Shall I compare thee to a summers day, The Flea and To a Stranger Essay Example

Shall I compare thee to a summers day, The Flea and To a Stranger Essay Example Shall I compare thee to a summers day, The Flea and To a Stranger Paper Shall I compare thee to a summers day, The Flea and To a Stranger Paper Essay Topic: Death and the Maiden Poetry The Stranger Love is a theme which seems to be unescapable. It is in everyday life and it affects everyone. Love has been a topic of much of the great literature which we keep in high esteem. Thus it is an ideal theme to do as the three poems being analysed are pieces of great literature, mainly from the cannon of literature. In this lecture the poets being analysed are the immoral poet and play writer of the Elizabethan age, Shakespeare and his sonnet, Shall I compare thee to a summers day, The well known poet and songwriter of the Jacobean age John Donne and his poem The Flea, and the well known American poet Walt Whitman and his poem To a Stranger. Shall I compare thee to a summers day was one of William Shakespeares most famous sonnets. It was written in the Elizabethan Age which was from 1588 1603. In the Elizabethan age it was customary for gentleman to write love sonnets about their lover and give it to them. As William Shakespeare was a brilliant poet and play writer of that age he was thought of to be the ideal English Renaissance man and was thought of very highly by nobles of the land. Shakespeares upbringing was irregular to that of someone else in his position. His father John Shakespeare was a Glover and leather merchant which was not a highly paid position. His mother Mary Arden was a landed heiress which allowed for some benefits to come to Shakespeare including free schooling at the Grammar school in Stratford. This gave Shakespeare a high reputation. Also as his father John was a Stratford official which allowed for high tuition for his son. This high education was an influential factor of Shakespeares life as it gave a good education so the standard of poetry was at a much higher level, also it gave him the feeling of superiority and capability among people so that he felt free to create his own sonnet structure. As his early life was care free his poetry was mainly on love. The sonnet Shall I compare thee to a summers day was written about a woman Shakespeare loved. In the sonnet he describes the beauty of the woman and he debates whether or not to compare her to a summers day. The sonnet shows how strong Shakespeares feelings were for his lover. His emotions come over through his disguised and obvious compliments and contrasts. He thinks she is beautiful and, unlike a summers day, her perfection will not fade, as this sonnet is written to illustrate and capture the womans beauty and the love he has for her. The sonnet is typical for the era as it was common for gentleman to write love sonnets about their lover and give it to them. Shakespeare wrote one hundred and fifty four sonnets and due to their consistent quality. His sonnets were in the style known as the Shakespearean sonnet form. A Shakespearean sonnet has fourteen lines, broken down into three quatrains and ending with a rhyming couplet. In each quatrain a different subject is discussed and described, the subject is then changed at the start of each new quatrain. A Shakespearean sonnet has the rhyming pattern ABABCDCDEFEFGG. For example in Shall compare thee to a summers day, the first quatrain shows this rhyming pattern, it is at the beginning so is the ABAB part. Shall I compare thee to a Summers day? Thou art more lovely and more temperate: Rough winds do shake the darling buds of Maie, And Sommers lease hath all too short a date: The rhyming couplet, GG, often finishes a Shakespearean sonnet; this type of ending often ends the poem with a satisfactory conclusion, for example in Shall compare thee to a summers day So long as men can breathe, or eyes can see, So long lives this, and this gives life to thee. There are many techniques used in Shall compare thee to a summers day, with the beginning of the second quatrain Shakespeare uses a metaphor to describe the sun; he calls it the eye of heaven. In Line 6 he uses personification to describe the sun. Shakespeare refers to the sun as he, giving the sun human qualities. The suns colour and light is referred to as a gold complexion. This is also personification, as complexion is a word used to describe a humans skin. This sonnet is about Shakespeares love for another woman. Shakespeares attitude towards the theme of love is that it should be displayed openly. The theme of love is typical to the Elizabethan age as most of the poets wrote about ones they loved. However in the Jacobean age things were a little different. Elizabethan literature generally reflected the enthusiastic self-confidence of a nation expanding its powers and increasing its wealth and not addressing its social and religious problems. During the Jacobean age the main events happening were revolutions, restoration of the monarchy and the victory of Parliament, so therefore the public demanded that the literature be more intellectual. John Donne was a prominent poet of this time as he had the ability to attack the delicate topic of love with an increasingly liberalistic and argumentatively structured persuasion to the emotions which was common with the metaphysical movement, a perfect example of this is Donnes poem, The Flea. Donnes poetry was effected by the attitudes and beliefs of this period in that his poetry had to be intellectual and passionate so that the upper class would find it social acceptable. John Donne was born to a prosperous catholic family in London in 1572. His father, John Donne, was a well-to-do ironmonger and his mother was the daughter of John Heywood, epigrammatist. Donne was educated at Oxford, Cambridge, and Lincolns Inn. This care free and easy live childhood should have affected his poetry in that his poetry should have been of happy things and about an easy life. This would have been so were it not for the death of his brother Henry who died of a fever in prison after being arrested for giving sanctuary to a proscribed Catholic priest. This made Donne begin to question his faith and inturn write sadder and less optimistic poetry. Donne was however able to write the poem The flea which is a slightly happier poem about a woman he loves. The flea describes a tiny blood withdrawing mite which happens to have sucked a droplet of the Donnes and his mistresss blood. Ironically he uses the ugliest, most reviled pest to associate with a pure, probably coy mistress in his attempt to finish his courtship of her. Nevertheless, he manages well. In verse one, the writer enthuses about the how little the thing she is denying him is. He slowly begins to build up his argument by saying that being bitten is not a sin. He talks about how the flea differs in its approach to her. The flea just jumps up and bites her, while he is painstakingly putting his every effort into wooing her like a gentleman. Donne almost sounds deprived here. In verse two he begs her not to kill the flea, as it is the symbol of their love, and the only place where they are married is in these living walls of Jet. He says that although many things are against them, she must not kill it as that would be killing him and it would be sacrilege, as it is their marriage temple. If it dies all hope of them dies In verse three, she kills the flea, cruel and suddenly. He feels angry, annoyed and hurt at her brutal, pointless act. She justifies her action by saying that by killing the flea she does not harm any one. He immediately replies by acknowledging her argument. He then finishes by saying that the same degree of honour of will be lost when she sleeps with him, in other words if he really loves her he will wait until they are married. The Flea is a song that follows the rhyming pattern AABBCCDDD. MARK but this flea, and mark in this, How little that which thou deniest me is ; It suckd me first, and now sucks thee, And in this flea our two bloods mingled be. Thou knowst that this cannot be said A sin, nor shame, nor loss of maidenhead ; Yet this enjoys before it woo, And pamperd swells with one blood made of two ; And this, alas ! is more than we would do. In the second verse Donne uses the metaphor This flea is you and I and also that killing the flea is killing him. Donne also uses personification when describing the flea as a symbol of their love. This poem is similar to the one discussed earlier in that it follows the same theme of love, but this poem is more about physical love rather than emotional love. However in both poems the idea that love should be displayed openly is portrayed well by the poets. The turn of 1832 commenced the dawn of the Victorian period in England where Queen Victoria was ruling. However in America it was a time of intellectual activity as well as social and economic change. American citizens were enjoying the poetical works of many of the bests American poets who were in the cannon of literature. One of these being Walt Whitman who wrote poetry mainly about the optimistic principles of American democracy. However he did write one poem about love, entitled To a stranger In America it was uncommon for men to write poetry about love as it was contradictory to the stereotype image of the man to be writing soppy poems. Many of the poets of that stage in time wrote poetry about war and adventures. Although this was a poem about love it didnt follow the customary focus of most love poems which were about a mans love for a woman. This tends to suggest that Whitman was trying to keep his manly image while still writing poetry of this theme. Walt Whitman was born in 1819 on Long Island, New York, to Quaker parents. Being the second of nine children, Walt was never alone as a child; however this also meant that his parents were not very wealthy. In 1823 Whitman attended public school until the age of eleven when he left school to get a job as an office boy in a law office. This lack of education meant that Whitman didnt have as much advantages as that of poets like Shakespeare and Donne, so therefore his poetry was not as cultured as it could have been should he have received proper education. During the American Civil war Whitman attended wounded soldiers in Army hospitals. This would have influenced his poetry by dampening his spirits and lowering his competency to write happy poems about love. The poem To a Stranger can be basically summed up in one word, Dà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½jà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ vu. It is about walking past someone who you think you have loved in a past life time, or someone you have grown up with but you cant really remember if it is real or just a dream. The first stanza is about some walking by and the poet has a feeling of dà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½jà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ vu. The second and third stanzas are about the poet remembering a past love or life lived with the person. The fourth stanza is about the poet meeting eyes with the other person and having strong feelings for the person. The final stanza is the poet hoping that he will see the person again to reclaim the past love. This poem can be classified as a lyric because there is no apparent form to its layout. It is comprised of one five lined stanza and four four lined stanzas. There is no real rhyme in the lyric except that in stanza one, three and five there is a word repeated. The poet shows that he believes love is important in life; this is displayed in the poem when he says that he has lived a life of joy and love with the person, they left and now he wants them back. This can be interpreted through the first two lines of the second stanza I have somewhere surely Lived a life of joy with you, And the last two lines of the lyric. I am to wait; I do not doubt I am to meet you again I am to see to it that I do not lose you. This theme is not typical of this era in time as not many poets wrote about love. This poem is similar to the other two poems discussed earlier in that its theme is love and it discusses the poets love for an individual however in this poem the idea that love should not be displayed openly is portrayed by this poet. Shakespeare was a openly passionate poet and most of his works were on love. His attitude towards love was that your feelings towards someone should be shared and that everyone should experience love. Unlike Shakespeare John Donne was not as openly passionate writer of love songs although he did write many love songs. He chose to be intellectual when discussing this topic as was the common thing to do of his time. Walt Whitman however, was not an open love poetry writer at all as it was against the stereotype man image of his time and many of his poems were about war. His feelings towards love were that it was between a man and a woman and that it should not be openly published. Although the three poets all wrote love poems their views on how the poems should be written were different mainly due to the era they lived in, however this difference did not topple the fact that they are all great poets.

The Gifts of a Car Accident

The Gifts of a Car Accident Ignoring Messages A couple of weeks ago, three friends asked me for life coaching one after the other. It was an unusual string of requests, coming years after I completed my life coach training; and it made me think that maybe I should consider taking on a couple of life coaching clients to insert variety and heart-centered work into my business. I coached the friends who asked; the coaching gave them clarity and inspiration. I was left energized and clear that I was making a contribution not only to them, but to the many people that they touch. I was in my element. Yet I didn’t take any further action. Wake-Up Call If you read my newsletter last week, you know that I was in a car accident on April 28. I was traveling home from a weekend about Purposeful Living and Spiritual Development – part of a year-long training where I get to immerse myself in the world of coaching and transformation. Driving on I90 from Chicago to Madison, I must have missed a signal that my lane was going to end. To avoid hitting a car to my right, I braked (hard I imagine), spun around and crashed into the dividing wall of the highway at a speed unknown to me. I did not hit any other cars. It was all very movie-like, with the EMTs coming and taking me out of the car onto a stretcher. Fortunately, the only casualties were a couple of my ribs (broken through) and a totaled car. I was able to go home that night from the hospital. It is clear to me that things could have been much much worse. Ever since, I have been reflecting deeply on the gifts of the â€Å"accident.† First, noticing how blessed I am to have emerged with relatively minor injuries. Second, acknowledging the difference I make for others. And third, tapping into the gift of ribs: creation/creativity (Adam’s rib) and expansion (breath). My broken ribs, the casualties of a moment of inattention, indicate to me that I have not been truly listening to some messages calling me to expand in new and creative ways. New Action, New Creation Remember all those messages coming to me about doing life coaching? It’s time to pay attention. I am a highly trained coach. I have gone through 5 weekends of training with the Coaches Training Institute and assisted at all of those weekends as well. I’ve participated in courses with Landmark Education for 7 years, including The Landmark Forum, The Advanced Course, The Self-Expression and Leadership Program, the Introduction Leaders Program, and multiple seminar series. I have started a business and participated in business coaching for the past two years, and I write resumes for top level executives. I have spent my last 7 years preparing for this moment when I step up to the plate to do life coaching for real. The accident made that very clear, and I am grateful. I was also inspired to write some short couplets to a song/rap structure provided during my Purposeful Living weekend. I’ve copied them here and hope they inspire you to live into your creativity too! Note: â€Å"CHOOSE it† means choose between living powerfully and being a victim. â€Å"SHARE it† means share with as many people as possible! When a universal call Sends you crashing through a wall, †¦then you gotta CHOOSE it†¦ †¦then you gotta CHOOSE it†¦ When youre feeling pain and fright That keep you up at night, †¦then you gotta CHOOSE it†¦ †¦then you gotta CHOOSE it†¦ When youre at a loss for words, Take a listen to the birds. †¦then you gotta SHARE it†¦ †¦then you gotta SHARE it†¦ When the morning comes about, Just breathe in and then breathe out. †¦then you gotta SHARE it†¦ †¦then you gotta SHARE it†¦ You dont know what you dont know. So create, expand and grow! †¦then you gotta SHARE it†¦ †¦then you gotta SHARE it†¦ What couplets might you write to this song? What signals in your life have you been noticing and then ignoring? Are there actions for you to take? Please share in the comments. And of course if you’re seeking a life coach, please contact me. Short-term or long-term clients are welcome. I’m ready.

Abortion and Womens Rights Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Abortion and Womens Rights - Research Paper Example A woman, however, is a container for the fetus and without her, the childbirth is not even possible (Shafak, n.p.). She needs to make the decision regarding whether or not she is capable of carrying the child in her womb for a period of 9 months. Every woman must have the right to make the decision regarding abortion depending upon a number of factors like the involvement of the father, financial resources available to her, health implications as well as a matter of mere choice of whether or not she wants the baby and is willing to sacrifice her life to care for her child (Abortion Is Every Woman's Right, n.p.). A woman’s body is her own and thus no other person should be allowed to make the decision regarding what she wants, especially if she is an adult of sound mind, capable of making her own decisions. The right to abortion is a very crucial topic that needs to be discussed and taken care of because it involves the life of an unborn child. It is thus up to the woman to dec ide whether or not she wants to give life to the fetus because she herself will be able to ascertain whether or not she has the potential to do so and carry on with the pregnancy (BBC News). Many times, women fail to gather the support of the men that got them pregnant in the first place; in such a situation, how is it that a woman should not be given the right to carry on with the abortion if she wants to? (Abortion Is Every Woman's Right, n.p.). A woman is a human being too, something that a patriarchal driven society often tends to forget; it is not an easy task to carry on with pregnancy and give birth to a child especially without financial resources and proper nutrition. Unless and until a woman wants to have a child, she should not be forced into doing so because this takes away the rights of not only the mother but also her unborn child (Dreaper, n.p.). A pregnancy does not always have to be planned; in many cases, two people engaging in sexual intercourse while using all th e necessary precaution could still fall short – condoms are not a hundred percent effective and neither are birth control pills and that is why a woman should have the right to decide whether or not she wants to keep the child once pregnant (Dreaper, n.p.). Young couples could get pregnant without having the means to support a child or a plan for the future of the child and in this case, if they deem fit that they should abort the pregnancy, it is their decision. Moreover, if a woman is young and has her entire future ahead of her, she should not lay prey to society to do what is best – she should know what is best for her and take the necessary actions because otherwise, she will have to deal with the consequences (Shafak, n.p.). Pregnancies have a very adverse effect on the body of a woman; they tend to disrupt the normal course of lifestyle for her and there are many changes that she goes through in her body.  

Different Aspects of E-Business Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Different Aspects of E-Business - Essay Example An 'e-shop' is merely a shop that uses electronic means of marketing. (Timmers, 2000) In this business potential customers would often ask the agent if they have a website and they sound disappointed when the agent replies in negative. There are some amazing websites developed by some real estate businesses and just looking at the site can convinces a customer of the power of the Internet. A successful e-business organization is the one that understands the requirement and meets the expectations of their customers. (Greengard, 2000) Not only do they have pictures of properties on sale, they also offer immediate quote service, online chat service with a staff member and also make suitable recommendations based on a person's needs. Real estate sector is not comprised of many big players. In most cases, this sector is run by small business owners- who have interest in the field and the resources to conduct marketing and sale of properties. It is precisely due to this that Internet offers greater benefits to the real estate business owners. It provides them with the much-needed exposure and opens marketing avenues for them so they can reach a sizeable population of home seekers. Potential customers find it easier to visit websites and check out various real estate services in the area and call the ones with the kind of properties they are seeking.

The History And Future Of Computers :: essays research papers

The History and Future of Computers With the advances in computer technology it is now possible for more and more Canadians to have personal computers in their homes. With breakthroughs in computer processing speeds and with computer storage capacity, the combination of this with the reduced size of the computer have allowed for even the smallest apartment to hold a computer. In the past the only places to have computers were military institutes and some universities; this was because of their immense size and price. Today with falling computer prices and the opportunity to access larger networks, the amount of computers has grown from just 10% in 1986 to 25% in 1994. Also, of the 25%, 34% of them were equipped with modems, which allow for connection to on line services via telephone lines. The primitive start of the computer came about around 4000 BC; with the invention of the abacus, by the Chinese. It was a rack with beads strung on wires that could be moved to make calculations. The first digital computer is usually accredited to Blaise Pascal. In 1642 he made the device to aid his father, who was a tax collector. In 1694 Gottfried Leibniz improved the machine so that with the rearrangement of a few parts it could be used to multiply. The next logical advance came from Thomas of Colmar in 1890, who produced a machine that could perform all of the four basic operations, addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. With the added versatility this device was in operation up until the First World War. Thomas of Colmar made the common calculator, but the real start of computers as they are known today comes from Charles Babbage. Babbage designed a machine that he called a Difference Engine. It was designed to make many long calculations automatically and print out the results. A working model was built in 1822 and fabrication began in 1823. Babbage works on his invention for 10 years when he lost interest in it. His loss of interest was caused by a new idea he thought up. The Difference Engine was limited in adaptability as well as applicability. The new idea would be a general purpose, automatic mechanical digital computer that would be fully program controlled. He called this the Analytical Engine. It would have Conditional Control Transfer Capability so that commands could be inputted in any order, not just the way that it had been programmed. The machine was supposed to use punch cards which were to be read into the machine from several reading stations. The machine was supposed to operate automatically by steam power and only require one person there to

Depression, symptoms of depression Essay

Depression is a psychological condition that changes how you think, feel, and it also affects your social behavior and sense of physical wellness. I can make you feel low self esteem and can cause self-depreciation. Depression is not feeling sad occasionally, it is a constant feeling of sadness that stays with you. If not treated it can affect the way you act, feel, and the way you think. It can also cause you to be more pessimistic towards family members, or friends. Depression is one of the most common psychological problems. It affects nearly everyone through either personal experiences or through depression in a family member. Every year about 17 million American adults experience a period of clinical depression. Depression has often lead to suicide in many untreated cases. Depression can affect everyone. Most people who seek medical attention for depression are treated and cured successfully. Although most people do seek professional help, not all do, which may cause physical illness to that person. It can cause loss of appetite, changes in sleeping habits. It can also cause you to lose interest in things that you once like to do (sports, friends, being outdoors.) The symptoms are not recognized as depression. Most people who are depressed appear lazy or tired. Most people who are depressed do not realize it themselves, but they do feel a change in themselves, that often they do not tell others about. The underlying cause is less often examined. The causes of depression can be many things. Past trauma, financial problems, peer pressure, relationship problems, death in the family, and stress, are some of the more common causes of depression. Depression in younger children is usually caused by bad family life or divorce. The part of the brain that effects emotions such as depression is the Frontal Lobe. The Frontal lobe is found in the area around the forehead. The mental symptoms of depression are difficulty in concentrating, slowed thinking, and indecisiveness. A depressed person may be easily distracted and memory may be impaired. In some serious cases depression may be related to psychosis, which means that they lose touch with reality. For example they may experience hallucinations or claim to â€Å"hear voices† in their head. This serious of a depression may also be known as bi-polar disorder. People with depression often experience changes in thinking. This means that people will have problems concentrating or decision making. They might also have short term memory, or forget things all the time. Most depressed people have negative thoughts about themselves (harming themselves or others). Pessimism, poor self-esteem, excessive guilt, and self criticism are also symptoms. A person who is depressed may have changes in the way they feel. They may feel sad for no reason at all, some people that have depression say that they no longer find and interest in the activities that they once loved. Irritability is also a symptom of depression; a person may seem more irritated with every little thing than usual. Eating disorders may also occur during depression. For example, not eating enough, or eating a lot more. People who are around a depressed person can often tell that there is something wrong because of the way the person acts, or their behavior. Depression is very common among teenagers. Teenagers tend to have more problems with their parents during their teen years. This can cause depression. They may also be faced with serious peer pressure which can overwhelm them and make them become depressed. As the amount of teenagers who are depressed rises, so does the number of suicides in teens. Clinical studies have proven that teen depression almost always leads to thoughts of suicide. The number one cause of teen suicide is untreated depression, which is why it is important to get treatment if you recognize any symptoms in a teen. Treatment is mandatory for serious cases of depression. The first step to becoming cured is to evaluate the type of depression that is occurring, once that is done you must determine what type of depression it is. Psychologists ask people with depression when the first time the started feeling depressed, how severe it is, and if you have had signs of depression before in your lifetime. There are two cures for depression, psychotherapy, and anti-depressant medication. Most people do well when treated with psychotherapy, but medication works faster than psychotherapy. Some people require psychotherapy along with medication. The down side to medication is that it doesn’t  Ã¢â‚¬Å"cure† depression, it only treats the symptoms of it. To manage depression you must first identify the feelings that you have. Once you have done that you must put these feelings into perspective and focus on the positive things in your life instead of dwelling on past problems. These steps are not always easy for people to follow. People who dwell on past traumas almost always become depressed. In conclusion depression is a treatable disease that is cause by many different things. The fact that depression is a serious disease is not taken seriously enough in society today. People who are suspicious that a person may be depressed should contact someone about it as soon as possible before it leads to suicide.

Famous Arab Americans, Heritage and Culture