Lovers :: Personal Narrative Sex Relationships Essays

Lovers My mother went to Barnard on a full scholarship. She commuted from home, two hours a day on the subway. One night after a Columbia party, she was up a ladder taking down crepe paper when an orange hit her on the back of the head. It thumped to the ground and rolled under a stool, where my father knelt to retrieve it. He tossed the orange across the room to a friend — his intended target — and offered my mother his hand. In my version, she shakes off his attempts to help her down from the ladder. Does not speak to him for months because she’s so offended at being hit on the back of the head with the orange. Looks the other way when he passes on the street. Starts dating his roommate. In my version, the roommate can’t be there for a date they’re supposed to have. He has an emergency to deal with — a death in the family, a last-minute pinball competition at the pizza place, what have you. My father answers her knock with as much grace and charm as he can muster. "Hello," he says. "Are you here to see Bob?" "Yes," she says, stepping cautiously over the threshold. "He isn’t here," my father says. "He had to go to a funeral/pinball semi-final/what-have-you." My mother: "Oh." Of course, she could just step back across the threshold and find another way to spend her evening. But in my version she does not. She sits on the couch, tugging her mini skirt to cover more of her nicely shaped legs. My father brings out a basket of butter crackers and wedges of cheese. They talk about politics, literature. Something. What would my parents discuss during their first conversation? Now, after thirty years of marriage, their communication isn’t even verbal; each speaks through the other’s eyes. But how did they communicate then, when they were still new? Of course, this night kicked off the ravenous affair that would become my parents’ marriage. In my version, they could not keep their eyes (or their hands) off each other. They went everywhere in each others’ company: the dining hall, where my mother sneaked my father in on her meal ticket; the library, where he tossed spitballs into her hair; the movies, where they nuzzled at the back of the room, my father attempting a hand on her thigh, my mother staring straight ahead, her arms and legs rigid.

Why Athens Lost the Peloponessian War

â€Å"They were beaten at all points and altogether; all that they suffered was great; they were destroyed as the saying is with total destruction, their fleet, their army; everything was destroyed and few out of many returned home. † (Thucydides, Peloponnesian War, 481) The Sicilian military campaign of Athens proved to be one of the most disastrous military campaigns in ancient times.The loss of thousands of soldiers and sailors, hundreds of vessels and vast amounts of money from the treasury reduced tremendously the Athenian ability to wage war; however, even in spite of such a loss, Athens was still able to prolong the war for nine more years until the Spartans defeated Athens in 404 B. C. The downfall of Athens came as a result of Spartan military operations, which destroyed the Athenian navy and cut off Athens from the supply of grain from Ionia. The decisive battle at Aegospotami in 405 B. C put an end to the Athenian empire and Athenian military power.There were many r easons for the demise of Athens, ranging from bad leadership and preparation for war to a lack of overall strategic concept for conducting the war against Sparta and its allies. All of these reasons contributed to the downfall of Athens in the Peloponnesian War; however, this paper will focus only on the failure of Athens to execute Pericles’s strategy. Athens lost the Peloponnesian War because of a failure to follow the strategy of Pericles, which ultimately led to reckless expeditions, ill-advised war decisions and loss of allies.Pericles was an Athenian politician and general during the time when tensions between Sparta and Athens were rapidly escalating. The two city-states were constantly feuding over interests and were unable to compromise on several issues such as the siege of Potidaea, Megarian decree, and allowing Aegina become independent. This unwillingness of both sides in turn, pushed the rival poleis into a war against each other, which marked the start of the f irst Peloponnesian War.Before the hostilities began, Pericles laid out a strategy before the council, which if Athens were to follow would lead to a favorable outcome over the Lacedaemonians. The principles of Pericles’ strategy centered on naval warfare, attrition and limited foreign engagements during the time of war. Pericles being a wise strategist and a general knew the strengths and weaknesses of Athens and their opponents Lacedaemonians. Athens could not match the Spartan superiority in the hoplite warfare; however, Athens was capable of destroying Sparta by conducting raids from the sea on Spartan territory.The Athenian maritime fleet became one of the most powerful fleets in the ancient world after the defeat of Persia. The Athenian navy consisted of hundreds of ships and thousands of sailors who over the years gained experience and became second to none in their craft. Their familiarity with the sea allowed Athens to sail anywhere and raise fortification against any enemy in their own land. Such an advantage over the seas prevented Athenian opponents from committing too many resources and soldiers against Athens because of the fear that Athens might strike while they were on an expedition.Furthermore, the domination of the seas allowed Athens to become wealthy from trading with her allies and colonies. The money made abroad combined with the tributes from allies allowed Athens to acquire means for prolonged wars. On the other hand, Sparta in the eyes of Pericles could not afford this luxury and had to fight shorter wars. â€Å"Spartans personally engaged in the cultivation of their land, had no private or public funds, the Peloponnesians are also without experience in long wars across the sea. (Thucydides, Peloponnesian War, 82) Pericles saw that Sparta can only gain land and money by battle, while Athens had plenty of islands where they received their resources from, which in turn did not require Athens to engage in many battles. In addition , Lacedaemonians were also limited by the type of alliance they were in, where each member had an equal vote. The group had to reach a consensus before they could act, while Athens made decisions and her allies followed. Pericles foresaw that the Peloponnesian League members in their war decisions would press for their own well-being instead of the common good.Therefore, when Athens would attack one of the allies of Sparta, Spartans would be put in a position where they had to choose to either to protect their allies and abandon the attack on Athens, or to continue the attack without support. That was the strategy of Pericles to defeat Lacedaemonians and their allies. By remaining in the city and conducting naval warfare, Athens would eventually reach a favorable outcome against the Spartans. Additionally, for as long as they abstained from new conquest during the war and kept their allies with them they had a good chance in winning the war.Following the death of Pericles in 429 B. C. the Athenian strategy for the war began to change. â€Å"Private ambitions and interests in matters apparently quite foreign to the war, lead them into projects unjust both to themselves and to their allies, projects whose successes would only conduce to the honor and advantage of private persons, and whose failure entailed certain disaster on the country in the war. † (Thucydides, Peloponnesian War, 126) Personal ambitions and interests were in many cases put before the common good.This change in the strategy was exhibited in many situations and the most prominent was the Sicilian campaign. It was not in Athens’ strategic interest to invade Sicily because the city was still struggling with enemies within their homeland. But, common good and the strategic interest of a polis were overshadowed by eloquent speeches of individuals who promised wealth and expansion of the Athenian Empire as the results of the expeditions. However, these expeditions proved to be more det rimental than beneficial to the city of Athens.The Sicilian campaign is the prime example of unnecessary expedition, which stemmed more from personal ambitions than overall interest of the city. Athens became involved in Sicily because of her alliance with Egesta, which was at war with Selinuntines. The Egestaeans called upon Athens to assist them in war not only because they signed an alliance and belonged to the same Ionian ethnic groups but also because of supposed danger that Syracusans the allies of Selinuntines posed to Athens. Egestaeans persuaded Athenians that if they would not act Syracusans would take over Sicily and than would join the Peloponnesians in attacking Athens.The envoys from Athens were dispatched to survey the situation in Sicily and when they returned Athens decided to join the Egestaeans in the war against Selinuntines and Syracusans. Few Athenians questioned the decision of the council, however, among them was Nicias the general who was leading the expedit ion to Sicily. Nicias argued that the expedition to Sicily would bring Athens more enemies and more problems. Athens needed to focus on the war with the Lacedaemonians and securing the empire they established and not to undertake new conquests. However, his arguments fell on deaf ears and Athens began to prepare for the expedition.Over five thousands hoplites and one hundred triremes were dispatched from Athens to Sicily in 415 B. C. The goal of the expedition was simple, to capture Syracuse, however, Syracuse stood its ground and the Athenian generals requested more soldiers and ships from Athens. Even with the reinforcements, Athens was unable to gain advantage over the Syracusans. The results of the expedition were disastrous and not what the Athenians had expected. Syracuse and their allies, with the help of Spartans were able to stop and later annihilate the Athenians in Sicily.The Athenian failure in Sicily reverberated across the Greek world, which led to more problems for th e Athenians. With the news of the defeat, not only did the enemies of Athens become more emboldened to take actions against Athens but also the Athenian colonies began to revolt which caused Athens both economic and political problems. Athens’ source of strength came from her allies and colonies. They did not only provide Athens with money in a form of tribunes but also supplied her with resources such as wood, silver or food.The Athenian alliance system was set up in such a way that it required everyone to contribute money, ships or men. These contributions were then put to use in the war by Athens. The contributions kept on coming in for as long as Athens could control her allies, however when Athens began to engage in battles and started losing them, the allies revolted. The allies and colonies began to revolt because Athens could no longer proceed with forces against them. Additionally, the treatment by Athens created resentment among the allies and colonies. The allies n o longer saw themselves as equals but as servants to Athens.When Lacedaemonians came through, their city’s majority changed sides because they believed that would receive freedom from by siding with Sparta. The revolutions of allies in many cases were also due to the bad treatment by Athens. After engaging in campaigns, which did not bring back the desired result, Athens pressed her allies for more tribunes and contributions. The poleis which did not want to pay more eventually revolted, than Athens was forced to put down the revolutions with force, which alienated the allies even more. The revolts and losses of allies had a profound impact on Athenian war efforts.Not only did they require Athens to diverge manpower and resources away from the war but also Athens was cut of from tribunes, which they badly needed after the failure in Sicily. â€Å"If you consent not to combine schemes of fresh conquest with the conduct of the war, and will abstain willfully involving yourselv es in other dangers, indeed, I am more afraid of our own blunders than of the enemy’s devices. † (Thucydides, Peloponnesian War, 85) The leaders of Athens and majority of the Athenian populace did not take the advice of Pericles to heart.Witnessing the destruction of the countryside from inside the Long Walls, many Athenians became enraged with Pericles’s strategy. People like Cleon and Alcibiades who promulgated more offensive and daring plans in the war, became leaders. With their promises of wealth, glory and fame, they were able to persuade Athenians to engage in unneeded expeditions. However, these expeditions only drew the attention away of what was actually needed to end the war. Athens lost the Peloponnesian War because of her failure to follow Pericles’s strategy.Pericles’s strategy stressed the importance of navy and staying within one’s walls which if was adhered to by the Athenians; it would ultimately lead Athens towards a favora ble outcome. However, personal ambitions and interest preceded the common good, which resulted in failed expeditions and policies. These disastrous expeditions in the end were compounded with revolts and losses of allies, which ultimately led to the Athenian downfall. Athens was no longer able to provide manpower and resources to continue the war and ultimately was taken over by Lacedaemonia.

Analysis of Drama Through the Movie the Devil Wears Prada

I chose to write my drama essay on a film, specifically The Devil Wears Prada. I chose this film because it is my favorite movie of all time. It is my favorite because of how benevolent the characters can be, I will explain this in more detail soon. I definitely consider The Devil Wears Prada to be a drama because of all the controversial events that goes on in the movie; I will also explain this in more detail later. The Devil Wears Prada is a story about a young journalist Andrea Sachs, played by Anne Hathaway, who scores a job at a famous fashion magazine called Runway Magazine. Although she is a journalist she ends up getting the position as one of the assistants to the head of Runway Magazine, Miranda Priestly, who is played by Meryl Streep. Meryl Streep is depicted in the movie as a cutthroat bitch; she constantly says mean things to her employees with disregard to their feelings. For example, Miranda meets Andrea for the first time and Andrea is not the most fashion worthy person, she wears stripes with plaid and wears military boots with her dresses to work. Miranda looks up and down at Andrea and says to her â€Å"you have no style or fashion,† Andrea starts to respond with â€Å"well I think†¦Ã¢â‚¬  and Miranda quickly cuts her off and says â€Å"No no it wasn’t a question† (Frankel, 2006). Even though Meryl Streep is very cruel to Andy, she still keeps the job because she is told by a coworker that if she works with Miranda for a year, then she can get any job in the city after that. Her co-worker is Emily, played by Emily Blunt; she is also very rude and does not treat Andy with any respect. Emily is the executive assistant to Miranda which means that during fashion week in Paris, Emily will get to attend Miranda and Andy will stay at the office in New York. Andy does not mind anyways because she does not care to meet all the fashion designers, which are in Paris. Over a period of time working at Runway, Andy decides to get a makeover because she feels she will be more respected by Miranda. After the makeover, Miranda does notice the more positive things that Andy is doing and even starts to call Andy by her real name. Before Andy had her makeover Miranda would simply call her, â€Å"my new Emily† (Frankel, 2006). Andy became extremely good at her job, but she noticed that the better she came at her job, the more her life with her boyfriend started to fail because of all the time her job consumed. One day Emily got into an accident, she was hit by a cab, while running an errand for Miranda. Therefore Emily cannot go to Paris with Miranda. Miranda calls Andy in and tells her that she will be attending fashion week instead of Emily, Andy is somewhat pleased but feels bad for Emily who has basically starved herself to fit her dresses for the trip. Then Miranda tells Andy, that she must tell Emily that she is going to Paris and Emily will not be going. This causes so much controversy, resulting in Emily no longer will speaking to Andy. During the trip in Paris, Andy finds out that other fashion designers are plotting against Miranda to take over Runway Magazine. At the same time as this is going on, Miranda was just told by her fourth husband that he wants a divorce. He said that Miranda never spent any time with him or their twin daughters. For some reason, Andy tries to tell Miranda about the other designer’s intentions and when she is successful, Miranda said she knew all along about the plot against her. Andy is so mad that Miranda knew about the plot and did not even appreciate that Andy was trying to protect her, that she leaves Paris and throws her business phone away. Two weeks later in New York, Andy applies for a job at the New York Times; she comes to find out that the editor at the paper had contacted Miranda. Andy is very worried that Miranda said negative things about her, because of the way she quit her job. She comes to find out that Miranda said all positive things about Andy and quote, â€Å"you would be an idiot not to hire her† (Frankel, 2006). Therefore, Andy got the job as a journalist at the New York Times. This is definitely a drama because of how many events are going on that cause disagreements. For example, the whole issue with Emily not being able to go to Paris, and that Andy was the one who had to break it to her. I felt as the viewer, this caused a lot of tension. When I watched this scene I actually empathized with Emily because Andy had to take her dream of Paris and crush it, nonetheless while she was still recovering in the hospital. Despite all the hate I felt toward Emily before, because she was so mean to everyone around her, I still felt horrible for her. No matter how mean a person is, I don’t believe they should be hurt intentionally because every person has feelings. Another reason this is a drama is because of the irony; Andy gets her first job as an Assistant to a very powerful woman, which she has never even heard of before. In the opening of the movie they show a scene of all the women getting ready for their interview with Miranda. The women are putting on designer clothing, high end make up and all wearing stiletto shoes. Then they show how Andy gets ready and she just brushes her hair and her teeth and grabs a bagel. It’s ironic how the one girl who does not care about her image gets the job. Miranda explained to her later that the reason Andy got the job is because she saw determination in her, and she did not look like one of the â€Å"Barbie Airheads† who have had the job before (Frankel, 2006). I personally enjoyed this drama because of how mean all these powerful people can be. I find it amusing because it’s shocking that people have such disregard for others emotions. I know that I can be mean at times but I do show remorse afterwards. Being a victim of bullying all through school, it shocks me to see that this is where all the bullies seem to work. I also love this movie because of the plot, Andy, the shy and respectful young lady, comes out on top. Whereas the mean and backstabbing women such as Emily are out of jobs. Finally I enjoy this drama because of all the fashion, I might not dress up every day or shop at high end stores, but I do love to look at all the beautiful clothing. If I had the confidence and money to buy these clothes and wear them I would, so I love seeing a poor girl like Andy be able to just walk into the Runway Magazine closet and pick out whatever Chanel shoes she wants or Prada handbags, that’s a dream come true in my book.

Physics in Everyday Life Essay

1) When we walk or run, our motion is part of laws of mechanics and thrmodynamics. 2) We eat food which undergoes chemical reactions producing heat energy which is converted into mechanical energy 3) Use of refrigerator, pressure cookers, washing machines, television, music system, computers, etc. are all designed on the principles of physics. 4) When we speak, we produce sound properties of which like pitch and intensity are studied in physics 5) Electricity that we use in household is a gift of physics 6) Automobiles design is based on physics The list is endless. Vlad T answered 6 years ago Very vague question but practically everything we do in our daily lives involves SOME degree of physics. Putting on toast, boiling a kettle – heat energy, electricity Cycling a bike – mechanical movements Using the brakes – Friction Using a door handle – Levers and Springs Throwing a ball – weights, gravity, trajectory, air resistance 1)We walk, walk fast, run, jog, jump into a bus etc. All these or any type of motion is associated with Newton’s law of motion. 2) When we talk, our vocal cords vibrate producing sound. 3) When we eat food, the chemical energy of the food is being converted into mechanical energy which we use to do different types of work. 4). The electricity is our house is a gift of Physics. Hydroelectric project is the method in which water is used to generate electricity. The mechanical energy of the water is converted into electrical energy using dynamo.

Herzog and de Meuron-Caixa Forum

Forum Madrid implements a new concept in social and cultural centres, offering a comprehensive and innovative programme that enhances the integrating capacity of culture and its importance for people’s communication and well-being. Part of that being the combination of old and new form. The visibility of the Tate Modern(a power station turned into a museum) led the director of the Caixa Foundation, Luis Monreal, to commission Herzog & de Meuron for the renovation that emerges as a live space opening its doors to the public.The la Caixa Foundacion wanted the CaixaForum Madrid to be a living centre that opens its doors on the Paseo del Prado to place itself at the service of citizens. Within the la Caixa’s cultural initiatives, the CaixaForums provide permanent building venues where some of their cultural activities such as exhibitions of ancient, modern and contemporary art, music and poetry festivals, multimedia art, debates on contemporary issues, social seminars, educ ational and family-oriented workshops may be housed, as well as their ongoing and, typically, permanent exhibits.Knowledge is promoted and personal growth enhanced for citizens of all ages. Though the building’s exterior performs sculpturally, the programmatic desire is to be an experiential system. Along with the cultural operation and importance to the program, the experience of the space is carried through in how it affects the senses. Each program perfoms differently, playing with materials, shapes, and lights. Pleated and welded steel continues from the lobby ceiling and wraps up through the entrance staircase that leads the people into the building through the pattern and re? ection.The lobby walls are made of concrete, but the lights mimic the pattern of the staircase pulling one in and enlarging the space. The foyer and auditorium are covered by a deploye type expanded sheet metal mesh, creating an undulating, dynamic structure. Being underground, this opens the space and lifts the feeling of con? nement. The ? oors of the foyer and auditorium are laid with American oak making an inviting environment. The art gallery ? oors are a continuous white terrazzo paving, made from powdered marble, cement, resin and ? bres lighting the space and making it continous, making visitors more drawn in.The main stairs are a continous ruled surface that invites occupiers through. The lower ? oor of the new expansion acts as a transition that is labyrinthe-like in the material movement and change that pulls one up into the upper ? oor. The upper ? oor consists of the irregular, perforated cast iron panels that coincidewith the glass surfaces create a sort of release from the rest of the building, allowing views across the roofscapes of Madrid. CaixaForum Main Gallery- 4 CaixaForum- 3 Smaller exhibition halls – 6 Chidren’s workshop- 5 8 CaixaForum Madrid 06 05

Abolitionism in William Blakes Works

Abolitionism in William Blake's Works William Blake’s Abolitionism â€Å"I know my Execution is not like Any Body Else I do not intend it should be so.† William Blake is arguably one of the most eccentric and enigmatic artists of the Romantic era. His ideas about religion, art and society are often considered anachronistic. In general, Blake’s vision is different from other Romantic era artists because of his lower-class background, his personal spirituality, and his interest in the visual arts. However, he does have similar opinions about the important issues of the time, especially concerning the French Revolution, abolitionism and the visionary imagination. In approaching Romantic literature with a global prospective, it is important to consider Blake’s unique contribution and influence, as well as his divisions. His oeuvre converges in fundamental ways with the literary art and the limitations of his time, including views on gender and racial equality. In this paper, I will focus on his ideas concerning slavery and the unique ways in which he expresses his abolitionism through an investigation of his poetry and art. I will examine the presentation of slavery and abolitionism through a close-reading of the poems â€Å"The Little Black Boy†, from Songs of Innocence, and â€Å"Visions†, from Visions of the Daughter of Albion. The literary analysis will incorporate analysis about various works of art by Blake, including the illustrations of these poems. The two poems demonstrate, through their abolitionist message, the oppressive forces of conventional religion and British moral and social expectations, and that they have corrupted natural relations between human beings. I will exhibit that although his poetry is highly progressive for its day, it still relays the underlying belief of his time that women and racial others are inferior. Blake is successful in exposing the problems of the conventional religion of Britain, but his highly spiritual and mythological vision makes his message less effective in causing any real change within society. Blake is worthy of academic attention and there is indeed an overwhelming amount of criticism on his works. I have learned a great deal from David Erdman’s article â€Å"Blake’s Vision of Slavery†, which outlines abolitionism in Visions. Saree Makdisi indicates the necessity of reevaluating the history of the Romantic-era when considering Blake’s works. Susan Fox also indicates Blake’s anachronistic role within the era, but argues that he exhibits the limitations of his time in utilizing women as metaphors for failure in his works. Anne Mellor indicates the argument of Visions, in terms of the human form and Blake’s spiritual beliefs, as a criticism of British morality for destroying the vitality of a true spiritual union. My analysis of abolitionism within the two poems will assert that Blake’s portrayal of slavery is linked to his larger program of addressing the injustice and false spirituality of power relations in British society. â€Å"The Little Black Boy† indicates Blake’s beliefs concerning the power of parents over children and racial inferiority, while Visions illustrates his ideas about gender equality and sexual relations. Despite his progressive opinions about equal relationships and abolitionism, Blake exhibits many of the divisions and limitations of his time. His greatest limitation is the complex mythological system that renders his artistic message politically ineffective. In the collection Songs of Innocence and Experience, Blake explores and depicts an â€Å"age when God is fully manifest in man† and feels the spiritual and psychological comfort of God’s protection and love (Matlak, 274). The poetry is highly profound in its promotion of an equal society based on love and freedom, not simply childlike naivety. This book of poetry, like many of his others, is illuminated with several works of art. Blake is unique in this practice because his artwork does not simply serve as supplements to the verse; they amplify, complicate and, at times, contradict the poetry. This challenges notions of reading, interpreting and the relationship between the written and visual arts. His artwork is highly original, and often considered anachronistic, within the English artistic tradition. He chose to use uncommon mediums, notably relief etchings for producing his illuminated books of poetry. Blake also painted in watercolor, a medium which rejected the he avy and traditional method of using expensive oil paints. This medium creates artwork that emphasizes light, pure color and lightness, while also rejecting the orthodox artistic notions of the English Academy and encouraging all classes to produce artistic works. The poem â€Å"The Little Black Boy†, from Songs of Innocence, portrays the simple spirituality of a child who believes in God’s promise of love, while also indicating the spiritual equality of humanity. The boy sings of the lessons his mother has taught him about the perfect afterlife he will enjoy. In this heaven, he will experience pure joy, but also equality with the white English boy. This simply constructed, childlike verse holds many layers of meaning. The poem poignantly asserts the spiritual equality of all humans, alluding to the Christian argument against slavery of his time. â€Å"The Little Black Boy† indicates the spiritual dignity and equality of the boy, therefore, valorizes him. Blake does this in multiple ways, most importantly through the assertion of the religious belief in heaven as a utopia where everyone is equal. The boy is taught that when in heaven he will be released from the oppression and subjugation encoded in his black body, become equal with the white English boy and be loved by God. His spiritual education provides the basis for the boy’s hope, while also promoting the notion of the equal spiritual union in heaven. Blake also promotes the boy’s dignity by referencing his mother and his education through her. The boy’s loving relationship with his mother (lines 7, 21) illustrates his youth and innocence, but also portrays him as more human and endearing. The boy learns diligently and quickly from his mother, who represents the voice of age and wisdom. Blake emphasizes learning as a significant part of childhood throughout his iconography and artwork. The title page of Songs of Innocence portrays two children reading a book lying on a woman’s lap, presumably their mother. The idyllic and bucolic scene indicates the spiritual growth of the children, which is in the hands of the older members of society. This illustration also exemplifies Blake’s vision of positive womanhood as natural and motherly, which was initiated in Songs of Innocence. Mellor and Matlak describe this iconography, â€Å"In Blake’s aesthetic world, the female is identified with nature, the physical body or matter, and the realm of the domestic. Blake’s positive females give birth, raise children, and offer sexual delight and supportive compassion to Blake’s males† (Matlak, 274). Another example of this scene of children learning is â€Å"Age Teaching Youth†, which portrays two children learning from an older figure through reading and verbal instruction. These two works illustrate the poem’s message that learning as an integral aspect of childhood and that children learn from the adults around them. The construction of the figures is similar to the second illustration of â€Å"The Little Black Boy†. Both compositions portray an adult figure sitting and addressing the small children at their feet. This construction emphasizes the authority of the adults, but also the eagerness and attentiveness of the children. They are willing to accept the ideas of the words of the adults. Blake’s promotion of the boy’s equality in â€Å"The Little Black Boy† has many complications and problems. Most importantly, the boy’s resignation to earthly subjugation and racism, as a result of his acquired belief in conventional religion, is problematic because of it is an acceptance of racial discrimination on earth and indicates that there is no need for real social change. The poem focuses on God’s light and heat, symbolizing Divine love, using the racial images of blackness and shadows. The third stanza portrays this clearly, â€Å"And we are put on earth a little space, / That we may learn to bear the beams of love, / And these black bodies and this sun-burnt face / Is but a cloud, and like a shady grove† (lines 13-16). Blake indicates the boy’s spiritual goodness, along the same racial lines, by associating his soul with whiteness; â€Å"And I am black, but O! my soul is white† (line 2). This imagery exhibits the comm on tendency of Blake’s time to associate physical darkness with intellectual depravity. Blake argues against the discrimination the boy suffers on earth, claiming that he will experience a spiritual union with God in the afterlife, where all humans are equal. This vision is highly problematic because despite Blake’s efforts to promote the equality of the little boy, the subjugation he experiences on earth seems to be justified or appeased by the idyllic vision of future equality in heaven. The boy resigns himself to the subjugation he experiences on earth as a result of his mother’s teachings. He believes in his corporeal inferiority, as it is taught to him, stating in lines three and four, â€Å"White as an angel is the English child: / But I am black as if bereav’d of light†. The boy focuses on the afterlife and hopes for a union with God, believing that he will be loved then. The last lines of the poem state, â€Å"To lean in joy upon our fathers knee. / And then I’ll stand and stroke his silver hair, / And be like him and he will then love me† (lines 26-28). Note the use of the word â€Å"then† to emphasize that he is not loved by God in this life. Blake presents a complicated argument for racial equality that seems to appease the injustice experienced on earth. By illustrating the boy’s belief and hope for the afterlife, Blake indicates the oppressiveness of conventional religion. English Christianity colludes in the subjugation of the boy, through the mother’s instruction, to accept his inferiority on earth. Indeed, Blake presents the oppressive morality and society institution of the conventional religion, but also the adult’s role in continuing the oppression through the education of the youth and promotion of the conventional ideas. The second illustration to â€Å"The Little Black Boy† illustrates this in a subtle, but important way. The Christ-like figure’s garment looks like stone. The heavy, flat and severe cloak is associated with Blake’s iconography with rationality and conventional religion. Another important message of the illustration is the use of light, an important motif throughout the poem. The sun is a prominent part of the composition’s background, but does not give off a g reat deal of light. In fact, the sun seems to be setting, as darkness creeps into the picture field. This seems to suggest a limitation in the heat and light of God portrayed in the poem, contrasting with the optimism of the verse. Finally, the composition portrays black boy standing behind the white child, who actually touches the God figure. This important placement, along with the fading sun, indicates the subordination of the black boy even in the afterlife. This is not explicitly explained within the composition, but one possible explanation is the oppressiveness of conventional religion. â€Å"The Little Black Boy† indicates some of the limitations of Blake’s time concerning race and racial equality. Although Blake compellingly illustrates the spiritual equality of the afterlife, this is inherently limited because it seems to offer a justification or acquiescence to the racial injustices of English society, including the slave trade and slavery. The vision of an equalized spiritual utopia, and the criticism of conventional English religion, eclipses the abolitionist message of the poem. In representing this vision and the maladies of organized religion, Blake portrays his mystical view of human relations; they are ideally mutual spiritual relationships, while social standards and customs create unnatural power relationships that are oppressive and damaging. In â€Å"The Little Black Boy† this is demonstrated through the control that white, English society have over black populations, the influence that the mother has over her child which causes h im to believe he is inferior and, finally, the conventional God who dominates over the children in the second illustration. Blake’s important poem, Visions, also demonstrates his ideas about power relations and unnatural relationships. This poem describes Oothoon’s victimization by Bromion’s rape, and Theotormon’s belief that she is defiled and unacceptable, despite his love for her. Oothoon is enslaved by her condition as an exploited woman, while Bromion is trapped by his violent act, and Theotormon by the social constructions he abides by. The poem begins, â€Å"Enslav’d, the Daughters of Albion weep a trembling lamentation†, immediately connecting slavery with the subjugation of women in English society. This is influenced from Mary Wollstonecraft’s argument in A Vindication of the Rights of Women that women in England have the same political and civil status as slaves. Visions complexly portrays the repercussions of society and religion’s warped control over human interactions, addressing several different power relations, including the dominanc e of men over women, master over slave and organized religion over society. David Erdman states, â€Å"†¦love and slavery prove to be the two poles of the poem’s axis† (Erdman, 242). This poem promotes a more equal treatment of women by indicating Oothoon’s sadness and extreme despair. She grieves, â€Å"Are both alike: a night of sighs, a morning of fresh tears† (Plate 2, line 39). Her exploitation is obviously condemned in an interesting way because this oppression connects her to horrors of the institution of slavery, including sexual abuse and emotional despair. Blake presents quasi-feminist and abolitionist arguments against the sexual and economic exploitation of humans, because it distorts freedom and natural relationships. Institutionalized subjugation and enslavement does not simply destroy the victimized, such as Oothoon, but the entire society because it warps all human interactions. Bromion becomes enslaved by his violent act, while Theotormon is enslaved by his jealousy and inability to love Oothoon after she has been defiled. He is trapped by the standards of conventional religion and morality, specifically the notions of marriage. The frontpiece to Visions of the Daughters of Albion serves as a dramatic visual representation of the poem’s portrayal of mental and physical bondage. Oothoon is shackled to Bromion, facing opposite directions from one another. Bromion faces out towards the sea with a look of horror, while Oothoon directs herself towards Theotormon, bending downwards in despair and resignation. Lukacher states that, â€Å"her jealous and inhibited lover cowers and withdraws into himself on the cavernous ledge about the enchained figures† (105). Theotormon’s body language indicates his self-entrapment and despair because the social restrictions he believes in prohibit him from being with the woman he loves. This composition utilizes Michelangelo-esque nudes and opposing body languages to contain and reduce the complex drama of the poem. The landscape also conveys the bleak tone of the literary work. The entrance to the grotto frames the figures and the background including a blea k sea, clouds and a darkened sun. Visions clearly argues against the subjugation of women and the institutions that promote economic and physical exploitation on human beings, most significantly slavery and marriage. Blake promotes, instead, love as a equal spiritual and physical union. This notion of free love rejects the standards of Christian marriage in England, promoting an equal union between man and woman. The composition, Circle of the Lustful, exemplifies this notion well. This illustration portrays Virgil standing over the fainted Dante. Dante envisions his Paolo and Francesca released from purgatory and re-united together in the luminous orb. A whirling vortex of punished lovers rushes out of the river of purgatory. Blake liberates the lovers, freeing them from the sin that society condemns them for. The figures are mostly androgynous, indicating Blake’s vision of the ideal human form as containing both the male and female genders. This composition promotes free love, asserting the goodness of spiri tual love, while also overturning Dante’s tradition that imposes strict moral and sexual codes on society. Blake’s work, like Visions and Circle of the Lustful, deals with subjugation and exploitation as distortions of power and human relations. Blake condemned those who abused and exploited others through the misuse of power. His portrayals of this exploitation prompted Saree Makdisi to promote the reevaluation of his time. A specific example of Blake’s condemnation of the powerful is The Ghost of a Flea, a composition that portrays the profane spirit of this powerful man as a reptile-like creature. The comet indicates a supernatural event and the dramatic, stage-like setting emphasize the evilness of this creature. Although this composition is a specific condemnation of English industrialists, it demonstrates Blake’s view of the powerful that exploit and subject the rest of society. Blake’s mythological vision asserts their impending punishment. Visions condemns the mental and physical bondage promoted by the institutions of slavery and marriage. The poem is not, however, highly effective in promoting any real change. In a similar manner as â€Å"The Little Black Boy†, Visions addresses too many issues to be efficacious in directly promoting the feminism of Mary Wollstonecraft or the abolitionist cause. The poem is also rendered ineffective because the definition of slavery is blurred and turned into a multifarious term that applies any lack of freedom. In fact, the poem seems to deal more with spiritual and mental enslavement than with the political and economic practices of the slave trade and slavery. Blake concerns himself most greatly with the condemnation of the sexual limitations and moral codes of conventional religion. Susan Fox claims that Blake’s feminist agenda in Visions is ineffective because Oothoon lacks real assertiveness. â€Å"No woman in any Blake poem has both the will and the power to ini tiate her own salvation – not even the strongest and most independent of his women, Oothoon† (Fox, 513). Blake presents gender and sexuality in a similar way as many artists of his time; although he promotes the dignity and worth of women, the representation ultimately affirms feminine inferiority and lack of agency. Visions’ large and far-reaching messages about slavery, power relations, sexuality and religion addresses many issue in a liberal and progressive way, but these multifarious and complex issues render the poem unable to directly confront any one issue to prompting real change. Blake is most successful in directly promoting abolitionism through the illustrations of actual events and atrocities of the slave trade, such as A Negro Hung Alive by the Ribs to the Gallows. These etchings are politically subversive in a direct and real sense, because they specifically address the institution of slavery’s violation of human dignity. These images are clear criticisms of the atrocities committed by the slave trade, calling for real political action. These illustrations, however, are very simple artistic constructions that portray one figure’s suffering, asserting their humanity and dignity. Although they are not artistically complex or important, they do serve to directly promote the abolitionist cause during his time. In conclusion, abolitionism is not the main concern of â€Å"The Little Black Boy† or Visions. Slavery is the starting point of the poems, which is used to condemn the abuse of power and conventional religion. The other social ills addressed in the poems, such as gender and racial inequality, are similarly presented as aspects of the larger spiritual program. Although these aspects are highly progressive in promoting human equality, they include the underlying belief of racial and gender inferiority, common throughout the Romantic era. Blake’s overarching concern for his poetry and artistic illustrations is the portrayal of ideal mystical vision of natural, vital and equal human relationships. Makdisi states, â€Å"Blake must be seen to be trying to rescue against all odds the possibility of a political aesthetic of immortal joy, which we can understand as an affirmation of joyous unity and collective freedom. This amounts to a refusal of the very logic of domination, of warrior power over others† (Makdisi, The Impossible History, 258). The spiritual attention distinguishes the theme of slavery in Blake’s poetry from direct and bold abolitionist poetry of the Romantic era, such as the works by Hannah More and Ann Yearsley. â€Å"The Little Black Boy† and Visions are concerned with promoting the esoteric mythological vision, not with the instigation of real social change. The mystical investigation of bondage and slavery in these poems offers interesting artistic portrayals of human relationships and spirituality. Bibliography: Erdman, David V. Blakes Vision of Slavery. Journal of the Warburg and Courtauld Institutes 15 (1952): 242-252. JSTOR. 1 Dec. 2007. Fox, Susan. The Female as Metaphor in William Blakes Poetry. Poetic Form in Blakes Milton. Comp. Susan Fox. Princeton: Princeton UP, 1976. 507-519. Lukacher, Brian. Visionary History Painting: Blake and His Contemporaries. Nineteenth Century Art: a Critical History. Ed. Stephan F. Eisenman. London: Thames Hudson Ltd., 2007. 102-119. Makdisi, Saree. William Blake and the Impossible History of the 1790s. Chicago: The University of Chicago P, 2003. Makdisi, Saree. Romantic Imperialism. New York City: Cambridge UP, 1998. Mellor, Anne K. Blakes Human Form Divine. Berkeley: The University of California P, 1974. Townsend, Joyce H. Willaim Blake: the Painter At Work. Ed. Joyce H. Townsend. Princeton: Princeton UP, 2003.   www.blakearchive.org

Early Western Civilization Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Early Western Civilization - Essay Example popularly known as, Charles the great, was a King of a Germanic tribe in current-day Belgium, France, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, and western Germany. He embarked on a charge to unite all Germanic peoples into a single kingdom and convert all his subjects to Christianity. Because he was a shrewd military strategist, he spent a majority of his reign engrossed in warfare so as to accomplish his goals. As a result of this role, he catapulted the Carolingian Renaissance, a cultural as well as intellectual revival in Europe. This Renaissance served as a platform for the rise of civilization in Europe. His unification of most parts of Europe changed the political inclinations of the time. Charlemagne also played a critical role in the economy of Europe by abolishing the monetary system based on gold that was a rare commodity. The new system based on silver that was adopted after that made trading and commerce easier. The Holy Rome Empire was at the forefront of the civilization in Europe. Through the empire’s solid grounding on Christianity to drive its course, myriad social services were provided to Europeans. These services included schooling and medical care, which are essential to the development of society. As the empire spread its holding to the rest of Europe, so did civilization. Another key participant towards the civilization of Europe was Germany. Germany had innovative ideas for economic growth, coupled with their eye for engineering. The Germans developed essential tools and equipment that promoted agriculture, and hence civilization. England, as a country had an enormous bearing on the civilization of Europe. Due to her stability in terms of politics, England was able to develop adequate tools to aid the amelioration of her economy. The ideas that were hatched in England moved to other parts of Europe, hence promoting civilization. The Byzantine Empire, headquartered in Constantinople, was one of the key drivers for European civilization. Over its