Discuss with reference to two other poems Essay Example for Free

Discuss with reference to two other poems Essay Crossing the Bar’ contains the most powerful presentation of death in the anthology. To what extent do you agree? Discuss with reference to two other poems in the collection – Tennyson question Tennyson presents death in different ways in ‘Crossing the Bar’, ‘Break break break’ and ‘Morte D’Arthur’. Each presentation is powerful however; it is difficult to decide whether ‘Crossing the Bar’ contains the most powerful presentation because it depends on what type of death the reader finds the most significant. If it is the death of one’s own life, then ‘Crossing the Bar’ might seem more powerful because it is a representation of Tennyson’s complacency with his own death. But, if the death of a friend relates more to the reader’s personal experience, death in ‘Morte D’Arthur’ could be more meaningful and powerful. To some extent I do not agree that ‘Crossing the Bar’ contains the most powerful presentation of death in the anthology. Both ‘Crossing the Bar’ and ‘Break break break’ use imagery of the sea to convey different meanings. In ‘Crossing the Bar’, the sea represents the world the speaker will transgress into after death. ‘And may there be no moaning of the bar, when I put out to sea’. Tennyson uses the metaphor of the sandbar to describe the barrier between life and death. One side of the sandbar is life and the sea on the other side is death. This is a powerful representation because Tennyson sets out a distinction between the two worlds clearly, suggesting that death should be embraced because it’s now peaceful and natural. ‘And may there be no sadness of farewell, when I embark’. This is in contrast to the normal response of death, which is indicated in ‘Break break break’. In ‘Break break break’ the speaker displays feelings of anguish and pain, this is shown in the title. The repetition of the word ‘break’ emphasises the onomatopoeic sound of a heart breaking. It could also be interpreted as waves breaking on the rocks. ‘Break break break at the foot of thy crags, O sea! ’ This quote describes how life progresses in an endless cycle even in the event of the death. The effect of the ‘O’ and exclamation mark at the end punctuates the speaker’s frustration that life still continues to go on. The speaker takes on a tone of bitterness that the world is not morning with him. ‘O, well for the sailor lad, that he sings in his boat on the bay! ’ In contrast, the use of an exclamation mark in ‘Crossing the bar’ demonstrates the speaker’s excitement of death instead of feelings of enragement. ‘Sunset and evening star, And one clear call for me! ’ This shows how the speaker is compliant of death because it is their own life and they are ready, however in ‘Break break break’ the speaker is demoralised because death has taken their friend without warning. ‘Crossing the Bar’ and ‘Break break break’ both present death powerfully, however ‘Break break break’ may appear more powerful because it uses an expression of grief caused by loss and uses intense emotions, like anguish. Then again, to some extent I do agree that ‘Crossing the Bar’ contains the most powerful presentation of death in the anthology, especially in comparison with ‘Morte D’Arthur’. A similarity between ‘Crossing the Bar’ and ‘Morte D’Arthur’ is that they both discuss religion and relate them to death. King Arthur’s death in ‘Morte D’Arthur’ can be seen as an allegory for the loss of honour and chivalry in an increasingly materialistic age. ‘And the days darken around me, and the years, among new men, strange faces, other minds’. Arthur and his knights at the round table can be interpreted as Jesus and his disciples. ‘But now the whole round table has dissolved, which was an image of a mighty world. ’ The presentation of death here appears powerful because it is the removal of a higher authority, which has followers and believers just like religion. If a God is removed, then the religion will fall apart because it no longer has a leader. This makes the death of Arthur seem even more significant because it represents the collapse of civilisation. ‘Ah! My Lord Arthur, whither shall I go? ’ However, ‘Crossing the Bar’ uses religious connotations such as ‘crossing’ to describe the speaker’s journey into the next world or crossing into faith and devotion. Tennyson complements this metaphorical link with a spiritual one as he hopes he will see his ‘Pilot face to face’. This can also be interpreted as Tennyson hopes to see Hallam in the Pilot, however it is more likely that Tennyson is discussing a Christian God. This is because seeing God face to face is a biblical theme and the transition from life to death in Christianity allows people to join God in heaven, which is beyond ‘Time and Place’. The presentation of death in ‘Crossing the Bar’ may appear the most powerful because unlike ‘Morte D’Arthur’, death becomes an end that is not confusing. In ‘Morte D’Arthur’ Arthur goes to Avilion, which could be a metaphor for heaven. However, he leaves behind a disorientated world with a lack of guidance. In comparison, the bar in ‘Crossing the Bar’ is also a metaphor for heaven, but the crossing is far more peaceful and conclusive. To conclude, I believe that ‘Crossing the Bar’ contains the most powerful presentation of death because in contrast to ‘Break break break’ Tennyson is conclusive – he is being valiant about his own deaf or has come to terms with the grief of his friend and is ready to be reunited with him. ‘And may there be no moaning of the bar’. Even the structure of the poem can represent the shortness of life. By having fewer words, they can hold more control and capture the attention of the reader. In contrast, ‘Morte D’Arthur’ is longer and this makes the presentation of death less powerful because the meaning may be lost as the poem is read.

Euthanasia Essay - Physician-Assisted Suicide :: Euthanasia Physician Assisted Suicide

Views on Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide      Ã‚   This essay explores the views of doctors, of the general public, and of the original Hippocratic Oath on the practices of euthanasia and assisted suicide. Considerable reference material is employed - from professional sources.    Regarding the views of physicians on euthanasia and assisted suicide, it is difficult to get a true picture of physicians views from articles in newspapers or from journal review articles. Since euthanasia and assisted suicide are new and a challenge to established values, a report about a single physician practicing assisted suicide is more likely to get published than a report that members of a large physicians' organization reaffirms traditional values. Physicians that practice euthanasia and assisted suicide have been more outspoken and vociferous since many consider themselves as pioneers. Whereas many physicians who continue to practice with traditional ethics, see no need to advertise this fact. Even if one reads consensus statements from medical ethics groups one may get a biased idea of the mainstream views of physicians. These statements are usually written by a small group of physicians, many of whom are active in ethics groups because they want to see change. Several arti cles have been published that poll doctors' views on euthanasia and assisted suicide, and these are likely to get closer to the real views of doctors. In a survey of doctors on management of the persistent vegetative state, 35% of doctors would never withdraw feeding or nutrition and 28% would always treat an acute infection or other life-threatening condition (1).    In a survey of 355 oncologists, the majority found euthanasia or assisted suicide unacceptable. However one in seven oncologists had actually carried out euthanasia or assisted suicide (2). 37% of physicians who look after AIDS patients would be unlikely to assist a patient with established AIDS to commit suicide but 48% said they would be likely to do so (3). 48% of 1355 physicians in Washington state agree that euthanasia is never ethically justified but 33% said they would be willing to perform euthanasia (4). 40% of 1119 Michigan physicians involved in the care of terminally ill patients were in favor of legalization of assisted suicide and 17% favored prohibition of assisted suicide. 22% of physicians would participate in either assisted suicide or euthanasia (5).    Regarding the views of the general public toward these two practices, two-thirds of oncology patients and of the public consider euthanasia and assisted suicide acceptable for cancer patients with unremitting pain (6).

The Walking Dead

The Walking Dead AMC’s gritty and gruesome apocalyptic hit â€Å"The Walking Dead† places the blood thirsty, agonized groans of zombies right in our living rooms. The show follows a small group of survivors in the midst of a zombie apocalypse that has decimated some seventy-five percent of the population. The cable series which first premiered in 2010 made no bones about its weekly offering of flesh-eating, blood-splattered gore.The opening sequence of the pilot episode features a virus-ridden little girl being thrust into the pavement when former sheriff Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln) shoots a bullet into her skull as he struggles to ward off her flesh-hungry zombie attack. â€Å"The Walking Dead† has since amassed quite the following of fans who rave in equal parts about the show’s violent and spine-tingling special effects and its subtle commentary on hope and the human condition.Watching the hour-long gorefest in which infected men, woman and even childr en are repeatedly shown receiving violent and bloody blows to the head, one cannot help but wonder, is â€Å"The Walking Dead’s† portrayal of violence harmful in its appeal to debased human interests or does it ultimately provide a hopeful look at the human spirit trying to survive in a bleak world? One look at primetime’s lineup of this or that network’s violent flavor of the week and it is not a stretch to surmise that the populace has not come very far since the gladiatorial games of the ancient Romans.From a macro perspective, humans love gratuitous violence. The media is inundated with copious images of cold killings and moral depravity that serve no other purpose but to shock the masses. Violence tends to equate to ratings, which in turn leads to the exposure of more violence. Studies have shown, however, that continued and prolonged exposure to horrific images, like those in â€Å"The Walking Dead†, is not necessarily without consequence. Ac cording to researchers Craig A. Anderson and Brad J.Bushman in the peer-reviewed â€Å"Effects of Media Violence on Society†, televised violence, as substantiated by six major professional societies in the United States including the American Psychiatric Association, is shown to adversely affect certain members of our society. Fictional violence across television waves has a very real human effect. The greater the exposure, the more pronounced the effect. Violent televised images, Anderson and Bushman continue, have been connected numerous times to a propensity towards violent behaviors such as assault, robbery and even childhood aggression (Anderson and Bushman).Given this research, it is therefore reasonable to conclude that â€Å"The Walking Dead† will not leave all of its viewers unfazed. In all of its gore, blood and killing, â€Å"The Walking Dead† is yet another piece of the violent puzzle that contributes to the aggression of many in our society. Even th ose who do not respond to the viewing of violence with aggression are likely to experience some effects from watching â€Å"The Walking Dead†. Prior to the opening of the show each week, viewers are provided with a parental advisory which reads, â€Å"This program contains violent images which may be too intense for some viewers.Viewer discretion is advised† (â€Å"The Walking Dead†). Disturbing images permeate the AMC hit drama. They are unsettling, unnatural and can lead to psychological trauma and fear. Current trends in media suggest our generation is obsessed with shows featuring a post apocalyptic world. We both fear and favor the dark. Like the tendency toward aggression that can be created from exposure to violence, other antisocial or anxiety related behaviors can manifest from such images. According to Dimitri A. Christakis and Frederick J.Zimmerman in â€Å"Violent Television Viewing During Preschool is Associated with Antisocial Behavior During Scho ol Age†, exposure to violence can also result in a variety of anti-social behaviors including depression, anxiety and suicidal tendencies (Christakis and Zimmerman). Again, we see a strong correlation between media violence and behavior. Perhaps the biggest fear, however, concerning viewership of â€Å"The Walking Dead† is the possibility it has of eschewing one’s moral compass. Viewers continually watch protagonist Grimes and his cohorts violently kill and maim the walking dead without pause and vice versa.It leads one to wonder, if this prolonged exposure to killing without thought can also increase one’s own ability to exercise uncivil behavior without hesitation or remorse. If a society’s values are represented in what that society chooses to watch, should we be concerned that our viewing choices revolve around barbaric killer instincts? One too, however, could take the opposite look at what violent, post apocalyptic television, particularly â⠂¬Å"The Walking Dead†, reflects about our society.Many critics argue that â€Å"The Walking Dead† is ultimately a tale of one man’s struggle to create peace and unity for his family amidst a world of terror and strife. Our society’s interest in disaster and cataclysm is likely synonymous with our feelings of isolation and duress omnipresent in this modern and technological age. The violence shown in â€Å"The Walking Dead†Ã¢â‚¬â€the fight for survival, the loneliness, the internal struggles the characters face in response to the violence—can be compared to the challenges humans face every day.In this society in which modernism distances humans from nature, each other, and often a connection to what is genuinely important, it is easy to feel as though we are living in a dark world in which many of its inhabitants are out to attack us. Pop Matters television critic Jesse Hicks defends â€Å"The Walking Dead† as an important character st udy about modern man in the article â€Å"The Walking Dead: Blurring Lines†. Hicks explains that, like any good horror tale, â€Å"The Walking Dead† effectively scares with its use of monsters but more importantly balances this fear with â€Å"a search for answers, a way to remain decent among the ruins† (Hicks).Humans are calling out for more and more post apocalyptic examinations and thereby guides for how modern man can survive and ultimately succeed in a seemingly bleak world. Through all of its violence and grisliness, â€Å"The Walking Dead’s† dynamic characters and themes regarding a search for humanity among chaos do indeed offer such a guide. Among the layered personality struggles examined in â€Å"The Walking Dead† is Grimes’ and other characters’ quests to display bravery and self-sacrifice when faced with zombie attacks.The images are often unsettling and even at times shocking. However, the feelings conjured up by such startling images illuminate the magnitude of just how dire the surrounding circumstances are and just how difficult the decisions the characters make must be. Through the violence, we see Grimes do nearly anything to protect his family. He struggles with the decisions he makes—killing an infected child, taking the life of persons who could potentially threaten those dear to him, and abandoning his best friend.Grimes moral struggles to exhibit heroic character traits in the face of violence ultimately provides an uplifting tale of courage and principle regardless of how dire circumstances may appear. The violence in â€Å"The Walking Dead† might also provide some positive influences based on the various ways in which we watch different characters deal with that violence. Grimes’ opposing character, best friend and fellow officer Shane Walsh (Jon Bernthal), reacts to violence and aggression in stark contrast to Grimes. Grimes is slow to anger and tends to ma ke decisions based on morality and he interests of all involved parties. Walsh, on the other hand, takes a more pragmatic, militaristic view of violence and the challenges they face. While the two characters’ plights can be disturbing, acknowledging how they fail and succeed based on their interactions with violence offers thought provoking questions on how we as individuals can deal with violence and pressures. In Alan Sepinwall’s â€Å"The Walking Dead Review—Better Angels: What a Shane†, Sepinwall argues that in contrast to Grimes’ ultimately more ethical decisions â€Å"Walsh’s death was inevitable† (Sepinwall).While a zombie apocalypse is hopefully not in our imminent future, the ways in which we deal with violence, aggression and personal struggle surrounds each of us. Though it is important to give sufficient attention to how violence in the media is affecting us as both individuals and a society, the dynamic character developm ent as well as the various ethical questions raised by the violence in â€Å"The Walking Dead†, if viewed with care, ultimately offer a more positive than negative depiction of violence.Violence in television, if served with purposeful intent, is an effective storytelling device for displaying the difference between good and evil. â€Å"The Walking Dead† effectively makes the distinction between gratuitous violence and violence necessary for plot and character development. In an apocalyptic world of isolation and gory yet morally charged killings, a small band of survivors in â€Å"The Walking Dead† are fighters for good amidst evil and a model for those seeking modern interpretations of what it means to survive in the real, and sometimes seemingly bleak, world in which we all find ourselves.

The Adventures Of Huckleberry Finn By Mark Twain - 1202 Words

Huckleberry Finn Moral Development The adventure of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain is narrated by Huck, the thirteen year old son of a malicious drunk, who is struggling to adjust to life with his new guardians. In the beginning of the novel Huck naively accepts Widow Douglas, Miss Watsons and society’s religious and racial convictions as truth. Although Hucks appears to be misguided and immature the reader will soon realize the dilemmas he faces on his journey enable him to develop morally and relay on his own logic. It doesn’t take long for Huck to realize he wasn’t cut out to be civilized. The expectations placed on him by the Widow Douglas and Mrs. Watsons to dress nicely, attend school and behave properly leave Huck frustrated and longing for freedom. The Widow will not allow Huck to smoke because â€Å"she said it was a mean practice and wasn’t clean,† Huck comments â€Å"and she took snuff, too; of course that was all right, because she done it herself† (Twain, 156). M rs. Watson in particular constantly scolds Huck for slouching, fidgeting, and cursing during her religious lessons which he spurns once he learns she is living right so that she will go to heaven. Huck decides he isn’t going to Heaven because he â€Å"couldn’t see no advantage in going where she was going, so I made up my mind I wouldn’t try for it† (Twain, 157). The Widow and Mrs. Watson’s critical views lead Huck to make his first moral decision, he’ll go to Hell since it seems a lot of hypocritical, judgmentalShow MoreRelatedThe Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain830 Words   |  3 PagesThe Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain is â€Å"A Great American Novel†, because of its complexity and richness. Twain writes dialogue that brings his characters to life. He creates characters with unique voice and helps the reader connect to the book. Anyone who reads it is forced to develop feelings for each character. Even th ough there is a great amount of controversy over the use of some choices, such as the â€Å"n word†, it makes the book more realistic. In the beginning of the novel Huck,Read MoreThe Adventures Of Huckleberry Finn By Mark Twain1103 Words   |  5 PagesDmitri Van Duine Jr English Mr. Nelson November 27th The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn: Huck Finn and Tom Sawyer The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Written by Mark Twain filled his stories with many examples of satire as to convey a message while also writing an interesting story. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn revolves around the adventures of a young boy called Huckleberry Finn, who is about thirteen years old. Tom Sawyer is Huck’s best friend and around the same age as Huck. He is onlyRead MoreThe Adventures Of Huckleberry Finn By Mark Twain Essay1055 Words   |  5 PagesZambrano Mrs. Patmor AP Lit-Period 5 28 September 2016 Adventures of Huckleberry Finn 1835 Mark Twain embodies realism in almost every aspect of his writing not excluding The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, which in he portrays such a lifelike setting that it almost gives you this sense of reality through the point of view of a young man that has an urge for freedom yet struggles to conform to society s norms due to his adolescence. Twain s ability to unmask the true identities of the charactersRead MoreThe Adventures Of Huckleberry Finn By Mark Twain931 Words   |  4 PagesWolski Mrs. Goska English 2H Period 3 22 October 2014 The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn Mob mentality is the way an individual’s decisions become influenced by the often unprincipled actions of a crowd. Mark Twain penned The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Twain grew up in America’s southern states during the early 1800’s, a time in which moral confusion erupted within the minds of humans. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn s protagonist is a young boy named Huck who freely travels alongRead MoreThe Adventures Of Huckleberry Finn By Mark Twain1375 Words   |  6 Pagesmention the years spent growing and maturing physically. Teenagers are stuck in an inbetween state where they must learn who they want to become and what they want to be when they grow older. The same is true for Huckleberry Finn, from the book â€Å"The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn† by Mark Twain. This is a book that was written in a time of great confusion over moral codes and standards. It was a world split in half by two different worlds of people; those who opposed, a nd those who promoted slavery.Read MoreThe Adventures Of Huckleberry Finn By Mark Twain2083 Words   |  9 PagesSatire in Huckleberry Finn In the novel â€Å"The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn† by Mark Twain, we are told a story about a young boy and his slave companion’s journey down the Mississippi River and all of their encounters with other characters. Twain constructed a beautiful narrative on how young Huck Finn, the protagonist in the story, learns about the world and from other adult characters, how he is shaped into his own person. At the time this book was made however, this novel provided serious socialRead MoreMark Twain and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn1575 Words   |  6 Pages Mark Twain and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn Controversy Mark Twain, born Samuel Langhorne Clemens, is a highly recognizable figure in American literature. Born in Florida, Missouri Mark Twain and his family moved to Hannibal, Missouri where Twain discovered and fell in love with the mighty Mississippi River. The river and his life in Hannibal became his inspiration and guiding light in most of his writing. Although Twain loved the river and did a great deal of traveling, he eventuallyRead MoreThe Adventures Of Huckleberry Finn By Mark Twain1005 Words   |  5 Pages In the Adventures of Huckleberry Finn written by Mark Twain in the 19th century is about a young boy named Huck Finn and Jim, a runaway slave who go on an adventure. The two travel on a raft along the Mississippi river creating a bond and making memories. Mark Twain presents Huckleberry Finn as a dynamic character who at first views Jim as property and eventually considers Jim as a friend, showing a change in maturity. 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The novelRead MoreThe Adventures Of Huckleberry Finn By Mark Twain810 Words   |  4 PagesBefore Mark Twain started to write two of his most famous novels, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Mark was known to use his characters to display his own thoughts and opinions. â€Å"This device allowed him to s ay just about anything he wanted, provided he could convincingly claim he was simply reporting what others had said.† (Twain, 1283). Mark Twain used this process to be a foundation of his lectures, by manipulating his popularly with his readers. During the story