Memories of childhood in Looking For Dad Essay Example for Free

Memories of childhood in Looking For Dad Essay Memories from our childhoods are often remembered for the rest of our lives. They can range from small things like playing in the park or a birthday party to important milestones such as a first kiss or the first day of school. Now matter how small or insignificant these events seemed at the time, they will be treasured for ever and looked back on as some of the best times of your life. The memories are normally reminders of good times and the joys of childhood. But for some people, their childhoods are looked back on in sadness and remorse. In the poems Looking For Dad, My Grandmother and The Sick Equation, the narrators explore the darker sides of childhood. Each poem tells a different story, but are all about tragic memories from shattered childhoods that will scar forever. Looking For Dad is about a boy whos father leaves home. I think the author chose the title because not only does it explain the main theme of the poem, but the phrase looking for maybe refers to the soul searching the boy has to do while looking for what is missing in his life. When reading the poem, you notice that it is written in quite an upbeat tone even though it is obviously a sad poem. I think the narrator has done this because the poem is from a childs perspective. The main themes of this poem are dis-functionality and grief. Lines such as I had not tidied up my room, because I was too full of gloom and hope he will come back soon clearly show the despair that is put across by the narrator. Another theme of the poem is self-denial. The narrator doesnt want to face up to the fact that his dad has gone. Dad was hidden beneath the things Id been given and flying about my underwear but could not find him anywhere are two quotes that show that the character still believes his dad is still apart of his life even thought it is obvious he is not. The fact that he dreamt about his dad not being with him anymore shows that sub-consciously he knows his dad has gone forever and isnt going to return. The character believes that his dad simply vanished because he didnt tidy his room. At the end of the poem it says hope he will come back soon and admire my very tidy room. This shows the self-blame the character has put upon his conscience and how he now regrets taking his father for granted. The structure of the poem is strange. It has a nursery rhyme feel to it and this feel good rhythm doesnt really fit in with the other wise sombre mood of the poem. This could however represent the fact that the poem is seen through a childs eyes and he maybe does not fully understand what is going on around him. The quick feel to the poem is mainly down to the fact that it has a loose rhyming scheme and short lines. The Sick Equation is also written by Brian Patten. It is about a broken home and tells us how the narrator has been scarred for life due to his home situation. The title of the poem can be looked at in many different ways. I feel the author chose this title because people often think an equation will be confusing and complex. This is exactly what the narrators life is like. He may also have chosen to use the word equation because it can represent that when all these different factors are added together there can only be one outcome. Unlike Looking For Dad, the rhythm of this poem is slow and the lines are a lot longer with no real flow. One of the themes represented in this poem is isolation. With his parents fighting all the time, the narrator was convinced that it is better to stay one. The narrator decided to grow up alone and if anyone tried to get close to him he would make sure they quickly disappeared. The phrase I came to believe how it was best, that one remained one not onl y backs up my point, but also shows that he is maybe scared of love. Another theme which is shows quite a lot in this poem is regret. As the poem goes along, you can slowly notice how the narrator changes his attitude towards love. In the first paragraph, lines such as For by becoming two, one at least would suffer so shows that he is strongly against being loved or loving anyone at all. In the final stanza the line I am better off for knowing now, that given love, by taking love all can in time refute proves that the narrators mood towards love has changed dramatically as he has now learnt that not all love is painful. The second stanza really shows regret and anger. Believing this I threw away so many gifts- I never let love stay long enough to take roots but by thinking myself of too little worth, I crushed all its messengers. It shows that the narrator feels he has missed out on so much and is angry that he didnt learn his lesson sooner. I was wrong of course, just as  those who brought me up were wrong is another quote that shows anger and rese ntment towards his childhood, in particularly the way his parents brought him up. I grew or did not grow is a phrase that shows that the narrator feels that while he was un-loved, he could not grow as a person. It could also mean he thinks he has missed out on his childhood and started off with the harsh feelings only and adult could understand and no child should have to feel. And as you cannot grow past being an adult, in that sense he has not grown. The narrator also tells of how even a new couple cannot possibly, in his mind, escape the shadow of divorce. When conveying this view, he makes reference to an albatross. This could also have different meanings. The most obvious meaning that springs to mind is because the albatross has the biggest wing span, it would create a huge shadow over any marriage. But a more in depth analysis could link the albatross back to the poem Rhyme of the ancient mariner. The tone of the poem is a lot more depressing than the first poem. The structure is also cleverly devised by the author. The first stanza has a disorganised and erratic rhyme scheme which represents the confusion and disorder in the narrators life. But as the poem progresses, a more organised rhyme pattern starts to appear and the emergence of rhyming couplets maybe shows the narrators life is calming down and becoming more organised. The narrator also uses irony when he says home, sweet home. The final poem I studied was My Grandmother. This poem is about the narrators grandmother. The title was chosen mainly because it explains what the poem is about. The word my may seem small and unimportant, but when people are proud of something they often emphasise and make it known they are linked with the person or object by using this technique. For example, when people use the phrase Thats my boy it is a way of saying, hes with me and I want everyone to know. The title could therefore mean the narrator is proud of his Grandmother and wants everyone to know this. Once again the main theme of this poem is regret. I remember how I once refused, to go out with her, since I was afraid and Though she never said, that she was hurt, I could still feel the guilt are phrases that back up this point. Another theme of the poem is isolation and loneliness. She kept an antique shop   or it kept her and She watched her own reflection is the brass are quotes that show the Grandmother was lonely and obviously didnt have any close friends or family. I think the use of an antique shop is meant to represent old age. When reading the poem, you notice it is quite fast and up beat. This is because of the rhyme scheme A, B, A, B, C, C, which is used in each stanza. The poem also uses iambic pentameter. This gives it a quick tempo and makes it free flowing. The speed of the poem is again in contrast with the themes of the poem. This is maybe due to the fact that the narrator admits when she died, I felt no grief at all. This means that the narrator has nothing to be sad about and therefore keeps the poem quite up beat. Each stanza tells a different part of the story and the first and third stanzas are explaining events, where as the second and fourth and primarily about the feelings of the narrator. Each of these poems outlines different experiences of childhood. Looking For Dad talks about divorce and separation, The Sick Equation discusses the affects of domestic arguments and My Grandmother is about the death of a loved one. But the themes that are constantly mentioned in all the poems are regret and isolation. This shows that maybe bad memories are more memorable than the good ones and the scars left by these experiences will always remain fresh in the minds of the characters

Julius Caesar :: essays research papers

Julius Caesar was born on the thirteenth day of the month Quintilis in the year of 100 BC. His full name was Gaius Julius Caesar, the same as his father’s. Gaius was his given name and Julius was his surname. He was a strong political and military leader who changed the history of the Greco-Roman world. This paper will answer the following questions: What happened during his early political career? How did he become a strong dictator of the Roman Empire? What events led up to the making of the first triumvirate? What happened during his reign as dictator of Rome? What events led up to his assassination? Julius Caesar is probably the most famous leader in history. (Grant, table of dates p.1, and foreword p.xxi)When he was young, Caesar lived through one of the worst decades in the history of Rome. The city was assaulted and captured by Roman armies twice. First, in eighty-seven BC by the leaders of the populares. (Caesar’s aunt and uncle, Marius and Cinna.) Cinna was killed the year that Caesar married Cornelia. The second attack against the city happened in eighty-two BC. Marius’ enemy Sulla, leader of the optimates, carried out the attack. On each occasion the massacre of political opponents was followed by the confiscation of their property. (Fowler, p.24)Caesar knew that his public speaking needed improvement, he therefore announced that he was leaving to study on the island of Rhodes. His professor was the famous Greek rhetorician, Apollonius Molon. When he was off the coast of Anatolia pirates kidnapped him. They demanded a large ransom for his return. Caesar broke free from the pirates and captured a large number of them. He then returned to Rome to engage in a normal political career. (Grant, p.9-11)In the Roman political world Pompey and Crassus challenged the dominance of the optimates. Quintus Latatius Catulus and Lucius Licinius Lucullus led the optimates. Sulla was responsible for creating their careers. Caesar married Pompeia after Cornelia’s death. Then, in sixty-five BC he was appointed aedile. The aedile was in charge of the programs of the city such as games, spectacles, and shows. As aedile, Caesar gained claim to the leadership of the populares. (Grant, p.12)Before leaving Rome to govern Spain for a year, Caesar divorced his wife because of an allegation that she had been involved in the offense of Publis Clodius. Clodius was awaiting trial for breaking into Caesar’s home the previous December.

Characteristics of a White Collar Criminal Essay

Anyone that has taken a class or even worked a â€Å"hint† of a white collar crimes understands that Edwin H. Sutherland is responsible for coining the term. In his book, White Collar Crime, Sutherland defines white collar crime as â€Å"[a]pproximately as a crime committed by a person of respectability and high social status in the course of his occupation.† (Benson & Simpson, 2009 ) While that definition may have held true in when he made the public definition in 1939, there are many examples in modern times that would argue against Dr. Sutherland’s characterization of the white collar criminal. In her paper to the U.S. Justice Department, Cynthia Barnett explains that even though the definition of white collar crime is , â€Å"hotly contested†, there appears to be three major categories white collar crime fits into. Those crimes are categorized by either the type of offender, the type of offense and those based upon organizational structure rather than offender or offense (Barnett, 2000). Barnett’s statement alone should tell us that the characteristics of a white collar criminal may be far too long of a list to generate. According to Barnett, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has decided to define white collar crime as â€Å"[t]hose illegal acts which are characterized by deceit, concealment, or violation of trust and which are not dependent upon the application or threat of physical force or violence. Individuals and organizations commit these acts to obtain money, property, or services; to avoid the payment or loss of money or services; or to secure personal or business advantage† (Barnett, 2000). With a slight understanding of what white collar crime is, it is important  to highlight the characteristics of the typical white collar offender in order to establish profile when conducting an investigation. Reverting to what we have learned in previous psychology classes, we know that there are dozens of traits in an individual’s personality. It is virtually impossible to narrow down exactly which one(s) produce fraudulent behavior. Obviously, there are red flags that stick out for every behavior trait. It is important for business executives to be able to recognize or have trained personnel who can recognize these traits and develop appropriate risk management plans. According to Bauwens and Egan, there are five personality traits that are common between most individuals. Rather than define them all, it is most important to note that people who possess all five traits are what many would consider as â€Å"normal†. Those who exhibit more conscientiousness and agreeableness have the most direct influence on whether executives will or will not participate in fraudulent activity (Bauwens & Egan). According to our text, there are other characteristics that the â€Å"common† white collar offender may exhibit. White collar offenders tend to be, on average, sum 10 years older than non-violent offenders who commit common crimes (Benson & Simpson, 2009). While there are probably many theories why this may be, one could conclude that business executives may spend many years working their way up the corporate ladder and into a position opportunity. Another characteristic Benson and Simpson note is that many white collar offenders are college graduates. Again, many theories are possible; it can be assumed that a higher level of education must be achieved in order to move into a position of opportunity. Finally, it is important to consider the rate of employment between white collar offenders and offenders of non-violent, common crimes. In order to commit many of the offenses that are considered white collar, the offender must be employed by or have an extremely close relationship of trust with the victim organization. Therefore, steady employment is a necessity in order for the white collar offender to be successful. For many of the non-violent common offenders, their crimes are their employment. It can be  said that when a common criminal wakes up each day and begins committing their crimes, they are actually going to work. References Barnett, C. U.S. Department of Justice, Criminal Justice Information Services (CJIS) Division. (2000). The measurement of white-collar crime using uniform crime reporting (ucr) data. Retrieved December 8, 2013, from website: http://www.fbi.gov/about-us/cjis/ucr/nibrs/nibrs_wcc.pdf Bauwens, A., & Egan, V. (n.d.). Are white-collar criminals a homogeneous or hetrogeneous group?. Home Team Journal, 91-101. Retrieved December 8, 2013, from http://www.academia.edu/832919/Personality_and_white-collar_criminals Benson, M., & Simpson, S. (2009). White-collar crime. (pp. 5-32). New York: Routledge Taylor & Francis Group.

The Miracle Of Child Birth - 1362 Words

The miracle of child birth, is a beautiful and spiritual natural process for a mother and father. When a baby is born and first seen by the mother, her brain floods with different chemicals that make her immediately fall in love with the child, along with many other emotions running through the mothers mind. The poem â€Å"Jupiter† by Lynn Powell is an interesting spin on the birth of a child, giving a very unique point of view about the baby. At first glance this poem looks as if it is the reaction of a mother, and her astronomer husband, to the birth of their first child. Although after reaching a bit deeper it is clear to see that it is more of a commentary of motherly issues specifically a type of postpartum depression and coming to terms with all the challenges that brings. Lynn Powell has written one of the most interesting sonnets ever composed, it consists of two stanzas the first containing the seven and a half lines while the next continues with six and a half. 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