Dylan Thomas, A Refusal To Mourn Analysis

Dylan Thomas, A Refusal To Mourn Analysis Dylan Thomass A Refusal To Mourn The Death, By Fire, Of A Child In London, is a poem about mourning. More specifically, the poems focus is on the speakers predicament of whether or not to mourn Londons Daughter (L 19). A question arises from this predicament. Who is Londons Daughter? Is this a single person, or does she represent a group of people? This poem was published in 1945 at the end of World War Two. This is significant because Thomas was living in London during the Nazi Blitz attacks, which resulted in the deaths of over 20,000 people (Stansky 3). He most likely saw the destruction that resulted from the war firsthand. The poem, then, can be read as a refusal to mourn a singular death. The speaker uses Londons Daughter to represent the many people who died in London during the war. However, it is how the speaker mourns, or his subconscious mourning, that is interesting. By refusing to mourn and questioning his beliefs, the speaker contradicts himself, and demonstrates his in ability to fully register the death of another. At first glance, the reader may think that the speaker is primarily concerned with a childs death. But a closer reading reveals that the speaker is extremely self-centered. The speaker immediately focuses on himself in the poem, rather than describing the child or group of people he is mourning. He is more concerned with his own response to death, rather than the sadness that accompanies death, and the person or persons that have died. In line seven, the speaker says, And I must enter again the round/ Zion of the water bead/ And the synagogue of the ear of corn (LL 7-9). The speaker is resorting to his religious beliefs to find comfort. He refers to a synagogue as a water bead, which could represent a bubble of escape. The speaker finds comfort in this bubble because it gives him meaning regarding death, and it shields him from the unknown. He stuck in his own little world, unable to comprehend this death. But then, he says, Or sow my salt seed / In the least valley of sackcloth to m ourn / (LL 11-12). This is an interesting shift in tone because the first nine lines of the poem portray the speaker as somewhat religious and optimistic. Now the speaker seems angry. Line twelve, least valley of sackcloth to mourn seems to show his lack of confidence in his religion (L 12). He is saying that he will not sow his seed in the valley of remorse, meaning that he is not going to dwell on this singular death. He will not subject himself to mourn. Throughout the poem, we see the speaker questioning his beliefs and his actions. This is not an uncommon response when dealing with loss. People experience a full range of emotions when dealing with death; questioning ones beliefs does not seem out of the ordinary. The speaker, after considering hiding out in his religious bubble, proclaims that he, shall not murder / The mankind of her going with a grave truth (LL 14-15). He is stating that there is no grave truth, and he is not going to keep trying to convince himself that there is an absolute truth. He is saying that to try and impose meaning on her death would be wrong. It would take away from her memory. The speaker does not want to make this death symbolic, Nor blaspheme down the stations of the breath / With any further / Elegy of innocence and youth (LL 16-18). He feels that to glorify death, or overly celebrate it would be disgraceful. The speaker is in denial. At this point in the poem, he seems to lack the capacity to feel for this person. This choice not to mourn seems to be less like a choice as the poem continues. The speakers lacking ability to mourn is demonstrated further when he juxtaposes himself next to the Thames River. He says, Deep with the first dead lies Londons Daughter / à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Secret by the unmourning water / Of the riding Thames (LL 18,22-23). His use of first dead implies that there have been many more, or there will be more deaths. He says that he is not going to spend his time dwelling on this singular casualty when there are so many more deaths to worry about. How could he possibly feel the same emotions for all of the coming deaths? How could he put so much energy and feeling into this one death? He claims that instead of mourning, he will flow like the Thames, ubiquitous and unknowing. He would much rather celebrate life and continuity. However, he contradicts himself yet again, with the final line, After the first death, there is no other (L 24). By stating this truth, he is consciously trying to make sense of death, which seems like an act of mourning. There is a pattern emerging in the poem. The speaker goes back and forth on what he believes to be the truth of the childs death. The speakers fickleness regarding his beliefs takes away from the childs death, and centers the poem on the speaker. From this small sample size, we can draw a conclusion that he does not possess an advanced capacity for mourning. Maybe he can only mourn once, and after that it is only repetition. Humans may not have the ability to fully register the magnitude someone elses pain, and in this case the speaker is only able to understand his own pain and experiences, and therefore is unable to mourn this child. The poem, then, is the speakers account of his desire to mourn, even though he says that he is not going to. The entire poem contradicts itself. The speaker cannot make sense of this death. So instead of trying to mourn, he refuses to, which becomes a subconscious act of mourning.

The Diana Phenomenon Essay -- essays research papers fc

The Diana Phenomenon The sudden death of Diana Princess of Wales at the end of August 1997 sparked off a massive display of emotion in the world, especially in Britain. The event provided the opportunity for the expression of what appeared to be a short-term and superficial, but undoubtedly sincere, manner by a large number of people. â€Å"An emotion felt throughout the countryside was that many people saw themselves in some way connected to this public figure and able to grieve for her as if she were an acquaintance.† (Lambert 54) However, there remained clear borderlines between what the public, who thought they knew her, and the immediate family who did. The Princess’s funeral brought together a gathering of the powerful (English royalty) and the beautiful (Hollywood’s finest), and the poor. More than a million mourners crowded the streets of London to toss flowers upon her casket. Even as it was happening before their eyes, no one could believe it was real. In the days and weeks that followed her death, everyone was trying to figure out what she had meant and why the world was responding to her death with such grief. Was it her flaws, her failures, her struggles with her weight and her self-esteem, and her refusal to be inhibited by them? Was it her good works and the way she touched the common people, the handicapped, drug addicts, and lepers. Could it have been the way she broke away from her failing marriage and reinvented herself as a single mother but still the â€Å"Queen...

Jumping Off a Cliff Essays -- Personal Narrative, Essay About Myself

Jumping Off a Cliff As I inched my way toward the cliff, my legs were shaking uncontrollably. I could feel the coldness of the rock beneath my feet when my toes curled around the edge in one last futile attempt at survival. My heart was racing like a trapped bird, desperate to escape. Gazing down the sheer drop, I nearly fainted; my entire life flashed before my eyes. I could hear stones breaking free and fiercely tumbling down the hillside, plummeting into the dark abyss of the forbidding black water. The trees began to rapidly close in around me in a suffocating clench, and the piercing screams from my friends did little to ease the pain. The cool breeze felt like needles upon my bare skin, leaving a trail of goose bumps. The threatening mountains surrounding me seemed to grow more sinister with each passing moment, I felt myself fighting for air. The hot summer sun began to blacken while misty clouds loomed overhead. Trembling with anxiety, I shut my eyes, murmuring one last pathetic prayer. I gather ed my last breath, hoping it would last a lifetime, took a step back and plun...

Public School vs Private School Essay

Education can be considered one of the most important decisions parents make for their children. Why? Because education lays the foundation to future success in life, I personally understood this concept early on in life. My parents from as far back as I can remember taught me the value of having an education. I can still remember my mom preaching to my younger brother and me about how the only thing an individual cannot take away from another individual is the knowledge gained in this world. Now many years later I find myself in the same position as many parents when it comes to education. I have to make the decision whether or not to send my child to public school or a private institution. How do public schools and private schools compare? And is there much of a difference? Admission standards for public schools and private schools are similar in comparison when it comes to placement testing and reviewing previous transcripts from other institutions. Public schools unlike private schools are required by law to accept individual as long as the individual is attending a school in the district that they live in. Admission to a private school is not regulated by law and is up to the digression of the school administrators and if the requirements were met by the individual. Because private schools are more selective in their admission process parents tend to base part of their decision on the reputation. Private schools of good reputation are challenging to get accepted into because of the prominent level of competition at the admissions level. Curriculum is a major influence on a parent’s decision whether or not to send their child to private or public school. In both private and public schools cover basic subjects such as English, Social Studies, Mathematics, and Science. By law public schools must follow state curriculum standards, which the schools are subject to state standardize academic testing. Whereas private school has much more freedom in their curriculum simply because they are not require to teach only basic subjects and are not subjected to state standardize testing. Private schools do subject the students to test but only based on comprehension and proficiency rather than retention. Since private schools have freedom in their curriculum, the schools have the opportunity to provide specialized courses and independent study to the students. Cost is the deal breaker in the decision on whether or not to send a child to private school or public school. In both public school and private school a financial investment is made in a child. But the best way to cut the cost especially if the affordability of attending private school is out of the question is to send your child to public school. Public Schools are financially supported by the property taxes in the local area alongside funding from state and federal government. Unlike public schools, private schools do not receive support from property taxes. The way private schools receive funding is through fundraising, the tuition from the student body, and in some cases partial government funding. Because of the lack of state and federal assistance the average tuition cost in the United States according to the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS) is roughly $17,000 to $50,000 a year. To offset the high cost of tuition parents should seek out financial aid, financi ng, and payment plans with the private institution. The decision to place a child into a public school or a private school is not a decision that should be made overnight there is a lot to consider, most importantly the child. As a parent it is imperative to re-evaluate the child before placing the child in school because the child has to be placed in a school that is the right fit. Placing a child that thrives in a smaller group setting or enjoys one on one time I would personally consider private school as an option. If the child enjoys a larger group setting placing the child in public school will be right fit too. Overall the affordability of public school is more reasonable and the flexibility of curriculum of a private school is things can be negotiated when making the final decision. As a parent I know that the child best interest is always in the forefront whether I decide on a public school or private school.

Stefan’s Diaries: Origins Chapter 21

The next morning, Damon left with the brief explanation that he was helping the militia at the camp. I wasn't sure I believed his excuse, but the house was decidedly more peaceful in his absence. Katherine came over each night to play cribbage with Father. Occasionally I'd join her as a two-against-one team. While playing, Katherine would tell Father stories from her past: about her father's shipping business; about her Italian mother; about Wheat, the Scottish terrier she'd had as a girl. I wondered if any of them were true, or if it was Katherine's plan to act as a modern- day Scheherazade, spinning stories that would eventually persuade Father to spare her. Katherine would always make a show of going back to the carriage house, and it was agony waiting for the moment when Father went to bed so that I could follow her. She never talked about her past–or her plans–with me. She didn't tell me how she got her nourishment, and I didn't ask. I didn't want to know. It was far easier to pretend she was just a normal girl. One afternoon, when Father was in town with Robert, discussing business with the Cartwrights, Katherine and I decided to spend an entire day together, instead of a few stolen, dark hours. It was nearing October, but no one would know it from the high temperatures and the daily late- afternoon thunderstorms. I hadn't gone swimming all summer, and I couldn't wait to feel the water of the pond on my skin–and Katherine in my arms in the daylight. I stripped down and jumped in immediately. â€Å"Don't splash!† yelled Katherine. She lifted her simple blue skirt up to her ankles and cautiously stepped toward the edge of the pond. She'd already left her muslin flats beneath the willow tree, and I couldn't stop staring at the delicate white of her ankles. â€Å"Come in! The water's fine!† I yelled, even though my teeth were chattering. Katherine continued to tiptoe toward the edge of the pond until she was standing on the muddy strip between the grass and the water. â€Å"It's dirty.† She wrinkled her nose, shielding her eyes from the sun. â€Å"That's why you have to get in. To wash off all the mud,† I said, using my fingers to flick water toward Katherine. A few droplets landed on the bodice of her dress, and I felt desire course through me. I dunked under the water to cool my head. â€Å"You're not afraid of a little splashing,† I said as I emerged, my hair dripping on my shoulders. â€Å"Or, shall I say, you're not afraid of splashing Stefan?† I felt a little bit ridiculous saying it, because such comments didn't sound nearly as clever on my lips. Still, she did me the favor of laughing. I carefully sidestepped the rocks on the bottom of the pond to walk closer toward her, then flicked more water in her direction. â€Å"No!† Katherine shrieked, but she made no move to run away as I walked out of the pond, grabbed her around the waist, and carried her into the water. â€Å"Stefan! Stop!† she screamed as she clung to my neck. â€Å"At least let me take off my dress!† At that, I immediately let her go. She lifted her hands over her head, allowing me to easily pull off her dress. There she stood in her little white slip. I gaped in amazement. Of course I'd seen her body before, but it had always been in shadows and half-light. Now I saw the sun on her shoulders, and the way her stomach curved inward and I knew, for the millionth time, that I was in love. Katherine dove underwater, reemerging right next to me. â€Å"And now, revenge!† She leaned down and splashed cool water on me with all her might. â€Å"If you weren't so beautiful, I might fight back,† I said, pulling her toward me. I kissed her. â€Å"The neighbors will talk,† murmured Katherine against my lips. â€Å"Let them talk,† I whispered. â€Å"I want everyone to know how much I love you.† Katherine kissed me harder, with more passion than I'd ever felt. I sucked my breath in, feeling so much desire that I stepped away. I loved Katherine so much that it almost hurt; it made it harder to breathe, harder to talk, harder to think. It was as if my desire was a force larger than myself, and I was simultaneously frightened and overjoyed to follow wherever it led me. I took a shaky breath and looked up at the sky. Large thunderclouds had rolled in, obscuring the sky, which had been a pure cerulean just moments before. â€Å"We should go,† I said, heading toward shore. Sure enough, as soon as we stepped onto dry land, a clap of thunder rolled off in the distance. â€Å"The storm came in fast,† Katherine observed as she wrung out her curls. She didn't seem at all self-conscious even though her soaking-wet white slip left nothing to the imagination. Somehow, it seemed almost more illicit and erotic to see her scantily dressed than to see her naked. â€Å"One could think that it was almost a sign that our relationship is not meant to be.† Her voice was teasing, but I felt a shiver of dread go up my spine. â€Å"No,† I said loudly, to reassure myself. â€Å"I'm just teasing you!† Katherine kissed my cheek before leaning down to pick up her dress. As she stole behind the weeping willow tree, I yanked up my breeches and put on my shirt. Katherine emerged from behind the tree a moment later, her cotton dress clinging to her curves, the damp tendrils of her hair sticking to her curves, the damp tendrils of her hair sticking to her back. Her skin had a bluish quality to it. I put my arms around her and rubbed her arms vigorously, trying to warm her up, though I knew that was impossible. â€Å"I have something to tell you,† Katherine said as she tilted her face up to the open sky. â€Å"What?† I asked. â€Å"I would be honored to attend the Founders Ball with you,† she said, and then, before I could kiss her again, she broke from my embrace and ran back to the carriage house.

Alan Bennett on Education in History Boys

In the first half of the play, Bennett is asking the audience to consider what â€Å"education† is. How does his presentation of the characters Hector and Irwin assist with this? It is clear to the audience that, from the start, the play is concerned with education and schooling. There are â€Å"eight boys of seventeen or eighteen† disrobing a man of â€Å"studied eccentricity†; prior to this intimate scene that introduces you to the characters, Irwin is speaking to numerous MPs regarding a political matter and finishes his speech with, â€Å"Back to school.† Hectors thoughts towards education are clearly negative; on page four of the play, he says that A-level are the â€Å"longed for emblems of your conformity†: this quote can be taken as a cynical thing. He believes that the examinations themselves are useless – they do not allow you to have your own mind. You follow what everyone else does, with no substance to the style that you provide in an exam. Irwin, however, believes that â€Å"examinations are a fact of life† and, although he believes that â€Å"[exams] are for now,† he accepts that Hectors knowledge, although presented in an unorthodox manner, is good. He tells the boys to apply Hectors â€Å"gobbets† to help them in an examination. He was hired to add style to their Oxbridge applications, not particularly substance that could affect their being. He teaches them for the now, not for when â€Å"youre old and grey†. Hector insists that â€Å"there is a world elsewhere† of examinations and education for the sake of passing exams: he teaches the boys â€Å"culture† and their shared moments are a â€Å"pact – bread eaten in secret†. Akthar, when they boys are interrogating Irwin, insists that Hectors shared knowledge is â€Å"just the knowledge† Timms follows this up with, â€Å"the pursuit of it for its own sake†. Irwin, on the other end of the spectrum, believes that truth and, consequently, education, â€Å"Whats [that] got to do with it? Whats that got to do with anything?† The boys need flair over the others applying, as they will have done things that the history boys havent. If they can find a way to apply Hectors â€Å"gobbets† to spice up their exam, it should be done. If they truly want a prestigious place at their particular university, then they need to use whatever they have at their disposal in order to achieve it  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ he deems that Hectors knowledge is good for flair. Not for having substance. â€Å"Poetry is good up to a point.† Hector, again, is shown to have a negative opinion of Thatchers educational reform â€Å"Not to say that I dont regard education to be the enemy of education†. He believes that your knowledge, what you learn by heart, will stay with you forever – and that application of this lifelong knowledge in real life should be done in order to acquire more knowledge or share knowledge for the sake of knowledge. By doing this, he partially jeopardises their examinations as he allows his personal feelings to cloud his teaching. However, he believes that his view is the best way; his approach encourages the boys to think outside of the box and, instead of regurgitating facts at a rapid-fire rate, they instead can regurgitate quotes that they understand and can apply to situations, unlike what you have to learn for exams; despite Timms declaration of, â€Å"I dont understand poetry!†, when you truly understand what youre saying, its â€Å"as if a hand has come out, and taken yours†. Hector believes that education is the â€Å"pursuit of knowledge for its own sake†; he doesnt disagree with teaching, he just wants to make the boys â€Å"more rounded human beings† his â€Å"codes, runes† are not to help the boys with their high ambitions, â€Å"forget Oxford and Cambridge†, but to give the boys something personal and that will stay with them no matter what they do or where they go. He believes that his quotations and words are â€Å"making your deathbeds here, boys†. Hector also likes to split his lessons up to be memorable; one lesson he is teaching the subjunctive in French (set in a brothel) and another moment he declares, â€Å"Now for some silly time†. He is playful and breaks the rules. He likes locking the door to his lessons, which is unquestioned by the Headmaster as Hector shows â€Å"commitment†, and Akthar remarks that its â€Å"locked against the future†. Hector is the embodiment of education for the sake of knowledge, while Irwin is the idol of do it now and youll never have to do it again Regardless, both men are happy with themselves to some degree. Despite Hectors molestation of the boys and Irwins lying  about where he got his degree, they are happy – but is it better to be happy when you have so much knowledge bustling in your head, or is it better to be dull for your exams and achieve happiness later on life?

The Response (film) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

The Response (film) - Essay Example The officers see classified evidence in the case; while on the other hand, the detainee does not make any head of the evidence. Further, while the judges have adequate information on the person behind the accusation of the individual, the individual is equally dismayed. According to the American government, releasing such information would undermine the national security of the United States. If through a miracle of science all the leaders and philosophers of the ancient and classical world have convened to advise the Judge Advocates General deciding on the status of their prisoner in the movie, The Response, various elements would play key in this judgement. The verdict would find the suspect innocent, if the evidence provided by the ancient and classical thinkers is anything to go by. While seeking for the verdict of the case, this essay will consider the thoughts of the ancient and classical thinkers, Augustine and Hammurabi. There is no exact distinction between power and law in the control of the society, argues Cheng (4). Differentiating between the two in essence makes little sense, if indeed there is any. If anything, power and law act simultaneously. While law comes through power, as the powerful play a big role in the development of the laws, the enactment of these laws is thus a sign of honor to the laws of the land. Whenever there is the mention of law, people associate it with justice and power. It is impossible to think about law without power. Subsequently, it would be unthinkable if people were to think of law that has no effect in the society. As power seeks to control and run the social world in a proper manner, any obedience of law in itself is a form of obedience to power (Cheng 4). In the past, law came from the powerful people, with adequate influence in the society. They had to be people worth of respect. People who developed law were of high integrity and of unquestionable character. People like Augustine, who came up with