Free Essays on Night Of The Scorpion

There are many instances in the poem that the writer has used language to create impressions and contrasts. In using the word ‘diabolic’ (line 3) for instance, the scorpion is seen as being an evil or cruel creature. The poet also uses the metaphor of ‘the Evil One’ (line 5) to describe the scorpion. This contrasts with the his overall portrayal of the scorpion as not being the villain as it was ‘driven’ (line 2) from the constant rain to take shelter beneath a sack of rice and then having to ‘risk the rain again’ (line 4) after the peasants came, presumably scared of them. Another contrast is found when the neighbours have ‘peace of understanding’ (line 14) while the poet’s mother lay ‘twisted†¦groaning on a mat’ (line 16). It is incongruous that they are at peace because of her pain. They are not doing anything apparent to the woman while she is suffering. The poet compares the peasants to ‘swarm of flies’ (line 4). This is striking as flies are insects and scorpions are arachnids. He uses an insect image as a reaction to the arachnid’s sting. He further extends the simile when he describes how the villagers ‘buzzed the Name of God’ (line 5). This gives the reader an impression that he finds them an irritant. This impression is reinforced by the following line: ‘More candles, more lanterns, / More neighbours...’ (lines 14 and 15). This clearly shows his frustration as more and more peasants arrive with candles and lanterns but not doing much else to actively relieve the pain his mother is going through. Another instance of the poet’s uneasiness with the neighbours is evident when he describes how their candles and lanterns throw ‘giant scorpion shadows’ (line 6). Since the scorpion has parted, the images on the walls have to be those of the neighbours – shaped like a scorpion. He seems to imply that they are more of a burden than help. The poet effectively portrays a sens... Free Essays on Night Of The Scorpion Free Essays on Night Of The Scorpion There are many instances in the poem that the writer has used language to create impressions and contrasts. In using the word ‘diabolic’ (line 3) for instance, the scorpion is seen as being an evil or cruel creature. The poet also uses the metaphor of ‘the Evil One’ (line 5) to describe the scorpion. This contrasts with the his overall portrayal of the scorpion as not being the villain as it was ‘driven’ (line 2) from the constant rain to take shelter beneath a sack of rice and then having to ‘risk the rain again’ (line 4) after the peasants came, presumably scared of them. Another contrast is found when the neighbours have ‘peace of understanding’ (line 14) while the poet’s mother lay ‘twisted†¦groaning on a mat’ (line 16). It is incongruous that they are at peace because of her pain. They are not doing anything apparent to the woman while she is suffering. The poet compares the peasants to ‘swarm of flies’ (line 4). This is striking as flies are insects and scorpions are arachnids. He uses an insect image as a reaction to the arachnid’s sting. He further extends the simile when he describes how the villagers ‘buzzed the Name of God’ (line 5). This gives the reader an impression that he finds them an irritant. This impression is reinforced by the following line: ‘More candles, more lanterns, / More neighbours...’ (lines 14 and 15). This clearly shows his frustration as more and more peasants arrive with candles and lanterns but not doing much else to actively relieve the pain his mother is going through. Another instance of the poet’s uneasiness with the neighbours is evident when he describes how their candles and lanterns throw ‘giant scorpion shadows’ (line 6). Since the scorpion has parted, the images on the walls have to be those of the neighbours – shaped like a scorpion. He seems to imply that they are more of a burden than help. The poet effectively portrays a sens...

William Hazlitt on Style - Classic British Essays

William Hazlitt on Style - Classic British Essays A master of invective and irony, essayist William Hazlitt was one of the great prose stylists of the 19th century. In On Familiar Style (originally published in the London Magazine and reprinted in Table Talk, 1822), Hazlitt explains his preference for plain words and popular modes of construction. On Familiar Style (excerpts) by William Hazlitt (1778-1830) It is not easy to write a familiar style. Many people mistake a familiar for a vulgar style, and suppose that to write without affectation is to write at random. On the contrary, there is nothing that requires more precision, and, if I may so say, purity of expression, than the style I am speaking of. It utterly rejects not only all unmeaning pomp, but all low, cant phrases, and loose, unconnected, slipshod allusions. It is not to take the first word that offers, but the best word in common use; it is not to throw words together in any combinations we please, but to follow and avail ourselves of the true idiom of the language. To write a genuine familiar or truly English style, is to write as any one would speak in common conversation who had a thorough command and choice of words, or who could discourse with ease, force, and perspicuity, setting aside all pedantic and oratorical flourishes. Or, to give another illustration, to write naturally is the same thing in regard to common co nversation as to read naturally is in regard to common speech. . . It is easy to affect a pompous style, to use a word twice as big as the thing you want to express: it is not so easy to pitch upon the very word that exactly fits it. Out of eight or ten words equally common, equally intelligible, with nearly equal pretensions, it is a matter of some nicety and discrimination to pick out the very one, the preferableness of which is scarcely perceptible, but decisive. . . . The proper force of words lies not in the words themselves, but in their application. A word may be a fine-sounding word, of an unusual length, and very imposing from its learning and novelty, and yet in the connection in which it is introduced may be quite pointless and irrelevant. It is not pomp or pretension, but the adaptation of the expression to the idea, that clinches a writers meaning:as it is not the size or glossiness of the materials, but their being fitted each to its place, that gives strength to the arch; or as the pegs and nails are as necessary to the support of the building as the larger timber, and more so than the mere showy, unsubstantial ornaments. I hate anything that occupies more space than it is worth. I hate to see a load of band-boxes go along the street, and I hate to see a parcel of big words without anything in them. A person who does not deliberately dispose of all his thoughts alike in cumbrous draperies and flimsy disguises, may strike out twenty vari eties of familiar every-day language, each coming somewhat nearer to the feeling he wants to convey, and at last not hit upon that particular and only one which may be said to be identical with the exact impression in his mind. . . . It is as easy to write a gaudy style without ideas, as it is to spread a pallet of showy colours, or to smear in a flaunting transparency. What do you read,Words, words, words.What is the matter?Nothing, it might be answered. The florid style is the reverse of the familiar. The last is employed as an unvarnished medium to convey ideas; the first is resorted to as a spangled veil to conceal the want of them. When there is nothing to be set down but words, it costs little to have them fine. Look through the dictionary and cull out a florilegium, rival the tulippomania. Rouge high enough, and never mind the natural complexion. The vulgar, who are not in the secret, will admire the look of preternatural health and vigour; and the fashionable, who regard only appearances, will be delighted with the imposition. Keep to your sounding generalities, your tinkling phrases, and all will be well. Swell out an unmeaning truism to a perfect tympany of style. A thought, a distinction is the rock on which all this brittle cargo of verbiage splits at once. Such writers have merely verbal imaginations, that retain nothing but words. Or their puny thoughts have dragon-wings, all green and gold. They soar far above the vulgar failing of the Sermo humi obrepenstheir most ordinary speech is never short of an hyperbole, splendid, imposing, vague, incomprehensible, magniloquent, a cento of sounding common-places. If some of us, whose ambition is more lowly, pry a little too narrowly into nooks and corners to pick up a number of unconsidered trifles, they never once direct their eyes or lift their hands to seize on any but the most gorgeous, tarnished, thread-bare, patchwork set of phrases, the left-off finery of poetic extravagance, transmitted down through successive generations of barren pretenders . . .. (1822) The full text of On Familiar Style appears in Selected Writings, by William Hazlitt (Oxford University Press, 1999). Also by William Hazlitt: On the Feeling of Immortality in YouthOn Going a Journey

CSR initiative and its correct perspective Essay

CSR initiative and its correct perspective - Essay Example He has the reputation of being a tough official to deal with and the one who gives quick decisions, if convinced about the merit of the proposal. My project related to the grant of $100000 to a NGO that managed a half-way-home for women inmates released from prisons. The NGO supported them for one year from the date of release or till such time they were assimilated in the society, by assisting them to get proper employment, whichever was earlier. â€Å"I have just one question,† the HRD Manager asked in a firm tone, â€Å"Why should we help the criminals? They were put behind the bars after the due process of law, for having committed crimes. They do not deserve sympathy.† I had anticipated the question. I said, â€Å"Sir, no one is a born criminal. By helping a woman to lead a normal life, we not only help one individual, but save a generation. Dire circumstances make one a criminal and many crimes are committed on the spur of the moment. Crime-free world is in the i nterest of the business establishments.† My project caught his imagination and he sanctioned the grant saying, â€Å"Alright boy, you’re up.† 2. What you do is important in business, but how you do what you do is more important: The showroom of this distributor and the premises where he kept stocks stood devastated.

Sunset Boulevard Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Sunset Boulevard - Essay Example film director Max Von Mayerling’s manipulation of Norma Desmond by paving her way to stardom and later on exerted his manipulative efforts to prevent the former star’s depression from plummeting further. In the persisting cycle of manipulation, Norma Desmond also plays the part of a manipulator as manifested in her relationship with writer Joe Gillis wherein she pays Gillis to keep her company later on caused her to murder the young writer. This manipulation continues its cycle in Hollywood at present with young actors and actresses being manipulated by the film industry who benefited from these actors and actresses when they were young and later on became less profitable as the young stars became exposed with the privileges of fame resulting to self-destruction and eventually losing their jobs as actors and actresses. The film industry produced child stars who in the long run became either self-destructive, had unstable family life, end of their acting careers or sadly, leads to their death An example of such is actress Lindsay Lohan who is currently on the news because of her drinking problems. Producers and other influential people in the motion picture business can’t even intervene and help Lohan on her drinking problem. Another example is actor Brad Renfro who had a constant problem with drugs and died only this year. Fans are also manipulated by these producers and influential few in the film industry by covering up the repulsive acts of the hottest stars while making profits out of these stars while feeding the fans with illusive stories and faà §ades of the profitable stars and later on withdrawing their support on these stars when they are no longer profitable because they had become uncontrollable in their wayward activities. Although some fans still remain devoted to celebrities, producers will not even consider these faded stars for neither a lead role nor a tiny role in their new films. Some fans maintain their admiration and respect for these

The Graduate Essay -- essays papers

The Graduate This paper will be both a critique as well as an analysis of the relationships between both my generation and the time period in which the movie took place. In the critique, I which to look at the movie score and the dependency that I felt Ben and Katherine had for each other. There were several issues that I felt my generation had in common with Ben's generation. These issues were the need to rebel and the detachment we feel from our parents. There were several aspects of the movie, which I think should have been removed. The first aspect is the movie score, which was sung by Paul Simon and composed by Simon and Garfunckel. In my opinion, the music was very folksy. Folksy in the way that it should be something that people meditate to not listen to on a movie screen. I also felt the movie score did not fit in with the movie, because the music was too mundane for the fast pace of the movie. The next aspect is the dependency that Ben and Katherine had for the other. I do believe that they really loved each other, but that each person represented something that the other did not see in themselves. I felt that Katherine saw in Ben his rebellious behavior which she wish she had and Ben wished that he had Katherine's quiet and peaceful spirit. I really felt this movie related to my generation because it touched on a few important issues that are still common now. These issues are the need to rebel from society, and the detachment from the parent...

Acceptable subject for the play Essay

A taboo subject is a subject that people are embarrassed or find difficult to talk about. Death is a taboo subject because most people are scared of death and don’t want to about it. Usually, when people are talking about taboo subjects, they make it sound better than it is. This is called a euphemism. Lee Hall makes it acceptable in many ways. The first thing is that death is introduced very early on (the first page) so the audience won’t be surprised by it later on, â€Å"the poor lady who dies so well† â€Å"If I could ever grow up. I would †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.do the dying† Also death is introduced with the opera to make death seem beautiful and like an art. The opera is played at various points throughout the play to keep the theme of the staged and beautiful opera going. Spoonface thinks she understands death, â€Å"and the dying makes me so clear† which makes the audience feel better because she feels she knows what is happening but isn’t scared at all. She has a childlike attitude and isn’t embarrassed to talk about anything. She says everything exactly how it is so the audience know exactly what’s going on. She doesn’t use euphemisms to make things sound better than they are, â€Å"I was backwards† â€Å"And now I was going to die†. The audience now know that spoonface knows she is going to die. Normally this could be quite upsetting for the audience because no one likes to hear about people dying but spoonface doesn’t seem to mind therefore the audience are made to believe that the fact spoonface is dying is not too important. Later on in the play, Spoonface, her mum and her dad find out that she can ‘do numbers’. They think that she is a genius which is good because then there isn’t the feeling that Spoonface is extremely unfortunate and nothing ever goes right for her. The audience now know that Spoonface has got her own special thing that she is better at than most people which could make the audience less upset about her condition. Spoonface is not scared of death because she believes that when she dies, she will go to heaven as she believes in God, â€Å"God came and touched me on my head†. This faith she has makes the death seem a lot less worse because the audience know she believes in life after death and spoonface doesn’t seem to mind about the fact she is dying. Because Spoonface doesn’t seem to mind dying, the audience could get mixed feelings. Either they feel better because she doesn’t mind dying or they feel worse because they think Spoonface doesn’t understand what dying is. When Spoonface goes into the hospital, Doctor Bernstein talks openly about the holocaust and concentration camps and spoonface interprets it into her own words quite graphically. This puts Spoonfaces condition into perspective and sort of makes the audience feel more sympathetic towards Doctor Bernstein rather than having everyone focusing their attention on Spoonface. This doesn’t actually make death more bearable, it just gives the audience something tragic to think about to make Spoonface seem less unfortunate. Another thing is the slight humour of the play. It must have been a hard subject to put humour into but Lee Hall did this very well. An example of this humour is when Spoonface gives her list, â€Å"I was supposed to die†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ and we had fish fingers. † Spoonface thinks that having fish fingers for dinner is just as important as the fact she will die. Everyone knows that these two facts are not as important as each other and that having fish fingers is not really important at all. Because Spoonface thinks these things are of equal importance, the audience are led to think that death is not really important either. Lee Hall has written this play through the perspective of a naive child (Spoonface) so he can say whatever he wants and be as blunt as he wants. There are layers of meaning throughout the play because of Spoonfaces naivety. At the end of the play, Spoonface talks about ‘the sparks’. This is her idea of the point of life and death. She believes it is her destiny to be the way she is and that she has found her ‘spark’ and that once you find the spark there isn’t any point in you being alive. The audience think that she has completed what she was put on the earth to do therefore she isn’t really needed. The final point is that after reading the play, the audience gain better awareness and understanding of the play and it may alter people’s perspective on life and could make more people be happy to be alive.

Oedipus Rex and Aristotle Essay example - 894 Words

The Six Elements of a Tragedy in â€Å"Oedipus Rex† Aristotle’s â€Å"The Poetics† describes the process of a tragedy. It is not the guide per se of writing a tragedy but is the idea’s Aristotle collected while studying tragedies. A tragedy, according to Aristotle, consists of six major points. The first and most important is the plot, which is what all the other points are based on. Such points are: character, language, thought, melody, and spectacle (Aristotle). A prime example of the usage of these parts in a tragic drama is evident in Sophocles’ â€Å"Oedipus Rex†. The plot of a tragedy usually consists of a tragic hero’s fall from grace. Aristotle describes plot in two ways a simple plot and a complex one. In a simple plot a fall from†¦show more content†¦Oedipus flaw is he does not know who he is this ignorance leads to him bringing about his own downfall. Next on the list of elements of a drama is thought. Th e element thought is used to support character and is evident in the speeches’ of the characters (Aristotle). These speeches reveal the thoughts and feelings of the character; further allowing the reader to develop a relationship with the character. In â€Å"Oedipus Rex† thought is illustrated in the speech Oedipus makes when he realizes the truth about his situations. Language, or diction, is fourth on the list of a tragedy major points. Aristotle points out that metaphors are the most useful form of language in a tragedy. The main metaphor portrayed in â€Å"Oedipus Rex† is that of sight and blindness. The king things he sees all but in reality he is blind to the truth. Ironically the only one who can see the truth is the blind seer Teiresias. Oedipus begins the play able to see but is blind and ends the play blind but able to see. The fifth major point in a tragedy is melody. Melody involves the chorus of the drama. Aristotle contends that the cho rus should not be just be an intermission but should add to the plot and character of the tragedy (Aristotle). This is exemplified in â€Å"Oedipus Rex† in lines INSERT BOOK QUOTE. The last and least important element of tragedy is spectacle. Aristotle rates this last because itShow MoreRelatedOedipus Rex900 Words   |  4 PagesThe philosopher Aristotle wrote his work Poetics as a deconstruction of aesthetics approximately 50 years after the death of Sophocles, the author of Oedipus Rex. Aristotle was a great admirer of the works of Sophocles and is said to have considered Oedipus Rex to be the perfect tragedy and the basis for his thoughts in Poetics. He defines tragedy as, â€Å"an imitation of an action that is serious, complete, and of a certain magnitude; in language embellished with each kind of artistic ornament, theRead MoreOedipus Rex as Aristotalian Tragedy1506 Words   |  7 Pagesplaywright, Sophocles modeled his play Oedipus Rex on Aristotles definition a nd analysis of tragedy.Since according to Aristotles definition, A tragedy is an imitation of action that is serious, complete and of a certain magnitude; in language embellished artistic ornaments, the several kinds being found in separate parts of the play; in the form of action, not narrative with incidents that evokes pity and fear of a persons emotions. Also Aristotle identified the basic six parts a tragedyRead More Sophocles’ Oedipus Rex Fulfills All of the Requirements of a Tragedy1088 Words   |  5 PagesSophocles’ Oedipus Rex Fulfills All of the Requirements of a Tragedy Throughout Poetics, Aristotle describes what traits a tragedy must have to be successful. To support these choices, he makes use of a small analysis of many tragedies, including many of Sophocles’ plays; Oedipus Rex is one of the plays mentioned in Aristotle’s Poetics. Some of these traits include a successful plot structure, recognition scenes, and a correct choice for its hero. In Oedipus Rex, Sophocles fulfills all ofRead MoreGreek Mythology And Mythology Of The Iliad, Oedipus Rex And Others1294 Words   |  6 Pagesthey used often in their works; examples of this are seen in the Iliad, Oedipus Rex and others. The existence of Greek mythology and narratives plays a significant role in shaping the arts, most notably dance and performance. It also prompted the Aristotle Poetics that discussed the value of six specific traits in every tragedy. It has even encouraged the usage in other fields of study, the most notably the existence of the Oedipus complex. The inclu sion of different narratives, and symbolisms helpRead MoreThe Three Themes of Oedipus Rex1106 Words   |  4 PagesThemes of Oedipus Rex The contrast between trust in the gods oracles and trust in intelligence and pride plays out in Oedipus Rex. Of course, the irony is, that Oedipuss and the oracles’ methods both lead to the same fallout. Oedipuss hunt for truth reveals just that, and the truth confirms the oracles prophecies. Oedipus kills his father and marries his mother. The irony is that the reader knows this from the very start of this Greek drama. There is also irony in the fact that Oedipus is theRead MoreOedipus Rex Research Paper1035 Words   |  5 PagesOedipus Rex Oedipus Rex is one of the most well written plays. Oedipus Rex has a tragic flaw which leads to his destruction. Oedipus’ flaw leads him to suffer and arouses Pity and Fear from the crowd; Scared that it could happen to them. The Unity of Plot has a beginning, middle and end, along with that Oedipus grows in knowledge about his birthing, but is ignorant for not realizing he brought the problems on Thebes. Oedipus is a confident, wise and strong-willed character, but these characteristicsRead MoreIs Oedipus Rex A High Minded Man?782 Words   |  3 Pages11  October,  2014   Does  Oedipus  fit  the  qualities  of  a  high ­minded  man?      In   Greek   society   entertainment,   like   the   theatre,   was   an   enormous   part   of   many   lives.   Theatre   represented   a   culture   and   values   found   in   Greek   society.   Theatre   was   also   a   way   for   many   different   of   people   to   enjoy   similar   things,   despite   being   from   different   classes.   ​ Oedipus   Rex   was   one   of   the   major   plays   shown   in   Greek   society.   Sophocles’   Oedipus   Rex   ​ tells   the   hardship  Read MoreOedipus Rex As Tragedy : The Philosopher Must Be Crazy845 Words   |  4 PagesOedipus Rex as Tragedy: The Philosopher Must Be Crazy Throughout the ages many scholars have agreed with Aristotle s assessment of Oedipus Rex (the Athenian tragedy written by Sophocles) as the truest form of tragedy; however, modern viewers might remark that it is unworthy of such praise and instead should be exemplified as the proof that an addition to Aristotle s ideal of tragedy itself is required: the element of timelessness. Throughout history, many have believed that man s ability to produceRead MoreEssay on The Heart of Tragedy Based on Oedipus Rex600 Words   |  3 Pagesthe Ancient Greek period, Aristotle, a great philosopher, wrote a book called the Poetics to describe what makes a great tragic play. Using the Oedipus Rex by Sophocles as the basis for his book, Aristotle goes into great detail about plot, character, and much more, breaking up the components of a tragedy. Since Oedipus Rex had a huge part in the creation of Aristotle’s book, it fulfills many of the Greek philosopher’s requirements for a tragic p lay. According to Aristotle, plot is one of the mostRead MoreOedipus Rex As Modern Tragedy : Catharsis Or Cognitive Emotion883 Words   |  4 PagesOedipus Rex as Modern Tragedy: Catharsis or Cognitive Emotion Oedipus Rex, an Athenian tragedy written by Sophocles, tells the tale of a noble king brought low by a serious of harrowing events set in motion by the Gods and unwittingly furthered by the actions of the king. Aristotle believed that Oedipus Rex was the prime example of the tragedy; however, modern readers might entertain that the play is unworthy of such praise. In this paper I will put forth the argument that Oedipus Rex, though heartfelt