Chimney Sweeper Essay Example for Free

Chimney Sweeper Essay A great writer, or poet, will make their readers feel as if they are a part of their story. The reader will feel happy when the character is happy, or sad when the character is sad. This is achieved by various rhetorical strategies that writers use. Some of these strategies include imagery and word diction. Sometimes it is one sentence that really gets to the reader. Other times it is simply one word that can make the reader feel anything from warm to sad. In William Blake’s poem, â€Å"The Chimney Sweeper,† from Songs of Innocence, there is an important transition in which the reader’s sense of emotions change from negative feelings of darkness, death, and misery to positive emotions of happiness, hope, and salvation. This transition in emotions reflects the child’s innocence and oblivion to his victimization whereas in the same poem from Songs of Experience the child is aware that he is the victim and therefore only reveals feelings of bitterness and sarcasm. This contrast is important to my understanding of the Innocence poem because it reveals a softer and more innocent perspective than the poem of Experience does. In the first half of the poem Blake uses word diction that gives off negative connotations in order to illustrate the horrible conditions the young chimneysweepers live in. The chimneysweeper says, â€Å"And my father sold me while yet my tongue/Could scarcely cry weep! weep! weep! weep! ’ (2-3). Not only does the word â€Å"weep† clearly give off a sense of sadness and depression, but the fact that it is repeated four times puts an emphasis on the sadness that the chimneysweeper feels. The quote implies that the father sold his child at a very young age. As a result, the child was still too young to weep and therefore could not refuse to be sold. Another quote says, â€Å"So your chimneys I sweep in soot I sleep† (4). When one hears the word â€Å"sweep†, they are imagining dirt and filth being lifted off the ground. Moreover, the phrase â€Å"in soot I sleep†, if one imagines it in a literal sense, shows that the child is literally sleeping in soot, which is the black debris that the smoke from the chimney creates. As a result, this quote illustrates a dirty and filthy setting that these chimneysweepers are forced to live in. A phrase that, without a doubt, gives off a sense of death and hell is â€Å"coffins of black† (12). The chimneysweeper uses this phrase to describe where the other chimneysweepers are locked in Tom’s dream, which is still filthy and almost suffocating. While these quotes and phrases observe and reveal the terrible conditions that these children are living in, the chimneysweeper in the Experience poem reasons why he is living in those conditions by blaming his parents. This comparison makes evident the different perspectives from each poem. Hints of hope are first revealed in the Innocence poem where Blake uses the child’s sarcasm to show that in moments of darkness and unhappiness there is still space for optimism so as not to suffer so much. This is revealed when the chimneysweeper reassures Tom to â€Å"never mind it, for when your head’s bare/You know that the soot cannot spoil your white hair† (7-8). In a way this would make Tom feel hopeful because with a bare head, the soot cannot ruin his hair. But in a metaphorical sense, it implies that darkness (the soot) will not prevail over everything, which gives one hope. What follows this sense of hope is Tom’s description of his dream: And by came an Angel who had a bright key/And he open’d the coffins set them all free/Then down a green plain leaping, laughing, they run/And wash in a river, and shine in the Sun/Then naked and white, all their bags left behind/They rise upon clouds and sport in the wind. (13-18) This stanza contains numerous amounts of words and phrases that all give a positive connotation of hope, freedom, warmth, and happiness. Words such as â€Å"Angel†, â€Å"bright key†, â€Å"laughing†, â€Å"Sun†, and â€Å"white† give off a feeling that is too good to be true, which explains why it is a dream in the first place. But that hope and happiness is so strong that when Tom awakes, he continues his work happily. This utopian perspective clearly shows the innocence of these children, while the child in the poem of Experience has no sense of hope because he is aware of the reality he is living in. While the children in the Innocence poem use religious words and phrases to give them something to look forward to, the child in the Experience poem condemns religion. Blake shows how religion is used to almost condone the treatment and conditions of these chimneysweepers when he writes, â€Å"And the Angel told Tom, if he’d be a good boy/He’d have God for his father and never want joy† (19-20). This quote implies that obedience and sticking to your duties will bring happiness in the afterlife. The same thing is implied when the chimneysweeper says, â€Å"So if all do their duty they need not fear harm† (24). In other words, as long as these chimneysweepers continue with their gruesome work while refraining from complaints, they will be happy and will be rewarded in the afterlife for their good behavior. This mentality seems to convince the children that it is acceptable live in these horrible conditions because they will be rewarded once they pass. In contrast, the child in the Experience poem does not see the afterlife or God as something or someone to look forward to because he blames God for the position he is in. He mocks God by saying, â€Å"And are gone to praise God and his Priest and King/Who make up a heaven of our misery† (11-12). The child’s parents are praying in the church and believe that they have not caused their child any injury. In this case, it is the parents that are condoning the brutal life of their child. This major difference between the two poems is important because it reveals how differently each child views the situation they are in as chimneysweepers. Blake’s use of word diction and imagery in the poem of Innocence and in the poem of Experience differentiates the two opposing perspectives of each poem. Because the Innocence poem transitions from darkness and hopelessness to freedom and hopefulness, my understanding of this poem is extremely different from the other. It is clear that the chimneysweeper in the Experience poem is aware that he is the victim; therefore, his feelings of sadness and despair block him from seeing any hope. Instead, he blames God and his parents for the life he lives. In contrast, I am given the sense that the chimneysweeper in the Innocence poem is completely oblivious to the fact that he is a victim, and therefore it is easier for him to see the light in the darkest moments; in this sense he is still innocent of any hard feelings towards his father or God.

At The Mind’s Limits Essay -- Analysis, Jean Améry

â€Å"If one speaks about torture, one must take care not to exaggerate,† Jean Amà ©ry view of torture comes from a place of uneasiness (22). He discusses in his book At The Mind’s Limits, about the torture that he underwent while a prisoner in Auschwitz. In his chapter titled â€Å"Torture†, he goes into deep description of not only the torture he endured, but also how that torture never leaves a person. Amà ©ry goes to great lengths to make sure that the torture he speaks of is accurate and as he says on page 22, not exaggerated. Many may believe that talking about an experience that is of a horrible nature can be a way of coping with the event. However, Amery believes differently. He wrote his book as a way to make people understand went he and millions of other Jews went through. He does not see his book as a way of understanding the pain he went through every day even after the war had ended. Amery speaks of the torture because he feels it is important to understand the different elements of torture. He writes, â€Å"What was inflicted on me in the unspeakable vault in Breendonk was by far not the worst form of torture†¦it was relatively harmless and it left no conspicuous scars on my body† (22). The embarrassment of the torture to Amery; is knowing that â€Å"they† have taken away who you are in a matter of moments. It is losing who you are to evil without wanting to, that is torture. Amery continues to state that the torture never ends even after the pain is gone and the wounds have healed. It becomes a part of you and you begin to lose yourself in it. He writes, But for the person who suffers them they are still experiences that leave deep marks – if one wishes to use up the high-sounding words already and clearly say: enormities. The f... ...h the â€Å"crackling and splintering in my shoulders that my body has not forgotten until hour† (32). He would never remember anything as it was, for it was now a distant and vague memory. But his torture was happening every day and every moment of his life. In conclusion, Amery’s book is a testimony of him accepting what has befallen to him. He brings light to what torture was and is now in a world that can be distrustful. That losing one’s faith in the world and humankind is not an easy understanding. He wants the world to know that torture is not just physical; it is also mental and verbal. It is the â€Å"first blow† whether that is a word in meanness or punch to the face, torture is the evil that comes from someone who knows nothing good. Torture for the Jews is a way of life now, because it will never leave their memory, it has become a part of them in every way.

Sustainable architecture for sustainable future

Sustainable Architecture for a Sustainable Future Our environment today suffers from many issues. The most important one from a constructor's point of view would be the resources depletion problem. Freshwater resources are declining, the soil is loosing its fertility, and there is a crucial shortage in basic minerals such as zinc, copper, and phosphorus. These deficiencies would definitely lead to a slowdown in construction growth. According to Reran Named (2012) construction is the less sustainable business in the world because it uses around 50% of all non- renewable resources (8).Therefore, in order to be able to keep growing in construction, architects and contractors must change their approach, which would mean that they have to adopt a more CEO-friendly vision in terms of architecture; â€Å"Green building†. The term is now frequently used by newspapers, online articles, or even on TV, but what does it really mean? In Building Green in Pennsylvania, a green building is d escribed as â€Å"one whose construction and lifetime of operation assure the healthiest possible environment while representing the most efficient and least disruptive use of land, water, energy and resources†(l).An example of this type of buildings would be The Change Initiative (TIC) in Dublin, a flagship store where one can shop for green materials. The building is platinum certified by LED, a non-profit organization dedicated to promote green buildings worldwide. TIC produces 40% of its own energy requirement, the water is reused, and almost all materials used inside are submitted for recycling. After having been exposed to all of the positive impacts of sustainable architecture, one must surely consider green building as the definite future of construction.The first and main reason for using a Green strategy in construction would be to rooter the environment. Buildings and the Environment: A Statistical Summary shows that, in 2005, 38. 9% of the energy in the US is cons umed by constructions, with residential buildings consuming more than the half of this percentage. The study also concludes that the electricity consumption of commercial and residential buildings in the states was 72% of its total electricity consumption in 2006. (2).This massive electricity consumption meaner more energy consumption, which leads to more emissions by fossil fuels which are known for causing acid rain, smog, and many other environmental issues. Green buildings address these countless problems by making use of daylight and solar power that help reduce electricity consumption. Another green building strategy is rainwater recycling which help conserve potable water and increase the amount of saved water. The construction business has its share in causing pollution, but climate change would be the last idea to occur to one's mind as being a problem caused by construction.Brown, M. A. , & Southward, F. (2006) point out that greenhouse gas (Sighs) emission is one of the p rimary causes of climate change, and one of the least-cost approaches to reduce it is energy-efficient instruction (1). Buildings are responsible for 43% of the CA emission, and for an average of 8% of other Eggs (4). A sustainable building would address these emissions by integrating some of the latest technologies; Green buildings use advanced techniques such as reflective roof products, low-E coating for windows, using materials from demolished buildings, and natural heating and air-conditioning, and Brown, M.A. , & Southward, F (2006) assert that these ecological strategies can reduce energy consumption and Sighs emissions by 30 to 40% (12). Another reason or benefit of building green is because sustainable constructions have a positive influence on humans' health. Pollution is one of the main causes of sicknesses and diseases, since sustainable architecture tends to avoid the use of polluting materials, it indirectly contributes in making the human health better. From a general approach, Sings, A. , Seal, M. , Grady, S. C. And Korma, S. (2010) present a survey in which they ask people about their health before and after moving to a green building. The preliminary studies based on the surveys conducted show that green buildings have eventually improved health and well-being (p. 6). In addition, Cats G. 2013) believes in The costs and financial benefits of green buildings that improving the quality of the environment in which a person uses information positively affects his health by lowering stress and therefore leads to longer lives.Sustainable constructions take into account the occupants' health and restrain their use of materials that can harm it in any way, while taking advantage of natural resources (6). Productivity is also a factor influenced by green buildings. In Effects of green buildings on employee health and productivity, Sings, A. , Seal, M. , Grady, S. C. , and Korma, S. 2010) confirm â€Å"The improvement in perceived productivity were fa irly substantial and could result in an additional 38. 98 work hours per year for each occupant of a green building†(6).Green thinking pushes architects to include more daylight in order to save electricity, and to use self-heating/cooling systems that would work on solar power. In his report The costs and financial benefits of green buildings, G. Cats (2013) explains:† Increases in tenant control over ventilation, temperature and lighting each provide measured benefits from 0. 5% up to 34%, with average measured workforce productivity gains of 7. % with lighting control, 1. 8% with ventilation control, and 1. 2% with thermal control. Additionally, significant measured improvements have been found with increased daylight. (6) According to these statements assessed by professionals, it is clear that green buildings affect productivity rates in a positive way by making workers more comfortable and therefore enhancing their creativity and inventiveness. G. Cats (2013) stres ses in The costs and financial benefits of green buildings on the importance of the quality of benefits that workers receive in their workplace, which will eventually attract the best employees. Environmentally friendly design seems perfect to some, but others may consider its flaws. The most common concern about green buildings is the lack of information about how much it costs.Due to the use of many unknown techniques and strategies that are unheard of to build green, a misconception made its way through the minds of many that sustainable buildings cost much more than traditional ones. Cats G. (2003) states in Green building costs and financial benefits that the average cost of a green building is lower than what people believe (8). Not only do green buildings cost less than expected, but they pay back for themselves ever the years. Cats G. (2013) discusses that the financial advantages of green buildings are more important than traditional ones'.The financial benefits of green bu ildings come from water saving and re-using, less need for energy, therefore less costs. These savings are over than 10 times the additional cost of these buildings (8). In addition, the property value increases due to the fact that green buildings need less maintenance and economies energy. From an economic point of view, sustainable constructions positively affect sales rates; A study accomplished by HEDGEHOGS MAHONEY GROUP has found that â€Å"Skylights were found to be positively and significantly correlated to higher sales.All other things being equal, an average non-skylight store in the chain would likely have 40% higher sales with the addition of skylights, with a probable range between 31% and 49%. â€Å"(as cited in Green building benefits (Para 12)) . Nature has always been the human race's mentor since the earliest of ages. Michael Pawl, a modern environmental architect, made an important point in a lecture he gave at TED in 2010:†life could learn to make things ND do things the way nature does, we could achieve factor 10, factor 100, maybe even factor 1,000 savings in resource and energy use†.The world has been surviving for over 4 billion years. In order for the humanity to do the same, it's up to the architects to take action and encourage this project that can save what's left of our polluted planet. It's about time to stop violating our planet that has suffered enough of human greed which has caused many tragedies such as deforestation, green fields and pure water sources pollution, rise of sea levels, and many more. It's about time to tart thinking about the new generations, by building them sustainable constructions that would improve the inside and outside environment.Besides reducing gas emissions, conserving water, and reducing waste, building Green has its economic benefits: Money wasted for producing energy and water would now be spared, not to mention the increase in the value of the building, the high productivity rates, and the sales improvement.

F. Scott Fitzgerald s Montag s Faces - 1269 Words

The Least Expected â€Å"There you are! Get IN!† Montag looks up incredulously, and sees Clarisse s’ head is bobbing up and down in the darkness, in what seems to be a helicopter not unlike one already hunting him down. Words could not seem to form in his mouth, and instead, his gaping face fills with the dark water of the river. Perhaps the technological advancements of this helicopter are on his side, considering that seconds later a mechanical claw was lifting him out of the murky abyss. A relieving thought among all of the confusion, that this must have been the helicopter he saw flying ahead, rather than the forces out to find him. The expression on Clarisse and Faber’s faces were complete and utter opposites, with Faber s look of stark†¦show more content†¦Prison and death would come at no surprise, but a forbidden helicopter full of books and supposedly deceased neighbors? Definitely not. â€Å"It strikes me as funny that we could find you so easily. The forces are still searching, aren’t they, Granger?† Said Clarisse calmly, continuously shocking the others with her young age. â€Å"I believe so,† says one of the men, checking his seashell. Suddenly, he looked extremely panicked. â€Å"What? What is it?!† Asks Faber, nervous already from all of the commotion. â€Å"There are reports of bombings coming over the United States as we speak!† All in one swift movement, Clarisse sniggers, Montag trips over a copy of The Odyssey, Faber cries out, and the pilot of the helicopter pulls the wheel all the way to the right. â€Å"Good thing we’re already England bound!† â€Å"What is there in England for us? We’re fugitives, sinners, and deadheads! This was a mistake. This was all an incredible mistake. I’m so sorry. I’ve affected not only you all, but my wife, my city, and my job... I’ve made an incredible miscalculation of my capabilities.† Montag seemed to be full of despair, only further exemplified by his lack of motivation and anti-testimony. Clarisse, Granger, and the other men had no immediate reaction, instead continuously unperturbed. They remained seated, with only an expression of slight amusement. Nothing seemed to penetrate their confidence in their mission, which made Faber and Montag only grow more discontented. Faber exclaims, â€Å"Where