Transcendentalism Essays (910 words) - Lecturers, Mystics

Transcendentalism Transcendentalism revealed itself in the beginning of the 19th century with talented writers such as Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry David Thoreau, and Walt Whitman. These well-educated men brought such ideas as individualism, imagination, and nature to life through their works. Many writers in the transcendentalism period included such characteristics in their pieces. Some of the characteristics are spiritual well being, individualism, nature, and imagination. There are some that make these characteristics more evident than others are such as, Walden by Henry David Thoreau, I Sit and Look Out by Walt Whitman, and I Hear America Singing also by Walt Whitman. Walden by Henry David Thoreau, was a well-written piece and thoroughly explains and describes nature and the spiritual utopia that comes with it. " The bullfrogs trump to usher in the night," this explains the likeness of nature's bullfrogs to musical beauty and song. " What sort of space is that which separates a man from his fellows and makes him solitary? I have found that no exertion of the legs can bring two minds much nearer to one another..." In response to the men who frequently pester him about loneliness he says this and it clarifies that when one is alone in the wilderness or just solitary in general, far away from the cities, fellow humans, and busy life, he isn't farther away because of the distance there is between he and the other. He insinuates that the mind could distance one from any other more or less than the exertion of one's legs, and that a journey far from civilization could bring two people closer together mentally than ever before. " Like the marmots in the surrounding hills, it closes its eyelids and becomes dormant for three months or more." Here, Thoreau describes the pond in the winter. He describes it as once lively and busy in the fall and summer, now is dormant and still, like a picture. The fish don't scurry about as they did in the frisky winter, but now they just float and are motionless, like the waves that were once evident in the summer months. This work of Thoreau's just describes nature, one of the characteristics that make up transcendentalism. Walt Whitman was a man who could write about a subject in two opposing ways, but still is the same story in a different perspective. I Hear America Singing is about a man watching, hearing the sounds of the people and their many contributions to society. The song of everyone merrily doing their job and liking it, getting things done with a smile on their face and having an incredible outlook on life. " The delicious singing of the mother, or of the young wife at work, or of the girl sewing or washing." This states that each person who is being mentioned is singing, rejoicing to what is his or hers, whether it be their duties as an individual, or life in general. " The day what belongs to the day?at night the party of young fellows, robust, friendly, singing with open mouths their strong melodious songs." This says that the night is filled with young men singing of their lives, robust and loud with open mouths singing their full, euphonic song of life. This is a piece of a happier outlook on the life of the people all around and of the positive attitudes of many. Illustrating individualism and showing what one can make of their lives by being themselves and enjoying their own life. I Sit and Look Out is of complete contrast to I Hear America Singing. I Sit and Look Out describes a dark, sad, corrupted, sorrowful world. Whereas I Hear America Singing depicts a brighter and more upbeat society. Walt Whitman uses sad words describing emotion, and just all sorts of corruption imaginable. " I see the wife misused by her husband, I see the treacherous seducer of women," Here he paints the picture of the ignored, badly treated wife by her husband, and the wicked, devious, womanizer/ seducer of innocent women. "I see the workings of battle, pestilence, tyranny, I see the martyrs and prisoners." He observes the evil of war, and plague, of famine and tyranny, of helpless prisoners and sufferers. But chooses to be silent, to watch and be silent still. Individualism is illustrated here by him being only that of an individual and not able to put an end to all the sorrow. In conclusion, the transcendentalism period was one of great literary works. Bringing nature, imagination, and individualism to

Janus Words

Janus Words Janus Words Janus Words By Maeve Maddox The Roman god Janus–the personification of a Latin word meaning â€Å"doorway†Ã¢â‚¬â€œwas depicted as having two faces, each pointing in opposite directions. He was the god of doorways and gateways, beginnings and endings. The term â€Å"Janus words† is applied to words that can mean opposites. A common example is the verb cleave, which can mean either, â€Å"to stick together† or â€Å"to cut apart†: Gawain cleaves off the strangers head in one blow, but the stranger does not die. And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh? –Matthew 19:5, KJV. Such words are variously known as auto-antonyms, antilogies, enantiodromes, and contranyms. Because of the long-established term antonym as the word for â€Å"a word that is the opposite or antithesis of another,† it seems that auto-antonym is the most practical choice. Here are three examples of auto-antonyms: Sanguine The adjective sanguine is from the Latin for â€Å"bloody.† It can be used in a literal sense: â€Å"The sanguine murders were the work of a serial killer.† In medieval philosophy, people were believed to be governed by the â€Å"four humours†: blood, yellow bile, black bile, and phlegm.† These humors embodied certain characteristics: blood: courageous, hopeful, amorous yellow bile: easily angered, bad-tempered black bile: despondent, sleepless, irritable phlegm: calm, emotional Someone of a â€Å"sanguine temperament,† for example, is governed by a cheerful disposition. The auto-antonym sanguine can mean either â€Å"bloody, bloodthirsty,† or â€Å"cheerful, loving.† Sanction The verb sanction comes from a Latin noun, sanctionem, which meant something that was so important or sacred that it was required; the law even imposed a penalty for failure to perform it. Both good and bad notions, therefore, attached to the word. As an English verb, sanction can mean either, â€Å"to endorse or authorize,† or â€Å"to punish.† For example, Court will sanction Prenda lawyers if they don’t appear April 2 (i.e., will punish them) Illinois Becomes 20th State to Sanction Therapeutic Use of Cannabis (i.e., approve) Dust The verb dust originated with a Germanic noun that probably meant â€Å"that which rises or is blown in a cloud, like vapor, smoke, or dust. † In modern usage, the verb dust can mean either â€Å"to remove dust particles from a surface,† or â€Å"to sprinkle dust particles on a surface.† For example, I want you to dust the furniture before the guests arrive. (remove the dust) The last step is to dust the cake with powdered sugar. (apply a dusting of sugar) The use of auto-antonyms usually offers no difficulty to native speakers because the meaning is usually clear from their context. ESL speakers may have trouble with them. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Punctuating â€Å"So† at the Beginning of a SentenceTime Words: Era, Epoch, and Eonâ€Å"Least,† â€Å"Less,† â€Å"More,† and â€Å"Most†

Managing strategic change Sainbury Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Managing strategic change Sainbury - Essay Example The threat for Sainsbury was that the removal of physical barriers to trade and the new-found freedom of movement around the European market have served to catalyse European expansion and in so doing raise the degree of European trade. To respond to new environment, the company introduced changes in management style which was brought by new executive. The new style of leadership was â€Å"more consensual, less hierarchical – but not in strategy or in corporate beliefs about the company’s place in the market† (Owen, 2003). Another innovation made by Sainsbury was reorganization and restructuring aiming â€Å"to feature only supermarkets and convenience stores, with Central and Savacentre outlets joining the main estate† (Sainsbury's makes first ever loss, 2004). In spite of planned actions, these changes failed because of inability of staff to manage change and lack of resources to adapt organization to the changes. It is possible to say that the strategy was ineffective for world’s integration and for this reason it failed at the stage of implementation. Specification in Sainsbury was determined as a result of an organization's pol ¬icy, which in turn resulted from decisions on its market policy, which in turn resulted from its consideration of the market or customer needs, requirements, and the activ-ities of competitors. The main mistake was an attempt to reorganize and restructure several organizational levels at the same time.