Different Attitudes of the First World War as Expressed in Poems by Var

When war first broke out in 1914 the general attitude towards it was patriotism. Many young men grabbed the chance to fight for their country and show the women their braveness, they thought they would come back heroes, however they did not know what happened beyond the cheerful and brave faces seen in the news papers and the blissful time the soldiers had in their letters home. This made many more men go to war. Things gradually changed, death, disease, mud, it had suddenly hit that to fight for your country was not such an honour. Soldiers firstly began to write poetry because poetry was the most important mode of expression for those who were shocked and disillusioned by the realities of the First World War. I will be discussing five poems written by well-known war poets such as: ‘The Soldier’ by Rupert Brooke, ‘Into Battle’ by Julian Grenfell, ‘Dulce et decorum est’ by Wilfred Owen, ‘Base Details’ by Siegfried Sassoon and ‘Anthem for Doomed Youth’ by Wilfred Owen. Julian Grenfell had many years of editing before becoming a distinguished war poet in his local newspaper. But he had always had his heart set on being part of the military. He was awarded the Distinguished Service Order in 1914. A year later, 1915, he was wounded in the head during battle and died later in hospital of shrapnel in the skull. Grenfell had always praised war saying in letters home â€Å" I adore war†¦it is like a big picnic, its all the best fun one ever dreamed of.† ‘Into Battle’ is a positive poem in which war is glorified. Rupert Brooke’s war experience consisted of one day of limited military action with the Hood Battalion during the evacuation of Antwerp. He never fought in the war as he died on Easter Sunday 1915 aged 28 from blood p... ...many to die but are given not burial, they just lie under rubble from buildings and their own skin serves as their pall? The â€Å"drawing down of blinds† could be the eyes that are shut in mourning, or the eyes that are shut as they die or it could even signify the blinds being drawn at night where a person kneels down to pray for those at war. There is either a positive or a negative attitude in war, there is no poet that will write both kinds of poems during the same time, there is always change in view as the time and the battle draws on. In most poems there is a definite sadness, the horrific images described and the loneliness and feeling of detachment from the world or the patriotism and honour to fight for one’s country. There are so many attitudes to war because people feel there are certain reasons for it, it also depends on what part you play in the war.

History of West Point Essay

In 1778 George Washington, for whom West Point was always a crucial strategic position in the United States, appointed Kosciuszko as a chief designer of its first fundamental fortifications to which he moved his headquarters the following year. In 1802, President Jefferson officially opened the United States Military Academy at West Point. Under the superintendence of Colonel Thayer (1817-1833) who was also called the â€Å"father of the Military Academy†, higher academic standards were set and a great emphasis was put on military discipline and code of conduct. Civil engineering became the fundamental subject on the curriculum at West Point and for many years its graduates were the nation’s major constructors of the first bridges, roads, railway lines, etc in the USA (A Brief History of the Academy). During the American Civil War, both warring sides, the South and the North, were headed mainly by West Pointers, such as Grant, Sherman, Jackson, Lee, Sheridan, and others. West Point graduates also distinguished themselves in Europe during World War I. After the war, the academic curriculum at West Point was gradually diversified and enormous efforts were made to improve various physical fitness programs (A Brief History of the Academy). Among the most prominent West Pointers that distinguished themselves in World War II were military leaders such as Eisenhower, Bradley, MacArthur, Wainwright, Patton, Clark, Stilwell, and others. In the postwar period, the curriculum at West Point was broadened again and included science and technology. In 1964, the Corps of Cadets was increased from 2,529 to 4,417 resulting in the appearance of new facilities. The enrollment of women at West Point began in 1976 and each class now has approximately fifteen percent of female cadets. At present, the West Point Military Academy comprises over 4,000 cadets and every year it graduates over 900 officers (A Brief History of the Academy). â€Å"Page # 2† Code of conduct at West Point At West Point every cadet adheres to an ethical code of conduct called the Cadet Honor Code whose golden rule states: â€Å"A cadet will not lie, cheat, or steal, or tolerate those who do†. The Honor Code is a vital and important tradition that was initially formalized in 1922 by Superintendent MacArthur who also established the Cadet Honor Committee. The last part of the golden rule, however, was not included in its original version. In 1970, the code of conduct was revised resulting in the introduction of the â€Å"non-toleration† clause (Jones). The Cadet Honor Code in its present form has no boundaries and sets high standards of ethical behavior not only when cadets are at West Point, but also when they are at home or with friends. Living by the code means that cadets must strive for moral and ethical perfection and must never lie, cheat, steal, nor can they tolerate lying, cheating, or stealing by others. Cadets must be truthful, fair, and respect the rights and property of other people, and also assume responsibility for their actions. These principles constitute the Spirit of the Code whose goal is the development of leaders of characters. These high standards distinguish the Military Academy at West Point as well as its graduates from any other institution and students. For Cadets, they are fundamental principles of life, not just prohibitions (Jones). At the Academy, there is a democratic system of responding to any violation of the Cadet Honor Code. West Pointers are responsible for running the Honor System, convening Honor Investigations and Hearings of particular cases. The Cadet Honor Board consisting of six members gathers and evaluates the evidence to decide whether a Cadet is guilty of violation of the Honor Code. In case a cadet is found guilty of violation of any aspect of the code, Board members inform the Superintendent of his status who then decides what will happen to that cadet. In most cases, â€Å"dismissal† is the standard verdict but the cadet may also be given another chance to live honorably in the future (Jones). â€Å"Page # 3† Cadet life and religion at West Point A cadet’s life at West Point is very busy. A cadet’s daily schedule includes classes, study, physical education, athletics, military duties, and over hundred extracurricular activities coordinated by the Cadet Activities Office. Many instructors and officers reside at West Point and provide additional help and instruction to the cadets who need it, and also guide many extracurricular activities in which cadets are involved in their free time. These activities include language, aeronautics, astronautics, computer, engineering, athletic, and many other clubs (The West Point Experience). Sports play a very important role in the life of West Pointers developing self-confidence, competitiveness, and self-discipline in cadets. The Academy’s intercollegiate program includes twenty-four sports. In addition, cadets also publish publications such as â€Å"Howitzer†, â€Å"The Pointer†, or â€Å"Bugle Notes†; run the WKDT radio station; and write, produce, and perform plays and music. Extracurricular activities at West Point are viewed as an important aspect of a college community life (The West Point Experience). Religion is another important aspect of community life at West Point. The religious ministry comprising all major faith groups is provided not only for the Corps of Cadets, but also for the West Point staff. While performing the ministry, chaplains in religious communities are often assisted by councils consisting of cadets (Nonstandard Activities of the United States Military Academy). West Point cadets have the opportunity to attend chapel services and practice various religious observances. Cadets can join and regularly participate in chapel choirs, ceremonial rites, discussion groups, Sunday religious school classes run by various religious affiliations whose mission is to contribute to the spiritual and moral development of the West Point community (The West Point Experience). REFERENCES: 1. A Brief History of the Academy. Retrieved May 6, 2008 from the World Wide Web: http://www. usma. edu/history. asp 2. Jones, D. United States Military Academy’s Honor Code and System. Retrieved May 6, 2008 from the World Wide Web: http://www. usma. edu/Cpme/HS_Outreach/HS_Outreach. htm

“Allegory of the Cave” Analysis Essay

The Allegory of the cave is an allegory written by Plato with the purpose to represent the way a philosopher gains knowledge. This allegory is a fictional dialogue between Socrates and Glaucon, where Socrates compares the issues appearance vs. reality, education vs. ignorance. There are two types of knowledge represented in this allegory, the one that is told and expected to be believed and accepted; and the one that is learned by a person’s own experiences through life. The writing is organized in a way in which the author tells a story in a sequence of logical events that makes the reader understand better. It wasn’t really clear for me the way he described the scene metaphorically and it was difficult to visualize the scenario to realize the purpose behind it because of the rarity of it. That’s why I went through it so many times, but once I was able to understand what was going on and where the point was, I could see that the way he explained and the fanciful evidence he used was very strong. Plato writes about Socrates describing a scene where there are chained people in a dark cave. They have been there since their childhood and they can barely move their heads. Behind them, at the distance, there is a blazing fire, and between the fire and the prisoners there is a wall meant for objects to pass. Because of their limited vision (lack of movement), those men can only see their own shadow and the shadow of different sculptures that pass over the wall, which are carried by other men they can’t see. One of those prisoners is released and starts walking around the cave. He is very confused by what he sees but finally he realizes that the shadows are just a representation of what is really there. The prisoner is forced to go out of the cave, his eyes begin to adjust to the sun light, and he can’t look at anything more than shadows. Accustomed to the light, he begins to see other objects like trees, flowers and houses; and he realizes that the perspective he had about the world was completely different from what it really is. Finally the prisoner comes back to the cave to convince the others about the existence of the things he saw. Accustomed to sunlight, he sees blurry shadows, making others laugh, and they would remark that it would have been better, if he had stayed in the cave, and if someone tries to release another prisoner, that person should be caught and put to death. Plato’s main idea is to reflect the different stages and the process  of education, how a philosopher can reach the top and become enlightened. In this allegory the chained men symbolize the most erroneous and ignorant people. The released prisoner who confuses fake objects and the fire with reality, and has not even left the cave, symbolizes those people who feel awkward about the process of knowledge and who are not ready to confront it. The released prisoner that comes out of the cave and tends to return, represents the man accustomed to the error, who doesn’t recognize the truth even when it is in front of him, and is afraid to leave their past views. When he comes out, and he only sees the shadows and the reflections of natural things, those actions symbolize the process of adaptation and preparation. The final process, where he becomes enlightened, is represented when the now ex-prisoner is able to reason the Sun as the cause of all things. Returning to the subject of the types of knowledge, these two ways of thinking referred to by Plato represent two completely different aspects of us. That kind of knowledge where the person’s belief is based on what he/she can see or hear due to his/her lack of education is evident when the people in the cave see the images on the cave wall created by the puppets and figures with the fire and hear the echoes. These people would label things as reality solely because they believe what they are being told. This type of knowledge is based on â€Å"truths† without any type of personal connection. The second type of knowledge, which is based more on learned life experiences, is evident in the released prisoner who discovers the real world through his own experience. Another important point about the allegory is the uses of certain wor ds which have a particular meaning in the story, making the reader push themselves to understand the greater meaning behind his words. Some of those words are shadow, cave, fire, prisoners, voices and light. The word prisoner refers to ourselves, arguing that we are prisoners of our own beliefs. The cave is the virtual prison made by ourselves because of the ignorance behind our minds. The word shadow, represents an illusion of reality, a false vision of the truth, are those false ideas created by the lack of knowledge that people live by in this world. The fire, in my opinion, is what produces the false reality or world of appearances. The voices represent the authority; those things we believe are true just because someone told us, like a teacher in a classroom, the government in a country, your parents at home, etc. Finally  the word light or the Sun, used to represent the ultimate truth, the answers found to those erroneous beliefs that you thought were true. I completely agree with Plato and I think we can apply this logic to many equations we face in life as intelligent, moral and empathetic people. I learned that people see reality as the visible world when reality really is more than the visible world. This text helped to push me along the way because it is directly related with college life, where a successful student is the one who considers that his/her mission is questioning and challenging the authenticity of those things that we believe are true.

My Favorite Childhood Memory essays

My Favorite Childhood Memory essays Childhood is packed with memories of events and activities that have touched their lives. These events have shaped them into the person that they are today. For me, it was attending Vacation Bible School from the time I was in pre-school until I was in the sixth grade. I truly believe that I would be a different person if I did not attend Vacation Bible School as a young child. Vacation Bible School was a week long event, three to hours each night, when children were taught the word of the Lord through songs, lessons, and skits. The program would begin with everyone meeting in the sanctuary and sing bible songs. Then we separated into different groups (depending on their ages) and went off to their classes. Within the classes, I learned the stories of the bible and how they related my lives. Also, I memorized different bible verses, ate snacks, and made crafts that related to the bible story that I learned about. Before we went home for the night, we gathered back in the sanctuary and said a prayer. On the last night, we performed a closing program for their parents. I enjoyed Vacation Bible School, and it became an event that not only I looked forward to all summer, but all year as well. I met new kids, played games, sang songs, and laughed at the adults who performed funny skits. Could I have had any more fun? Even though I had a great time, sometimes there were slow moments. At the time, some of the stories may have been long and boring, but I got a free snack; hence, I always had something to look forward to. Vacation Bible School was a time when I could gather with friends, learn about the Lord, and have a good time; however, at the time I was more interested about being with friends and the snacks than the values and lessons of the Lord. As I grew older, I realized how much Vacation Bible School affected my life. All of the lessons I learned at Vacation Bible School stayed with me. Vacation Bible School gave me a found...

Topics In Gifted Intelligence essays

Topics In Gifted Intelligence essays I found Dr. Webbs discussion of left-brain and right-brain characteristics very interesting. Especially when taken into account with how gifted children are identified. Teachers, group test scores, and grades often identify gifted children. However, many gifted children arent identified in school because they dont seem to fit into the smart kid ideal. Left-brained children are more likely to be identified as gifted because they are planned and structured, solve problems logically and sequentially, and do well on multiple-choice tests. Right-brained students are fluid and spontaneous, solve problems creatively, and prefer open-ended questions. Teachers are more likely to nominate the children that pay attention in class and do well on tests and homework. Since left-brained children often seem to be daydreaming, dont do well on certain tests, and are often disorganized and forget about their homework, they are often overlooked. Another interesting topic in the lecture was async hronous development. Dr. Beljan explained it quite interestingly with his poker analogy. If a child was playing poker and he got a good hand, he will usually smile and give away that he has a good hand, even though his brain may be telling him to stay cool. Common skills that lag behind in development are fine motor skills meaning that the child has trouble with writing, numbers, and pencil grip, and gross motor skills which may cause the child to be clumsy, fall a lot, and do poorly in sports. Asynchronous development can also cause pressured speech, hyper sensitive reactions to stimuli, low frustration to tolerance, and an inability to execute what the minds eye sees. ...

The Case Colomo vs Bonds Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

The Case Colomo vs Bonds - Essay Example Colomo’s mother then called the two students and in the process lectured Fuller for his actions as well as told Victoria to avoid Fuller and made sure she did not walk alone on the campus. Fuller had also threatened Victoria twice which had led to his suspension from the school, and Victoria was assigned an escort. Other methods on campus were used to keep the two separated. Colomo’s mother also brought this point forward claiming that the school had been indifferent when dealing with the first case. Under this, the courts ruled that if the ‘harasser’ acted in a way that makes the ‘harasser’ be denied of the rights to proper education, school management, and the board would have acted indifferently if they had full awareness of the happenings of the case. However, the student had maintained stable grades since the case was based on the victim’s mother believes that the school acted indifferently in solving the matter. The case was thrown out for lack of evidence. The issues in the case were that Victoria’s mother thought that her daughter was being deprived of the educational opportunities she was supposed to have. The case involved sexual harassment on a school campus and the court had to define what defined what sexual harassment was. Rather than there being a decision in the case, it was dismissed. It was added to the rules of the school that this was not â€Å"severe, pervasive and objectively offensive† to an extent that it can constitute a violation of the Title IX of the school rules. The reason that the case was dismissed was that the members of the court there was an act of intentional indifference. It might have been probable that the victim mother acted on her own terms to protect her daughter. According to the law, there is no course of action against the school.

Practitioner Skills for Managers Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Practitioner Skills for Managers - Essay Example The paper presents the experience the manager is going through as one which often occurs. Attempting to get an individual to volunteer in doing a hectic but essential task is often quite difficult. However, the project needs to be completed and make sure that such problems do not occur in future. Thus, we must formulate a solution to the dilemma at hand. Managers need to use dilemmas like the one faced by the manager as learning experiences on how to come up with solutions to a similar problem in future. They can use their past experiences and knowledge to draw lessons to counter problems in a professional manner. The manager needs to be open-minded to new upcoming ideas and approach them with knowledge. Communication and talk are essential in defining a solution to the dilemma situation faced by the manager. In any practice, management involves talking with co-workers and assigning them roles to undertake. Conversations between managers and the junior staff are very vital whether it is being conveyed in a formal or informal way. The most important thing is for guidelines and instructions to be communicated well to employees of an organization. Failure to communicate well in advance can impede operations and undertake of tasks within an organization. There are many ways in which a manager like a manager can use. The style chosen must be taken to achieve best intentions. The communication should serve a purpose that is specific. In this case study, the communication should be towards dilemma solving. Effective communication will enable timely completion of projects. The manager should structure the discussion in a way that it aims at giving solutions that are goal oriented rather than emotional. In the meeting the organization to deliberate on the progress of the project, the manager was particularly emotional and temperamental. Effective communication enables the organization to take advantage of opportunities and to enhance the overall performance of the team. A manager needs to inspire performance through communication with co-workers. It should be able to nurture team expertise and skills and also have a fruitful outcome rather than conflicting. A communication between the manager and the staff ought to be able to ensure employees work in unison so as to come up with appropriate options.