Understanding the Strength of Poetry Essay Example for Free

Understanding the Strength of Poetry Essay Poetry celebrates the senses, and sharpens the mind. These attributes make the genre a favorite among readers who like their literary adventures short; in as few as four brilliantly written lines, a poem reader emerges enlightened, his senses heightened by the verses. Such an experience is rendered by impeccable poets like Emily Dickinson and Langston Hughes. These two very different poets give us two very different poetic experiences, two very different voices.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Emily Dickinson’s strength as a poet lies in her ambiguity.    Most of her verses need at least a second reading, because her poetic style makes her poems unconventional readings. The use of dashes and capitalizations make the verses require attentive focus and intellectual understanding straightaway; they are not easy to read, compared to conventionally-written poems. Nevertheless, this writing style does not diminish the brilliance in the text; it instead enhances it. One example is the poem entitled, â€Å"Much Madness is divinest sense.†    The first two lines alone require a pause from the reader so he could go on and read the rest of the lines to be able to get the message of the poem. Another striking attribute of Dickinson’s poetry is her preference for death as a topic or as a symbol, at least based on the selection supplied for this paper.   The surprising thing about is that although the poems are largely about tragedy, madness and death, the verses do not have a melancholic feel about them. Dickinson seems to cushion the readers from feeling melancholia through her brilliant symbolism and her presentation of detailed evocations of the subject. For instance, in the poem entitled â€Å"After great pain, a formal feeling comes,† Dickinson likens sadness to death, the use of the words ‘tomb’ (line 2), ‘wooden’ (line 6) and stone (line 9) all pertain to, or connote death (please cite the page number of your resource here).   The poem describes the numb emotional state of a person, that space we go through after grieving and before moving on. The literary device used may be grim, but it is most appropriate. The poem succeeds because it effectively communicates the message. Emily Dickinson’s verses are a good read. Her ambiguity however, is what the reader likes and at the same time, dislikes about her. This is the attribute that makes her verses intriguing, the attribute that draws, magnetizes the reader to leaf through the pages; but it could also make the reader frustrated in trying to decode what Dickinson really meant. Despite this, the strength in Dickinson’s poetry is undeniable. She is one poet whose place in literature will always be secure.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Langston Hughes is in an entirely different position, compared to Dickinson. Most of his verses reverberate with racial and cultural themes, so that a reader needs to know his background to thoroughly enjoy his poems. Nevertheless, most of his poems in the selection provided for this paper have universal themes, so that the verses may be understood and interpreted as they are, without the cultural context. â€Å"Dream Deferred†, for instance talks about the figurative outcome of dreams, of plans, withheld. It causes a deep a resentment that could corrupt the soul; Hughes writes that the dream may, â€Å"fester like a sore/and then run† (lines 3-4), or â€Å"stink like rotten meat† (line 6) signifying a dreamer’s inadequacy to cope with his failure (please cite the page number here). Thus, the reader needs no cultural briefer to understand this poem and to fully relate with its themes. His poem, â€Å"Same in Blues† and â€Å"Mother to Son† also express universal themes.   Ã¢â‚¬Å"Same in Blues† is the illustration of dreams deferred, a humorous portrayal of goals not reached, dreams not fulfilled. â€Å"Mother to Son,† meanwhile, is a touching poem about a mother sharing her life experiences to her son, so that he may be able to handle life better. The language however, is unmistakably African-American. His other poems in the selection, however, weigh heavily on his African-American race and its sentiments. In the poems, â€Å"The Negro speaks of Rivers,† and â€Å"I, Too† Hughes gives a voice to the African-American people, asserting their clamor for an equal position in society and dignifying their identity as a people (please cite page number here). The strength of Langston Hughes as a poet lies in the strong voicing of his African-American convictions. He is an important figure in literature precisely because of his strong sense of racial pride. However, his poems appeal not only to the specific group of his race, but to everyone. His verses have the quality of boosting one’s pride in one’s identity and culture, certainly a universal theme every person can relate to.   Ã‚  What is most likeable in the poetry of Langston Hughes is its motivational effect for racial pride. Its verses seem to leap out from the pages and arouse the reader into asserting his racial and cultural identity. The attribute that may make the reader dislike Hughes’ verses is the fact that his poems are hinged on racial and cultural contexts. The reader who has no familiarity with the African-American culture may not feel the African-American sentiment. The reader must read up on African-American history first before thoroughly enjoying the Hughes poetic experience. Nonetheless, Langston Hughes is considered a premier poet, a true artistic hero among his people.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The vicarious experiences offered by both brilliant poets, Emily Dickinson and Langston Hughes, affirm the strength of poetry to awaken the reader’s intellect and emotions.

Social Media and its Influence on our Youth Essay -- Twitter, Facebook,

The correlation between the development of youth and social media has become blatant. Although few of the consequences are favorable, the majority have displayed a negative impact. The drive social media can implement on youth is exceptional. The pressure and strain social media can place on our youth is an enduring force which leads individuals to question themselves as a person and feel inclined to fit a norm expressed in media and social media of our society. The underlying force social media can play in the lives of the youth is astonishing and is a force that must be dealt with and controlled, for it not only holds the power to give an individual strength, but also to break them down. Social media is described as content created and shared by individuals on the web using freely available websites that allow users to create and post their own images, video and text information and then share that with either the entire internet or just a select group of friends (Affilorama, 2012). They are more like a website allowing you to express your daily activities, beliefs, locations, likes, dislikes, photos, music, etc. They are used by creating a profile, and logging in through either the website, or apps now used on smartphones, or any portable device with Wi-Fi connection. Although most social media networks are directed towards adults and young adults, young children are getting into these websites as well. There are usually age limits but there isn’t a certainty that all the users provided their actual age, allowing whoever wants to be a member of these sites to bypass an age limit â€Å"security† procedure. Facebook and MySpace require users to be at le ast 13, but they have no practical way to verify ages, and many young users prete... ...he Impact of Social Media on Children, Adolescents, and Families. Retrieved May 14, 2012, from Official Journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics: http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/127/4/800.full Ron, C. (2010). What is the purpose of LinkedIn and how can it help expand business? Retrieved May 15, 2012, from LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/answers/marketing-sales/sales/lead-generation/MAR_SLS_LGN/764379-73067709 Thomas, T. (2012). 30 Statistics about Teens and Social Networking. Retrieved May 13, 2012, from Top Ten Reviews: http://facebook-parental-controls-review.toptenreviews.com/30-statistics-about-teens-and-social-networking.html Wikipedia.org (2012). Facebook. Retrieved May 11, 2012, from Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Facebook Wikipedia.org (2012). Twitter. Retrieved 05 11, 2012, from Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twitter

European Influence on Japan & China Essay

The European arrival had an effect on both China and Japan. China and Japan had some similar and different reactions to the arrival of the Europeans. In China and Japan, the European arrival affected the technologies and economies of both societies similarly, whereas the reason of isolation differed in these societies. The technology of the European’s following their arrival penetrated both the Japanese and Chinese societies. In China, in order to gain the elites interest in the Christian religion, the Jesuit missionaries introduced the technology of cannons and clocks. In Japan during the 1950s, the Portuguese technology of clock and gun making, influenced society strongly. The Japanese and Chinese both openly accepted the new European technologies because they felt they needed to accept the technologies to keep up with the Europeans, who seemed more technologically advanced. In both China and Japan, people were being converted to Christianity. They were being converted from top to bottom. Once a year, China and Japan, were able to trade with the Europeans. They isolated themselves and traded with each other. Japan and China also had some different reactions to the European arrival. They had different reasons for isolating. After Zheng He died, the Chinese government decided to close the ports, except two. The Chinese and the Europeans exchanged goods once a year for the next 400 years. China agreed with the isolation because the scholar gentry saw the voyages as a waste of resources. They rather spend the money on defending China. Japan grew doubts with the European intentions, that both merchants and missionaries might subvert the existing social order. This led to official measures to restrict foreign activities in Japan. Under Ieyasu and his successors, the persecution of the Christians increased to isolate Japan from outside influences. In the 1630s, all the Japanese ships were forbidden to trade or even sail overseas. By the mid-17th century, Japan’s retreat into almost total isolation was complete. A major difference was after Japan isolated themselves, an elite group still remained interested in the Europeans. Unlike the Chinese who looked down on the Europeans and ignored what they had to offer and stay isolated with them. The Chinese and Japanese had similar and different reactions to the arrival of the Europeans. Both of these societies had a technology advancement. Also, they both isolated themselves from the Europeans and instead they traded with each other. They had different reasons for isolating. Also, an important difference was that in Japan, a group remained interested in the Europeans. This differed from the Chinese because after they isolated, they didn’t want anything to do with the Europeans.

Drones in the US Safety, Privacy Still Concerns

Before Unmanned Arial Vehicles (UAVs) start routinely observing Americans stealthily from above, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) needs to address two little concerns, safety, and privacy, says the Government Accountability Office (GAO). Background From large Predator-like aircraft that you just might notice to tiny helicopters that can hover silently outside your bedroom window, remotely-controlled unmanned surveillance aircraft are rapidly spreading from the skies above foreign battlefields to the skies above the United States. In September 2010, the U.S. Customs and Border Patrol announced that it was using Predator B unmanned aircraft to patrol the entire Southwestern border from California to the Gulf of Mexico in Texas. By December 2011, the Department of Homeland Security had deployed even more Predator drones along the border to enforce President Obamas Mexican Border Initiative. Besides border security duties, a variety of UAVs is increasingly being used inside the U.S. for law enforcement and emergency response, forest fire monitoring, weather research, and scientific data collection. In addition, transportation departments in several states are now using UAVs for traffic monitoring and control. As the GAO points out in its report on Unmanned Aircraft in the National Airspace System, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) currently limits the use of UAVs by authorizing them on a case-by-case basis after conducting a safety review. According to the GAO, the FAA and other federal agencies that have an interest in the use of UAVs, including the Department of Homeland Security, which includes the FBI, are working on procedures that would simplify the process of deploying UAVs into U.S. airspace. Safety Concerns: Drones vs. Airplanes As early as 2007, the FAA issued a notice clarifying its policy on the use of UAVs in the U.S. airspace. The FAAs policy statement focused on safety concerns posed by the widespread use of UAVs, which the FAA noted: ...range in size from wingspans of six inches to 246 feet; and can weigh from approximately four ounces to over 25,600 pounds. The rapid proliferation of UAVs also worried the FAA, which noted that in 2007, at least 50 companies, universities, and government organizations were developing and producing some 155 unmanned aircraft designs. The FFA wrote: The concern was not only that unmanned aircraft operations might interfere with commercial and general aviation aircraft operations, but that they could also pose a safety problem for other airborne vehicles, and persons or property on the ground. In its recent report, the GAO outlined four primary safety concerns arising from the use of UAVs in the United States: The inability for UAVs to recognize and avoid other aircraft and airborne objects in a manner similar to manned aircraft;Vulnerabilities in the command and control of UAV operations. In other words, GPS-jamming, hacking and the potential for cyber-terrorism;A lack of technological and operational standards needed to guide the safe and consistent performance of UAVs; andA lack of comprehensive government regulations necessary to safely facilitate the accelerated integration of UAS into the national airspace system. The FAA Modernization and Reform Act of 2012 created specific requirements and deadlines for the FAA to create and begin to implement regulations that will safely allow the accelerated use of UAVs in U.S. airspace. In most cases the law gives the FAA until January 1, 2016, to meet the congressionally mandated requirements. In its analysis, the GAO reported that while the FAA has taken steps to meet Congress deadline, developing UAV safety regulation at the same time the use of UAVs is racing head is resulting in problems. The GAO recommended that the FAA do a better job in keeping track of where and how UAVs are being used. Better monitoring can help FAA understand what has been achieved and what remains to be done and can also help keep Congress informed about this significant change to the aviation landscape, GAO noted. In addition, the GAO recommended that the Transportation Security Agency (TSA) examine the security issues arising from the future non-military use of UAVs in U.S. airspace and and take any actions deemed appropriate. Safety Concerns: Drones vs. Humans   In September 2015, the FAA launched an investigation into the dangers of drones hitting people on the ground. The consortium that conducted the research included the University of Alabama-Huntsville; Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University; Mississippi State University; and the University of Kansas. In addition, the researchers were assisted by experts from 23 of the worlds leading research institutions and 100 leading industry and government partners. The researchers focused on the effects of blunt force trauma, penetration injuries, and lacerations. The team then classified drone vs. human collision severity according to various potentially hazardous drone features, such as fully-exposed rotors. Finally, the team conducted crash tests and analyzed kinetic energy, energy transfer, and crash dynamics data collected during those tests. As a result of the research, personnel from NASA, the Department of Defense, FAA chief scientists, and other experts identified the three types of injuries most likely to be suffered by people hit by small drones: Blunt force trauma: the type of injury most likely to be fatalLacerations: preventable by the requirement of rotor blade guardsPenetration injuries: effects difficult to quantify The team recommended that research into drone vs. human collisions be continued using refined metrics. In addition, the researchers suggested the development of simplified testing methods to better simulate potential injuries and their severity. Since 2015, the potential for drone vs. human injuries had grown substantially. According to 2017 FAA estimates, sales of small hobbyist drones are expected to rise from 1.9 million units in 2017 to 4.2 million units in 2020. At the same time, sales of larger, heavier, faster, and more potentially dangerous commercial drones could rise from 100,000 to 1.1 million, according to the FAA.   Privacy for Security: A Worthwhile Trade-off? Clearly, the main threat to personal privacy posed by the ever-expanding use of UAVs in U.S. airspace is the substantial potential for violations of the protection against unreasonable search and seizure ensured by the Fourth Amendment to the Constitution. Recently, members of Congress, civil liberties advocates, and the general public have expressed concern over the privacy implications in the use of new, extremely small UAVs equipped with video cameras and tracking devices, hovering silently in residential neighborhoods largely unnoticed, especially at night. In its report, GAO cited a June 2012 Monmouth University poll of 1,708 randomly selected adults, in which 42% said they were very concerned about their own privacy if U.S. law enforcement started using UAS with high tech cameras, while 15% said they were not at all concerned. But in the same poll, 80% said they supported using UAVs for search and rescue missions. Congress is aware of the UAV vs. privacy issue. Two laws introduced in the 112th Congress: the Preserving Freedom from Unwarranted Surveillance Act of 2012 (S. 3287), and the Farmers Privacy Act of 2012 (H.R. 5961); both seek to limit the ability of the federal government to use UAVs to collect information pertaining to investigations of criminal activity without a warrant. Two laws already in effect provide protections for personal information collected and used by federal agencies: the Privacy Act of 1974 and the privacy provisions of the E-Government Act of 2002. The Privacy Act of 1974 limits the collection, disclosure, and use of personal information maintained in databases by agencies of the federal government. The E-Government Act of 2002 enhances the protection of personal information collected through government websites and other online services by requiring the federal agencies to perform a privacy impact assessment (PIA) before collecting or using such personal information. While the U.S. Supreme Court has never ruled on privacy issues related to the use of UAVs, the court has ruled on the potential infringement on privacy posed by advancing technology. In the 2012 case of United States v. Jones, the court ruled that the prolonged use of a GPS tracking device, installed without a warrant, on a suspects car, did constitute a search under the Fourth Amendment. However, the courts decision failed to address whether or not such GPS searches violated the Fourth Amendment. In its United States v. Jones decision, one Justice observed that in respect to peoples expectations of privacy, technology can change those expectations and that dramatic technological changes may lead to periods in which popular expectations are in flux and may ultimately produce significant changes in popular attitudes. New technology may provide increased convenience or security at the expense of privacy, and many people may find the trade-off worthwhile.