A Bird Came Down to the Walk

A Bird came down the  walk WRITTEN BY EMILY DICKINSON A Bird came down the walk Background †¢ Dickinson liked to write about small moments in life. †¢ She liked to write about moments between people and animals. Poem Stanza one †¢ From the first line we have the animal world entering the human world. The bird is oblivious to the presence of Dickinson. She watches on as the bird eats a worm. The use of the word ‘fellow’ is suggested to show how impolite this act is but it is only used as an element of humour. Dickinson finds this both fascinating and playful. Stanza two Dickinson continues the observation and continues to run with the gentleman theme and gives the bird an element of grace. By mentioning ‘Dew’ Dickinson shows how closely she is watching the bird as if under a microscope seeing all the minute elements perfectly. Stanza three †¢ There is a change in this stanza as the bird moves from one of grace and poise to one of caution as if it is watchful of possible threats. Even during this time of caution the bird manages to remain beautiful ‘Velvet Head’. Stanza four †¢ In this stanza the word cautious refers to both speaker and bird. While Dickinson tries to bridge the gap between man and animal the bird flying away shows that this will not happen. The bird’s flight is not shown as one of terror but rather with elegance as the bird retains its beauty. Stanza five †¢ This beauteous flight continues into stanza five. This flight is shown to be graceful and noiseless. By showing it this way Dickinson shows that the bird is graceful and is a natural part of this world disturbing nothing. She emphasises this by comparing it to more of nature’s creations. Points to note †¢ Expressing the beauty of nature †¢ Positive poem †¢ Use of imagery and punctuation key

Ateneo Entrance Exam Essay Essay

â€Å"I am pretty unextraordinary.† – Hazel Grace Lancaster (The Fault in Our Stars by John Green) This little line from one of my favorite books helped me start my journey of self-discovery. Before, I really did consider myself as someone very unextraordinary. To the world, I’m just an average girl that nobody will ever notice. Maybe I never will be noticed in an extraordinary way, but I’m determined to make my mark. But first things first, I had to discover myself and define who I really am. My first moment of self-discovery began, actually, when I first developed my love for books. And that moment happened way, way back when I was still a young child. Nothing made me happier than going to National, Power Books or Fully Booked to go see what new storybook, magazine or novel was available. To this day going book shopping, an activity most people my age would find as agonizingly boring, is an opportunity to expand my knowledge and vocabulary. The only thin g I need to improve on right now is, admittedly, my book choices. My Dad constantly reminds me to move onto more young adult publications and cut back on the children’s novels. Books are my first great love. Through them, I can go on fantastic adventures that become almost real in my imagination. I also relate to the characters in terms of their personalities and the things they do in the story. From the protagonist, antagonist and all the other characters in between, I can find someone or even something I can relate to in a book. My current favorite books are The Fault in Our Stars by John Green, where I have learned a great many deal of new words such as hamartia, toroidal, prototypical, narcissistic, bacchanalia and so many other terms that were once too sophisticated for me to understand until I looked them up in the dictionary. The Fault in Our Stars is a heartwarming and yet also heartbreaking love story of two young cancer-stricken teenagers who find their own little infinity together within their limited number of days. I’d tell you more but I wouldn’t want to spoil the entire novel. Second in my favorites list would have to be The Book Thief by Markus Zusak. Here, I saw World War II and the horrors of the Holocaust through a young girl like myself, who was unable to read and write until she was given to a foster family in Germany. Liesel Meminger then later befriends Max Vandenburg, a Jewish man who hides in her family’s  basement to escape the Nazis. Again, I will not spoil this great work and you will have to read it yourself. This book really strikes me as something that can really make us all question our humanity. As almost all of us know, the Holocaust in World War II was the most horrifying genocide in the entire world. Millions of men, women and children all executed just because of their religion. If you ask me, Adolf Hitler must have been both insane and blind. Did he not know that in World War I, approximately 96,000 Jewish soldiers fought for Germany? It pains me to think that Hitler did not remember that. The Book Thief is most definitely one of those war novels that will have you questioning mankind’s humanity. As for a favorite book series, I would have to say that the How to Train Your Dragon series by British author Cressida Cowell. I admit, it’s a children’s book s series but I really enjoy reading the books. The series is funny, compelling and the books have helped me fine tune my imagination. In fact, this beloved series has been turned into two films and a TV show. But I’ll tell you all about it later. Indeed, through reading books of all kinds I have discovered things about myself I didn’t even know were there. I discovered that I have a talent for writing and storytelling. And I have grown to love these two hobbies, which I hope that I can turn into a job by becoming a writer or a journalist when I grow up. Aside from reading, I have also experienced being in academic contests in my school where I have begun to define myself as an intellectual. One of those contests is the Essay Writing Contest the school has every year. I never really win any prizes for my compositions but it’s always so much fun to compete. Through essay writing contests, my writing ability is steadily honed and constantly improved with every essay I write. So part of my journey of self-discovery has been accomplished through the means of books and writing. The other part is, hon estly, what I’ve been recently obsessing about. â€Å"Everything we know about you guys†¦is wrong!† – Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III (How to Train Your Dragon Movie) That line from an animated movie by DreamWorks Animation has always been embedded in my memory. The first part of this essay focused on my love for books and how reading and writing have helped me discover who I am in terms of what I can do in this world. This part will now focus on who I truly am as a person. How to Train Your Dragon is a 2010 animated film directed by Dean DeBlois and Chris Sanders under DreamWorks Animation. Its story revolves around a  young Viking teenager named Hiccup (Yeah, I know. The name is pretty unusual.) who lives in the fictional dragon fighting island of Berk. In Berk, fighting dragons is as necessary as breathing air to live. However, Hiccup is the runt of the village and is physically unable to fight dragons and cannot live up to his father’s expectations. Incidentally, his father, Stoick the Vast, is the tribe chief. But when Hiccup creates an invention that shoots down an ultra rare dragon species known as the Night Fury and attempts to sl ay it, the young Viking then finds himself unable to do so. This then leads to him freeing it and establishing a forbidden friendship with the dragon, whom he names Toothless. In Hiccup’s world, befriending a dragon is the highest act of treason. And yet in the end, Hiccup and Toothless’ amazingly strong bond enables them to change the relationship between the dragons and Vikings of Berk. Yes, it is an animated movie. But it is not strictly for kids only. I had a real moment of self-discovery and self-definition when I watched this at my best friend’s recommendation. And I was immediately awestruck by the movie on so many levels. The detail on the animation was superb, the lighting was perfect, the music score was just phenomenally beautiful. But what really touched my heart was the story. I really relate to Hiccup. He is left-handed, physically not in the best of shape, intelligent and extremely different from the rest of his peers. I, myself, am also left-handed, physically weak, mentally strong and†¦different. I often look at my friends and other people and I can’t help but sometimes feel that I’m just too different. I don’t like all the things everyone else likes and sometimes I don’t even understand current trends and stick to the things I know. Like Hiccup, I am different. And also like Hiccup, I have embraced my difference. Thanks to this film (and its TV series and sequel) I have figured out who I am as a person. Everyone discovers a new trend and they all go along with it. Sometimes I do that but I’m more comfortable staying in my comfort zone. And when someone tries to change me, I steadfastly refuse to do so. I am an individual. And I am proud of it. I’m different from everyone else and that’s okay. Truth be told, we’re all different. We’re just scared to show the world our individualities. That’s  why I try hard to stay true to myself and make sure nobody and nothing turns me into something I am not. But I also remind myself to keep an open mind and broaden my horizons. When I experience new things, it helps me discover more interesting characteristics that help define myself as a person. And that’s exactly what Hiccup does. He accepts his individuality and tries to do things nobody has ever tried before. Throughout the film, TV series and sequel, Hiccup stayed true to himself and didn’t allow anyone to change him. If you must know, I have recently watched How to Train Your Dragon 2 and had another great moment of realization. In the second film, Hiccup is now a young adult and is currently trying to find himself. This is exactly what I’m doing right now, even as I write this. I apologize if this essay may seem haphazardly constructed. I must admit, my writing style does tend to confuse some people. But that’s essentially how I have defined myself as a person, through books, writing and dragons. And to tell you the truth, self-discovery and defining yourself as a person never stops. As the years go by, you will have more experiences, more moments that help you realize that there’s more to you than meets the eye. For me, I’m still pretty young so I still have a long way to go until I can complete my personal definition. In case some of you may not fully know me yet, allow me to tell you once again who I am. I am an individual with a love for writing, making stories, reading books, obsessed with dragons. And basically, I am different. And I am proud to be different.

Economic cost of illegal migration Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Economic cost of illegal migration - Essay Example This statistics clearly mentions the height of immigration and its effect on the Americans. Surely, Mexican's will be benefited, if the immigration is allowed into United States because another research states that after export and oil sales, money sent by legal and illegal immigrants working in US is one of the largest revenue streams ('Economic Costs of Legal and Illegal Immigration'). World economic welfare will be severely affected as the nation which donates good amount towards welfare will have to divert its fund towards those immigrants. Economic welfare in the context of immigrants is to provide economic stability and growth to all the legal and illegal immigrants. 2) Monetary Union is a union between countries that use the same currency which is managed by one common central bank (Grauve, 113). Following are the monetary unions which are currently functioning: b) Brunei - Singapore Monetary Union: The currency under operation is Singapore dollar which is utilized by Brunei and Malaysia. Under tripartite arrangement, the currency of one country was circulated in other country (Kee Jin, 2). c) South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation: The SAARC was established in 1985 integrating common currency of 'Rupee' among South Asian countries like Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. d) The United States: This monetary union was formed with the congregation of 13 original US colonies utilizing US dollar as the common currency. e) Central American Monetary Union Council - Established in 1964 by the central banks of Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicargua in order to promote the coordination of credit and exchange policies and the countries deal in dollar f) Eastern Caribbean Central Bank: The union was created in 1983 managing EC dollar for eight Caribbean countries. g) West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU): WAEMU was formed in 1994 with the congregation of eight countries sharing CFA (Communaute Financiere Africaine) Franc as a common currency. h) Central African Economic and Monetary Community (CAEMC): Was formed with six countries sharing CFA (Cooperation Financiere en Afrique Centrale)Franc as common currency among them (Monetary Unions [Current and Future]). 3) Both, the products of Borden and General Foods are targeted younger generation. The Lady Borden ice cream and cheese has been created to provide them a glimpse of United States culture, their tastes and preference through the packing of cheese whereas the chewing gum ad campaign is made for French citizens which is visible in the ad campaign wherein most of the ads are shot at beach places. France has good number of beaches and the chewing gum spreads the message of refreshness through Hollywood chewing gum. 4) The services provided by IMF and World Bank are public goods as both the organizations deal in urban and rural development, financial assistance and other development programmes aimed at poverty alleviation. The services provi

Principles of Economics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 3

Principles of Economics - Essay Example The recession that began in 2007 was caused by the ‘sharp downturns’ in the housing, stock and labor markets. This resulted to changes in the global economy as well. The recession led to increased inflation, high interest rates, high rates of unemployment, contraction of the economy and reduced consumer confidence. Finally, interest rates was the main contributing factor to the recession as banks offered low interest rates causing the demand for loans and mortgages to increase which contributed to the skyrocketing levels of inflation in the past five years. Strategies that the federal government could implement that would encourage people to spend more money Decisions made by the federal government have a profound impact on peoples spending which in turn affects the employment activities in the economy. The first policy that can be employed by the government is through supporting economically competitive areas. As a result, this increases the income levels in such commun ities thereby increasing their level of spending. This move will lead to a reduction of costs across regions and improve the overall environmental, housing and transportation needs. Examples of such initiatives include the EPA’s Smart Growth Program and the HUD’s Sustainability Office both aimed at improving the living standards of the citizens (Smart Growth America, 2013). The second policy is by putting in place a mechanism that ensures an accountable and safer transportation system to promote efficient trade thereby creating job opportunities. Examples of policies that support this include the Complete Street Act and the Clean, Low-Emission, Affordable, New Transportation Efficiency Act (Smart Growth America, 2013). A Situation in the Past 50 years in which the Government Used Anti-Trust Policies to Stop a Monopoly from Occurring The best example of such a situation is the Microsoft Corporation case that is regarded as the most recent situation where the anti- trust law has been applied accordingly. The law is based on universal ethics consideration and the Microsoft Corporation is said to have violated it as it failed to establish the effects of its outstanding success on its competitors and society in general (Mankiw, 2007). One thing is certain, although the company may have had ethical issues; their innovations have totally changes technology in the world. The justice department strongly believes that the company used monopoly in operating system software to eliminate its rivals and establish dominance in the market. In the long- run this will have detrimental effects on the consumers resulting from fewer choices and less competition. The government points out that Microsoft has undertaken in actions to promote its Windows monopoly which violates the anti- trust laws. The government also maintains that the company has used its market leadership to monopolize the internet browsing software market. In addition to, the company is said to have violated the anti- competitive acts (Mankiw, 2007). The company’s defense is based on the fact that it is simply trying to develop its products and that its activities are and there is no basis of consumer indignation being claimed by the government. In conclusion, Microsoft Corporation has been facing the anti- trust legislation for a couple of years now. It has been observed that this may have led to some sought of restrained trade

Native American Music Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Native American Music - Essay Example Dance competitions are usually a part of a Powwow to promote interaction between the people within the same tribes or between different people from different tribes. The Grand entry marks the beginning of a Powwow. All the people enter the showground and everyone is asked to hoist up flags. These flags include different tribal flags along with a US flag which is raised in memory of all the wars and battles waged by the tribesmen in the country. The music for the songs and the dance competition is provided by the drums. The drum is specially designed to be large and a group of drummers beat it while the traditional songs are being sung. There is generally a starting song for the event, the grand entry song as a call for all the people who have participated, flag songs to show patriotism and respect and a closing song to mark the end of the Powwow. The Powwow is a way of the tribes’ thanksgiving to the creator and the dances are treated like an offering. The dance performances a re a way of celebration of the circle of life and for this reason the setting of the Powwow is also a circle. The area reserved for dancing is known as arbor and is also a large circular area within the location. Most of the cultural activities like contest dancing, drum competition, ceremonials, singing and cultural exhibition usually take place inside the arbor. Contest dancing is actually an evolution of the traditional dancing in which good dancers were awarded with small prizes. Now the dancers have huge fan following and are given heavy cash prizes for the entertainment they provide to everyone attending the Powwow. The other entertainment activities like gambling games, parades, food stalls, exhibition of arts and crafts usually take place outside the arbor. After the grand entry performance and the flag songs, there are traditional dances performed which include the sneak-up dance, victory dance, inter-tribal dance and veteran’s dance. An important part of the Powwow culture is the respect and veneration which they hold for traditions and individuals. Honoring songs are hence also an essential part of a Powwow. Honoring songs are sung not only for particular persons but also in reminiscence of a particular event. These songs may praise the valor of a hero or the administration skills of a well known leader of a particular tribe. These songs may also be sung in remembrance of a war or a particular cultural practice. Sneak up dance song: The sneak up dance is one of the most famous dances of the Native American tribes. The dance is actually a tableau of a scene which depicts how to ‘sneak’ up on an enemy or a prey. There are many different versions of this dance but all of them run on the same theme of using stealth to gain an advantage over the opponent. In the most famous and the oldest version of the dance, arbor represents a battle ground where some men have become wounded and need help from their companions. Before the start of t he dance, the wounded are escorted in the middle of the arbor. During the first part of the dance the wounded stay in their position motionless while the dancers dance with their heads facing the wounded. Then the rolling beat starts on the drums to create thundering sound which actually symbolizes the action and mayhem of the battlefield. The drum beats then become slow and the dancers slow their movement and advance towards the wounded. When the beating stops, the dancers freeze in

Muslim Empire In Spain ( Alandalus ) Research Paper

Muslim Empire In Spain ( Alandalus ) - Research Paper Example HISTORY In 711 AD, the Christian chief Julian went and appealed to the governor of North Africa Musa ibn Nusair for his assistance against the tyrannical rule of Roderick in Spain. The Moorish Umayyad army consisting of 7000 troops from North Africa under their Commander Tariq bin Ziyad crossed the state of Gibraltar and gained control over much parts of the Iberian Peninsula. Roderick was killed in the battle and his Visigoth army was defeated. It was the start of an eight year Islamic rule in that region. From the 8th- 15th centuries, various parts of the Iberian Peninsula majorly Southern Spain, Portugal and France were ruled by the Muslims; which were mostly Arab or Berber. PERIOD The Muslim empire in Spain was not under a single reign instead it was a series of different successions made by various Muslim rulers. From 711- 716, the military troops under their leader Tariq ibn Ziyad conquered the region. In 756, the Umayyad prince Abd ar Rahman.I establishes the Emirate of Cordoba. It was a blooming time of the Umayyad dynasty as well as for the Arab culture (BBC, 2009). Later Abd ar Rahman.III took over. The reign of Umayyad dynasty in Spain lasted from 756- 929. Civil wars in 1009 and 1013 totally collapsed the Emirate of Cordoba. As result of this various small states came into being. These states known as the â€Å" Taifas† were divided amongst Arabs, Berbs and Iberian Muslims. As they were weak in military power and thus asked the help of the North African warriors to help fight the Christian kings. From 1080- 1250 Almoravids and then Alhomads ruled. DECLINE In 1212, the Christian states united against the Alhomads . And till 1252 nearly all the Iberian Peninsula came under the three Christian states of Portugal, Aragon, and Castile. The reason of decline of the Muslim empire in Spain was not because the Christians were strong, but it was because the Muslim rulers were cutting each other’s throat and hence was becoming weaker. By the mid thirteenth century the Muslim rule in Spain was limited to a thin mountainous strip of land in the south. In 1230-40 Muhammed ibn Yusuf ibn Nasr founded a state centered around the city of Granada. Granada had a weak economy and had to face internal conflicts as well.Also the Muslims in North Africa at that time, went into decline and could no longer provide Granada their support (Islam & Islamic History, 2001). The Christian States of Castile, Aragon and Portugal united and grew stronger. In 1474, war started and one city after another came to the Christian artillery. In 1492, after an eight-month siege, Granada also became a part of Christian artillery. The Muslims in Spain finally lost all their in 1492.And by 1502, after 800 years the Christians gained power again and issued orders involving Muslims to convert to Christianity, otherwise imposing brutal limitations. The Muslim empire in Spain made various contributions in many fields. During Abd ar Rahman III reign, books from Baghdad (as it was the centre for research back then) were brought to this land. Libraries, hospi tals, Research centers and centre of Islamic studies were established. Scholars, historians, poets and researchers were invited to the region to make their contributions in their respective fields. ACCOMPLISHMENTS IN SCIENCE Science is a very vast field. The Muslim scientists and scholars contributed a

The Great Depression Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 3

The Great Depression - Essay Example As the research declares most farmers and companies hence began to incur losses and default on their loans. The situation got worse after some parts of the nation were hit by a terrible drought. America was also operating on a laissez-faire economic policy that did not impose any regulations on businesses. Most companies paid low wages to their workers leading to uneven wealth distribution. The above factors coupled with the fact that Europe was also going through the depression led to an increased decline in the market for American products. It led to the closure of businesses, increase in debts, massive unemployment, and foreclosure of banks. The final blow resulted from the collapse of the New York stock market that led to the loss of billions of dollars of investor money. As the report stresses President Hoover tried to end the economic crisis by encouraging cooperation between government and business, establishing government agencies, fostering labor harmony and attempting to balance the budget. He refused to involve the federal government in manipulating the currency, fixing prices or controlling businesses. He also refused to use federal money to give direct aid citizens hence operated on the principle of rugged individualism. President Franklin Roosevelt, on the other hand, held a much more liberal philosophy as he believed the federal government was required to step in and give direct aid to its people.