What Is So Fascinating About Essay Topics for Technology?

What Is So Fascinating About Essay Topics for Technology? The Do's and Don'ts of Essay Topics for Technology Every American should learn how to speak Spanish. Essay ought to be written in the words an ordinary person will understand. Narrative essays incorporate a story of a true event described or written in the very first individual. Probably you do, because you're hunting for assistance with your essay writing. Students need to deal with assorted science essay topics. Argumentative essay topics are so important since they are debatableand it's essential to at all times be critically contemplating the world around us. Recent argumentative essay topics that are related to society is going to do. Facts, in the long run, will always win out against how folks are feeling at a specific moment. Write about the wellness issues American population face today and attempt to persuade the reader free medicine is the very best way out. An excessive amount of money isn't a good thing. A lot of people argue whether technology has an influence on the manner that kids grow up. By way of example, in college, you might be requested to compose a paper from the opposing perspective. In this kind of situation, it's more convenient to discover ready-made essays and use them as an example. The major idea is to develop a compr ehensive essay made from introduction, body paragraphs and conclusion. Others may rather handle they research work and assignments by themselves, which is advised to be the perfect method of sorting out information to produce papers of high quality. The effect of morals from technology also features an impact on other factors like physical and societal facets of a young adolescent's life. Using technology has also reduced physical pursuits which again has given rise to different health troubles. To conclude, it is dependent on how you use technology. Information technology changes the surface of the workplace with each technological leap. How to Choose Essay Topics for Technology There's, naturally, a limit on the variety of pages even our very best writers can produce with a pressing deadline, but usually, we figure out how to satisfy all the clients seeking urgent assistance. Consider striking a balance between both and you will observe the way your life changes permanent ly. The procedure is also made simpler. Its main objective is to generate engaging and efficient learning experiences. Positive Impact although technology has many negative consequences on teenagers and youth, it's been helpful in a lot of ways. Along with having obesity being among the significant health effects from the plan of technology taking over, there are a number of other things involving health effects among young adolescents like vision and hearing troubles. One of the primary problems is obesity. Breathing issues, lung infection and obesity are among the issues that are on an all-time high as a result of increasing use of technology. The Ideal Strategy for Essay Topics for Technology Primarily, you have to choose a topic from a selection of social media research paper topics. Therefore, the topic ought to be debatable! Also, deciding on the right topic is essential. Choosing topics for argumentative essays is important for your general success. All About E ssay Topics for Technology Technology was classified into various categories with each one of them having its very own special intent. It is ever-present in our daily lives. It thus means the use of knowledge to create something to enhance life. It affects people all over the world, both positively and negatively. School should happen in the evenings. Science contributes to technology in a lot of ways. Society is becoming more and more dependent upon computers and technology for functioning in everyday life. A Society is becoming more and more dependent upon computers and technology for functioning in everyday life. SATs ought to be eliminated. Students ought to be permitted to pray in school. They lead busy lives and often forget about an upcoming deadline. All About Essay Topics for Technology Although the internet can quickly help you on any topic you require, it can also lead to you to be dependent and brainless by doing all your work for you. Now days a one may use the social media and receive any type of data which he or she requires. It is preferable to search online because it will conserve a plenty of time. It isn't possible to generate a true friend online. Internet is easily the most common instance of information technology. Technology is the usage of scientific know ledge to generate new machinery and devices that may be utilised to offer various services or can be employed further to create more devices. It is basically the application of information to build equipment and devices that can be put to different use. It has also led to the production of nuclear weapons that are a threat to the mankind.

A Midsummer Night’s Dream Essay Order and Disorder

Order and Disorder in A Midsummer Nights Dream Order and disorder is a favorite theme of Shakespeare. In A Midsummer Nights Dream the apparently anarchic tendencies of the young lovers, of the mechanicals-as-actors, and of Puck are restrained by the sharp Athenian law and the law of the Palace Wood, by Theseus and Oberon, and their respective consorts. This tension within the world of the play is matched in its construction: in performance it can at times seem riotous and out of control, and yet the structure of the play shows a clear interest in symmetry and patterning. Confronted by the sharp law of Athens, and not wishing to obey it, Lysander thinks of escape. But he has no idea that the wood, which he sees merely as a†¦show more content†¦The duke and his consort have had their quarrel before the action of the play begins, but Shakespeares choice of mythical ruler means the audience well knows the sword and injuries referred to in 1.2; we see the resolution of the fairies quarrel and that of the lovers during the play, and all is happy at its end. But whereas the rulers resolve their own problems, as befits their maturity and status, the young lovers are not able to do so, and this task is shared by Oberon and Theseus. Oberon orders Puck to keep Lysander and Demetrius from harming each other, and Theseus confirms their wishes as he overbears Egeus will. He is not now breaking his own law, because Demetrius cannot be compelled to marry against his will. A ridiculous parallel case of young lovers so subject to passion that, after disobeying their parents law, they take their own lives, is provided by Pyramus and Thisbe. Lysander and Demetrius laugh at the mechanicals exaggerated portrayal of these unfortunates, but the audience has seen the same excessive passion in earnest from these two. If Lysander breaks - or evades - the Athenian law knowingly, then the mechanicals break the law of the wood unwittingly. Pucks conversation with the first fairy in 2.1, makes clear that the wood is where Oberon and Titania keep their court, though they travel further afield. (Oberon, accordingShow MoreRelated Metadrama In Shakespeare Essay2636 Words   |  11 Pages ‘Shakespeare’s plays reflect not life but art.’ Make use of this remark in writing an essay on Shakespeare’s use of Metadrama. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Shakespeare constantly plays with metadrama and the perception of his plays as theatre and not life with the complications inherent that in life we all play roles and perceive life in different ways. The play has recognition of its existence as theatre, which has relevance to a contemporary world that is increasingly aware of precisely howRead MoreDeveloping Management Skills404131 Words   |  1617 PagesManagement, Human Resources, Strategy, and Organizational Behavior that helps you actively study and prepare material for class. Chapter-by-chapter activities, including built-in pretests and posttests, focus on what you need to learn and to review in order to succeed. Visit www.mymanagementlab.com to learn more. DEVELOPING MANAGEMENT SKILLS EIGHTH EDITION David A. Whetten BRIGHAM YOUNG UNIVERSITY Kim S. Cameron UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN Prentice Hall Boston Columbus Indianapolis New

Assessment Of Financial Performance Of Starbucks During Fiscal Years 2

Question: What is your assessment of Starbucks financial performance during fiscal years 20052009? Assessment of the financial performance of an organization is very important for both the internal as well as external stakeholders. The management of an organization analyzes its financial performance in order to understand present financial of the company. Additionally, the information obtained from the analysis is used for planning and controlling various business activities of the organization. In order to make right decisions for achieving the organizational goals, the analysis of the financial performance is essential. The external users creditors, debtors, investors, analysts and auditor also analyze the financial performance of an organization in order to understand the trend of the past performance as well as present financial position of the company. On the basis of the profitability and solvency of the company, the stakeholders will determine their position regarding relationship with the company. In this paper, the financial position of Starbucks is analyzed for five fina ncial years between 2005 and 2009. Financial statements of Starbucks are used for analyzing the financial position of the organization for the years 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2008 and 2009. Different ratios will be calculated to explain different aspects of the financial performance such as profitability, investment, liquidity etc. In this paper significant ratios of Starbucks are calculated for consecutive five years in order to assess the financial performance of the organization. Ratio Analysis Ratio analysis is a quantitative technique used for analyzing the financial statements of a company. In this method, relevant, information is collected from the financial statements: balance sheet, income statement and cash flow statement. Ratio analysis can be carried out if the profitability ratio, liquidity ratio, efficiency ratios are calculated (Epstein and Lee, 2011). In the following table, all the required ratios are calculated for the five years: 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009. Values are in Million $ 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 Current Assets 1209.334 1529.788 1695.5 1748 2035.8 Current Liability 1423.431 1935.62 2155.6 2189.7 1581 Current ratio 0.849591 0.790335 0.786556 0.798283 1.287666 Current Assets 1209.334 1529.788 1695.5 1748 2035.8 Inventory 546.299 636.222 691.7 692.8 664.9 Current liabilities 1423.431 1935.62 2155.6 2189.7 1581 Acid Test Ratio 0.465801 0.461643 0.465671 0.481892 0.867109 Net Income 494.37 564.259 672.6 315.5 390.8 Shareholders' Equity 2090.262 2228.506 2284.1 2490.9 3045.7 Return on shareholders' equity 0.236511 0.253201 0.29447 0.126661 0.128312 Net Income 494.37 564.259 672.6 315.5 390.8 Total Assets 3513.693 4428.941 5343.9 5672.6 5576.8 Return on Total Assets 3513.693 4428.941 5343.9 5672.6 5576.8 Inventory 546.299 636.222 691.7 692.8 664.9 Cost of Goods Sold 2605.212 3178.731 3999.1 4645.3 4324.9 Inventory Turnover Ratio 76.53854 73.05463 63.13183 54.4361 56.11425 Accounts Receivable 190.762 224.271 287.9 329.5 271 Total Sales 6369.3 7786.9 9411.5 10383 9774.6 Accounts Receivable period 10.93183 10.51239 11.16544 11.58312 10.1196 Accounts Payable 220.975 340.937 390.8 324.9 267.1 Cost of Sales 2605.212 3178.731 3999.1 4645.3 4324.9 Accounts Payable Period 30.95943 39.14833 35.66853 25.52871 22.54191 Sales 6369.3 7786.9 9411.5 10383 9774.6 Total Assets 3513.693 4428.941 5343.9 5672.6 5576.8 Assets Turnover ratio 1.812708 1.758186 1.761167 1.830378 1.752726 Long term liabilities 196.435 264.815 904.2 922 950.1 Capital Employed 2090.262 2493.321 3188.3 3482.9 3995.8 Gearing Ratio 9% 11% 28% 26% 24% EBIT 780.518 893.952 1053.9 503.9 562 interest 15.829 12.291 2.4 44.4 2.8 Interest Coverage Ratio 49.30937 72.73224 439.125 11.3491 200.7143 Gross Profit 3764.088 4608.151 5412.4 5737.7 5449.7 Sales Revenue 6369.3 7786.942 9411.5 10383 9774.6 Gross Profit Ratio 59% 59% 58% 55% 56% Net Profit 494.37 564.259 672.6 315.5 390.8 Sales Revenue 6369.3 7786.942 9411.5 10383 9774.6 Net Profit Ratio 8% 7% 7% 3% 4% EBIT 780.518 893.952 1053.9 503.9 562 Capital Employed 2090.262 2493.321 3188.3 3482.9 3995.8 Return on Capital Employed 37% 36% 33% 14% 14% Strategic Recommendations for Sustainable Growth In the above sections all relevant ratios have been calculated. Therefore, in this part, all the ratios will be analyzed in for making recommendations in order to improve the financial performance of the company in the competitive market. Profitability Ratio There are two profitability ratios which depicts the relationship between profit and revenue of the organization. Gross Profit Ratio The formula for calculating gross profit ratio is given below: Gross Profit Ratio= (Gross profit of the FY/ Revenue of that FY) X 100 From the gross profit ratio it can be understood that how much profit is generated from one unit of turnover. It also implies how effectively Starbucks has managed the production cost and carried forward it to its customers. Greater gross profit ratio implies better financial position of the organization. The gross profit margin of Starbucks is declining from 2005 to 2009. In 2009 the gross profit improved a bit from the previous year (Bamber, Braun and Harrison, 2008). Net Profit Ratio The formula for calculating net profit ratio is given below: Net Profit Ratio = (Net profit/ Revenue) X100 From this ratio, the net profit generated form unit turnover can be calculated. The major implication of this ratio is it depicts how efficiently the company has been able to generate net income after considering the cost elements. It is observed that form 2005 the net profit margin had started to decline gradually and in 2009 it improved from the previous fiscal year 2008. Efficiency Ratios Efficiency ratios are calculated to explain how efficiently the organization has managed and used its resources. Efficiency ratio includes various ratios such as accounts receivable and payable ratio, asset turnover ratio and inventory turnover ratio. Inventory Turnover Ratio The formula for calculating inventory turnover ratio is: Inventory Turnover Ratio = (Inventory / Cost of goods sold) X 365 Inventory turnover ratio depicts how many times in a year the inventory has got completely sold and again replaced. The inventory turnover ratio for Starbucks has been calculated and it is seen that the ratio is decreasing gradually. It means the sales are increasing. High level of inventory turnover ratio is not expected as it has risk of holding obsolete goods. In Starbucks, most of the inventory is consisting of perishable goods, so high level of inventory turnover ratio is not desirable (Coombs, Hobbs and Jenkins, 2005). Asset Turnover Ratio Formula for calculating asset turnover ratio is given below: Asset Turnover Ratio= Revenue / Total Assets Asset turnover ratio assists in analyzing how efficiently the organization has been using its assets in order to generate income. From the asset turnover ratio of Starbucks it is observed that in 2005, the asset turnover ratio was high but 2006 and 2007 it has declined. In 2008, the asset turnover ratio has been highest. But in 2009 the asset turnover ratio is significantly low which depicts that Starbucks has not been able to efficiently manage and use its asset (Davis and Davis, 2012). Accounts receivable Turnover Ratio The formula for estimating accounts receivable turnover ratio is given below: Accounts Receivable Turnover = (Accounts receivables/ Total Sales) X 365 The accounts receivable turnover ratio is associated with the credit period of the oragnziation. If the accounts receivable turnover ratio is high it implies that most of the sales have been made on credit. The company allows sales at interest free credit period. But the low accounts receivable collection period is desired. In case of Starbucks, it is observed that the accounts receivable collection period was increasing from 005 to 2008 but in 2009 it has declined significantly. It has a positive implication for the company (Davis and Davis, 2012). Accounts Payable Turnover Ratio The formula for calculating accounts payable turnover ratio is given below: Accounts Payable Turnover Ratio = (Accounts Payable/ Cost of Sales) *365 This ratio implies how much credit period is allowed from the suppliers to pay the money. If the accounts payable turnover period is high it means that the company is allowed more time to pay its financial obligations. It is observed that the accounts payable period is declining over the years. That means the suppliers are not allowing much credit period and most of the payment is made on cash. It is not a positive implication for the organization (Hansen and Mowen, 2000). Liquidity Ratios Liquidity ratios explain the liquidity position of the organization by analyzing how efficiently the company has managed its short term debt obligation for the given financial year. Two types of liquidity ratio are discussed in this section: current ratio and quick ratio or acid-test ratio. Current Ratio Current ratio can be calculated by the following formula: Current Ratio = Current Asset / Current Liability From this ratio the potential of the company to meet its short term liabilities is assessed. Basically, it reflects on how efficiently the company has been managing its operating cycle. The desired current ratio is greater than 1 which implies excellent financial position of the company. For, Starbucks it is observed that, the current ratio is improving gradually and in 2009 it has become greater than 1. It means that the company has the potential to meet all its short term debts and payables. It indicates that Starbucks is in a good financial position (Hart, Wilson and Fergus, 2008). Acid Test Ratio In order to calculate the acid test ratio, the following formula can be used: Acid Test Ratio= (Current Asset Inventory)/ Current Liability Acid test ratio or Quick ratio also estimates the potential of the company to meet its immediate obligations using its short term assets. But, inventory must not be sold. The desired acid test ratio is 1. In case of Starbucks, the acid test ratio is improving gradually (Neish and Banks, 2003). Investment Ratios Investment ratios are helpful in analyzing the financial performance of an organization in terms of utilizing the investment opportunities. Some investment ratios are calculated for Starbucks and discussed in this section. Return on Shareholders Equity It can be measured from the following formula: Return on Shareholders Equity = [Profit after tax ( PAT)/ Equity Capital) X100 The objective of an organization is to maximize the wealth of its shareholders. The return on Shareholders equity helps to analyze how much return is generated for the shareholders. In case of Starbucks, it has been observed that the return on equity was increasing from 2005 to 2007. Then it started to decline. In 2009, the return on equity has improved slightly (Epstein and Lee, 2011). Return on Capital Employed With the help of the following formula, the return on employed capital can be calculated: Return on Capital Employed = [Earnings Before Interest and Tax (EBIT) / Capital Employed] X 100 From this ratio it can be estimated how efficiently the capital has been utilizing by the organization. For Starbucks it has been observed that the organization has not been able to manage and utilize the capital effectively. The return on capital employed is declining continuously over the period (Coombs, Hobbs and Jenkins, 2005). Return on Assets It can be calculated from the following formula: Return on Assets= [Profit after tax (PAT/ Total Assets] It implies how effectively the organization is managing its asset and generating profit by utilizing its assets. It can be found that return on total asset has been decreasing from 2005 to 2008. In 2009, the return on assets has improved slightly (Neish and Banks, 2003). From the ratio analysis it can be recommended that: Starbucks must focus on utilizing its assets effectively for generating revenue. The net profit ratio is low as the operating costs are high. The operational activities must be improved in order to reduce cost. It is good that the current ratio is high which implies current asset is significantly higher than the current liabilities. But it is also observed that most of the current asset is unutilized, which is also not desired. In order to increase the accounts payable period, the organization must adopt a strategy in order to effectively negotiate with the suppliers. Starbucks must focus o generating more return from the asset and capital employed. Thus the return on shareholders equity will enhance. References Bamber, L., Braun, K. and Harrison, W. (2008).Managerial accounting. 1st ed. Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Pearson Prentice Hall. Coombs, H., Hobbs, D. and Jenkins, D. (2005).Management accounting. 1st ed. London: SAGE Publications. Davis, C. and Davis, E. (2012).Managerial accounting. 1st ed. Hoboken, N.J.: John Wiley Sons. Epstein, M. and Lee, J. (2011).Advances in management accounting. 1st ed. Bingley, UK: Emerald. Hansen, D. and Mowen, M. (2000).Management accounting. 1st ed. Cincinnati: South-Western College Pub. Hart, J., Wilson, C. and Fergus, C. (2008).Management accounting. 1st ed. Frenchs Forest, N.S.W.: Pearson Education Australia. https://library.corporate-ir.net, (2006).Starbucks Corporation. https://media.corporate-ir.net, (2007).Starbucks Corporation. https://media.corporate-ir.net, (2009).Starbucks Corporation. Neish, W. and Banks, A. (2003).Management accounting. 1st ed. Boston: McGraw-Hill.

The Spanish Armada Essays (614 words) - Tudor England,

The Spanish Armada The Spanish Armada was a fleet of armed ships that attempted to invade England in the year of 1588. This Spanish Fleet had at one time been called the Invincible Armada, supposedly because the Spaniards thought it could not be defeated (World book Multimedia Encyclopedia). The Spanish Fleet consisted of over 130 ships and more than 29,000 men, most were soldiers. Many of the ships were low in weapons and experienced soldiers that could work these weapons, others were low in ammunition. King Phillip named the Duke of Medina Sidonia to command the Armada. During the 1500's the Spanish were thought to have had a dominating Navy until in 1588, when they were defeated by the English. The English received word of the Spanish's activities and armed many of its merchant vessels and added them to its warships. England's fleet was made up of about 197 ships and nearly 16,000 men, these men were mostly sailors rather than soldiers. Admiral Lord Howard of Effingham commanded the fleet and his squadron leaders were Francis Drake, John Hawkins and Martin Frobisher. Francis Drake and John Hawkins were ordered many times to raid Spanish villages and ships to acquire more riches. 2 The Spanish Armada left Lisbon, Portugal on May 30, 1588 and arrived at the English Channel on July 20. The ships were constantly battling for seven days straight. There were long-range duels and soldiers were sent to burn the enemy ships and destroy their weapons. On July 27, the Armada anchored at Calais, France. The Duke of Medina Sidonia had planned to meet barges carrying Spanish Troops from nearby Dunkerque, a port in the Netherlands (World book Multimedia Encyclopedia). Unfortunately, Dutch gunboats prevented the barges from meeting the Armada. This act doomed the fleet to failure (World book Multimedia Encyclopedia). Early in the hours of July 29, the English sent eight vessels that were packed with gunpowder and were set on fire, and they were directed towards the Armada. The Spanish were barely able to flee from the burning ships. Later that morning, the English sent 60 or so warships to attack an equal number of Spanish Galleons. The English sank two Spanish ships and damaged others severely. The crippled Armada fled to the North Sea, then returned to Spain by sailing north around the British Isles. Heavy winds wrecked many of ships off Ireland's coast, and only 67 out of the 130 reached Spain. 3 There were many deaths at the battle between the England and Spain, but the exact number is confirmed. Some deaths were from drowning, disease, but most were just from the casualties of war. The Spanish lost nearly half its fleet, during the battles with the English. Things got even worse after the battles. Spain even though they did not officially lose the battles, their country was in economic trouble. There were so many controversial issues, going on after the war, that the country just fell apart and England became a major power in Europe. Spain was very confident going into the battles and they came out the losers and that hurt them considerably. The battles contributed to the slow decline of the Spanish economy, production, and social well-being. It was becoming evident that the Spanish were not as powerful as they once were. There were revolts against the Government of Spain, lootings in villages and towns and their were several civil wars. Spain, today, is still a fairly popular country but not as nearly powerful and prosperous as they once were. The Spanish Armada's invasion on the English Channel in 1588 is and always will remain one of the most popular naval battles in history.

time changes everything essays

time changes everything essays Throughout time, with technology, higher learning, and new inventions things have a tendency to change. Our roads, ways of life, and communities have changed over time. A small town that may have been productive may not be now because of the changes. From our studies we have learned about how farms, buildings, and transportation have changed into forgotten history. Some of the things that are forgotten are farms that are big, probably used to be bigger. Old roads and bridges become new, general stores in small towns or communities become rundown and some abandon. These stores become rundown and abandon because there is now Wal-Mart and K-Mart that replace these general stores of the past. That is why I feel it was bound for Route 66 to be replaced. I believe if Route 66 is the mother of all roads in America it is because the talk of it being the mother of American roads. If it wasnt for people traveling Route 66, and coming back home, and telling their friends about it the road would have never really known as that type of major road. I have to ask the question; would we know about Route 66 if people didnt tell us about it. Of course there are other things, like the sites that you can see by traveling across the country. At the height of Route 66s travel it was the main highway to the west. Some of the things that attracted people to Route 66 the idea of the road is it will always mean going somewhere.(Pg. 27, Route 66) Another idea is if you have a fast car, a coast to reach, and a woman at the end of the road. (Pg.26, Route 66) You can say that Route 66 is the mother road because it was the first road to use one-mile intervals to let you know how far you had to go. There are many other things that make Route 66 the mother of American roads. I feel that what I have found are the strongest reasons that mak ...

How to Pick a Title for Your Research Paper

How to Pick a Title for Your Research Paper How to Pick a Title for Your Research Paper It sounds strange, but for many people choosing a topic of a research paper is the most difficult task. Well, thats often true and it can happen to you in any situation when you have to choose something. If you are not given a choice, you can simply accept it. On the other hand, the more options you have, the more difficult it may be to make a wise choice. So, if your teacher has given you a topic to work on, you are the lucky one. But sometimes you have to pick a title for your research paper by yourself. There is one thing to think of before choosing a title. So, ask yourself what you are interested in at this stage of your life. Wouldnt it be great to write about something you like and are good at? However, keep in mind that you write your paper not only for yourself. It will be read by your teachers, and your goal is to write about what you like to make other people interested in it. You have to keep it simple. Write in such a way, that even a child could understand you. Making simple things more complicated is a complete waste of time. Nobody would like to read that. In addition, have a look at the latest news, listen to what people or your friends talk about, try to remember things that you was impressed by recently. This may inspire you to choose the right topic. You can surely choose the title you like, however dont try to be too creative. What seems to be fine for you, may look absurd for the others. Or perhaps you cannot come up with an original idea. In such a case, there are lots of topics students use all the time. Some of them may look trite, but it is just a matter of your writing style, how you express your thoughts, your ability to look at a typical problem from another perspective, your willingness to make usual things unique. Thousands of papers were written about environmental pollution, greenhouse effect, deforestation etc. Nobody has suggested a way out that really works and differs from what the humanity attempted to do with this problem. Who knows, maybe you can write something that can surprise your teacher, and you will get a good grade. As children, we all liked to find out something new in everything that surrounds us. When we grow older, we become less curious for some reasons. Of course, writing a research paper about something you like is a great opportunity to find out something new, share your ideas and enthusiasm with other people. However, if you dont have much time for that, our academic writing service is always ready to help you with your writing task. If you need professional research paper title assistance from experts welcome to our research paper service !

The Global Economy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

The Global Economy - Essay Example They demonstrate average volatility shifts of many prices of agricultural commodities and finds further support in implied volatility evidence. This happens against a backdrop of shifts towards global markets and market liberalization, as well as dramatic alterations within the energy sector with regard to bio-fuel production. One factor that affects the volatility of these agricultural commodity prices is trends (Cooke & Robles, 2011: 56). Long run decreases or increases in series volatility may occur. These can be accounted for by the inclusion of time trends in variables explaining volatility. Another factor is stock levels. As stock levels of various commodities drop, there is an expectation that volatility in prices of these commodities will also increase. Low stocks will lead to dependence, on current production, to meet consumption demands in the short term also increasing. Further yield shocks could portend an increasingly dramatic effect on the commodity prices. The yields f or particular crops will also drive a commodity’s price up or down. In relation to expectations, a large yield may cause prices to drop while a particularly low yield may result in an increase, in the price (FAO, 2011: p123). If the prices respond in a symmetrical manner to the yields, then no impact will be expected on the series volatility. If, however, a bigger yield impacts more on the prices, then volatilities will be positively related to yields while, conversely if lower yields have more impact on the prices than higher yields, then the volatilities will have a negative correlation to the yields. Another factor has to do with the transmission across prices. Positive transmission of price volatilities is expected across agricultural commodities. Global markets do experience international shocks that could influence the world demand for agricultural commodities with these markets also adjusting to policy movements, which may impact simultaneously on a number of commoditi es (FAO, 2011: p124). In addition, Volatility in a particular market may have a direct impact on another’s volatility where stocks are speculatively held. Exchange rate volatility is another factor that affects volatility of agricultural commodity prices (Hill, 2011: p33). Prices received by producers on deflation into the domestic producer currency may impact significantly on commodity prices at which the producers are prepared to sell. This is also extended to stockholders. Volatile rates of exchange significantly increase the risk inherent in returns. Therefore, it is expected that a positive volatility of exchange rate transmission could result in agricultural commodity price volatility. Oil price volatility is another factor with perhaps the biggest agricultural production shifts in the past decade, and one that is expected to continue, being the move towards the use of bio-fuels (Hill, 2012: p56). Recent empirical studies have suggested the transmission of prices betwee n sugar prices and oil. A likely link also exists between the costs of input and that of output. Freight costs, mechanized agriculture, and fertilizer prices all depend on the price of oil, which are transmitted to agricultural commodity prices. In light of the recent unprecedented volatility of oil prices, this volatility shows a potential to spill over into agricultural commodity volatility. For example, the sudden interruption of fuel availability during the Iraq war in 2002

History resoponse Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

History resoponse - Essay Example Most people believed the idea that humans were capable of destroying themselves. This war as referred by some people was indeed a great war. It affected all the nations of the world, from Europe to Africa. Today its effects are still felt. It was mainly among Britain, Austria, United States, Germany, Russia and France. These nations mobilized masses in other countries to fight against their enemies. There was political reformation in the whole world. The war is believed to have been greatly fueled by religious differences. Most of the political reformation was on religious grounds. Serbia matched with Russia as they shared the same doctrines, Croatia joined forces with Austria. Bosnia supported the Ottoman Empire. The war was catalyzed when Germany declared its support for Austria against the Serbs. This angered Russia and awakened British and French. Treaties were formed and the result was Europe being divided into two blocs. France Britain and Russia came to fight against Germany, Italy and Austria. Diplomacy disappeared and it was all about war. The impact of the war was soon to leave a mark in history. The use of chemical weapons adversely affected the human race. Bombs and poisonous gases killed millions of people and the few who survived developed permanent health problems, both physical and mental. Families were shattered and weeping became the norm in the entire world since all nations were affected and its people were being killed. Some of the bombs had far reaching catastrophes as they affected future generations. Children would be born with various defects. The atomic gases affected lifespan of the human race. Those who had greatly inhaled the gases died at an early age. Freedom of speech and expression was lost. Soldiers could not freely give their opinions on various matters especially those that pertained to war. Civil societies lost their voice and they could demonstrate leave alone striking. This resulted to people living in fear

Children after the separation Essay Example for Free

Children after the separation Essay Further his studies of the effects of war on children who were separated from their mothers at an early age was considered to be research done in a crisis situation. Critics argue under these circumstances it would be impossible to conclude how the same children would have reacted out of a war time environment. It was also argued that Bowlby failed to take account in his studies what had happened to the children after the separation. Bowlby was influenced greatly by James Robertsons research on the effects of separation on mother and child through hospitalisation. Robertsons studied children between six months and three years of age who were separated from their mothers due to hospitalisation. Robertson claimed to have established a sequence of behaviour that all children would pass through. This sequence consisted of distress, were children behaved in a disturbed manner. Despair whereby the child seems to lose hope of finding there lost parent. Lastly, the child display detachment type behaviour, refusing anyone to become involved with them. Robertson concluded that separation from their mother was harmful. In 1971 Klein and Stern studied why parents abuse their children. They found evidence in their studies that a high percentage of abused children had been born prematurely. Because these children were put into an incubator and separated from their parents an attachment was unable to develop, resulting in later abuse toward the children. The study concluded that there is a crucial period when attachments not formed adequately would not be able to be re-formed. This is of considerable importance to social work in relation to the modern day understanding of child abuse as further research has shown that many abusers were once abused themselves. Klaus Kennell (1976) two paediatricians put forward the theory that they too believed there was a critical period when attachment took place, this was immediately after birth, when the mother was physiologically pre-disposed to bond with her infant. It was during this time that the strength of the attachment was determined.  The American National Center for Clinical Programs supports Bowlbys notion of motherlove. They propose that a parent who realises they are going to have a long-term relationship with their child will put more into the caregiving and interaction, as opposed to a substitute care giver who may not be so motivated as they see many children come and go and therefore do not build up a caring relationship with children. This idea has implications for fostering as a consequence may be lack of care or favouritism towards other children in their care. John Elisabeth Newson (1986) point out that one function of a parent is to act as a memory store for the children to play back and compare experiences. Children in a care setting without a key adult with whom they have a close relationship with will be unable to build upon past experiences and this may have an impact on their emotional development.  Many studies have looked at whether attachment is instinctive, as Bowlby had believed. Konrad Lorenz (1935) agreed that attachment was instinctive when he put forward his imprinting theory. His observations revealed that newly hatched goslings follow the first thing they saw, this could be a human or other object and there was a brief critical period early in the goslings life when this would occur and was found to be irreversible. Lorenzs believed this was biological, a factor of evolution that ensures the young of all species are able to attach to someone for survival, and was relevant to the way humans form attachments in relation to it being an instinctive behaviour. Critics of his theory (Sluckin 1961 and Bateson 1964) have shown that if a young bird is kept isolated it stays unimprinted beyond Lorenzs critical period and imprinting can take place after the critical period has passed. This casts doubt on Lorenzs claim that imprinting processes are instinctive. Many researchers now believe that imprinting is actually a process of rapid learning (MacFarlane 1975) In contrast to the theory that attachment is instinctive Colin Turnbull and Margaret Mead when studying families in various African tribes concluded that they saw no signs of instinctive love or affection between parents and children. It was quite normal for many children to be left to fend for themselves; many were even killed as they were thought of as burdens by their parents. The researchers came to believe attachment to be a learnt process that we internalise from observing our own mothers behaviour, and if not learnt properly for example through illness or as in the tribes case through a different set of family norms and lifestyles, then no bonding or emotional attachment can occur. In New York in 1943 Goldfarb conducted a study of orphans. Two groups of fifteen orphans were matched for age, sex and social background of their parents. The orphans of group A had been fostered before nine months old. The orphans in group B had spent at least their first three years in an orphanage before they were fostered. Goldfarb visited each child at ages three, six, eight and twelve years and measured their development with regard to intelligence, language skills, social maturity and their ability to form relationships. Goldfarb found that every child in group A did better than those in group B leading to the conclusion that a normal family home is crucial to emotional and cognitive development. Critics of this study argue that the children may not have had the same intelligence to begin with and that the children in Group B did not have the stimulation of a family for as long a period as those children in Group A. Harlow Zimmerman conducted studies on a group of rhesus monkeys. Their studies consisted of isolating young monkeys for three months, six months or twelve months. The researchers concluded that the behaviour of the monkeys who had been isolated for twelve months was proportionately worse than those who had been isolated for three months. The behaviour of all the monkeys who had suffered isolation was seen to be disturbed. The same researchers also placed monkeys in a cage with surrogate mothers, a doll made of wire with a feeding bottle and a doll made of wood and towelling without a feeding bottle. The monkeys spent equal amounts of time with each surrogate mother. The studies showed that the monkeys preferred to cling to the towelling doll even if it meant they did not have a feeding bottle. This led the researchers to believe that warm contact is of critical importance as a need for the monkeys and leads to affectionate responses. Critics of both these studies question the relevance of animal studies to human behaviour. Bowlbys influential theory managed to link together the evolutionary focus of adaptation with the psychodynamic and behavioural importance of social relationships during infancy and childhood. (Hollin 95)  A measure of its influence can be gained from the action of the World Health Organisation in 1955 stating that Permanent damage can be done to the emotional health of babies and children when put into nurseries or sent to child-minders. The WHO report had many consequences and resulted in lots of practices regarding child care and childrens needs being changed. Women were encouraged to stay at home and were made to feel guilty and bad mothers if the went out to work. (Which suited the government at the time, as they needed these vacated jobs for men) Family Allowance payments were also introduced as a further inducement to keep women from going out to work  Maternity wards encouraged siblings to stay with their mother, whilst childrens wards encouraged mothers to stay.  A main influence on social work practice was the idea that a bad home is better that the best institution which resulted in less fostering and removal of children from poor if not dangerous situations at home. Bowlbys findings were influential but controversial and became the starting point for further studies. Some studies began to disagree with Bowlby, Fraiberg in 1974 argued that it was possible to strengthen an attachment; Parents of blind children who did not experience eye contact with their infant felt rejected and consequently were unable to develop a strong attachment to their children. When taught to interpret their childs hand movements, it was found the bond could be strengthened. Interaction was thought to be the important element in developing the attachment.

Justice in movie Crash Essay -- Philosophy Analysis Crash Film Movie

Justice in movie Crash In the movie Crash, directed by Paul Haggis, John Stuart Mill's theories on Social Justice and Utility are depicted within the context of the 20th century. Haggis' representation of a multicultural society is one built on racism and inequality, which limits the social justice people can acquire. In this film prejudice and stereotyping are prevalent when discussing legal rights and moral rights. The social situation has profound impacts on the choices people make. This society's foundation is based on injustice, although in the end, justice is served through the concept of `justice of desert'. Social Justice prevails in society where legal laws are practiced and respected. It is considered unjust to: "deprive anyone of his [or her] personal liberty, his [or her] property, or any other thing which belongs to him [or her] by law" (Social Justice and Utility, pg. 168). In this movie there is an inconsistent application of legal laws, which is especially applicable to those individuals considered `foreign' or `immigrant'. The storeowner (no character name; played by Howard Fong) who immigrated to America has had experiences of racism, which made him distrust others; this shows through his interactions with people. The storeowner's legal laws were violated when he wanted to purchase a gun for his family store, in order to have protection against future robbers. Yet, he was prohibited from doing so, based his race and heavy accent. The owner of the gun store made degrading comments about his citizenship and his ability to speak English, and questioned his legal right to buy a gun. The storeowner obviously had been subjected to this type of hostility before, began quarrelling with the man in a d... ...just world. Now he could be charged with attempted murder and he has to deal with the fact that he almost shot a little girl. The charges would be laid by Daniel strengthening Mills theory, "evil from those to whom he has does or has done evil" (Social Justice and Utility, pg169). Justice has been achieved through justice of desert. This demonstrates to us that no matter how much your legal or moral laws are violated, what matters is how you as an individual react to the situation, justly or unjustly. This movie is centered around the notion that if you are a person of ethnic background, that alone is reason for others to forsake your rights, although in the long run justice will prevail Bibliography John Stuart Mill, "Social Justice and Utility" as cited in Solomon and Murphy, What is Justice?, pages 166- 169. Crash (2005) directed by Paul Haggis

Understanding Poetry

Understanding and Appreciating Poetry 1 Note to Teachers Set Poems 2012-2014 Teachers have been speaking about the lack of critical material on some of the literature set pieces (particularly the poems) selected for study at the Caribbean O’Level. Diverse interpretations make an exploration of literary material interesting and expansive. This guide to the study of ‘set’ poems is a response to those who wish to be expansive in their analysis and appreciation. It is not intended to be a model commentary but an analysis or interpretation that will stimulate further discussion and analysis. Some poems are treated with questions.This approach helps to elucidate the central themes or ideas in the poems. This is a cost free publication offered to teachers. Prepared by Clifford Narinesingh co – author of A Comprehensive English Course , Books 1-3 and CXC English A. and author of Developing Language Skills Books 1,2,3, and CSEC Exam Book 4 A Royards Publishing Compa ny Project This is a free publication and not intended for resale 2 Understanding and Appreciating Poetry UNDERSTANDING AND APPRECIATING POETRY DULCE et DECORUM EST Theme: The theme of the poem is the subject with which the poet deals. It is the central idea around which the event or experiences revolve.In this poem, the central idea is the â€Å"horrors of war†. The ghastly image of war, the torture to which soldiers are subjected, reflect the theme – â€Å"the haunting flares†, â€Å"gas shells dropping† â€Å"froth corrupted lungs† are evidence of the atrocities of war. INTENTION OF THE POET What does the poet hope to achieve? The poet here, wishes to convey a universal message to the reader, that one should not believe that it is noble to die for one’s country, because of the untold miseries which soldiers experience. To the poet, neither fame nor glory can compensate for the immense suffering that war inflicts on humanity.MOOD The mood conveyed in the poem is one of anger, revulsion and disgust. The impact of the incident in which the soldier is caught in an explosion and the agony he suffers is one of loathing and revulsion. â€Å"I saw him drowning† â€Å"guttering, choking, drowning† shows the immense suffering of a dying soldier. This is a free publication and not intended for resale Understanding and Appreciating Poetry THE MAIN INCIDENT The traumatic experience of a soldier who is caught in a sudden explosion while returning to his camp. 3 IMAGERY The poet achieves his purpose or intention through his use of intense language and vivid imagery.These are the similes used by the poet to make the images interesting and meaningful. 1. â€Å"Bent double, like old beggars under sacks. † Here the soldiers returning from the battle field look like old beggars, bent with age and exhaustion, carrying their sacks on their backs. The comparison is appropriate as it appeals to the visual sense and bri ngs the readers face to face with the exhausted soldiers. 2. â€Å"knock-kneed, coughing like hags† The image of the knock-kneed soldiers coughing like hags, shows the terrible effect of the smell of gun powder, and gun shots.It appeals to the auditory sense and reminds the reader of the sounds of old people coughing. 3. â€Å"And floundering like a man in fire or lime† The image presents the soldier in a state of panic, unable to move in any fixed direction as he is trapped in the fire. The reader can see the movements of the soldier, like a blind man floundering and fumbling to find his way. 4. His hanging face, like a devil’s sick of sin† The comparison vividly describes the look of the soldier in agony and pain during the final moments of his death.LANGUAGE OF THE POEM These are some examples of the poet’s use of emotive and intense language â€Å"We cursed through sludge† â€Å"limped on blood-shod This is a free publication and not int ended for resale 4 Understanding and Appreciating Poetry â€Å"Drunk with fatigue† â€Å"He plunges at me, guttering, choking, drowning† â€Å"White eyes writhing in his face† â€Å"Froth-corrupted lungs† The language used is both appropriate and effective and evokes the sympathy of the reader. THIS IS THE DARK TIME, MY LOVE The theme of this poem is about a people whose dreams of a better life have been threatened by the destructive power of the ‘strange invader’.The atmosphere of the poem is one of tension, fear, anxiety. â€Å"Everywhere the faces of men are strained and anxious. † This is because of the presence of soldiers: â€Å"all around the land brown beetles crawl about. † Even nature is sympathetic to the cause of the people as expressed in the line â€Å"red flowers bend their heads in awful sorrow. † The poet’s mood is one of lamentation for the misery of his people, the instability and sorrow brought about by the strange invader. Imagery: The images appeal to the sense of sight and sound.They present visual pictures that are striking. The picture of the soldiers, â€Å"all around the land brown beetles crawl about†, in their thick armoury, the hard covering on their backs is like beetles. Here you hear the tramping of soldiers â€Å"whose boots of steel tramp down the slender grass†. You can also see the slender grass trampled upon and looking withered. This is a free publication and not intended for resale Understanding and Appreciating Poetry Figurative Language Metaphor: All around the land brown beetles crawl about. † 5 The soldiers are compared to brown beetles.Personification: â€Å"Red flowers bend their heads in awful sorrow. † The poet gives the flower qualities of a human being – the emotion of sorrow. Irony: â€Å"It is the festival of guns, the carnival of misery. † The words â€Å"festival† and â€Å"carnival† a re indicative of joyous celebrations but what the country is really experiencing is sorrow, not joy. The Woman Speaks to the Man who has employed Her Son In this poem, a mother expresses her deep affection for her son. She reflects on the unfortunate circumstances of her life as a single parent. She is now concerned about the welfare of her son.This woman is seen as one, whose deep devotion and dedication to her son make her transcend her difficulties. Her responsibility to her son takes priority. But what shatters her now, is the fact that her son is employed by someone who appears to be engaged in shady activities. To her, the gun he carries is a symbol of destructiveness and criminal activities. The conversational style of the poem makes the reader empathize with the thoughts and feelings of the mother. The reader discerns in the mother, fortitude, resilience and spiritual strength which inform her actions. 1. What is the theme of the poem? . The mood of the poem is one of (a) di sgust and anger (b) optimism and hope (c) sadness and despair This is a free publication and not intended for resale 6 Understanding and Appreciating Poetry 3. Which of these words describe the tone of the poem? formal, conversational, angry, serious? 4. What do the lines â€Å"a metallic tide, rising in her mouth each morning† suggest about the mother? 5. â€Å"He treated all his children With equal and unbiased indifference. † What do the above lines suggest about the father? 6. Why do you think that the mother is upset about the job her son has taken? 7.What do the â€Å"black cloth† and â€Å"veiled hat† symbolize? 8. Select the line which expresses the mother’s helplessness. 9. Why does she allude to the â€Å"thief on the left side of the cross†? 10. How do you feel as you read the poem? GOD’S GRANDEUR The poem is expressive of God’s presence in the natural world even though man’s exploits have served to destroy na ture and its freshness and purity. To the poet, God’s grandeur is ever pervasive, revealing itself like ‘flame from shook foil’. The word ‘flame’ is significant as it conveys the brilliance of God as the shining light the foil gives off.The poet employs the image of an electric charge, which develops into a flame or a light suggesting the power of His greatness. God’s light assumes a richness like the ‘ooze of oil crushed’ or pressed to it finest quality. As the oil gathers strength to richness so too does God’s greatness. The images are all interwoven and expanded to express the grandeur of God. In stanza 2, though man is aware of God’s greatness, he still exploits it through commerce and industrialization, blemishing the earth and destroying the freshness of nature.The repetition, ‘generations have trod, have trod, have trod’ conveys man’s persistence in his ruthless exploitation. The persistent repetition of the words ‘have trod’ leading to ‘smeared and bleared’, tells of the poet’s resentment and This is a free publication and not intended for resale Understanding and Appreciating Poetry disgust at man’s actions. ‘Man’s smudge’ and ‘smell’ are expressive of a polluted and squalid environment, all due to man’s uncaring attitude. Unthinking man cares not about the destruction he leaves; he seems not aware of what he has done to nature as expressed in the words ‘nor can foot feel being shod. The natural sensation of walking barefooted is lost. The language of stanza one (1) lines 5-8, reveals a protest against man’s ruthlessness. The poet reacts to man’s inhumanity and indignity with reasoned calmness, a protest without rage or anger for he is consoled by nature’s presence as described in stanza two (2). In stanza two(2), the poet tells that God’s presence or po wer through nature is renewable and invigorating in spite of man’s destructive nature. Nature is described as indestructible or inexhaustible. â€Å"For all this, nature is never spent There lives a dearest freshness deep down things. The poem ends on a positive note, an assurance that springs from the poet’s faith as he is convinced of the Holy Ghost’s presence with vitality and life and all that is luminous, â€Å"warm breath and bright wings† 7 GOD’S GRANDEUR 1. Using your own words, express in about two to three lines the theme of the poem. 2. State the central contrast which this poem presents between God and man. Explain it fully with reference to specific details. 3. Select one metaphor used in the poem and show how it is expanded. 4. Explain in your own words the meaning of the following lines. (a) Why do men now not reck his rod? b) And for all this, nature is never spent. 5. The poet uses the following devices. Select one example of each and comment on its effectiveness: (a) simile (b) alliteration (c) compression (d) repetition This is a free publication and not intended for resale 8 Understanding and Appreciating Poetry ORCHIDS In this poem, the writer is about to relocate and is sending her material belongings â€Å"to fill the empty spaces of her future life†. One thing that cannot be boxed is the sentiment she feels for the orchids. The orchids belong to her emotional and spiritual world. The purple colour is a symbol of the blood of Christ on the Cross.What is evident in the poem is that some experiences in life can never be forgotten. Even though you may wish to suppress them, like a stubborn orchid, they bloom and blossom. For the poet, the orchid is an inspiration to the creative instinct. It sends a message, tells a story that reaches poetic dimensions. Even though the pressed orchids become â€Å"thin and dried transparency†, she believes that they still are a stimulus for poetic thought. I n the poem, the material world is pitted against the world of nature. The world of nature is constant and eternal. 1. What is the theme of the poem? a) relocating to a new home (b) nurturing a spray of orchids (c) the poet’s impression of the orchids 2. What is the mood of the poem? 3. From where did the poet get the orchids? 4. What effect have the purple petals on the poet? 6. What was peculiar about the orchids? 7. (a) Explain the meaning of â€Å"their thin dried transparency†. (b) Of what value is the â€Å"thin dried transparency† to the poet? This is a free publication and not intended for resale Understanding and Appreciating Poetry 9 SOUTH Motivated by a deep sense of longing to return to the islands, the poet recaptures in his memory delightful scenes of his native land.He recalls the bright beaches, the fishermen’s houses and the sound of the sea which heralded his birth. The poet has journeyed from the islands to distant lands where his experi ences have been different from those in the islands. He has visited stormy cities, felt the sharp slanting sleet and hail and the oppressive shadows of the forest. These are opposed to the warmth of the islands, and the salty brine of the sea. To the poet, the ocean that surrounds the islands is a symbol of adventure, the freedom of the spirit and the limitless possibilities which reside in its vastness.In his view, the rivers that form part of his present environs remind him of a life that lacks purpose – he feels resentment for the rivers. He recalls the refreshing memories of the sea which reflect the harmony between man and nature. He sees the shells, the fishermen’s houses, the pebbled path, the fish and the gulls and the white sails. These are the treasures of the islands which he recaptures in the poem. These are the treasures which make him forget the pains, the sorrows and the hatred. 1. 2. 3. State briefly what the poem is about. Where is the experience takin g place?Select two images in the poem. To which sense does each appeal? 4. 5. Select those expressions which show the poet’s experiences of hardship. Which literary device does the poet use in each of the following? ‘bright beaches blue’ ‘sharp slanting sleet’ ‘their flowing runs on like our longing’ ‘splash’ ‘white sails slanted seaward’ 6. What is the mood or feeling of the poet? This is a free publication and not intended for resale 10 Understanding and Appreciating Poetry EPITAPH, DREAMING BLACK BOY, THEME for ENGLISH B. The poems ‘Epitaph’, ‘Dreaming Black Boy’ and ‘Theme for English B’ have similar themes.They express discrimination and intolerance in human relationships and reflect the denial of the basic human rights of recognition, justice, equality and freedom. The three poems are treated differently. You will observe that in the poem â€Å"Epitaph† the ima ge is vivid, stark and gruesome. Amidst the beauty of the â€Å"falling sunlight† and the swaying cane†, the dead body of the slave hung. The image evokes in the reader anger against human brutality and compassion for the fate of the slave. Through the sad tale, the poet achieves his intention of giving the reader insights into the brutality meted out to slaves in their days of enslavement.The poem is a tribute to the dead slave, and is melancholic in mood and tone. Epitaph 1. Describe the image presented in stanza one of the poem. 2. Which of the following best defines the feelings evoked by the image? (a) elation and despair (b) compassion and anger (c) hatred and defeat (d) disappointment and disbelief 3. Identify words and expressions which describe the morning’s atmosphere. 4. The poet compares the swinging body to â€Å"a black apostrophe to pain†, most likely because â€Å"the swung body† (a) resembled an apostrophe mark. (b) was prominently positioned as a mark symbolizing pain. c) was at the heart of two elements. (d) was the cause of much agony and pain. This is a free publication and not intended for resale Understanding and Appreciating Poetry 5. Explain the meaning of each of the following expressions: (a) punctuate our island tale (b) brutal sentences (c) anger pauses till they pass away 6. Do you think that the title of the poem is appropriate? Give a reason to support your answer. 7. Which of the following best expresses the theme of the poem? (a) a sorrowful tale (b) man’s inhumanity to man (c) victory and defeat (d) a blot on our history 8.What is the mood experienced throughout the poem? 11 Dreaming Black Boy In the poem ‘Dreaming Black Boy’, the boy expresses his thoughts and emotions in abstract images. He dreams and wishes for the rights that should be accorded to all human beings – recognition and love, and the freedom of movement and speech. These images appeal to the emotions and the reader empathizes with the boy who is being denied these rights. The poem is written in blank verse. This makes the tone of the poem conversational. 1. What is the theme of the poem? (a) disappointment (b) relationships (c) alienation (d) injustice . Why do you think the â€Å"black boy† has dreams and wishes? 3. What does the boy wish according to stanza one (1) of the poem? (a) opportunity to compete (b) recognition and warmth This is a free publication and not intended for resale 12 Understanding and Appreciating Poetry (c) freedom to play (d) to forget his ancestors 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. Why does the boy wish for an opportunity to be educated? Identify two pieces of evidence which show the boy’s feeling of rejection. Identify the lines in which the boy feels that his freedom of movement and speech have been suppressed.Who are the â€Å"torch throwers† and the â€Å"plotters in pyjamas† alluded to in stanza four (4)? What do you think is the tone of the poem? (a) What terrible burden does the boy suffer? (b) What is his attitude to suffering? Theme for English B In the poem â€Å"Theme for English B† the poet deals with a student’s feeling of frustration and disappointment in the society. The thoughts which he expresses on the â€Å"page† echo the issues that confront him in an environment of whites. The mind of the student is confused. Though he was born and bred in a society of white people, and educated in a school among whites, yet he feels a sense of alienation.In the page that he writes, he is justifying his right to acceptance and equality, on the basis that all people share a common natural heritage of instincts, emotions and tastes. He firmly believes that each race impacts on the other and learns from each other. Perhaps he is questioning whether discrimination should give way to harmony among the races. 1. What does the word â€Å"true† in line four (4) -â€Å"Then, it will be trueâ₠¬ , imply? (a) authenticity 2. (b) reality (c) credibility (d) integrity Identify the aspects of the student’s life which seem to make the assignment difficult. This is a free publication and not intended for resaleUnderstanding and Appreciating Poetry 3. The student’s page would be based on (a) life at the college (b) his instincts and emotions (c) a resolution of the conflicts in his mind (d) the Harlem experience 4. What does the student wish to say by listing the things he likes? 5. What makes the student and the instructor part of each other? 6. According to the student’s page, which of the following statements are True? (a) The page on which the student writes is coloured. (b) Feelings, natural instincts and tastes are manifested by all people. (c) Sometimes whites and coloured cannot tolerate each other. d) All people are not born equal. (e) Each race impacts on the other and learns from each other. 7. Which words best describe the character of the stude nt? impulsive, rational, obstinate, compromising, intelligent, outspoken, unbalanced. The poem is written in Blank Verse form. What does this lend to the style and tone of the poem? 13 8. Test Match Sabina Park 1. What is the theme of the poem? (a) Fall from glory (b) An exciting cricket match (c) Reflections of a spectator (d) Failed batsmen 2. Which line in the poem tells that the crowd lacked the spirited response to the match? 3. The speaker is critical of the English batting.This is a free publication and not intended for resale 14 Understanding and Appreciating Poetry Quote the lines in support of the criticism. 4. Why is the poet’s rationale for a dull game not convincing even to himself? 5. What is the â€Å"tarnished rosette† which the writer mentions in the last stanza? Why is it tarnished? 6. The tone of the poem is (a) sarcastic (b) formal (c) conversational (d) harsh 7. What does the native language of the folk lend to the poem? 8. In this poem you hear tw o voices. Whose voices are they? 9. What is meant by the line â€Å"Proudly wearing the rosette of my skin†? 0. What insights do you get of the relationship between the English and the native folk from the expression, â€Å"Eh white bwoy†? Ol’ Higue and Le Loupgarou Many stories of strange supernatural characters derive from the cultural tradition of the folk. These characters form an important part of the folklore brought by the Africans to the West Indies. Some of these have been preserved in narratives and poems. The character to which this poem ‘Ol’ Higue’ alludes is the ‘Soucouyant’ whose mission is to draw blood from human beings. Read the poem. Discuss the following questions. 1.What image of Ol’ Higue does the poet present in stanza one (1)? 2. What complaint does Ol’ Higue make in stanza one (1)? Quote the expressions which support your answer. This is a free publication and not intended for resale Understa nding and Appreciating Poetry 3. (a) Why would Ol’ Higue be â€Å"Burning like cane fire†? (b) Why does she have to count a thousand grains? 4. Why is the blood of babies attractive to Ol’ Higue? 5. How and when does she perform her â€Å"blood-sucking† task? 6. Give one reason why Ol’ Higue would love women giving birth. 7. Do you consider Ol’ Higue a mysterious character? . What feeling does Ol’ Higue evoke in you as you read the poem? 15 Le loupgarou Read the poem and discuss the following questions based on it. 1. (a) (b) What is the â€Å"curious talk† alluded to in line one (1) of the poem? What does the word â€Å"curious† suggest? 2. Who are the â€Å"greying women†? 3. Why, do you think, Le Brun was â€Å"greeted by slowly shutting jalousies†? 4. Which word describes Le Brun’s dress? 5. What, do you think, is the bargain Le Brun made with the fiends? 6. What was responsible for Le Brunâ€⠄¢s ruin? 7. How did people know that le Brun had changed himself into a dog? 8.What literary device is used in line one(1)? â€Å"A curious tale that threaded through the town†. 9. .How do you feel as you read the last two lines of the poem? You will observe that both poems deal with the supernatural. The Soucouyant is the counterpart of the Le Loupgarou. They both make a pact with the devil to engage in mysterious and fiendish dealings. This is a free publication and not intended for resale 16 Understanding and Appreciating Poetry They both are greedy and are ruined through their greed. They both evoke fear in the people around them. Once upon a Time Read the poem and discuss the questions based on it. . What do you think is the theme of the poem? (a) Behavioural patterns in human relationships. (b) Attitudes of people in a modern age. (c) Loss of culture founded on love, sincerity and goodwill. (d) How people lived long ago. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. What difference is there in how p eople laughed long ago and how they laugh now? Give one piece of evidence that shows how people deceive others. Why, do you think, that the poet wears different faces in different contexts? Provide evidence to show that the poet is influenced by the behaviour and attitudes of the new age. Does the poet like the changes in behaviour?Give reasons to support your answer. 7. Which of the following best expresses the mood of the poet? (a) melancholy (b) disappointment (c) anger (d) reflection 8. 9. What can you infer about the character of the poet? Which of the following lessons can one learn from this poem? (a) Pattern your lives to please others (b) Appearances are often deceptive This is a free publication and not intended for resale Understanding and Appreciating Poetry (c) Values should change to suit modern living. (d) Be yourself at all times. (e) Honesty, love and consideration should guide your actions. 7 Forgive my Guilt 1. What is the theme of the poem? a) An accident b) A pl ea for forgiveness c) Two injured birds d) A confused mind 2. 3. 4. 5. What incident is the poet recalling? Where and when did the incident take place? Identify two contrasting images of the birds, before and after the incident occurred. Select images that appeal to the sense of (a) sight (b) sound Explain each and say whether it is appropriate or not. 6. Identify two similes in the poem. Explain each and say whether it is appropriate or not. 7. 8. 9. What mood does the poem evoke in the reader?What are your feelings towards the poet? State the qualities of the poet which you discern in the poem. To An Athlete Dying Young 1. 2. What is the theme of the poem? What is the intention of the poet? This is a free publication and not intended for resale 18 Understanding and Appreciating Poetry 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. Find two expressions in stanza one (1) which indicate the spectator’s response to the athlete’s victory. What does the line â€Å"Townsman of a stiller town† sugge st about the athlete? Quote two expressions in stanza three (3) which show the poet’s view on â€Å"glory and laurels†.Why would â€Å"silence† and â€Å"cheers sound the same to the dying athlete? Write T next to the statements that are true. By dying young the athlete’s glory a. died with him. b. is unchallenged on the field. c. does not gain wide acclaim. d. is not worn down by time. e. is suppressed by other runners. 8. The poem best exemplifies a. reflections on the transience of fame and glory. b. a tribute on the demise of a young successful athlete. c. ovation on the victory of a young adult. d. thoughts on life after death. It is the Constant Image of Your Face In this poem, the poet experiences a deep feeling of guilt and remorse.The poet has framed an image of his beloved whose face is constantly before him, while he is engrossed in a world of his own; a world in which thoughts are like knives, hurling accusations at him. These accusations cut deeply into the poet’s consciousness and remind him of his treachery to his native country. Apparently, the poet has left his native home, having been captivated by the beauty and assurances of his beloved. However, deep in his heart he knows that no other love can lay claim to his loyalty but his homeland which is above This is a free publication and not intended for resaleUnderstanding and Appreciating Poetry all other loves. Feelings of remorse and guilt plague the thoughts of the poet. To him, leaving his country is like an act of treason and treachery. Although he prizes his beloved, he pleads for forgiveness from his country whose tenderness matches or surpasses that of the beloved. 1. What do you think is the theme of the poem? (a) The guilt and remorse of a poet (b) Alienation from one’s own country (c) The poet’s love and loyalty for his native country 2. Describe the mood which the poet experiences throughout the poem. Give suitable quotations in supp ort of your answer. a) Select one image in the poem. (b) To which sense does it appeal? (c) Explain its importance in the poem. 4. (a) What is the meaning of â€Å"my world of knives†? (b) What effect does this world have on the poet? 5. 6. Quote two expressions which show that the poet’s love for his country surpasses all other loves. What qualities of the poet’s character are revealed in the poem? 19 3. West Indies, U. S. A. In this poem, the poet records his impressions of the Islands from a view, thirty thousand feet above. He sees some of the islands as more prominent than others.Some are more culturally and economically developed as can be seen in his impression of Puerto Rico, with â€Å"silver linings in the clouds† and the glitter of San Juan. But to him, each country has its own distinctive features and characteristics, which are highlighted at its terminal. Against these islands, the poet sees the influence of the United States on Puerto Rico: he sees Puerto Rico as a representation of the United States – â€Å"America’s backyard†. Stringent laws are enforced at its terminal to prevent passengers This is a free publication and not intended for resale 20Understanding and Appreciating Poetry from entering without legal documentation. The fear of foreigners who sneak into the island and tarnish the image of the land is well noted by the poet. He notes the influence of American culture and lifestyle in Puerto Rico. The glitter of the cities pulsating with life is well captured in the â€Å"polished Cadillacs† and â€Å"Micro chips†. 1. What is the theme of the poem? 2. (a) Select the simile in the first two lines of the poem. (b) Explain why the poet makes the comparison, (c) Do you find it interesting and original? Why? 3. What is the distinctive feature of each of the following terminals? a) Port au Prince (b) Piarco (c) Vere Bird 4. Why are all passengers other than those embarking at San Juan, required to stay on the plane? 5. What do you think is â€Å"that vaunted sanctuary†? Why is it considered a vaunted sanctuary? 6. Select three pieces of evidence which show America’s influence on the lifestyle of Puerto Rico. 7. What do you think is the mood of the poem? 8. What is the tone of the poet? Composed Upon Westminster Bridge The poet records his impressions of the scene at early dawn when no mechanized activity is going on and the air is clean and devoid of smoke.He is touched by the beauty and splendour of the city. Only those whose souls are dull would not be touched by the awe-inspiring scene; the greatness is majestic. All objects natural or otherwise are now visible because of the glitter of the morning sun which spreads over the landscape. Never before has the poet witnessed such beauty which the splendour of the sun radiates over valley, rock or hills. Not only is the beauty enchanting, but also the peace and calm which the scene has on the mi nd of the poet: In such an atmosphere even the houses seem asleep and all is still.In the scene there is no activity. The air is smokeless because the truckers have This is a free publication and not intended for resale Understanding and Appreciating Poetry not started to pour their emissions into the atmosphere. The poet is deeply impressed and stunned at the calm and beauty of the morning. His exclamation, â€Å"Dear God! † tells us that his response has reached spiritual and divine dimension. 21 1. What is the theme of the poem? 2. Where and when is the experience taking place? 3. What is the mood of the poet? 4. Select the figure of speech in the first five lines of the poem.With what does the poet compare the city? 5. Why is the air smokeless? 6. Select lines which show that there is an absence of noise in the scene. 7. What does the poet mean by â€Å"the very houses seem asleep†? 8. From the poet’s impressions of the scene, what can you tell of his charac ter? 9. Do you like the poem? Give reasons to support your answer. A Contemplation Upon Flowers The poet sees in the flowers a calm and willing acceptance of death – brave and harmless, humble and modest, the flowers are born of the earth and to the earth they return with no resistance.Unlike the poet, the flowers subject themselves to the natural order and pattern of the universe. They bloom in a particular season and then fall to earth. The poet wishes his life to be perpetually in spring for he fears the winter, the harbinger of death. His pride, vanity and fear make him unwilling to succumb to death. However, the poet longs to be like the flowers, to smile and look cheerfully at death. He needs to accept death without fear and to make peace with the inevitable. The wreaths of flowers brighten and sweeten the atmosphere in times of death.The poet wishes to be like the flowers, that his breath will sweeten and perfume his death. Enslaved by pride, vanity and fear, the poet struggles to come to terms with the experience of death. This is a free publication and not intended for resale 22 Understanding and Appreciating Poetry The poet represents humanity in his fear of death. The flowers represent Nature and its willing acceptance of death. 1. What do you think is the theme of the poem? 1. Select the qualities in the flowers that the poet admires. 3. What does the expression â€Å"that I could gallant it like you† mean? . â€Å"Embroidered garments† suggest (a) the flowers are very beautiful (b) even the most beautiful are subject to death (c) Nature produces colorful things (d) the petals of the flowers are adorned with a pattern 5. Why does the poet wish his life would be always spring? 6. What two lessons can the flowers teach the poet? 7. What makes it difficult for the poet to accept death? 8. The word which best describes the mood of the poet is (a) joyful (b) sorrowful (c) pensive (d) angry This is a free publication and not intended for resale

Bag of Bones CHAPTER TWO

I never suffered from writer's block during the ten years of my marriage, and did not suffer it immediately after Johanna's death. I was in fact so unfamiliar with the condition that it had pretty well set in before I knew anything out of the ordinary was going on. I think this was because in my heart I believed that such conditions only affected ‘literary† types of the sort who are discussed, deconstructed, and sometimes dismissed in the New York Review of Books. My writing career and my marriage covered almost exactly the same span. I finished the first draft of my first novel, Being Two, not long after Jo and I became officially engaged (I popped an opal ring on the third finger of her left hand, a hundred and ten bucks at Day's Jewellers, and quite a bit more than I could afford at the time . . . but Johanna seemed utterly thrilled with it), and I finished my last novel, All the Way from the Top, about a month after she was declared dead. This was the one about the psychotic killer with the love of high places. It was published in the fall of 1995. I have published other novels since then a paradox I can explain but I don't think there'll be a Michael Noonan novel on any list in the foreseeable future. I know what writer's block is now, all right. I know more about it than I ever wanted to. When I hesitantly showed Jo the first draft of Being Two, she read it in one evening, curled up in her favorite chair, wearing nothing but panties and a tee-shirt with the Maine black bear on the front, drinking glass after glass of iced tea. I went out to the garage (we were renting a house in Bangor with another couple on as shaky financial ground as we were. . and no, Jo and I weren't quite married at that point, although as far as I know, that opal ring never left her finger) and puttered aimlessly, feeling like a guy in a New Yorker cartoon one of those about funny fellows in the delivery waiting room. As I remember, I fucked up a so-simple-a-child-can-do-it birdhouse kit and almost cut off the index finger of my left hand. Every twenty minutes or so I'd go back inside and peek at Jo. If she noticed, she gave no sign. I took that as hopeful. I was sitting on the back stoop, looking up at the stars and smoking, when she came out, sat down beside me, and put her hand on the back of my neck. ‘Well?' I said. ‘It's good,' she said. ‘Now why don't you come inside and do me?' And before I could answer, the panties she had been wearing dropped in my lap in a little whisper of nylon. Afterward, lying in bed and eating oranges (a vice we later outgrew), I asked her: ‘Good as in publishable?' ‘Well,' she said, ‘I don't know anything about the glamorous world of publishing, but I've been reading for pleasure all my life Curious George was my first love, if you want to know ‘ ‘I don't.' She leaned over and popped an orange segment into my mouth, her breast warm and provocative against my arm. ‘ and I read this with great pleasure. My prediction is that your career as a reporter for the Derry News is never going to survive its rookie stage. I think I'm going to be a novelist's wife.' Her words thrilled me actually brought goosebumps out on my arms. No, she didn't know anything about the glamorous world of publishing, but if she believed, I believed . . . and belief turned out to be the right course. I got an agent through my old creative-writing teacher (who read my novel and damned it with faint praise, seeing its commercial qualities as a kind of heresy, I think), and the agent sold Being Two to Random House, the first publisher to see it. Jo was right about my career as a reporter, as well. I spent four months covering flower shows, drag races, and bean suppers at about a hundred a week before my first check from Random House came in $27,000, after the agent's commission had been deducted. I wasn't in the newsroom long enough to get even that first minor bump in salary, but they had a going-away party for me just the same. At Jack's Pub, this was, now that I think of it. There was a banner hung over the tables in the back room which said GOOD LUCK MIKE WRITE ON! Later, when we got home, Johanna said that if envy was acid, there would have been nothing left of me but my belt-buckle and three teeth. Later, in bed with the lights out the last orange eaten and the last cigarette shared I said, ‘No one's ever going to confuse it with Look Homeward, Angel, are they?' My book, I meant. She knew it, just as she knew I had been fairly depressed by my old creative-writing teacher's response to Two. ‘You aren't going to pull a lot of frustrated-artist crap on me, are you?' she asked, getting up on one elbow. ‘If you are, I wish you'd tell me now, so I can pick up one of those do-it-yourself divorce kits first thing in the morning.' I was amused, but also a little hurt. ‘Did you see that first press release from Random House?' I knew she had. ‘They're just about calling me V. C. Andrews with a prick, for God's sake.' ‘Well,' she said, lightly grabbing the object in question, ‘you do have a prick. As far as what they're calling you . . . Mike, when I was in third grade, Patty Banning used to call me a booger-hooker. But I wasn't.' ‘Perception is everything.' ‘Bullshit.' She was still holding my dick and now gave it a formidable squeeze that hurt a little and felt absolutely wonderful at the same time. That crazy old trouser mouse never really cared what it got in those days, as long as there was a lot of it. ‘Happiness is everything. Are you happy when you write, Mike?' ‘Sure.' It was what she knew, anyway. ‘And does your conscience bother you when you write?' ‘When I write, there's nothing I'd rather do except this,' I said, and rolled on top of her. ‘Oh dear,' she said in that prissy little voice that always cracked me up. ‘There's a penis between us.' And as we made love, I realized a wonderful thing or two: that she had meant it when she said she really liked my book (hell, I'd known she liked it just from the way she sat in the wing chair reading it, with a lock of hair falling over her brow and her bare legs tucked beneath her), and that I didn't need to be ashamed of what I had written . . . not in her eyes, at least. And one other wonderful thing: her perception, joined with my own to make the true binocular vision nothing but marriage allows, was the only perception that mattered. Thank God she was a Maugham fan. I was V. C. Andrews with a prick for ten years . . . fourteen, if you add in the post-Johanna years. The first five were with Random; then my agent got a huge offer from Putnam and I jumped. You've seen my name on a lot of bestseller lists . . . if, that is, your Sunday paper carries a list that goes up to fifteen instead of just listing the top ten. I was never a Clancy, Ludlum, or Grisham, but I moved a fair number of hardcovers (V. C. Andrews never did, Harold Oblowski, my agent, told me once; the lady was pretty much a paperback phenomenon) and once got as high as number five on the Times list . . . that was with my second book, The Red-Shirt Man. Ironically, one of the books that kept me from going higher was Steel Machine, by Thad Beaumont (writing as George Stark). The Beaumonts had a summer place in Castle Rock back in those days, not even fifty miles south of our place on Dark Score Lake. Thad's dead now. Suicide. I don't know if it had anything to do with writer's block or not. I stood just outside the magic circle of the mega-bestsellers, but I never minded that. We owned two homes by the time I was thirty-one: the lovely old Edwardian in Derry and, in western Maine, a lakeside log home almost big enough to be called a lodge that was Sara Laughs, so called by the locals for nearly a century. And we owned both places free and clear at a time of life when many couples consider themselves lucky just to have fought their way to mortgage approval on a starter home. We were healthy, faithful, and with our fun-bones still fully attached. I wasn't Thomas Wolfe (not even Tom Wolfe or Tobias Wolff), but I was being paid to do what I loved, and there's no gig on earth better than that; it's like a license to steal. I was what midlist fiction used to be in the forties: critically ignored, genre-oriented (in my case the genre was Lovely Young Woman on Her Own Meets Fascinating Stranger), but well compensated and with the kind of shabby acceptance accorded to state-sanctioned whorehouses in Nevada, the feeling seeming to be that some outlet for the baser instincts should be provided and someone had to do That Sort of Thing. I did That Sort of Thing enthusiastically (and sometimes with Jo's enthusiastic connivance, if I came to a particularly problematic plot crossroads), and at some point around the time of George Bush's election, our accountant told us we were millionaires. We weren't rich enough to own a jet (Grisham) or a pro football team (Clancy), but by the standards of Derry, Maine, we were quite rolling in it. We made love thousands of times, saw thousands of movies, read thousands of books (Jo storing hers under her side of the bed at the end of the day, more often than not). And perhaps the greatest blessing was that we never knew how short the time was. More than once I wondered if breaking the ritual is what led to the writer's block. In the daytime, I could dismiss this as supernatural twaddle but at night that was harder to do. At night your thoughts have an unpleasant way of slipping their collars and running free. And if you've spent most of your adult life making fictions, I'm sure those collars are even looser and the dogs less eager to wear them. Was it Shaw or Oscar Wilde who said a writer was a man who had taught his mind to misbehave? And is it really so far-fetched to think that breaking the ritual might have played a part in my sudden and unexpected (unexpected by me, at least) silence? When you make your daily bread in the land of make-believe, the line between what is and what seems to be is much finer. Painters sometimes refuse to paint without wearing a certain hat, and baseball players who are hitting well won't change their socks. The ritual started with the second book, which was the only one I remember being nervous about I suppose I'd absorbed a fair amount of that sophomore-jinx stuff; the idea that one hit might only be a fluke. I remember an American Lit lecturer's once saying that of modern American writers, only Harper Lee had found a foolproof way of avoiding the second-book blues. When I reached the end of The Red-Shirt Man, I stopped just short of finishing. The Edwardian on Benton Street in Derry was still two years in the future at that point, but we had purchased Sara Laughs, the place on Dark Score (not anywhere near as furnished as it later became, and Jo's studio not yet built, but nice), and that's where we were. I pushed back from my typewriter I was still clinging to my old IBM Selectric in those days and went into the kitchen. It was mid-September, most of the summer people were gone, and the crying of the loons on the lake sounded inexpressibly lovely. The sun was going down, and the lake itself had become a still and heatless plate of fire. This is one of the most vivid memories I have, so clear I sometimes feel I could step right into it and live it all again. What things, if any, would I do differently? I sometimes wonder about that. Early that evening I had put a bottle of Taittinger and two flutes in the fridge. Now I took them out, put them on a tin tray that was usually employed to transport pitchers of iced tea or Kool-Aid from the kitchen to the deck, and carried it before me into the living room. Johanna was deep in her ratty old easy chair, reading a book (not Maugham that night but William Denbrough, one of her contemporary favorites). ‘Ooo,' she said, looking up and marking her place. ‘Champagne, what's the occasion?' As if, you understand, she didn't know. ‘I'm done,' I said. ‘Mon livre est tout fini.' ‘Well,' she said, smiling and taking one of the flutes as I bent down to her with the tray, ‘then that's all right, isn't it?' I realize now that the essence of the ritual the part that was alive and powerful, like the one true magic word in a mouthful of gibberish was that phrase. We almost always had champagne, and she almost always came into the office with me afterward for the other thing, but not always. Once, five years or so before she died, she was in Ireland, vacationing with a girlfriend, when I finished a book. I drank the champagne by myself that time, and entered the last line by myself as well (by then I was using a Macintosh which did a billion different things and which I used for only one) and never lost a minute's sleep over it. But I called her at the inn where she and her friend Bryn were staying; I told her I had finished, and listened as she said the words I'd called to hear words that slipped into an Irish telephone line, travelled to a microwave transmitter, rose like a prayer to some satellite, and then came back down to my ear: ‘Well, then that's all right, isn't it?' This custom began, as I say, after the second book. When we'd each had a glass of champagne and a refill, I took her into the office, where a single sheet of paper still stuck out of my forest-green Selectric. On the lake, one last loon cried down dark, that call that always sounds to me like something rusty turning slowly in the wind. ‘I thought you said you were done,' she said. ‘Everything but the last line,' I said. ‘The book, such as it is, is dedicated to you, and I want you to put down the last bit.' She didn't laugh or protest or get gushy, just looked at me to see if I really meant it. I nodded that I did, and she sat in my chair. She had been swimming earlier, and her hair was pulled back and threaded through a white elastic thing. It was wet, and two shades darker red than usual. I touched it. It was like touching damp silk. ‘Paragraph indent?' she asked, as seriously as a girl from the steno pool about to take dictation from the big boss. ‘No,' I said, ‘this continues.' And then I spoke the line I'd been holding in my head ever since I got up to pour the champagne.'†He slipped the chain over her head, and then the two of them walked down the steps to where the car was parked.†' She typed it, then looked around and up at me expectantly. ‘That's it,' I said. ‘You can write The End, I guess.' Jo hit the RETURN button twice, centered the carriage, and typed The End under the last line of prose, the IBM's Courier type ball (my favorite) spinning out the letters in their obedient dance. ‘What's the chain he slips over her head?' she asked me. ‘You'll have to read the book to find out.' With her sitting in my desk chair and me standing beside her, she was in perfect position to put her face where she did. When she spoke, her lips moved against the most sensitive part of me. There were a pair of cotton shorts between us and that was all. ‘Ve haff vays off making you talk,' she said. ‘I'll just bet you do,' I said. I at least made a stab at the ritual on the day I finished All the Way from the Top. It felt hollow, form from which the magical substance had departed, but I'd expected that. I didn't do it out of superstition but out of respect and love. A kind of memorial, if you will. Or, if you will, Johanna's real funeral service, finally taking place a month after she was in the ground. It was the last third of September, and still hot the hottest late summer I can remember. All during that final sad push on the book, I kept thinking how much I missed her . . . but that never slowed me down. And here's something else: hot as it was in Derry, so hot I usually worked in nothing but a pair of boxer shorts, I never once thought of going to our place at the lake. It was as if my memory of Sara Laughs had been entirely wiped from my mind. Perhaps that was because by the time I finished Top, that truth was finally sinking in. She wasn't just in Ireland this time. My office at the lake is tiny, but has a view. The office in Derry is long, book-lined, and windowless. On this particular evening, the overhead fans there are three of them were on and paddling at the soupy air. I came in dressed in shorts, a tee-shirt, and rubber thong sandals, carrying a tin Coke tray with the bottle of champagne and the two chilled glasses on it. At the far end of that railroad-car room, under an eave so steep I'd had to almost crouch so as not to bang my head when I got up (over the years I'd also had to withstand Jo's protests that I'd picked the absolute worst place in the room for a workstation), the screen of my Macintosh glowed with words. I thought I was probably inviting another storm of grief -maybe the worst storm but I went ahead anyway . . . and our emotions always surprise us, don't they? There was no weeping and wailing that night; I guess all that was out of my system. Instead there was a deep and wretched sense of loss the empty chair where she used to like to sit and read, the empty table where she would always set her glass too close to the edge. I poured a glass of champagne, let the foam settle, then picked it up. ‘I'm done, Jo,' I said as I sat there beneath the paddling fans. ‘So that's all right, isn't it?' There was no response. In light of all that came later, I think that's worth repeating there was no response. I didn't sense, as I later did, that I was not alone in a room which appeared empty. I drank the champagne, put the glass back on the Coke tray, then filled the other one. I took it over to the Mac and sat down where Johanna would have been sitting, if not for everyone's favorite loving God. No weeping and wailing, but my eyes prickled with tears. The words on the screen were these: today wasn't so bad, she supposed. She crossed the grass to her car, and laughed when she saw the white square of paper under the windshield. Cam Delancey, who refused to be discouraged, or to take no for an answer, had invited her to another of his Thursday-night wine-tasting parties. She took the paper, started to tear it up, then changed her mind and stuck it in the hip pocket of her jeans, instead. ‘No paragraph indent,' I said, ‘this continues.' Then I keyboarded the line I'd been holding in my head ever since I got up to get the champagne. There was a whole world out there; Cam Delancey's wine-tasting was as good a place to start as any. I stopped, looking at the little flashing cursor. The tears were still prickling at the corners of my eyes, but I repeat that there were no cold drafts around my ankles, no spectral fingers at the nape of my neck. I hit RETURN twice. I clicked on CENTER. I typed The End below the last line of prose, and then I toasted the screen with what should have been Jo's glass of champagne. ‘Here's to you, babe,' I said. ‘I wish you were here. I miss you like hell.' My voice wavered a little on that last word, but didn't break. I drank the Taittinger, saved my final line of copy, transferred the whole works to floppy disks, then backed them up. And except for notes, grocery lists, and checks, that was the last writing I did for four years.