2pacs Greatness Essay Example

2pacs Greatness Essay The Don of Rap People often complain about how obnoxious hip/hop and rap are. However, those same people that claim these things have not heard the beauty or rawness of what rap truly stems from, emotion. Tupac Amaru Shakur brings an emotion in his music and through that emotion he brings a heavy influence to the listener; everything from his deep, distinct vocals to his poetic words, not to mention his monumental beats and memorable music. Thus making Tupac Shakur the best rapper to have ever lived. However not everyone believes this. Some people believe that rappers such as The Notorious B. I. G. and Eminem have qualified themselves as the best of all time. Some even believe that Tupac is not the best because he has a limited amount of music because of his death in 1996, preventing production of his music. There are also those who think that Tupac flip flops too much from east coast to west coast and his glorification of violence and abuse of women. The fact of the matter is that what Tupac said and rapped about had â€Å"thug-life† as a basis for rap a career; however, someone would have to listen to his music to see that there was more than violence but rather love. We will write a custom essay sample on 2pacs Greatness specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on 2pacs Greatness specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on 2pacs Greatness specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer In regards to another rapper being better than Tupac, one would have to look at arguably his closest competition. The Notorious B. I. G and Eminem are arguably the closest. There is a list of things that make a rapper great. That list consists of combining lyrical genius with an emotional voice, and whether or not they can collaborate those two things with memorable music. There is also something else that needs to be brought to the table when labeling whether a rapper is great or not and that is when there is a dominant, unique quality, something special that can set her or him apart from the rest of the field. In Tupac’s case it was his ability to write Shakespearean-like poetry. In Tupac’s compilation of poetry in The Rose That Grew From Concrete, in a poem called â€Å"In the Event of My Demise†, he clearly let’s the reader know what he stands for, â€Å"In the event of my demise when my heart can beat no more I hope I die for a principle or a belief that I had lived for†¦Ã¢â‚¬ (p. 150). Furthermore in an interview on May 8, 2008 with Emmy winner Thom Sharp, who is currently my music teacher at CSUF, when asked how he would describe Tupac’s music, he said, â€Å"It is simply talented poetry. This is that emotion which he is capable of triggering in the reader or listener. He is essentially saying that whatever purpose he had lived for he hopes he brings with him in death because in his eyes that is a logical death and that his life had meaning and brought meaning to others. The question now is simply, â€Å"does Tupac accomplish these things? à ¢â‚¬  Yes he does and it stems from the life that he lead and what he went through. The life Tupac lead also set him apart from the other ‘thugs’ that surrounded him. Tupac is the only rapper who makes the listener feel like they are in the situation that he is portraying, whatever that may be. Emmit Price, an ethnomusicologist of Northeastern University asserted in the Harvard Gazette on April 17, 2003 , â€Å"Tupac as a prolific artist driven by a terrible sense of urgency who struggled to unify mind, body, and spirit. † Price commented further, â€Å"He was also very similar to the rest of us-a work in progress. † Price is essentially saying that Tupac is on our level and wants us to feel that personal connection through the unification that he struggles with. This is an interesting statement and holds truth but more than that it is an important aspect as to why he is the best ever. Even though listeners are not on Tupac’s level in a literal sense, they are mentally. He gets personal with the listener and that is something that his fans thrive off of, that personal relationship that the listener feels with Tupac. To those that believe that Tupac has a limited amount of music they are surely mistaken and simply uninformed. Ever since Tupac’s death in 1996, Afeni Shakur decided to do something about her son’s talent. According to 2paclegacy. com, â€Å"Afeni Shakur founded Amaru Entertainment/Records in 1997 as a way to legitimately release the huge catalog of unreleased work he completed before his physical passing. Of all of Tupac’s discography six out of his twelve albums were posthumous, meaning they came after his death. This is in large part because of his mother starting Amaru Entertainment/Records, but maybe more than that the fans that he has gained even after his death. After all he was the perfect example of death being anot her part of life. To prove wrong all those people who say he doesn’t have enough music, he is listed in the Guinness Book of Records 2003, â€Å"as the best-selling rap artist†. It also says, â€Å"US rap legend 2Pac has certified US album sales of 33. million up to the end of 2001, and has had more hits after his death (at the age of 25 in September 1996) than he amassed when he was alive. † (p. 188). Those staggering numbers should quiet anyone that says he does not have enough music because apparently the people of the world can not get enough of him, before and after death. To illustrate further his role and importance in ‘gangsta’ rap, in a recent survey on the campus of California State University, Fullerton and at the Block of Orange, 68% of all respondents when asked who there favorite gangsta rapper was, if they had to choose would be Tupac Shakur. This just proves that his music and spirit live on to this day through his always growing fan base. In regards to Tupac flip flopping too much from east coast to west coast and not being true to his â€Å"hoods†, this is what makes his greatness shine. The funny thing is that he does not disrespect other hoods, rather recognizes them and feels for their everyday struggles. He makes this evident in a song called â€Å"My Block (Remix)† off his album â€Å"Stay True†, â€Å"to all my blocks out there†¦Baltimore, The Jungle( in Marina City), Los Angeles, yeah that’s my block too. That is an important aspect to being a gangsta rapper in earning respect from everyone around him or her. That is how they build their reputation and gain their fans and with that one can and would see the haters fade away. That was his innate ability to just bring people of all types of backgrounds together. That is a talent and something that was all started from Tupac. When referring about his violence and abuse of women in his lyrics, one has to take a step back and put things in perspective. In the Harvard Gazette on April 17, 2003, from the academic symposium entitled, â€Å"All Eyes on Me: Tupac Shakur and the Search for the Modern Folk Hero†, and the article by Ken Gewertz, a member of that audience that day asked a panelist about the issue of violence and abuse of women in his lyrics and Mark Anthony Neal of the State University of New York, Albany replied with, â€Å"Well he’s (Tupac) a walking contradiction, but because of that, he makes the process of being an intellectual accessible to ordinary people. This is a very valid point and just goes to prove the point of why he is the best. He shows he is the best because he wanted and wants even in death for his music to be for everyone and anyone; from the man on the corner working for a dime, or the business man in L. A. sitting at his desk working on his next big engineering project. It is for those people, it is for all of the people in this world. Tupac’s experience is also something that made him the best; the word experience meaning life of the streets and the struggles and pain that he had to go through to be the best. All the fame that he gained through rap all came with a price. What other rapper or even person can say that they were arrested a dozen times in the same year, served a prison sentence in the same year and released a multi platinum record while serving that prison sentence in the same year. Here is the answer: no one! Tupac was a leader and had many followers. Although he is known for that mentality of being ‘solo’ and ‘him against the world’, but what does one expect from an individual who came from a household with a mom as a crack addict and no father? He took it upon himself to make something of him self. And in this world and in this time of age there can be no better role model, no greater rapper, than someone who rose up against so many adversities when it is so easy to just quit. From the police to the fame, it seemed as if he couldn’t be left alone. His yearning to be left alone is what ultimately led to his death. With his death also came a void for someone to fill in the rap industry, to take the torch and carry it. However, there has been a struggle for that leader/icon of rap to be produced since Tupac’s death in 1996. It is almost like he is still carrying that torch with him still on his back. He is still the icon and is still the greatest and most influential rapper of all time.

popular mechanics essays

popular mechanics essays Popular Mechanics: Why Less Allows More Typically a story begins with an exposition, which introduces the characters, setting and plot. In the short story Popular Mechanics by Raymond Carver, the exposition is excluded. The story begins with a short rise in action, moves quickly to the climax and totally omits the resolution. Carver uses third person objective narration to reveal the actions and the dialogue between a man and a woman. The narrator gives very little descriptive details, never revealing the characters thoughts or their motivation. This allows the reader the freedom to interpret and develop their own opinions of the setting, plot, and characters of the story. This also stimulates the reader to be an active reader-to think about what is read, to ask questions, and to respond to the authors style of writing. Firstly, the narrator gives little detail throughout the whole story. The greatest amount of detail is given in the first paragraph where the narrator describes the weather. This description sets the tone and mood of the events that follow. Giving the impression that a cold, wet, miserable evening was in Keen 2 the making. But it was getting dark on the inside too (265), this foreshadowing reveals that not only was the day coming to an end, but something else was about to end. Carver leaves further development of the setting to the imagination of the reader. It could take place in any century or in any city, state, or country. There have been male-female relationships since the beginning of time, in every corner of the world. The story is universal and timeless. This lack of detail allows readers to develop a setting that fits with their lifestyle. Secondly, there is not an obvious exposition to give the reader exact information as to who, what, where, when or why. On the initial reading of the story the plot appears to be, simply, about a man and woman in conflict over a...

FMCG COMPANIES Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

FMCG COMPANIES - Essay Example The company has invited actress Katty Holmes to be its global brand ambassador in order to promote the Olay products. The actress has been actively involved in various ads and mass media ads. The fact that the company has attracted such superstar as Katie Holmes has made the campaign successful. Celebrity endorsement in case of Olay has made the brand more recognizable in the eyes of potential customers. Also, it is possible to suggests that the presence of Mrs. Holmes has helped to increase loyalty of customers and reliability towards the brand. P&G has rolled out the #BestBeautiful campaign across multiple channels including TV, print, social media, and in-store displays, where the celebrity encouraged women â€Å"to never settle in any aspects of their life, including caring for their skin† (Academic.mintel.com, 2014, n.p.). Olay is very active in social media networks. It has 1.9 million fans and 61,000 followers (Lacy, 2014). For promoting its campaign Olay actively utilizes both Facebook and Twitter in order to communicate with and engage its target audience. Botanicals face moisturizer is an organic skin moisturizer enriched with natural herbs and oils (Botanicals, 2014). The brand is positioning itself as a producer of organic and natural cosmetics and therefore its niche is quite narrow. While there is no information available regarding the Awards to the Botanicals face moisturizer, the company gets awards for its products, such as: The Green Parent Natural Beauty Awards, Free From skin care Awards, Best Organic Facial Skincare, and the Natural and Organic Awards 2010 (Botaicals.com, 2014). For promoting its products, the Botanicals focuses on promoting the quality of its products, the natural benefits, and organic ingredients used for blended by hand products. That is why the marketing promotion is limited in the company as it relies on the brand’s reputation. In order to grow its reputation, the company is

Modern Organizations and Accounting System Research Paper

Modern Organizations and Accounting System - Research Paper Example It is vital because it systematizes the whole process. Without having proper accounting system, it is impossible to run business either small or big. Every type of organization needs to have check and balance on their financial statements (Eisen, 2000). One thing that should be clearly mentioned here is that the modernized accounting system has not changed the business purpose and principles but it has only changed the mechanism. In other words, it could be said that the method of performing accounting functions have become more advantageous. Early accounting reports have shown major errors in calculations and illegal actions by the practitioners. It is due to this reason that the need of modernized and computerized accounting system arose. Earlier, great loses of money and reputation of the organizations was noted because of lack of accounting systems (Eisen, 2000). In addition, it affected economies of countries as in whole. Modernized Accounting System and Change in Organizations: In order to understand the difference in modern organizations that has taken place because of advanced accounting system we need to compare current accounting system with the old one. ... In addition, it has been noticed that it is very difficult to maintain records safely because of greater man made errors or mistakes. Secondly, if files of records or data are lost than in such circumstances, businesses have to suffer from loss or face penalties (Previts, 2006). Therefore, the need of establishing newer accounting method was felt by accountants and other professionals at business to have alternative methods of dealing with numbers and financial statistics of the organization. Modern technology has played an important role in keeping records of numbers, in generating different methods of solving mathematical equations in more accurate and efficient way. Modernized systems were predicted to have a profound effect on the working of organizations as it helped in efficient work process (Merlene, 2010). Introduction to advanced technology and the use of modernized system in the department of accounts has brought tremendous change in the mechanism of accounting procedures. First and foremost, prominent change that has been observed is that modern technology has quickened the working process for accounting functions and capital consumption. It has made availability of financial information much faster and easier, understanding the use of information in proper way with the use of modern technology has made it straightforward for the business people to make good and beneficial decisions on correct time to increase productivity (Merlene, 2010). Now reports are generated just by clicking few buttons instead of wasting more time on preparing reports manually. Similarly, paying high wages to employees companies are currently using centralized controlled

A Look At The Samaritan Woman Religion Essay

A Look At The Samaritan Woman Religion Essay If I was asked to suggest one word which sums up Johns gospel, it would be the word encounter. The word became flesh and dwelt among us encounter. Look, the Lamb of God encounter. John goes on to record many of the people whom Jesus met in the course of His ministry. He constantly drew these people to Himself. He was the answer to the great spiritual needs of their life. Regardless of who they were, their basic need was to meet with Him, for an encounter with Jesus. In Ch 3 there is the encounter between Nicodemus, the teacher of Israel, and Jesus, the redeemer of the world. And then in stark contrast here in Ch4, the women of Samaria encounters Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus meeting with this woman was at noon. Jesus was utterly weary, physically exhausted. He sat on the wall around Jacobs well. Note in passing that, though Christ is the eternal Son of God, He was also truly human, the Word become flesh. He knew weariness, thirst, sadness, suffering and ultimately death. Two whole and perfect natures in one person. It is a comfort to us to know our Saviour is aware of our earthly lot. He is able to understand our needs as well as having the supply of grace to help us in our time of need. It is the grace of Jesus which is the first thing the woman experiences 1. The Grace of Jesus is displayed We learn a great deal about Jesus from His dealings with this woman. The amazing fact is that He took the first step the initiative was His. He made a simple request give me a drink. It appears like a simple gesture, but it explodes the age old myth that God is distant and remote. In actual fact God is close and immediate, and this is so because He comes. He takes the initiative. What is even more remarkable in this first century culture was the fact that He spoke to a woman, and to compound it all, a Samaritan woman at that. Strict social and religious rule held sway among Jewish rabbis forbidding them ever to speak to a woman in the street not even his own mother would be acknowledged some of the Pharisees had utter contempt for women, they would daily thank God that He had not made them a woman. And in particular, Samaritan women the bitter quarrel had gone on for 400 years, the Jews of pure blood despised the half-breed Samaritans who were heretics. Orthodox Jews travelling from Judea north to Galilee where Jesus had grown up went a roundabout way to avoid going the direct route through Samaria, even though it doubled their journey from three to six days. Even if a shadow of a Samaritan fell on an orthodox Jew, he was considered unclean. If a Jew did take the short cut through Samaria on his way to Jerusalem, the Samaritans would not sell him necessities of bread and water. There was mutual loathing and distrust. But theres more. Not only was she a woman, not only was she a Samaritan woman, but also she was sexually immoral and promiscuous. She had had five husbands, and the man she was living with now was not even one of them. A bidey in. No wonder she was at the well at noon instead of the usual evening hour for drawing water. She wanted to avoid knowing looks and sharp tongues of other women who would despise her. Yet despite all that, Jesus shows perfect courtesy and grace in asking her a favour. He knew all about her. If no one else in the world cared for her, He did, and He longed for her to know the peace and life He alone could give her. And to bring things right up to date, the reality is that He has the same sympathy for us in our sins and weaknesses. He longs to offer us His love and power. He offers her water of a very different kind from that which hes just asked her for living water that would satisfy her spiritually. Water elsewhere in Johns Gospel is a symbol of new life through the Holy Spirit into the heart through faith in Christ (e.g. John 7:37-39). The water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life (John 4:14). This water which Jesus gives is so completely satisfying that whoever drinks of it will never be thirsty again. These are words of Jesus that speak very directly to our deepest needs. How many of us, once the masks and disguises we wear have been taken off, can testify to the deep unsatisfied longing within our souls? How often when people talk about the change that Jesus has made in their lives do they speak of emptiness and dissatisfaction that was there before? How they tried everything to meet that need, but all in vain till they came to Christ. Augustine said, Thou hast made us for Thyself and our hearts are restless till they find their rest in Thee. There was an old song which summed up the difference that Jesus makes Now none but Christ can satisfy. There is none other name for me. Theres love and life and lasting joy, Lord Jesus, found in Thee This is what Jesus is trying to get across to her. I can supply you spiritual needs, you spiritual thirst and longing by offering you water which will spring up within you the life that Jesus gives is no tame or stagnant thing. It is abundant life, life in all its fullness, that sparkles, thrills and satisfies. This is the wonder of knowing Christ and the great blessings imparted by Him. If anyone is thirsty let him come to me and drink (John 7:37), says Jesus on another occasion. In Jesus they will be well supplied by an ever-flowing stream, which never runs dry. Yachting!! Unlike the world, Christ offers a real and lasting satisfaction. If we drink at the worlds fountains, we are satisfied for an hour. If we drink at Christs fountain, we have perpetual satisfaction. It is not dependent on adversity or prosperity, fear or joy. This well keeps springing up, and it is all a free gift. 2. The need for Jesus is awakened But we notice from Johns account that at first the woman misunderstood Jesus. She took Him literally, and replied that he did not have a bucket. The well was in fact 100 feet deep. Nicodemus had made the same mistake in taking Jesus literally (How can a man enter his mothers womb for a second time and be born again?). In both cases, Jesus was speaking of spiritual things. But it begins to awaken a sense of need in the woman. To show her how much she needed this new spiritual life He was offering He puts His finger on the weakness, failures and sin in her life things that deep down she was aware of, but probably had never openly admitted to anyone before. She admitted to Him her current living arrangements. He knew her private life perfectly. He knew she had broken the seventh commandment. And now she knew it too. He didnt accuse, nor did he wag his finger or confront her with her sin. He simply touches her conscience, and encourages her to name her own sin. And then she reacts. Shes suddenly faced with herself as she is, as God sees her, and she wants to change, she longs for this new life, a better life the full life, the clean life. Shes had enough of the wagging tongues and turned backs. She longs to belong, to be part of her community once again. We never really see ourselves until we are in Jesus presence. The Christian experience begins with a sense of sin. We are awakened to ourselves, our need of God, of forgiveness and cleansing and life. Not till we see the beauty of Christ do we understand the ugliness of our lives. But now shes feeling uncomfortable. She tries to change the subject, but what a mistake. She enters into theological discussion with the Son of God. If Nicodemus, the teacher of Israel was out of his depth, what hope had she? But it was just a diversion. She entered an argument about the right place of worship. She hoped to divert from Jesus pointing out of her sin by showing Him she did have enough of religion to get by. Its almost as though shes saying, well, I go to church, and at least I go to the right one we Samaritans worship in the right place. But Jesus reply pulls her back to His point. It does not matter where you worship, as long as you worship in spirit and in truth. Right back to the basic issues, its not about the forms of religious observance, its not about which church you go to or not, its the state of your heart that matters. Religion is not about outward forms and ceremonies. Jesus looks at the heart, the state of the inner life. Yet still today people love an argument how to interpret the creation stories in Genesis 1, where did Cains wife come from, (literalism!,) what hymn book should we use, how should the church be governed, what form of baptism, should we use set prayers or free prayerà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦. These are not the real issues. The question in the forefront ought to be what is the state of my heart? Am I right with God? Do I have new life in Christ Jesus? Ultimately have you accepted the gift that Jesus offers new and abundant life? 3. The gift of Jesus is received It gradually dawns on the woman that she was in the presence of no ordinary person. He knew her private life and secrets. He knew all about God and His worship. And then He reveals He is the promised Saviour and Messiah that the Samaritans, like the Jews, were waiting for. He presents Himself directly as the answer to the womans problem. He is the One sent by God to be the Saviour of the world, of Jew, Samaritan and Gentile alike. How ready Christ is to reveal Himself to the soul of sinners. I am the one you are looking for. Paul Swinson What is it you are looking for? The real question is, Who are you looking for? What is the state of your inner life tonight? Behind the faà §ade, is there loneliness, emptiness, inadequacy, and hunger? Are you in search of satisfaction? Have you tried everything but still feel the same? Jesus reaches out in his grace to you tonight. He wants to awaken that need of Him in you tonight, and offers you the gift of life, which will bubble up within you like living water. Yes He must put His finger on the sin that has to be forsaken and forgiven. Sin has to be brought to the surface. But his desire is not to condemn you, he doesnt want to reproach you, He simply longs to save you, and satisfy the deepest longing of your heart. Hear His voice and respond to His invitation If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink.

Philippine Writers Before the Coming of Spaniards

1. Communication =the imparting or exchanging of information by speaking, writing, or using some other medium television is an effective means of communication =means of sending or receiving information, such as telephone lines or computers:satellite communications =means of travelling or of transporting goods, such as roads or railways:a city providing excellent road and rail communications 2. Listening a. There are three modes of listening: competitive, passive and active. Active listening is considered the most effective because the listener is not only listening with interest, but actively acknowledging listening by brief responses.Most individuals are not as skilled at listening as they think. Depending on the study, listeners likely remember 25 to 50 percent of what they hear, according to Mindtools. Giving the speaker your undivided attention and not focusing on what you are going to say in response while he is talking is a good way to ensure you hear more of what is being sai d. Speaking b. Speaking can be an intimidating experience, even in your native tongue, let alone when learning a new language. The best way to learn how to speak, though, is by practicing, so put your inhibitions aside and strike up a conversation whenever you are given an opportunity to do so.When speaking, be aware of your pace, try not to mumble and use expression, both so that you don't sound monotonous and to keep your listener interested. Reading c. Children learn to read by first learning their ABCs and sounding out the letters to discover what sound they make. The phonetic approach to reading—using sound units to figure out the words—is arguably the best approach because theoretically, if you know the sounds, you can read any word, regardless of the difficulty level. This is also the case when learning a new language.Reading has many benefits, including improving memory (it's exercise for the brain), increasing vocabulary and exposing you to new ideas. Writing d. Writing is perhaps the most complex of the communication skills and takes the most time to master. As with any other skill, it is improved through practice and a willingness to improve on past attempts. Moving beyond the basics, there are many types of writing and many levels. Writing can be a basic means of conveying information—such as in newspapers—or it can be a tool to create elaborate new worlds, much like those found in fiction novels such as The Lord of the Rings trilogy. . Poor Encoding – This occurs when the message source fails to create the right sensory stimuli to meet the objectives of the message. For instance, in person-to-person communication, verbally phrasing words poorly so the intended communication is not what is actually meant, is the result of poor encoding. Poor encoding is also seen in advertisements that are difficult for the intended audience to understand, such as words or symbols that lack meaning or, worse, have totally differen t meaning within a certain cultural groups.This often occurs when marketers use the same advertising message across many different countries. †¢Poor Decoding – This refers to a message receiver’s error in processing the message so that the meaning given to the received message is not what the source intended. This differs from poor encoding when it is clear, through comparative analysis with other receivers, that a particular receiver perceived a message differently from others and from what the message source intended. Clearly, as we noted above, if the receiver’s frame of reference is different (e. . , meaning of words are different) then decoding problems can occur. †¢Medium Failure – Sometimes communication channels break down and end up sending out weak or faltering signals. Other times the wrong medium is used to communicate the message. For instance, trying to educate doctors about a new treatment for heart disease using television commer cials that quickly flash highly detailed information is not going to be as effective as presenting this information in a print ad where doctors can take their time evaluating the information. Communication Noise – Noise in communication occurs when an outside force in someway affects delivery of the message. The most obvious example is when loud sounds block the receiver’s ability to hear a message. Nearly any distraction to the sender or the receiver can lead to communication noise. In advertising, many customers are overwhelmed (i. e. , distracted) by the large number of advertisements they encountered each day. Such advertising clutter (i. e. , noise) makes it difficult for advertisers to get their message through to desired customers.

The Use of Metaphors

SanTianna Simmons ENG 1102 25 April 2013 A metaphor is where you show how two unrelated things are similar. For example by saying â€Å"Love is a roller-coaster. † A key aspect of a metaphor is use a specific transference of a word into another context. The human mind creates comparisons between different things. The best writers use metaphors. Like poetry, a metaphor will express a thousand different meanings all at once, allowing the writer to convey much more content than they could do otherwise.More than playing simple word games, the use of metaphors in your writing can elevate your stories to a place next to the greatest authors in the world. There are many kinds of metaphors: Allegory, catechesis, parables, extended metaphors, etc. An extended metaphor establishes a subject and then extends it further, as in this quote from Shakespeare â€Å"All the world's a stage, And all the men and women merely players; They have their exits and their entrances, And one man in his time plays many parts, His acts being seven ages. Brian Doyle, Author of â€Å"Joyas Valdoras†, uses the hummingbird metaphor to support his story. The story starts off by grabbing the reader’s attention with a fact. The fact is very interesting. Unless you are someone that studies animals, you would have no idea that a hummingbird’s heart is the size of a pencil, or that it beats ten times per second. After I read the first sentence, I was instantly interested to see what more the author had to say. He got the name, Joyas Valdoras, from a reference by early Spanish settlers. It means flying jewels.They called these creatures flying jewels because they had never seen anything like them before. They would fly around quickly all day, reproducing and collecting nectar. Doyle then goes on to add more facts about hummingbirds and their incredible hearts. Hummingbirds can fly up to 500 miles without stopping to rest, however they can get burned out. Whenever humming b irds get burned out, it can become fatal. Although Doyle’s allusion to hummingbirds was interesting, I don’t think he meant for his story to simply be a story about humming birds.He also goes on to talk about the blue whale, an animal having the largest heart in the world. He gives us interesting facts about that animal also, but this still does not justify why he was even writing the story, for if he had wanted his readers to be informed only about animals, he’d have put these facts in a science book instead. I think Doyle was relating the animal’s hearts with that of human hearts. He said sometimes humming birds get burned out without even knowing what they’re doing is dangerous. Humans also do the same thing.Today’s world is very fast paced. Sometimes we don’t have time to rest or do anything of that nature. We do it, without knowing how unhealthy to the body and spirit that is. He also alludes that the heart is a very strong thing . Not just our physical heart, but our emotional and spiritual heart as well. So much can happen to someone’s heart. It can go through the most joy, excitement, hurt and pain and still beat at the end of the day. I think the way Doyle transitions form talking about hummingbirds and whales to something so emotional was very effective.He makes it easy for us to relate to his story because he keeps us so involved. I felt as if he was ready the story to me instead of the other way around. Sian-Pierre Regis stated â€Å"As should be obvious by now, Doyle is doing far more than describing the hearts of various animals. In explaining about the hearts of animals, he has subtly been drawing us into this reality: â€Å"We all churn inside. † In this creation there is unimaginable beauty (â€Å"flying jewels†) and there is excruciating pain (â€Å"a brilliant music stilled†).And so finally, we are led to his masterful ending and the real point of this whole piece. If you’ve read this far, I encourage you to take a minute and quiet your heart. Let yourself feel these words. It may hurt, but it will almost certainly heal as well. In giving an overview of the hearts of creatures, Doyle ends with this: â€Å"So much held in a heart in lifetime. So much held in a heart in day, and hour, a moment. We are utterly open with no one, in the end–not mother and father, not wife or husband, not lover, not child, not friend.We open windows to each but we live alone in the house of the heart. Perhaps we must. Perhaps we could not bear to be so naked, for fear of a constantly harrowed heart. When young we think there will come one person who will savor and sustain us always; when we are older we know this is the dream of a child, that all hearts finally are bruised and scarred, scored and torn, repaired by time and will, patched by force of character, yet fragile and rickety forevermore, no matter how ferocious the defense and how many bricks you bring to the wall.You can brick up your heart as stout and tight and hard and cold and impregnable as you possibly can and down it comes in an instant, felled by a woman’s second glance, a child’s apple breath, the shatter of glass in the road, the words I have something to tell you, a cat with a broken spine dragging itself into the forest to die, the brush of your mother’s papery ancient hand in the thicket of your hair, the memory of your father’s voice early in the morning echoing from the kitchen where he is making pancakes for his children. †Ã¢â‚¬  The article â€Å"A Metaphorical Analysis of Martin Luther King Jr. s ‘I Have a Dream Speech,’† by Joe Ciesinski, to me is an aide to help understand the metaphors Dr. Martin Luther King used within his famous speech ‘I have a Dream. ’ Ciesinski cited other’s opinions about the speech which also was another great source of helping understand the speech. W ithin the article, the question â€Å"What does ‘I Have a Dream’ mean to me† was asked. To me, when someone asks me what does ‘I Have a Dream’ mean to me, I would say that it makes me feel as if the color of my skin or my sex should never be a factor of why I can’t do anything that I want to do. Anybody should be capable of saying the same.Ciesinski believes that ‘I Have a Dream’ would not only speak about problems in America, but that Dr. Martin Luther King Jr would call upon all citizens of the United States to enact change and correct the injustices that would occur throughout our nation. â€Å"Martin Luther King Jr. contrasts light and dark metaphors when he states, â€Å"this momentous decree came as a great beacon light of hope to millions of Negro slaves, who had been seared in the flames of withering injustice. It came as a joyous daybreak to end the long night of their captivity. †Ã¢â‚¬  (Ciesinski) The previous quote to me sums up the entire ‘I Have a Dream’ speech.It focuses on the struggles of colored people and how the nation needs to take the time out to notice that these hate crimes need to come to an end. Overall, I think Ciesinski’s metaphorical analysis is a great help to distinguish the true meaning and break down of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. ’s speech. I also believe that he used good sources to help apprehend the famous speech. â€Å"It is a stark metaphor, an accusation articulated in bluntly economic terms. The Declaration of Independence implied, and later the Emancipation Proclamation promised, meaningful freedom to African Americans. But the promise was never fulfilled. Instead of honoring this sacred obligation, America has given the Negro people a bad check, a check which has come back marked ‘insufficient funds,† King said. This part of the speech has been mostly forgotten, swamped in collective memory by the soaring rhetoric of K ing’s peroration. When initial renderings for the new Martin Luther King Jr. National Memorial were first unveiled, they included a prominent place for the promissory-note metaphor, but as the project went forward the quotation was deemed â€Å"too confrontational† and dropped from the final design. What is best remembered from the Dream speech is, in fact, not original to it.The thrilling incantation, the cries of â€Å"let freedom ring,† the litany of place names (the snowcapped Rockies, the molehills of Mississippi), the lines borrowed from the biblical books of Amos and Isaiah, the quotations from spirituals and patriotic songs — none of this material was original to the speech King gave on the Mall. Most of it was recycled, an impromptu decision by King to reuse some of the best applause lines he had tested in Georgia, North Carolina, Alabama and, only weeks earlier, in Detroit. † Stated by Philip Kennicott. Short talks by Anne Carson was an ar ticle full of miniature lectures with a different meaning for each one.Some of the short articles were confusing but the others caught my attention. An article in Short Talks that was easily understood was ON WALKING BACKWARDS. ON WALKING BACKWARDS was about how as a child Carson states â€Å"My mother would forbid us to walk backwards. That is how the dead walk, she would say. † Carson goes on to say that she had no understanding where that specific superstition came from. Later to break the quote down, the dead doesn’t walk backwards but they do walk behind us with no lungs to breath or cannot call but would love for us to turn around.Superstitions are to be used and known all across the world. According to Keisha Stephen-Gittens from Outlish Magazine quotes â€Å"Since I was a child, I used to hear my grandmother telling my mother that if she came home after midnight, she better had walk in the house backwards so that spirits don’t follow her inside. Thatâ⠂¬â„¢s funny, because many of us feters would have some ‘back walking’ to do. So, I was surprised to find that almost 60% of the persons I randomly surveyed still do this today. I followed this superstition religiously until I moved out on my own, and then, ironically, I would just ook left, right and around before I entered my apartment. You’d think I would be really afraid – and in a way yes, but I was looking for bandits, not spirits. However, the way things goin’ these days, is bess we look for both yes! We’ve also been told to close doors facing the outside so that spirits don’t follow you inside. There are other superstitions about spirits and death and our older folks would tell these with a passion and intensity that would send you to bed quivering, wanting a pillow to hug up and sleeping with one eye open.If you’re alone in the house and you hear someone call your name, would you answer? I won’t. The ole folks us ed to say do not answer, ’cause it could be a spirit calling. I think this is a given. I’ve watched too many horror movies to know what the outcome of THAT could be. † Jon Eben Field states â€Å"The female body is a powerful signifier in these poems. † Short Talks invokes the last thirty years of Camille Claudel's life in an asylum (Claudel was a French sculptor who worked from 1884 to 1898 as an assistant to Auguste Rodin).After noting that Claudel broke all the sculpting stone given to her, Carson writes, â€Å"Night was when her hands grew, huger and huger until in the photograph they are like two parts of someone else loaded onto her knees. † Claudel's hands are both her own and not her own; they have grown through disuse and misuse. But the absence is discovered in the formless broken stones that are buried with these hands, now so gargantuan. In â€Å"Short Talk On Rectification,† Carson depicts the infamous relationship between Franz Kafka and Felice Bauer: â€Å"Kafka liked to have his watch an hour and a half fast. Felice kept setting it right.Nonetheless for five years they almost married. † Ultimately, it is the body of Felice that overwhelms Kafka, for as Carson writes, â€Å"When advised not to speak by the doctors in the sanatorium, he left glass sentences all over the floor. Felice, says one of them, had too much nakedness left in her. † This signals the second most pervasive theme of these poems, the devastating plenitude of too much. † Eula Biss’ The Pain Scale is about how no matter how much something is painful, no pain lasts forever. Throughout the article Biss gives examples of pain as she goes from 0 to 10 on a pain scale.She gives examples like if you are at a zero, you feel no pain therefore you could be fine. If you are at a 1, you could take some aspirin and be fine the next day. If you are at an 8 you might need some examining. If you are at a nine then, you are suf fering and it gets even worse at a level ten which is unbearable. The Pain Scale, Eula Biss claims that no pain lasts forever. Biss goes on to say that when you experience the pain regardless of how bad the pain is, once the pain goes away; you can’t feel the pain anymore. I got a feeling that the author is indifferent to pain and does not know how to feel or describe it.I felt that the author’s mind is being guided by what her father use to tell her. She does not know how to describe what she is feeling or think for herself. The author feels as if excruciating pain does not exist. She sees zero as a number that does not do the same thing as the other numbers and she uses biblical illusions concerning Jesus.. The author goes back and forth from her pain theory and analysis, to her current pain situation. She is obviously feeling some pain but she thinks the face chart does not help her know what level she is that. She lies to the doctor to not seem foolish but really s he does have great pain.The author thinks that if she admits to her great physical pain, she will seem pathetic and exaggerated. The author has apparent physical pain but also mental trauma from her father the physician. Her psychological pain I think is greater than her physical one in a couple of ways. I agree with Biss on this issue. Overall, I believe that no pain lasts forever. If a person were to ask another how something felt, they could never sit there and visualize the full effect of that pain right then and there unless you go through the same pain again at the time being.Our Secret by Susan Griffin is a hybrid of memoir, history, and journalism, and is built with these discrete strands: the Holocaust; women affected by World War II directly or indirectly in their treatment by husbands and fathers; the harsh, repressive boyhood of Heinrich Himmler, who grew up to command Nazi rocketry and became the key architect of Jewish genocide; the testimony of a man scarred by war; a nd Griffin’s own desperately unhappy family life and harsh, repressed girlhood.In between these chunks are short italic passages of just a few sentences on cell biology—for instance, how the shell around the nucleus of the cell allows only some substances to pass through—and on the development of guided missiles in Germany and, later, by many of the same scientists, in the United States, where nuclear warheads were added and the ICBM created. Researching her book in Paris, Griffin meets a woman, Helene, who survived one of Himmler’s death camps.She’d been turned in by another Jew and tracked down using a net of information—a system tracing back to Himmler’s boyhood diaries—collected on cards and sent to the Gestapo for duplication and filing, the work of countless men and women. In the article â€Å"Translating Translation: Finding the Beginning,† Alberto Alvaro Rios claims that the act is the translation by presenting t ranslation as a metaphor and how cultures are different. Rios goes on to say that how something is said, the language can be figured.In Rios’ article, he had multiple examples of how cultures are different. Some of the examples that he expressed where how a man was put in jail, forgotten about and never said anything, how his house painting went wrong when he was young, and how Rios had a misinterpretation about fighting. I agree with Rios on this issue when he stated that learning languages can be similar to looking through a set of binoculars. Overall, I believe that it is true that the simplest word can have many definitions and interpretations.For example: when Rios moved into his new home when he was younger. His mother wanted the wall to be yellow but the Mexican thought she wanted it to be lime green due to the fact that said â€Å"limon. † Another example was when the boy asked how many fights has he had. The boy meant physical fighting but Rios meant the fight he has had learning a new language. I believe that the metaphors were very effective because they helped understand the main key points Rios was trying to make.Alberto Rios states â€Å"Linguists, by using electrodes on the vocal cords, have been able to demonstrate that English has tenser vowels than, for example, Spanish. The body itself speaks a language differently, so that moving from one language to another is more than translating words. It's getting the body ready as well. It's getting the heart ready along with the mind. I've been intrigued by this information. It addresses the physicality of language in a way that perhaps surprises us.In this sense, we forget that words aren't simply what they mean – they are also physical acts. I often talk about the duality of language using the metaphor of binoculars, how by using two lenses one might see something better, closer, with more detail. The apparatus, the binoculars, are of course physically clumsy – as is th e learning of two languages, and all the signage and so on that this entails – they're clumsy, but once put to the eyes a new world in that moment opens up to us.And it's not a new world at all – it's the same world, but simply better seen, and therefore better understood. † Overall, metaphors will elevate your writing, taking something plain and transforming it into something beautiful. Poetry is full of metaphors. If you need to, use one of your rewriting cycles just to add metaphors to your story. Imagine how greater your story will be with the use of metaphors. Metaphors will free up your imagination, which will take your story in directions you may not have planned on. Enjoy the surprises that metaphors will bring to you!