The poem Limbo Essay Example for Free

The poem Limbo Essay The poem Limbo is an extended metaphor for the parallel stories of the slaves journey alongside the limbo dance. Throughout the poem, lines and stanzas can be interpreted in many different ways due to the many meanings of the overall message. The title, Limbo itself has many different meanings. For example, the word stereotypically relates to the dance, made up by the slaves on board the ship in order to stay fit when attached to iron bars, in which the dancer has to go under the stick without touching it in order to stay in the game. The title also means a region on the border between Heaven and Hell, referring to the slaves journey on the ship as, in their eyes, India is Heaven and America is Hell, and they are in the middle of the two, journeying towards Hell. Alternatively, the word means a state of uncertainty or a state of imprisonment or confinement. The slaves were imprisoned on the ship with no means of escape, their future already mapped out in front of them. The poem is set out into 24 loose and rhythmic stanzas of varying lengths, giving the poem a beat as means to giving it backing music which the dance would involve. There are 7 repetitive choruses, making it seem more like a dance. These choruses are presented in italics to represent the echoing of the slaves replies to the guards. A lot of language devices have been applied in Limbo. The word stick is mentioned six times in the poem, and each way can be interpreted differently. In Limbo, the dance, dancers have to take turns going under the constantly lowering stick without touching it. If they touch the stick they face disqualification, running parallel to the fact that many slaves couldnt last the entire journey and were therefore thrown overboard in order to produce space. The stick also represents the whip with which the guards used to hit the innocent slaves with to get them in line. Lastly, this could mean the drumstick, which provides the beat and therefore atmosphere for the dance. Effectively, the poem is written in 1st person, as though Brathwaite was a slave and this is his own personal experience. This adds drama to the whole poem as it is presented as a first hand account and therefore more reliable. As a reader, it also makes us more vulnerable to succumb to this feeling of frustration at the way slaves were treated and what there thoughts and feelings were.

Everyday Use: A Mothers Choice Essay examples -- American Literature

A Mother's Choice In her short story "Everyday Use", author Alice Walker introduces us to a Mother awaiting the visit of her daughter, Dee, who has left her rural upbringing to go away to college. Although we are not told an exact location, the descriptions provided by Miss Walker lead us to believe that the story is set in the very poorest section of the south. Momma narrates this story, and describes to us in her own simple way the dynamics of the family and the conflicts that arise with Dee's homecoming. Momma tells us she is uneducated; "I never had an education. After second grade, the school was closed." She further describes her rough, rural lifestyle. "I can work outside all day, breaking ice to get water for washing...One winter I knocked a bull calf straight in the brain between the eyes with a sledge hammer and had the meat hung up to chill before nightfall." Although seemingly simple and backward, Momma clearly describes the differences between her two daughters, the conflict that comes about with Dee's homecoming and the choices she is forced to make between her two girls. Maggie and Dee are two sisters that are as different as night and day. When Momma talks of Maggie, it is with a sad and gentle reflection of this daughter's lot in life. "Have you ever seen a lame animal, perhaps a dog run over by some careless person rich enough to be kind to him? That is the way my Maggie walks." Momma tells us, however that Dee, "She would always look anyone in the eye. Hesitation was no part of her nature. " Where Dee is pretty and bright, Maggie is scarred and slow. Momma seems more content being in Maggie's presence, having more in common with her than with her daughter Dee. She and Maggie tend the house together, ... ...py and shout." The daughter who has the deeper family values, who understands the true nature of heritage will be getting the quilts. Although Dee tells momma "You just don't understand ... your heritage." it is she who does not understand the significance of what she holds in her hand. By making Momma the narrator, Alice Walker has given us a simple but clear viewpoint. Listening to Momma's voice, we can better understand the background that makes two daughters so opposite. Momma helps us comprehend the confusion and conflict that Dee's arrival back home brings, and how everyone reacts. Through momma's narration, we can follow her thought process as she wrestles with the decision of who should get the quilts. Without Momma, the reader would not feel as intricately involved in the story or identify with the emotions Alice Walker incorporates in "Everyday Use."

Portrait of Mehmet II

The most important aspect one has to consider when looking at the Portrait of Mehmet II is the historical context which represents the key to understanding the work of art in question. It is highly relevant to shift one’s focus from the artistic achievement to the historical background of the last two decades of the 15th century, i.e. the time when the portrait was painted.The 1453 conquest of Constantinople was a cataclysm felt throughout the entire Western world. The Ottoman Empire, now a force everyone feared, had not been assessed at its true power. The giant empire was born in Central Anatolia, but soon expanded and incorporated a myriad of territories and ethnic groups, such as the Greek in Western Anatolia, Arab, Armenian and Kurdish on the shores of the Mediterranean (Melikian, Venetians and Turks: A Mutual Curiosity).The Venetians strongly opposed the expansion of the Ottoman Empire, which threatened the parts of Greece they controlled. Moreover, the demolished church of the Holy Apostles had been the model for their most famous monument, the 11th century masterpiece adorning the heart of Venice, the church of San Marco. Nonetheless, the advance and growth of the Empire continued.The peace agreement of 1479 saw Venice giving up important parts of the Greek territories they controlled, as well as the Albanian city of Shkà ¶der (Scutari in Italian) (Melikian, Venetians and Turks: A Mutual Curiosity). The peace agreement signed by the Ottoman Empire and the Venetian Republic stipulated that â€Å"a good painter† (Metropolitan Museum of Art, http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/cedr/hd_cedr.htm) from Venice be sent to the Sultan’s court to paint a portrait that would be to Mehmet’s liking. This is why, one year later, after careful consideration, the Venetian doges dispatched their best portraitist, Gentile Bellini to Constantinople.A mixture of the East and the West, the Portrait of Mehmet II is an authentic instance of the succes sful meeting of two very different approaches to art. What is truly striking about the portrait is the warm Venetian light surrounding the face of the Sultan, which both lightens up his features, making the painting itself incredibly clear, and also gives the character a certain duality. This ruler-man duality illustrates Mehmet as a simple man, thanks to the clarity of the facial features, but also as an emblem, a precious figure in the history of humanity.This lighting technique is perhaps the best example of how the Renaissance naturalist trend and Oriental art are intertwined in this particular 15th century masterpiece. As far as facial features, the viewer cannot help but notice the nasal structure of the Sultan, an aquiline nose suggesting wisdom and courage, traits of character that are also symbolized by the heavy beard, an ancient symbol of masculinity and maturity.The contrast between the face of the Sultan and the edges of the painting, dominated by dark colors and a redu ced amount of light, is supported by the choice of primary colors as far as the clothing of Mehmet is concerned. The two subtle shades of red that are to be identified in his robe, combined with the large white turban, a symbol of his greatness as a ruler, create a chromatic contrast that pleases the eye and highlights the face of the Sultan.Mehmet II, the Conqueror, seized Constantinople in 1453 putting an end to the Eastern-Christian world of Byzantium. Considered by many historians as â€Å"the late-medieval world's most powerful man† (Jones), Mehmet II was only 19 when he followed his father at the throne of the Ottoman Empire. Because of his young age, the Western world disregarded him and severely underestimated his strength and determination. Nevertheless, in 1453 he summoned his ministers in Adrianople where he expressed his desire to conquer Byzantium (Mehmet II, http://www.theottomans.org/english/family/mehmet2.asp).After a two-month siege, and the refusal of his op ponents to surrender, Mehmet II captured Constantinople. Following his great success, he entered the city accompanied by his chef ministers and rode to St. Sophia. He then kneeled in front of the church and sprinkled a handful of earth over his turban. This gesture would be known as the first step towards the conversion of St. Sophia into the most important mosque of the city (Mehmet II, http://www.theottomans.org/english/family/mehmet2.asp).As far as trade was concerned, the Republic of Venice was the most important player in the Near East, maintaining their good reputation in the area thanks to skilled diplomatic initiatives which were being unrolled on two levels. At the highest level, thanks to their ambassadors, the doges were involved in trade negotiations with Muslim sultans and other officials.These high-rank meetings followed strict proceedings, such as gift exchange. Relevant examples of this practice is the gift of the Venetian envoy Benedetto Sanudo to an emir consisting of fine cloth and Parmesan cheese, as well as the envoy’s present to the Sultan in Cairo – furs, cheese and luxurious textiles. In return, the representatives of the Venetian Republic received gifts ranging from watermelons and chickens, to Chinese porcelain. At a lower level, the Venetian Republic named consuls in the Near East. These were members of the Venetian nobility, elected by the Senate on two-year mandates and in charge of paying tribute to local officials (Metropolitan Museum of Art, http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/cedr/hd_cedr.htm).Despite attempts from the papacy to prohibit trade between Venice and the Near East, the ties between the two parties could not be severed. On the contrary, Venetian officials always fought against such interdictions, and even defied the Pope in order to maintain the east-west trade exchanges (Metropolitan Museum of Art, http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/cedr/hd_cedr.htm). The Portrait of Mehmet II is significant proof of the le ngths that the Venetian state went to in order to ensure peace and good trading relations with the Sultan.Commercial Exchange, Diplomacy, and Religious Difference between Venice and the Islamic World. Metropolitan Museum of Art. April 2007. ;http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/cedr/hd_cedr.htm;Jones, Jonathan. â€Å"The Sultan Mehmet II, attributed to Gentile Bellini (1480)†.The Guardian 26April 2003. April 2007. ;https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2003/apr/26/art;Melikian, Souren. Venetians and Turks: A mutual curiosity. International Herald Tribune 9 June 2006. April 2007. ;https://www.nytimes.com/;The Sultans. The Ottomans. April 2007. ;http://www.theottomans.org/english/family/mehmet2.asp;

The Effects Of Physical Child Abuse On Children Essay

Physical child abuse can cause harmful everlasting effects that many people might not realize. What an abuser may fail to think about is that physical harm to a child’s body not only hurts their exterior but can also lead to extreme mental health issues like depression, uncontrollable anger, as well as anxiety. Children who suffer from physical abuse who never receive any treatment or healthcare during this time may not have as much control over their emotions and impulses compared to non-abused children. Abused children also may not excel in school and battle with their own relationships later in life. There is no mold or stereotype an adult must fit in order to become a child abuser, but there are a lot of potential influencers in a person’s life that may bring them to harm a child. Mental health, surrounding community, the use of drugs or alcohol, levels of stress, and personal experiences can influence a person to become abusive. However, there are ways to fix an ab usive situation, mend relationships, and help a child fight the adverse effects of child abuse. Marriage and family counseling and positive community groups are just two examples of resources families can reach out to in order to fix their broken homes. Being proactive with abusive situations and seeking help from others can mend relationships that were torn apart from physical abuse. Keywords: Physical child abuse, risks, symptoms, long term effects, systems of care, community resources Physical Abuse:Show MoreRelatedThe Effects Of Physical Child Abuse On Children1298 Words   |  6 PagesEffects of Physical Child Abuse Why do folks abuse their child or children? Child abuse includes physical mistreatment and neglect, and happens everywhere throughout the world. These poor little kids are being hit, kicked, poisoned, burned, slapped, or having objects thrown at them. 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