Storm on The Island by Seamus Heaney Essays

Storm on The Island by Seamus Heaney Essays Storm on The Island by Seamus Heaney Paper Storm on The Island by Seamus Heaney Paper Essay Topic: Literature Mythologies Seamus Heaney Poems Hurricane Hits England by Grace Nichols and Storm on The Island by Seamus Heaney Hurricane Hits England and Storm on the Island are poems addressing a similar event, that of a violent storm. However due to the contrast in the poets backgrounds, style and perception they present the event in different ways. The poets have been influenced greatly by their respective backgrounds. Seamus Heaney grew up in agricultural surroundings in rural Derry, inheriting a strong allegiance to farm life from his father. Inevitably much of his poetry stems and is primarily based on his experiences and feel for farm life. Many of Heaneys poems address nature, its beauty and its power. The strength of his poetry lies in his ability to create effective imagery to convey what is a common experience whether its picking blackberries or experiencing a violent storm. In contrast, Grace Nichols experienced very different surroundings growing up. She originally lived in the Caribbean but her career as a writer uprooted her to an unsettled and alienated life in England. She finds it very difficult to surrender her own history and culture and the storm acts as a reminder. This is reflected in the poem. Storm on the Island describes the destructive force that engulfs an island which subjects the inhabitants to constant caution and fear. The poem is written from the point of view of the inhabitants of a remote and exposed island, perhaps somewhere off the Irish coast or even Ireland itself. The islanders are prepared. Their houses are strongly built, low hugging the ground. The earth on the island is barren. There are no trees and when the storm blows full blast they have little protection. The earth is described as wizened or infertile and therefore unsuitable for growing crops. Heaney seems initially to address this issue with regret but later acknowledges the practicality of this deficiency, there are no stacks or stooks that can be lost. Heaney quickly dispels any romantic notions the reader may entertain and exposes us to the dangerous reality the island dwellers frequently experience, allowing us to envisage the storm with a degree of empathy. Heaney involves the reader by using common conversational tags, as you see and you know what I mean, and again this allows us to experience similar emotions to the actual victims of the storm. The poem considers the ideas of isolation and living close to nature, but mainly it depicts the destructive powers of nature. It highlights our vulnerability in the face of nature and the fear of a huge nothing. Security contrasts with insecurity. The islanders do all they can to guard against nature. They believe they are safe in their solid stone houses but the storm attacks it brings them fear. They may seem to be part of a comfortable, perhaps beautiful, seascape but when the storm blows up this security is undermined and brings back their fears. Like his other poems Heaney likes to expose how nature can be frightening or ugly like a tame cat/Turned savage. He refers to three of the elements earth, water and air this wizened earth tragic chorus in a gale.. the flung spray. Heaney manages to convey how all of nature can turn against us. The structure of the poem is one stanza of nineteen lines, like the storm it is unbroken. However the iambic pentameter lends itself to reflective, thoughtful tone and provides the poem with a steady rhythm, the natural rhythm of speech, to contrast with the often violent and combative language used to describe the storm. The poem concludes with a couplet with the half rhymes air and fear. The couplet helps to round the poem off, to give it an air of finality. Heaney uses punctuation to enhance and to add effect to the description. Many lines are not end stopped, there is enjambment indicating the relentlessness of the storm. The word Blast is highlighted with the colon, a dash is used to provide the conversational tone you know what I mean leaves and branches. By using punctuation in this way Heaney draws us into the drama of the storm; it is as if we are observers like him. Heaney explores the theme of war and uses various military metaphors in relation to the storm, the wind dives and strafes, while space is a salvo and air is said to bombard. The opening words suggest a readiness for conflict -We are prepared. When nature attacks the salvo is loosed, the island is bombarded, the sea is exploding and the gale pummels the houses. The poem uses the language of war poetry and is reminiscent of the work of First World War poetry. The atmosphere of war achieved serves to intensify the power of the storm while also echoing the sounds present on battlefield. The use of combative and violent words further emphasises the noise of the storm, whether it is the crashing of the waves or the clash of thunder. He identifies the storm as the enemy and suggests that the island inhabitants should endure and remain resolute we just sit tight. Heaney loves to use sound patterns in his poetry and does this effectively to mirror the storm. Alliteration is used well alongside monosyllabic words to build the tension of the storm, Sink walls in rock and roof them with good slate. Onomatopoeia echoes the sound of the storm in words like blast, flung spray and spits. This adds to the imagery created by metaphor and simile. A most evocative image is of the tragic chorus reminding us of death or of the Greek mythologies that Heaney later translates. The simile of the tame cat is also effective in again taking the commonplace and transforming it into something menacing and savage. The mood of the poem is reflective and begins as confident but becomes less so as the poem progresses. The final line of the poem is ambiguous. Heaney says that it is strange but the thing we fear is a huge nothing . It is as if the air and wind are nothing because we cannot see it just like our own intangible or unspeakable fears. This is what Heaney seems to be contemplating through the metaphor of the storm. Another possibility is that the storm is a metaphor of the troubles. Heaney has written frequently on the topic and it certainly impacted on his life in South Derry. Is the fear a fear of peace and of the unknown. We as islanders have always been good in preparing and protecting ourselves in war but not so good in securing peace. Although the poems were written in the modern era and address similar events, they contrast considerably due to the cultural perspectives of the poets. Nichols wishes to convey culture and tradition whereas Heaney wishes to convey nature in its rarest form. Grace Nichols adapts a personal response to the subject matter and also uses the storm as a metaphor. In a poem where we gain a vivid insight to her feelings in relation to the hurricane the hurricane evokes memories and allows the poet to recall her origins, it addresses the poets relationship with the Caribbean, while also identifying her failure to adapt to the unfamiliar surroundings of an English landscape. As the poem progresses Nichols finds the solace she seeks and seems to grow more attached to her environment through the message that she feels the hurricane conveys. In 1987, England experienced some unusually strong storms which reached hurricane force. Grace Nichols wrote, It seemed as though the voices of the gods were in the wind, within the Sussex wind. And for the first time, I felt close to the English landscape in a way that I hadnt earlier. It was if the Caribbean had come to England. Fundamentally, therefore the poems are very different. Heaney presents the storm as frightening and Nichols as welcoming. The poem is initially written in the third person but changes in the second stanza where Nichols refers to the first person, now speaking for herself. This is similar to Heaney as he uses first person plural to involve the audience, however Heaney seems to observe the storm and is distant of it. Nichols addresses her storm, wants it to talk to her and explain why it is there. In contrast to Heaney the poem does not adhere to a particular structure or conventional pattern but takes the form of free verse where there is no rhyme scheme and stanzas and lines both vary in length. This allows the poet to state the unpredictability of the hurricane. Nichols frequently moves from cultural contexts, developing and explaining her relationships with the two landscapes- Caribbean and England. This is quite different from Storm on an Island where only one place is focused on. Because of this I think Heaneys poem is more effective in portraying the storm. As an audience we are not distracted by the two cultures that Nichols presents to us. The range of vocabulary is different in Hurricane hits England. Nichols uses the putois form Huracan and names of the gods, Oya and Shngo, of the Yoruba tribe, who were taken as slaves to the Carribean. These are the gods of wind and thunder respectively- they are agents of destruction. The destruction was of course seen clearly in Hurricane Hattie which hit the Caribbean in 1961. this is the hurricane Nichols recalls most vividly from childhood. The inovocation of ancient Gods does lend dramatic effect to the storm just as Heaney uses military words to create drama. We also witness a link between Heaneys tragic chorus and Nichols talking Gods. They both lend a mysticism or spirituality to their storms. Just like Heaney, Nichols creates powerful imagery to convey the ferocity of the storm. She uses metaphors in comparing the wind to a ship, a howling ship that has followed her across the ocean. This metaphor relating to the ocean is sustained when she compares the felled trees to whales, what is the meaning of trees falling heavy as whales. So Nichols extends the metaphor just like Heaney sustains his battle imagery. Nichols continues to question the storm and uses contrasts or oxymorons to highlight the image, the blinding illumination into further darkness, its is reminiscent of Heaneys oxymoron exploding comfortably. The plunge into darkness is simply a power cut but could also reflect Nicholss feelings about her new environment. Nichols brings her poem to a climax by reconciling the two cultures. The warm winds break the frozen lake in me and she realises that the Caribbean and England are part of the same planet, that the earth, is the earth, is the earth. The storm has acted as a unifier and a channel of release for Nichols emotions. The storm in its entirety could be viewed as a symbol of the struggle she has had in adapting to her new culture. We must presume that Nichols is speaking for all Caribbean immigrants, just as Heaney speaks on behalf of the islanders. Nichols uses a very different format to Heaney. She employs consistent repetition, rhetorical questions and short lines designed to increase the intensive effect of the hurricane. Heaney relies more on the effect of language and imagery. Heaneys poem is more enigmatic and universal, it could interpreted on many levels by the audience. Nichols, however, confines her audience to those who can relate to the specific cultures. I feel that her optimistic ending is somewhat unrealistic, we just have to refer to the problem of racism in England for consolidation of my view. Heaney relates to us all who fear the huge nothing and because of this I feel he has been more successful in presenting the storm most vividly.

How the spaniards (conquistadors) destroyed the economic structure of Essay

How the spaniards (conquistadors) destroyed the economic structure of the Incan Empire - Essay Example were doing these people a favor, they have led to the long term destruction of what is now Latin America, due to the overwhelming poverty and elitism that dominates the continent. Through this conquest, the conquistadors destroyed the economic structure of the Incan Empire and of the region altogether. The Incas were a civilization in what is now South America that had a history of being led strongly, which included its economic structures, even though â€Å"The Inca Empire was actually quite short-lived, lasting only about 100 years, from ca.1438AD, when the Inca ruler Pachacuti and his army began conquering the neighbors of the Inca heartland of Cuzco, until the coming of the Spaniards in 1532† (Ogburn 1997). The Incas were led, during their best periods, by Huayna Capac. After Capac and his heir apparent both died of smallpox, however, a war broke out in order to decide who would take over the civilization and become its new leader. At the center of this conflict were Huascar and Atahualpa, who were brothers and were also the sons of Huayna Capac. Huascar became the emperor of the civilization, although there is no evidence to suggest that he was meant to assume this power when his father died. Huascar was a madman, who came close to murdering his mother and his sister, but he was still very popular amongst most of the population that he governed over in the southern part of the region. Atahualpa, on the other hand, took over the northern part of the region during this time period. These two brothers were able to live in peace for a few years, but problems eventually broke out, which caused a war between the two sides. Consequently, over 100,000 people were killed during this war, which shows the savage demeanor of this society. Atahualpa’s side eventually won the war, but he soon started to go insane as well. He treated members of the losing side very horribly and even killed Huascar’s children right in front of him. While Atahualpa now had full control of

Industrial Crane Accidents Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Industrial Crane Accidents - Essay Example To date, many reports relay crane-related accidents that could have been avoided if safety regulations were carefully considered. Industrial crane operators are required to apply strict safety procedures to carry out their job properly. Several regulations have been existent internationally to prevent accidents and hazards in every industrial workplace. Nevertheless, the current literature reflects a number of accidents related to the use of cranes in many workplaces around the world, both on land and offshore (i.e., gas mining platforms). Therefore, it is important to consider how such accidents have occurred in order to promote safety in the industrial workplace. Industrial crane accidents can happen anytime if workers practice negligence. The complex and heavy structure of the crane implies the high demand for safety during operation in the workplace. Relevantly, only certified workmen can handle industrial cranes, thus workers who would like to be crane operators should undergo t he specific training for operating cranes and other similar machines. A simple negligence on the part of the operator could lead to accidents, and later on, to permanent disability and even deaths. In such cases, the company will be held liable for the loss, not just the operator or the driver concerned could lose his job if the results of the investigations suggest negligence on his part. However, crane accidents have more bearing on the company because the company has the sole liability in such cases. A number of cases of negligence can be found in the literature, pointing either to the company or the crew as the one at fault. For instance, Jerner (2010) reports about a crane accident in which the crane boom separated from the mobile carrier. Based on the investigations, the turntable bearing did not function properly because it was improperly placed and showed signs of being worn out. Notably, the first problem that reveals improper placing of the turntable could be attributed to the staff, whereas the second cause, which is the worn out characteristics of the turntable implies the liability of the company. The use of old and worn out turntable can be attributed to the company’s cost-cutting measures. In another accident report by Jerner (2010), the same problem of substandard crane parts was detected as the bolts of the boom attached to three crane boom sections broke, thus separating the attached sections from the main boom. The accident occurred during operation as the crane was used to remove a water tank crane boom from a water tower. Although there were no casualties, the accident expectedly caused delay in the company’s operation. In a report made by the Iowa FACE Program (n.d.) of a 1997 accident that occurred in a wind farm in Iowa, the author noted the shifting of the tower-type crane whose outrigger pad slid to the northwest, leading to the death of the 36-year–old crane operator. The crew was about to install generators on a windmill when the accident happened. The owner of the mill, who was situated perpendicular to the windmill and saw the whole accident reported that the crane was tilted a little before the accident happened.  

Listening to Immortal Music Created by Geniuses Essay - 2

Listening to Immortal Music Created by Geniuses - Essay Example It had been fun looking at the instrumentalists with their respective instruments because they seemed to be taken by the music they were playing. Their movements have been most entertaining and indulging, causing the audience to feel their music along as they continued to play. Another piece entitled â€Å"Autumn†, was particularly engaging for me. It felt like leaves were falling softly and gently to the ground. The music brought a little sadness to the spirit because it sounded very sad, it almost resembled a song for the dead. Somehow, as the sound reverberated through the hall, it gave me some shivers I could not explain. Nevertheless, the players did very well. Playing concerto number 2, it could be said that the performers gave justice to the immortal magic of the music. Of course, if classical music is played, the performance will always be wonderful regardless of who plays the music. However, in all honesty, due praise should also be given to the instrumentalists. The execution was great it made me feel like I was transported to another era. I actually felt like I was in a time when music was meticulously created by talented musicians. The â€Å"Allegro† made me want to prance and dance because of the joyful tempo and beat. The rise and fall of the volume made me appreciate how the changes could wonderfully create an effect that awakens the emotions of listeners. The other pieces played were similarly beautiful. The experience transported me to a new world where my inclination to music has been newly awakened and strengthened. I was indeed truly entertained and rejuvenated in an inexplicable manner. Perhaps that is just what music does to individuals. The rendition was ended with â€Å"Softly as a Morning Sunrise† which I think was most appropriate as a closing piece. The music was soft it almost lulled me to sleep.

University of chichester Essay Example for Free

University of chichester Essay From 1976 to 1991, UK has witnessed major changes in its education system. Since early 90s, changes would include transformation in its structure, essential nature and even purpose. The driving force behind this is legislation and national funding policies which brought about sociological and epistemological change. (Skinner 2006) For instance, the British Council – the international organisation for cultural relations and educational opportunities of the United Kingdom – has been an important agent of this transformation as it promotes UK education in over 100 countries where it has an established presence. With the increase influx of international students, a study of this topic would inevitably help develop a more effective marketing scheme for UK as essential market intelligence can be derived from such study, helping higher education administrators improve their standards which is hoped to attract and even more number of international students. The long-term goal of this paper is to provide important information which could help establishing the UK as the premier international education provider. 2. 1 Background of the Study Approximately ? 5 billion annually is contributed by International students to the economy of the United Kingdom. (Department for Children, Schools, and Families 2006) In line with this, Tony Blair, the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom launched a campaign to encourage more international students to study in UK. He also sought building partnerships between universities and colleges in the UK with those abroad. The campaign, the Prime Ministers International Education Initiative (PMI) is based on its phase 1 implemented between the 1999 and 2005 where a unified effort in the promotion of UK education overseas was undertaken. In this next phase, a wider international agenda is expected to be address and and increased funding from the Government, the British Council and the education sector is expected. (Department for Children, Schools, and Families 2007) In view of this, data gathered from this study can be used, among others, in achieving these goals set by the Prime Minister. Although the University of Chichester is just one of the universities in the region, principles derived from the findings in this study can be adopted to suit local conditions in other universities and colleges. In this way, it is hoped that findings from this study can help not only the education sector but also the economy of the nation as whole since having more international students translates to more funds for the economy as reported earlier in this section. 2. 2 Objectives This paper aims to provide insights on why students come to the University of Chichester. This is achieved by investigating the current performance of the university from the point of view of the studentry, reviewing its current approach to international education, and proposing recommendations to improve its education program for the international students with emphasis given to sustainability of success. This paper would focus on providing insights as to why students come to the University of Chichester. In order to to this qualitative and quantitative research methodologies would be used. The qualitative aspect of this research would focus mainly on the review of related literature but would also include findings from some of informal interviews conducted. The qualitative aspect, on the other hand, would deal with drawing out insights from currently enrolled international students at the University of Chichester. Both the results of the qualitative and quantitative methods would be considered together to validate each other so that reasonable conclusions can be made and feasible recommendations can be formulated. 2. 4 Limitations The literature review would primarily focus on the policy of the United Kingdom regarding encouraging international students to attend UK universities as well the environmental and internal context of the University of Chichester. A working definition of international education and international students would be developed and the entire paper would hinge only on these definitions. For instance, when in the later chapter, an international student is said to be interviewed, it is understood that this international student met all the qualifications described in the working definition of an international student. Also, the findings, conclusions and recommendations for this paper, although was aimed to be usable to other universities so that the goals of the second phase PMI may be achieved, are all in the context of the University of Chichester. Therefore, attempts to apply this to other universities necessitates contextualization.

Terrorism - Stop the War and Feed the Starving :: Argumentative Persuasive Topics

Stop the War and Feed the Starving    It is difficult to grasp, and thus care about, millions of people starving in a far away country. Maybe it could help us to fathom this if we were able to imagine one person starving, our own self perhaps. What does it feel like to be hungry, really hungry, for many days? And many weeks? And longer. It's easy to imagine the beginning symptoms like weakness, shakiness, irritability, fatigue. But what happens when those aren't remedied by food? Is it painful when the organs begin shrinking as they do in starvation? It must be. And as the immune system loses force, how does one endure the cramping, combined with the weakness, combined with the lowering body temperature, combined with the overall bloating as the body retains fluid?    Can you imagine yourself feeling that terrible? Now expand it to your family. Your daughter. Your tiny son whose tummy is distending and who cries with headaches. Your grandmother, coughing and scared and silent. What would it feel like to watch a toddler, your toddler, weaken and beg for what you can't give?    So we're not at 7.5 million people yet. We're at about 10. And already the misery is profound and unbelievable. Now add all your closest friends to those hungering, and you not being able to help them or be helped by them. And you watch the gaunt stares as the body fails because its cells haven't the nutrients they need to make the brain work well. Add your neighbors, all of them. All of them. Are we at 100 people yet?    Millions left to go. Farther than the eyes could see, thousands upon thousands upon thousands of weakening hungry people who want something that exists in great abundance all over the world - food. And if hunger and its related illnesses is bad enough and already hard to wrap your mind around, add the other unthinkables that the Afghani families are enduring today, right this second as you read this. No running water, no toilets, huddled in refugee camps miles and miles long, And its getting cold. It's going to get really, really cold and wet heavy snows are coming. And you're so terribly hungry.    Imagine the stench and disgusting danger of raw sewage, of the infectious diarrhea that comes from that. And there are already dead bodies to be dragged away to be buried or burned by weak hungry men.

Homers Iliad :: essays research papers

General Plot Summary of Homer\'s Iliad The Iliad is a lengthy poem of some 15,693 lines, divided into 24 books (cantos) and has as its theme the anger (menis) of the Greek hero Achilles, the greatest of the heroes to sail to Troy. In the tenth year of the war, Achilles quarrels with the leader of the expedition, Agamemnon, over a slight to Achilles\' honor. In his anger, Achilles withdraws from the fighting and wins the aid of Zeus, the king of the gods, to see to it that the war turns against the Greeks. Eventually (Book 9) things begin to go so badly that Agamemnon sends a delegation to Achilles to offer him compensation and ask him to rejoin the fighting. In an effort to make good the slight to Achilles\' honor, Agamemnon promises an immense amount of treasure, but Achilles still refuses to help the Greeks. In the anger of the moment, he declares that he will only fight once the Trojans attack his own ships: at that point, he feels, he will be able to rejoin the battle as a point of personal honor rather than as Agamem non\'s hired lackey. In the course of Book 12 (the center of the poem) the Trojans bring the war right up to the fortifications surrounding the Greek ships. Under the leadership of the heroic Hector, they manage to breach the Greek defenses and are soon in a position to destroy the Greek fleet. At this point, Achilles sees the weakness of his plan: should the Trojans destroy the fleet, the Greek forces would be placed in a vulnerable position and could potentially be wiped out. Unable to rejoin the battle himself without losing face, he is persuaded to allow his loyal friend Patroclus to join the battle, disguised in Achilles\' armor, in order to win the Greeks some breathing room. Unfortunately, Patroclus gets caught up in the fighting and, contrary to Achilles\' instructions, attempts to take the city of Troy himself, only to be killed by Hector with the aid of the pro-Trojan god Apollo (Book 16). At this point, Achilles falls into an inhuman rage: his former anger at Agamemnon an d the Greeks is forgotten in his grief at the death of his friend and his desire to take revenge on Hector. In his anger, Achilles slaughters Trojans by the dozens and in a heartless manner that