Wednesday, November 27, 2019
The Historical Importance of Orville Wright
The Historical Importance of Orville Wright Why Is Orville Wright Important?: Orville Wright was one-half of the aviation pioneers known as the Wright Brothers. Together with his brother Wilbur Wright, Orville Wright made history with the first-ever heavier than air, manned, powered flight in 1903. Orville Wright: Childhood Orville Wright was born on August 19, 1871, in Dayton, Ohio. He was the fourth child of Bishop Milton Wright and Susan Wright. Bishop Wright was in the habit of bringing small toys home to his children after traveling on church business and it was one of these toys that Orville Wright attributed for his early interest in flight. It was the miniature Penaud helicopter that Milton Wright brought home in 1878, a popular mechanical toy. In 1881, the Wright family moved to Richmond, Indiana, where Orville Wright took up kite building. In 1887, Orville Wright started at Dayton Central High School, however, he never graduated. Interest in Printing Orville Wright loved the newspaper business. He published his first newspaper together with his friend Ed Sines, for their eighth-grade class. By sixteen, Orville worked summers in a print shop, where he designed and built his own press. On March 1, 1889, Orville Wright began publishing the short-lived West Side News, a weekly newspaper for West Dayton. Wilbur Wright was the editor and Orville was the printer and publisher. The Bicycle Shop In 1892, the bicycle had become very popular in America. The Wright Brothers were both excellent bicyclists and bicycle mechanics and they decided to start a bicycle business. They sold, repaired, designed, and manufacture of their own line of hand-built, made-to-order bicycles, first the Van Cleve and the Wright Special, and later the less expensive St Clair. The Wright Brothers kept their bicycle shop until 1907, and it was successful enough to fund their flight research. The Study of Flight In 1896, German flight pioneer, Otto Lilienthal died while testing his latest single-surface glider. After reading extensively and studying bird flight and Lilienthals work, the Wright brothers were convinced that human flight was possible and decided to conduct some experiments of their own. Orville Wright and his brother began experimenting with wing designs for an airplane, a biplane that could be guided by warping the wings. This experiment encourages the Wright brothers to proceed with constructing a flying machine with a pilot. Airbourne: December 17, 1903 On this day Wilbur and Orville Wright made the first free, controlled, and sustained flights in a power-driven, heavier-than-air machine. The first flight was piloted by Orville Wright at 10:35 A.M., the plane stayed twelve seconds in the air and flew 120 feet. Wilbur Wright piloted the longest flight that day in the fourth test, fifty-nine seconds in the air and 852 feet. After Wilbur Wrights Death in 1912 Following Wilburs death in 1912, Orville carried their legacy alone towards an exciting future. However, the hot new arena of aviation business proved volatile, and Orville sold the Wright company in 1916. He built himself an aeronautics laboratory and returned to what had made he and his brother so famous: inventing. He also stayed active in the public eye, promoting aeronautics, inventing, and the historic first flight that he made. On April 8, 1930, Orville Wright received the first Daniel Guggenheim Medal, awarded for his great achievements in aeronautics. The Birth of NASA Orville Wright was one of the founding members of NACA aka National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics. Orville Wright served on NACA for 28 years. NASA aka National Aeronautics and Space Agency was created from the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics in 1958. Orville Wrights Death On January 30, 1948, Orville Wright died in Dayton, Ohio, at the age of 76. The home Orville Wright lived in from 1914 until his death, he and Wilbur planned the design of the house together, but Wilbur passed away before its completion.
Saturday, November 23, 2019
Quotes From Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov
Quotes From 'Lolita' by Vladimir Nabokov Lolita, a controversial novel by Russian authorà Vladimir Nabokov, was first published in 1955. The work centers around Humbert Humbert, a pedophile. Despite its controversial subject, Modern Library called Lolita one of the best novels of the 20th century.à Elizabeth Janeway, reviewing the book for The New York Times in 1958,à called ità one of the funniest and one of the saddest books shed ever read. The quotes below illustrate Janeways point. Illicit Desire Over the years, many critics have praised the beauty of the language in the novel, while voicing distress over the monstrous subject matter. The book, according to NPR, offers a depiction of love that is as patently original as it is brutally shocking.à Lolita, light of my life, fire of my loins. My sin, my soul. Lo-lee-ta: the tip of the tongue taking a trip of three steps down the palate to tap, at three, on the teeth. Lo. Lee. Ta. She was Lo, plain Lo, in the morning, standing four feet ten in one sock. She was Lola in slacks. She was Dolly at school. She was Dolores on the dotted line. But in my arms, she was always Lolita. - Part One,à Chapter 1There, on the soft sand, a few feet away from our elders, we would sprawl all morning, in a petrified paroxysm of desire, and take advantage of every blessed quirk in space and time to touch each other: her hand, half-hidden in the sand, would creep toward me, its slender brown fingers sleepwalking nearer and nearer; then, her opalescent knee would start on a long cautious journey; sometimes a chance rampart built by younger children granted us sufficient concealment to graze each others salty lips; these incomplete contacts drove our healthy and inexperienced young bodies to such a st ate of exasperation that not even the cold blue water, under which we still clawed at each other, could bring relief. - Part One,à Chapter 3 When I try to analyze my own cravings, motives, actions and so forth, I surrender to a sort of retrospective imagination which feeds the analytic faculty with boundless alternatives and which causes each visualized route to fork and re-fork without end in the maddeningly complex prospect of my past. - Part One,à Chapter 4 Imagery Nabokov revered words and believed that the proper language could elevate any material to the level of art, according to SparkNotes. In Lolita, language effectively triumphs over shocking content and gives it shades of beauty that perhaps it does not deserve. The following quotes show how Nabokovs character, Humbert, essentially, seduces the reader as easily as he seduces Lolita. Through the darkness and the tender trees, we could see the arabesques of lighted windows which, touched up by the colored inks of sensitive memory, appear to me now like playing cards-presumably because a bridge game was keeping the enemy busy. She trembled and twitched as I kissed the corner of her parted lips and the hot lobe of her ear. A cluster of stars palely glowed above us, between the silhouettes of long thin leaves; that vibrant sky seemed as naked as she was under her light frock. I saw her face in the sky, strangely distinct as if it emitted a faint radiance of its own. Her legs, her lovely live legs, were not too close together, and when my hand located what it sought, a dreamy and eerie expression, half pleasure, half-pain, came over those childish features. - Part One,à Chapter 4All at once we were madly, clumsily, shamelessly, agonizingly in love with each other; hopelessly, I should add, because that frenzy of mutual possession might have been assuaged only by our actually imbibing and assimilating every particle of each others soul and flesh. - Part One,à Chapter 4 Now I wish to introduce the following idea. Between the age limits of nine and fourteen there occur maidens who, to certain bewitched travelers, twice or many times older than they, reveal their true nature which is not human, but nymphic (that is, demoniac); and these chosen creatures I propose to designate as nymphets. - Part One,à Chapter 5Oh Lolita, you are my girl, as Vee was Poeââ¬â¢s and Bea Danteââ¬â¢s, and what little girl would not like to whirl in a circular skirt and scanties? - Part One, Chapter 25 Obsession Obsession eventually consumes Humbert, who at times seems disgusted at himself. But, the reader is also made to feel unclean for being drawn so completely into the story of Lolita. Lolita, when she chose, could be a most exasperating brat. I was not really quite prepared for her fits of disorganized boredom, intense and vehement griping, her sprawling, droopy, dopey-eyed style, and what is called goofing off a kind of diffused clowning which she thought was tough in a boyish hoodlum way. Mentally, I found her to be a disgustingly conventional little girl. Sweet hot jazz, square dancing, gooey fudge sundaes, musicals, movie magazines and so forth these were the obvious items in her list of beloved things. The Lord knows how many nickels I fed to the gorgeous music boxes that came with every meal we had! - Part Two, Chapter 1I seldom if ever dreamed of Lolita as I remembered her as I saw her constantly and obsessively in my conscious mind during my daymares and insomnias. - Part Two, Chapter 2My heart was a hysterical unreliable organ. - Part Two, Chapter 25It wasà love at first sight, at last sight, at ever and ever sight. - Part Two, Chapter 29I am thinkin g of aurochs and angels, the secret of durable pigments, prophetic sonnets, the refuge of art. And this is the only immortality you and I may share, my Lolita. -à Part Two, Chapter 36
Thursday, November 21, 2019
Container Store Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words
Container Store - Essay Example The analysis of the container store shows that they do not follow a single motivation theory; rather they shape these theories as per the needs of their organization. Container store not only has great employees but also has great leaders who have not only self actualized but also know how to get maximum output from others. Moreover, these leaders have created a highly rewarding and motivating environment for the employees. Also, it is the open communication at the container store which makes it one of the top 50 companies to work for. The container store fulfils all of Maslowââ¬â¢s hierarchy of needs. The physiological needs are fulfilled by high wages. Safety needs are fulfilled with the help of an environment where proper values are instilled. Moreover, Social needs are fulfilled because of the love and appreciation they get in the friendly and family like atmosphere. Recognition given to the employees for their small or large endeavors fulfills their esteem needs. Furthermore, employees work on self actualization because they are motivated to use their full potential. This can be proved by the number of part time employees who have turned into full time employees because of the satisfaction and motivation they got at the container store.
Tuesday, November 19, 2019
Cybercrime, privacy and security concepts in the film WarGames Essay
Cybercrime, privacy and security concepts in the film WarGames - Essay Example Therefore, he takes his time to engage in cybercrimes and hacking of computer security codes in search of games to play (Bischoff, 1983). His hacking practice eventually leads him to a US supercomputer that is highly secured, due to the sensitive nature of the information it contains. This information is potentially dangerous and capable of causing world destruction through sparking World War III, which is a war of nuclear weapons. The super computer was programmed to launch missile attacks automatically, on the event of being ordered to start such an action, after the Air Force Strategic missile operatives were unwilling to turn on the button which could spark off the nuclear missile attacks (Franklin, 2008). Considering that none of the operatives wanted to be the cause of the devastating attack that could wipe out the whole world, a super computer had to be programmed, which could easily be turned into action by a simple computer operation procedure. Therefore, initially perceivin g the WOPR (War Operation Plan Response) program as another exciting game, David Lightman, (Broderick) embarks on a mission to unearth the backdoor password that can be used to hack into, and access the Supercomputer details (Bischoff, 1983). Being a computer whizz, and with the help of his friend who were also hackers, Broderick eventually manages to unearth the backdoor password and starts operating the computer program by running the nuclear war simulation, through his own computer (Franklin, 2008). Considering the threat posed by this computer operation, the simulation scares the whole security and military departments, since it almost causes a full blown World War III, which is a devastating war of nuclear missiles. This cyber crime and security intrusion into the US military department security systems is a form of black hat hacking. This is because, black hat hacking entails the process of violating and cracking computer security systems with malicious intentions of benefitin g oneself (Hanser, 2011). Broderick had been hacking other computer security systems previously, to gain access to computer games that he could play. In the process of searching for more interesting computer games, other than chess, poker and checkers which he had previously accessed, he embarked on searching for new games, which led him to the supercomputer, which seemed to possess a different nature of games than he had been used to (Bischoff, 1983). This practice of hacking into other computer security systems and accessing games to play, instead of purchasing such games from the manufacturers or retailers, is a selfish crime. Additionally, hacking into other security systems without the knowledge of the owners of the systems, regardless of the intentions an individual has, is malicious and damaging (Johnston, 2011). Therefore, this act of Broderick hacking and accessing the security systems of the US supercomputer and his continuation to simulate the war programs is a form of bl ack hat hacking, since it involves the violation of computer security and privacy laws (Subramanian, 2008). The fictional narration of this film falls under the following three categories: Cybercrime Cybercrime refers to any act of an individual to use computers or computer networks for crime. This can occur in the form of using the computer to commit crime or targeting other computers with some criminal intentions (Hanser, 2011).The film WarGames (1983), depicts both forms of crime. There is a crime of using computers to commit a violation of the acceptable computer privacy and security guidelines. Here, Broderick, who is a bright but highly unmotivated teenager, engages in the act of using
Sunday, November 17, 2019
Asses sociological explanations for ethnic differences in educational achievement Essay Example for Free
Asses sociological explanations for ethnic differences in educational achievement Essay Asses sociological explanations for ethnic differences in educational achievement. 20 marks. Ethnicity refers to shared cultural practices, perspectives, and distinctions that set apart one group of people from another. That is, ethnicity is a shared cultural heritage. The most common characteristics distinguishing various ethnic groups are ancestry, a sense of history, language and religion. Modern Britain is said to be a multicultural society made up of many different ethnic groups. Achievement within education is very varied across cultures, with some such as Chinese and Indian students performing above the average, and African-Caribbean and Pakistani students performing well below average. There are many factors which can reduce a child from an ethnic backgrounds attainment. For instance, Material deprivation. Material deprivation focuses on income inequality and the material problems that are associated with it. An example of such a study is J. W. B Douglas, The Home and The School (1964). He argued that an interlocking network of inequalities existed which operated against many working class students. This included, differential effects of regional and variations in educational provision and expenditure. Also, housing and environmental factors. Which led to chances of access to good primary schools. Therefore, hindering the chance of access to top streams. As a result, minority ethnic children are more likely to live in low-income households. This means they face the problems that Douglas highlighted, the material factors, such as poor quality housing, no working space and even possibly bad influence of peers. One other reason for differences in educational achievement between ethnicities is the basic family life. African-Caribbean communities have a high level of lone parenthood. Actually, it is estimated 50% of African-Caribbean households have a lone-parent . This can mean that many face financial problems, this can lead to lower achievement in school (Douglasââ¬â¢ material factors). Conversely, single mothers can be a positive role model or influence for many young girls, meaning they perform better in education. Another explanation for ethnic differences is Language. For many children of an ethnic minority English is not their primary language. This can be a disadvantage because they may not understand exams as well as others. Also they might struggle to express themselves with limited English. Finally, some teachers may mistake poor English for a lack of intelligence, when actually this could be completely untrue, meaning that a clever child may be let down by the teacher who might not push the student to their full potential. However, you could argue that Chinese and Indian students first language isnââ¬â¢t English, on the other hand in these two cultures it is the norm to learn English as a strong second language. Therefore, they are not hindered by the second language barrier, as opposed to Bangladeshiââ¬â¢s for example. Language was such a big issue that Bernstein (1973) categorised students into two groups. Elaborated and restricted. In the case of an elaborated code, the speaker will select from a relatively extensive range of alternatives. However in the case of a restricted code the number of these alternatives is often severely limited. Bernsteinââ¬â¢s work was not always praised. For instance, Labov (1974) argued that young blacks in the United States, although using language which certainly seems an example of the restricted code, nevertheless display a clear ability to argue logically. Their lack of knowledge concerning the subject may reach further than just the exams they have to take. For instance, due to the large amount of failing black Caribbeanââ¬â¢s and Bangladeshiââ¬â¢s (a combined total of 41% managed to get 5 A* C grades), teachers may be subconsciously prejudiced against ethnic minorities. This can lower the students attainments in many ways, one is that the teachers give the student lower grades. Another way is that the teacher negatively labels a student of ethnic minority which can lead to self-fulfilling prophecy. Racism can also lead to conflict between students and teachers, making learning a much harder task. Lastly, racism can lead to low-self esteem among ethnic minorities. A researcher who studies this was Howard Becker (1971). Becker Interviewed 60 Chicago high school teachers. He found that they judged pupils according to how closely they fitted image of ââ¬Å"ideal pupilâ⬠. Their conduct appearance influenced judgement. Middle class was closest to ideal, working class furthest away labelled as badly behaved. As a result you can see, if teachers labelled students on how they look, you can imagine how they would label a whole ethnic race. Another factor for ethnic differences in educational achievement is the ethnocentric curriculum. There are several reasons why ethnic minorities may struggle due to this curriculum. One is that the subjects often focus on British culture; naturally White British students will have grown up with this culture, so they might have a greater understanding of the content than students who grew up in a different culture. Another reason is that the content of the curriculum could lower ethnic minorities self-esteem, this is because often the white character is seen as ââ¬Å"goodâ⬠and superior whilst the ethnic minorities are seen as ââ¬Å"not as academicâ⬠. However, it is crucial not to forget that every ethnic minority underachieves at this level. In fact, in the UK, Chinese and Indian pupils score better grades than the ââ¬Å"Whiteâ⬠ethnic race. One of the main reasons for this is the support of the parents. Research has shown that some parents of ethnic minority, such as Chinese and Indian, take more interest in their childââ¬â¢s education, they also encourage their child more than other in other cultures. This obviously leads to higher achievement for the child. Not only the parents play a part. Some teachers may stereotype some ethnic minorities to be intelligent and hard-working. This encouragement and sort of support can aid a student in raising their grades. To conclude, there are many sociological explanations for the ethnic differences in educational achievement, from language barriers to family life at home. However, it is important to remember not all ethnic minorities to underachieve. Rafi Kentafi Lindill 12P.
Thursday, November 14, 2019
Technology and Music â⬠Baroque, Boole, Binary, Beams, and Bach :: Technological Musical Music Essays
Technology and Music ââ¬â Baroque, Boole, Binary, Beams, and Bach Is this merely a clever alliteration or a deep connection between science, mathematics, and western culture entirely overlooked? The following seeks to join these five B's in an intimate manner, bringing to light this seemingly complex connection. Part I: Baroque and Bach Chromaticism and elaborate forms of ornamentation characterize the Baroque period of music. In fact, this period, lasting from the late sixteenth century through the early eighteenth century, marked the first period in which composers truly used harmony in music. In addition, this period brought to fame many composers whose music is still enjoyed today including Pachelbel, Handel, Haydn, Vivaldi, and Bach. Born in 1685, Johann Sebastian Bach (hereafter Bach) made himself one of the most renowned western composers of all time. Johann Ambrosia Bach, Bach's father, and Johann Christoph Bach, Bach's brother, trained Bach in music at a very young age. In 1703 at the age of 18, Bach began a series of jobs as organist in Arstadt. Twenty years later, Bach became cantor and choral director at St. Thomas Church in Leipzig. He held this distinguished position until his death. Before his death in 1750, though, Bach had had two wives (the first died in 1720) and 20 children some of whom became musicians as well. He had written such notable pieces as the Brandenburg concertos, "The Art of the Fugue," various religious compositions including the "Mass in B minor" and the "St. John Passion," numerous fugues, preludes and overtures, and more than 300 cantatas. Bach's "Overture Number 3: Air" is a composition often played at weddings, graduations and the like. Though it is only about four and one half minutes in length, it is one of my personal favorites, and will be noted later as this odd connection continues. Part II: Boole and Binary George Boole, a self-taught mathematician and logician, was born in England in 1815 (approximately 65 years after Bach's death). In 1854, he published "An Investigation of the Laws of Thought, on Which Are Founded the Mathematical Theories of Logic and Probabilities." Therein can be found the basis for substituting symbols for the words in the language of logic, thus Boolean algebra is born. Today, computer scientists often use Boolean to relate sets of data. Using the words AND, OR, NOT, IF, and EXCEPT, a Boolean algebraist can determine the truth of a statement as well as rewrite the statement in a more understandable form. Technology and Music ââ¬â Baroque, Boole, Binary, Beams, and Bach :: Technological Musical Music Essays Technology and Music ââ¬â Baroque, Boole, Binary, Beams, and Bach Is this merely a clever alliteration or a deep connection between science, mathematics, and western culture entirely overlooked? The following seeks to join these five B's in an intimate manner, bringing to light this seemingly complex connection. Part I: Baroque and Bach Chromaticism and elaborate forms of ornamentation characterize the Baroque period of music. In fact, this period, lasting from the late sixteenth century through the early eighteenth century, marked the first period in which composers truly used harmony in music. In addition, this period brought to fame many composers whose music is still enjoyed today including Pachelbel, Handel, Haydn, Vivaldi, and Bach. Born in 1685, Johann Sebastian Bach (hereafter Bach) made himself one of the most renowned western composers of all time. Johann Ambrosia Bach, Bach's father, and Johann Christoph Bach, Bach's brother, trained Bach in music at a very young age. In 1703 at the age of 18, Bach began a series of jobs as organist in Arstadt. Twenty years later, Bach became cantor and choral director at St. Thomas Church in Leipzig. He held this distinguished position until his death. Before his death in 1750, though, Bach had had two wives (the first died in 1720) and 20 children some of whom became musicians as well. He had written such notable pieces as the Brandenburg concertos, "The Art of the Fugue," various religious compositions including the "Mass in B minor" and the "St. John Passion," numerous fugues, preludes and overtures, and more than 300 cantatas. Bach's "Overture Number 3: Air" is a composition often played at weddings, graduations and the like. Though it is only about four and one half minutes in length, it is one of my personal favorites, and will be noted later as this odd connection continues. Part II: Boole and Binary George Boole, a self-taught mathematician and logician, was born in England in 1815 (approximately 65 years after Bach's death). In 1854, he published "An Investigation of the Laws of Thought, on Which Are Founded the Mathematical Theories of Logic and Probabilities." Therein can be found the basis for substituting symbols for the words in the language of logic, thus Boolean algebra is born. Today, computer scientists often use Boolean to relate sets of data. Using the words AND, OR, NOT, IF, and EXCEPT, a Boolean algebraist can determine the truth of a statement as well as rewrite the statement in a more understandable form.
Tuesday, November 12, 2019
Critical Analysis of Convergence of the Twain Thomas Hardy Essay
ââ¬Å" Not even God can sink this shipâ⬠ââ¬âis the infamous line that refers to the Titanic, one of the largest most immaculate man made inventions of its time, and the catastrophic accident that led to its sinking has been a historical bookmark, noted for decades. Thomas Hardyââ¬â¢s perception to this disaster is rather pessimistic; creating a sense that fate was destined to cause the failure of Titanic. Hardy presents a philosophical poem about fateââ¬â¢s inevitability and indifference through the eyes of nature, portraying the disaster by presenting the accident as a sinister sexual meeting between these two loversââ¬âthe Titanic and ââ¬Ëa Shape of Iceââ¬â¢. The title of the poem alone demonstrates that this catastrophe was planned in advance, a dramatic sensual meeting. The use of such a title lends itself to the interpretation that this disaster was meant to happen, and was something that destiny, ââ¬Ëthe Spinner of the Yearsââ¬â¢ had planned. This is further developed in the diction that hardy uses in this poem. The two were ââ¬Ëintimateââ¬â¢, their history had already been developed and determined; they were to be ââ¬Ëweld[ed]ââ¬â¢ together, to be one anotherââ¬â¢s ââ¬Ësinister mateââ¬â¢. See more: how to write a critical analysis outline This sexual, ominous meeting of ship and ice creates a very pessimistic and portentous understanding of what happened. Furthermore, through the use of depicting the iceberg and Titanic as lovers, it leads to the reader understanding the iceberg as the dominant, powerful male lover. This presents another theme of nature being able to overpower manââ¬â¢s ââ¬Ëvaingloriousnessââ¬â¢. At the ââ¬Ëconsummationââ¬â¢ of the two, the iceberg is left unharmed, where as the ship is sunk under the ââ¬Ësolitude of the seaââ¬â¢. Hardyââ¬â¢s poetry has always had natureââ¬â¢s beauty and power as a theme, therefore it is no surprise that he believes that nature is superior and timeless as compared to the Titanic, that had been so immaculately described and honored just to have sunk under the natural beautiful sea. In this poem, nature seems to witness the events of this meeting, however the images of nature are eerie and representative of death. The ââ¬Ëdim-mooned eye fishesââ¬â¢ question the presence of the Titanic in the seaââ¬â¢s depths, recognizing it as a vain intruder into their world. Also the ââ¬Ësea worm crawlsââ¬â¢ over this foreign invader, ââ¬Ëindifferentââ¬â¢ to the fact that this vessel was a monumental figure of human development and innovation in 1912. Hardy uses nature witnessing this romantic convergence as a tool to mock the things that humans are proud of and the vanity that is the Titanic, as well as disassociate itself from it. In the poem, Hardy does not undermine the Titanicââ¬â¢s sheer beauty, but it is linked with images of death and destruction. It is first connected to the ââ¬ËPride of Lifeââ¬â¢, which is human innovation and vanity, and it is a remarkable creation that was ââ¬Ëplannedââ¬â¢. However, her ââ¬Ësteel chambers, late the pyres/Of her salamandrine firesââ¬â¢ is the next description that we are given. ââ¬ËPyreââ¬â¢ is a word definitely associated with death and funeral rites, where as ââ¬Ësalamandrineââ¬â¢ and ââ¬Ëfiresââ¬â¢ both have connotations to death as well, and the end of matter. These descriptions create an ominous mood to the ship and of its imminent meeting with the iceberg. Hardyââ¬â¢s disapproval to technology, development and modernization is evident not only in other poems such as Where the Picnic Was and The Darkling Thrush but is also evident in this one, and he uses the catastrophe to mock the vanity of man, the things they find superficially attractive, their ââ¬Ëjewels in joy designedâ⬠¦ lie lightless, all their sparkles bleared and black and blind, and the ââ¬Ëmirrors meantââ¬â¢ to have been used to perceive all this human vanity is crawled over by ââ¬Ëgrotesqueââ¬â¢ creatures who are the are the ones that are using these ââ¬Ëopulentââ¬â¢ items. Fate, however, is the most blatant theme in the poem; Hardy recognizes fate and the will of God as the reasons why this ship had to have sunk. It is illustrated in the personification of ââ¬ËImmanent Willââ¬â¢ and the ââ¬ËSpinner of the Yearsââ¬â¢; this personification is a vague reference to God as well as showing their power and command over human life. These presences ââ¬Ëurge everythingââ¬â¢ to happen, and give imperative commands that must be followed. The poem seems to be representative of Hardyââ¬â¢s feeling that fateââ¬â¢s plans are inevitable and are unstoppable despite whatever has been put in place to prevent what is happening. Hardyââ¬â¢s theme of the vulnerability of human destiny is present in many poems and is connected to his loss of faith, the poems Intenebris, and the Darkling Thrush evidently presents Hardyââ¬â¢s reluctance to see the beauty in fate, or Godââ¬â¢s will, he doesnââ¬â¢t reconcile with this, and therefore there is a pessimistic and gloomy take on the unavoidability of it all. Fate bring these ââ¬Ëtwo hemispheresââ¬â¢ together to witness the result of their vanity and recognize that there is a higher power that is ââ¬Ëfashioningââ¬â¢ the worldââ¬â¢s events, and because of all of he things that have occurred in his lifeââ¬âsuch as Emmaââ¬â¢s deathââ¬âit has led to this pervading theme of negativity towards fate, God, as well as the passage of timeââ¬âwhich is briefly hinted at concerning how the Titanic lost its beauty during its sinking. The construction of this poem is complex and intricate, the numbering of the stanzas makes the reader understand each stanza individually, and consider it a unique unit. This emphasizes the message in the stanzas and makes it all the more powerful. However, there is enjambment in the sixth and seventh stanza, making it as though they were meant to be one stanza. These stanzas also happen to concern the creation of the ship, and the creation of the iceberg, which are meant to become one in the endââ¬âin their sexual meeting. Furthermore, the poem is written in rhyming triplets, along with a tidal rhythm, which manages to capture the feel and movement of the sea in the rhythm of the poem. It can also be noted that the poem is somewhat split into two, the first five stanzas focus on the sunken Titanic, the waste of all the vanity that was put into it, where as the last six stanzas focus on the inevitable fate of the two having met. It is interesting that Hardy possible constructs the poem this way because the tragedy was so well-known and famous that he is able to begin with the focus on the ships already sunken state before delving into the issue of fate and Godââ¬â¢s will. One very intriguing element to Hardyââ¬â¢s construction of The Convergence of the Twain is that the stanzas look as if they are tiny ships. This creative device adds more artistic flair to the poem and adds motion to the poem, as well as being a visual aid. The Convergence of the Twain is a philosophical dirge by Hardy that also happens to illustrate most of his quandaries of life, fate and human vanity. As Hardy using an atypical presentation of the tragedy also manages to make the reader recognize his cynicism and negativity towards human technologies and the Titanic. His poem shows the tragedy of mans overconfidence, and illustrates the importance of recognizing the power of nature as well as fate on our lives.
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