Poetry essay question Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Poetry question - Essay Example Dickinson uses an almost soothing tone along these lines to signify how well the speaker acknowledges the coming and the full presence of ‘Death’ which, in this case, is depicted as no longer an element of fright or disturbing apprehension. So instead of being terrified as of a sudden occurrence, she welcomes ‘Death’ to the point of admiration and respect through the last three lines of the second stanza. ‘Gazing Grain’ and ‘Setting Sun’ are terms used to indicate the inevitable stages of human life which the speaker experiences herself from early childhood until old age and the allegory of the ‘House’ described by the speaker as ‘A Swelling of the Ground’ is in figurative reference to the ‘grave’ implying however a sense of familiarity. By considering ‘House’ to mean ‘grave’, the poet likely shifts or radiates the positive significance of ‘home’ and its c omfort and sign of life than a burial place. Other than ground swelling, she does not even make mention of decay or any term close to pertain to loss or deterioration which the literal ‘Death’ characterizes since the speaker plans to conclude her union with ‘Death’ as progressive with ‘Tis centuries’ and the phrase ‘toward Eternity’. ... audience to understand that instead of a tragedy, it is something familiar or someone who merely takes another by the hand for a light travel, as though ‘death’ is that course of nature that any person must readily acknowledge as it only intends to accompany one in a long journey to a dimension not quite far from the mundane encounters of everyday. By way of the attitude, sound, and structure that constitute the substance of the literary piece, a reader may find oneself dissolving a former perspective of death to entertain a favorable thought that it is not actually dreadful. I suppose Dickinson would have at the time anticipated such response of ‘change in view of death’ because she should know herself what ‘death’ is in every man’s common knowledge and perception. It is as if the creation of the work â€Å"Because I Could Not Stop for Death† is a challenge for a reading individual to observe his or her faith in the beauty of life through an insight of death as well as the degree of persuasion one may yield to in attempting to see death in a whole new enlightening aspect. ‘Because I Could Not Stop for Death’ bears much semblance to the theme established in the poem â€Å"Tell all the Truth but tell it slant† where Dickinson necessitates the need for capitalization in order to illustrate the essence of the manner by which truth ought to be communicated. One may recognize her intention of doing this to specifically lead the reader to the remarkable aspect of stressing paired terms that should register the key ideas to understanding the concept of ‘Truth’. Like the treatment given to the understanding of ‘death’, if the ‘Truth’ be ever told, it must be gradually carried out so as not to severely overwhelm the seeker or whoever obtains its

Importance Of Sociology As A Field Of Study Essay Example for Free

Importance Of Sociology As A Field Of Study Essay Sociology as a field of study attempts to explain the relationship between an individual and society. Sociological theories are a tool used to explain sociological problems and social structures. (Blumer, 1969) Societies can be viewed as organic structures. This was first explained by Parsons and Durkheim as they developed structural theories. These theories can be applied in education i. e. how students view education. Societies can also be viewed as economic structures. Under this concept, falls the conflict theory developed by Carl Marx. Marx looked at a number of theories that attempt to explain how people’s lives are shaped by social structures. Other theories that share a similar perspective are the functionalist theories. Societies can also be looked as social action. This implies that society shapes how people view themselves. In line with this perspective, sociologists came up with the idea of symbolic interactionism. There are also other ideas that go hand in hand with this idea i. e. GH mead. Lastly, one must apply all the sociological theories stated above and many others that have not been mentioned. For example one can consider Medicalisation of society’s problems. This can be explained by a number of sociological theories like: Marx’s theories, interactionist theories and Durkheiman’ theories. Importance of sociology as a field of study Conflict theory Sociology assists in explaining social change. It helps us to understand what the role of the individual is in changing society. This is best explained by the Conflict theory. This theory does not have only one name connoted to it although the founder of the theory was Karl Marx. There are various regions in the world where sociologists elaborated on this theory. Some of these sociologists are; †¢ Ralf Dahrendorf – Germany †¢ Ludwig Gumpolvicz – Germany †¢ Lewis Coser and Collins – USA †¢ Max Gluchman and Rex – UK (Garfinkel, 1967) The conflict theory’s main idea is that there exists a constant struggle in society and every entity in society is trying to make the most of their reimbursement consequently bringing about social change. This change can come in form of revolutions or it may be political. It focuses on coercion by groups and individuals to alter or control others’ actions. The theory helps us to understand why ideologies like socialism and capitalism. There is a constant struggle within society for paybacks. This theory can be viewed from two angles. The first angle is a radical one; society will forever in conflict while the second angle is that conflict combines with struggle to make up society. This moderate angle is best explained by the functionalism. The latter mentioned theory postulates that every member of society has a specific role to play. Conflict theory can best be perceived as a pyramid. Influential people are at the top and they impose their will upon less powerful people who happen to be the majority. This implies that people in power are taken to be superior and they are the ones responsible for modern day laws, institutions and traditions. This theory can be stretched to explain how morality or deviance is defined. The powerful individuals in society label deeds or actions as immoral if those actions challenge their influence and power. Conflict theory also attempts to explain stratification in society but from an individualistic point of view. It looks at individuals needs instead of society’s needs as a whole. Every individual tries to struggle for respect, goods and services as well as power; these e all very scarce. In this light therefore, individuals belong to organisations that represent their own interests. The theory views organisations as entities that are mostly influenced by external rather than internal factors. (Goffman, 1958) In the theory, there are a number of conflicts that fall under. These include; †¢ Class †¢ Race and ethnicity †¢ Gender †¢ Religion Marx believed that class conflict was caused by differential ownership of property. However, this theory was later challenged by other sociologists who believed that there is more to class than property ownership. These sociologists believe that this is only one aspect. Racial conflict has its root cause in differential power. According to the theory, superior races are those one who are well endowed with power, prestige and education. There are four basic assumptions in this theory. The first is that there is inequality in society’s structures, secondly there is revolution as a result of struggle between a numbers of social classes, thirdly there is competition for resources and lastly war exists to unify or divide society. Conflict can take the form of a strike where workers struggle to gain back control after it has been taken from them by their employers. Another form of a conflict could be through wars. Wars usually represent clashes between social classes. Taking the case of military coups, this is an example of a conflict between the main population and the military. (Durkheim, 1915) Ethnomethodology Ethnomethodology is the study of how people interpret their social world. This theory has its history back in the mid twentieth century and was founded by Garfinkel who was an American sociologist. The theory is quite different form other well known theories. This theory is founded on the fact that there is no order in society; society is chaotic or has the potential to be chaotic. According to the theory, any semblance of order is created by the minds of actors within society it simply does not exist. This is in sharp contrast to other well known theories. Social order may be defined as the systematic pattern of behaviour within society. It opposes the fact that actions are not thought out and are simply haphazard. Ethnomethodologists believe that individuals encounter several experiences in their lives. These individuals try to make sense of these encounters by placing them into a form of organised system. They believe in a documentary method. Here, individuals simply pick out certain events within a social situation and try to make sense of them. After they have organised those events into a pattern, then they use that pattern as a template to explain other situations that may arise. Garnfinkel used an experiment to demonstrate this theory. He got a number of students and instructed them to ask a supervisor about a number of issues on their mind. The students could not see the advisor but could talk to him. They asked him a number of questions and this advisor could only say yes or no. What the students did not know was the advisor was reading out a list of responses that did not match their questions in any way. It was found that most of the responses did not make logical sense but most of the students tried to interpret them nonetheless. They did not question the integrity of the advisor but they tried to compare past responses with present ones in order to come up with an orderly pattern. For example one of the students thought that he should quit school and asked the advisor this. The advisor told him ‘no’ and out of disbelief the student repeated this same question after which the advisor said ‘yes’. It was found that this particular student did not dismiss the advisor but tried to make sense of the situation. According to the theory, the students were trying to form sense out of senselessness. They were trying to turn chaos into order. Garfinkel introduces the idea of indexicality. This means that human beings have a tendency to index things that occur to them i. e. they always try to put things within a certain social context. They must relate it to other things that have occurred to them before or during a particular scene. For example, the interaction that took place between the students and the advisor followed a certain path because the students held the advisor in high esteem. This implies that if the student could see what was happening with the advisor behind the screen that had covered him, or if their classmates asked answered their questions, then their reactions would have been totally different. This is because the students would simply have formed another documentary. People who adhere to this theory believe that all human beings have preconceived notions about their daily lives. This means that if a sudden change was brought into someone’s life their reactions are quite different. This is justified by the fact that it would be very chaotic if we looked at things differently at all times. We must become familiar with some aspects of our lives so as to be able to Symbolic interactionism This theory has its history in the late nineteenth century. It was pioneered by a sociologist from Germany called Marx Weber. The theory is best known for its subjectivity rather than its objectivity. Interactionists focus on individuals rather than on society as a whole. They perceive human beings as creatures whose behaviours are reactive or subject to the approval of others. This is because all actions, according to them, are like symbolic actions which are interpreted differently according to one’s perspective. This theory also looks at human beings as symbolic objects who can think and react to situations. This means that individuals within a society are active participants of their society. They determine what happens to them. Sociologists adhering to this theory believe that we are not passive entities who must mould themselves to society’s rules and standards. This theory focuses on external issues and simple interactions. It cannot be used to interpret deeper social settings like capitalism. It is also quite crucial to note that this theory perceives society’s norms as transient and constantly changing. Stability and order in society is determined by negotiations. The systems themselves are not stable but the means by which these systems in society are created is stable. (Merton, 1968) The theory therefore points one on the direction of roles played by people in society. The theory places importance in role making and role taking. This means that individuals must put themselves in a certain perspective in order to understand another person’s point of view. Studies on interactionism are therefore done through active role taking. This is because they believe that one must interact thoroughly with another party in order to understand the reason why they made their decision. However critics have claimed that the theory is too narrow and cannot be applied to macro situations. It has also been criticised for its impressionism during research methods. (George, 1964) Functionalism The theory was pioneered by a French sociologist called Emile Durkheim back in the mid to late nineteenth century. This theory compares the individual with his/her society and also scientific method of analysing society. This implies that one can be able to study the social world using observation and analysis. It also assumes that studies of society can be done freely and without any bias. Another crucial aspect of the theory is the organic aspect of society. It compares society to an organism. That there are various parts of the body that each has their own function. This is analogous to society and its members. It is also important to note the homeostatic nature of interactions. This theory looks at society as a system that must remain in equilibrium. Any deviation from this is corrected by a number of mechanisms like gossip or even imprisonment depending on the scenario. Conclusion Interactionists believe that social order is continuously remade as people interact. Social order is not static and changes with time. Functionalists believe that order within society exists as a result of an agreement between members of society. That is collective behavioural patterns that are regarded as the norm in society. Again, the theory strongly affirms that social order does exist. Marxists believe that social order is created from a struggle to gain control of limited resources while ethnomethodologists mould situations to fit into a certain behavioural pattern. All these theories attempt to explain why human beings behave the way the do either as individuals or as a group on a macro scale. This is the essence of sociology.

Common Themes in Poetry Essay -- Mid-Term Break Follower Poetry Poems

Common Themes in Poetry After reading and analysing numerous poems, I have chosen two examples of the famous Irish Poet, Seamus Heaney's work: 'Follower' and 'Mid-Term Break'. Both poems relate to the poet's past, and are certainly associated with a specific 'loss' of a loved one - one a literal loss, and the other a subconscious loss. 'Mid-Term Break', which I found to be a very touching and poignant poem, describes the loss of the poet's younger brother, Christopher when Heaney was a child, hence the poem is of a childhood tragedy as well as a loss. It's set in three places - the introduction is situated in the college sick bay; the main body of the poem is set in Heaney's brother's funeral, and the final setting is the small child's bedroom. The poet is awaiting his neighbours' car in the college sick bay, as they're going to escort him to the funeral. Evidence is given of 'death' in the second line: - "Counting bells knelling classes to a close" This metaphorical sentence creates a morbid atmosphere from the out-set, and the alliteration and hard consonants suggest that the 'wait' for his neighbours' car is excruciatingly long and daunting which underlines two things - childhood impatience and the fact that something is troubling him. 'Change' is sensed here also due to the fact that his neighbours are driving him home - as we know, the negative change is Christopher's death. Within the aspect of 'change', this is merely the 'tip of the iceberg', as many more unfamiliar experiences await him. The 'child's prospective' is cleverly brought into the second, third, fourth and fifth stanzas as a consequence of the poet's confusion and the contradictive scenes he witnesses as he walks into the fa... ...Seamus Heaney's childhood' is a fair summary of 'Mid-Term Break' and 'Follower', both linked to a specific loss - one, the death of the poet's four year old brother in a road accident; the other, the loss of the poet's father to old age. Both poems show the poet's use of transforming a situation from bad to good: in 'Mid-Term Break', 'the room' is not a deathly enclosure with a 'corpse' within, but a scene of tranquillity soothed by candles, with a little boy 'wearing a poppy bruise on his left temple' peacefully travelling to Heaven; in 'Follower', the setting is not a boring day in the fields ploughing, it's a small boy's idolisation of his father and attempt to follow in his footsteps. Whatever differences exist between both poems, the message is one: Losing is one of the hardest things a human being can witness, but we all have to lose in the end.

Lord of the Flies by Sir William Golding

Lord of the Flies was the first novel published by Sir William Golding. Although Golding had published an anthology of poems nearly two decades before writing Lord of the Flies, this novel was his first extensive narrative work and is informed by his scientific training an academic background. In many ways Lord of the Flies is a hypothetical treatment of particular scientific concerns. It places a group of young English boys on a deserted island where they must develop their own society, in essence constructing a sociological experiment in which these boys must develop without any societal influences to shape them. In fact the beginning chapters of the novel parallel assumptions about human evolution, as the characters â€Å"discover† fire and form levels of political authority. However, what concerns Golding in Lord of the Flies is the nature of evil as demonstrated by the boys on the island. He concludes that the evil actions that the boys commit are inherent in human nature and can only be controlled by societal mores and rationality, as exemplified by the characters Piggy and Ralph. Although the novel does not adhere to themes particular to one religious tradition, in Lord of the Flies Golding draws upon a great deal of religious symbolism updated to conform to more contemporary ideas of human psychology. The title character,' the pig's head that Simon dubs the â€Å"lord of the flies† is a translation of the Hebrew word Ba'alzevuv, or its Greek equivalent Beelzebub. For Golding, this devil comes from within the human psyche rather than acting as an external force, as implied by Judeo-Christian teachings. Golding employs this religious reference in more Freudian terms. The devil that is the â€Å"lord of the flies† represents the Freudian conception of the Id, the driving amoral force that works solely to ensure its own survival. The â€Å"lord of the flies† directly confronts the most spiritually motivated character of the novel, Simon, who functions as a prophet-martyr for the other boys. Lord of the Flies is firmly rooted in the sociopolitical concerns of its era. Published during the first decade of the Cold War, the novel contains obvious parallels to the struggle between liberal democracy and totalitarianism. Ralph represents the liberal tradition, while Jack, before he succumbs to total anarchism, can be interpreted as representing military dictatorship. In its structure as an adventure the novel further resembles the science-fiction genre that reemerged as a popular form of literature during the fifties. Symbolism played an important part in the development of story. This narrative technique is used to give significance to certain people or objects, which represent some other figure. Piggy and glasses represents clear-sightedness, intelligence. Their state represents the status of social order. Ralph, the Conch represents democracy and order. Simon represents pure goodness or Christ figure. Roger represents evils or Satan. Jack represents savagery and anarchy. The island represents the world where people live. The scar represents man’s destruction or destructive forces. The beast represents the evil residing within everyone or   the dark side of human nature. The Lord of the Flies represents the Devil and great danger or evil. There are many other aspects in the story that may be considered symbolism, but the several that I mentioned are probably the most significant. Another good example of symbolism is the shape of the island. The boat shape of the island is an ancient symbol of civilization. The water current around the island seems to be â€Å"flowing backwards,† giving the subtle impression that civilization may be going backwards for the island or its inhabitants. William Golding presented numerous themes and basic ideas that give the reader something to think about. One of the most basic and obvious themes is that society holds everyone together, and without these conditions, our ideals, values, and the basics of right and wrong are lost. Without society's rigid rules, anarchy and savagery can come to light. Golding is also showing that morals come directly from our surroundings, and if there is no civilization around us, we will lose these values. Other characteristics of human beings that he showed in the book are that people will abuse power when it's not earned. When given a chance, people often take advantage or degrade others to improve their own security. The author also showed that you can only cover up inner savagery so long before it breaks out, given the right situation. Just like what happened to Jack. He also showed in the book that it's better to examine the consequences of a decision before you make it than to discover them afterward. Another theme in the book that I have observed is that the fear of the unknown can be a powerful force, which can turn you to either insight or hysteria. Just like what happened when they fear the unknown figure that they saw in the island which led them to murder Simon. I agree with the author’s theories on the basic nature of human beings. Without the values or morals being taught in our society and the basic knowledge of good and evil people will have a tendency to become savage or evil because it is part of the human nature. It goes back to the fall of the first man named Adam. After the fall, sin became a part of the human nature. Without the teachings of good values and morals, savagery will manifest in people.   

History and development of Bengali journalism Essay

Bengal, especially Calcutta (presently Kolkata) was the cradle of journalism in India. The first newspaper of India Hickey’s Bengal Gazette was published in Kolkata in 1780. So were the first four non-English newspapers- in Bengali, Urdu, Hindi and Persian. Several language newspapers owe their birth to Kolkata in some form or the other; for example the Oriya types were manufactured in Serampore, a suburb of Kolkata. The year 1818 marks the beginning of Bengali journalism. Samachar Darpan was the first newspaper in Bengali language. It was published by Serampore Mission press on May 23, 1818. Started by missionaries Carey and Marshman, it began as a monthly, but soon converted into a weekly. It carried both Indian and foreign news. It became bilingual in 1829 carrying Bengali and English news in parallel columns. After surviving a number of crises, it closed down in 1852. Digdarshan was also published in 1818. In 1821 a remarkable Bengali journal Sambad Kaumadi was published under the patronage of Raja Ram Mohan Roy. But it did not survive for long. Sambad Pravakar was the first Bengali daily newspaper published in 1839, patronized by Iswar Chandra Gupta. It was followed by Tattobodhini, published by Akhya Kumar Dutta in 1843. The other Bengali journals during this time were Samachar Chandrika, Bangadoot, Sambad Pravakar, Vividhartha Sangrah (1851), Masik Patra (1854), and Som Prakash (1851). The first weekly within the territory of today’s Bangladesh, Rangpur Bartabaha, was published in 1847 from Rangpur and the first weekly from Dhaka, Dacca News, was published in 1856. The long lasting Dhaka Prakash was first published in 1861 and Dhaka Darpan in 1863. They early Bengali papers took up the cause of the oppressed workers in the ndigo plantation, and of the peasants. Notable among them were the Som Prakash, the Grambartha Prakashika and the Amrita Bazar Patrika (before it became an English weekly). They created problems for the government with their exposure of the exploitation of labour in plantations and on the fields, and violent denunciation of the European planters and the government. In the course of this campaign, a number of newspapers were started in villages and districts. The press and machinery used to print them were of the crudest type and the publisher and editor conducted the journals almost as family business. But despite the questionable quality of the ‘product’, it did achieve one remarkable feat: establish the credential of the newspaper as a powerful force. Bengali journalism also carried the message of Bengal renaissance. Most of them actively sought social and cultural reform. However, there were some, who opposed the reforms resulting in a social churning which is the hall mark of any renaissance. The Bengali press was a terror to the British administration and all the drastic press laws were particularly aimed against them. It had powerful editors and writers who reached out to the masses in the distant villages with their clarion call to fight against injustice, racial prejudice and maladministration. They were the earliest to demand self-Government and assail the Moderate leaders of the nationalist movement with timidity and lack of courage to demand what was the birthright of Indians. The Bengali Press suffered the most in the reprisals launched by the Government after the mutiny in 1857. Till the 80s of the nineteenth century Bengal was the hub of newspaper publication. A survey of the Indian Language Press by Sir George Campbell in 1876 showed that half of the total number of 38 newspapers was published from Kolkata. However, by end 19th century newspapers have started publishing from all across the country. End 19th century saw some remarkable newspapers coming out from Bengal. The Sulava Samachar of the Indian Reform Association was started in 1870 by Keshab Chandra Sen. It was a weekly, priced one pice per copy. It had a circulation of 3,500 copies and was the most popular weekly of the period. Another journal which was also popular was the Haishakar Patrika edited by Babu Kisari Mohan Ganguli. The first newspaper to espouse the cause of the working class, Bharat Sharmajibi, was started as a weekly at about this time. The first Bengali daily to adopt modern methods of production was the Basumati (1880) which was edited by Krishna Kamal Bhattacharya. Surendranath Banerejee published Bengalee. The editor of Bengalee faced contempt of court proceedings and imprisonment when it voiced public indignation in 1883 against a High Court Judge who ordered Hindu idols to be produced in court as evidence. The paper which became a daily in 1900 was the first language paper to subscribe to Reuter’s foreign news service. Through the Bande Mataram, another important newspaper of this period Aurobindo Ghosh proclaimed his philosophy and the â€Å"new Path† which meant passive resistance as an instrument of political action. An associate of the Bengalee was the Nayak (1908), published by Panch Cowrie Bannerjee. In 1922 came the Ananda Bazar Patrika, started by Mrinal Kanti Ghosh, Prafulla Kumar Sarkar and Suresh Chandra Majumdar. Together with its English counterpart, Hindustan Standard, it played a glorious role in the freedom movement. Another daily Jugantar, was started in 1937 by the management of the Amrita Bazar Patrika. After Gandhi took over the leadership of the national movement, the Bangalee and Nayak which were the organs of the Moderates, lost ground rapidly in spite of official support because of the tremendous pressure exerted by C. R. Das who was the undisputed Congress leader in Bengal. Post Independence Bengali papers suffered after the partition in 1947 because they lost a good slice of their readers in the new East Pakistan, which in 1971 became a new independent country: Bangladesh. Notable newspapers started in the first two decades after the independence included Loksevak (1948) and Jansevak owned by the Congress leader, Atulay Ghosh. Among the doyen of Bengali journalism, mention must be made of Chapala Kanta Bhattacharya, who was the editor of the Ananda Bazar Patrika and was president of the All-India Newspaper Editors Conference and Hemandra Prasad Ghosh, who started the Basumati in 1914. Hemendra Prasad Ghosh was a member of the Editors’ delegation which visited the war front in 1918. He had the distinction of being a pioneer in establishing an exclusive news services for his paper. Vivekananada Mukherjee was one of the greatest newspaper editors of Bengal. Under him Jugantar scaled great heights. The Bengali press today is the third largest numerical group after Hindi and English. There were 1662 newspapers in 1984 as against 1583 in 1983. Of them 52 are dailies and 433 weeklies. By 2007-8 the total number of number grew to 3244 as per RNI, of which 125 were dailies. As per the Indian Readership Survey Q2 for the year 2011 results the five most read Bengali newspapers were: Anand Bazar Patrika1 (Redership: 59. 2 lakh), Bartaman2 (29. 63 lakh), Sangbad Pratidin3 (9. 58 lakh), Ganashakti4 (7. 9 lakh) and Aajkal5 (6. 28 lakh) Calcutta was the second place in India to have a radio station after Bombay. In British India, broadcasting started in June 1923 with programmes by the Radio Club of Bombay, followed by other radio clubs. Then, by an agreement of 1926 the private Indian Broadcasting Company (IBC) was granted permission to operate two radio stations; the Bombay station was inaugurated on 23 July 1927, the Calcutta station followed on 26 August 1927. Calcutta had its first Television station (named Doordarshan) in 1975. In June, 1984, Calcutta Doordarshan entered the world of colour transmission. By mid 2011 there were over 15 stations of All India Radio in West Bengal. There were over 20 private radio stations in West Bengal including Radio Mirchi, Radio One, Red FM (Kolkata, Asansol and Siliguri), Big, Friends, Power, Aamar, Fever, Radio Meow, Radio Misty, High and Nine (Siligudi). There were three campus radio stations in SRFTI, Jadavpur University and Netaji Subhas Open Univeristy.