Analysis of Forgetfullness, by Billy Collins Essay Example for Free

Analysis of Forgetfullness, by Billy Collins Essay This poem is really easy to identify with. The first 4 stanzas are clearly relating the reader to the poem. Everyone at some point has to learn these general, seemingly useless facts. â€Å"A state flower† â€Å"The capital of Paraguay† so arbitrary, but so true in that this brings back memories of 3rd or 5th grade for almost all of us, it is bound to strike a chord with the reader. This is also coupled with a slightly nostalgic loss of these facts in the first stanza, as slowly the individual sections of a book (that you as the reader once clearly enjoyed) are systematically removed from your memory by time. Then the tone shifts from musing about facts we don’t remember, to our inability to remember them. It begins to get darker. This is useful contrast from the imagery that the reader experiences during the first few stanzas, remembering childhood, and innocence. Juxtaposed is the now darker â€Å"mythological river† described as vague that, dauntingly, is leading to oblivion. The hopeless tone thus has that much more impact as we make our way to our own â€Å"oblivion† or death, where we will join the dead: â€Å"those who have even forgotten how to swim and how to ride a bicycle.† Then Collins provides a justification for our wanting to remember, wanting to enrich our every moment, as soon memories will be pointless. Really, in the end this is providing a more inherent worth to memories than they ever had before, because of the fleeting nature of life that Collins describes. Not in a fun, youthful â€Å"carpe diem† way, Collins is showing how short we have to live. Only from this presentation can the reader then make the leap that we ought to cherish these good memories, and make good memories, such as the â€Å"moon (out of the) love poem† in the closing lines of the work.

Comparing the Struggle for Freedom in Adventures of Huckleberry Finn an

Struggle for Freedom in Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and Native Son Throughout history, great authors have served as sentinels for racism and prejudice in American society. The Mark Twain novel, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, a graphic story of 1840s America that depicts the plight of an uneducated black slave named Jim moved many to empathize with African-Americans. Compassion against the evils of slavery soon spread across the country. A war-torn America abolished slavery in 1865. However, Richard Wright’s 1940 novel, Native Son, a compelling story of the life and death of another black man, Bigger Thomas, makes a convincing argument that slavery in America was still very much alive during that period. Civil rights legislation and enforcement would not come until years later. A generation apart, Jim and Bigger embody the evolution of the black man struggling to be free in American society. On Twain’s Mississippi of the 1840’s, slaves are regarded more as property than human— there is no freedom for the black man. Jim is trapped in a society that trumpets racial hatred; for example, Huck’s father said, â€Å"they told me there was a state†¦where they’d let the nigger vote†¦I says I’ll never vote again† (Twain 35). Early in their travels, Jim and Huck mirror the chasm in black and white relations that plagues America at the time. Blinded by prejudice, Huck seems incapable of recognizing that, much like himself, Jim is scared and running from a life of few choices, towards a dream of independence. Instead, he can only see what society allows him to—the blackness of Jim’s skin. He is reluctant to be seen with Jim because he knows â€Å"People would call [him] a low-down Abolitionist and despise [him] for keeping mum† (50). Even afte... ...e and what kind of work he [can] do† (Wright 394). Bigger’s society collectively denies him freedom to better his life with â€Å"restrictions placed upon Negro education,† authorities â€Å"that make it plain in their every act that they mean to keep Bigger Thomas and his kind within rigid limits,† and real estate operators who have â€Å"agreed among themselves to keep Negroes within ghetto-areas of cities† (394). Unlike Jim, Bigger can’t escape his slavery by running to the free north. His slavery is all-encompassing. Jim only sees freedom at face value, so his can be achieved. He can only hope for freedom in its simplest form†¦ release from the physical shackles of slavery. Bigger’s freedom begins where Jim’s leaves off. Works Cited Twain, Mark. Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. New York: Harper & Row, 1885. Wright, Richard. Native Son. New York: Harper & Brothers, 1940.

African Empires in the Early Modern Period: (1450-1750) Essay

One of the comparative topics in this time period is â€Å"empire building† in Africa. The AP Jedi Masters want you to know only one of the following: (Kongo, Benin, Oyo, Dahomey, Ashanti or Songhay) – so they probably are not going to ask you to compare two African Kingdoms since they stated you only need to know one – so they could ask you to compare the process of â€Å"empire building† in Africa to that in: (Asia, Latin America or Europe) – but I am providing you with information from three African Empires – just in case – and each if from a different region in Sub-Saharan Africa – so different historical forces to consider. The Kongo (c. 14th – 17th century) Located on the western coastal region of Central Africa – along the Congo river. Centralized state – with officials overseeing military, judicial, and financial affairs. The empire was divided into regions – and governors who were usually related to the King oversaw those areas – some areas were allowed to continue to rule as long as they recognized the superiority of the Kongo King – they had to report to him yearly for inspection and â€Å"renewal† of their title. The empire was financed both by the taxing of trade as well as a head tax collected by local administers and sent to the capital. Songhay: (West Africa – Sudanic Empire) (Mid 1400’s – Mid-1600’s) ï‚ · As the power of the Mali continued in the 1400’s a state within the Empire was able to obtain its independence – this was called the Songhay Empire with its capital in the trading city of Gao. The height of the Empire came under the leadership of Sunni Ali who ruled from 1464-1493. He built an elaborate administrative and military apparatus to oversee affairs in his realm. The Kingdom of the Asante (1680-1900) The Asante were one of the Akanspeaking peoples who settled in the forest region of modern Ghana between the 11thand 13th centuries. The separate Asante chiefdoms were united by Osei Tutu in the 1670s and in 1696 he took the title of Asantehene (king) and founded the Asante empire. Asante was the only part of Africa where rich agricultural and mineral resources coincided. With its capital at Kumasia only 30 miles south of the northern forest edge – it could draw on both forest and savanna produce some of the traditional crops were: plantains, yams, and rice. The Portuguese arrived in the late 15th century – Kings of the Kongo converted to Christianity as a way to establish closer commercial relations with Portuguese merchants and diplomatic relations with the Portuguese King. He appointed governors to oversee provinces and maintained a professional army, with a cavalry and navy of small boats and canoes – which were able to patrol the Niger River. He extended his empire over the areas formally controlled by the Mali rulers – he conquered the cities of Timbuktu and Jenne (which took him 7 years of siege warfare – he finally married its Queen to solidify his rule). From the capital city of Gao the Songhay rulers presided over a prosperous empire that participated in the transSaharan trade that brought: Salt, textiles and metal goods in exchange for gold and slaves. Despite the fact that the rulers were Islamic and supported Islamic institutions: mosques / universities – the vast majority of the populace remained non-Muslim. The Songhay meet their demise in 1591 when they took on a Moroccan army armed with musket gun – the defeat left open an opportunity for regions to revolt against Songhay administration. Kongo Kings appreciated the fact that Christianity offered a strong endorsement of their monarchical rule – the new faith was convenient also because the saints of the Roman Catholic Church were similar to spirits long recognized in Kongolese religions. For the first number of years Portugal and the Kingdom of the Kongo dealt with each other with a certain level of equality – they exchanged ambassadors and a number of Portuguese went to Kongo: advisors, priests, soldiers, tailors, shoemakers, masons, and minors. One of the most important Kings of the Kongo was: Nzinga Mbemba – also known as King Afonso I (1506-1542) – he was a devout Roman Catholic and actively sought out to convert all his subjects to Christianity – he attended religious services daily and always studied the Bible. Trade and relations with Portugal brought wealth and foreign recognition to the Kongo – items such as: ivory, copper and slaves were exchanged for European: textiles, weapons (guns, guns, guns)!!!! – remember that during this time period (1450-1750) Europeans were â€Å"colonizing† the Western Hemisphere – as this time period went on the demand for slaves increased – this dramatically impacted societies such as the Kongo – one King during the 16th century – himself had 20,000 slaves in his household. However – the vast majority of wealth of the empire was in its gold deposits – the Europeans would call this the â€Å"Gold Coast† – which they used to buy European guns – which further solidified the power of the Asante over nearby regions which did not have access. Guns were also obtained by providing the Europeans with slaves – the notorious â€Å"El Mina† – a fortress built along the coast where slaves were housed until departure across the Atlantic was built on Ghana’s coast. Other items brought by the Europeans were: iron, horses, cloth, tobacco and finished manufactured goods. Historians sometimes speak about Asante’s â€Å"metropolitan† and â€Å"provincial† spheres. â€Å"Metropolitan† Asante consisted primarily of the towns in a fifty-mile radius around Kumasi. The rulers of these towns, many of whom were related to the ruling family, participated in the enthronement of Asante kings, served on the king’s advisory council, and retained considerable autonomy. Eventually the relationship between Portugal and the Kongo worsened because the Portuguese desire for more and more slave pushed them to negotiate with other regions around the Kongo – some of with were enemies of the Kongo while others were protectorates – the authority of the Kongolese King was undermined – which led to war with the two nations. The Songhay empire crumbled into a series of small regional kingdoms – and with the arrival of the Europeans and the redirection of trade towards the coastline – the Sudanic Empires ceased to play a prominent role in West African politics. By contrast, outlying regions were more clearly subordinate and were forced to pay tribute to the Asante rulers. The most distant districts of the state which were populated by non-Akan people annually sent thousands of slaves to Kumasi. They placed all trade under state agencies controlled by the Asante King, and created a complex bureaucracy to govern and collect taxes. Asante achieved a high degree of administrative efficiency (its wellmaintained roads, for example, were famous) and the ability to implement sophisticated fiscal policies.

The Effects Of Emotional Appeal On The Population s...

Mock IA Plan of Investigation Katerina S. The Industrial Revolution was the era in which machines changed people s lives. The cheapest and easiest way to maximize output was to get children to operate the machines. The role of emotional appeal had a big effect in the abolition of child labour after the Industrial Revolution. Child labour was accepted during the Revolution, as well as child exploitation. A lot of deaths and injuries could have been avoided with proper labour standards. This essay will explain the importance of the emotional appeal towards changing the population s perspective of child labour. I will be looking at the time between the end of the Industrial Revolution to the formation of the National Child Labour Committee (1830-1905). During this time, the perspective of child labour started to change. The primary sources used will be the Factory Acts, movies such as The Dark Side of Chocolate to evaluate the emotional appeal aspect of it, and books about the Industrial Revolution working conditions. The prote sts and demonstrations by the people wanting change will be examined. Next, I will explain how the masses of population started to support the change. Lastly I will show how change occurred because the population became emotionally attached to the loses from child labour. People had to become emotionally attached to the issue to push change. Source Evaluation Liberty s Dawn: a People s History of the Industrial Revolution - Emma Griffin Origin:Show MoreRelatedOrganisational Theory230255 Words   |  922 Pages. Organization Theory Challenges and Perspectives John McAuley, Joanne Duberley and Phil Johnson . This book is, to my knowledge, the most comprehensive and reliable guide to organisational theory currently available. What is needed is a text that will give a good idea of the breadth and complexity of this important subject, and this is precisely what McAuley, Duberley and Johnson have provided. They have done some sterling service in bringing together the very diverse strands of workRead MoreOne Significant Change That Has Occurred in the World Between 1900 and 2005. Explain the Impact This Change Has Made on Our Lives and Why It Is an Important Change.163893 Words   |  656 PagesE SSAYS ON TWENTIETH-C ENTURY H ISTORY In the series Critical Perspectives on the Past, edited by Susan Porter Benson, Stephen Brier, and Roy Rosenzweig Also in this series: Paula Hamilton and Linda Shopes, eds., Oral History and Public Memories Tiffany Ruby Patterson, Zora Neale Hurston and a History of Southern Life Lisa M. Fine, The Story of Reo Joe: Work, Kin, and Community in Autotown, U.S.A. Van Gosse and Richard Moser, eds., The World the Sixties Made: Politics and Culture