Monday, April 27, 2020
Metaphysical Poetry Essay Example
Metaphysical Poetry Essay Metaphysical poetry to a full sense expresses the simplest experiences from the surface of life such as love, joy, hate, anger, sex, politics, religion and peace through a philosophical and logical perspective. This certainly adds extra depth and complexity to each of these life experiences. Metaphysical poetry almost takes these simple elements of life which may sometimes be taken as insignificant, and expands them out through philosophy and logic instructing us to view the bigger picture of life. The term metaphysical fell upon a group of men in the 17th century ( by John Dryden) who were mainly known as Donne, Marvell, Vaughan, and Traherne; these men were all labelled as metaphysical poets as they all shared similar characteristics in their poetry like their strong wit and inventiveness, also their use of extreme hyperbole and very sharp conceits; this made them quite a contrast to the smooth and sweet tones of the 16th century instead they took an energetic, rigorous and rough s tyle; which acquired ones intellect rather than emotion, totally discarding mysticism and intuition. Their energetic and uneven style may have possibly been due to their logical reasoning of subjects which brought out the subject in a very honest and straight forward manner, which at the time was interpreted as uneven. Even though the meanings of these poems are very simple and direct there are constant comparison and reference to mathematics, psychology, astrology and a lot more scientific explorations. This is also another property of metaphysical poetry- a constant comparison to plenty of intellectual themes, which makes these poems like mind games or intellectual workouts called epigrams. The two poems which I am comparing are by Andrew Marvell and John Donne whom are both metaphysical poets from different backgrounds. The poet John Donne is the probably the greatest metaphysical poet, he was born in 1572 in Bread Street, London into a flourishing Catholic family- which was quite an issue at that time. His father, a well-off ironmonger suddenly died in 1576 (just four years after Donne was born); consequently leaving three children with his wife Elizabeth (daughter of John Heywood). Later on Donne and his younger brother Henry were entered into Hart Hall, University of Oxford. Donne studied at Oxford for three years and then left to study at Cambridge for another three years; but he never managed to do a degree at either because he refused to take the oath of supremacy which immobilized a lot of Catholics from graduating. From 1591-92 Donne decided to go and study Law as a member of Lincolns inn, from there on it was quite clear that he was going to embark on a legal or diplomatic career. Though in 1593 Donnes Brother Henry died from fever in a prison after he had been arrested for giving refuge to a proscribed Catholic priest. This changed Donne immensely and encouraged him to doubt his faith. The immense pain that Donne had endured triggered great inspiration for his first book of poems satires. Then during 1596 he joined the naval expedition which the earl of Essex led against Cadiz, Spain and then Azores the following year. We will write a custom essay sample on Metaphysical Poetry specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Metaphysical Poetry specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Metaphysical Poetry specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer This was also another great inspiration which lead Donne to write The Calm. In 1598 Donne returned to England and he was immediately appointed as private secretary to Sir Thomas Egerton (Lord Keeper of the great seal). But in 1601 Donne life was turned up side down as he stumbled across love and shattered all his hopes of worldly gains. He fell in love with 17 year old Anne Moore, the niece of lady Egerton, and father of Sir George Moore (lieutenant of the Tower). He secretly got married but then was found out and was thrown to fleet prison by her father. He was then thrown off his post by Sir Egerton, and then for the next dozen years he struggled to support his vastly growing family. But then in 1906 Donne made reconciliation with his father in law who was persuaded into paying his daughters dowry, and from then on Donne earned a skimpy living as a lawyer, serving Thomas Morton an anti-Catholic pamphleteer, through this period of time Donne write the Devine Poems and they were only published many years later. As Donne was approaching the age of forty and he had published two anti-catholic polemics grasping the favor of King James. Donne went on to be tremendously successful, but just as he got to the height of his success; Donne was struck painfully through his wifes death on the 15th of August 1519. Anne Donne died early in life at the age of thirty three after giving to their 12th child, a still born. Once again Donne was struck by the stirring pain of death. The seeds of pain were buried deep within his unconscious and grew into beautiful flowers also known as the Holy Sonnets and the especially touching seventeenth Holy Sonnet. From their on, in the words of Izaak Walton (a friend and Biographer): Donne was crucified to the world. Love poems were no longer his concern. In 1621 he was appointed to be Dean of Saint Paul, he held this post until he died. Donne began to go into writing his private meditations; Devotions upon emergent occasions, which were all written whilst he was suffering from a serious illness. By now Donne was completely obsessed with the idea of death and so he writes Deaths Duel just a f ew weeks before his actual death. His death arrives upon his doorstep like a lost friend he had been craving to meet, and hand in hand with death he parted from this world without any resistance on March 31st 1631. The very last poem by Donne was Hymn to God, My God, In My Sickness. One of the poems in which I am investigating is by John Donne; its called the The Sun Rising. The theme of this poem is evidently to do with love, though I believe the poem is quite lustful beneath a romantic coat. There are a mixture of tones in this poem which are mainly based around the rude interruptions of the unruly Sun and the passion he possesses for his mistress. He exaggerates his passion and anger through the use of hyperbole, conceits, imagery, rhetorical gestures, and other literary mechanisms. The opening lines are placed under apostrophes Busy old fool, unruly sun, Why dost thou thus, Through windows and through curtains call on us with the use apostrophe Donne plunges the reader into his own reality. He exclaims at the sun, making direct personification that its a busy old fool. In a very angry and pestered tone Donne says that the Sun is interfering and ignorant busy, and cannot understand the young lovers in bed old fool. Then the term unruly pops up, which once m ore expresses that the Sun a nuisance and is very disruptive, but also a powerful character; as it out of control (unruly; cannot be ruled). Again in an angry but questioning tone Why dost thou thus, Through windows and through curtains call on us, this is the actual concern of the poem; why does the sun shine through the windows and interrupt Donnes unfinished business with his mistress. In these opening lines a representation of the sun is shown that its almost like a bully; pestering and interfering though powerful and uncontrollable. These opening lines definitely grabbed attention as it was a contradiction to the usual 16th century literature, where the Sun was perceived as a celestial object of respect. Now Donne goes onto giving orders to the Sun in a much pestered tone. Saucy pedantic wretch, go chide He says the Sun is rude; saucy also fussy and petty; pedantic. He tells the Sun to go and bother someone else-go chide. He represents the sun as being a narrow minded and an ignorant character. But with the use of saucy other characteristic pops up: It could image the Sun as a sly and sneaky spy, through windows and through curtains spying on the two lovers; further within these lines we find a lusty undertone. Why else would he call the Sun saucy unless he was spying on some sort of sexual act, almost like a peeping Tom. Donne carries on disrespecting the Sun by commanding it to go and pester late school boys and sour prentices who need it; indirectly telling the Sun that is all it is worth. He tells the Sun to go and supervise Court huntsmen and the country ants that are actually directly affected by the Suns actions. Within this we find another hidden meaning, it is probably classed as a sexual pun. Which transforms this poem to being lustful rather than romantic: Go tell court- huntsmen that the king will ride this is not only a command to the Sun, but also a sexual undertone with the line King will ride; to ride a horse with its pulse and motions, has long been a metaphor to show sexual activity. After telling the Sun off, Donne began to descend into a tone of pride and self satisfaction. He boasts that unlike the country ants his love was constant and strong through out whatever seaso n or climate; love all alike, no seasons know, nor clime. And unlike the Sun the love that he possessed wasnt categorized into different quantities of time (because the Sun had to follow a certain time schedule; orbit) Nor hours, days, months, which are the rags of time. Continuing with a tone of pride he rhetorically asks; Thy beams so reverend and strong, Why shouldst you think? meaning What makes you think youre beams are so strong and powerful. Donne uses this rhetorical question to assert his power. Then he asserts his power even more by commenting: I could eclipse and cloud them with a wink he is saying that he can overshadow the Sun power (light) with a mere wink; but he wouldnt do that because he wouldnt bare to not see her: But I would not loose her sight so long: If her eyes have not blinded thine with an extract of hyperbole Donne says that his mistresses eyes are brighter than the Sun. This undermined his argument a little, because if wasnt for those beams of light he wouldnt be able to see his mistress at all. I think that Donne was aware of this ludicrous assertion; he seems to be highlighting the flaws of his argument against the Sun, perhaps to emphasize the foolishness of a person in love. His praise to his mistress continues through the use of a strong hyperbole. He asks the Sun Look, and tomorrow late tell me, whether both thIndias of spice and mine, Be where you lefts them, or lie here with me. He asks of the Sun to go round his orbit, from the West Indies which g rasps Gold mines, to the East Indies which holds expensive spices and perfumes and then see if thats where the true wealth lies or does true wealth lie in Donnes bed. Donne is arrogantly saying that all here in one bed lay all the wealth and royalty in the world. In this strong hyperbole he compares his mistress to the exotic places, which sort of expresses to the reader how attractive he believes his mistress is. Donne tries to compare his world between him and his mistress to the outer world. A microcosm has been developed, Shes all states and princes I; Nothing else is. He has compared his love life to the outer life, placing his mistress as the states and hes the princes who govern the states; this also brings out the man and woman relationship in his own microcosm. In a tone occupied with pride, Donne affirms that he and his mistress are not only greater to the master of the sky but everything else as well. Princes he sneers do but play us. He declared that all honors mimic of the reverence he and his mistress share, that all wealth alchemy to the radiance of love, and that the Sun is half as happy as this couple. I think that its quite clear that Donne is aware of his foolishness. But his eloquent lines are purely for the benefit of his love. She silently receives his words as the sun silently rebuts them; as the Sun cannot be stopped the arrogant lover pretends to grant the Sun leave to remain, because he feels sorry for him as he is old: Thine age asks ease, and since thy duties be To warm the world, thats done in warming us. He cunningly twists the Suns refusal into a show of his generosity. If the Sun is determined to warm the whole world, then the speaker would make his job easier for the Sun by permitting him to stay Shine here to us, and thou art everywhere, this bed thy centre is, these walls thy sphere The idea of microcosm has hugely developed here as Donne believes that in order for the Sun to warm this world you can warm his bedroom. The last two lines also imply romance, as the sun is rotating around the two lovers, who Donne declares passionately to be all states, and all princes. . . nothing else is. and is significantly passionate. Yet this is undermined by the title, which says that the sun is rising to a new day after a night of being together, which certainly further implies sexual activity. Indeed, despite its romantic qualities, invoking the bed the lovers share as the center of the suns orbits has a clear sensual tinge; it is as if the sexual activity of the lovers is the center of the world, for what else is a bed the symbol of, if not sex? Andrew Marvell was born after John Donne in March the 31st 1621 exactly ten years after Donne died. Marvell was born in Winestead in Holderness, Yorkshire. But Marvell was educated at Cambridge where he received an inheritance upon his fathers death that gave him four years to travel the continent. Marvell wasnt a puritan himself but he supported them during the civil war and he held a number of posts for example becoming the assistant of John Milton whom was blind and who was Cromwells Latin secretary. Then in 1659, Marvell was elected to parliament where he served until his death. In parliament he expressed strong disagreements against the government in a series of outspoken and anonymously printed satires. And it was because of these political satires rather than his love poems that Andrew Marvell has become so famous. Marvell died on the 16th of August 1678 of tertian ague and the unprofessional conduct of the attending surgeon. The Poem in which I am analyzing is by Andrew Marvell, its called To His Coy Mistress which was written between 1650 and 1653, when Marvell was around 29 to 32 years of age. Andrew Marvell writes a sophisticated poem that is not only targeted to his coy mistress but to the audience as well. The main concern of this poem is that time is unavoidably passing and Marvell wishes for his mistress to act upon his desire and have a sexual relationship with him. Marvell constantly proposes to the reader and his mistress that they must act upon their desires, and not to hesitate anymore but to seize the moment, make the most of their youth before time expires, overall it is this concern that provokes the persuading tone of this poem which is clearly evident. In order to persuade his mistress Marvell uses a dramatic sense of imagery and exaggeration. In the very first two lines; a rhyming couplet, Marvell puts forward his argument: Had we but the world enough, and time, this coyness, Lady, were no crime. He is saying that it would be fine to have a slow and absorbing relationship- but theyre simply isnt enough time! Marvells opening lines are first of all to lay the introduction to his argument. And secondly flatter and impress his mistress, though maybe he has gone to hyperbolic with this (too over the top) as it seems that he is being ironic (or sarcastic), because its as if he is saying: If we were to live forever, I could spend a great deal of time seducing you. Quite obviously, they wont live forever, and Marvell knows this before he even begins his flattery. Also through his use of language we can distinguish that he is very pestered by his mistresss coyness as he labels it as a crime. In these first lines as well as investing in his persuasive tone Marvell also employs a fun and playful tone, this is recognised by his play with words through the use of alliteration, such as; we and world in the first line. Coyness and crime in the second line. In the next lines he tries to woo his lady even more by telling her that he would take his time to be romantic; we would sit down and think which way, to walk and pass our long love day. Again this was presented in a very playfu l tone as alliteration like; we would and which way in one line. And long loves day in the other. Marvell now uses a hyperbole and imagery to impress and flatter his mistress even more, in the lines: Thou by the Indian Ganges side shouldst rubies find I by the tide, of Humber would complain, he is telling his mistress what he would do for her if only he had time. But these lines also indirectly express what he thinks of her. He relates may be relating her to exotic places (river Ganges) to demonstrate to mistress and the reader her beauty. Though on the same time he is expressing her coyness to the relation of the river Ganges which is holy river (for the Hindus) and also to the fact that he finds rubies which symbolises her preserved virginity; as that is what rubies were thought to do. Marvell also tries to place his mistress as high importance by putting him self less than her; less exotic: I by the tide of Humber would complain. This line is very clever because it actually is where Marvell lived as a boy, and where he served as an M.P for more than twenty years. Again Marvell uses a clever conceit and hyperbole to explain the time span in which he would love his mistress in: I would love you ten years before the flood , and you should if you please, refuse till the conversion of the Jews. To flatter her even more he says he would love her from The great flood (which consisted of Noah to taking in the animals two by two) that took place a thousands of years ago till the conversion of the Jews which is suppose to take place at the end of the world. Though I think that in these lines Marvell attempts to impress his mistress rather than to flatter because he alludes to biblical history and geography as if to assert his worldliness and intelligence. Now Marvell goes back into the track of flattering his mistress through this hyperbolic imagery: My vegetable love should grow vaster than empires, and more slow. Vegetables only get larger and riper as they grow, corresponding to his love, which will very slowly like vegetables into vast empires. An empire is a symbol of strength, and to say that his love will grow vaster and stronger than an empire is a great hyperbolic complement to his mistress. The next set of lines sort of outlines the agenda of this poem: A hundred years should go to praise thine eyes, and thy forehead gaze, two hundred to adore each breast, but thirty thousand to the rest; an age at least to every part, and the last age should show your heart. Still in a playful and persuasive tone, he begins to immensely flatter physical attraction as he moves down her body almost as if he is sexually visualising her. Whilst doing this the numbers increase as they reach more sexual parts of her body into finally an age is given to every part, which totally outlines how much he is lusting for her rather than how much he loves her. But in the end the last age would show her heart, which could articulate her heart (personality) as being quite insignificant or it could contrast in stating that its the most valuable because in the previous lines the years of praise were increasing to reach the most valuable. To end his fun and playful tone, Marvell expresses one last flattery; For lady you deserve this state, nor would I love at lower rate he is saying that this is what she deserves and nothing less. In the next stanza the teasing and playful tone modifies into a serious tone, which tries to persuade her by slightly frightening her of the negative outcomes of being coy. The opening to the second stanza not only opens with a more serious tone. But also Marvell puts forward the middle/ second section of his argument; the first section being- its alright to be coy and preserved if we had more time. The middle section of his argument is- but the problem is that we dont have enough time. This is portrayed in the highly witty conceit; but at my back I will always hear times winged chariot hurrying near. Marvell uses an interesting image when he tries to suggest to his coy mistress that death is near but he replaces the word death for a more gentle and delicate term of times winged chariot (a c onnotation), to prevent the coy mistress from getting frightened. A winged chariot is unreal because chariots are ground transportations and its also a link to roman mythology: Apollos flying chariot which drove the Sun. It is used as a metaphor or a witty conceit to express the speed of time (a winged chariot could most probably move fast), and for the inevitability of time (the sun rises and sets regularly every day). This metaphor develops and enhances the clichà ¯Ã ¿Ã ½ that time flies and sets the darker tone of the second section of Marvells argument. Once again Marvell uses imagery to fully activate the readers attention; and yonder all before us lie deserts of vast eternity. What do deserts of vast eternity look like? Maybe its the age in which he would worship his mistresses every part. Or what if the times winged chariot was hurrying near to the last age were her heart would show. The poem has advanced from ten years before the flood into eternity. Marvell says what use is your beauty, its as useless sound trying to escape from a marbl e vault: Thy beauty shall no more be found, nor, in thy marble vault, shall sound. Marvell uses a conceit to emphasis how useless her beauty will be if they do not give in to their desires. Further, all his worries, his echoing song is that he doesnt want her to die a virgin, as its all for her own good (in Marvells point of view) to let him have her long preserved virginity rather than let the worms have it, because then your quaint honour turn to dust, meaning that all her elegance wont mean anything when the she dies a virgin. This idea is reinforced by the revolting and disturbing imagery that goes along with it, of her rotting body with worms all over it, and the word dust also takes part to build this frightening imagery. Whilst he says; and your quaint honour turn to dust he follows it up with and into ashes all my lust. This basically translates into As well as your elegance and dignity turning to dust when you die a virgin, all my desires for you will turn to ashes. He tries to create a connection between himself with his mistress by saying that they both loose something, and also by using two similar words dust (her dignity) and ashes (his lust). There is also another imagery within and into ashes all my lust. Marvell makes it look like his desire for her was very passionate, almost like a ball of fire that burnt away into ashes, due to her coyness. Then Marvell takes the old imagery of a grave and reactivates it again, in the line: the grave is a fine and private place, but none I think do there embrace. He reactivates the grave imagery once more to hold the attention of the reader and also to really emphasis what would happen if was to die a virgin and not have sex with him. In that line he basically says, in a slight sarcastic tone; yes, sure if you want to die a virgin, why not? After all the grave is a fine and private place, but I dont think anyone will embrace down their. Now we arrive at the third stanza, where Marvell brings us to the third section of his argument, the conclusion. We recognise it as a conclusion due to two very simple words; Now therefore The third/ concluding part of his argument is: As its quite clear that we dont of all the time in the world, why not make the most of our youth. This argument is brought up and highlighted with the use of a simile while the youthful hue sits on thy skin like morning dew This simile is quite a standard comparison of the mistresss nature; the morning dew (actually glew-glow), like the mistresss nature is short-lived. Over all I think that both are to do with love, although To His Coy Mistress was a more lustful poem than The Sun Rising, or it may have been more explicit about its lustfulness. Because The Sun Rising also contained some lusty, though Donne did not directly target them at his mistress instead he laid them down very secretly with in his puns that were targeted at the sun. For example the part where the king will ride as I explained before. Though Marvell made some lustful gestures directly at his mistress, for example two hundred years to adore each breast. Maybe this is because Donne had already bedded his mistress which may have took the spotlight off sex little in his poem. Overall, due to these factors The Sun Rising is the more romantic of the two. Both of these poems used hyperboles to do with time themes. In Marvells poem he uses the hyperbole; vaster than empires and more slow. Empires are seen to be strong, so he uses love and compares its greatness to and empire. But in the The Sun Rising far more appropriate hyperboles are used as it uses measures that are far more natural in order to portray a continuation in time love all alike, no seasons knows nor clime, nor hours, days, months which are the rags of time. This shows that when two people are facing true love; time often flows by quickly, sometimes with no meaning. There were also very obviously different tones in each poem, because of their different concerns. Donnes tone was quite pestered, aggressive and scornful, as the opening line portrait; busy old fool, unruly sun or sometimes he used rhetorical questions to assert his power; thy beams so reverend and strong, why shouldst thou think? Donnes tone didnt change tremendously through out the poem, but he did sometimes descend into an arrogant and boastful tone; shes all states and princes I. Marvells tone was in general quite persuasive. Initially as well as having a persuasive tone he also had a fun and playful tone, this was evident t hrough his use of alliteration in the opening lines. But from the second stanza onward he still possessed a persuasive tone, but he eliminated his playful tone and replaced it with a more serious, and dark tone; as he kept reminding the mistress of death: But at my back I can always hear times winged chariot hurrying near. There is also a constant reference to the Sun in each poem. Donne refers to the Sun because it is the cause of concern of his poem, because the sun through windows and through curtains calls on him and mistress whilst they are trying to relax. Whereas Marvell relates to Sun as a tool of time, that provides him and his mistress with time; thus thou we cannot make our Sun, meaning we cannot make more time. But there is one thing in which both the poets are fully related on: The praise of their mistresses. The romantic Donne compared his mistress to being equivalent of the wealth of both thIndies. Where as the saucy Marvell visualised his naked mistress head to toe and promised an age at least to praise every part of he r body!
Thursday, March 19, 2020
US Presidents Religion According to the Constitution
US Presidents Religion According to the Constitution With all the rumors claiming former President Barack Obama was a Muslim, its fair to ask: So what if he was? Whats wrong with having a Muslim president? The answer is: not a thing. The No Religious Test Clause of the U.S. Constitution makes it perfectly clear that voters can elect a Muslim President of the United States or one belonging to any faith they choose, even none at all. In fact, three Muslims are currently serving in the 116th Congress: On November 6, 2018, Michigan Democrat Rep. Rashida Tlaib and Minnesota Democrat Rep. Ilhan Omar became the first Muslim women elected to the House, where the join Rep. Andre Carson, a Muslim Democrat from Indiana. In the general realm of Arab religions, all three Hindus who served in the 115th Congress were reelected to the 116th: Rep. Ro Khanna, (D-California); Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, (D-Illinois); and Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, (D-Hawaii). Article VI, paragraph 3 of the U.S.à Constitution states: The Senators and Representatives before mentioned, and the Members of the several State Legislatures, and all executive and judicial Officers, both of the United States and of the several States, shall be bound by Oath or Affirmation, to support this Constitution; but no religious Test shall ever be required as a Qualification to any Office or public Trust under the United States. By and large, however, American presidents have been Christians. To date, not a single Jew, Buddhist, Muslim, Hindu, Sikh or other non-Christian has occupied the White House. Obama has repeatedly stated that he was and is a Christian. That hasnt stopped his most strident critics from raising questions about his faith and fomenting vicious innuendo by claiming falsely that Obama canceled the National Day of Prayer or that he supports the mosque near ground zero. The only qualifications required of presidents by the Constitution are that they be natural-born citizens who are at least 35 years old and have resided in the country for at least 14 years. Theres nothing in Constitution disqualifying a Muslim president. Whether America is ready for a Muslim president is another story. Religious Makeup of Congress While the percentage of U.S. adults who describe themselves as Christians has been declining for decades, a Pew Research Center analysis shows that the religious makeup of Congress has changed only slightly since the early 1960s. The new, 116th Congress includes the first two Muslim women ever to serve in the House of Representatives, and is, overall, slightly more religiously diverse than the 115th Congress. The number of Congress members who identify as Christian has declined by 3 percentage points. In the 115th Congress, 91 percent of members were Christian, while in the 116th, 88 percent are Christian. In addition, four more Jews, one more Muslim, and one more Unitarian Universalist are serving in the 116th Congress. The number of members who decline to state their religious affiliation increased by eight- from 10 in the 115th Congress to 18 in the 116th Congress. Despite their slight decrease, the number of self-identified Christians in Congress- especially Protestants and Catholics- are still overrepresented in proportion to their presence in the general public. As Pew Research notes, the overall religious makeup of the 116th Congress ââ¬Å"is very different from that of the United States population.â⬠Religions of the Founding Fathers Given the diversity of faiths held by Americaââ¬â¢s Founding Fathers, the fact that the Constitution places no restrictions on religious affiliation, or lack thereof. In his book ââ¬Å"The Faiths of the Founding Fathers,â⬠historian of American religion David L. Holmes notes that Founding Fathers fell into three religious categories: The largest group, practicing Christians who expressed a traditional belief in the divinity of Jesus Christ. Patrick Henry, John Jay, and Samuel Adams, as well as most of their wives and children fell into this category. The founders who, while retaining their Christian loyalties and practices, were influenced by Deism, the belief that, while God as the creator exists, he or she cannot perform miracles, answer prayers, or play any part in the lives of humans. These Deistic Christians included John Adams, George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, and James Monroe. The smallest group, including Thomas Paine and Ethan Allen, who had abandoned their former Judeo-Christian heritages and had become Deists who openly adhered to the Enlightenment periodââ¬â¢s religion of nature and reason. Updated by Robert Longley
Tuesday, March 3, 2020
How to bond with your employees and boost their productivity
How to bond with your employees and boost their productivity Great bosses build relationships with their employees. You donââ¬â¢t have to be buddy-buddy with everyone in your office, but if you establish a rapport and communicate effectively with the people who work for you, youââ¬â¢ll foster a sense of trust and morale and create a better working environment for all. In fact, in aà recent survey, 60% of 1,000 full-time workers questioned said their relationship with their employer positively impacted their work productivity. Here are a few strategies for how you can create a relationship of trust and respect with your direct reports.Keep your door open.The more you make yourself accessible to your employees, the more comfortable theyââ¬â¢ll feel stopping by to discuss things with you, bring up issues that come up during the day, or float great ideas your way. Youââ¬â¢ll have a better idea of whatââ¬â¢s going on if youââ¬â¢re not cooped up in your office alone. If youââ¬â¢re not sure how to encourage your employees to ra ndomly check in, try getting a candy jar for your desk!Schedule (and donââ¬â¢t ignore) weekly one-on-ones.Structured feedback on a regular basis can be invaluable to both you and your employees. Make time for a face-to-face meeting with each direct report where you can get on the same page about existing projects and listen to concerns (while expressing any of your own), and youââ¬â¢ll start to reap the benefits.Oftentimes, a recurring meeting on the calendar can get pushed aside or even ignored because it seems useless when you see each other all day, every day. Resist the urge to cancel or to let your employee cancel. Even if you just meet for 10 minutes, that quiet, scheduled check-in time is key to learning about your employees and getting a sense of how theyââ¬â¢re really doing.Meet outside of the boss/employee context.You shouldnââ¬â¢t pretend to be on the same level as your employees- everyone knows the hierarchy, so you donââ¬â¢t want to seem like youââ¬â¢r e fooling anyone. Still, itââ¬â¢s okay to come down from your upper rung every now and then and let everyone in the workplace have an equal voice in the organization. Maybe schedule a brainstorming meeting where you, too, are responsible for coming up with ideas, or a weekly roundtable with the team where you all talk about the best thing that happened during the work week.Get together outside of the office.A few team-building activities outside of the office can go a very long way to helping you get to know your employees as actual people, not just in the context of their roles at work. Try a team lunch or a group volunteer project, and solicit ideas from the group. But please donââ¬â¢t make people give up their weekends- schedule this non-work outing a few times a year during working hours.Offer regular encouragement.Take an interest in the career development and job satisfaction of each direct report. When someone is doing a good job, take the time to let them know- a littl e positive reinforcement goes a long way. Send a quick email of praise when a particular project goes well. Send an annual (or monthly!) email reminding them of how much you appreciate their work. Make it clear to higher-ups when someone goes above and beyond. When your employees know you notice the little things, theyââ¬â¢ll want to be on the ball every day.Donââ¬â¢t fake it.Above all else, you canââ¬â¢t fake it. Valuing your employees and making them a priority takes real effort and investment. If you halfheartedly make attempts to reach out every so often, everyone will know you donââ¬â¢t really mean it. But putting in the effort is worth it- the stronger, healthier relationships youââ¬â¢ll build will make everyone happier and more productive.
Sunday, February 16, 2020
Kia company Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words
Kia company - Research Paper Example For KIA motors this would include highlighting the energy efficiency of the cars and focusing on low cost of maintenance. This strategy is effective at a time when the purchasing power of the consumers is low. The recent economic downturn has led to a severe dip in the disposable income levels of individuals. Moreover fuel efficiency is also a vital factor at a time when fuel prices are sky rocketing. The company can also promote and replicate its ââ¬ËKIA Approvedââ¬â¢ strategy that would include providing extended warranties and other benefits and an effective after sales service to lure customers (KIA, 2010). Finally KIA motors can enter into a strategic alliance with a local company of high repute. The strategic alliance would involve collaboration between KIA and its partner in the area of marketing and promoting the product including sharing retail space etc. The alliance with an established local partner would help improve the attitude of the consumers towards the brand and would instill greater confidence among the customers and lead to development of positive attitude among the customers generating sustainable competitive
Sunday, February 2, 2020
Language Development Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words
Language Development - Research Paper Example Children show more receptive than productive language. Articulation disorders, Fluency disorders, Resonance or voice disorders Language disorders, Expressive disorders are the common forms of disorders that can be recognized when a child is delayed in the language improvement and these can be cured by the speech training and speech therapy. Speech-language therapy is the treatment for most children with speech and/or language disorders. A speech disorder refers to a problem with the actual production of sounds, whereas a language disorder refers to a difficulty understanding or putting words together to communicate ideas. Edward.Carr observed that a combination of simultaneous communication training and separate vocal training may have a synergetic effect on speech development. Hence while planning language intervention programs, providing ideal situations and contexts for language learning that supports the use of various effective approaches is of utmost importance. The context or type of activity (e.g., play-dough, book reading) can strongly influence the level of caregiver responsiveness (Girolametto & Weitzman, 2002) during the speech training. This suggests that different child learning levels require different teaching methods of language learning. Hence the current study observes various approaches of speech training tools at different stages of child development. The study observes different speech training tools like drama, mime, and improvisation for language development in different age group children from 3 years to 18 years. As children make a deliberate effort to master the sounds and sound patterns of the adult language, Ferguson and Farwell (1975) noted that children work simultaneously at mastering the sound system of the language as a whole and the sound patterns of individual words. So linguists caution against assuming that the correct adult pronunciation always underlies a child's mispronunciation (Waterson 1981). So this advice for careful speech training during the speech storage during early childhood and in school going children.
Saturday, January 25, 2020
The Review of Strategy as Revolution
The Review of Strategy as Revolution Entrepreneurs and managers require a strategic plan in the running of the business organizations so that they may not lose sight of their business objectives. Entrepreneurs are the innovators in the business. They are the ones who identify a business opportunity, they co ordinate the use of resources in the implementation of the business opportunity and eventually they come up with the best mechanism to implement the business idea. A strategy simply means a plan to do something. It refers to a course of action designed to achieve certain set objectives. A good strategy should stimulate change and should serve as a framework in decision making body of the business. Revolution on the other hand refers to the development and adoption of better and more advanced methods of running a business organization (McDonald, 2007, pp. 98). In the article Strategy and Revolution, Gary Hamel classifies companies into three categories in the business world. These include; the rule makers, the rule takers and the rule breakers also known as industry revolutionaries. According to him, the rule makers are the ones who pioneer the building of the industry at all times. They are the creators of industries and they protect the identity of the business (Yodfat Ohanah, 2001, pp. 51). The rule takers on the other hand reflect the goals and objectives of the rule makers. They also try and implement the objectives put across. Eventually there are the rule breakers who revolutionize the entire industry or a section in it. They overturn the industrial order and they are the radical thinkers who revolutionize the industry. Hamels argument is that industries need to act fast and work harder to improve the industry .He believes that this can only be achieved by managers incorporating more innovative ideas and learning to think outside the box. This will safeguard the companys position in the industry ecosystem and safeguard it from losing its market shares to its competitors. According to the article, there are ten key principles that companies in any given industry should follow in order to become revolutionized. In Garys opinion, strategy development is a revolutionary action in an organization. According to him, it is a result of radical thinking and some risk taking on the part of the company. He further argues that radical thinking is mandatory in finding and establishing new market places to trade in .He goes on to say that revolution is important in securing a place in the market place in this era of globalization and digitalization. Hamel believes that for one to be strategic, they must have a gr eat imagination that they are willing to exercise as well as a creative mind. He further stipulates that strategic thinkers are risk takers who are not afraid to take chances and are also not afraid to be wrong (Barney, 2001, pp. 64). Gary does not refute the fact that traditional business aspects that have been used over the years are inefficient. But, it is his opinion that those old management models are no longer equipped to solve the current problems that are arising with the new century. He further says that speed and creativity are mandatory for survival in this era where global competition is prevalent. Gary implies that in the days to come, talent will be more valuable than any title and that the emergence of the internet will act as a catalyst for the 21st century management. He emphasizes on the importance of the internet to organizations stating that it will not only help the managers in managing, but also it will assist in the organization of work and records. Hamel in his article points out that the world is changing at a very fast rate and we have to move at the same pace in order to be able to reinvent ourselves and our businesses. He emphasizes on the need of people becoming flexible in order to a ccommodate the fast adaptation and change. With each day that comes, companies are made to face new sets of challenges in every sector. Therefore companies must be equipped to handle them in the best way to avoid future failure in the business. Gary states that some of the changes affecting the industry are; technological upheaval where the technology in the world is growing at an alarming rate. Therefore, managers have to try and keep up with the emerging trends in order to maintain their standards in the market, globalization, deregulation and society change (Keller, 2003, pp. 85). Despite this, he lays the blame on the companies as in his opinion they are responsible for harnessing the changes that are causes revolution through their actions (Hamel ONeal, 1998, pp. 91). Gary gives principles which he believes will enable a company to revolutionize. He also believes that these principles will assist managers to discover revolutionary strategies. However, its up to the company to read, analyze and interpret them so that they can be able to apply them with respect to their own individual understanding. Companies must rethink their strategies and create room for diversification. Companies must look for ways and means of adding value to the company by using the creativity and inspiration of its employees. This is to enable the company to add value per capita as compared to its competitors in the industry ecosystem (Koontz, 2000, pp. 69). 2. The theoretical underpinnings of the article This refers to the set of ideas that form the basis of something. The article was inspired by the fast changing environment necessitating the author to write it. It aims at psychologically preparing managers and company owners for the chances that are to take place and their effects. Gary Hamel illustrates how the industrial revolution is creeping in the society. He also shows the impact this revolution is expected to have on business organizations and the society at large (Ambachtsheer, 2007, pp. 45). Gary, in his article tries to give companies what he believes is sound advice on how to revolutionize and avoid losing their market share to the competitors. He argues that if companies are reluctant to implement revolutionary ideas in their strategy making, then other more willing companies will do it leaving them stuck on the old management strategies .In his article, Gary uses illustrations that aim at proving to companies that if they do not revert to more innovative management str ategies, they will be overtaken by their competitors (Brown, 1997, pp. 68). Gary further stipulates the importance of teamwork in an organization. He emphasizes the importance of employees and stakeholders being united. He urges managers to be responsive to their employees and take their input in the company seriously. He also urges manager to stop making the assumption that the employees will resist change and implement them. He reminds the managers that they are responsible for the outcome of the company and they must therefore do what they know is right and will benefit the business (Dochartaigh, 2007, pp. 73). Gary discourages the management from avoiding interacting with their juniors since this is the only way they will know for sure which changes are worth implementing and to which areas. In his opinion, he thinks that the executives need to include the three constituencies in the company when making strategies for the company. These three constituencies include; the young people, stake holders and new comers. This he believes will lead to revolutiona ry companies as these new inclusions to the strategy table will offer fresh perspective to the company (Henderson, 2008, pp. 68). Gary talks of the unpredictable nature of the world. He cautions companies from being inflexible as they will have to change with the changing world to keep up with the rest of the world. He further urges businesses to thoroughly challenge and revise their business models to test their relevance to them. He believes that progress is not only possible rather it is inevitable. With the new revolution, Gary Hamel believes and hopes that soon the companies will be more transparent and open and that democracy will prevail eventually. He looks forward to the time when decisions regarding project and investments will be made collectively by employees in a company contrary to the usual handful of executives who make vital decisions pertaining to the business. Hamel argues the importance of looking to the future in order to avoid being pulled down by the methodologies of the past. He urges managers to aim at creating an organization that can thrive and make decisions in the future. He acknowl edges the fact that coming up with new untested strategies is taking a risk but once it is successful, it will boost the company to higher levels in the industry ecosystem (Schmetterer, 2003, pp. 74). Hamel hopes to help companies to learn to use their imagination first rather than rushing to create new rules, businesses and industries. This, he believes, will help the companies understand the industrial landscape. Hamel believes that the article will motivate innovation at each sector of the industry and it will give insight to companies on the rewards that come with revolutionary thinking (Hamel, 2002, pp. 67). 3. What are the strengths and weaknesses in the article? The article basically argues that within each organization there exists a strategy revolutionary. He emphasizes that every business director needs to try and identify who they are so that they can be able to nurture them into becoming integral parts of the organizations strategic docket. However, the article fails to explain the importance of identifying the skills and also the main identifiers to be used (Hamel Breen, 2007, pp. 87). Gary encourages companies to be risk takers since he believes for one to revolutionize, they must be willing to think radically and imaginatively. This is a weakness in the article because if the extent of radical thinking is not carefully controlled, it can cost the company a lot sometimes leading to instances of bankruptcy and closure of the company (Hamel, 1996, pp. 54). However, on the other hand, by encouraging people within a company to think outside the box, they could end up unveiling great discoveries that could change the face of the industry forever. This is a major strength in the article and should not be taken lightly. Strength of Gary Hamels article is that he emphasizes on teamwork. His principles try to encourage teamwork amongst employees at all levels of the company. He believes by interacting, those in the lower levels in the organization will be able to share ideas with their superiors more easily. This will eventually lead to revolution in the company (Piana, 2008, pp. 71). Although Gary in his article lays a lot of emphasize on radical thinking and the need to be imaginative and creative, he does not put across measures to ensure that the extent of imagination and creativity is checked. This is because different people operate at different levels of creativity and may vary in their understanding of radical thinking. This could be very dangerous for companies to indulge in and therefore he ought to have suggested ways of putting some control on this and a way to regulate it. Therefore, as much as revolution is important and mandatory for the survival of a company, it must be put in check and controlled as too much of anything is poisonous.
Friday, January 17, 2020
Comments and Opinions While News Reporting Essay
News Reporting B.Thesis Statement: Why some broadcasters give out comments and opinions during news reporting? C.Trend: Many of Philippine broadcasters today seems to forget that a news report is totally different form a commentary. Consciously or unconsciously, they put on air their own judgments and remarks while delivering news. D.Issues: If giving comments and opinions during news reporting will continue, people might confuse news from commentary. Because of that, peopleââ¬â¢s decision about certain issue can easily be assorted by the own opinion/s of the broadcaster/s. In short, it will be easy for broadcasters (whose job is supposedly just to inform people) to shape the opinions of the listeners or the televiewers. Moreover, instead of discussing about the main issue, people might forget about it and start talking about the opinions of broadcasters, making their opinions an issue itself. Certainly, it will bring additional disarray to the society. E.Case 1. GMA morning news anchor Arnold Clavio became controversial after giving an offensive remark against the Filipino-foreign members of the Philippine Azkals during the nationwide broadcast of News and Public Affairs Program ââ¬ËUnang Hiritââ¬â¢ last March 2012. ââ¬Å"Hindi naman kayo Pilipino. Nagpapanggap lang kayong kayumanggi. Hindi kayo dito lumaki. Mahirap ââ¬Ëyun,â⬠Clavio said while discussing about Cristy Ramosââ¬â¢ sexual harassment case against Azkals players Lexton Moy and Angel Guirado. Rhea Santos, Clavioââ¬â¢s co-anchor is also faced with bad comments after giving a remark about Filipino women: ââ¬Å"Yung mga babaeâ⬠¦ kasi porke guwapoâ⬠¦ sikatâ⬠¦ minsan halos itapon na nila yung mga sarili doon sa mga lalaki.â⬠The Philippine Football federation already filed a complaint against GMA Network Inc., demanding for a written apology to be read on ââ¬Å"Unang Hirit.â⬠2. The three comments on the news and exchange jokes at the end of the show on TV Patrol are so distracting. There was one time when Korina Sanchez obviously laughed shortly during a news report about a death of a rape victim. F.Concerns Giving opinions while delivering news is a violation under the Article 1, Sec 3a of Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster sa Pilipinas (KBP) Code of 2007 which states that news reports shall be fair, factual, and objective; and Article 1, Sec. 3c, which states that side comments expressing personal opinions while a news item is being reported or delivered are prohibited to prevent the listener from mistaking opinion for news. Also, according to the journalist code of ethics, journalist ââ¬Å"shall scrupulously report and interpret the news, taking care not to suppress essential facts or to distort the truth by omission or improper emphasis. I recognise the duty to air the other side and the duty to correct substantive errors promptly.â⬠H.Conclusion News reporting is to inform people about important events. It is not to express your opinions in a certain issue. It must be fair, factual and objective. However, not all broadcasters obey this rule. Issues about news anchors and news reporters being accused of malicious statements are very rampant today. It is because they used news programs as venues to express their thoughts, which is a violation under the KBP Broadcast Code of 2007 Article 1, Sec. 3a and Sec. 3c. A broadcasterââ¬â¢s opinion in a certain issue can reach a thousand of people and he/she can use this opportunity to his/her own interest, or worse, his/her opinion might be a start of another issue. Giving comments while delivering a news report can never be considered as a irresponsible journalism for it will just create chaos to the society instead promoting national unity. Media is too powerful that whatever the public see in the television or hear over the radio can greatly affect their decisions in life. Thatââ¬â¢s the reason why broadcasters must be careful in whatever they do and say on air. I.References: â⬠¢2007 Broadcast Code of the Philippines â⬠¢file:///C:/Users/WIN%207/Documents/_CMS%20103/Journalist%E2%80%99s%20Code%20of%20Ethics%20%28Philippines%29.htm â⬠¢http://ph.omg.yahoo.com/blogs/switchingchannels/tv-patrol-tabloid-journalism-104015722.html â⬠¢http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/251681/sports/opinion/a-molotov-cocktail-of-sexual-harassment-race-and-social-media â⬠¢http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/sports/03/15/12/pff-files-complaint-vs-clavio-azkals-comment
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