Examining The Work Of Gwen Harwood English Literature Essay

Examining The Work Of Gwen Harwood English Literature Essay Harwoods work has always maintained universal appeal in its ability to articulate the indescribable in her dealing with themes that are intrinsically relevant to human experiences. As Strauss describes, Harwood effectively plays with dualistic boundaries, whether they be boundaries between life and death, present and past as a means to articulate her ruminations and this is reflective in many of her poems. Father and Child delves into the loss of childhood innocence and consequential lessons on life and death following her confronting encounter. In Barn Owl, the persona comes to learn after firing the first shot of her fathers gun that death is an obscene buddle of stuff that dropped, and dribbled through loose straw tangling in bowels. The violent, graphic imagery evoke feelings of repugnance which highlights the grotesque nature of death, being that of prolonged pain and anguish. Thus the child articulates a deepened understanding of the vulnerability of life, the finality of death, and the sorrow in taking away a life. This horrific perception is contrasted to Nightfall which portrays death as a natural, inevitable outcome that can be peaceful. This diptych structure provides didactic lessons as noted by Hoddinott who praises Harwoods ability to interweave past and present as one of her most striking gifts. In Nightfall, the poet is no longer a child, but has matured and engendered an acceptance of death as part of the cycle of life through the Christian allusion to heaven times promised land. The metaphor since there is no more to taste, ripeness is plainly all, father we pick our last fruits of the temporal recounts the fathers fufilled life and shows that the power of death is superseded by the eternal nature of their memories. The intertextual allusion to King Lear Old King, your marvellous journeys done heightens the responders awareness of the personas increasing self-knowledge about death, the complexities of life and the subleties of her relationship with her father, seen in the juxtaposition of Old King with old No-Sayer. Although Harwood acknowledges the lasting losses of death and the sorrow of change, she also recognizes that in spite of all of this, things truly named can never vanish from earth. She articulates that memories will surpass the grief and suffering of the fathers death as the persona learns to accept the uncertainty of life. Harwood extends on this exploration of death as an obscene experience, by exploring how death is abstract and undesirable yet inevitable in The Sharpness of Death. The repetition of obscene gives her poems coherance as a body of work in her investigation of death. She continues by exploring the intellectual aspects of death as she makes references to philosophers suc h as Heidegger to dismiss their theories on life and death as overly intricate and meaningless. This is reinforced through her exclamatory repetition of untranslatable as ever! accompanied by a scornful tone which underlines her disdain and frustration over the flaws in their rational philosophical musings over such mystique experience. Additionally, Harwood articulates the transience of life in the final two lines of Nasturtiums, illustrating the continual cycle of time as the light is gone but still held within the seeds of seeds. This is an image of continual rebirth of innocence and creativity as life moves on and it is this calm even tone that reflects Harwoods understanding of lifes changes and eventual end. Her acceptance is reflective in her final bargain, demonstrated thro ugh her defiant, imperative tone and direct address; Death I will tell you nowà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦if I fall from that time, then set your teeth in me. Here, the fierce personification of death shown through its capitalisation accentuates its prevailing power and inexorability. By doing so, she justifies that passionate experiences and fulfilling relationships are fundamental because of deaths inevitable arrival. The unity of the poemy is seen in the cyclic structure as the final part closes the opening deal. As a result, we come to agree with Strauss in descirbing Harwood as a new and distinctive voice as the Sharpness of Death effectively delves into the complexities of death in taking us through fearing death to accepting it as both mysterious and inevitable. Accordingly, we acknowledge that it is through a personal joyous affirmation of life that death is defeated. Likewise At Mornington also explores the universality of human experience through observations of the ephemeral passing of time and the temporal nature of human existence. Transpiring is the heightened awareness of the value of shared and meaningful human experiences and a firm acceptance of the certainty of mortality. An extended metaphor amplifies this notion that life is full of opportunity for joy and reinvention, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦we have one day only one/but more than enough to refresh us. Like the personas realisation in Nightfall that memories trascend ones death, the recollections of this poem underline that all of life amounts to, dreams, pain, memories, love and grief and thus lifes transience is supported through expressions of love and friendship. Harwood refers to the pumpkin vine as a parable of herself; the lesson intrinsic in each of her musings is that although death is inevitable and permanent, there is some consolation in a life of virtue and fulfilment. The poems sense of unity is reflected in its cyclical nature, beginning and ending with the motif of water, symbolic of the flow of water and memory, in addition to the recurring rolli ng motion. Her first reference in the simile rolled like a doll portrays her childhood innocence in her perception of invincibility, believing that she could walk on water. Towards the conclusion, the water becomes a metaphor for death when I am seized at last and rolled in one grinding race suggesting her acknowledgement of deaths power and her own mortality. The reflective, reverent tone indicates her acceptance of death, captured in the simile, like light on the face of waters that bear me away forever, depicting death as peaceful and serene. As Hoddinott comments, this poem eloquently traces the losses occasioned by time against the power of memory to keep alive the illumination of moments that renew the world. Accordingly, as responders we also come to accept the inexorableness of death and appreciate the importance of memory to retain lifes richness. Harwoods exploration on the significant ideas of death is evident throughout many of her works and it is through her investigation on this universally complex human experience, does she generate worldwide appeal.

The Use of Steroids in Major League Baseball Essays -- Expository Essa

The Use of Steroids in Major League Baseball He walked into his hotel bathroom and cautiously closed the door. Clanging his 60 lb. dumbbell against the floor, he set his travel bag full of needles on the counter. While filling his syringe with THG, he began to think about the consequences of his actions; it is a serious problem, but he doesn't have the willpower to give up the success rewarded from it. As the needle slowly penetrated through the skin and half way through his muscle, he unloaded the syringe and felt the steroids settle throughout his leg. He took a deep breath as he removed the needle, letting the last bit of steroids squirt out of the syringe. Mentally blocking the pain, he began curling his dumbbell to pump the steroids through his system. The next day, only two days after previously breaking the single season home run record, he broke his own record, again. Barry Bonds, the left fielder for the San Francisco Giants, shook his head and shrugged his shoulders, almost in disbelief at what he has accomplished that season, but he knew it wasn't just talent; he had to ruin history, and he cheated to do it. The previous paragraphs are a possible scenario for two athletes that have obviously been taking steroids: Barry Bonds, joined by Jason Giambi. Barry Bonds' personal trainer was personally connected with BALCO, the laboratory that created Tetrahydrogestrinone. Of course he is taking the steroids; his trainer took part in making THG. But, if that is not enough convincing information, Barry Bonds broke Roger Maris' home-run record by twelve home-runs. Roger Maris' record held for 27 years and was unable to be broken by some of the best athletes in baseball, and possibly all sports. It is unnatural for a ju... ...004. 18 Mar. 2004. . "Online Drug Test." Online-drug-test.com. 20 Mar. 2004. . "Players Ask Questions; Owners Wait for Counteroffer." Espn.com. 20 Jun. 2002. 17 Mar. 2004. 1397288.html>. "Report: Steroid Abuse Growing in Major League Baseball." Espn.com. 11 Oct. 2000. 19 Mar. 2004. 812487.html>. "Side effects of Using Anabolic Steroids." Steroids.com. 2004. 19 Mar. 2004. . Steroids. Steroids.org. 18 Mar. 2004. . Steroidtips.com. 20 Mar. 2004. . "What is Androstenedione?" Total Fitness Nutrition. Tfnutrition.com. 21 Mar. 2004. .

Law Exam

The law ensures that Coos and Scoffs cannot claim they were not aware of financial problems and wrong doings. They are required to take individual responsibility that the financial records are being reported accurately. The law also require that audits are performed by external and independent auditors to avoid conflict of Interest. The firms used for audits cannot perform non-adult related work for the company. Auditing firms must also be rotated. 2. Employees that make the decision to whistle low are protected from retaliation from their employer.They cannot be fired, 3. Tort reform in Texas currently only covers medical malpractice and caps damages that can be received at $250,000. This strips away the ability for a jury to decide the monetary amount to be paid. This cap also makes it more difficult for a victim to find a lawyer to even take their case, which often results in them never getting their day in court. Tort reform in Texas is saving money, but the beneficiaries of that savings are medical practitioners and insurance companies.The lower cost of medical care for the citizens from this reform has not been shown. Insurance is lower for doctors now but that savings Is not being passed on to the patients, many of whom voted for tort reform for that reason alone. 4. Equal employment opportunity has Improved since the Call Rights Act of 1964. 5. Honesty Integrity – Doing what is right when no one is looking. Employees must make ethical decisions Transparency Fairness Respectful 6. Violation of intellectual property law can include copyright, trademark or trade secret infringement as well as patent damages.In order for the general public to continue to benefit from the creation of new technology, art, music etc. The Inventors of IP must have confidence that their work Is protected and they will be able to benefit off of It. Along the Invention on new IP follows new Jobs as well. By protecting the rights of the owners of this property, we are also e nsuring new jobs for the future. 7. Affirmative action should continue because the disparity is still too significant to ay things are now equal.While we have certainly come a long way by opening doors that would have otherwise been closed; however, the difference is mostly seen on lower and some mid-level positions. It is argued that affirmative action is reverse discrimination for white men, but with 95% of senior level managers being men and 97% being white, but the static do not support this being true. An alternative to affirmative action would be to trust that companies will be fair and not discriminate; forever, as with other Issues companies mostly have a track record of doing the right thing when they are forced to.BY -reel 579 are performed by external and independent auditors to avoid conflict of interest. The firms used for audits cannot perform non-audit related work for the company. Can be received at $250,000. This strips away the ability for a Jury to decide the mone tary amount to be paid. This cap also makes it more difficult for a victim to find now but that savings is not being passed on to the patients, many of whom voted for rot reform for that reason alone. 4.Equal employment opportunity has improved since the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Continue to benefit from the creation of new technology, art, music etc. The inventors of IP must have confidence that their work is protected and they will be able to benefit off of it. Along the invention on new IP follows new Jobs as well. By protecting the rights of the owners of this property, we are also ensuring new Jobs for the however, as with other issues companies mostly have a track record of doing the

Childhood Ravaged by War - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 5 Words: 1482 Downloads: 9 Date added: 2019/03/13 Category Sociology Essay Level High school Tags: Childhood Essay Did you like this example? Abstract In the graphic novel Persepolis: A Story of a Childhood, Marjane Satrapi writes a memoir about her childhood using both words and pictures. Satrapi starts off at the earlier years of her life portraying the innocence she had when she was a child through Marji. As she was growing up, the Islamic Revolution began in 1979. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Childhood Ravaged by War" essay for you Create order The aftereffects of the Islamic Revolution greatly influenced Marjis childhood. Growing up in a hostile environment forced Marji to quickly shed her innocence as she became more informed about the world around her and experienced war firsthand. Marjane Satrapi, author of Persepolis:A Story of a Childhood, frequently uses objects from the physical world to symbolize the effects that war has on an individual by causing someone to mature quickly, thus experiencing a rebellious phase at an early age. Satrapi utilizes the veil to symbolize the oppression women faced due to the Iranian government. During the Islamic Revolution, the Shahs regime made it mandatory for women to wear veils. When the veils were first made mandatory, Marji and the other young girls didnt really like to wear the veil, especially since [they] didnt understand why we had to (Satrapi 3). Satrapi depicts the childrens nativity and innocence through their horseplay with the veil in the fifth panel of page 3. The childrens negligence of a very important symbol of the Iranian culture, the veil, demonstrates their lack of understanding of the importance of the veil in their culture ( 3).Marji had to comply with the Islamic regimes since a very young age so much so that she immediately felt the repressive air of [her] country (96). The children were simply forced to wear the veil because it became obligatory to wear the veil at school (3). However, as Marji grew older, she slowly understood the repressive idea tied with wearing the veil. Satrapi illustrates Marjis compliance to the Islamic regime through her attitudes by this conformity. On the panel on page 3, Marji is looking directly at the reader, depicting an emotion of fright and reluctance towards wearing the veil. She seems to feel as though her voice is hindered and folds her arm as if to literally isolate herself from the governments repressive ideologies. Marjis emotion shows no eagerness in wearing the veil as shown through the curved down lines for her eyebrows and her subtle frown. In the early years of Marjis life, she seems very innocent. Her mothers actions pushes her to also believe that veils are wrong. As she learns more about politics, she sheds her innocence as she leans towards the Communist ideals her parents taught her. The Communist ideals was used as a motivation for Marji to fight for the freedom she yearns for. Women are forced to wear the veil because it is indecent to even show an eighth of an inch (125). Satrapi purposely makes the veil very dark throughout the book to show how the Iranian government turned a deaf ear to the outcries of the women in the country. The pressure of the regime was so astounding that whenever Marji would take off her veil at home, she would exclaim, how good it feels to walk without a veil on my head! (189). Satrapis use of curved lines around Marjis face portrays Marjis joy: the feeling that she experiences when she is finally able to take off her veil and breath freely rather than be suffocated by the regime in public. Marjis enthusiasm of having the freedom she yearns for slowly led to her rebellious nature as year by year, women were winning an eighth of an inch of hair and losing eighth of an inch of veil (189). The act of showing the slightest bit of hair in public is deemed as sinful. However, Marjis loss of innocence and rebellion towards the oppressive regime left her to only do one thing to do: stand up for herself. This goes to show how much this freedom means to the female population of Iran. Even a part of an inch is another victory for their fight for the choices they can make. Satrapi utilizes cigarettes in Marjis life as a symbol not only for Marji maturing at a very early age, but also as major symbol for Marjis rebellion against the states oppressive regimes as well as her mothers guidance. Marji lives in a state where her freedom is restricted and where each of her actions were surveilled by authority. The perpetual encumbrance of acting a certain way at all times resulted in Marji making rash and foolish decisions such as smoking. As Marji grew older, she would often take part in activities that many adults looked down upon. Marji feels as though taking in such indecisive actions at a young age, like smoking, would cause her to stand out and demonstrate her strong, hateful feelings toward the societal expectations and government actions that she believes to be unfair. As Marji grows up during war, she learns to stand strong in her beliefs because she believes fear makes [women] lose [their] conscience[and] transforms [women] into cowards ( ). In order to stray from conformity and fear in her life, Marji attempts to live freely through her acts of rebellion. When Marjis mother simply advises her to be more mindful in regards to what she wears, due to the recent legislations of the way women should act and dress, Marji begins to revolt against the new polices saying that I sealed my act of rebellion against my mothers dictatorship by smoking a cigarette Id stolen (117). By taking part in such a prohibited action, smoking, in front of her her mother, Marji is trying to make evident that she is not afraid to go to the greatest extents to illustrate her strong hatred towards the governments unjust laws towards women. Marji quickly kissed childhood goodbye with her first cigarette, a symbol for Marji to feel as thought she is now an adult (117). Satrapi utilizes the cigarette to demonstrate how quickly Marji matured compared to most kids her age. While children would fear to take part in many daunting adult activities, Marji does not hesitate to develop into her rebellious nature as it is a pathway to her growing up. Satrapi utilizes Marjis bed is important as it is symbolic to her change in mental state as she grew older. Marji would dream in her bed and it was also where she often spoke to God. While lying in bed, Marji dreamt of protesting in hopes for the justice and love that she longs for (9). The longing for love and equality for all, even when men were brutal to her, illustrates Marjis compassionate and childlike innocence as a young girl. Later in the book, Marji was finally able to join a protest. Before joining the protest, she was oblivious to the violence and the negative effect of war. On page 76, Marji is depicted as a young girl who did not understand what was going on, which shows that Marji is not considered to be mature enough to take part in the violent protesting. On the third panel of page 76, all the protesters are wearing black and shouting, guns may shoot, knives may carve, but we wont wear your silly scarves (76). Satrapi depicts the mourning and repressed feeling through the color black covering up the majority of the panel. However, Marji is the only one wearing a white shirt. The white symbolizes Marjis purity as a young girl. In addition to wearing white in the protest, Marji was the shortest among all the protestors. Marjis lack of height compared to the others was significant as it symbolized the fact that Marji was not fit to become an adult just so quickly.It was on this same bed that Marji, when she was a teen, lashes out on God, her authority. Marj is tired of dealing with and being forced to comply with the brutal regimes that she harshly tells God to shut up and get out of [her] life as Marji never wants to see [God] again. Marjis rebellious nature as she grows older is depicted her shift in attitude and loss of innocence through her change in the dreams and thoughts she has in her childhood bed. Conclusion Satrapi often uses realistic items to demonstrate the consequences war has on a person and how it causes them to mature quickly and develop a rebellious attitude. All throughout Marjis lifetime, she is repeatedly affected by external factors. She matured more quickly due to the violence of war that he grew up in. Persepolis is a memoir of Marjis journey throughout life, as she gradually matures and strays away from her youthful innocence. She goes through a rebellious phase, rebelling against both her parents and the regime alike. This novel represents the extent of influence the outside world can have on ones personality, and how it can change ones outlook on life.