Monday, January 27, 2020

Dylan Thomas, A Refusal To Mourn Analysis

Dylan Thomas, A Refusal To Mourn Analysis Dylan Thomass A Refusal To Mourn The Death, By Fire, Of A Child In London, is a poem about mourning. More specifically, the poems focus is on the speakers predicament of whether or not to mourn Londons Daughter (L 19). A question arises from this predicament. Who is Londons Daughter? Is this a single person, or does she represent a group of people? This poem was published in 1945 at the end of World War Two. This is significant because Thomas was living in London during the Nazi Blitz attacks, which resulted in the deaths of over 20,000 people (Stansky 3). He most likely saw the destruction that resulted from the war firsthand. The poem, then, can be read as a refusal to mourn a singular death. The speaker uses Londons Daughter to represent the many people who died in London during the war. However, it is how the speaker mourns, or his subconscious mourning, that is interesting. By refusing to mourn and questioning his beliefs, the speaker contradicts himself, and demonstrates his in ability to fully register the death of another. At first glance, the reader may think that the speaker is primarily concerned with a childs death. But a closer reading reveals that the speaker is extremely self-centered. The speaker immediately focuses on himself in the poem, rather than describing the child or group of people he is mourning. He is more concerned with his own response to death, rather than the sadness that accompanies death, and the person or persons that have died. In line seven, the speaker says, And I must enter again the round/ Zion of the water bead/ And the synagogue of the ear of corn (LL 7-9). The speaker is resorting to his religious beliefs to find comfort. He refers to a synagogue as a water bead, which could represent a bubble of escape. The speaker finds comfort in this bubble because it gives him meaning regarding death, and it shields him from the unknown. He stuck in his own little world, unable to comprehend this death. But then, he says, Or sow my salt seed / In the least valley of sackcloth to m ourn / (LL 11-12). This is an interesting shift in tone because the first nine lines of the poem portray the speaker as somewhat religious and optimistic. Now the speaker seems angry. Line twelve, least valley of sackcloth to mourn seems to show his lack of confidence in his religion (L 12). He is saying that he will not sow his seed in the valley of remorse, meaning that he is not going to dwell on this singular death. He will not subject himself to mourn. Throughout the poem, we see the speaker questioning his beliefs and his actions. This is not an uncommon response when dealing with loss. People experience a full range of emotions when dealing with death; questioning ones beliefs does not seem out of the ordinary. The speaker, after considering hiding out in his religious bubble, proclaims that he, shall not murder / The mankind of her going with a grave truth (LL 14-15). He is stating that there is no grave truth, and he is not going to keep trying to convince himself that there is an absolute truth. He is saying that to try and impose meaning on her death would be wrong. It would take away from her memory. The speaker does not want to make this death symbolic, Nor blaspheme down the stations of the breath / With any further / Elegy of innocence and youth (LL 16-18). He feels that to glorify death, or overly celebrate it would be disgraceful. The speaker is in denial. At this point in the poem, he seems to lack the capacity to feel for this person. This choice not to mourn seems to be less like a choice as the poem continues. The speakers lacking ability to mourn is demonstrated further when he juxtaposes himself next to the Thames River. He says, Deep with the first dead lies Londons Daughter / à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Secret by the unmourning water / Of the riding Thames (LL 18,22-23). His use of first dead implies that there have been many more, or there will be more deaths. He says that he is not going to spend his time dwelling on this singular casualty when there are so many more deaths to worry about. How could he possibly feel the same emotions for all of the coming deaths? How could he put so much energy and feeling into this one death? He claims that instead of mourning, he will flow like the Thames, ubiquitous and unknowing. He would much rather celebrate life and continuity. However, he contradicts himself yet again, with the final line, After the first death, there is no other (L 24). By stating this truth, he is consciously trying to make sense of death, which seems like an act of mourning. There is a pattern emerging in the poem. The speaker goes back and forth on what he believes to be the truth of the childs death. The speakers fickleness regarding his beliefs takes away from the childs death, and centers the poem on the speaker. From this small sample size, we can draw a conclusion that he does not possess an advanced capacity for mourning. Maybe he can only mourn once, and after that it is only repetition. Humans may not have the ability to fully register the magnitude someone elses pain, and in this case the speaker is only able to understand his own pain and experiences, and therefore is unable to mourn this child. The poem, then, is the speakers account of his desire to mourn, even though he says that he is not going to. The entire poem contradicts itself. The speaker cannot make sense of this death. So instead of trying to mourn, he refuses to, which becomes a subconscious act of mourning.

Sunday, January 19, 2020

A Critique Of American Sandwich Essay

The whole article tells a true story that happened when the author was a little kid. The Author moved from Portugal to American along with his parents. With so special family background, the author aspire to American Sandwiches rather than thick sliced ham and vegetables wrapped with large loaf of bread. Actually, it reflects the expectations of author that could be a strong desire to touch American cultures and fit into American social circles. Throughout the articleï ¼Å'Edite Cunha utilize the conversation between his mother and him as well as the mental activities behaved by him to describe his vivid dream of owning the sunbeam bread. The frequent transform of the scenes are better to draw the attention of the readers to focus on the rhythm of the story. I think each person has undergone same experience during his or her early stage of life. Take mine experience as an example, I was born in a remote town of a small city, when I was 10 years old, I moved out of the small town to the central areas of the city. I begun to study with these â€Å"urban kids†Ã¯ ¼Å'it took a quite long period for me to get rid of the loneliness. Because we are wired to feel fear whenever we stepping into an unfamiliar environment, this is why I stick to face the question and become more positive. Currentlyï ¼Å'I am logging for the American lifestyle, observing and mimicking people surround me.

Saturday, January 11, 2020

Andrew Grove

Intel Corporation is one of the world leaders in terms of microchip and microprocessor production. They embark on a mission of staying in the top and even formulated a strategy on exploring other forms of markets like that of digital health and wireless applications. They have also been known to forge tie-ups with leaders of the prospective markets they are exploring. They have tied up with search engine Google for the wireless application as an example. Basically, Intel operations are divided into two sections: the communications group, known as ICG or Intel Communications Group; and the other section consists of the Intel Architectural business. The architectural section is responsible for the production of â€Å"platform† boards that consists of chipsets and microchips, which are used in desktop processors; including the Intel Pentium 4 processor and the Celeron. On the other hand, the communications section deal mostly with the production and development of wireless technology. They are mostly concerned with flash memory and cellular base-band technology. Intel is also known for large-scale tie-ups with other firms. Example of such is their tie-up with search engine Google for development of wireless technologies. They are also know to be connected with other firms like Microsoft and Dell. However, competition has been seen to catch up on the leadership oh Intel. Recently, a lot of clamors have been heard in the recent decision of present CEO Paul Otellini unveiled his plan to ship the micro-chip corporation to another industry. While the rest had their problems with it, former CEO Andrew Grove is all praises for it. The present CEO’s vision is to generally change the image of Intel starting from what Andrew Grove practically built. Starting from the scrapping of the famous â€Å"e† trademark of the logo, the company motto and even the brand, the company has been envisioned to undergo a transformation. A lot of managers seem to be against the changing of such things that made Intel a household name. Even the logo has been widely known in all parts of the globe. Meanwhile, Andrew Grove has been vocal about his approval of the said changes. In his opinion, they are of the same line of thinking that the present CEO has, that the company really has to undergo these changes in order for the to tell the world that even Intel is adjusting to the fast-paced growth of the industry and that they, as a company, should be at equal footing with the rest of the companies in the same industry.   He further stresses that it is a imperative for the company to show that the company exhibits a show of risk-taking and result orientation, accompanied also by the value of discipline. Before, under Grove’s supervision and Craig Barrett (Grove’s successor), the company focused on the production of microprocessors and took the lead in that industry for years. They helped give birth to the Information Age by producing more microchips and therefore, producing faster computers and ending in the development of micro processing. However, what Otellini had in mind is far from the former image of Intel, considering that he even wanted to change the logo and company symbol. He wanted to venture into uncharted regions of digital health industry and that of â€Å"platform† inventions. Despite the negative views about Otellini’s decision, Analysts from outside the company have cited other views about the subject, stating the fact that sometimes, change is needed for a big company to maintain solid advantage. They also added that other companies that survived the changes maintained industry leadership, just like what happened to Texas Instruments. However, the other side notes that it is not really that advisable to change their target industry and find a niche in other markets, although they have leadership in the industry they would leave. Adding firepower to the firepower of the critics, Intel’s competitor, AMD (Advanced Micro Devices) Inc., have scored a major point against Intel as it topped the company in terms of consumption as AMD Inc rose to a higher percentage in 2003 and analysts view that it would continue to rise against Intel unless Intel releases a new competitive line of processors in the future.. In the wireless communications field, Texas Instruments and Qualcomm Inc are still standing their own ground against Intel’s advances. Also, the two companies are planning to release their own versions of the platform that they assured, would gain more shares of the market than the new Intel is trying to build a niche on. On the other hand, many people are applauding Otellini’s vision of the new Intel, stating that they have never seen so much innovation in technology with respect to their fields, especially that of medicine. Also, people have actually seen the growth of the company, showing promise for a whole variety of new plans that are underway. Not only did the plans boost company ties with other companies, but also made their partner companies believe in the new flexibility of Intel. They promoted closer ties with cellular phone conglomerates Nokia and Samsung; had present tie-ups with Google; ties with Sony and Philips; and with those ties, Intel was able to produce and release different types of innovative products. There different developments have different market reactions. Some producing great results, others not. However, analysts are right in pointing out that other companies that are industry leaders also experienced changes that looked like they are headed nowhere, although in the end, they have proven that their change would actually pay off. And now, Intel took their lead and eventually took some changes in themselves as well. The problem would be, if they can maintain the positive effects and eliminate the negative effects of the changes. As for their decision of making the company over, It is. The industry’s reaction to it seemed to treat the decision as a smart move as well. Rival AMD Inc made some deals with ATI, and this showed that Intel produced a bigger threat than before. Also, the result of other marketing strategies in the release of the new products proved that Intel can really hold its own against the rivals in the industries that they have entered. They also showed that they can maintain the leadership in their industry, and even remodeled themselves into a more serious threat than that of before. However, not all decisions solely produce good effects. The negative effects therefore should be dealt with accordingly. Otellini did not make a bad move and he assured that he would produce good results which he did, although in the process nearly humiliating the company as he suffered near losses and continue to be behind Texas Instrument in the other fields. Intel not only made a good decision externally but also made breakthrough decisions internally, taking care of their employees better and giving chances to other fields like medicine to be at the same level as that of the engineers, the firepower of Intel before. May be this was a factor in Otellini’s equation that he devised for company growth. All in all, Intel has made a remarkable shift from the way it was thirty seven years ago. It also departed from the household figure that we recognized. Although this a bold move in there part and a rather risky one considering the old model is one of the main reasons why Intel made it to the top. In Otellini’s, and now Intel’s belief, It is one risky move that was designed to maintain leadership and gain advantages in other fields that they would pursue in the future. The market and business world would have to look out as Intel’s new look is bound to stay, and so is their new outlook in the business battles. BIBLIOGRAPHIES Intel Corp. Company Profile. Yahoo! Finance. Retrieved October 26, 2006. (http://biz.yahoo.com/ic/13/13787.html) Intel Corporation. Computer Business Review Online. Retrieved October 26, 2006. (http://www.cbronline.com/companyprofile.asp?guid=E82C088A-0488-4DB5-8953-9E316C2B44D1&CType=Background)

Thursday, January 2, 2020

Cosmos Episode 6 Viewing Worksheet - Teacher Resources

The most effective educators know they must vary their teaching style in order to accommodate all types of learners. One fun way to do this that students always seem to like is to show videos or have a movie day. A great science based Fox television series, Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey, will keep the students not only entertained but also learning as they follow along on the adventures of affable host Neil deGrasse Tyson. He makes the complicated science topics accessible for all learners. Below are questions that can be copy and pasted into a worksheet for use during or after the showing  of episode 6 of Cosmos, entitled Deeper Deeper Deeper Still,  to assess students learning. It can also be used by the students as a sort of guided note taking worksheet during the video to jot down the main ideas. You are free to copy and use this worksheet as you feel necessary to best fit your class. Cosmos Episode 6 Worksheet  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Name:___________________    Directions: Answer the questions as you watch episode 6 of Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey    1.   About how many atoms does Neil deGrasse Tyson say that he’s made up of?    2. How many hydrogen and oxygen atoms are in one molecule of water?    3.   Why do the water molecules move faster when the sun hit them?    4.   What has to happen to the water molecules before they can evaporate?    5. How long have tardigrades been living on Earth?    6. What are the â€Å"holes† in the moss called that take in carbon dioxide and â€Å"exhale† oxygen?    7. What does a plant need in order to break water into hydrogen and oxygen?    8. Why is photosynthesis the â€Å"ultimate green energy†?    9. How long can a tardigrade go without water?    10. When did the first flowering plants evolve?    11. What did Charles Darwin conclude about the orchid based on his idea of Natural Selection?    12. How much of Madagascar’s rain forests have been destroyed?    13. What is the name of the nerve that is stimulated when we smell something?    14. Why do certain scents trigger memories?    15. How does the number of atoms in every breath we take compare to all the stars in all the known galaxies?    16. What idea about nature was first expressed by Thales?    17.   What was the name of the ancient Greek philosopher who came up with the idea of atoms?    18. What is the only element that is flexible enough to create different structures necessary to sustain life?    19. How did Neil deGrasse Tyson explain that the boy did not really touch the girl?    20. How many protons and electrons does an atom of gold have?    21.   Why is the Sun so hot?    22. What is the â€Å"ash† in the Sun’s nuclear furnace?    23. How are heavier elements, like iron, made?    24. How much distilled water is in the neutrino trap?    25. Why did neutrinos reach the Earth 3 hours before anyone knew of the Supernova 1987A?    26. What law of Physics made it possible for Neil deGrasse Tyson not to flinch when the red ball came swinging back at his face?    27. How did Wolfgang Pauli explain the â€Å"breaking† of the law of conservation of energy in radioactive isotopes?    28.   Why can we not go further back than 15 minutes into January 1 on the â€Å"cosmic calendar†?    29. About what size was the universe when it was a trillionth of a trillionth of a trillionth of a second old?