Essay about The Poet by Paul Laurence Dunbar - 494 Words

The Poet by Paul Laurence Dunbar Before we pass on from this world it would be nice if we had left our mark, given our contribution, made our claim in the history of human civilization. Wouldnt it be wonderful to achieve such a goal? Wouldnt it be horrible to have attained that level of recognition and yet be recognized for things you deemed inferior? In the poem The Poet, Paul Laurence Dunbar expresses his remorse at having written superior Standard English literature and yet only be known and praised for his Dialect works. The first way Dunbar achieves this meaning is by his use of language. When Dunbar is talking about standard English poetry he speaks of life, serenely sweet/ With, now and then, a deeper tone (Dunbar†¦show more content†¦He continues to use romantic almost even melodramatic language to bring to mind images of earlier times that were better than the dreary world of his day. In the last lines of the poem the language changes and expresses grief over the fact that the general public only recognizes him for his Dialect works. Dunbar writes But ah, the world, it turned to praise/ A jingle in a broken tongue (Dunbar 7-8). Here he is mocking the Dialect tradition, as he doesnt consider it to be poetry. He refers to it as a jingle, which causes the reader to think of advertisements and selling out. We know that he was talking about the Dialect tradition by his use of the words broken tongue. By calling Dialect tradition a broken tongue, Dunbar is referring to his own feelings that the whites attempt at capturing the African-Americans speech by Dialect tradition is a poor, if not incorrect, representation. Even though not many blacks in the day thought the Dialect tradition illustrated their true speech, they were confined to use what they had. Because that style of writing was so popular at the time, Dunbars Dialect pieces got more notoriety than his standard English; and unfortunately the latter he felt was of higher quality. Another way Dunbar criticizes his inability to escape the brand of a Dialect poet is in the structure of the poem. About three quarters of the poem is Dunbar speaking about his standard English works.Show MoreRelatedAnalysis Of Paul Laurence Dunbar s The Elevator Boy Poet 1654 Words   |  7 Pageswas born. Paul Laurence Dunbar was one of the first African American poets to gain national recognition. (poets) Dunbar graduated high school around the time where racial discrimination was at it’s all time high, so they were not many jobs for the African American race. Due to the lack of occupation Dunbar was forced to be an elevator operator in a Dayton hotel. Although the circumstances were difficult it did not stop Dunbar from succeeding. While working as an elevator operator, Dunbar was ableRead MorePaul Laurence Dunbar1604 Words   |  7 PagesPaul Laurence Dunbar by English 102 August 4, 1995 Outline Thesis: The major accomplishments of Paul Laurence Dunbars life during 1872 to 1938 label him as being an American poet, short story writer, and novelist. I. Introduction II. American poet A. Literary English B. Dialect poet 1. Oak and Ivy 2. Majors and Minors 3. Lyrics of Lowly Life 4. Lyrics of the Hearthside 5. Sympathy III. Short story writer A. Folks from Dixie (1898) B. The Strength of GideonRead MoreAn Interpretation of Paul Laurence Dunbars Poem Sympathy and We Wear the Mask1228 Words   |  5 PagesThroughout African American history, African Americans have used poems as a way of describing the African American condition in America. One poet who was widely known for using poetry to describe the condition of African Americans in America was Paul Laurence Dunbar. Paul Laurence Dunbar was one of the most prolific poets of his time. Paul Laurence Dunbar used vivid, descriptive and symbolic language to portray images in his poetry of the senseless prejudices and racism that African Americans facedRead More ?An Interpretation of Paul Laurence Dunbar?s Poem Sympathy and We Wear the Mask?1194 Words   |  5 Pagesnbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Throughout African American history, African Americans have used poems as a way of describing the African American condition in America. One poet who was widely known for using poetry to describe the condition of African Americans in America was Paul Laurence Dunbar. Paul Laurence Dunbar was one of the most prolific poets of his time. Paul Laurence Dunbar used vivid, descriptive and symbolic language to portray images in his poetry of the senseless prejudices and racism that African Americans facedRead MoreMichael Jackson Sang The Famous Line, If You Wan Na Make The World A Better Place1495 Words   |  6 Pagesfree medium that poets utilize to express their thoughts and emotions. Langston Hughes, Paul Laurence Dunbar, Maya Angelou, and Naomi Shihab Nye’s cultural experiences helped to form their respective views on empathy for others. Although they were not all born at the same time, their diverse upbringings (whether African-American or Middle-Eastern) is what made their lives and work stand apart in eras that made them susceptible to discrimination. All four of these different poets tried to stand upRead MoreAnalysis Of Barbie Doll And We Wear The Mask1147 Words   |  5 Pagesfooled. One is to believe what isn’t true; the other is to refuse to believe what is true.† - Soren Kierkgaard. â€Å"Barbie Doll† by Marge Piercy and â€Å"We Wear The Mask† by Paul Laurence Dunbar are two pieces of poetry that vocalize the issues of ignorance and unrealistic social standards within society. Marge Piercy is a well-known novelist, poet, memoirist and activist. She was born on March 31st, 1936 in Detroit, Michigan into a family of labor workers, activists and creative women. In her later life, PiercyRead MoreEssay on â€Å"Sympathy† by Paul Laurence Dunbar1797 Words   |  8 PagesWilliams Honors 11 Mrs. Mosier 1 February 2012 Part 1: Exploring the Meaning of a Poem In the poem â€Å"Sympathy† by Paul Laurence Dunbar, he describes himself, trapped like a bird in a cage, symbolizing himself being trapped somewhere he has no desire to be. In the first stanza, the author describes a delightful scene with â€Å"the sun bright on the upland slopes† (Dunbar 2). This might have been the author describing his life when he graduated high school, thinking he had so many options withRead MoreThe Language of the Black Condition and All Conditions: Paul Laurence Dunbar’s â€Å"We Wear the Mask†984 Words   |  4 PagesPaul Laurence Dunbar’s poem, â€Å"We Wear The Mask† cleverly talks of the black condition in a language so universal that it could apply to any race of people that tries to hide their emotions from the world in order to survive. Dunbar argues for the reality of the black man’s plight in America, the black mans struggle for equality in the world, and the struggle for peace within. These are circumstances of the poet’s life that influenced his writing of the poem. PARAGRAPH 2: Background informationRead MoreFigurative Devices: Comparing We Wear the Mask and Theme for English B1089 Words   |  5 PagesPaul Laurence Dunbar and Langston Hughes were considered to be early black poets during the twentieth century around the period of civil right movement. â€Å"We wear the mask† and â€Å"Theme for English B† were written in 1895 and 1951 respectively. Even there is approximately 50 years gap between these two poems, the theme that these two poems address is somewhat similar. Even though Dunbar uses symbols as figurative devices while Hughes uses Irony, they both have the same goal, which is to point out theRead More The Poetry of Paul Laurence Dunbar: We Wear the Mask and When Malindy Sings1725 Words   |  7 PagesPaul Laurence Dunbar was born in a northern town near Dayton, Ohio on June 27, 1872 (Brawley 12). His parents instilled in him the value of an education, and he excelled at the all-white Dayton Central High-school whe re he held the titles of class president, the president of the school literary society, and the editor of the schools newspaper (15). Dunbar was extremely well learned; he spoke and wrote in Standard English, but just as often his poetry was written in black dialect. As one of the

Arthur Miller and His Theater of Mirrors. Reflections on...

Throughout his career as playwright, Arthur Miller portrayed critically some of the so-called ideals of the American society. Within his numerous plays and short stories, his characters reflect over and over the multilayered American dream, its implications and consequences; the author unveils the ignored ties human beings have with their pasts, demonstrating with his characters that we cannot escape from it but learn from our failures and triumphs. And this is one is one of the major points in Miller’s work, as he represents the non-learning of American society in every single of his plays. It seems that Miller sacrifices his characters to build a metaphor of how American men and women keep on chasing one of the biggest illusions a society did and still does pursue. Some of them got the belief stuck in their souls and minds so they do not chase it anymore but are trapped on it. Some others are struggling to make sense of their world while being bombarded by their own families with the confusing truth that they are a failure for pursuing individual freedom instead of being part of the big machine’s mechanism. In this essay, I comment and analyze in a brief manner the plays and short stories read and discussed in the American Society Through Drama/Literature course identifying some of the key elements that Miller criticized with his work in order to conclude at what extent the mirror-creations of Miller are persuasive in his attempt to picture and scrutinize the AmericanShow MoreRelatedManagement Course: Mba−10 General Management215330 Words   |  862 Pagesimplement productive cost reduction How to recognize when regular audits of quality compliance will not guarantee customer loyalty Businesses are growing more intricate and at warp speed. For example, consider the effects of venture capital financing, multiple marketing channel distribution, and entirely new patterns of employee recruiting, development, and training. In addition, product and services launches increasingly require more effective development initiatives. Rapidly increasing numbers of new

Miami Honors College free essay sample

I hate uncomfortable situations. I appreciate having a secure environment and knowing my surroundings. . I have been playing hockey since age three. For the past fourteen years I’ve sacrificed time with my friends, time at school, and even time in my own home. Nine of these years I have played in the elite AAA hockey league. These experiences have taught me not only to manage time between school, friends, and hockey; but also forced me to become a â€Å"man† and deal with adult situations at a young age. Also, hockey involuntarily developed my love of being comfortable and secure. During my first two years of AAA hockey, I followed in my brother’s footsteps and played for the Chicago Young Americans. He played here for five years with great success and I was comfortable there because I always had to tag along to the rink. I followed my brother once again to a new organization, the Chicago Mission. We will write a custom essay sample on Miami Honors College or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page I played at Mission for six years. With a successful team during my tenure there, we won three state championships, two regional championships, and three trips to the National Tournament bringing home third place, second place, and a quarterfinal finish. Every thing was great for me at the Mission: great success, great coaches, and great teammates. I always felt comfortable at the Mission. Six years under my belt, and I was nice and cozy. That was all turned on its ear when the new season rolled around. Finishing my sixth year with the organization, fourth as a captain, and fresh off a loss in the quarterfinals of the National Tournament, I was back on the ice playing spring hockey with the Mission. The spring ended with a talk at the end of the last practice. Coach Anders asked to speak to me. I was kind of nervous because I never had talked to him one on one. He bluntly told me there might not be room for me on this year’s squad, but there was still a good chance I’ d be on the team. This was incredibly shocking. I slipped into a stupor of mixed feelings: disbelief that after my years of loyalty I might be ousted by someone new, fear that I might not have anywhere to play, and motivation to prove Anders and everyone else wrong. I trained as hard as I could for a month to prove to him that I deserved to be on the team. The week leading up to tryouts Coach Anders asked to speak to me at the end of the practice. Walking to his office after the skate was over my mind had divided into two camps: either I’m getting axed, or this is all my hard work paying off. He told me that indeed there was no room for me on this year’s team, and that I was â€Å"cut†. I was cut up inside. I was numb. I walked out of the office without saying anything. So many things were whirling around my head to say to Anders, but I just walked out because I couldn’t bring myself to speak. I walked to the locker room in the same stupor that I had felt the first time Anders had talked to me. I showered, avoiding all but my best friend on the team. I couldn’t even tell him, I just gave him a look that was impossible to mistake. It was over. The walk to my car was a literal walk out of my comfort zone. I was leaving behind the team that I loved and walking out into the unknown. Once in the haven of my car, the floodgates opened. There were so many emotions flying through my head. I didn’t know which one to latch on to. The emotions that confused me a month ago returned in a magnified force, taunting my brain to even attempt to comprehend one of them. I was unemployed. Hockey is my livelihood. I no longer had a team. This all occurred three days before tryouts. It started that night. My family rallied for me, frantically searching for an open spot on another team. AAA teams usually have their team picked before tryouts, which didn’t bode well for me. On the last Saturday of tryouts, skated at the three remaini ng AAA teams in Chicago. I started at my old organization, CYA, in the morning. They said they’d call me if something opened up. A polite way of saying, â€Å"thanks, but we’re all full†. Then it was on to Team Illinois. My rival team ever since I played AAA hockey. Everything about it felt wrong. I had always grown up wanting to beat TI, hating their colors of blue and white. I got on the ice and used everything I had left in the tank to compete and show the coaching staff that I wanted to play. Coach pulled me off the ice after 20 minutes of skating and told me there was a spot open for me if I wanted. Instead of jumping at the opportunity that would get me back into a comfortable situation, I requested time to gather my thoughts. Silently collecting my thoughts in the locker room as I stripped off my gear, I decided that I was taking the spot. My uncomfortable situation was alleviated; the weight was gone from my shoulders. The entire situation was uncomfort able: discussing my shaky future with Anders, walking away from my friends and former team, frantically calling and looking for openings, even the walk into the new rink was horrible for me. The discomfort of this situation was far outweighed by the discomfort of not playing hockey for a year. I didn’t drown myself in self-sorrow once I got cut, but persevered and beat the situation, regaining my spot in a comfortable environment.

Moneyball

Introduction Moneyball is a movie about an Oakland baseball team that is in serious trouble and is losing series in the American League division. The team is also in serious financial trouble. This report looks into the review of the movie through the eyes of management. Management is the reason the A’s are in so much trouble both financially and in terms of performance, which is when Beane comes in.Advertising We will write a custom term paper sample on Moneyball specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The movie revolves around his life in line with the team since he is the general manager running one of the poorest of teams meaning he cannot solve his team’s financial issues by buying players since the money is not there (Mcneill, 2009). This is very frustrating because he wants the team to perform yet he cannot buy better players. If different results are to be achieved, then things should at least be done differently. B eane knows that he has to do something different but he is not sure what he must do different. He meets young Brand who gives Beane a way forward, sabermetrics, which is a statistical analysis of baseball. This is what the young economist thinks will work for the team. This is because the traditional way of viewing player is not efficient enough leading misjudgment of the value of player. Some are overvalued and other undervalued. The decision that Beane make reflect his life as a professional player, taking us back to his time. All this changes when he adopts the new style of managing the team rather than throwing dice he decides to go with analytics to see if it will help the team win. This is when they set out with Brand to assemble a dream team composing of players that no one wants. This is done with the smallest of budgets. The rest of the workforce does not understand his reason but he tries his best to make them see that n the long run the organization we gain. He meets oppo sition from those that prefer the old way of doing things. This is a movie of not just baseball but also management. Solution 1 Solution 2 Billy Beane’s leadership styles and motivation styles Starting with Fredrick Taylor’s management theory of improving economic efficiency, this is to ensure minimization of waste and maximization of labor productivity. This management style is all about managing talents. Taylor in his theory puts emphasis on performance measurement and being very objective while examining talent.Advertising Looking for term paper on art and design? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Talent management is very vital in any business setup. For example, we see that Beane and his assistant Paul did not just guess but they used the statistics, which would ensure that they were in a better position to win. This was applied on the offensive side which was something to do with the on base and the out base . They made sure they positioned themselves to win the game. This gave them an easier job in finding extraordinary players. Autocracy in management can be a double edged sword since the manager makes decisions unilaterally. The subordinates are not give much consideration in the decision making process. This might display the confidence level manager of the business but also can put the company into a lot of trouble since the subordinates can decide to detach themselves. Autocratic decisions may not be very healthy for the business especially if they are emotional which most are. A perfect example is Beane laying off some players because of their behavior at the lounge. Although this brought up issues with his general manager Phillip it was a good calculated decision giving the team a sense of direction. Communication is very important in management. A manager who does not show effective communication skills cannot lead his team to great success on projects, this is impossible to ac hieve without first building a strong rapport. As demonstrated in the movie, Beane make a conversation with his team in a very short span of time and three of his players swing into action, this he could not have achieved without the rapport first. Encouragement and motivation is vital in leadership; ability to inspire others to achieve greatness even when it is impossible. This is reflected when Beane turns a catcher, Scott Hatterberg into a first base and he understood for him to do that he must build a little confidence in Scott. This is why he leads the coaching staff in cheering for Scott when he makes the smallest of progress in practice. Yes I think that his style is suitable since it allowed the manager to bring in a new system that would transform the team into a winning one. He was also able to produce a team that was now capable of winning against the â€Å"big fish† of the league having in mind no one wanted these players since they were viewed using the old tradi tional method as being of no value. His management style was only suitable at the time because looking at his style critically. Beane’s concept of sabermetrics and other financial analyses was revolutionary in propelling the team to the top. He used a method that can be dangerous in other fields, low risk and high reward. So we can say that his management style worked for him at the time and could only be applied in baseball. This is because in business for instance is like trying to invest in a low-budget stock of a company that is just staring.Advertising We will write a custom term paper sample on Moneyball specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Solution 3 Billy Beane’s analysis styles and Statistics calculation styles to form a winning team, the differences between his strategy and mainstream’s strategy Beane uses sabermetrics in his analysis of the records of both the players and what they are worth. For us to get some insight into how this analysis works we must first understand the game of baseball. This game stated in the 18th century with the creation of the National league around 1876, it constitutes of 28 professional team and some participate in the national or the American League. The game has millions of fan in America and around the world. The game is played with two opposing teams with nine players on each team. Some of these players just to mention a few may include; baseman, pitcher, catcher, second baseman, right, left and center fielders. The score are in runs. The most important fact that is captured in analysis is the numbers of the game that are recorded. This is either during the game or after the game. These numbers mean so little to a manager who believes in insight rather than analytics. How the pitcher and batters perform is assessed by such number and this is what sabermeterics is all about. For instance, while batting, efficiency of the batter is what is the mean ? That is established by dividing the total at-bats by how many hits he has achieved. This data is then used to find out the player’s opportunity and his capabilities. Such information is used to establish the total worth of the player and the manager decides whether to sign him or not. When it comes to the difference between Beane’s strategy and the mainstream strategy, we must note that beane concentrated on getting the job done other than other issues involved, that is why he makes it very clear to everyone that winning was their number one priority. Factors like the welfare of the workers would come next. As we do comparison of the two strategies we are likely to note that the mainstream was kind of convectional and believed that of one t do well money must be involved and a lot of it (Mcneill, 2009). We should also note that there is a difference in the taking of risks and reward expectation. Beane one hand believes in low risk and high reward while the mainstream on the other hand believes in equality between the risk you take and the reward you get. For instance, let’s say there is a player who is 39 year and in the resent past has not been very successful with at least a hit out of 17 at-bats. This player is in trouble for refusing a suspension due to failing a drug test. In main stream strategy no one would want to sign such a player but Beane takes a risk and gives him half a million contract. Beane’s has done the analysis that when this player gets back to shape ticket sale will go up and he can serve as a mentor to young upcoming players.Advertising Looking for term paper on art and design? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Solution 4 Relationship and effects between Statistics, information, and management Statistics has become very vital to both information and management. Statistic can also be referred to as data and companies are investing millions of dollars in data. For example, a company will take it time to accumulate some data on the different marketing approaches and before even the time deadline it had previously set expires it will analyze the numbers; this it to derive information out of this data. A proper example is how dell used a matrix approach worldwide that was about advertizing agency. This was to analyze dell sales for each region and the information derived was used to fine-tune its promotions. The fact that first they started with looking at statistic then created information and finally used that information to make an informed decision cannot be ignored. It could be a strategy that will see them increase their margins considerably. Organizations have become very dynamic and loo king at what the effects of statistic, information and management are, we note companies in many industries produce the same goods or offer the same services. In addition they use the same technologies. For a firm to make its way to the top, then it has to do something different from its competitors. This must be in the business processes which must be properly analyzed and information derived from such data. The information must be used by management in their decision. The business process should include knowing what the customer wants and prices clients want to pay for the products. This establishes a proper system in form of customer relations management. This can be incorporated in an elaborate Enterprise resource planning system. Such systems are very vital in achieving core competence in an industry with same products and services. As such they should be given the utmost interest and attention and should be well exploited to realize profit. Managers have been able to use the u se statistic in order to make decisions that have impacted positively on their organizations not just in organization but also in sports. A good example is the manager of St Louis Cardinals using analytics plus intuitions to establish when to substitute a highly charged player into the field of play or whether he should hire a professional expert due to low morale level of players. As we can see data combined with management can produce results but we must not also forget that it has to be done carefully since error can lead to high impact of failure. This impact of failure would be very difficult to recover from. Conclusion In conclusion it is very true that not only fan of baseball have something to learn from this movie but managers have a lot to learn in terms of leadership styles, motivation style and the use of information. This movie looks at the relationship between leadership and successful initiatives that managers can pursuit. There is a good example of also bad behavior as a leader and what it can cause the organization. Arrogance and being insensitive to the welfare of other can be a recipe for failure as demonstrated in the movie by Billy Beane where at some point tried to prove to everyone that he was better than all of them. It does not matter what our view of the movie are what really matters is the lessons learnt from the movie and what we can derive from Billy Beane’s role as the manager of the Oakland team. Further more if we can be able to implement these lessons to our organization and transform those organizations (Mcneill, 2009). References Arnold, R. A. (2010). Macroeconomics. Chicago: Cengage Learning. Barro, R. J. (2008). Macroeconomics: A Modern Approach. Chicago: Cengage Learning. Mankiw, G. (2006). Macroeconomics. New York: W H Freeman-Usa. Mcneill, S. C. (2009). Research Methods: Third Edition. Chicago: Cengage Learning. This term paper on Moneyball was written and submitted by user Taraji Michael to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Free Essays on K-Mart

Anne Foss October 8, 2004 MT 460 01 Management Policy and strategies Lesson Project 1 K-mart Kmart was founded in 1899, it was known as the SS Kresge store. In 1912 the firs was incorporated and had 85 stores with sales of $10,325,000. Next to Woolworth’s it was the largest variety chain. In 1957 Harry Cunningham became General Vice President. In 1962 the first K-Mart was opened as a one-stop shopping unit. It was where you could by a variety of goods at closeout prices. Its weakness is when they tried to venture into other types of business and they spread themselves to much. This is where K-mart made one of their worse decisions in business. They realized expanding this way would not work. The only thing that they could do is to expand and improve their own stores. In 1990 K-Mart started to reverse their strategy, so they refurbished, expanded stores, on lifestyle departments, merchandising, and more capital investment in retail. Page 2 It was a $2.3 billion dollar program, which involved all stores. K-Mart senior executive was to get others to recognize that nothing is good forever. â€Å"good-planning† =getting involved, â€Å"poor-planning†=done by those who don’t recognize it and when they do it is too late. Their management believed they were successful in stratagy planning. Then in 1993, disappointment came. There was a loss of $974 Million in sales of $34,156,000 for the fiscal year ending January 26, 1994. The structure of K-Mart to me is one of pricing their products for the low to middle class of people. Then they tried to restructure their company and expanded to other business, which in turn did not measure out and had a severe loss of profits. K-Mart should go right back to their basic structure from the beginning. I would highly recom... Free Essays on K-Mart Free Essays on K-Mart Anne Foss October 8, 2004 MT 460 01 Management Policy and strategies Lesson Project 1 K-mart Kmart was founded in 1899, it was known as the SS Kresge store. In 1912 the firs was incorporated and had 85 stores with sales of $10,325,000. Next to Woolworth’s it was the largest variety chain. In 1957 Harry Cunningham became General Vice President. In 1962 the first K-Mart was opened as a one-stop shopping unit. It was where you could by a variety of goods at closeout prices. Its weakness is when they tried to venture into other types of business and they spread themselves to much. This is where K-mart made one of their worse decisions in business. They realized expanding this way would not work. The only thing that they could do is to expand and improve their own stores. In 1990 K-Mart started to reverse their strategy, so they refurbished, expanded stores, on lifestyle departments, merchandising, and more capital investment in retail. Page 2 It was a $2.3 billion dollar program, which involved all stores. K-Mart senior executive was to get others to recognize that nothing is good forever. â€Å"good-planning† =getting involved, â€Å"poor-planning†=done by those who don’t recognize it and when they do it is too late. Their management believed they were successful in stratagy planning. Then in 1993, disappointment came. There was a loss of $974 Million in sales of $34,156,000 for the fiscal year ending January 26, 1994. The structure of K-Mart to me is one of pricing their products for the low to middle class of people. Then they tried to restructure their company and expanded to other business, which in turn did not measure out and had a severe loss of profits. K-Mart should go right back to their basic structure from the beginning. I would highly recom...

Ancient Chinese Invented Gunpowder

Ancient Chinese Invented Gunpowder Few substances in history have had as profound an effect on human history as gunpowder, yet its discovery in China was an accident. Contrary to myth, it was not simply used for fireworks but was put to military uses from its time of discovery. Eventually, this secret weapon leaked out to the rest of the medieval world. Chinese Alchemists Tinker With Saltpeter and Make Gunpowder Ancient alchemists in China spent centuries trying to discover an elixir of life that would render the user immortal. One important ingredient in many of the failed elixirs was saltpeter, also known as potassium nitrate. During the Tang Dynasty, around 850 A.D., an enterprising alchemist (whose name has been lost to history) mixed 75 parts saltpeter with 15 parts charcoal and 10 parts sulfur. This mixture had no discernable life-lengthening properties, but it did explode with a flash and a bang when exposed to an open flame. According to a text from that era, smoke and flames result, so that [the alchemists] hands and faces have been burnt, and even the whole house where they were working burned down. Use of Gunpowder in China Many western history books over the years have stated that the Chinese used this discovery only for fireworks, but that is not true. Song Dynasty military forces as early as 904 A.D. used gunpowder devices against their primary enemy, the Mongols. These weapons included flying fire (fei huo), an arrow with a burning tube of gunpowder attached to the shaft. Flying fire arrows were miniature rockets, which propelled themselves into enemy ranks and inspired terror among both men and horses. It must have seemed like fearsome magic to the first warriors who were confronted with the power of gunpowder. Other Song military applications of gunpowder included primitive hand grenades, poisonous gas shells, flamethrowers and landmines. The first artillery pieces were rocket tubes made from hollow bamboo shoots, but these were soon upgraded to cast metal. McGill University professor Robin Yates notes that the worlds first illustration of a cannon comes from Song China, in a painting from about 1127 A.D. This depiction was made a century and a half before Europeans began to manufacture artillery pieces. The Secret of Gunpowder Leaks Out of China By the mid- to late-eleventh century, the Song government had become concerned about gunpowder technology spreading to other countries. The sale of saltpeter to foreigners was banned in 1076. Nonetheless, knowledge of the miraculous substance was carried along the Silk Road to India, the Middle East, and Europe. In 1267, a European writer made reference to gunpowder, and by 1280 the first recipes for the explosive mixture were published in the west. Chinas secret was out. Down through the centuries, Chinese inventions have had a profound effect on human culture. Items like paper, the magnetic compass, and silk have diffused around the world. None of those inventions, however, have had quite the impact that gunpowder has, for good and for bad.

Book Review Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 2

Book Review - Essay Example Hamer’s work received much criticism immediately after it was published. The key problem with the book that undermines its scientific value lies in the realm of methodology. Hamer employs traditional tools to study the spiritual phenomena. For example, he measures abstract concepts of transcendence that has much to do with the phenomena of faith, belief and religion using methods of molecular biology and traditional psychology. This approach produces certain ambiguity with definitions and makes the book look rather speculative at least from the positions of traditional science. A number of third-party studies Hamer refers to throughout the paper to support his challenging argument are questionable themselves. Thus, Hamer relies upon the experimental studies of Dr. Michael Persinger (magnetic simulation of the amygdala, the hippocampus, and the caudate nucleus) and studies of monks involving Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography (SPECT). Nonetheless Hamer’s work is far from being a mere non-scientific speculation. The novelty of his daring attempt to relate traditional science and non-physical phenomena is perhaps the major reason for abundant criticism. Traditionally, spirituality and religion have not been considered by science, partially due to lack of applicable tools, partially due to the philosophic paradigm underlying traditional scientific research. These concepts are explored within the specific discourse concerning spirituality, God and religion termed ‘theology’, which historically has been perceived as the antipode of science. Consequently, even contemporary science that at times seems virtually almighty lacks appropriate tools and methodologies to study certain non-physical phenomena such as spirituality. It is hardly surprising that from the position of traditional science Hamer’s work can be labeled as