Sidney and Petrarch; Or, The Contemplation of Love :: Renaissance European History Essays

Sidney and Petrarch; Or, The Contemplation of Love Tanto piu' di voi, quando piu' v'ama. Petrarca. The Renaissance reached its fulfilment in the sixteenth century. English, long neglected by the humanists' preoccupation with Greek and Latin, rose to a wholly new and conscious dignity as a medium of serious literary expression. That English should rise and attain the status of national language is not surprising in view of the fact that the spread of literacy and the introduction of printing, along with the increasingly strong nationalist feeling, did account for its consolidation.1 There was not only a steady progression towards developing a language of their own; English humanists also felt a peremptory need for constructing and shaping literary modes which were akin to their own set of values and culture. As The Norton Anthology of English Literature's introduction to the sixteenth century puts it: "Literary conventions challenged Elizabethan poets to find fit forms for their experiences, to show their learning and virtuosity by the ingenious elaboration of [...] well-known patterns, and to create from these patterns something fresh and new."2 Be it a pastoral poem or a sonnet, the Elizabethan poet would set out to follow the path of 'ingenious invention'. He would sometimes draw on the conventions and modes of the classics or, as the case may be, he could also seek out to emulate the patterns of foreign poets (mainly Italian and French), in order to recreate their poetic utterances. In Phillip Sidney's sonnets, for instance, the old Petrarchan rhetoric is still at work. Sidney's Astrophel and Stella is the first of the great sonnet cycles, which drew heavily upon the conventions established by Petrarch. The Cambridge History of English Literature says: "Some of [Watson's] successors were gifted with poetic powers to which he was a stranger, and interwove the borrowed conceits with individual feeling, which, at times, lifted their verse to the plane of genuine poetry."3 The quotation could be taken as an accurate reflection on Sidney's poetry, for he really undertook to work upon the already established literary modes and, by so doing, he did succeed in creating poetry of his own. For Sidney, thus, the Petrarchan conventions had to take on a wholly new meaning, if his poetry was to be both genuine and unique.

ECN paper :: essays research papers

The upcoming presidential election of 2004 could prove to be the most vital in our nation’s history. Therefore, every issue is of importance; however, this paper will focus on George Bush and John Kerry from a non-partisan standpoint, and which candidate would be better for our economy. The economy is always changing, causing recessions as well as periods of growth for our country. However, each candidate is inclined to think he has the right answer or direction. Before deciding who gets your vote, there are various economic issues that must carefully be examined and taken into account when accessing each candidate. After reading these articles, I became aware of strengths and weaknesses for both candidates. Business Week stated that the Republicans have it wrong on jobs and the unemployment rate. The unemployment rate should be higher, because the numbers of discouraged workers who were once in the labor force or are currently seeking employment are not being counted, therefore causing the job creation numbers to appear higher than they actually are. The Democrats are wrong about unemployment itself stating that outsourcing is the main reason for slow job growth in the past few years. Of the nearly three million jobs in our economy only 300,000 have been from outsourcing. (Forrester Research Inc.) In fact, the outsourcing of certain computer equipment to Asia in the 90’s lowered computer prices for our country and helped spread a technological revolution in some places never thought possible. After reviewing these articles I gathered that our economy is steadily on the rise under the leadership of George Bush. This President has dealt with a terrorist attack on our country, as well as war, high energy and oil prices, plus a devastating hurricane season. Despite all of these problems, the Gross Domestic Product and national income are rising and looking stronger. Inflation is also slowing down, while our spending is increasing. Our economy according to Glenn Hubbard in Business Week has rebounded, and the 4.8% growth in Real Gross Domestic Product over the past 12 months is faster than in any such period during the Clinton years. This Jefferson 2 growth in the economy does not mean that there are no jobs lost. However, job losses are a result of changes in buying patterns and corporations who reorganize. John Kerry has spoken several times regarding "the middle class squeeze" and the tax breaks for the wealthiest 1% of Americans.

Eastern Religious Philosopher Quotations

CheckPoint: Eastern Religious Philosopher Quotations Siddhartha Gautama Buddha – â€Å"Health is the greatest gift, contentment the greatest wealth, faithfulness the best relationship. † oI chose this quote because Siddhartha devoted his life to find balance and clarification. He grew up with wealth and being shielded from human suffering, and wanted to search for something deeper. This quote shows that he found something deeper from the materialistic life he led early on (s9. com, 2009). Lao Tzu – â€Å"To know that you do not know is the best. To pretend to know when you do not know is a disease. o Tzu believed that even the wisest of humans is still ignorant, and this quote reflects that thought process. He was very interested in how we should live and different ways that a good society is governed. This quote reminds us that we can always be open to learning and discovering even when we think we have mastered something (Axia College, 2008). Chuang Tzu â€⠀œÃ¢â‚¬ Do the clouds make rain? Or is it the rain that makes the clouds? What makes it descend so copiously? oTzu believed that life was temporary and that pursuing wealth was acting in vein and foolish. He felt that this pursuit distracted a person from truly seeing the world and its meaning. Tzu wanted to look at nature from a different perspective, and by asking the questions in his quote enabled a deeper look into this idea (Chebucto, n. d. ). Confucious – â€Å"What you do not want done to yourself, do not do to others† oConfucious taught that to establish one’s own humane character was important and could be done by following positive role models from the past. People can always better themselves through learning and servicing others. It makes sense that a man who believes these principles would quote such a simplistic, yet profound statement (Axia College, 2008). Mencius -â€Å"With proper nourishment and care, everything grows, whereas without proper nourishment and care, everything decay† oI chose this quote for Mencius because he felt that if people wanted to become a better person, they would have to make the choice to transform their life. He thought that anything can thrive if given the proper care, and was optimistic about humans and their potential (Axia College, 2008). Hsun Tzu – â€Å"If there is no dull and determined effort, there will be no brilliant achievement. oTzu took portions of Taoism with Confucianism and added his own beliefs which are known to be a bit more pessimistic. Tzu founded a school and some of his students were philosophers and the future prime minister of Ch’in. It is no wonder that he would emphasize that effort is needed to attain achievements (Bookrags, 20 05-2006). Hui Neng – â€Å"If we are treading on the path of enlightenment we need not be worried by stumbling blocks. Provided we keep a constant eye on our own faults we cannot go astray from the right path† oHui Neng’s quote reminds me of the underdog winning a game. Considering he was illiterate and yet can have impressed his patriarch to be his successor is unbelievable. This quote exemplifies that although there will be difficulties in our lives we should continue to improve ourselves and recognize our faults (Bookrags, 2005-2006). Dugan Kigen – â€Å"Rejoice in your birth in the world. † oI like this quote from Dogen because he believed in practicing to achieve a â€Å"joyful life†. Even though there will be pain and suffering in the world, if you are to live life according to the Tao, life can still be joyful (Axia College, 2008). Murasaki Shikibu – â€Å"To be pleasant, gentle, calm and self-possessed: this is the basis of good taste and charm in a woman† oMurasaki was a female author that inspired many with her writings. This quote best represents her ideas feelings that although women were looked upon as non-equals to men, they can still pursue philosophical enlightenment (Axia College, 2008). Yamaoto Tsunetomo – â€Å"There is nothing so painful as regret† oYamaoto followed a Samurai tradition and believed we live in a world with change that is unpredictable and constant. Being prepared for these changes and anticipate problems will help to lessen pain and regret. References Axia College. (2008). Eastern Influences. Retrieved from Axia College, PHI105 – Introduction to Philosophy website. Bookrags. (2005-2006). Hsun-tzu Biography. Retrieved from http://www. bookrags. com/biography/hsun-tzu/ Chebucto. (n. d. ). Chuang Tzu: The Next Voice. Retrieved from http://www. chebucto. ns. ca/Philosophy/Taichi/chuang. html s9. com. (2009). Siddhartha Gautama. Retrieved from http://www. s9. com/Biography/Buddha

Cointelpro and the Assassination of Malcolm X Essay

During the early 1950’s, Malcolm X was the top spokesman for the Black Nationalist Muslim group called the Nation of Islam (NOI). As the national representative of the NOI, Malcolm X attracted the media spotlight by speaking out against the injustices that were being inflicted upon black Americans in the United States (Haley 225). Malcolm later separated from the NOI due to accusations of immoral behavior he made against his leader, Elijah Muhammad, and went on to form his own group called Muslim Mosque Inc. 323). Malcolm was assassinated February 21, 1965, at the Audubon Ballroom in Harlem New York, by black gunmen who were alleged to be members of the Nation of Islam (442-443). According to the book â€Å"The Assassination of Malcolm X by George Breitman, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) under the direction of J. Edgar Hoover made Malcolm the subject of an intensive surveillance investigation by the Counter Intelligence Program known by its acronym â€Å"Cointelpro† (13). Malcolm, as a Muslim minister in the NOI, had become a powerful speaker equipped with the oratorical skills which provided him the ability to attract large followings of black people into his new organization. However, Hoover had labeled Malcolm a â€Å"subversive† and a radical black nationalist whom he felt needed to be â€Å"neutralized† (14). What did Hoover mean by â€Å"neutralize†? And did the Nation of Islam assassinate Malcolm X, or was this a government conspiracy? These two theories will be addressed in order to answer these questions and others that have been unanswered for 48 years. Cointelpro was a FBI top secret and illegal political agency, the main agenda of which was to target specific individuals and organizations whose ideas Hoover did not agree with (Blackstock, preface vii). Even though the program was initially started in 1956 to disrupt the activities of the Communist Party of the United States, policies were secretly changed under the direction of its founder, Hoover in order to target other organizations (9). Even though the name â€Å"Counterintelligence† may imply opposition to anyone who threatens the security of the United States through espionage, the targets were not enemy spies (10). The FBI’s main objective under this program was to eliminate all â€Å"radical† political opposition inside the United States by any means necessary (10-11). When traditional methods such as harassment and prosecution failed, the Bureau resorted to illegal and unconstitutional methods by taking the law into its own hands (11). Methods such as intimidation, job loss, violence, and forging letters in order to frame members were just a few tactics used by FBI agents and police informants who had infiltrated targeted organizations (12-13). In instructions to his FBI field operatives, Hoover displayed the outright contempt that he held for the Civil Rights Movement and its black leaders (28). In one specific memo dated August 25, 1967, he explains that the purpose of the program was â€Å"to expose, disrupt, misdirect, discredit, or otherwise neutralize† the Civil Rights Movement (30). Even though the memo was revealed by Hoover in 1967, two years after Malcolm’s death, tactics had been put into action long before it was distributed as a memo to his agents (30). On February 21, 1965, Malcolm X prepared to give a speech to a crowd of approximately 400 at the Audubon Ballroom in Harlem, New York (Evanzz xiv). As he approached the rostrum, a scuffle began in the rear of the ballroom (xv). One of the men yelled â€Å"Get your hand out of my pocket. † Malcolm responded by telling the two individuals who were scuffling to â€Å"cool it† and to not get excited (xv). As Malcolm tried to calm things down, a large explosion in the back was heard from a smoke bomb, and a man sitting in the front row pulled out a double barreled sawed-off shotgun from under his long coat and fired at Malcolm, striking him in the chest (xv). As Malcolm was falling and clutching his chest, two more men rushed the stage, firing pistols at him (xv). Betty Shabazz, Malcolm’s wife, and Gene Roberts, his close friend and bodyguard came to Malcolm’s aid along with others close by (xv). Meanwhile, a crowd of Malcolm’s supporters had caught two of the fleeing assailants and were beating them until they were rescued by policemen (xvii). One of the men rescued by police was Talmadge Hayer, a black Muslim, who had a gunshot wound from one of Malcolm X’s bodyguards and was taken to the hospital across the street from the Audubon (xvi). Malcolm X was pronounced dead 15 minutes after they got him to the hospital (xvi). Who killed Malcolm X? Examine the following scenarios. Initially, it was reported by Malcolm’s guards, the New York City police and local newspapers that two men were taken into police custody (xviii). In later newspaper editions, it was changed from two men to one. No reason was given for the sudden change and no admission of a mistake ever mentioned (xv). Police vehemently denied that a second man had existed and that Hayer was the only person caught at the scene (xviii). Five days later, Norman Butler, and Thomas Johnson, two well-known Muslims were arrested and charged with the murder of Malcolm X, even though they had concrete alibis placing them elsewhere, evidence the prosecutor withheld at the trial (Evanzz xviii). Hayer had confessed to his involvement in Malcolm’s death and testified that Butler and Johnson were neither present nor involved in the assassination but that four other gunmen were involved (xviii-xx). The question remains to this day: Who was the mysterious second man? Why did the first police report and witnesses inside the Audubon say they saw five men who were involved in the assassination, yet only three were accused and convicted at the trial (xv, xviii)? It should also be noted that many of Malcolm’s bodyguards and aides were Muslim defectors from the Nation of Islam and would have recognized Butler and Johnson immediately and prevented them from coming in (xv). Roland Sheppard was a journalist who regularly attended Malcolm’s lectures and was also a witness to his assassination. In his article â€Å"The Assassination of Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr. † he stated that he was told by one of Malcolm’s bodyguards, â€Å"You are not going to sit here today† and to move from the front row where he normally would sit. Sheppard, along with Malcolm and his group, always knew that there were police agents and informants in the audience. After Malcolm’s assassination, Sheppard was questioned at the Harlem police headquarters, where he saw a familiar face, obviously a police officer, walking freely around the office, whom â€Å"he had seen standing in the first row at the Audubon Ballroom, with other men, before the start of the meeting. This is where Hayer said he and his accomplices were sitting† (Sheppard). This was also the same row of seats Sheppard was told to move from. Sheppard also noticed that usually at Malcolm’s meetings, there would be somewhere between 30-50 uniformed police officers on site (Sheppard). But when Malcolm was assassinated, the police were nowhere to be found, even though Malcolm had warned them that an assassination attempt was imminent (Sheppard). Police officials claim that Malcolm had requested not to have police protection that day (Sheppard). However, when the police first spoke of this agreement with Malcolm, his wife, Betty Shabazz, stated that it was a lie, that Malcolm had not made the request for no police security (Sheppard). Malcolm knew from his experience with the Nation of Islam that his organization had been infiltrated by police agents who were undercover working for the government (Evanzz xxiii). But what would have shocked Malcolm the most is that his head of security and close friend Roberts, was one of them (xv). Roberts was a police agent working for New York Police Department’s Bureau of Special Services, also known as BOSSI (xxiii). This was the same bodyguard who told Sheppard to move from where he normally sits at Malcolm’s meetings. The night of the assassination, Roberts, as usual, posted guards in their proper positions and took his post as well (xv). Once Malcolm came to the rostrum and greeted the crowd with, â€Å"As-Salaam Alaikum,† Roberts subtly gave a signal that he needed to be relieved from his guard post (xv). As soon as Roberts walked away and stationed himself by the front entrance, the commotion started in the rear of the ballroom and shots were fired (xv). Is it just a coincidence that Roberts had himself relieved from the guard post and soon after, the shooting started? As Malcolm lay on the ground gasping for air, Roberts, who had changed guard post seconds before the shooting, rushed to the stage to Malcolm’s side and appeared to be administering mouth to mouth (Evanzz 295). Betty Shabazz, Malcolm’s wife, went his side and removed a piece of paper from Malcolm’s blood stained coat jacket, that had the names of the five men whom Malcolm believed were going to assassinate him (295). Finally, Malcolm was placed on a stretcher and as they started to take him to the hospital across the street, the police, who were not present during the shooting, appeared and took charge of Malcolm’s body (xvii). It is apparent to me that Roberts was there for the sole purpose of ensuring that Malcolm was dead. Was he actually giving mouth-to-mouth respirations to Malcolm? Or was he preventing him from breathing altogether? Why would Malcolm’s wife remove the paper with the names of her husband’s assassins on it and not reveal it to any of those present? Malcolm X had been under surveillance by the FBI since his release from prison in 1952 (Evanzz 28). Once Malcolm separated from Elijah Muhammad and the Nation of Islam, he started reaching out to other Black Nationalist organizations and civil rights leaders such as Martin Luther King Jr. (266-267). Even though they had opposing views, both men realized they were after the same common goal but with different means of gaining it. In his letter â€Å"A Call for Unity† from Birmingham jail, King made it a point to his critics that the Negro in America had been caught up by the â€Å"Zeitgeist† (spirit of the age), and with his black brothers of Africa, and his brown and yellow brothers of Asia, South America, and the Caribbean, the Negro in the United States is moving with a sense of great urgency toward the promised land of racial justice† (King 1303). Malcolm shared this viewpoint also, that injustice was universal, and Malcolm decided to take the plight of the American Negro to the United Nations (309). No one had ever brought the issue of racism to the United Nations before (310). This deeply disturbed Hoover and the FBI and gave them a definite reason to target Malcolm for â€Å"neutralization† (Evanzz 310). Malcolm’s fall out with Muhammad and the Nation of Islam was the catalyst needed to later help the FBI set the stage for Malcolm’s assassination (311). The question remains: who killed Malcolm X? Malcolm had initially and for good reason, thought that the Nation of Islam were plotting to take his life. After close analysis, he realized that this plot to kill him was deeper than the NOI. He expressed this to Alex Haley, who was in the process of finishing Malcolm’s autobiography, â€Å"†¦The more I keep thinking about this thing, the things that have been happening lately, I’m not all that sure it’s the Muslims, I know what they can do, and what they can’t, and they can’t do some of the stuff recently going on. Now, I’m going to tell you, the more I keep thinking about what happened to me†¦, I think I’m going to quit saying it’s the Muslims† (qtd. in Haley 438).

Progress Report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Progress Report - Essay Example For example, in this case, a business might introduce various promotions and selling activities to make sure its market share remains high. (Kevinlane Keller and Kotler, 2000) Scenario planning is also used by various exporting business as a part of their strategic management policies to counter problems caused by uncertainty. For example, in our case we are analyzing a business which exports organic clothing to India. This involves certain processes which are not under control such as crops that are used to manufacture clothes and textile mills which are going manufacture these crops into raw cloth. Exporting process is a tough job and time management is extremely necessary, otherwise the importing companies which are based in Europe and the US do not accept the cloth. The rules are so strict that even if the exporting companies are one day late, these companies cancel the order and exporting companies suffer huge losses. Now let's look at the situation of our clothing company in light of PEST analysis of India. As we all know that India is biggest democracy in the world and perhaps the biggest economy of all emerging market economies of the world. In the recent year, we know that India has faced problems like terrorism and strikes. During these strikes all the business activity is ceased in India. This causes a lot of problem for exporting business and they have to plan head and keep themselves ahead of the deadline. So, considering the political environment of India and acts of terrorism, our organic clothing company will have to be very cautious of political situation of India and will have to be ahead of time, so that it does not find its buyers canceling orders. This can be done by telling textile firms and farmers that they need the particular quantity of material on the specified dates and keep check and balance by visiting the sites such as farms and textile factories to see that both the farms and factories will be able to provide the necessary amount of material at the specified d ates. If these farms and factories do not provide the firms with the specified material, the firm should use its contingency plan, to make sure it does not lag behind the shipment data. These contingencies plans can be buying cloth that is already available in the market and then process it and export it to the USA and Europe. This way, our clothing firm can beat the political challenges that are there in the Indian economy. (CNN IBN Video Report on Terrorism in India, 2008) If we look at economic analysis we will find out that Indian economy relies on old and unreliable infrastructure. This infrastructure often gets badly damage and does not function properly in case of rains and other natural catastrophes. In order to remove this problem, firm can contract an international firm like Fed-Ex or any other big name in the market to make sure that its material always reaches the buyers on time (Data Monitor, 2008). Similarly, another problem in the Indian economy is less mechanization and more dependence on unskilled labor. This labor often spoils the whole lot, which is a big profit-reducer for our firm. Our firm therefore, should try to invest on R& D to make sure that we transfer the best technology to India which will not only increase our reputation in the international market, but this will also help us into becoming more efficient and

The Turn of the Screw Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Turn of the Screw - Essay Example Whereas a conventional fiction-writer endeavors to establish the credibility of the reality which s/he depicts in his fiction, James intentionally attempts to stir up the readers’ doubt about the credibility of the narrator’s presentation of the uncanny monstrosity of the children’s and the monstrous environment in the House. In the novel, James has employed various narrative strategies to support his assertion that nothing truly exists outside the human imagination or takes precedence over the human imagination, using the characters to defend and analyze this position. His first strategy is to instill the uncanny monstrosity in the characters of the novel. The novel does not directly tell the readers whether the Children are really monstrous or not. Rather it inspires the readers to decide whether they are monstrous. Another strategy of James is that he makes the Governess’s character unreliable. The way how the Governess tells the story necessarily provo kes the readers to think that there must be a number of different possible interpretations of the reality which she presents. In the novel, James has made a shrewd application of the uncanny to justify his comment that the fictional reality is what and how we perceive it. ... Even sometimes she herself proves to be wrong and seems that she suffers from hallucination. This uncertainty of the Governess’s storytelling provokes the readers to question whether the children are really monstrous or this monstrosity is a misperception or fabrication of the Governess. Both any possible conclusion what a reader may reach is that the horizon of a fiction is, indeed, a vast area where the writers enjoy the utmost freedom to arrange the events in a particular sequence to make the plot credible. While reading the novel, the readers’ attentions become focused on two focal points. First, they grow doubtful about whether the children, Miles and Flora, are really monstrous or not. Secondly, they question whether there is something wrong on the Governess’s part. Indeed, James’s success to divide up the readers’ attentions on two apparently contradictory focal points tends to establish his claim that, whatever the reality about the children is, the ultimate reality is how we perceive it. For example, a reader can tell for sure whether Miles and Flora maintain a secret relationship with Quint, the dead valet and Miss Jessel who is also dead now. Flora’s nocturnal movement and the discovery of her ‘too free’ intimacy with Miss Jessel, Miles’s association with the ghosts, his unexplained banishment from the school –all these events seem so supernatural and ominous. The Governess claims that she could see some ghostly associations of Miles and Flora with the dead valet and governess. Even she claims that she has encountered with their ghosts for several times. But this claim makes the readers dubious about her psychological sanity, when they once

Staff recruitment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Staff recruitment - Essay Example (2) The employer will give an employee a minimum of two weeks'notice of the date of commencement of duty. one month ofcommencing employment. Junior Employees Liberty is reserved to both parties to apply to make provisions for junior employees. Part-Time Employees 9. - PART TIME EMPLOYEES (1) Part-time employees may be employed on a regular basis for less total hours or weeks in a year than full-time employees but for not less than 3 hours on each day and shall be paid for each hour worked in proportion to the rate of wage prescribed in Clause 5. Hours 10. - HOURS (1) The ordinary hours of duty shall be: (a) Thirty eight hours per week or; (b) An average of 38 hours per week with hours actually worked being 40 hours per week or 80 hours per fortnight; (2) The ordinary hours of duty shall be worked in five days of not more than 8 hours (excluding a meal break) between the hours of 6.00am and 6.00pm. Provided that the ordinary hours of work performed on any day of late night trading may be worked between 6.00am and 9.00pm. Provided further that the aforementioned spread of hours may be varied by mutual agreement between the employer and employee. 24. - HOURS (1) The ordinary working hours of work shall not exceed 40 in any one week, or eight in any one day, Monday to Friday inclusive. Such hours to be consecutive except for the meal break. (2) In any week in which a public holiday or the day in lieu is observed falls between Monday to Friday inclusive, the ordinary hours of work for that week shall be 32 hours, and in any week in which two public holidays or the days in lieu are observed fall between Monday to Friday inclusive,... (1) Part-time employees may be employed on a regular basis for less total hours or weeks in a year than full-time employees but for not less than 3 hours on each day and shall be paid for each hour worked in proportion to the rate of wage prescribed in Clause 5. (2) The ordinary hours of duty shall be worked in five days of not more than 8 hours (excluding a meal break) between the hours of 6.00am and 6.00pm. Provided that the ordinary hours of work performed on any day of late night trading may be worked between 6.00am and 9.00pm. Provided further that the aforementioned spread of hours may be varied by mutual agreement between the employer and employee. (2) In any week in which a public holiday or the day in lieu is observed falls between Monday to Friday inclusive, the ordinary hours of work for that week shall be 32 hours, and in any week in which two public holidays or the days in lieu are observed fall between Monday to Friday inclusive, the ordinary hours of work for that week shall be 24 hours. (3) The ordinary starting time shall not be earlier than 5.30 a.m. and the ordinary finishing time shall not be later than 4.30 p.m. Monday to Friday inclusive, or as otherwise agreed between the parties hereto. (2) All time worked in excess of ordinary hours on a Saturday before 12.00 noon shall be paid for at the rate of time and one half f