Wednesday, November 27, 2019

Rossettis poems are an odd mixture of revelation and secrecy. Write about Winter My Secret and Maude Clare Essay Example

Rossettis poems are an odd mixture of revelation and secrecy. Write about Winter: My Secret and Maude Clare Essay Christina Rossetti is often calculated as a secretive, enigmatic character. Much is assumed about her from her poetry though little is actually known. It is difficult to draw conclusions from her poems regarding their content and meaning due to their intentional ambiguity. It is still debatable what messages, if any, many of her poems may be trying to convey.In Winter: My Secret, though the title insinuates that there is a secret, it is unclear as to whether Rossetti is writing about an existing secret or about the concept of a secret. The original manuscript of the poem was titled Nonsense and so there is a possibility that all it is, is nonsense that there is no secret or message within the poem and that the poem is purely an expression of poetic ability.However, the poems contents lead the reader to believe that there is a secret you may guess insinuates that there is a secret, in comparison to I wont tell which, to some, implies that there is nothing to tell. Also, through the use of questions, Rossetti keeps them intrigued as to what the secret is. She implies with each question that there is in fact a secret, as she is prolonging her having to tell her secret by repeating questions. Naturally, people would repeat and ask alternate questions to try and avoid answering the first question, and so this suggests that the narrator is applying this reflex naturally, rather than them intentionally teasing the reader.Winter: My Secret begins as if mid-conversation, and so there is already some speculation about what the narrator is setting the poem in relation to. It also ends without a solid conclusion as to whether there is a secret, what that secret is, and whether it will ever be disclosed. Though there is no revelation about the secret, the poem is fuelled with secrecy and not only in the sense that it is about a secret. Rossetti covertly discusses the secret through a series of associations with irrelevant things, such as the weather and seasons, none of which actually enhance understanding of the secret itself.Winter: My Secret appears to be a narrative poem about someone who is afraid of getting hurt emotionally, and so hides herself away from any potential loves. I cannot ope to every one who taps depicts the idea that this love-coy narrator is very wary of who she lets into her life, as every new acquaintance has the potential to hurt her.The idea that the poem is about someone who keeps her heart a secret is supported by:I wear my mask for warmth: who ever showsHis nose to Russian snowsTo be pecked at by every wind that blows?In that the wind is a changeable force that represents other people and their fickle nature. The nose in place of the heart, as it has stronger senses and awareness. Russian snows as love, as it is the harshest form of its kind, and pecking as being hurt by other people. You would not peck? I thank you for good will supports this further, as it can be translated as someone offering her love and telling her that they wouldnt hurt her and the narrator rejecting them Believe, but leave that truth untested still.The narrator continues to relate the secret to the seasons, which complicates the opinion that the secret is the means to her heart. She dismisses spring as the season in which shed expose her secret because of the vulnerability of the frosted flowers and the sunless hours which discourage her from revealing her secret as she may be pecked at.Rossetti describes summer as languid and ongoing, and as the most prosperous season where the golden fruit is ripening to excess and thus when her secret is most likely to survive untainted. The seasons may be portrayals of different love interests. It is unclear whether they are, and then if they are, whether or not they can be applied to Rossettis personal life.In Maude Clare, the narrator never discloses why Maude Clare and the Lord parted, or even officially what relationship the two of them had. There is a sense that the narrator inte ntionally keeps these details a secret, as if to protect their Lord. Furthermore, throughout Maude Clare, the narrator remains anonymous adding to the idea of secrecy within the poem.The poem progressively introduces Maude Clare. In the first stanza she is mentioned only as like a queen. Its not until stanza eight that she becomes known as Lady Maude Clare and is formally given status. As Maude Clare begins to describe her gifts to the Lord and Lady Nell, it becomes clearer as to what her position within their lives is or had been. Though assumptions can be made that Maude Clare was the Lords true love before replacement Nell take my share of a fickle heart it is unclear of exactly what their past is, thus adding to the mystery of the poem as so little is known about their history.Maude Clare was originally forty-one stanzas long. In the original Maude Clare, the characters within the poem were represented and received very differently to how they are in the commonly referenced tw elve-stanza poem. The fact that there are two published texts of the same poem by Christina Rossetti tell us a lot about how she writes and makes apparent the lack of a primarily thematic approach. The differences between the original poem and the 1862 version also show that Rossetti has a clear priority, to address the presentation of her poetry to a desired standard rather than its contents. Her ability to write objectively disproves assumptions that her poetry represents portions of her own life. Therefore, assumptions that her poems are secretive may be dismissed also, as the enigmatic manner throughout her poems may be as a result of editing to benefit the presentation of the poem in place of its contents, and not because she is indirectly sharing her secrets through her poems.Rossetti cryptically ties the meanings of her poems, if any deliberate meaning at all, to the content of the poem. Thus any revelation to be found about Rossetti is easily misinterpreted and often disagre ed over.

Sunday, November 24, 2019

If Only Writers Put the Word Only in the Right Place

If Only Writers Put the Word Only in the Right Place Read the following two sentences quickly. They mean the same thing, right? Now go back down and read them again, more carefully this time.Susan only submitted the manuscript of her novel to three literary agencies.Susan submitted the manuscript of her novel to only three literary agencies.Ever hear of a misplaced modifier? The term encompasses many possible grammatical errors, but essentially, a misplaced modifier is a descriptive word or phrase that is not placed next to the noun or other word it modifies, thereby creating either awkwardness in reading or incorrect syntax, or both. In this article, Im going to briefly tell you about one of the most common examples, one that is a pet peeve of mine and of copy editors everywhere: the use and misuse of the simple word only.This is one of those grammar rules that most people (including yours truly) very often dont follow in speech or in informal writing. In speech, the incorrect usage is probably even more common than the correct usage: ask yourself if, when speaking, you would be more likely to say the first sentence or the second sentence above. The first, right? Be honest, now. For this reason, it is an error that needs editing in every single manuscript that comes across my desk, even those by the most experienced and published authors. Too picky, you might say- but remember: formal, professional writing isnt the same as speech, and a construction that might not sound awkward in speech or look awkward in an e-mail isnt necessarily the most effective way to frame a sentence in fiction (or in any other formal writing). Being picky sometimes means being a professional.The sentences above, if you read them out loud, might have the same meaning to your ear. But a closer look on the page reveals that their meanings are vastly different. The most important thing to keep in mind when writing- after, you know, stuff such as spelling words correctly and creating an effective plot and characters- is to never confuse your readers. This doesnt mean you should never intentionally mislead the reader of your mystery novel into thinking the wrong person did it, or leave ambiguous the ending of your thriller in order to leave room for a sequel. It means that the meaning you are trying to convey within each word, each sentence, is never in question when you dont intend it to be. If it is, readers become distracted from the world of your book (or story, or essay), and youve lost their attention.The first sentence in my example, Susan only submitted the manuscript of her novel to three literary agencies, does not convey the authors intended meaning. Why? Because only precedes the word submitted, which is not the word it is meant to modify. As written, the sentence tells us that Susan did nothing but submit her manuscript to three literary agencies. She didnt submit it to publishers. She didnt enter it into writing contests. She didnt have it bound and engraved. (Dont do that, by the way, if youre planning to send your own manuscript to anyone.) In fact, if were reading the sentence very strictly, she didnt do anything else at all but submit. She didnt even get out of bed and brush her teeth that morning. She only submitted.Now look at the second sentence, Susan submitted the manuscript of her novel to only three literary agencies. Aha! Do you get the difference? Susan submitted to only three literary agencies. This construction leaves no room for doubt. She didnt submit to any fewer or any more agencies than three. Period. This construction is not only clearer, but it also emphasizes more strongly the sentences significance to whatever story its a part of: namely, that Susan didnt submit her manuscript to very many agencies. This simple rearrangement of words eliminates ambiguity and improves clarity and specificity.But its not only about clarity. After all, most people would probably understand what you meant if you wrote the first sentence. But isnt there something a little more eleg ant, a little more professional about the second sentence? If you agree, do this exercise. It wont take you long to complete it, and your computer will help. Go through your entire manuscript right now, and do a global search for the word only. Make sure, in each instance, it appears, that its in the proper place within the sentence. If not, fix it. Now was that so hard? And I guarantee that after doing this exercise, my little tip will stick in your mind, and the next work you write will use only correctly much more often. But since, as I said, its a mistake thats generally accepted in speech, its a mistake easily overlooked in writing. So always keep your eyes open for it.The proper placement of the word is not always as clear-cut as it is in my examples at the top, and there may be instances where moving only to immediately before or after the word it modifies makes your sentence read awkwardly. As always with grammar rules, use your judgment and tailor this one to your own work and to each sentence within that work. But if you ever see that the sentences clarity is in doubt, this is an easy way to eliminate that doubt while making your writing that much more professional and elegant.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

The Iraq War Vietnam Revisited Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

The Iraq War Vietnam Revisited - Essay Example is making attempts to form an Iraqi legitimate state contrary to a background of insurgency, resulting in American death tolls and slight approval at home" (Grigg 12). "In Vietnam, we were making attempts to support the government that possessed too little legitimacy. But in Iraq, we're making attempts to form a government as well as back it up in such a way that it can advance legitimacy. And the things are utterly difficult to fulfill," explained W. Andrew Terrill (29). American policymakers have turned down ideas that Iraq, currently a major American battle-front front against terrorism, represents a Vietnam-like morass for 135,000 American troops that are inside the country. Though, for example, Terrill and Record consider there are very few war similarities between Iraq and Vietnam, when Communist armed forces supported by the U.S.S.R. and China defeated 500,000 U American troops (20). Despite this facts and ideas the authors of the report called Iraq and Vietnam: Differences, Similarities and Insights caution against dreadful after-effects in the case when the Vietnamese political lessons leave unnoticed. "Reiteration of those Iraqi debacles might result in pernicious after-effects for the American foreign policy," they add (57). The Vietnam War took the lives of not only 58,000 Americans but of 3,000,000 Vietnamese as well. Undoubtedly neither the U.S.A. nor the Iraqi people nor the rest of the world wants to see such horror events once again. Some experts consider that resemblance between Iraq and Vietnam is shallow but at the same time deep. This shallow resemblance is fully understandable and must serve just to attract our attention. Though the deeper resemblance must form policy and compel to choose alternatives that should appeal to our fears if they can result in the outcome possibly even more disastrous than during the Vietnam War (Hanson 33). America's involvement in Vietnam has, as a result, attracted much critical scrutiny, frequently addressed to the question, "Who was guilty" - "Who led the United States into this tragedy" A more enlightening question, it seems, is "How and why did this tragedy occur" The study of Vietnam should be a search for explanation and understanding, rather than for scapegoats. Focusing on one important period in this long and complicated story-the brief but critical months from November 1964 to July 1965, when America crossed the threshold from limited to large-scale war in Vietnam - helps to answer that question. For the crucial decisions of this period resulted from the interplay of longstanding ideological attitudes, diplomatic assumptions, and political pressures with decisive contemporaneous events in America and Vietnam (Powell 73). Victory in World War II produced a sea change in America's perception of its role in world affairs. Political leaders of both parties embraced a sweepingly new vision of the