buy custom Poetry Book Report essay

buy custom Poetry Book Report essay The origin and development of ci poetry in China, across the periods of 950 to 1100, can be traced lucidly in the works of Su Shi and Li Yu. Some of the most notable literary pieces that illustrate this phenomenon are two poems by these artists; Woodland Flowers lose their Vernal Color, and Immortal by the River. Li Yu and Sushi authored these poems respectively. The trends of the movement might be seen in the changing aspect of thematic construction of the poems and the symbolism employed. It is also possible to trace some marked transformation in the form of the poems with time. The ci poetry has been linked to the adoption of the song forms of Asia into poetry. Their forms and substances have characteristically been informed by the foreign cultural influences from the inner parts of Asia into the Chinese cultural life. The artistic reactions from these cultural contacts have been regarded as the driving forces that conditioned the transformation of Chinese art into new forms and representation. These poems have employed images that situate them within some of the favorite themes that were adopted by the early Chinese poets including mysticism, nature, and chaos. The images used in these poems range from topography to domestic things. This means that these poems mostly sought to capture reality in both cosmic and romantic form. The success of this attempt can be observed in the particularly moving evocation of natures superiority and majesty as observed in Su shis poem. Li Yus poem, on the other hand, situates its thematic content within the images of vegetation and the beauty of fading flowers. For instance, this can be seen in the continued use of natural elements as images; In the deep night, with the wind still, the sea calm, (Shi, 133), in the ninth line of the poem. These gives a string hint t o the desire by the poet to challenge conventions using symbolism. The two poems can be viewed in the sense in which they represent the same reality in two different ways. Thematically, the early Chinese poets in the league of Su Shi and Li Yu worked towards the establishment forms of arts that could open up their closed society towards alternative forms of representation. To this extent, the ci forms have sometimes been regarded as a form of silent rebellion of artists who chose to use their skill for the transformation of a society locked up in restrictive and suppressive structures. In the poem, the Woodland Flowers Lose their Vernal Color, Li Yu appears to subvert traditional symbolism to capture a different portrayal of reality. The poet extends his creative perspective beyond the conventions of art as portrayed in the society towards a decidedly fresh analysis of the society. In some respect, the symbolic meaning of flowers losing color might be deemed to represent a certain vulnerability of the social norms and structure within the context of transformation (Yu, 112). The title of this poem is striking in the sense which it appears to celebrate the possibility of the establishment of a new world order. Theold beauty leaves the scene poignantly to cede ground for the possibility of other kinds of reality. In terms of historical movement, this poem appears to morph into the character element of Li Yu, the artists, who sought to live his rebellious element into the new form of artistic representation. The forms of art that are classified under the ci form have one striking resemblance in terms of verse. All of them have a tendency towards free and unbalanced verse forms. These verse forms are deemed to represent a desire by the artists to force the borrowed forms of art into a new shape of artistic representation that reflected in the traditional art forms. The unbalanced forms of verse were in line with Chinese songs, which the ci poetry, sought to give alternative representation. Su Shis poem The Immortal River captures a certain cultural identity that emerged in China between the periods of 950 and 1100. This identity carried string indications of cultural supremacy that had the effect of created a certain form of bulwark against the incipience of foreign systems into the Chinese cultural life. Some of the characteristics of this art were the use of local images to illustrate the different kinds of meaning within the works of poetry (Shi, 98). In this poem, the River represents both the triumph of Chinese topography and the continuum of national culture, which sought to elevate culture to a level of representation that was in line with what appeared to a be a resurgence of nationalism. However, critics have argued that this form of art was apologetic to the authoritarianism that was imposed on the Chinese people by their governors. If Sushis poem is to be seen as representing the t\old ideal, the Li Yus poetic works might be regarded as some forms of response to the positions adopted by Sushi in the attempt to capture the realities of Chinese social life (Shi, 133). The most noticeable similarity between these two poems is that they tend to react to the external realities of the objective world. To this extent the power of the images employed also appear to shift in line with the expectations of the people. Although the poets seem anchor their opinions around the same themes and perspectives, Sushi treads the traditional path of self-preservation while Li Yu adopts the path of poetic liberalism and a search for the fresh grounds of expression. The movement of time between the years 950 to 100 marked the different reactions that were meshed within the perspective of geopolitical realities that inevitably filtered into the existing works of art. Similarly, it was around the same time that exploration activities and the opening up of new trading zones were increasingly shaping up in Asia. The result of these influences was the incorporation into the elements of style a certain form of freedom that represented the transformation of art into a particularly new form of cultural expressionism. The artists who emerged to contribute to the ci form movement were determined to curve some impact out of these transformations. This contribution was on two levels. The ffirst form of influence was the active pursuit of the values espoused as represented within the context of the emerging realities. On the second level, another category of artists sought to create a different response that both cautious and reactionary. Li Yus poem Woodland Flowers lose their Vernal Color might be seen in the light of change and transformation. It resonates with as an aspect of cultural freedom. There seems to be a movement of the center of social and cultural freedoms from the prohibitive restrictions imposed by the state to other representations. The poems of ci forms have tended the employ the of domestic images that represent a docile and idyllic village life full of beautiful young girls, loving mothers and a provident mother nature. There was the idealistic representation of the society akin to what the Elizabethan and Romantic poets in England had attempted many centuries later. In fact, some critics have argued that the portrayal of the society in the Chinese early poetry, might have anticipated the emergence of the Romantic period in England. The points of convergence were the exuberance romanticizing of the village life, as opposed to the chaos of toil and violence. In the Chinese ci form, there is an obvious attempt to align the poems with the cosmic order and realities. Towards the first half of 1100, there was the evident movement of the imagery in these poems towards the celebration of love and family life as the most ideal discourses in the life of man. The images employed were in the form of pillows, the bedroom, and other marital objects. This marked the most sublime stage of romantic celebration within the context of the ci forms of poetry. Critics have developed several arguments to challenge the possibilities that the Chinese ci form of poetry might have had significant contribution to the development of European romantic discourses. Those who have argued against this notion have anchored their notions in the possibility of the early European explorers transporting forms of European drama influences to their homeland. The opening up of Asia as a mystical destination region by Marco Polo has been cited as part of the reasons to believe that there might have occurred some cultural exchanges, as a result. It might therefore, be argued that the images in Li Yus poem Woodland Flowers lose their Vernal Color and Sushis Immortal by the River as a celebration of the idyllic existence that was celebrated in Chinese art. This form of poetry was rich in the sense in which it covered historical allusions as well as cultural systems. The images that have been used in both poems are potent to the extent in which they react to the realities that played out in the Chinese society. These realities are the ones that feed into the fundamental themes that are represented in the substance of these poems. Therefore, it might be argued that the tow poems discussed here were largely a successful portrayal of the form and substance of the co form of poetry in thematic perspective and historical transformation. Buy custom Poetry Book Report essay

Word Choice Lay vs. Lie - Proofread My Papers Academic Blog

Word Choice Lay vs. Lie - Proofread My Papers Academic Blog Word Choice: Lay vs. Lie Are there any two words more commonly confused than â€Å"lay† and â€Å"lie†? It’s hard to think of many others where mistakes are so easy to understand, since â€Å"lay† and â€Å"lie† are distinct terms with different meanings, yet the simple past tense of â€Å"lie† is also â€Å"lay.† Confused yet? We dont blame you. Nevertheless, by the end of this blog post, using our proofreading experience, we fully intend to have explained the difference between â€Å"lay† and â€Å"lie† in clear and simple terms. Wish us luck. Lie (Recline) The sense of â€Å"lie† that causes most confusion is its use as a verb meaning â€Å"to recline or be in a horizontal position†: Trying to understand this word is tiring, so I will lie down on the couch. This is why we had a fainting couch installed. An important factor is that â€Å"lie† is an intransitive verb, so never takes an object. This particular use of â€Å"lie† is an irregular verb, moreover, so the simple past tense is â€Å"lay†: I felt refreshed immediately after I lay down. Meanwhile, the past participle (used in the present and past perfect tenses) of â€Å"lie† is â€Å"lain†: The couch was so soft, I could have lain there forever. Lay (Put Down) As a present tense verb in its own right, â€Å"lay† means â€Å"to put something down or place it horizontally†: Joan lay down her sword; she could take on this chump barehanded. Dont mess with Joan. The simple past tense and past participle of â€Å"lay† are both â€Å"laid†: The next day, Joan laid out a map and planned her next campaign. The examples above also demonstrate how â€Å"lay† always takes an object (i.e., the subject is always putting something else down). Another Type of Lie (Speak an Untruth) It’s worth noting that â€Å"lie† has another common definition, meaning â€Å"to say something untrue†: He couldn’t let her know the truth, so he lied and blamed the zookeeper. As you can see above, the past tense of â€Å"lie† is â€Å"lied.† As well as a verb, â€Å"lie† can be used as a noun meaning â€Å"an untruth.† Lie or Lay? The key thing is to remember that â€Å"lie† does not take an object, whereas â€Å"lay† always does. If the subject of your sentence is reclining or horizontal, the correct term is â€Å"lie†: e.g., â€Å"The wrecked ship lies on the seabed.† This becomes â€Å"lay† in the simple past tense or â€Å"lain† as a past participle. However, if the subject of your sentence is putting something else down, the correct term will be â€Å"lay†: e.g., â€Å"The new policies require laying many miles of pipeline.† The past tense is always â€Å"laid.† Variations of â€Å"lie,† â€Å"lay† and â€Å"lie† (the other kind) can be found in the table below. Present Tense Lie (Recline) Lay (Put Down) Lie (Speak an Untruth) Past Simple Lay Laid Lied Past Participle Lain Laid Lied

American Political Parties Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

American Political Parties - Essay Example 791, divisions began to grow as Madison urged Jefferson to join him in organizing against Hamilton leading to formation of the Democratic - Republican Party mainly by anti-federalists. The founders of this party included: Madison, Jefferson, Robert Livingstone and George Clinton of New York and Senator Aaron Burr of Virginia. In midterm Congressional elections, the party garnered majority seats in Congress with 65 members. Madison was supported by Virginia, North Carolina, Georgia, New York and Pennsylvania while New England opposed him (Reichley 32). The Democratic - Republican Party appealed to rural population and farmers; it was an agrarian party. It also advocated economic and social equality and liberal ideals. The French revolution also was an issue at the time and its supporters formed democratic societies (Democratic or Republican) and campaigned in 1794 elections for Republicans (Democratic - Republican Party). They were joined by some federalists’ to become majority party in 1795. Washington did not seek reelection for third term thus the 1996 elections pitted Adams a federalist against Jefferson a Republican. The Republican Party was defeated narrowly by Adams with 71 votes against 68. Thomas Pinckney a federalist got 59 votes and Burr (Republican) 30 votes. Jefferson became the vice president (Reichley 39). The party build up organizations to support Republican candidates and in mid elections Republicans garnered majority seats in Congress. In New York, Burr managed to get a uniform vote for the party ticket. The party got support from evangelicals who were Presbyterian New lights. Support also came from converts of rural families in South and Western frontier (Baptists and M ethodists) and Catholics because of it equalitarian ideals (Maisel, 31-75). In 1800 elections Republicans won with narrow margin with Jefferson 73 votes and Aaron Burr 73 votes, Adams 65, Pinckney 64. Due to tie, the winner was decided by House of Representatives whereby

Bill Clinton and Racial Reconciliation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Bill Clinton and Racial Reconciliation - Essay Example Racial reconciliation demands sensitivity when being expounded because any loose definitions could lead people to supporting that which they feel closely relates to them. Yet it should be a unifying factor since it is a matter of humaneness rather than individual feelings. As human beings, we should seek to come together as one and respect each other regardless of color or any other divisive issues such as creed. However, emphasis must be placed on the fact that racial reconciliation primarily entails holding all persons responsible for the past injustices, accountable (Lawson 295). At the time of his campaign, Governor Bill Clinton came out boldly against race as a divisive issue and called upon Americans to embrace the diversity as a strengthening factor. Staying true to his word, when Clinton came into power he appointed more blacks and women than any other President in the history of America had. His idealism on racial reconciliation was founded on the fact that at the end of the day we are all human beings. That ought to be the connection we all ascribe to and not color. Racial reconciliation became more practical as President Clinton established a commission, aimed at convening dialogues at town halls to initiate further discourse into the issue of racism. He went on to enacting policies that saw employment opportunities for African Americans increase dramatically; besides that, he reinforced civil rights movements and appointed a significant number of African Americans and women into the judicial system. His dedication to this was visible until the end of his term where he was seen to make recommendations to health, education, civil rights efforts and overall social and economic evolution. In Elie Wiesel’s speech at the Millennium Lecture series in April 12 1999, he cited indifference as the greatest enemy to racial reconciliation as it is worse than anger and hatred, because it does not bring out any response. He applauded President Clintonâ€⠄¢s efforts in intervening the suffering of people in Kosovo in partnership with NATO. This had a huge impact on his plight to Americans that the human connection is greater than any racial and ethnic differences as nowadays more leaders and international organizations are embracing their roles as human beings to intervening in countries where crimes against humanity are rife. Such intervention efforts point at the occurrence of racial reconciliation (Wiesel). There are considerable instances of racial reconciliation in America, starting with President Clinton’s apology to African Americans for the Tuskegee Syphilis experiment in 1997. He also alluded to an apology to slavery and launched an initiative that sought to give practices necessary for racial reconciliation. This made racial injustices more acknowledgeable by other leaders as more apologies were offered. Evidence to this is an apology, in 1999 by President Mathieu Kerekou of Benin to African Americans for the countr y’s participation in the European slave trade. More recently, the Jacksonville Journey an initiative established in 2007 to reduce crime rates in the town often referred to as the ‘murder capital’ of Florida; where its activities include youth development programs that turn the young population away from gang activities. This has been a positive step towards racial reconciliation as it eliminates the stereotype of African Americans as inclined towards violent and criminal activities. Still in the same year, the

Hebrew Wisdom Essay Example for Free

Hebrew Wisdom Essay The book of Proverbs can be very useful to its readers when in need of wisdom or helpful insight. Everyday people are forced to make life choices—good or bad. The book of Proverbs covers various issues and topics that can be found useful when making any decision. Whether it is an issue of marriage, sexuality, wealth, poverty, guarding the tongue, dealing with emotions, or many more, Proverbs paints a vivid picture of what both the right path and the wrong path have in store. The book of Proverbs â€Å"presents a vivid contrast between the life of wisdom and the life of folly† (Hindson and Yates 263). Proverbs is God’s manual to His people on how to live a life that is pleasing to Him. Throughout the book of Proverbs, readers will see the words diligence and laziness multiple times. These words correspond with the contrast between wisdom and folly because diligence is the result of wisdom and laziness is the result of folly. Towards the beginning of the book of Proverbs one verse in particular tells its readers clearly where the root of gaining wisdom and diligence is at: â€Å"The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline† (New International Version, Prov. 1.7). All wisdom comes from fearing the Lord. This type of fear is not a fear of terror but rather a fear of awe and reverence. By having a respect for God, His children should want to please Him, which would result in considering the outcome in every decision being made. When people make wise choices it results in diligence, peace of mind, wealth (literally or spiritually), and gaining more knowledge. In contrast, foolish decisions bring about destruction, fear, laziness, and much more. Throughout Proverbs readers will repeatedly see warnings against laziness and rewards for diligence: â€Å"Diligent hands will rule, but laziness ends in slave labor† (Prov. 12.24). There is a theme throughout Proverbs repeatedly stating the benefits of diligence and the consequences of laziness. These  principles tie into wisdom and folly because when being wise, people will be wise with their time and are on the path to be continually growing in themselves and in the Lord. The reward in being diligent is an overflow of blessings â€Å"The blessings of the Lord brings wealth, and he adds no trouble to it† (Prov. 10.22). When being foolish people do not recognize the preciousness of time. In being selfish, they do not understand that their lack of action affects others†¦or they do not seem to care. When not walking with God and depending on our own abilities and understanding, people will miss out on the rewards of diligence. â€Å"He who trusts in himself is a fool, but he who walks in wisdom is kept safe† (Prov. 28.26). When reading the book of Proverbs, readers will find the book to be overflowing with wise instructions on how to live a life that glorifies God. Big or small, Proverbs offers many wise words and teachings for every situation people walk through in life. Whatever circumstance someone is going through the book of Proverbs gives helpful insight on how to wisely navigate life. Throughout the book of Proverbs readers will see a pattern of the rewards that diligence reaps and the natural consequences one must face when being lazy. This compares to the contrast between wisdom and folly in that when being wise in all one does, there will be a multitude of blessings and rewards. â€Å"†¦Get wisdom, discipline and understanding† (Prov. 23.23b). Just like when being lazy, when one is foolish there will be some unpleasant consequences in hopes that a lesson will be learned the next time around. â€Å"A wise man fears the Lord and shuns evil, but a fool is hotheaded and reckless† (Prov. 14.16). Works Cited Hindson, Ed, and Gary, Yates. The Essence of the Old Testament: A Survey. Nashville: BH Publishing Group, n.d. Print. New International Version. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, n.d. Print.

The Return of the Jedi :: essays research papers

The Return of the Jedi So far this semester, we have studied several different sociological theories of religion. These theories are built on both the known history of religions in the world and the cultures in which they originated, as well as, appropriately enough, theoretical suggestions of how those religions, and indeed any religion at all, will survive in the future. The theory I find the most true is Stark and Bainbridge's in The Future of Religion, although I like some elements from others, like Berger's concepts of reification and secularization. George Lucas's Star Wars trilogy, apart from being incredibly entertaining and extremely well-made, gives us a complete portrait of a society (The Empire) and a religion (Jediism, for lack of a better term). Although the movies are mostly devoted to the growth of the characters, throughout the trilogy we see the society change in a drastic manner. This paper will examine the history of Jediism, the current (as of the end of the last movie) status of the religion, and offer some suggestions as to what we can expect from Jediism in the future. I. The Religion To examine the future of religion as it relates to society, one must first have an idea of the tenets and beliefs on which the religion is based. Jediism is based solely on belief in the "force", a "Universal energy field that surrounds us and permeates us". (O. Kenobi, SW) Stark and Bainbridge make the point that any religion based on magic or magic-like rituals is fated to die out unless the magic can work constantly and consistently. This, they argue, is why many religions change from promising magic, which is quite verifiable (Did he, in fact, levitate?) to promising compensators, a sort of unverifiable magic. A good example of this is the Christian Heaven. Stark and Bainbridge take it as a given, however, that magic, or abilities that parallel magic, do not, in fact, exist. This makes an attempt to theorize about the future of Jediism more difficult, since the religion is based, in part, on the belief that oneness with the "force" has the ability to confer extraordinary powers to individuals-- a belief than is vindicated numerous times throughout the series. The internal organization of the religion is, apparently, entirely nonexistant. There is no leader, nor is there any defined structure. Much like classical Taoism, various masters exist, and students and supplicants must seek out a master on their own in order to learn. There is no hierarchy to advance in, other than the ability to eventually hone one's faith to a degree that one can

Eating: Personal or Public? Essay

I am writing this essay as a rhetorical analysis of Radley Balko’s article â€Å"What You Eat is Your Business† and making a recommendation for or against publication in The Shorthorn based on the request from my editor. I believe the rhetorical appeals that Mr. Balko makes in his article will be somewhat persuasive to the readers of The Shorthorn as he makes some valid points. However, most members of the UTA community have a previous understanding about the obesity epidemic that is plaguing this country and may not completely agree with his arguments. Obesity is a major concern in the United States because of the prevalence of heart disease, liver and kidney failure, and sleep abnormalities that plague a large portion of the population. It is a hot topic and debated regularly. The main argument is whether obesity should be a personal issue or whether the government should take action to modify individual’s health choices, essentially forcing a healthier lifestyle on the population. Balko’s central claim is that the government should make the cost of obesity a private matter with incentives for individuals to maintain a healthy lifestyle as opposed to making the public pay for the poor life decisions of some of the population. He believes that â€Å"Instead of manipulating or intervening in the array of food options available to American consumers, our government ought to be working to foster a sense of responsibility in and ownership of our own health and well-being.† Balko insists that we are becoming less re sponsible for our own health and more responsible for everyone else’s. It is a trend that he believes will not foster positive changes since there is no incentive â€Å"to put down the cheeseburger† if the government is paying for the individual’s anti-cholesterol medication. Balko maintains that a society where everyone is responsible for everyone else’s well-being is a society more apt to accept government restrictions such as what McDonalds can put on its menu, what Safeway or Kroger can put on grocery shelves or holding food companies responsible for the bad habits of unhealthy consumers. He believes that a growing army of nutritionist activists and food industry foes are egging the process on and that the best way to alleviate the obesity â€Å"public health† crisis is to remove obesity from the realm of public health. He asserts that if policymakers want to fight obesity, they should halt the creeping socialization of medicine, and move to return individual Americans’ ownership of their own health and well-being back to individual Americans. His plan includes freeing insurance companies to reward healthy lifestyles, and penalize poor ones. Another idea he expresses is that Congress should increase access to medical and health sa vings accounts, which give consumers the option of rolling money reserved for health care into a retirement account. Balko believes that these accounts introduce accountability into the health care system, and encourage caution with one’s health care dollar. His assumption is that â€Å"when money we spend on health care doesn’t belong to our employer or the government, but is money we could devote to our own retirement, we’re less likely to run to the doctor at the first sign of a cold.† While readers of The Shorthorn may accept Balko’s rationale, they may not agree with his principle argument that obesity should not be part of the public sector. The readers may believe that some people need to be restricted in order for change to occur. If McDonald’s has to be regulated in order for an individual to make a healthier lifestyle choice then that is what needs to happen. If it takes government intervention to enforce changes in obesity levels of the population then so be it. I think readers of The Shorthorn would tend to agree with Balko’s suggestion t hat Congress could make available medical and health savings accounts but they would see that the realistic chance of that happening is pretty slim. The pharmaceutical and medical markets would be highly against losing revenue because of the incentive to go to the doctor less. Since there is a lot of money and influence (political support) from the pharmaceutical companies, there is less likely to be a change in the handling of obesity from the public sector to the private sector. Balko does not make any attempts to address any counterarguments. He expresses his displeasure with the current state of affairs and gives his opinion on what should be done to fix it. He does not give any mention to the positive aspects of the government’s proposed anti-obesity measures. To the readers of The Shorthorn, it would have been nice to see him address these points as it would make his argument more valid and believable. Balko attempts to establish credibility by referencing different aspects of the government’s plan to battle obesity and how he believes it is not the correct technique. He gives his own opinion but fails to demonstrate how he has come to those decisions. Throughout the article, Balko’s rationale is based on his personal biases and feelings. He does reference some minor facts in his article such as â€Å"President Bush earmarked $200 million in his budget for anti-obesity measures. State legislatures and school boards across the country have begun banning snacks and soda from school campuses and vending machines. Sen. Joe Lieberman and Oakland Mayor Jerry Brown, among others, have called for a â€Å"fat tax† on high-calorie foods. Congress is now considering menu-labeling legislation, which would force restaurants to send every menu item to the laboratory for nutritional testing† however for the majority of his article there is no empirical evidence demonstrated. While his ideas do make a lot of sense, some of the options he has put forward are improbable and the readers of The Shorthorn are most likely going to want to see that he can demonstrate a more mature argument (accepting and understanding of governmental involvement in obesity) before he can establish his credibility with them. Balko appeals to the emotions of his Shorthorn readers by using visual stories and explanations that help his cause. Early in the article, Balko uses imagery and strong stories to get the reader’s attention. He talks about the television show â€Å"How to Get Fat Without Really Trying† by ABC News and the outrage that show generated in him. He states the rationale for the show is to â€Å"relieve viewers of responsibility for their own condition† and he displays his displeasure with that ideal. Balko believes we should all be accountable for our own health decisions. By personally expressing his discontent with that television show, Balko is appealing to the emotions of his reader by picking a side of the argument and demonstrating strong emotions himself so that he does not appear to be lifeless. After reading this article, Balko’s argument does have some valid points that I think his readers in The Shorthorn will agree with. However they will want to see some evidence before they can truly accept his point of view. Since obesity is such a hot topic in today’s society and truly affects each and every one of us going forward, I conclude that most of The Shorthorn readers will enjoy this piece because it gives a different opinion from the mainstream view of how obesity should be handled and I suggest we should publish this article in the upcoming issue.