Comment on the various sorts of love shown in Romeo and Juliet Essay Example for Free

Comment on the various sorts of love shown in Romeo and Juliet Essay Shakespeares Romeo and Juliet is a romantic tragedy based around a pair of young lovers. The play is set in 12th century Verona where a pair of families, the Capulets and the Montagues have been feuding for many years. The play revolves around Romeo Montague and Juliet Capulet falling deeply in love and the events that befall these two forbidden lovers. The play covers an array of different types of love and love related issues from brotherly love to bodily lust, Shakespeare uses the characters to portray stereotyped ideas of love and how it affects people. Before even the first scene is out, the play has already touched upon the idea of brotherly love. Benvolio, the cousin of Romeo, finds Romeo in a state of near depression and says to Romeo What sadness lengthens Romeos hours? With this line Shakespeare is showing Benvolios concern as a man might unto his brother. Romeo is sad because he has fallen in love with a girl, Rosaline In sadness, cousin, I do love a woman. However Romeos chosen spouse does not return the affection, as Romeo states She will not stay the siege of loving terms. Benvolio offers to Romeo the idea of looking for a different more attainable woman. He gives this advice in order that his cousin may once again be happy thus showing his affection for Romeo. Throughout the play Shakespeare writes about light when referring to love, he talks of it in the prologue before the play is even afoot A pair of star-crossed lovers take their life; It does not stop here however, on Romeos first encounter with Juliet he says O she doth teach the torches to burn bright Meaning that she brings light to his dark troubled state of mind, where there was the haze of rejection her light shines through brightening his mood. Again in scene two upon meeting with Juliet his love Romeo compares her presence to light But soft, what light through yonder window breaks? To Romeo meeting Juliet is like the sun rising, just as the sun lights up the world she lights up his mood and, as the sun clears the morning mist, so Juliet clears the fog of his mind leaving it clear. I think Shakespeare uses these references to light to show that in dark times often love can show the way. Perhaps showing that in the face of a problematic social environment love can be a beacon to those who embrace it. When Romeo first visits friar Lawrence in Act two Scene three they speak of Romeos newfound love for Juliet and change of heart to Rosaline With Rosaline, my ghostly father? no; I have forgot that name, and that names woe By this he is telling the friar that he has not only stopped doting on Rosaline but, has in fact undergone a total change in spirits forgetting the woes he had over Rosaline. However the Friar speaks of the doubts he had for the sincerity of Romeos love for Rosaline in the first place Thy love did read by rote, that could not spell. This implies that Romeo, whilst sounding outwardly convincing lacked the meaning behind his words. Shakespeare is again using a characters opinion to influence that of the audience, in this case Romeos love for Rosaline may well have been true but due to the friars opinionated speech the audience is cast into doubt on the matter. The friar also chides Romeo about his use of elaborate metaphorical language when talking of love, telling him to be plain, good son, For in order for Friar Lawrence to absolve Romeo he must first be able to understand him. Yet it is not just the friar who is suspicious of Romeos decorative words, Juliet had already commented on the way he talks in Act two Scene two O swear not by the moon, thinconstant moon, That monthly changes in her circled orb, Lest that thy love prove likewise variable. Romeos allegorical promises do not hold well with Juliet because in his words no definition can be found merely elaborate metaphors. However Juliets complaints go unheeded for later Act two Scene six Romeo is again using exotic language in order to describe his love for her Unfold the imagined happiness that both Receive in either by this dear encounter. Juliet however responds by saying Conceit, more rich in matter than in words, Brags of his substance, not of ornament; They are but beggars that can count their worth, But my true love is grown to such excess I cannot sum up sum of half my wealth. What Juliet is saying here is that unlike Romeo she cannot sum up her love for him in words. Shakespeare uses strong negative imagery such as beggars and conceit to display Juliets exasperation with Romeos continuing usage of needless ornate speech. But despite Juliets doubts and Romeos misleading words there is an overwhelming love between the pair that cannot go unnoticed. Even upon their first meeting Romeos feelings for Juliet are obvious Did my heart love till now? He directs this phrase at Juliet before the two have even met. Yet when they do at last meet Juliet shares with Romeo not one but two kisses, the second induced by Juliet Then have my lips the sin that they have took These shows of affection in the time in which the play was written would be unheard of upon a first meeting. This shows just how the pair truly epitomise the phrase Love at first sight for they did not let the fact that they were total strangers hinder the strength of their feelings even if the feeling was simply lust. However as of yet we cannot tell whether Romeo is sincere in his love this time rather than just lustfully infatuated as he was with Rosaline, the cousin of Juliet. However he proves himself later in the act by saying Call me but love, and Ill be new baptised; Henceforth I never will be Romeo By this he is offering to change his name if it would make Juliet love him and be with him. During Shakespearian times it was no small feat to denounce ones name, there was a lot more weight placed upon names back then, especially if it was a name of high social standing as was Romeos. This proposal shows the true and serious nature of Romeos newfound love. However it is not simply Romeo who makes such a bold offer for earlier in the scene Juliet says be but sworn my love, And Ill no longer be a Capulet To the audience Shakespeare was writing for this selfless act on both their parts would have convinced the audience that their love was true. Another factor that Shakespeare played upon to influence his audience into believing that Romeo and Juliets love was true was his use of Religious language upon their first meeting. If I profane with my unworthiest hand This holy shrine, the gentle sin is this, My lips, two blushing pilgrims, ready stand To smooth that rough touch with a tender kiss. Shakespeare deliberately uses this language to symbolise a number of things. Firstly that Juliet like a shrine is untouched or virginal this theme is recurrent through the first two acts of the play. Secondly it However not all Shakespeares examples of love are so romantic for instance Juliets mother The Lady Capulet says to Juliet considering the offer of marriage from Paris So shall you share all that he doth possess, By having him, making yourself no less. This shows a very materialistic side to Lady Capulet it also implies that the reason she is married to Lord Capulet might not necessarily be because they are in love. It portrays a much more dutiful love between Juliets parents perhaps Lady Capulet loves Lord Capulet simply because they are married rather than being married because they are in love. This type of relationship was common in Tudor times because often romanticism was overlooked in the face of bettering oneself financially. Paris show of affection for Juliet is not without a sense of duty he, as was proper in those days, approaches Lord Capulet for his daughters hand in marriage But now, my lord, what say you to my suit? At this point Capulet believes his daughter to be too young for marriage yet he encourages young Paris to woo her in order that she may fall in love with him down the line And too soon marred are those so early made. Might be referring to the marriage of himself and lady Capulet that has now become loveless and hollow. He as a loving father does not wish this upon his own only child so through Paris persistence Shakespeare shows another form of love, the love of a father for his daughter. Yet not all Shakespeares characters believed in such an honourable love. In his opening scene there are two servant men talking between themselves, there speech although on the topic of fighting generally is rife with sexual innuendo and pun. For example Ay, the heads of maids, or their maidenheads, take it in what sense thou wilt This line seemingly innocent to the reader of our time has a very rude meaning in Shakespearian language where maidenhead means virginity, in this sense the two are talking of having sex with virgins, more than a little less noble than the good Paris. They speak also of pushing women to the wall because of their weaker build; this all shows little true emotion and a very physically sexual type of love if indeed it can be referred to as that at all. Shakespeares Romeo and Juliet was a revolutionary piece when it was written because it showed just how love can move people in an age where marriage for social or financial gain was the norm. Over nearly five hundred years Shakespeares language and story line has captivated the hearts and minds of generations of lovers with its unique mixture of reality and fantasy. Romeo and Juliet is one piece of Shakespeares work that will remain a true timeless classic.

Dramatic Tension in “The Royal Hunt of the Sun” Essay Example for Free

Dramatic Tension in â€Å"The Royal Hunt of the Sun† Essay How does Shaffer create and use dramatic tension in â€Å"The Royal Hunt of the Sun† and to what effect? The Royal Hunt of the Sun is a gripping play about the journey of the Spanish army sent to conquer Peru, and the unlikely friendships that are formed. Shaffer creates dramatic tension with a number of techniques such as the use of Martin to narrate the story to the audience, a unique and powerful use of sounds, and the use of symbolic props and duologue scenes that create dramatic irony. He also employs a number of methods to show the contrasts and similarities of religion, culture and philosophy between the Inca and Spanish armies. Shaffer initially uses Martin’s narration to foreshadow the ensuing disastrous events. Old Martin generates the audience’s attention at the very start of the play by saying â€Å"This story is about ruin.† This creates dramatic irony and suggests a treacherous and threatening atmosphere. In â€Å"The Mime of the Great Ascent† Old Martin speaks about the tribulation the army faced â€Å"†¦we crept forward like blind men, the sweat freezing on our faces† in order to gain the sympathy of the audience. Old Martin’s emotions are showed in different ways throughout the play, â€Å"Look at the warrior where he struts†¦ salvation in his new spurs. One of the knights at last.† Here Shaffer uses Old Martin’s cynicism and bitterness to exaggerate the loss of Young Martin’s innocence and childhood and gain the empathy of the audience. As the story unfolds, the reason for Old Martin’s pessimism becomes clear to the audience, â€Å"I went out into the night†¦ and dropped my first tears as a man†¦ Devotion never came again.† Here Shaffer uses Old Martin’s reflection on his past as a window through which the audience can see how Martin’s broken youth shaped him as a man, and uses realism to involve then in the action onstage, creating suspense. Shaffer makes use of stage directions, which play a big part in revealing the symbolism of the performance, and creating dramatic tension. The use of â€Å"Tropical bid cries† throughout the play creates a dangerous and threatening atmosphere, and hints at the power Atahuallpa has over Peru and the Spanish army. During the climb of the Spanish Army to reach the city, Shaffer uses  Ã¢â‚¬Å"an eerie, cold music made from the thin whine of huge saws.† This creates an unnerving atmosphere, putting the audience on edge. Symbolic props also play a large part in creating contrasting moods throughout the performance. â€Å"Four black crucifixes, sharpened to resemble swords† are placed on the back wall, criticizing the hypocrisy of the church, and the use of religion as a pretext for killing whilst representing the conflicted and violent theme. During the course of the play, Shaffer uses the imagery of the â€Å"golden sun† which is placed at the back of the stage. â€Å"Diego†¦ drives his halberd into a slot in one of the rays.† This symbolizes the destruction of the Inca empire, and once again sound is used to create tension when â€Å"The sun gives a deep groan, like the sound of a great animal being wounded.† Here the personification of the sun creates sympathy and compassion amongst the audience. Peter Shaffer uses scenes of duologue between the main characters to give the audience an insight into the relationships between them, and create dramatic irony. During the play there are moments where Pizarro is alone with Young Martin, and speaks to him in confidence; here the audience is encouraged to sympathize with the characters’ predicaments and anxieties. When Pizarro warns Young Martin that the Army is â€Å"Nothing but years of Us against Them† the audience becomes aware of the extreme differences in their opinions and views, which creates great tension and unrest between the characters. Shaffer enables Pizarro to freely suggest the extent of is own greed and betrayal during his duologue scenes with Martin, â€Å"if the time ever came for you to harry me, I’d rip you too, easy as look at you.† Here Shaffer creates more tension, causing the audience to question Pizarro’s loyalty to Martin, whilst hinting at the slightly more malevolent and spiteful side to Pizarro. The duologue scenes between Pizarro and Atahuallpa allow the audience to see the fragile and personal characteristics of the otherwise powerful, dominant male figures. At first Atahuallpa shows his lack of distrust in Pizarro when proclaiming him dishonest â€Å"you have no swear to give†. Atahuallpa takes a leap of faith and trusts his captor, to the surprise of the audience, creating an uneasy and nervous atmosphere. â€Å"You make me laugh! (In sudden wonder) You make me laugh!† It is at this point in the play that Pizarro realizes he has formed a genuine friendship  with Atahuallpa, and the audience feels the tension rise once again as Pizarro is forced to decide the fate of Atahuallpa. A main theme of the play is the contrast between the Inca and Spanish cultures. Atahuallpa is nearly always shown sitting high up in front of the golden sun, showing his power and authority, whereas the Spaniards wore heavy, clumsy clothing, which symbolizes their awkwardness in the foreign land, and their ignorance of other cultures. Domingo says â€Å"God-dammed place. I’m starting to rust.† This could indicate of the immorality and true objectives of their journey. The Spanish consider Atahuallpa to be â€Å"just one savage† when in fact he is the core of the Inca society, this is shown throughout the play. Atahuallpa finds it difficult to understand the Spanish way of life as the Incan religion and society was built on concepts and simplicity rather than material wealth and gain, creating tension. Despite many differences, both religions believe in a supreme being who would rise from the dead. Until Pizarro met Atahuallpa, he had lost faith in all conventional religion, and exclaimed, â€Å"I’m going to die! And the thought of that dark has rotted everything for me.† Atahuallpa gave him a new sense of belonging and introduced him to the Inca religion, â€Å"Believe in me. I will give a word and fill you with joy.† Pizarro found this concept very attractive and was instantly fascinated by Atahuallpa. This creates tension and increases the audience’s interest in the story. The great contrasts between the two cultures and the similarities between the two men create a sense of mystery and rising tension as the story continues, this is greatened by the audience’s knowledge that Pizarro will have to kill Atahuallpa. Shaffer uses stages directions, imagery, sound and narration to create an ongoing sense of tension throughout the play, it is extremely effective. I particularly enjoy his use of duologue scenes to create tension and allow the audience to gain an insight into the story.

Influences on TV Idents

Influences on TV Idents Kira Richards Television idents are an important feature of television channels, they are created toentice, remind and provoke a sense offamiliarity for the audience, this is done by making the appeal specifically to the its target audience. Each TV Ident includes the logo of the channel and sometimes may feature a continuity announcer. In this essay I will be discussing how marketing, branding, packaging and re packaging, scheduling and segmentation, have an impact on television idents and why they are important when considering the purposes of idents. TV idents are used to advertise a channel, in recent times television production has progressed at a rapid pace, since the expansion of cable satellite and digital TV. This has led to a growth of television channels , with there now being over 135 channels available to watch. The expansion of the market cooperate has a large importance, as viewers are now offered a larger selection of channels to tune into. It is now even more important to make sure that the aesthetic look and the tone of the channel are instantly recognisable and appealing to its target audience. In order to make sure the viewer tunes into their channel. On average it is said that people only watch the same 6 to 7 channels, the broadcasters of the channel want to be a part of the top 5 choices of channels, for people to choose from. This means that it is important for their ident to help the viewer recognise the channel instantly and know what their channel stands for. Their ident is created to sum up the personality of the channel and helps the viewer to make a choice as to what channel they will choose watch. Channels also try to keep the viewer within their brand of channels , to ensure that the viewer is viewing a show within their network. For example the BBC will tell you what program is coming up on any other BBC channel with this they hope to get the viewer to either stay on the existing channel or help them to find a program that they may have an interest in on the others. As well as keeping the viewer within the network the channel tries to win over the audience to try to entice them to stay on the current channel they may inform viewers of programs that are coming up and break up the scheduling so if the viewer sees that a program that they enjoy is coming up they may just stay on the channel instead of going to the other. Packaging is an important way to appeal to the audiences of the channel each channels TV idents have relevance to the target audience for the channel This can be seen with the BBC channels there a 4 different channels each catering to different target audiences BBC 3 which is aimed at 16-25 year olds contrasts largely to the BBC 4 whos programs target a much more mature audience. Another purpose of television idents is marketing purposes. The creation of Idents are way for TV channel , to show them at the starts and ends of a tv channel and during advert breaks this technique can have more than one use firstly to remind viewers of the channel that they are currently on and to advertise the branding identity that is represented through the ident. This is because the branding and identity, represented through their ident, may appeal to the viewer, and this will therefore result in the viewer most likely returning to the channelto watch other programs because they like the identity of the channel, and will most likelylike the types of programs they air too. During special seasons, events TV idents may repackage there TV idents, this is done to fit in with certain themes. ITV have always changed their ident over the years, most recently there idents have been rebranded to become more up to date to compete with more channels, in the new rebranded idents different footage of everyday life situation is used to try to reflect the channels new wider audience. This differs from its previous design which was more adult orientated. It is important to schedule an ident at certain time so that it is relevant to the time of day and program that will be shown, Segmentation is essential for channels so that they can remind the viewer of the channel that they are currently watching this helps to reinforce the brands identity to the viewer and represent what the channel stands for. The type of ident that is displayed will depend on the time and program that is going to be shown for example if I program was to air pre watershed at around 3.30 pm when a child finishes school they would use an ident that would reflect the type of show this could be for a TV channel such as CITV , alternatively the channel fox uses an ident that features a man pointing a gun this ident has relevance to the show walking dead which airs around 9 pm this would be inappropriate for young viewers due to its adult themes. Part 2- The design of an ident is also important as it is one of the main ways that a company is able to get across the purpose and the message of the ident to the audience , it is also the main representation of the channels identity. The design of the ident reflects how the audience will see them and influence whether a person will watch the channel. In the second part of the the assignment I will considering the design of the idents and the effects that it has on the audience. Channel fours Tokyo themed ident ,suggests that channel 4 is broadcasting shows that are multinational and appeal to a wide audience the ident itself features bright colours and large levitating objects that form into the channel 4 logo when the camera is panning this makes the logo stands and becomes instantly recognisable. This ident lasts for 42 seconds long with a slow to medium tempo the ident lasts long enough for the audience to see the setting environment which is set in the busy streets this is seen during the panning of the camera due to the fact that you can seen by the Japanese writing on the billboards that eventually form the logo. The music composition that is used is slow and calm to match the general mood the ident. The target audience for this ident is adults this can be told by the scheduling of the idents is around 9 pm The ident is an entertainment as the ident seems entertaining and amusing it is very creative compared to the earlier idents. This ident is also information led as it informs the viewer of the programming that will be airing next. The overall purpose of this ident is to advertise channel 4 in a way that is both cleaver and creative so that it establish and reflect the channels identity. The reference to the channel 4 logo gives this channel its identity like most idents do and constantly remind the audience of what channel they are watching to simultaneously advertise their channel. BBC 3 This ident has been created by BBC three, the design of the ident has a trendy and techno theme that appeals to a younger audience and fits the target audience for the channel. The target audience for the channel is 16- 25 year old .The ident is very fast paced similar to the CBBC ident as this much more appealing to a younger audience this is because the channel airs programs that are more appealing relatable to that age group similarly to the previous ident this ident is entertainment led the ident as it supposed to suggest a sense of discovery it links to the comedy, entertainment and factual programming that airs regularly on the channel. This ident was created for the CBBC, and is market for the audience of the channel of the ages 7- 12 years old. The ident appeals to children of that ages due to the bright colours that are used , CBBCs main colour is green this could symbolise the safety and peace that the channel represents which is an appropriate tone for a childrens channel ident. and the fast pace of the ident. In this ident Santa is seen carrying presents he trips over and all of the presents fall out of his hand , we then see Rudolph with â€Å"children’s† in lights across his antlers and the words BBC in his mouth this is due to the fact that BBC stands for the childrens BBC†. This would attract the target audience because its childish and fun which fits in with general programming of the channel. This ident informs the target audience that it is Christmas time and uses the theme of Santa present it.. The screen tempo is used well as the timing the animation moves goes along with the backg round music goes well and there is also extra sound like lights buzzing .This ident is entertainment led as it features different characters and content that children of that age enjoy. Channel 4 original ident The first TV idents for channel 4 was released in the 1980’s. It had a very simple purpose, which is to establish channel 4s corporate identity and to help reflect this on their programming. due to the technology available in the 80 the ident is very basic and isnt very technical. Generally the overall purpose of this ident is is to advertise channel 4 in a simple way so that it can help reflect the channels identity. The music behind the ident is channel 4 signature theme Four Score the ident is very simple compared to the Tokyo themed ident which is much more creative ,during the ident shapes come together to create the four shape this is done in the same way as the Tokyo ident showing that channel 4 has kept a consistent theme throughout the years. This ident is information led due to the fact that it is very simple and basic , it is mainly used to inform the viewer what is coming up.

Essay --

David Kim (djk2) 12/18/13 Phil 316 – Philosophy of Law Final Exam A.) Legislator facing a religious challenge 1.) Your society in general tolerates free public expression of opinions. What are the possible justifications for making this exception? Which is the best or are none of them acceptable? (20 points) The most obvious reason for which we may be justified in limiting the free expression of religious ideas in society is by utilizing Mill’s Harm Principle. The principle states that the only reason for which a society may be justified in limiting the liberty of individuals is to prevent harm to others. The question under these circumstances then becomes whether those proselytizing for the minority religion really are causing harm in the relevant sense to others. It clear that the majority of people in this society would be outraged at the actions of those practicing the minority religion, however it is not clear that those in the majority religion really are being harmed. There does not seem to be any imminent threat of physical harm, and property is not being destroyed. We might want to make the argument that those in the majority religion are being psychologically/mentally harmed, however this is philosophically difficult to prove, and the fact remains that intrinsic human ri ghts to one’s body or property are not being violated. According to the Harm Principle, we are only justified in imposing sanctions when a direct harm is made against a person or their human rights, and since this is not the case – we are not justified in banning the minority religion on a strict interpretation of this principle. An alternative possibility is to claim that the harm principle sets the bar too high for imposing sanctions and that a more... ... It is less clear however, the degree to which this man ought to be punished given the fact that he had an underlying mental condition, and also was provoked by the other man. The existence of these two mitigating factors could be cited in order to reduce this actor’s sentence. Contrasting this case with another example (taken from the movie A Beautiful Mind) of a schizophrenic father who unknowingly leaves his child in a bathtub with the water running to attend to a hallucination, thereby drowning the child – makes it clear that in this scenario, a charge of murder does not seem appropriate. The difference seems to be that in this case, there was no malicious intent to kill, and the blame for the death of a child can more fully be attributed to the schizophrenic mental condition than the actor himself. Intuitively, this does in fact seem to be a legitimate excuse.

Police Corruption in the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) Essay

Police Corruption in the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) "Police corruption undermines the foundation of our city..." "Officers who use the shield of service as a sword to commit crimes jeopardize the safety of all of us, and they do dishonor to their colleagues and to the city they swore to protect." Alejandro N. Mayorkas, United States Attorney, Central District of California, (U.S. Department of Justice News Release, 2000). Police corruption is not a new problem in society and there is not a standard way to deal with it. Police officers have enormous power and responsibility and are asked to make difficult decisions. There is not an exact guide to behavior for police officers so their discretion can lead to corruption (Monkkonen, 1999). The existence of police corruption in America has created a negative public view of law enforcement. Police corruption has deteriorated the relationship between law enforcement and the community. In the past four years, more than 500 officers in 47 cities have been convicted of various federal crimes. Local and state authorities in 32 other jurisdictions are either engaged in active investigations or prosecutions of dirty cops (Johnson,1998) . FBI Director Louis J. Freeh has stated: "The insidious nature of police corruption inherently undermines the confidence of the American people in one of the basic tenets of democracy that law enforcement officers will honestly and fairly protect and serve the citizens to whom they answer. The selfish and deceitful acts of a few cannot be allowed to impugn the integrity of the law enforcement profession." (U.S. Department of Justice,1998). The existence of police corruption in society raises many important questions. What causes police of... ... Los Angeles Police Department, "Board of Inquiry into the Rampart Area Corruption Incident"01 March 2000; available from http://www.lapdonline.org/pdf_files/pc/boi_pub.pdf U.S. Department of Justice, "Los Angeles Police Officer, Ex-Cop Indicted on Federal Conspiracy Charges", news release, 05 April 2000; (photocopied). Monkkonen, Erik, "Crossing the (Blue) Line The Problem With Commissions", Los Angeles Times, 26 Sept 1999, p. M-1. U.S. Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Investigation, news release, 21 Jan 1998; Available from http://www.fbi.gov/pressrm/pressrel/pressrel98/police.htm "Report: LA Convictions May Be Tossed", The Associated Press, 18 April 2000. James A. Inciardi, Criminal Justice, 3rd. ed., Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, Publishers, 1990. Lawrence W. Sherman, Scandal and Reform, Berkely: University of California Press, 1978.

Essay --

Through the ages of United States, school dropout rate has been startling. Although. Historically, high school dropout rates have been steadily declining over past decades. 11.2% high school students dropout in 1994 which is 5.8% less in comparison to 17% dropout in 1970 (Debra Marguerite). Nevertheless, according to data in 2009, one- third of high school students nationwide do not successfully achieve a high school diploma and 1.2 million youths drop out each year-which translates into on dropout every 26 seconds (Enelida, 2010). Dropouts come disproportionately from low-income and minority families. Based on previous study, students from low-income families are substantial likely to leave school prematurely than their peers who is from higher-income family. In some communities, Africa American and Latino made up to 50% of the total dropout number. In fact, in 1970, 17% dropout rate did not constitute a social problem. It was relatively easier for those who dropout to seek adequate paid employment. In today’s social context, the consequences of leaving school without a diploma are more costly (Marguerite). Due to technology advancement, traditional goods-producing economy has transformed to a more service orientated economy. As the result, labor market for blue collar occupations has been shrinking in recent years. Based on Census 2000 data, a suburb of southeast Los Angeles County, California, where dropout rate was nearly 50%, 28% of its inhabitants are impoverished, which is twice the state average of 14%. Even before the financial crisis, nearly half of dropouts were unable to seek paid employment during an entire year. In additional to financial difficulties, high school dropouts are trend to become involved with justice ... ...t dropouts used to describe school life. The school was located in major drug-traffic area of a low income community which is literally one step away for those youth to go on street, engage gang activity and use drug. None of the teachers at Rosa Parks School were a part of the community in which they taught (Ferguson). The sad, shock stories school adults told were based on prejudiced judgment associated with children’s behavior at school, children’s failure as largely the consequence of their attitudes and behaviors as well as those of their families (Ferguson). Families of at-risk children are asserted as lack parental skills; they do not give their children the kind of support that would build â€Å"self-esteem† necessary for school achievement (Ferguson). Faculty should communicate and spend quality time with parents; it helps both sides to understand.

Cowper’s poem Essay

Both poets use rhetorical questions in their poems. Angelou says, ‘Did you want to see me broken? Bowed head and lowered eyes? † Meaning that this was the image that white people thought blacks should look like. People are expecting Angelou to fail and be miserable. Cowper’s use of rhetorical question was more hymn like and gave a vivid image of the situation. The question was, ‘ Why did all creating nature make the plant for which we toil? ‘ However it does get the reader to think about the asked question. Cowper’s poem is very hesitant because there were obviously aspects of slavery, which were too crude to talk about. Slavery was still legal at the time so being hesitant was because he could indeed get into serious trouble for broadcasting slavery in such a negative attitude, whereas Angelou’s poem is defiant, challenging and bold. This attitude of the poem is very much like the poet who wrote it. The tone of Cowper’s poem is full of anger and questions the rights of slavery, whereas the tone of Angelou’s poem is generally positive, confident and assertive. An example of Cowper’s anger would be when he says, â€Å"Prove that you have human feelings, ere you proudly question ours. † This suggests that Cowper is asking the slave traders to think about how the black slaves are being treated and asks them if they feel the pain, which slaves go through. An example of Angelou being confident would be the line which says, â€Å"You may trod me in the very dirt but still like dust I’ll rise. † This says that Angelou remains positive and confident even though the path ahead looks dismal. The poems are structured as follows: Angelou’s poem is written in different stanzas, each containing four lines. Lines two and four rhyme and therefore, create a great sense of rhythm. The final stanza in ‘Still I Rise’, changes structure. Angelou uses repetition, she constantly stresses the point that she still rises by using the name of the actual poem, ‘Still I Rise’ to emphasize the point. The structure of Cowper’s poem, ‘The Negro’s Complaint’ is also similarly written in four line stanzas, but is much longer and complex and written to inspire others to believe in the immortality of the slave trade. Lines one and three rhyme and then lines two and four rhyme. The rhythm in this poem does not differ and remains constant throughout, unlike ‘Still I Rise’. A large difference in the two poems is the language used within. Angelou’s poem is written by using a number of abbreviations, such as: † ’cause and diggin'†. This suggests a deep south American accent and was a typical language used in America at the time of this poem. Cowper, however, uses archaic language like using the words, ‘ye and hark’. This gives the reader a picture of the timescale. Both poets use a number of poetic devices. Angelou uses metaphors, similes and personification. An example of a metaphor in this poem is when she says, â€Å"I’m a black ocean. † This is saying that Angelou is a black ocean and therefore, vast and powerful. The simile that she uses is, ‘But still, like dust I rise,’ Angelou thinks she is like dust. Her use of personification is, â€Å"ocean, leaping,† the ocean has been given a human characteristic. Cowper doesn’t use comparative language like Angelou, so no metaphors or similes are present. Cowper does however, use personification, he says, â€Å"raging billows,† this creates a very vivid image in your mind of the ferocious waves. Both poems’ personification refers to the seas, this is just another of the similarities between the two poems. Cowper was a son of a Rector and therefore, educated in religion. We realise his use of his knowledge when Cowper comments on, â€Å"blood extorted screws,† this is obviously referring to Jesus, and compares his torture, to the slaves torture and we can imagine the pain caused. Cowper’s poem is depressing at times; this may be due to the childhood he had faced. Cowper’s mother died when he was only six years of age and was a victim of bullying at school. Later in life he was called to the bar before attempting suicide. Cowper’s childhood may have influenced the angry tone of the poem, ‘The Negro’s Complaint. ‘ On the other hand, Angelou was born into a black family and suffered just as much pain as Cowper, if not more. Even though the slave trade had been previously abolished, the black and white people were, nevertheless separated from each other. Angelou had received her fair share of racial comments over the past but still remained powerful and took no notice. This later helped Angelou on her road to success and she became the first black lady to drive a tram. As the time progressed she also became the first black director in America. This success was really all down to Angelou’s power to overcome things. This knowledge of Angelou’s past would have influenced the contrast of the positive and negative aspects apparent in her poem. The message, which is presented in, ‘Still I Rise,’ is that you can never keep a strong lady down. Racist comments and abuse just fly in one ear and come out the other, not remaining in her head long enough to be dwelled on. The message given in, ‘The Negro’s Complaint,’ is that he wants the reader to understand the uncivic and inhumane aspects of the slave trade and he generally questions the rights of the slaves. Overall, I prefer, ‘Still I Rise. ‘ In a rather clever way, it presents the personality of the poet through her writing. The tone of which she writes is so much alike the person she is, and I admire her for the way she rose no matter what happened. I also admire Cowper for writing in the eyes of a Negro. It must have proven difficult to write from another viewpoint whereas Angelou writes from her own experiences.