Poetry Those Winter Sundays By Robert Hayden English Literature Essay

Poetry Those Winter Sundays By Robert Hayden English Literature Essay Considered one of his best pieces of work, Robert Haydens Those Winter Sundays, is a heartfelt and moving poem. Haydens poem tells from a boys perspective of his father. In the poem it is obvious that there is a distance between the two and a clear gap of communication as well. But nearing the end of the poem we find that though ignorant of it at that moment, love is actually present. Although only a 14-line poem, Haydens poem packs remarkable power and meaning into each line, using tone and subtle symbolism to amplify the overall effect of the poem. The poem is broken down into three stanzas of 5, 4 and 5 lines, respectively. In the first stanza of the poem, the subject of the poem is established; the father. In the second stanza, the narrator is introduced into the poem and the atmosphere of the house is further described. In the third and final stanza, the narrator tells how he still speaks ungratefully to his father and then admits his ignorance of his fathers simple love. The father is described as a hardworking man with cracked hands that ached, who woke up on Sundays too in the blueback cold to make banked fires blaze which [drove] out the cold and he would [polish] [the narrators] good shoes as well before waking the rest of the house. But no one ever thanked him for doing such things. From labor in the weekday and with cracked hands that ached from labor it is understood that the father is a working man, possibly a laborer who uses his hands extensively in his field of work leading to the belief that the fathers job is m ost probably a low-income job and as such; Sundays are probably his only day off of work, and so he would be expected to sleep in but he doesnt. The simple phrase Sundays too à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ implies that the fathers actions took place on Sundays as well as on every other day of the week. (Johnson) The father wakes early in the morning in the blueback cold, the father would wake early at his own discomfort so that his son, the narrator, would not have to wake until a certain level of comfort had been attained in the house. Not only that but the father also polishes a pair of the narrators good shoes, showing that he has provided his son with more than one pair of shoes. But then why is it that even after providing such physical luxuries that no one ever thanked him? Why is it that the narrator still speak[s] indifferently to him? Is it because the narrator is an ungrateful son, taking his fathers work for granted? Looking closer, it is realized that it is not only the poet that doesn t ever [thank] him but that NO ONE ever thanked him (Gallagher). As such, the fault is shifted from son to father leading us to believe that there must be something about the way or the reason why the father performs his parental chores that creates or requires the apparent numbness in the speaker, even over the distance of the years. The child is [also] vaguely but certainly aware of the angers of that house, and à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ because the speaker in the poem does not know when the angers will erupt in the house, he is constantly in a state of terror that makes him speak indifferently to the fatherà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦(Gallagher) And so the blueblack cold may have another meaning, describing not the physical condition but the sadistic atmosphere of the house and father. The meaning behind the last two lines of Haydens poem; What did I know, what did I know of loves austere and lonely offices? remain somewhat vague, given that they close with a question rather than a definitive statement (Johnson) but they also tie in and close the great hurt of the [authors] recollection. (Gallagher) All of this leads back to the fact that at a younger age, the speaker is in doubt of his fathers love; as a child he presumes that love is expressed in slightly more clear ways. It is not until the speaker has grown considerably older that he realizes that love is not always expressed so visibly, but is often expressed wordlessly and indirectly, and he is then able to find this indirect and silent love in his fathers early morning actions. Though there is still a slightly gloomy mood at the end of the poem there is also a sense of resolution and closing. (Thomson) The speaker in the poem is a man reflecting on his boyhood and his fathers love for him. The speaker tells about his ignorance of his fathers simple love, expressed for him through his fathers early morning gestures. The poems tone shifts continuously throughout the poem, in the beginning the tone changes from a cold, harsh tone to a warmer, more comforting tone by line 6. Although by line 9; the poems tone shifts again to a more negative tenor. The bitter tone depicted in the first stanza is reflected through the blueblack cold[ness] of the house, the Fathers cracked hands and the fact that no one has ever thanked [the father]. By line 7; the house and rooms were warm and the tone has seemed to morph to a more consoling sentiment when the cold [is] splintering, breaking. Although the cold is gone and there is now warmth inside the house, the tone once again changes back to the bitter manner in line 9 when the chronic angers of that house are mentioned. (EE) The bitter tone is carrie d on until the end of the poem but the tone of the poem also takes on a sort of regretful spin when the poet asks in lines 13 14; What did I know, what did I know of loves austere and lonely offices? Hayden uses a great deal of symbolism in his poem, some obvious and others not so much. The very first symbol being winter, mentioned in the title of the poem; Those Winter Sundays. Some use winter to suggest death, as in Robert Frosts Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening. Some use it to suggest the absence of hope, as in C.S. Lewis The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobeà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ (Wikipedia) Winter births cold and darkness, both referred to in line 2 as the blueblack cold. The cold often symbolizes depression and the darkness almost always symbolizes death and destruction. Symbolism like this helps generate the negative tone the poet is trying to create. The fathers cracked hands symbolize labor and hard work but could also represent sickness or bad health. A final symbol in Haydens poem is the warmth. The warmth is possibly the only positive symbol used throughout the poem. The warmth often stands for happiness and harmony, much the opposite of the cold and darkness. Haydens poem incorporates tremendous meaning into each line of his poem, using varying tone and symbolism to help intensify the implications behind it. Delving into the very core of the meaning of the poem, behind the literal and sub-literal levels, the reader finds that what Hayden is trying to relay is that there are many different kinds of love and that saying I love you is not the only way to show affection but that love can be portrayed in the simplest of actions and through the subtlest of gestures in life.

Cold War Essay

The Cold War represents the disputes between the Soviet Union and the United States, and may be the most noteworthy political issue of the late 20th Century. The Cold War was a very political issue because it influenced foreign policies, impacted our economy, and even affected Presidential elections. The United States was worried that the Soviet Union would extend communism throughout Europe with its power and control over smaller and weaker countries. At the beginning of the Cold War the struggles between the United States and the Soviet Union were more political than military. The Soviet Union detonated its first atomic bomb on August 29, 1949 which alarmed the United States because they were not expecting the Soviet Union to have knowledge of nuclear weapons (The Cold War Museum, n. d. ). Consequently, Americans were uncertain of their own safety, prompting President Truman to reexamine the United States position in the world. He required the United States to amass conventional and nuclear weapons to cease the Soviet influence from spreading around the world. The arms race began, and each side mass produced and strategically placed missiles throughout their country and their allied countries. Other events occurred during the Cold War era adding fuel to the Cold War: the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the Cuban Missile Crisis, and the Bay of Pigs. My first interviewee was a female in her early sixties whom lived through the Cold War period – my mother. As a retired school teacher, I expected my mother to have a deeper understanding of the Cold War than a person that simply lived through the period. Her definition of the Cold War clearly supported the definition stated in this course. When I asked my mother what words or phrases come to mind when she thinks of the term Cold War, she did not hesitate in her response: â€Å"United States and the Soviet Union, Nikita Khrushchev, John F. Kennedy, George Patton, and World War II† (B. Rego, personal communication, May 27, 2013). She related to me that the aspects of the Cold War that she remembered were â€Å"that the Soviets felt that the United States was not revealing key military information after World War II, and their suspicions were confirmed when the United States dropped the atomic bomb on Hiroshima† (B.  Rego, personal communication, May 27, 2013). I went on to ask her to name any key events that are mainly associated with the Cold War, and she replied â€Å"the Bay of Pigs† (B. Rego, personal communication, May 27, 2013). My mother was able to accurately remember the parties involved in the Cold War, as well as key details and key events of the period having lived through the period, not as a child but as a young adult. My second interviewee was a male in his mid-thirties whom did not live through the Cold War period, but studied it in school. My younger brother’s definition of the Cold War was â€Å"long period of tensions between countries† (J. Rego, personal communication, May 27, 2013). His definition is similar to the definition provided in this course with the exception that he did not mention specifically the United States and the Soviet Union. When questioned about what aspects of the Cold War he remembers he stated â€Å"I remember Korea and Vietnam† (J. Rego, personal communication, May 27, 2013). Although he is not incorrect in his response, it was interesting to me that he again omitted the involvement of the United States and the Soviet Union. When asked about the key events mainly associated with the Cold War, my brother said â€Å"the only key event I remember was the Berlin Wall, and when President Reagan and Gorbachev signed the peace treaty† (J. Rego, personal communication, May 27, 2013). His recollection of the key events associated with the Cold War albeit accurate, were lacking in detail. He did not mention the Bay of Pigs, or the Cuban Missile Crisis. I suppose that the generation gap between our mother and our generation has unfortunately made the details of the Cold War less memorable. My final interviewee was a male in his early twenties whom also did not live through the Cold War period, but studied it in school. My son’s definition of the Cold War was â€Å"a weapons race between the USA and Soviet Union with no shots fired† (A. Egnew, personal communication, May 26, 2013). His definition is similar to the definition provided in this course in that he recalled the parties involved being the United States and the Soviet Union. When asked what words or phrases come to mind when thinking of the term Cold War he replied â€Å"stockpile and weapons race† (A. Egnew, personal communication, May 26, 2013). I questioned him about any key events that he could remember that is mainly associated with the Cold War, and his answer was â€Å"I can’t name any† (A. Egnew, personal communication, May 26, 2013). It is interesting to me, yet not surprising that as the generation gap widens the details of the Cold War are more easily forgotten. The Cold War was a very prominent event in United States history for key events such as the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the Cuban Missile Crisis, the Bay of Pigs, and the Berlin Wall, but noteworthy also for the civil rights movement, gender equality, and racial segregation issues (Farber, 1994). The Cold War changed the way Americans view authority, and opened the door for American citizens to question political decisions. Without the Cold War period, perhaps our lives today would be much different. Would slavery still exist? What about racial segregation? Our lives today would surely be different if the Cold War never happened.

Statutory Disclosure Analysis of Annual Report

Below Is the analysis of annual report of consumer product (Hub Seen) and instruction company (Sunday) in compliance to the financial reporting standard. FRR 107 statement of cash Flows Sunday is using direct method while Hub Seen is using indirect method in presenting their Cash Flow Statements in the respective Annual Reports. Direct Method is preferable since this method shows the cash payment and receipts which are this Information are useful to the users of the financial statement In predicting future cash flow.Thus Sunday is using method that more relevance to the user while Hub Seen is using method that less relevance for the users. FRR 121 The Effects of Changes in Foreign Exchange Rates Both Sunday and Hub Seen are exposed to the foreign exchange difference. For Sunday, it is arises from operation of its subsidiary that located outside Malaysia. While Hub Seen foreign currency difference Is mostly due to the purchases that denominated In other currencies from Its functional currency.But Hub Seen did not engaged with any formal hedging activities since the transaction is at an acceptable level where as, Sunday is applying natural hedging which is to reduce its risk in foreign currency by borrowing in the country they invested so that they can match he borrowing cost to the revenue earned. Therefore, the foreign exchange risk is reduced. So this information Is useful for the users since the Information Is relevant to predict the future In safeguarding their Investment In the respective companies.FRR 118 Revenue Both companies recognized its revenue according to the approved standard to the extent that it is probable economic benefits flow to the companies. Similar revenues that recognized by both companies are sale of goods, dividend, interest and rental income. The deferent is that, Sunday have more source of income which is sales of repertories under development, land and property Inventories; sale of services, rights and enjoyment; club subscription f ees and time share revenue.It Is useful to the users of financial statement when they want to make decision in which industry to invest in or when they want to diversified their portfolios. FRR 119 Employee Benefits Both companies are compliance to the standard in disclosing the defined contribution plan and short term employee benefits to the users. But Sunday have another employee benefit that Is share based compensation that allows the employees to acquire share of Sunday at net of directly attributable transaction cost.Sunday is volunteering in providing such benefit to the employees. So this kind of benefit may improve the motivation of the employees in discharging their duties exceed expectation. Thus, this motivation will lead Sunday in higher performance which is this relevant information is useful to the users in predicting future performance of the company. FRR 124 Related Party Disclosures Key management personnel are considered related party to the company.Therefore, the companies need to disclose the total compensation paid to them. Hub Seen only provided short term employee benefit and defined contribution plan to their key management personnel while Sunday also providing share based payment in addition to the other two types of compensation. This shows that Sunday are more concern with the compensation paid to their key personnel since the key personnel are involving in decision making of the company which determine the company future performance.Therefore, by providing extra compensation compared to other company like Hub Seen, the key management personnel will be happy and motivated n discharging their duties diligently and with due care. FRR 124 Inventories Both companies stated their inventories at lower of cost and net realizable value. Net realizable value is the estimated selling price in the ordinary course of business less the estimated costs of completion and the estimated costs necessary to make the sale. But Sunday is using weighted average method while Hub Seen is using first in first out method (FIFO) in determining their cost.For Hub Seen, using this method will show the highest profit compared to weighted average method (WA) and last in first UT method (LIFO) because of the nature of inflation. Even though higher reported gross profit is seem to be favorable to the investor, still this will resulted in higher tax to be paid by Hub Seen. Maybe one of the reason Hub Seen adopted FIFO instead of other method is that, they are engaging in selling perishable item which is not suitable to use LIFO since the left inventories will be obsolete and thus, invaluable.

San Quentin Californias Oldest Prison

San Quentin is Californias oldest prison. It is located in San Quentin, California, about 19 miles north of San Francisco. It is a high-security correctional facility and houses the states only death chamber. Many high profile criminals have been incarcerated in San Quentin including Charles Manson, Scott Peterson, and Eldridge Cleaver.   Gold Rush The discovery of gold at Sutters Mill  on January 24, 1848, impacted all aspects of life in California. The gold meant a great influx of new people to the region. Unfortunately, the gold rush also brought a number of unsavory people. Many of these would eventually require incarceration. These circumstances led to the creation of one of the most famous prisons in the nation. Prison Ships   Before a permanent prison facility was erected in California, convicts were housed on prison ships. The use of prison ships as a means to hold those guilty of crimes was not new to the penitentiary system. The British held many patriots on prison ships during the American Revolution. Even years after numerous permanent facilities existed, this practice continued in a more tragic fashion during World War II. The Japanese transported a number of  prisoners in merchant vessels that were, unfortunately, the targets of many allied naval ships. Location Before San Quentin was built on the outskirts of San Francisco, the prisoners were kept on prison ships such as the Waban. The California legal system decided to create a more permanent structure because of overcrowding and frequent escapes aboard the ship. They chose Point San Quentin and purchased 20 acres of land to begin what would become the states oldest prison: San Quentin. The construction of the facility began in 1852 with the use of prison labor and ended in 1854. The prison has had a storied past and continues to operate today. Currently, it houses over 4,000 criminals, considerably more than its stated capacity of 3,082. In addition,  it houses the majority of criminals on death row in the state of California.   Future of San Quentin The prison is situated on prime real estate overlooking the San Francisco Bay. It sits on over 275 acres of land.  The facility is almost 150 years old and some would like to see it retired and the land used for housing.  Others would like to see the prison turned into a historic site and made untouchable by developers. Even though this prison may eventually close, it will always remain a colorful part of Californias, and Americas, past. Following are some interesting facts about San Quentin:   The convicts came to the 20 acres designated to become San Quentin Prison on Bastille Day, July 14, 1852.The prison housed women until 1927.The prison has the only death chamber in the state. The method of execution has changed over time from hanging to the gas chamber to lethal injection.  The prison has an inmate baseball team called the Giants that plays against outside teams each year.  The prison has one of the few inmate-run newspapers in the world, The San Quentin News.  The prison has had its share of infamous inmates such as stagecoach robber Black Bart (aka, Charles Bolles), Sirhan Sirhan, and  Charles Manson.Merle Haggard served three years at San Quentin for grand theft auto and armed robbery when he was 19.  The first meeting of Alcoholics Anonymous in a prison occurred at San Quentin in 1941.