, degli, and delle or of the (aggettivi indefiniti) qualche (followed by the singular), alcuni, and alcune can function as plurals: Sono sorte delle difficolt. - Difficulties have arisen.Ho ancora qualche dubbio. - I still have some doubts.Partirà ² fra alcuni giorni. - I will leave in a few days. or even: alcune difficolt - some difficultiesnumerosi dubbi - many doubtsparecchi giorni - many days Another alternative is to use neither the partitive nor the indefinite adjective, and instead express the plural noun without any description: Sono sorte difficolt. - Difficulties have arisenHo ancora dubbi. - I still have doubts.Partirà ² fra giorni. - I will leave in a few days.

Racial and Ethnic Diversity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4250 words

Racial and Ethnic Diversity - Essay Example is rise in diversity so much of a problem This is an imperative question, for by viewing growth in racial and cultural diversity as a problem, policy makers, educators, and journalists, have set the stage for how societies will respond to this change. This does not mean that a change in the ethnic and racial structure of a school or community does not throw up new challenges or necessitate a change in approach as regards the part of educators. New immigrants palpably speak languages other than English, and in several California school districts, it is not unusual for over 40 foreign languages to be there among the student population. The arrival of racial minorities time and again leads to racial clashes and the venting of several kinds of bias and intolerance. Those receiving the new arrivals feel endangered and apprehensive and counter with antagonism and resentment. Finally, and most significantly, diversity is deemed as problematic because American schools have traditionally seen cultural incorporation of immigrants and non-whites as essential to their mission. One of the biggest concerns of politicians and educators during the nineteenth century was how new immigrants would be integrated into the American mainstream. Public schools were often considered the most rational place where task of converting foreigners into Americans could be executed. Still, "Americanization" was not restricted to foreigners. In the southwest it was routine for Native American children to be separated form their families and sent to boarding schools. The point was to convert them into Christians. As far as African American and many Mexican American children were concerned, segregated schooling actually saved them from being subjected to... According to the report findings diversity is deemed as problematic because American schools have traditionally seen cultural incorporation of immigrants and non-whites as essential to their mission. One of the biggest concerns of politicians and educators during the nineteenth century was how new immigrants would be integrated into the American mainstream. Public schools were often considered the most rational place where task of converting foreigners into Americans could be executed. As the paper declares today de-segregation has changed that too. As a consequence, the spoken language of children – be it Ebonics or Spanish - has frequently been subject to eradication. In addition, the cultural variations of these children are associated with cultural inferiority far too often, and not unpredictably, children from these groups are likely to fare poorly in school, get into serious trouble, or for that matter even drop out. Given America’s history, and given the authentic challenges that escort an increase in diversity, several educators and communities would treat this as a problem. Small towns and rural areas are showing that diversity is the country’s future and there is a concerted effort being shown in fostering diversity in the years to come. There is another option. Instead of reacting to rising diversity with apprehension and insecurity, it is feasible to treat diversity as an asset and work out ways of responding to it which facilitate the society to reap benefits from this pluralism.

ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE-unit 3, question #2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE-unit 3, question #2 - Essay Example Solar panels are made from special materials, which absorb the heat from the sun. For instance, solar panels have black bottoms, which absorbs heat at a faster and more efficient rate. This heat is used to boil the water that is inside a series of tubes within the solar panel technology, and this water basically traps the energy that lies within the heat(Wright, 2008). In simpler terms, solar energy is able to create energy by collecting heat from the sun, converting the heat into energy through the process of boiling water, and stores this hot water/energy in a tank for later use(Wright, 2008). This energy is then used for the same purposes as energy derived from fossil fuels, including heating a person’s home and running appliances. According to Wright, solar energy is an extremely good alternative to fossil fuels. â€Å"Just 40 minutes of sunlight†¦yields the equivalent energy of a year’s expenditure of fossil fuel†(Wright, 2008). Solar panels do not harm the environment like fossils fuels do because, unlike fossil fuels, solar energy is a natural source which does not trap high amounts of carbon within the environment. An added benefit to solar energy is that it will save money on electric bills for those who utilize it. This economic aspect makes it an attractive option for certain people. Solar panels and solar energy have become a lot more popular in recent years as people become more aware of its overall efficiency. In nations such as America, which uses a lot of energy and resources on a daily basis, utilizing renewable energy is a great way to cut down on humanity’s overall footprint on the environment. Although solar panels may be a bit pricey in terms of the setup, it essentially pays for itself in the amount of money saved on energy because of the fact that, as fossil fuels become more scarce, prices will continue to rise, but the Sun’s existence, on the other hand, is guaranteed for thousands of