Edward Hopper Style Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Edward Hopper Style - Essay Example The essay "Edward Hopper Style" discovers the application of Edward Hopper’s painting style to digital image manipulation. It was a time in which the people of France were attempting to gain a better lifestyle for themselves by demanding rights for the ‘common’ man as had been accomplished in America less than a generation earlier. In attempting to ‘accurately’ reflect life in all of its objective detail, French artists adopting a Realist approach worked to find the most ‘common’ examples of French life. They sought the people of the fields and villages and then depicted them in their most humble and mundane activities. The major ideas that fueled French realism are discussed within the writings of two different but influential artists of the period, Gustave Courbet and Ferdnand Leger. Only by understanding the principles of realism as they were developed in this first wave of artistic endeavor can one can begin to understand how they app lied to the world of America as it emerged from the bloodiest war fought on American soil and became the hallmark of one of America’s favorite artists, Edward Hopper. French artist Gustave Courbet (1819-1877) asserted that â€Å"painting is an essentially concrete art and can only consist in the representation of real and existing things†. In his art and in his philosophy, Courbet’s chief technical concern seems to be an abandonment of the ‘rules’ of art, at least to some degree, in favor of a more natural flow in both line and form. Courbet felt such rough elements.... In his art and in his philosophy, Courbet's chief technical concern seems to be an abandonment of the 'rules' of art, at least to some degree, in favor of a more natural flow in both line and form. Courbet felt such rough elements of the painting were more accurate in attempting to represent the moment as it existed as well as the emotion of the moment in which the piece was created or the scene was witnessed. His close association with the 'realism' of life as it was experienced by the humble peasantry as well as in his own careful observation of it helped Courbet develop a more intense identification with his subject. By 1850, his ideas regarding what was real in the world and in art were becoming more defined. This is clear in a letter he wrote to a friend, "' in our so very civilized society it is necessary for me to live the life of a savage. I must be free even of governments. The people have my sympathies, I must address myself to them directly" (cited in Insecula, 2008). With in the philosophy of his Realist Manifesto, Courbet states the goal of Realist art is "to translate the customs, the ideas, the appearance of my epoch according to my own estimation" (cited in Finnochio, 2004). Within this approach, it is clear that Courbet held a concept of the real that was based almost exclusively upon the previously unrepresented classes of society and their unreported and unknown daily experiences. Approaching art from this perspective, though, Courbet was equally guilty of making decisions regarding what to paint based upon his own inner conceptions of what was 'common' and 'unrepresented'. As a result, he was essentially making up his own definition of society and presenting this

Early Childhood Education in NZ Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Early Childhood Education in NZ - Essay Example Informing Children are naturally curious and full of wonder. In order to learn about their interests, they move around and play. It is the interactions with others, their thoughts and the materials in their environment facilitate them getting to learn about the world. Adults must be supportive of helping them understand how they learn and think best to reach their learning goals (Primary National Strategy, 2006). This is in relation to learning outcome 1.3 which is multiplying ways of knowing learners in-depth. Observing them keenly is one way of knowing what they are interested in and knowing how they react to things. However, knowing what children want to learn should not hinder them from discovery by imposing one’s own thinking or supplying the answers without letting the children find out for themselves. This is complying with learning outcome 2.3 which is about informed practice through the use of effective curricula and content knowledge, current assessment and planning processes and reflective practice. Confronting I believe the way I was raised and educated has much influence on how I think children learn. Growing up, I was exposed to adults spoon-feeding information to us, and we were expected to just accept the â€Å"wisdom† that our elders passed on to us. I did not realize that it did not matter what we children were interested in. We looked up to authority figures as dispensers of knowledge and we were grateful to them for this. It is only now as an adult that I realize how much our learning was limited because it was just dictated to us. We were not allowed to discover things on our own. Education in my homeland was very teacher-directed that children did not have much choice in directing their own learning paths. Growing up, I was accustomed and very comfortable with that kind of system that now in New Zealand, I find it difficult to let go of such practices with my own students. I am learning from my practice teaching that I need t o follow the child’s lead. I need to be more observant of children’s interests and follow those instead of my own ideas even if I think they are great and that the children will enjoy and learn much from it. My role is to extend their knowledge and skills by organizing their learning environment according to their interests and needs. I bring out some interesting choices of activities for them and let them freely select what they want to do. Te Whaariki respects children’s ideas that they should always be participative in the planning of their learning. This empowers them to know that their ideas are worth listening to and even trying out, as reflected from the principle of Empowerment of Te Whaariki. Reconstructing In order to be more efficient in child-centred strategies, I need to not only observe children in action but also pose more open-ended questions. I can ask them what they already know about or what they want to learn more about and solicit their idea s on their activities. It is good if all children can contribute to the discussion regardless of their backgrounds because I believe in inclusive classes and respect all children no matter where they came from or what their abilities are.

Why People Should Connect More With Nature Theology Religion Essay

Why People Should Connect More With Nature Theology Religion Essay In the twenty-first century, people have practically forgotten how important it is to connect with nature. Despite all the technological advances and scientific inventions that make us believe we have nothing in common with the rest of the animal world, we are still part of the planets fauna, whether we realize it or not. Needless to say, back when humanitys main achievements were the invention of a round wheel, or specific tools for farming agriculture, people were very dependent on nature and paid a lot of attention to the changes of its course. Now, with the technological revolutions and discoveries that made our past history, we seem to pay extremely little attention to nature, getting more and more disconnected from it every day. However, the links that were initially there, couldnt just disappear and there is a number of important reasons in favor of the statement that people should try to get back to basics and connect with nature more than they do today. First of all, nature has historically been the home for human beings, just like it remains a home for animals and plants (of course, with the exception of those that are kept in zoos and greenhouses). Nature is able to show us true beauty, without modifications, exaggerations and falseness. After all, isnt is a little ironic that people go to galleries and exhibitions to look at paintings of colorful flowers, mighty woods, green hills and fast clear streams; those simple things that they can easily observe in real life if they just get outside their urban environment that looms around them? Or the fact that people purchase recordings of calming sounds of nature, like what youd hear at night in the woods damped quavering of an owl, ringing flare of crickets and susurrus rustle of bushes. What we are in fact doing is trying to deceive our minds and make ourselves believe that we ARE in the wood, next to those owls, crickets and bushes, while we are instead trapped inside our tiny, wel l-furnished and packed-with-technology apartment. Secondly, in the era of absolute informational chaos and noise, it becomes more important than ever to be able to pause from the crazy pace of life and relax. Finding silence and peace in the global vacuum of competitiveness, haste and strain, is very challenging. We go to doctors to treat us for depression, insomnia and anxiety. We ask for prescriptions and pills, while what we should be doing instead is turning to nature for help. What can be more relaxing and stress-free, than a cup of warm herbal tea with fresh honey, on the porch of a cozy wooden country house with a view of a small natural lake, or little green forest, or beautiful mountains? Its the cheapest, simplest and most accessible treatment one can think of. We laugh at those freaks hugging trees in the park, or walking barefoot on the grass. However, these people remember something very important; something, most others have forgotten somewhere along the race to progress and prosperity: the key to being healthy, emotio nally sustained and resistant to everyday stress, is staying connected to nature and allowing ourselves to put all business on hold and take a break. Nature is about balance and harmony things we lack most living inside the swirling pit of urbanized cities. Sometimes, we escape, but so rarely and so abruptly, that such escapes can hardly help us re-establish our links with nature. People should seriously consider changing their routine and getting out into nature more regularly. When was the last time you took a walk to the nearby pond, or spent a weekend outdoors doing active sports? When was the last time you went hiking, or fishing, or took your family or friends for a picnic in the nearby park? We should try to move our weekly entertainment, as well as our holiday celebrations, parties and friendly gatherings, from homes, pubs and restaurants to lake shores, mountains, parks, forests, ponds, rivers and groves. The beautiful landscapes of America are incredibly rich and diverse and this is our true natural wealth that we unfortunately often forget about. Many parents and teachers today can remember hours spent in the great outdoors, called in only for dinner or when the last ray of summer light disappeared. Bookworm that I was, I can personally remember being told many days, Its a much too beautiful day to be inside. Go read that book in a tree! Today, childrens lives seem to be structured much differently, a world where the phrase Go play outside has been replaced by television programs, computer time, and Wii Fit. Modern humans lived in nature for most of their long history. Even once colonization into cities occurred, people were surrounded by nature in the fields and farms where they lived. And until thirty or so years ago, children still spent the bulk majority of their free time in contact with nature. Urbanization brought about parks and playgrounds to play in; fields, forests, and empty lots to explore; and even in nearby backyards. Children freely played, explored, and interacted with nature without restriction. Todays world is much different. Children no longer freely explore the world around them, and many have extremely limited contact with nature at all. Fear for safety, structured lessons and activities, and electronics are some of the main inhibitors to natural discovery that involve children today. Spontaneous interaction with nature is most often limited, at best. Free play in nature encourages children to create games with their own invented rules, conduct experiments with nature, and learn lessons that arent taught by anyone. These types of no rules situations promote inventive play and give children a deeper understanding of nature. While playground equipment is a perk of modern urbanization, its uses are more finite than those nature provides. Although equipment can be open-ended, imagined as a castle one day and a boat the next, nature is ever changing. Crossing a stream one day might become searching for treasures under river stones another day as the stream dries up. Tactile outdoor experiences teach children differently than a lesson or even reading about a subject can. Besides the educational benefits, connecting with nature has more benefits than might be obvious. Research shows that children who are allowed to explore outdoors are socially and emotionally happier and healthier. Unstructured outdoor play is also touted as one of the most direct ways to combat childhood obesity, a very real and prominent problem for children. Vitamin D exposure from the sun is known to help prevent a host of diseases, as well as treat and prevent depression. Richard Louv, author of  Last Child in the Woods, has coined a phrase to sum up the current state of the modern child: nature deficit disorder. He believes that contact with nature can aid in preventing and treating Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), and that children need regular contact with nature to stay physically and emotionally healthy. I highly recommend his book if you are interested in learning more about these ideas. Outdoor play gives children the opportunity to value nature, and see it as an important part of of our world. This is a tangible way to ensure that we help them developing environmental stewards who will be both appreciative and respectful of nature as they grow. Here are a few ideas for incorporating natural play into childrens everyday lives: * Find a nature trail (or any place in nature, really) and encourage children to play, rather than just hike. Help children make up a game or collect bugs or leaves * Allow children a small patch of land as their own. This can be in a backyard or a school yard. One school where I worked had a childrens garden in the strip of land that ran right next to the side of the school building. Let them use their imagination to dig, garden, build, etc. * Invest in a few inexpensive outdoor exploration tools: bug box, magnifying glass, butterfly net, shovel, spade, and compass * Rather than working indoors, take lessons outdoors. Learn about water cycles from the true source, use nature to teach about categorization, or compose a symphony of nature sounds. Even a language or math lesson is more fun when done outside on a beautiful day Outdoor play gives children the opportunity to value nature, and see it as an important part of of our world. This is a tangible way to ensure that we help them developing environmental stewards who will be both appreciative and respectful of nature as they grow. Images used during study Stopping to experience our natural surroundings can have social as well as personal benefits, says Richard Ryan, coauthor and professor of psychology, psychiatry and education at theUniversity of Rochester. While the salubrious effects of nature are well documented, from increasing happiness and physical health to lowering stress, this study shows that the benefits extend to a persons values and actions. Exposure to natural as opposed to man-made environments leads people to value community and close relationships and to be more generous with money, find Ryan and his team of researchers at the University of Rochester. The paper includes four experiments in which 370 participants were exposed to either natural or man-made settings. Participants were encouraged to attend to their environments by noticing colors and textures and imagining sounds and smells. In three of the studies, participants were shown a selection of four images on a 19 inch computer screen for two minutes each. Half of the subject viewed buildings, roads, and other cityscapes; the other half observed landscapes, lakes, and deserts. The urban and nature images were matched for color, complexity, layout, and lighting. In a fourth study, participants were simply assigned at random to work in a lab with or without plants. Participants then answered a questionnaire assessing the importance of four life aspirations: wealth and fame (to be financially successful and to be admired by many people) and connectedness and community (to have deep enduring relationships and to work toward the betterment of society). Across all four studies, people exposed to natural elements rated close relationships and community higher than they had previously. The questionnaire also measured how immersed viewers were in their environments and found that the more deeply engaged subjects were with natural settings, the more they valued community and closeness. By contrast, the more intensely participants focused on artificial elements, the higher they rated wealth and fame. To test generosity, two of the studies gave participants a $5 prize with the instructions that the money could be kept or given to a second anonymous participant, who would then be given an additional $5. The second participant could choose to return the prize money or keep it. Thus, subjects had nothing to gain if they chose to trust the other participant, and risked losing their money. The result? People who were in contact with nature were more willing to open their wallets and share. As with aspirations, the higher the immersion in nature, the more likely subjects were to be generous with their winnings. Why should nature make us more charitable and concerned about others? One answer, says coauthor Andrew Przybylski, is that nature helps to connect people to their authentic selves. For example, study participants who focused on landscapes and plants reported a greater sense of personal autonomy (Right now, I feel like I can be myself). For humans, says Przybylski, our authentic selves are inherently communal because humans evolved in hunter and gatherer societies that depended on mutuality for survival. In addition, write the authors, the richness and complexity of natural environments may encourage introspection and the lack of man-made structures provide a safe haven from the man-made pressures of society. Nature in a way strips away the artifices of society that alienate us from one another, says Przybylski. Lead author Netta Weinstein says that the findings highlight the importance of creating green spaces in cities and have implication for planners and architects. Incorporating parks and other representations of nature into urban environments may help build a stronger sense of community among residents, she explains. By contrast, to the extent that our links with nature are disrupted, we may also lose some connection with each other, the authors warn. This alienation may help explain other research showing that urban as compared to rural dwellers show more reservation, indifference, and estrangement from others. On a personal level, Weinstein says the take home message from the research is clear: We are influenced by our environment in ways that we are not aware of, she says. Because of the hidden benefits of connecting with nature, people should take advantage of opportunities to get away from built environments and, when inside, they should surround themselves with plants, natural objects, and images of the natural world. The more you appreciate nature, the more you can benefit, she says.

Pen Pals: Based On X-files Characters :: essays research papers

Pen Pals: Based On X-Files Characters Forward: This story was written based on the X-Files characters created by Chris Carter and Ten Thirteen productions. In no way this story is being used to infringe or defame these characters or the X-Files television series. The story is based on my speculation of what happened to Agent Fox Mulder's sister when she was a child. According to the writers of the X-Files, this story has no affiliation to what really happened to Samantha Mulder when she was a child, as no one really knows the whole story. As the series unfolds, we will hopefully learn more about what happens. I have submitted my story to the writers & producers of the X-Files via the Internet in hopes they will use my story in a future episode. This story is also available over the Internet on my home page so others can view it at their leisure. The idea for this story has been in the back of my mind before I was assigned this project. I have always loved the X-Files since it premiered and within the past year, I have submitted my stories, ideas, and suggestions to the writers of the X-Files. Unfortunately, none of my ideas have been selected. Lots of activity regarding the X-Files goes on over the Internet, and through discussions are where I get a lot of my ideas for the stories that I write. =============================================== June 8th, 1996 6:58pm- Washington, DC, Scully's Apartment Dana Scully arrived home to find a package sitting in the hallway outside her door. Curious, she picked it up and tucked it under her arm while she let herself into the apartment. Once inside, she set the box wrapped in brown paper down on her dining table and left it there while she hung up her coat and kicked off her high heels. Mulder would be coming over later to discuss the case they were currently working on, but until then, she wanted to relax. She made herself a cup of hot coffee and carried both it and the package with her over to the sofa. She noticed that her mother's return address was on the label. I wonder what this could be? She didn't say she was going to be sending me anything. Dana set her tea down and ripped the paper open. Inside she found a rather old, very familiar shoebox with an envelope taped to the top. She opened the envelope and read the letter her mother had enclosed. Dear Dana, I found this when I was going through some boxes in the attic and almost threw

Failure of Spanish Armada

In May 1588, the Spanish Armada left the Portuguese port of Lisbon, headed for England with more than 130 ships. Since their discovery of the New World almost 100 years before, the Spanish had built one of the wealthiest and most powerful empires on earth. King Philip II of Spain wanted to overthrow Queen Elizabeth I of England for both political and religious reasons. Elizabeth had assisted the Protestant rebels in the Netherlands to overthrow Spanish rule in the region. She also had been allowing English pirates called privateers to attack Spanish treasure ships returning from the New World. What only added fuel to the fire were the religious disputes between a Catholic Spain and a Protestant England, whose national church had split from the Catholic Church after the excommunication of Henry VIII in 1535. Outnumbered and outgunned, the English defeated the Spanish Armada in a series of unforgettable naval encounters. The serendipitous event of the English victory over the Armada changed the balance of world power. It would have never been possible without happenstance occurrences like, death, weather, and new naval designs and strategies. Just months before Phillip’s Armada was launched, Don Alvaro de Bazen, Marquise of Santa Cruz, died of typhus in January. Santa Cruz had been a veteran leader and a naval captain unequalled in confidence and skill at the time. He was a narcissistic, avaricious, and cruel man; these qualities made him the ideal naval commander. It was said that only four people attended his burial, â€Å"and his death was regretted by no one†. (Martin 146) If he had not passed, Santa Cruz would’ve been the ideal admiral for the mission because he was so widely respected and was willing to die for his country without a second thought. One who knew Santa Cruz said he was â€Å"a grizzled veteran of Lepanto, offered to take on the whole English Navy at the word of the King†. The English would never have had a chance at victory over the Spanish Armada led by such a solid and able soldier. The replacement for Santa Cruz was chosen by King Philip II himself. He chose Don Alonso Perez de Guzman, the Duke of Medina Sidonia. Medina Sidonia’s qualifications to lead the Armada were lackluster. While the Duke had a vast knowledge of naval technique, he lacked combat experience. However he was the head of one of Spain’s most ancient and aristocratic families, and King Philip II therefore saw Medina Sidonia as the seemingly perfect leader for his Armada because he was the head of such a respectable family. (Martin 147) Yet no victories bolstered his pedigree. When the Duke received the letter from the King asking him to lead the Armada, it wasn’t a surprise however. Since the very early stages of planning for the Armada, Medina Sidonia had been there and was already well briefed. As if portending his failure, he wrote a series of letters to King Philip II stating that he didn’t want the job. One of his reasons included in the letter was â€Å"for I know by the small experience I have had afloat that I soon become seasick†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Martin 149) Acknowledging that he was not fit for the job and that his qualifications did not add up to those necessary for the Armada to succeed, Medina Sidonia conceded that â€Å"furthermore this force is so great and the undertaking so important, that it would not be right for a person like myself, possessing no experience of seafaring or war, to take charge of it. I have no doubt that his Majesty will do the favor which I humbly beg, and will not entrust me to do a task of which certainly, I shall not give a good account; for I do not understand it, know nothing about it, have no health for the sea and have no money to spend upon it†. (Martin 147) The king merely overlooked the Duke’s explanation as improper humility. What the King was oblivious to was that Medina Sidonia had written a second letter two days later, where he claimed that the whole endeavor â€Å"was ill-conceived and doomed almost too inevitable failure†. Martin 148) The king never heard this argument because the second letter had been intercepted by two councilors of state. In response they wrote â€Å"do not impress us with fears for the fate of the Armada, because in such a cause God will make sure it succeeds†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Martin 148) They also threatened the Duke, saying that if he didn’t follow through with leading the Armada they would show t he world the letter and he would have been charged with treason. Against his will and only because of moral pressure, special persuasion, and blackmail did Medina Sidonia accept the title captain – general of the ocean sea. It wasn’t enough that Medina Sidonia was the completely wrong person to lead the Spanish Armada, he didn’t even believe that the invasion had any chance of being successful and thought of it as a complete waste of time. His defeatist thinking combined with poor leadership and lack of sea experience created a deadly concoction of laziness and lost hope. The launch of the Armada was no surprise to England because the Spanish had not meant to keep it a secret in hopes that Elizabeth would surrender even before the fleet was launched. With plenty of warning, England did its best to gather a large enough naval force, but it was never enough. At first glance the Armada dwarfed the English Navy in both size of ships and numbers. With this in mind English commanders believed they would have to win the war with their long-range guns; they would attempt to sink the Spanish ships one at a time from a safe distance. The Armada, which carried a large number of tough and well-trained soldiers armed with swords and muskets, planned to use their advantage on any English ships that got too close and â€Å"the Spanish commanders intended to pull it alongside with grappling hooks and send the soldiers on board capture it. (Anderson 24) As is very common in battle, the plans going into battle are often changed based on the unpredictable circumstances that can unfold. Both sides’ predictions on tactics that would help them win, were wrong. The English belief that they would sink the Spanish ships from a safe distance was faulty because the guns at the time were tough to aim and too unpredictable to do any real harm. (Martin 53) Nonetheless most of the English privateer boats could fire off shots three times faster than Spanish ones. They also could carry more cannons because they didn’t have to waste much space carrying food and other resources since the battles happened just miles off their home coast. While the Spanish intended to pull alongside with grappling hooks and send soldiers on board to capture the ship, English ships were too nimble to be caught in this way by the large Spanish galleons, with wide hulls and heavy cargoes. (Anderson 24) After suffering small losses in the battle that unfolded in the English Channel the Armada moved on with the plan. The Armada was to sail to the Netherlands on the coast near Dunkirk. At the time the Netherlands was under Spanish control, and the vast majority of Spain’s most trained soldiers were stationed there. Spanish troops in the Netherlands were under the command of the Duke of Parma, a well-known and respected military leader but also the nephew of King Philip II himself. In the next stage of the king’s plan, the Armada was to pick up Parma’s Army from the beaches near Dunkirk, and escort them across the channel to England. Anderson 26) This stage had a problem; Spanish ships were not made for shallow water. They were heavy and deep in the water. The Armada could not get close to the beaches because the waters around the coast were so shallow. In addition, the Dutch rebels aided by Elizabeth controlled the shallow waters off the coast of the Netherlands. This ruined the possibility of Parma’s troops being able to sail out and join the Armada without severe casu alties. Realizing this, the English took advantage of the wind, and sent eight small burning ships directly at the Armada in hope of causing chaos. The Spanish mistaking these for â€Å"hellburners†, vessels loaded with gunpowder and other explosives that could kill thousands, broke formation, cut their anchors, and sailed away without picking up Parma’s troops. (Anderson 27) These two occurrences during battles helped lead to English victory, but both occurrences could’ve gone either way if simple things like nimble and smaller ships were used by the Spanish or if Parma’s Army was picked up at a different location. The outcome of the entire invasion could have been different. After Phillip’s Armada failed, he said â€Å"I sent my Armada against men, not God’s winds and waves†. It wasn’t privateer long-range cannons that sunk most of the Armada’s ships, or those eight hell burners sent by Charles Howard, leader of the English fleet. It was a combination of bad decisions, strong winds, and the unforgiving coast of Ireland. By August 21, 3,000 men were sick and the Armada was too badly damaged to return to the channel and fight the English fleet. (Anderson 32) The leaders made up their mind and decided instead to make an attempt to sale home to Spain and save as many ships as they could. The route they chose was to go West around the northern coast of Scotland and Ireland. Detailed directions were given to each vessel, and each was warned â€Å"take great heed lest you fall upon the island of Ireland, for fear of the harm that may happen on to you upon that coast†. (Anderson 32) This last desperate attempt was the worst decision of the entire voyage. Both the vessels and the sailors had come equipped with instruments for a coastal voyage through the English Channel, not an open ocean journey into dangerous and unfamiliar waters. In the end, two thirds of the men in the Spanish fleet lost their lives, 25 or more Spanish ships lay splintered on the coast of Ireland. (Anderson 32) If equipped with the proper instruments and blessed with better weather, the Spanish may have made it back to their homeland with minimal casualties. When word of the disaster reached Spain, it crushed the King’s hope and temporarily shook his faith that God was on his side. He ordered that prayers for the Armada’s success be canceled. He also sent letters to bishops asking for churches to thank God that not everything had been destroyed. Only months earlier when planning the invasion, Philip had wondered whether the Armada should be launched in the winter. Although the risk was high, he had the up most trust that God would provide good weather, and he even went as far as to say â€Å"since it is all for His cause, God will send good weather†. (â€Å"Spanish Armada†) Philip had sent his fleet in the name of God, but instead sheer chance had prevailed, and left the weather-tossed Armada splintered and trashed on the rocky coast of Ireland. King Philip II was one of the most powerful people in the world, and the loss of his Armada wasn’t just a military defeat. It drained all of Spain’s funds and soldiers and set the stage for the loss of Spain’s world power. It also served as a constant reminder of how the Catholic Church was slowly losing influence and power throughout Europe and the world. The serendipitous event of the English victory over the Armada changed the balance of world power. It would have never been possible without happenstance occurrences like, death, weather, and new naval designs and strategies.

Funeral Blues: an Explication Essay

Stop all the clocks, cut off the telephone,Prevent the dog from barking with a juicy bone,Silence the pianos and with muffled drumBring out the coffin, let the mourners come. Let aeroplanes circle moaning overheadScribbling on the sky the message ‘He is Dead’. Put crepe bows round the white necks of the public doves,Let the traffic policemen wear black cotton gloves. He was my North, my South, my East and West,My working week and my Sunday rest,My noon, my midnight, my talk, my song;I thought that love would last forever: I was wrong. The stars are not wanted now; put out every one,Pack up the moon and dismantle the sun,Pour away the ocean and sweep up the wood;For nothing now can ever come to any good. In life, people experience moments that are absolutely indescribable; from the birth of a firstborn child, to the death of a parent; things in life that impact us with such unrelenting force, that we are unable to even fathom their depths. It is the job of a writer or poet to make a reader feel the emotions of others, describe the indescribable, and tell a story. W.  H. Auden’s â€Å"Funeral Blues† does all three, and more for readers, due to its beautiful descriptive language, blinding imagery, and theme. The poem demonstrates everything that is needed in such a fine piece of literature. Have you ever heard the rustle of the leaves? The wind whistle, maybe? Both are examples of descriptive language that we hear every day, so often that it has become common. Auden takes the simple things and describes them with sharp detail. â€Å"Muffled drum† is a good example of a solemn drum beat of a funeral procession. Aeroplanes moaning overhead† is a good example of personification, as if the aeroplanes are mourning the loss of the loved one also, and by extension, the world. This effectively gets the point across that the writer feels as if the world has stopped due to the death of this person, and is a very powerful message. The theme of this poem is the loss of a loved one, something that almost everyone has experienced in their life, or seen someone go through. It is known by many as the sick feeling one gets in their gut when they hear the news of death, or the resignation they feel once they know fighting it will do nothing. Death is a natural occurrence, but that knowledge does nothing to alleviate the pain of loss. It many ways, it hurts even more to think that your hardships and pain have been felt by billions before you; insignificance adds insult to injury. That is precisely why this poem works. The writer’s seemingly effortless words mesh together to paint a picture: a perfect understanding of loss. The need for one’s pain to not only be significant, but to be acknowledged by all.