Compare and contrast Essay Example for Free

Compare and contrast Essay In this coursework I will be examining 3 different newspaper articles about the famous fight between Frank Bruno and Tim Witherspoon. All 3 articles were published the morning after the fight so none of them would have had the hindsight of what the others had said. The articles are A Brave Bruno Fails from The Star, Bruno left In A Wasteland from The Guardian and Fans Hail Bruno As Title Bid Fails from The Daily Mail. There are 2 different types of newspaper these are tabloid and broadsheet. Broadsheet newspapers have an average reading age of about 14 whereas the average reading age of tabloids is only 7-8. From the 3 newspapers The Daily Mail and The Star are tabloids whereas The Guardian is a Broadsheet. The way the articles start and finish is important. In The Star the first paragraph is a single long sentence. This isnt something you would expect from a tabloid. The Guardian also has one long sentence for the first paragraph. This is something you would expect more from the Guardian, as it is a Broadsheet. The first paragraph in The Daily Mail is split into more than one sentence, something you expect more from a tabloid. The way the 3 articles end is also interesting. The Star ends very complimentary of Frank Bruno. It says how he showed strength and courage, how he had a heart of a lion. It ends on a triumphant note, saying that Bruno has not lost everything. The Guardian ends with some quotes from Frank Witherspoon. He is being a good sportsman, saying how Bruno could come back again if he wanted to. It also says I said those rippling muscles of his were no good. This is probably what Frank Witherspoon said before the fight. Before a fight both the fighters would have been insulting the other persons fighting, trying to psyche themselves up and put down their opponents. This is what Witherspoon was saying before the fight, about Brunos muscles. Now the fight has finished and he has won he is being nice and saying that he didnt mean it. The Guardian also ends on a high note. This is the person that has just beaten Bruno saying that he could come back. This is a good point for all fans of frank Bruno. The Daily Mail finishes by giving details about the end of the fight. It tells us how Frank Brunos manager, Terry Lawless, threw in the towel. This signifies the ends of a boxing fight. This article ends on a slightly negative note. Frank Bruno has lost the fight and the heavyweight title stays in American hands. The general mood in each article is different. The Star article is slightly triumphant. Words like strength and courage are used. There is even a feeling of splendour when majestic words such as conquering and king are used. It is not all happy though, there is a slight sign of sadness, using words like pathos and sadly. The Guardian article is disappointed. It starts being not very nice about Bruno, wondering whether he was ready for the fight. At the end it starts with a glimmer of hope, with Witherspoon saying how Bruno could come back if he wanted. The Daily Mail article has a very hopeful mood. It goes on about how Bruno may have lost the fight but he grew in status and has earned everyones respect. The fans have not turned against him and sang Frankie, we love you. Even after he had lost they still loved him. The article has an encouraging mood, all is not lost. The 3 articles, although they are all about the same event, concentrate on different aspects of it. The Star article concentrates almost entirely on Frank Bruno himself. The first column is all about a conversation taking place between Bruno and his manager. His opponent Witherspoon isnt mentioned until the bottom of the first column. He is given only 1 paragraph out of the first 6. After this he is not mentioned for the rest of the article. It does mention how the heavyweight title remains in American hands as Witherspoon won, but this only mentions the country. That is at the top of the second column and after this the rest of the column is back to Bruno. The Daily Mail gives a very detailed description of the actual fight. There are also a lot of exact figures given. There is a 42,000 crowd paid more than i 2 million. The other articles tend to generalise or guess, The Star calls it the nations, and The Guardian calls it thousands. The majority of the article is taken up by the description of the fight. The amount of detail that goes into the description means you can visualise parts of the fight actually happening. It tells us all about how the snap began to go out of his punches, and how he shook Witherspoon with good punches. The Star has a lot to say about the fans admiration of Frank Bruno. It turns the 42,000 crowd mentioned in The Daily Mail article into the whole of England. It talks about the nations longing to see a Briton crowned king. It makes it all very majestic using words like king, turning the boxing fight into a very important event. The Daily Mail has a lot to say about Brunos fans as well. It mentions the 42,000 crowd. It is also the only newspaper to mention money, when it mentions the i 2 million that fans spent on watching Bruno. It goes on to say how much the fans loved Bruno, They sang Frankie, we love you in a demonstration which came from the heart. The Star has a very good attitude towards Bruno. You can see this from the title where it calls Bruno brave. The article mentions the theme tune from the Muhammad Ali film. The haunting theme tune from The Greatest Story Ever Told. This is like The Star is comparing Bruno to Ali. Ali was one the greatest boxer ever so to compare Bruno to him is a very big compliment. It is also saying that Brunos story is also a great story like Muhammad Alis was. The fact that Tim Witherspoon is only mentioned once in the article tells us that The Star doesnt care about him at all, only about Bruno. They dont care that he won the fight; they believe Bruno is the better. Nearer the end of the article there is a sentence in italics. But dont feel guilty Frank, we told him. This is the paper talking to Frank Bruno. The we is referring to The Star. They are telling him not to feel bad that he lost. It then continues to say how he showed strength courage showed the world one Briton with the heart of a lion. This is very complimentary to Bruno, saying he has the heart of a lion is saying he is extremely brave. In The Star article there is a bit where Brunos own words are included. This makes us feel that we are getting close and personal to Bruno. We are getting to know him better. The Guardian is not as nice about Bruno. It says how the rigidity and stiffness of Brunos boxing contrasted with the swinging street-corner style of the man from Philadelphia. It doesnt think that Bruno was a very good boxer at all; it even prefers Witherspoon a bit. It goes on to say that Brunos fighting proved to be no more than drawing material. They are saying that Bruno wasnt ready for the fight. It is as if all of his fighting has been taught to him from a drawing board in a gym somewhere. None of it comes naturally to him. This is mentioned in another articles as well. In The Daily Mail it says the manufacturing of Bruno was incomplete. The Guardian journalist goes on to give Bruno some advice about the fight. Bruno ought to have produced more sweeping moves across the ring This is what The Guardian journalist thinks Bruno should have done. This is only with hindsight that he is able to give this advice though; Witherspoon has already won the match. The Guardian doesnt really compliment Bruno at all. It does say how he held all the aces when it came to reach. The other time it could be interpreted as a compliment in the first paragraph. It says Bruno was like an intrepid explorer trekking the icy waste. Someone who is an intrepid explorer is very brave and fearless. The icy waste is Tim Witherspoon. It is saying that in his fight against Witherspoon Bruno was very brave. In this extended metaphor it goes on to say, suddenly he slipped into a crevasse. The crevasse is his loss against Witherspoon. The Daily Mail has quite a good attitude towards Bruno. It is a lot better than the attitude from The Guardian. It opens with the sentence The only thing Frank Bruno lost at Wembley in the early hours of yesterday was a fight. This means that he grew in status; even though he lost the fight he has gained a lot of peoples respect. It goes on to say how he grew also in the affection of the fans. All of this means the newspaper thinks he fought well. We can see that the newspaper likes Bruno when it continues to say he gave the last ounces of his heart and guts and showed ability enough to suggest a long way into the fight that he had a real winning chance. They are being very kind about Brunos fighting style. But even though they say these things they also mention how the manufacturing of Bruno was incomplete. So The Daily Mail also thinks that Bruno was not ready for the fight. This is backed up earlier in the article when it says how it was a classic clash of Street Fighter and Gym Fighter. This means that Witherspoon is a natural street fighter but Bruno is not, he has been taught everything in a gym.

Jean-Paul Sartre Essay Example for Free

Jean-Paul Sartre Essay Existentialism focuses on the idea that life has no meaning and is considered absurd. Existential philosophers believe that humans create their own values and determine a meaning for their lives because, from the start, the human being does not possess any inherent value or identity. â€Å"Existence precedes essence† is one of the most well-known existential statements and describes how our concrete being is more important than its purpose. The existentialism movement introduced a new way of perceiving life and was illustrated through poetry, visual art and lecturing. Using these methods poets, artists and philosophers were able to convey the understanding that searching for a meaning to life is futile, and pursuing it can lead to the brink of complete comprehension about one’s purpose for existing, and in turn can cause one to recognize that life is only as meaningful as one makes it out to be. In â€Å"Freedom vs. Determinism† by Tom Greening, the poet rhetorically questions how the universe works in order to show the reader the impossibility of knowing why things happen. Greening uses the line â€Å"While we argue, life goes by† to illustrate the point that no matter how much time and effort is put into fighting over why things happen, life will continuously move forward. He is arguing that if we waste time attempting to understand the meaning of life, we will only reach the edge of understanding. Through the struggle to achieve this â€Å"understanding,† our personal lives can begin to elude us. In â€Å"Untitled† by Jackson Pollock, the artist uses abstract paint dripping and brush strokes to express the idea that life is not meant to be understood. With the painting, Pollock is showing how life is abstract at times, especially when its meaning is pursued. This is similar to the idea in the unifying thematic statement of the futility of searching for the meaning of life. Life’s conceivable meaning is not meant to be understood, much like the painting. In â€Å"Existentialism is a Humanism† by Jean-Paul Sartre, the lecturer defends existentialism from criticisms of being pessimistic and gloomy. He explains that man materializes at birth, and only after this occurs can he make something of himself, creating his own life without any outside force pushing him. He states that man is what he conceives himself to be, and nothing else. Sartre says â€Å"man is nothing other than what he makes of himself,† to convey the idea similar to the one in the unifying thematic statement, that life is only as significant as an individual makes it out to be. All three existentialists used their mediums to come to the conclusion that there is not one concrete meaning to life. Each individual puts meaning to their own lives. Through understanding this principle meaning of existentialism, Greening, Pollock and Sartre exhibited the fact that one should realize the mere existence of life is the only thing that matters, and should not be wasted on vain attempts to understand its meaning.

Evaluation Of Hrm Policies In Nestle Management Essay

Evaluation Of Hrm Policies In Nestle Management Essay Bob Kane, John Crawford and David Grant (1999) research discussed the effectiveness of HRM policies in Australian and New Zealand organizations. The authors had highlighted that HRM effectiveness could be achieved through soft and hard approaches. They had also identified the barriers to effective implementation of HRM policies. The first barriers as identified in the research paper were the low priority of top management towards HRM issues as they focused towards power and control. Second barrier as explained was the competencies of HR personnel to implement a credible HRM programs within the organization. Third barrier concerned the lack of knowledge about the long term impact of effective HRM programs. This study specifically focused on problems or barriers which had a negative impact on HRM effectiveness. For that purpose, researchers gathered responses from managers, employees and HR staff. They measured respondents perception of both hard and soft approaches which had been practiced in various organization. Researchers floated questioners that targeted managers, employees and HR personnel of organization of Australia , New Zealand, USA, UK and Canada. The questionnaire consisted of 42 questions. A total 702 respondents completed the questionnaires. The result indicated that employees and managers were not satisfied with HR personnel as their policies were not effective in order to improve the employee motivation, satisfaction and commitment. The research concludes that HRM polices can be achieved through soft and hard HRM approaches however companies have failed to successfully implement HRM policies due to lack of the support of companys top level management and inadequate and incompetent HRM staff. The researchers defined soft HRM approach as employee motivation, commitment and development. This approach plays a significant role in a business to create a work environment where employees work efficiently for the company. Employees can enhance their skills through trainings and commitment which creates a competent workforce. This workforce allows the companies to enjoy competitive advantage over its rivals. Another approach as identified in the paper is HARD HRM approach also known as strategic HRM. This approach of the view that HRM effectiveness can be achieved through implementation of cost reducing measures in human resources. Tanuja Agarwala (2002) in his research paper the author had studied the factors which had changed the trends in Human Resource Practices. Rapid change in technology had brought innovation in the human resource activities (r recruitment, selection, training, appraisals etc). The study also highlighted organizational effects and employees outcomes which were directly inclined to creative HR practices. This study focused on the growing trends of Human Resource Management. It also focused on outcomes by appling innovative HR policies within the organization. Tanuja Agarwala (2002) conducted in-depth interviews to understand the emerging trends of innovation in human resource management. A total of 21 in-depth interviews were conducted with private sector organization and public sector organizations. The entire experts believed that innovation in HRM had brought positive changes in organizations as it increased the skills and commitment of the employees. He also stated that people were organizations precious assets and innovative human resource policies would increase the skills of the employees. The variables and their relationships deduced were most significant for my research. Innovative HR practices (recruitment, selection, testing, training, appraisals) directly influences the overall organizational climate. It also has an impact on employees performance, attitude and his knowledge and skills. These practices also had an impact on the organizational productivity, employee turnover and financial performance. R.S. Dwivedi (2001) study highlighted the key competencies required for selection and training and development of key managers. The three competencies as indentified by the author were interpersonal communication skills, leadership skills and motivational skills. The research was conducted on 106 successful managers of Indian organization. This study focused to identify the interpersonal communication styles of successful managers, transformational or transactional leadership among managers and the factors which motivate people at work. It also intended to identify the key competencies required to make HRM decision in Indian organizations. The author deduced that consultative communication style was considered more feasible then despotic style. Moreover mostly managers in the sample were equipped with transformational leadership which enables the strengthening of the organization. The author also identifies that employees could be motivated by satisfying their needs and wants. Thus these competencies as identified in the paper were significant for my research and they can be sued as a key to make critical HR decisions. Marcel Van Marrewijk and Jonna Timmers(2003) in addition to human resource management introduced a new approach called Human capital management. Human capital management stressed on alignment between individual and organization as it is the key to successful management. The authors highlight that human resource management only deals with recruitment, retention and rousing the workforce. However it doesnt play an important role in order to bring motivation and commitment among the employees. On the other hand, the new approach ( HCM) embodied the features of human resource management and provides undiminished values. Human capital management aligned with employees in three domains: Human operations, corporate identity and values and human development with the goals of dedication, commitment and motivation respectively. Therefore human capital management outshines human resource management in every possible way. Mark A. Youndt, Scott A. Snell, James W. Dean, Jr. and David P. Lepak (Aug.1996) research examined two alternative views-universal and contingency- of the human resources (HR) in manufacturing industry. This study was conducted to study determine the degree to which Human resource management policies have an impact on firms overall performance. It also focused to analyze the relationship between human resource management and operational performance of the firm. It also studied the linkages between manufacturing strategies and HR policies and its impact on the overall performance of the firm. It was revealed from the research that contingency approach (human resource management on the basis of cost, quality and flexibility) was better than universal approach. Shaping HR practices according to the organizational strategies was the key for competitive advantage. The results suggested that HR practices intended to foster employees and create an egalitarian work environment positively influence operational performance when matched with quality manufacturing strategies. Thus the notion of HR practices on the basis of cost, quality and flexibility holds significant value for my research. Marianne J. Koch and Rita Gunther McGrath. (1996) deduced that positive and significant effects of labor productivity are found for organizations that utilize more sophisticated human resource planning, recruitment, and selection strategies. The hypothesis of this study were overall human resource sophistication and investment in hiring, human resource planning and employee development will have a positive effect on labor productivity. In this study, labor productivity being the dependent variable was being influenced by independent variables such as investments in human resource planning, hiring and training. Results had shown that investment in human resource management do pay off as workforce becomes more productive and works efficiently to attain the goals of the organization. Research indicated that firms that systematically train and develop their workers are more likely to enjoy the rewards of a more productive workforce than those that do not. Robert Roepke, Ritu Agarwal, Thomas W. Ferratt (2000) case study illustrated how 3M had been able to foster the competencies of IT professionals which in turn turned out to be a competitive advantage for the firm. 3M capitalized its sources and introduced innovative human resource management policies within the organization. The finding of this case study also indicated that investment in improving the leadership capabilities of the employees was essential for success of the firm. Those capabilities can be fostered through trainings and development of the employees, assistance, flexibility and interpersonal understandings. W. Hatch and Jeffrey H. Dyer (2004) also emphasized on investment in human capital in order to have a competitive advantage. It would increase the overall productivity and performance of the firms. The authors also stressed the importance of learning as it was necessary to foster the skills of employees. The hypothesis of this research were: screening tests improve learning through performance, higher human resource education increase learning, and greater investment in human resource field also increases performance. The data was collected through questionnaires and follow-up interviews in different semi-conductors industries of USA, Asia and Europe. Regression analysis was conducted on the data for findings. Results suggested that firms which had practiced proper selection, development and deployment of the employees enjoyed greater productivity and higher returns. Tests like screening tests in the selection process would enable the organization to have a skilled pool of employees as compared to the competitors. Development of the individual skills is essential in manufacturing industry as it enables the firms to achieve the excellence in operations of the firm. Michael Haid (2008) stated that proper implementation of HR practices would increase the commitment and retention of key individuals of organization. Certain HR practices such as manager support, social responsibility and performance appraisal practices would have a positive impact on employees morale as his satisfaction and overall motivation level increased. Michael Haid laid heavy emphasis on managers skills as it was necessary to increase the motivation and commitment level of the employees working under them. Trainings from mentors and coaches would enable employees to foster their competencies and allow the organization to enjoy competitive advantage. The author also stated that organization should be socially responsible as it was necessary for employees determination and commitment towards organization goals. By practicing these policies, employees would be satisfied, committed and found pride in their organization. The employers on the other hand would be able to retain their key employees. Geetanjali Pandit Gupta (2009) in his article discussed his point of view on the importance of HR practices as they played an important role in any industry particularly services. In his article, writer gave suggestion and advisees to Cineplex in order to improve its services in India. He believed that effective HR policies are critical in service sector as there was a direct interaction between customers and employees on multiple touch points. Satisfying the customers were necessary for the company. Choosing the right personnel for the job was a main duty of HR personnel in any organization. Careful recruitment and selection process were required to recruit a skilled workforce. Geetanjali Pandit Gupta (2009) also believed that training of the employees was necessary to improve the skills of the employees working in any service organization. Objectives The basic purpose of this study is to analyze and evaluate the HR programs of Nestle. To identify the strengths and weaknesses of HR programs in Nestle. To study the effectivenss of motivational techniques being used by managers. To recommend innovative HR practices in order to increase the competencies, skills and motivational level of employees. To study the impact of employees competencies on firms performance. THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK Hypothesis Testing Employee motivation H0: there is no significant impact of employee motivation on HRM programs H1: there is significant impact of employee motivation on HRM programs Employees commitment H0: there is no significant impact of employees commitment on HRM programs H1: there is significant impact of employees commitment on HRM programs Employee development H0: there is no significant impact of employee development on HRM programs H1: there is significant impact of employee development on HRM programs Technology H0: there is no significant impact of technology on HRM programs H1: there is significant impact of technology on HRM programs organizational productivity H0: there is no significant impact of organizational productivity on HRM programs H1: there is significant impact of organizational productivity on HRM programs employee turnover H0: there is no significant impact of employee turnover on HRM programs H1: there is significant impact of employee turnover on HRM programs financial performance H0: there is no significant impact of financial performance on HRM programs H1: there is significant impact of financial performance on HRM programs leadership skills H0: there is no significant impact of leadership skills on HRM programs H1: there is significant impact of leadership skills on HRM programs

Analysis of Hawthornes Young Goodman Brown Essay -- Young Goodman Bro

Analysis of Young Goodman Brown "Young Goodman Brown" by Nathanial Hawthorne is a short story that is very interesting, as well as entertaining. This essay will first provide a brief summary of the story, followed by an analysis of the importance of symbolism. The nature of evil will then be discussed as it relates to the control of the mind of a once naive and innocent goodman Brown. The climax of the story will be analyzed and the evil within this passage will be discussed and related to the final downfall of goodman Brown. As "Young Goodman Brown" begins, we are introduced to goodman Brown and his wife Faith as they bid farewell to one another on the streets of Salem village. It is sunset and goodman Brown is setting off on a journey to run a secret errand. We later find out that he is planning on meeting Satan and sacrificing his soul to pure evil. Throughout the story, goodman Brown is tormented by the idea of evil and he is doubtful of weather or not he should continue on his journey. He is finally persuaded, however, when he hears Faith turn herself over to Satan. Toward the end of the story we find out that this whole excursion may have been a dream, but even so, goodman Brown was so impacted by it that he will never recover to live a peaceful, happy life. He will die a miserable death, with no hopeful verse carved upon his tomb, for as we are told in the final line of the story, `his dying hour was gloom'(pg.585). Symbolism plays an important role in this story, as it does in many of Hawthornes stories. First of all, the fact that goodman Brown's wife is named Faithis... ...good and evil as he has been throughout the story, but here it is different because it is the moment of truth in which he would either choose good over evil or evil over good. We never know which he ended up choosing, but it appears that he chose evil because for the rest of his life, he can see no good in anything or anybody. Evil rules his existence as he is haunted by guilt that will not let him enjoy the beautiful things in this world. This choice signifies goodman Brown's final downfall into the arms of evil, as he will be destined to live a life of misery. No good will ever be seen, heard, or understood by goodman Brown again, for he only sees the evil in this world. As we are told in the final passage of this story, when goodman Brown finally leaves this world, "they carved not a hopeful verse upon his tombstone; for his final hour was gloom."(pg.585) Analysis of Hawthorne's Young Goodman Brown Essay -- Young Goodman Bro Analysis of Young Goodman Brown "Young Goodman Brown" by Nathanial Hawthorne is a short story that is very interesting, as well as entertaining. This essay will first provide a brief summary of the story, followed by an analysis of the importance of symbolism. The nature of evil will then be discussed as it relates to the control of the mind of a once naive and innocent goodman Brown. The climax of the story will be analyzed and the evil within this passage will be discussed and related to the final downfall of goodman Brown. As "Young Goodman Brown" begins, we are introduced to goodman Brown and his wife Faith as they bid farewell to one another on the streets of Salem village. It is sunset and goodman Brown is setting off on a journey to run a secret errand. We later find out that he is planning on meeting Satan and sacrificing his soul to pure evil. Throughout the story, goodman Brown is tormented by the idea of evil and he is doubtful of weather or not he should continue on his journey. He is finally persuaded, however, when he hears Faith turn herself over to Satan. Toward the end of the story we find out that this whole excursion may have been a dream, but even so, goodman Brown was so impacted by it that he will never recover to live a peaceful, happy life. He will die a miserable death, with no hopeful verse carved upon his tomb, for as we are told in the final line of the story, `his dying hour was gloom'(pg.585). Symbolism plays an important role in this story, as it does in many of Hawthornes stories. First of all, the fact that goodman Brown's wife is named Faithis... ...good and evil as he has been throughout the story, but here it is different because it is the moment of truth in which he would either choose good over evil or evil over good. We never know which he ended up choosing, but it appears that he chose evil because for the rest of his life, he can see no good in anything or anybody. Evil rules his existence as he is haunted by guilt that will not let him enjoy the beautiful things in this world. This choice signifies goodman Brown's final downfall into the arms of evil, as he will be destined to live a life of misery. No good will ever be seen, heard, or understood by goodman Brown again, for he only sees the evil in this world. As we are told in the final passage of this story, when goodman Brown finally leaves this world, "they carved not a hopeful verse upon his tombstone; for his final hour was gloom."(pg.585)

Technology For Special Needs Children Essay -- Education

Computers and educational technology can be powerful tools for assisting children with special needs and disabilities. Computers can help children with attention deficit disorders focus more effectively on their learning tasks and can also assist autistic children by improving their communications and interactions with peers as they use computers together. This topic became very important to me when my cousin was born deaf. He is only three now but the assistive technology that awaits him during his educational career are very promising. Assistive technology includes adaptive tools that help students with disabilities to learn and perform tasks better in their daily life (Kauchak, Eggen, Carter, page 390). Adaptations to computers can assist children who have severe physical impairments or those who cannot interact with a standard computer unless certain adaptations have been made. Adaptations to computer input devices include hardware options like voice-controlled devices, trackballs, touch screens and adapted keyboards can assist children with special physical needs and make computers and technology more accessible to them. Blind or visually impaired children can use voice activated machines or special Braille keyboards to input information into computers. There are computers and special equipment designed to assist deaf learners as well; captioned video with subtitles helps deaf children follow along with the rest of the class while watching educational videos, and when teachers incorporate hypermedia presentations into their lessons like Powerpoint, deaf children can read along or review the material at another time if needed. Adaptations for output devices include computers that can translate speech into text s... ...eachers who have access to computer hardware consultants as well as software experts who can assist them with meeting the needs of children with special situations can help their students adapt to a normal classroom environment. These technologies are so important because they prevent a child's disability from becoming and obstacle to learning to their education. REFERENCES Kauchak, Donald; Eggen, Paul; Carter, Candace (2002) Introduction to Teaching: Becoming a Professional. Pearson Education, Inc., Upper Saddle River, New Jersey Henniger, Michael L. (1999) Teaching Young Children, An Introduction. Pearson Education, Inc., Upper Saddle River, New Jersey Alaska State School for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, Anchorage School District Web Site: www.asdk12.org/parents/choices/sped7.asp

Renaissance :: European Europe History

Renaissance The Renaissance has been described as consisting of "a rebirth of the human spirit, a realization of the human potential for development." This quote, as well as the word, "Renaissance" imply a massive change in society and tradition. Contributing to this change was 17th century poet, John Donne. His style, combined with intellectual thoughts and ideas, set the foundation for what would become known as metaphysical poetry. Donne's style of writing was not only a significant factor in the Renaissance, but also the transition into "The Age of Reason". In Sonnet 10, from Holy Sonnets, he is able to contribute to the Renaissance ideal described in the preceding quote. "A rebirth of the human spirit...," describes a change in emotion that stems from a religious belief. Before the Renaissance, life and death were thought to be predetermined. Towards the end of the Renaissance, poets began to question parts of this belief, and as a result, the value of life came into question. In Sonnet 10, John Donne questions how powerful death is. He first challenges "Death" as he says "Death, be not proud, though some have called/thee/Mighty and dreadful, for thou art not so;" in lines one and two. Yet, in lines seven and eight, Donne declares the power of "Death" by saying "And soonest our best men with thee do go, /Rest of their bones, and soul's delivery." These two quotes contradict each other, however, the question is clear: What is the power of death? Donne answers this question in the last line: "And death shall be no more; Death, thou shalt die." However, the reader at that time had his/her own answer to find. Donne had introduced a new thought. He spoke of "death" as a noun, yet spoke to "Death" as a being, without relating it to God. To dissociate God and Death, and then treat Death as an entity was indeed a new idea. "A rebirth of the human spirit" may have been the realization of the value of life, as a result of the questioning of the set belief. "...A realization of the human potential for development," is an accurate description of the Renaissance. People were beginning to accept change in social institutions as well as in many traditional beliefs. Poets, such as John Donne, were questioning ideas that seemed to be set in stone. They were also changing the structure and style of poetry.

An Analysis on “American Gothic” by Grant Wood Essay

â€Å"Without atmosphere a painting is nothing.† This is a quote by Dutch painter and Etcher. There have been several painters who focused on the atmosphere of the locations or spots that they chose to draw on their canvas. However, some of the painters founded themselves mysteriously involved into the environments of places that they visited. One of those painters is Grand Wood, who painted the American Gothic. Wood made certain atmosphere the bases of his painting and through his unique style of painting impressed everyone who liked good artwork. As a result, the painting stands amongst the likes of Mona Lisa and other highly famous paintings today. American Gothic by Grant Wood American Gothic by Grant Wood is one of the most famous painting in the history of arts. The Art Gallery of Chicago is the place where American Gothic was displayed for the very first time and it is the very gallery that still keeps the painting. In search of visiting a fine piece of art, in person, I visited the Art Gallery of Chicago. There, along with many other paintings, American Gothic was also displayed for the visitors to see. Experiencing American Gothic through Computer VS in Person When I visited the gallery 263 and finally looked at the American Gothic painting by myself, I realized the importance of seeing an artwork by one’s own eyes instead of looking at in on a computer or in books. The painting made that was oil painted on Beaver Board was 78 x 65.3 cm in size and there was the signature of Grant Wood on the lower right corner on the canvas along with the year 1930. Since I was there just to see and analyze the American Gothic, I stayed in front of the painting after other visitors moved towards other paintings. Masterpiece Turned Into Senseless Parodies As we all know there have been countless parodies of the American Gothic out there, some of which are harmless parodies while many of them are totally absurd attempts. After looking at the painting for several minutes I got a bit uncomfortable because I found the two characters (Painter’s sister and his dentist) a bit creepy. The way the lady is looking at her father, who  seems to be a hardworking farmer, and way the farmer is looking at us holding a pitchfork in his hand is what gives the painting another meaning than just two individuals standing in front of a farmhouse made using Carpet Gothic style. However, creating parody after parody by different people is what I find disrespectful to the legendary art such as this one. If you praise something, you should respect it and not make fun of it or use it is a source of humor because I found everything in the American Gothic but humor. Existence of Conflict in Concern with the Expectations of Society Earlier we have discussed themes and roles of the artist that conflicted within the expectations of society. If we talk about whether or not the American Gothic had elements that conflicted within the expectations of society, we would have to say yes. For the reason that not everyone sees a particular thing in the same way, various people perceive certain things in different manners. Same is the case with American Gothic as Lunday, in one of her most interesting articles said that; â€Å"Some perceived the work as a scathing parody of the Midwest—one outraged farm wife even threatened to bite off Wood’s ear.† (Lunday, 2012) The Fame and Acceptance Earned By the Artwork There is a complicit that American Gothic holds within the expectations of society. However, the amount of praise this painting has received completely outweighs the negative remarks or reviews that it received. As Lunday mentions in the very article ‘Honest and Creepy, Satire and Homage: Grant Wood’s American Gothic’: â€Å"Meanwhile, Gertrude Stein and other critics praised the painting as a cutting small-town satire, the visual equivalent of Sinclair Lewis’s Main Street. Still others saw the painting as honoring the Midwest and its strong values.† She furthermore said; â€Å"During the Great Depression, the masterpiece gave hope to a desperate nation, and it helped shape the notion of the Midwest as a land of hard work and honest values. Today, the painting is firmly embedded in our cultural vocabulary.† (Lunday, 2012) Without Atmosphere a Painting Is Nothing It is apparent that Wood believed that the environment of a painting is the most important element of a painting. This particular painting proves this point as the painter chose his dentist and his sister as his subjects just because there was no other model available to pose for the painting in front of the wood farmhouse. Wood took help of his mother in making his paintings as she would agree to become the subject for many of Wood’s paintings. However, while Wood decided to paint the American Gothic, he realized that his mother won’t be able to stand in the field for that long while he paints, so he chose his sister instead. Wood chose his dentist and his sister because he couldn’t afford to lose the opportunity of painting the Carpenter Gothic style farmhouse that he came across while visiting the small town of Eldon in his native Iowa. This reminds me of a quote by Rembrandt Harmenszoon Van Rijn, which seems completely fitting to what Grant Wood was all about : â€Å"Without atmosphere a painting is nothing.† ― Rembrandt Harmenszoon Van Rijn Wood’s imagination was wide-ranging. He foresaw the fame and acceptance that this particular painting will get by analyzing the environs around the wood farmhouse. When he saw the house’s strange yet compelling arched window in the Carpenter Gothic style, the first thing that came to his mind was to find out what sort of people lived there. However, instead of knocking on the door, the painter decided to capture the farmhouse in paint and tease out the story for himself in effort to sort through the puzzle, piece by piece. (Lunday) â€Å"I imagined American Gothic people with their faces stretched out long to go with this American Gothic house. – Grant Wood. Final Words American Gothic doesn’t fall in the category of Primitive art as the elements it holds are usually found in such paintings and artworks that are related to modernism. Though countless individuals made parodies of American Gothic but actually the real artwork cannot be copied or reproduced to give another painter fame and fortune. The idea of anchoring a painting on the environs of a farm field and a farmhouse was the creativity of Grand Wood which cannot be repeated again in the history of arts. However, if one bases his art practices around the quote â€Å"Without atmosphere a painting is nothing.†Ã‚  there would be minor chances that we might see another painting somewhat as good as American Gothic.