Living Together before Marriage Essay -- Argumentative Persuasive Coha

Living Together Before Marriage There are many advantages and disadvantages in living together before marriage. Today there are many couples living together before marriage. Sometimes these kinds of relationships 'living together before marriage' end up with success and sometimes they are unsuccessful. Some of the advantages of living together before marriage are such as getting to know your partner, learning about one's abilities if he/she can satisfy your expectations and more. Also, there are some disadvantages in living together before marriage and they are such as religious and family values, parenting problems and more. I think there are more advantages then disadvantages in living together before marriage, because sometimes disadvantages in this kind of relationship are avoidable. One of the advantages of living together before marriage is getting to know a person that you might marry with. It is important for a person to know almost everything about the other person that he/she is going to get marry with. However, it can?t be accomplish without living together for a while before getting married. People need to know how a person is handling his/her life from all aspects such as behavior, mental, financial and others before a person decides to get married with. This can not be completed in a few days, therefore, it is important to live together for a while before deciding weather to get married or now. Also, learning about a person?s abilities to satisfy yo...

The Existential Progression of King Lear Essay -- King Lear Essays

The Existential Progression of King Lear The human condition is the scrutiny of art, Prince Hamlet notes the purpose of art is to hold the mirror against nature. King Lear is a masterful inquiry into the human condition. King Lear is confronted with existence in its barest sense and is forced to adapt to that existence. His adaptation to the absurd provides an invaluable insight for all into the universal problem of existence. Lear is forced into an existential progression that will be traced with the phenomenon of consciousness; the result of this progression is seen ironically in that Lear finds satisfaction in despair. The point of departure of Lear into the unknown of existence is seen when he plunges himself into the harshness and relentlessness of nature. While immersed in the storm, Lear has been reduced to the bare essentials of man, he has lost those that he perceived as loving, and despite being accompanied by the Fool and Kent, Lear is more alone than he has ever been. The daughters he thought who loved him abandoned him and have taken his kingdom. The daughter who truly loved him was banished by his irrationality; Lear is alone. The presence of the Fool and Edgar should not necessarily be looked upon as that of a companion, but rather as catalyst for Lear’s progression. As for Kent, his presence is barely felt by Lear. Lear’s isolation is critical for his progression. Similar to Sartre’s Roquentin in Nausea, isolation and loneliness are the foundations for becoming existentially aware. â€Å"The tempest in my mind/ Doth from my senses take all feeling else†(III, iv 13-14)[1] Lear is completely alone in the universe, abandoned by love and cloistered from all outside emotion; he is now prepared to perceive the realit... ...a masterful work of art is that it conveys this universal truth, and at the same time conveys the sharp emotional anxiety that is concurrent with the universal truth. Lear constructs the universal human condition. Works Cited 1-William Shakespeare. King Lear edited by Russle Fraser.(New York: Penguin Putnam Inc., 1982). All future references will come from this text. 2-G. Wilson Knight. The Wheel of Fire. (London: Mehuen & Co., 1949), pg 193 3-Northrop Frye. On Shakespeare. (New Haven: Yale University Press, 1986), pg 113 4-Harold Bloom. Shakespeare: The Invention of the Human. (New York: Riverhead Books, 1998), pg 503 5-Bloom, pg. 503 6-Bloom, pg. 504 7-Bloom, pg. 505 8-Descartes. Meditations. Dr. Nighan's British Literature and AP page: http://stjohns-chs.org/english/Seventeenth/Sev-bk.html 9-Knight, pg. 196 10-Frye, pg. 119

Civil War Poetry Essay -- Pablo Neruda Poets Literature Essays

Civil War Poetry The American Civil War and the Spanish Civil War were primarily wars of principle. The conflicts represented a critical point for each respective nation, a time of either death or continuation for the countries. Both Whitman and Neruda exibit a key shared element in the poets' works of the concept of a cosmic rebirth illustrated in their poetry through a celebration of the perpetual cycle of life and death fostering optimism. This mutual philosophy is manifested in Neruda and Whitman's poetry in several interesting ways. One of the most striking biographical parallels between the two poets originates from their direct involvement in civil war. Whitman served as a nurse in war hospitals during the American Civil War (1861-1865) and his poem Drum Taps, published just after the war ended, chronicles his war experience and serves as a record of the conflict. Nearly seventy years later, Pablo Neruda found himself entangled in a different intra-national conflict, the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939). Neruda served as Chilean consul to Spain in the Republican capital city of Madrid during its bombardment by Federalist forces and later rallied for the Republican cause after being removed from his position. Neruda's poem Spain in the Heart: Hymn to the Glories of the People at War, published as the war still raged in 1937, follows in the tradition of Whitman's Drum Taps, offering an intimate eye witness account of civil war. Through the volumes of Drum Taps and Spain in the Heart, Whitman and Neruda offer poetic responses to their profound experiences during civil war, depicting the potential rebirth of society out of the destruction of war through the victory of democracy. Within thes... ...ope emerging from their tragic but crucial deaths. Neruda represented Whitman's men so intimately tied to the land in the metaphor for renewal out of destruction. The poets in "Eighteen Sixty-One" and "Arrival in Madrid of the International Brigade" assume the role of the voice and interpretive validator of the men using the image of the gathering troops as a vehicle for validating the cause of the conflicts while lamenting the heroic loss of such good men. By intimately connecting with the soldiers through solidarity, the recognition of their sacrifice assumes a more profound significance. The portrait of the soldiers presents these men as heroes who will be able to bring order out of the chaos. The philosophy of cosmic rebirth that Neruda and Whitman share unites the work of the men as it is expressed through their common experience of civil war.

St Dismass

St Dismas With St. Dismas facing a decline in their patient services, the Board of Directors knew their present strategy was not facilitating the needs of their community. Coming up with new initiatives, such as being more cost-effective in the delivery of inpatient care and developing new programs and services are strategies that will help them continue to capitalize on their more than qualified rehabilitative staff and their own reputation of excellence. With this in mind, CEO Dr. Splient Splient came up with a plan to meet the Board’s new strategic initiatives of attaching an assisted living facility to St.Dismas’ Campus. The deliverable would be a 100-unit for-profit subsidiary of St. Dumas that would house 110 to 150 light and heavily assisted residents. This would distinguish them from other assisted care facilities as it would be the only one to offer the highly competent therapeutic programs that the hospital now offers. Upon the approval of Dr. Splient’s plan, the Board also stipulated that he would have to wait to begin construction until after November of 1999 because two of the present Board Members will be running for city council and county commissioner seats.Another constraint established by the Board is for the facility to be open by July of 2000. Other constraints will be in laws and regulations pertaining to building the structure for its population, meeting budgeting requirements, personnel requirements, etc. Also to be kept in mind are that the financial plans that Dr. Splient and his team came up with are estimates based on present information, projections, and the assumption that St. Dismas will be received by its target market. For, even though it is not a hospital, they might feel like they are in one because of the location.Therefore, it is also assumed that St. Dismas will meet the occupancy levels necessary for it to be profitable and yield a return on the investment. Now that Dr. Splient has the Board’s ap proval to go ahead with the planning of the project for construction of the new medical facility, he must now meet with his executive team to present them the project mission and the scope. Once he and the executive team are confident that they are ready to launch the project plan, build, and open the assisted living facility, it is now time for him to put together his project team.This team will be called the ALF Project Steering Committee and consisted of the Chief Financial Officer, Vice President of Business Development and Marketing, Rehab Services Medical Director, Construction Project Manager, Chief Operations Officer, Director of Information Services, Director of Support Services, and two members of the Board of Trustees (one with construction experience and then another a probable electee to the city council). The team held their first meeting at which Dr.Splient will present his vision for the facility, lead discussion of all major steps that must be included in the projec t plan, and ask all members to identify which areas they would accept responsibility for. Once all members realize their roles, he will give his team two months to come back with their detailed action plans for their area of responsibility. Below is a Preliminary Level 1 Work Breakdown Structure for the project that Dr. Splient will construct as a visual aid for the team.Once they return with their detailed plans, the team can add to the Work Breakdown Structure and then carry out the project of constructing the new assisted living facility. It is our belief that Dr. Splient would be an excellent choice for project manager. His strengths include planning and organizing teams, as well as delegating tasks. He demonstrated these strengths in many ways. For starters, he compiled a report for the assisted living facility on the St. Dismas campus that included the potential return on investments.He also identified each cost associated with building this facility. Accomplishing these two t asks showed that it was important to Dr. Splient to be financially aware of how funding was going to be used. Therefore, he pays close attention to detail, which is a key characteristic in a project manager. Dr. Splient used his organizing skills to form a business development team. By creating this team, Dr. Splient was able to scout out a design that would make the assisted living facility one of the best. This eam also created a business plan to ensure that those working on the project would know the estimated amounts of income, capital expenditure, and revenues. Aside from the team designed for business development, he also created a team to present the project mission, and scope to the company. By creating these two teams he showed his willingness to make all parties associated with the project cognizant of all components. Exemplifying proper communication skills, Dr. Splient shows the effectiveness needed to be a potential project manager.He distributed the responsibilities of the project to members of each team equally. By doing this he showed his willingness to cooperate with others instead of taking on the entire project himself. This adds to the list of strengths for Dr. Splient as a project manager, because he was able to understand that he could not do everything involved in the project by himself, and had to except these limitations. Lastly, Dr. Splient exhibited the characteristic of leadership by giving each team two months to come back with a detailed action plan. Using deadlines, he establishes authority within the project.However, he does this without abusing his power. By doing this it establishes Dr. Splient as a leader instead of a tyrant. This characteristic is essential in being a successful project manager. In closing, this project requires the cooperation of all parties and factors involved. A good project manager needs to have both interpersonal and business skills to carry out the project successfully. Dr. Splient’s organized, assertive, and detail oriented nature in addition to his leadership qualities, financial management, and task balancing skills, make him a prime candidate for project manager.

Labor Union in the United States

The United States Labor Unions can be considered as an organized group that usually represent the workers from their employees, aimed to legally function as a representative in a legal manner, in the various field or industries. Their activities are centered in the collective bargaining for wage increase, the proper implementation of benefits, good working conditions, and served as a representative if the company neglects or violates provisions from the contract. Aside from these focal points, the Labor Unions also served as a political influence (specifically inside the Democratic Party) through different coalitions with the same principle oriented activists and through strategic mobilization aimed at strengthening the numbers of their memberships.The evolution of Labor Union in the United States dated way back from the 18th Century. From the conception of the National Labor Union and the Knights of Labor- which were short-lived, followed by the rise of the American Federation of La bor in 1886. The 1900 saw the emergence of the Industrial Workers of the World in 1905, the eventual splitting of the AFL in 1938 and the birth of the Congress of Industrial Organizations (CIO), the merger of AFL and CIO in 1955, and the founding of the Change to Win Federation which emerged after splitting from the AFL-CIO umbrella in 2005. In general, the history of the United States Labor Union was categorized into four: The early Unions, the labor history from 1900-1932, labor history from 1932- 1955, the labor history from 1955 to 2005, and the labor union at present.Within these periods, several unprecedented and relevant events happened such as the Pullman strike and the Haymarket riot (between 1886 and 1894), the coal strikes (1900-1902), Dual Unionism, Gompers and AFL, Railroad Brotherhoods, the effect of World War 1 and 2, the New Deal Labor Policy, New Deal Coalition and PAC, Taft-Hartley Act, issues of corruptions, civil rights movement, the rise of the Public Sector Uni ons, the decline of the private sector unions, the NAFTA and the International Trade threat.The first local labor union (the Early Unions), the Order of the Knights of St. Crispin, was established in 1867 having an approximate of around 50,000 members by year 1870. The group resisted certain encroachments of several machineries and the matter of non-skilled labor regarding the autonomy of such skilled workers. Though considered the largest union at that time, the group was poorly disorganized that caused to its decline and eventual abolishment.After the abolishment of the Order of the Knights, the Knights of Labor was established in 1869. It was considered the first functional and effective labor union or organization through an effort of enlisting not only the laborers in their ranks but also believed in protecting the common interests of all groups engaged in production. Â  Their leader, Terence Powderly, initiated several causes through the influence of politics or by cooperativ e tie-ups and ventures. Though he hoped towards achieving their causes, the Union collapsed on its first big strike during the Hayment Riot in 1886.In 1886, after the abolishment of the Knights of Labor, the American Federation of Labor was established. It was comprised mostly of confederations of skilled workers responsible of setting the organizational model being used until today. During this transition, from the Order of the Knights to the establishment of the American Federation of Labor (AFL), a major strike transpired that added much significant effects on U.S. economical status.The Pullman strike, happened on June 26, 1894 with around 125,000 workers on an approximate 29 railroad stations, quit their work instead of working on Pullman Palace Car Company. The cause of the strike was the declined decision of the company to decrease rent on the town of Pullman. The effect was a total production shutdown of the Pullman factories that eventually led to a lock out. United States M arshals and approximately 2,000 soldiers were deployed to break up the strike, leaving around $340,000 worth of damage properties, 57 wounded and 13 strikers killed.The American Federation of Labor or AFL was established by Samuel Gompers. The federation comprised mostly of skilled and unskilled workers, except for the African American and women who were excluded. This started the Labor Union history from 1900-1932, and from this period several developments transpired such as the increase in unionized wages, the creation of Clayton Act of 1914, the enactment of the Norris-LaGuardia Act in 1932, the coalition formed by the Socialist Party of America, and the most common events- strikes.The Coal strike of 1900-1902 was considered one of the most comprehensive strikes ever happened creating a political crisis on a national scale. It was spearheaded by the United Mine Workers on the Midwest that started in 1900. The United States President at that time, Theodore Roosevelt, made a compro mise on the miners on increasing their wages for shorter hours but excluded the view of recognizing the union as the workers representative in the bargaining table.Another strike that transpired was the Great Railroad Strike happened in 1922, wherein a nationwide strike was conducted by shop workers of the railroad. The cause of the strike was the decision of the Railroad Labor Board to cut seven cents from the workers wages thus creating hostility and an approximate 400,000 positions vacated by the strikers. The strike eventually died down on a local level since some of the shop workers did made agreements with the railroads after.The Labor history of 1932- 1955 witnessed the founding of another influential Union in the Congress of Industrial Organizations (CIO), founded by John Llewellyn Lewis, who eventually also the President of the United Mine Workers or UMW. The CIO was instrumental in the establishment of the United Steel Workers of America or the USWA that consisted of aroun d millions of organized group of industrial workers during the 1930’s.His desire to expand the union’s membership and acquire in organizing the steel industry lead to an effort of organizing steel workers. This put him into a contrast between the AFL since he was concerned on organizing all industrial unions and workers in a specific industry instead of in a particular craft or trade skill only. Â  The conflict was then resolved by establishing the CIO but the leader of the AFL, William Green, opposed such.The CIO hoped to have a change of policy within the AFL with regards to their industrial organizing but the AFL treated them as an enemy and antagonism arose leading to the formal establishment of the CIO in 1938 to become its rival federation union. Since then the CIO was instrumental in several sit-down strikes such as the Flint sit-down strike, and the Chrysler sit-down strike. Their actual members were approximated at 2,850,000 from various members of the local labor unions such as coming from the Steel Workers, Electrical Workers, Amalgamated Clothing Workers, Rubber Workers, and United Mine Workers. (Karson, 1958).The negotiations of the Flint Sit-Down strike led the way for the establishment of the United Auto Workers Union or UAW in 1936- 1937. Walter Reuther took control of the union during the war and soon initiated some major strikes. The UAW eventually led the way for the merging of the AFL and the CIO in 1955.From 1955 to present, the labor unions consisted of two major organizations: the Change to Win Federation who broke up with the ALF-CIO in 2005, and the American Federation of Labor- Congress of Industrial Organizations. Both groups advocates legislations and policies in favor to the workers of the United States and Canada, took active participation in politics specifically favoring the Democratic Party. While the AFL-CIO is concerned with trade issues in a global perspective, the Change to Win Federation is concerned more in issues involving domestic Craft labor.Union members of the private sector have been severely regulated by the NLRA or the National Labor Relations Act of 1935. The unions are usually regulated in a sense by state laws and partly by federal laws. Thus it resulted in considerable growth rates, and working conditions as well as the wages are brought into negotiations with the elected state and local officials, therefore enhancing the political influences of the Unions.Other manifestation of unionism may include Solidarity unionism, minority unionism, and the practices being employed by an organization like the Industrial Workers of the World.The American Union membership specifically in the private sector has fallen by an approximate of 9% .and only the Commercial group retained some 50% of union representation. It also remained an indispensable political influence and the capital mobility, economic liberalization, and globalization improved in a tremendous fashion uplifting the stand ard of living being enjoyed by the American workers. In a real sense the Labor Union in the United States served as a role model for labor Domestic force. It’s served as a representative, an intermediary, for the social workers welfare against the violations of the Company to achieve specific arrangements that will benefit both workers and the Administration.ReferencesCommons, John R. (1918). History of Labour in the United States – Vol. 2 1860-1896.Karson, Marc (1958). American Labor Unions and Politics, 1900-1918.Beik, Millie (2005). Labor Relations: Major Issues in American History..

Organic food Essay

We have all heard the phrase â€Å"What you don’t know won’t hurt you† and it has undoubtedly applied to many situations in our lives that we are still unaware of. We like to toss around this phrase without worrying too much about what it implies because that is the whole point of the phrase, not to worry. When it comes to what we are putting into our bodies, though, what we do not know can indeed hurt us immensely. In the United States, we have grown accustomed to not thinking much about what we are consuming. The main factors we look for in food are taste and price. We live in a consumer society where money rules our nation, it rules our lives, and it rules us. Money has become the main focus for every decision we make, but when it comes to something as important as our health, should we look at a few other factors? With societies concerns focusing on wealth and profit, there is no surprise that the food industry finds the cheapest ways to produce the most food. Consequently, this produces many negative effects on aspects of our lives such as our health and the environment. When choosing what foods to consume, we should begin to pay more attention to factors other than the price tag. The food industry obviously plays a big role in this epidemic of processed food, but they are not the only ones to blame. Yes they are the ones taking advantage of our ignorance by mass-producing cheap food that they know we will not think twice about, but the ignorance is our fault. Author of The Omnivore’s Dilemma, Michael Pollan, describes the current foundation of the food industry, â€Å"Our food system depends on consumers’ not knowing much about it beyond the price disclosed by the checkout scanner. Cheapness and ignorance are mutually reinforcing† (Pollan 245). Pollan is correct in his assumption that most Americans do not know much about their food besides how much it cost. Most of them are not even aware that they do not know what is in their food. They subconsciously assume that chicken is chicken and cheese is cheese, but unfortunately that is hardly ever the case. Many people choose to live along these guidelines of â€Å"ignorance is bliss† by not paying attention to the horror stories of the food industry; they turn their heads from documentaries on animal treatment and plug their ears at the mention of the real ingredients of their precious snacks. As long as the food they are eating tastes good and did not cost a lot of money, they are content with not knowing how unhealthy it might be. Pollan further explains another reason people buy the cheapest available food: It makes good economic sense that people with limited money to spend on food would spend it on the cheapest calories they can find, especially when the cheapest calories—fats and sugars—are precisely the ones offering the biggest neurobiological rewards. (Pollan 108) People with lower incomes are confined to buying cheap food, typically the most processed and unhealthy food, because with their limited funds they cannot afford to care about the quality of what they are eating. They buy what is cheapest because that is all they can get. As long as they have food in their stomachs, they do not complain or worry too much about the side affects. Eating food that may not be very healthy definitely outweighs the alternative of eating nothing and starving. Americans are ignorant of the food that they purchase either because they choose not to educate themselves or because they really have no choice. Either way, they are missing out on other possibilities of obtaining food that have many advantages. Not knowing what our food is made of also prevents us from knowing what alternative food options are available to us. Because we see no problems with our current food choices, we see no reason to discover new ones. The processed food at the supermarket is all we know because it is the most convenient and affordable from of nourishment we can obtain. Pollan’s book includes the testimony of someone who buys food from a local, organic farmer, â€Å"†¦for me it’s all about the taste, which is just so different—this is a chickinier chicken. Art’s chickens just taste cleaner, like the chicken I remember when I was a kid† (Pollan 252). The food available from local farmers is not only better for our health and the environment but it also tastes better. We have grown accustomed to the artificially flavored food we buy from grocery stores and do not realize that the food we eat could taste better and more natural. The locally grown food tastes healthier and more natural because that is precisely what it is. The artificially engineered taste of chicken in a common chicken nugget is not what a chicken should taste like. Besides enhanced taste, buying from local farmers offers many other benefits as well. An organic farmer interviewed in The Omnivore’s Dilemma explains some more benefits of buying locally, With our food all of the costs are figured into the price. Society is not bearing the cost of water pollution, of antibiotic resistance, of food-borne illnesses, of crop subsidies, of subsidized oil and water—of all the hidden costs to the environment and the taxpayer that make cheap food seem cheap. (Pollan 243) One of the main reasons why people do not want to look into these alternative methods of eating is because they are more expensive. People overlook these opportunities because the organic food appears overpriced, but when you evaluate all these factors it might not be as overpriced as you might think. Yes the food is more expensive but it stands true that you get what you pay for. When paying more, you are receiving a whole lot more that benefits your health, community, and environment. The extra money that would be spent on food, you might save on your medical bills and taxes. Locally produced food is healthier for you and it carries a much less chance of containing disease and illness. Another bonus of buying from local farms: there is less pollution created than in the factories and slaughterhouses of the globalized food industry. If people became aware of alternative food options and the benefits associated with them, they would be more inclined to pay better attention to what they are buying. This would not only improve ones personal health, but also the environment. Although money remains a very important role in deciding what we purchase, it would benefit us to consider a few other aspects of the food that we buy. Paying attention to details such as what goes into the food, where it is produced, and how it is produced would lead us to make healthier decisions. More often than not, a satisfying answer to these questions will not be found in the food at our local supermarkets, but rather a local farmer. Buying from these farmers would mean supporting a healthy environment and body. Their production methods are healthier and much more environmentally friendly than any factories in a big-name food industry. While it may seem that this is a simple choice, many Americans will continue to ignore these truths. When it comes down to it, money rules everything and it will take a lot more than the promise of better health for people to overlook a price tag. They say ignorance is bliss, but when that ignorance leads to decisions that contaminate our bodies and our environment, the bliss will be short lived.

Horses Poem †Edwin Muir Essay

â€Å"Horses† Edwin Muir in First Poems, 1925 Notes Compiled and Edited by RI First Reading †¢ The sight of horses now, in the present, leads the  speaker to consider his feelings towards horses  when he was a child: ‘Perhaps some childish hour  has come again’. †¢ Main focus: – The various descriptions of horses and the speaker’s feelings towards the horses – An other-worldliness about them, something magical – Admiration and fear are mixed – A clear Romantic feel about the poem: e.g. ‘And oh the rapture†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ Stanza 1 †¢ ‘lumbering’ gives the impression that the  horses are moving in a slow, heavy and  awkward way Stanza 2 †¢ Pistons in the machines in an ancient mill are  used to describe the movement of the horses’  hooves as the child ‘watched fearful’ †¢ The use of imagery drawn from the early  industrial age is interesting in what it tells us  about the child’s fear Stanza 3 †¢ The word ‘conquering’ suggests a reference to  an even earlier age †¢ The word ‘ritual’ and the descriptions  Ã¢â‚¬Ëœseraphim of gold’ and ‘ecstatic monsters’ hint  at something pagan or pre-historic Stanza 4 †¢ The ‘rapture’ conveys a Romantic sense of  worshipping these natural creatures: see lines 2–4 Stanza 5 †¢ ‘glowing with mysterious fire’ links with the  Ã¢â‚¬Ëœmagic power’, which describes the horses he  sees in the present day (in the first stanza) Stanza 6 †¢ The powerful force of the horses is captured in  the eyes gleaming with a ‘cruel apocalyptic  light’ †¢ The religious imagery follows on from the  Ã¢â‚¬Ëœstruggling snakes’ of stanza 5 Stanza 7 †¢ The repetition of ‘it fades’ suggests loss,  straightforwardly the fading of his memory †¢ ‘Pine’ means to feel a lingering, often nostalgic desire Exercises †¢ To assist a closer reading of the poem as a whole Stanza 1 †¢ Task 1 – Look up the meaning of ‘lumbering’ and then consider the way it contrasts with the description in lines 3 – 4 Stanza 1 †¢ Task 2 – Look closely at the meanings of ‘terrible’, ‘wild’ and ‘strange’ – These are of course words common in everyday  usage, but precise dictionary definitions of these  words might yield unexpected and original ideas – Note that the horses are ‘lumbering’, whilst the  plough is ‘steady’ Stanza 2 †¢ Check that you have understood the shift in  time. †¢ The rest of the poem deals with the speaker’s  recollection of his feelings as a child. †¢ What impression do you feel is created by the  simile of the ‘pistons’? Stanza 3 †¢ The references in this stanza are to a preindustrial age. †¢ Consider the effects of these words: ‘conquering hooves’, ‘ritual’, ‘seraphim of gold’ and ‘mute ecstatic monsters’. †¢ You should consult a dictionary where appropriate. Stanzas 4 and 5 †¢ What do you make of the tone in stanza four? †¢ Explore the words used to describe the horses,  and to consider what they reveal about the  speaker’s attitude? †¢ What contrast is signalled by the use of ‘But when  at dusk†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ at the beginning of stanza five? †¢ What do you make of ‘mysterious fire’ here and  the ‘magic power’ attributed to the present-day  horses in stanza one? Stanza 6 †¢ Analyse the effectiveness of the imagery: the ‘cruel apocalyptic light’ of their eyes and the personification of the wind. Stanza 7 †¢ Before considering the final stanza and reaching a judgement about its effectiveness, you might read the whole poem (perhaps working in pairs). †¢ Having studied closely the previous stanzas, how do you now feel that the final stanza should be spoken? †¢ How does the tone here differ from the tone in other parts of the poem? Activities †¢ In order focus on the sounds of the poem, you might in pairs or small groups practise reading the poem aloud. †¢ Try to capture a suitable voice for the speaker as you read, and vary the tone as appropriate. †¢ Finally, annotate a copy of the poem, indicating briefly the effects created by imagery and sound devices †¢ Select an example of a device used in a particularly striking or vivid way; explain what it is that makes it striking for you. Thematic links with set poems †¢ Nature: Pied Beauty, Hunting Snake, Pike, The Woodspurge, Upon Westminster Bridge, Summer Farm †¢ Time: A Different History, The Cockroach, The City Planners, The Planners Summary †¢ Past memories †¢ Surpassing reality †¢ The poet reminiscing one of his childhood memories: – Horses ploughing during a rainy day Power of Nature †¢ Expression of the power of nature †¢ Language techniques – Simile – The â€Å"mechanical† metaphor – Oxymoron – Negative connotations Vocabulary of nature †¢ Horses †¢ Field †¢ Blackening rain †¢ Hooves †¢ Stubble †¢ Hulks †¢ Monsters †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Sun Light Bossy sides Flakes Snakes Dusk Gloam †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Fire Bodies Mire Eyes Night Manes Wind Country Tree Figurative Language †¢ Similes – Hooves †¢ ‘like pistons in an ancient mill’ – Image:  » Their hooves are like machines  » They keep on moving up and down, ploughing the whole field †¢ Struggling snakes – Snake-like furrows – Prepares us for the biblical imagery  » ‘cruel apocalyptic light’ †¢ Eyes – As brilliant and as wide as night Personification †¢ Wind Their manes the leaping ire of the wind Lifted with rage invisible and blind †¢ Dusk †¢ The broad-breasted horses in the light of the setting sun †¢ The light coming off of their bodies in flakes †¢ The steaming nostrils †¢ Their warm, gigantic bodies glowing with mysterious fire †¢ The smouldering heat of their bodies in the cold mud †¢ Metaphors – â€Å"Conquering† – â€Å"Great hulks† †¢ Mechanical †¢ Industrial age †¢ Comparing a horse’s power to that of an engine – E.g. car engine – Reader can visualize and sense the physical power of the animal – Powerful image of the horses – Appreciation of the beauty of the powerful force of the horses †¢ Oxymoron – Horses described as ‘mute ecstatic monsters on the mould’ – Horses being presented as ‘terrible, so wild and strange’, yet with ‘magical power’ – Leading the reader to ponder the poet’s message: †¢ The idea of nature fading away and life becoming mechanical – Followed by the disclosure of his dislike of modernisation †¢ Negative connotations – Dark side and despair †¢ Through negative connotations – The â€Å"smouldering† bodies of the horses  » Their eyes gleaming with a â€Å"cruel apocalyptic light† †¢ Here the poet expresses his emotions towards the arrival of evil, or apocalypse and his world turning dark The right words †¢ First half of the poem – Words like â€Å"seraphim† and â€Å"gold† †¢ Emphasis on strong presence and value in nature †¢ End of the poem – â€Å"black field† and â€Å"still-standing tree† †¢ The poet introduces a dark, sad tone – As he expresses his realisation  » faded nature  » loss of its presence Conclusion †¢ Memory – Struggle †¢ Light and darkness †¢ Symbolic – Expresses aspects of nature †¢ Wildness †¢ Innocence