Thursday, November 7, 2019

How does Robert Browning tell the story in The Patriot Essay Example

How does Robert Browning tell the story in The Patriot Essay Example How does Robert Browning tell the story in The Patriot Paper How does Robert Browning tell the story in The Patriot Paper Essay Topic: Left To Tell ‘The Patriot’ by Robert Browning is a dramatic monologue about one man’s downfall from being loved to being hated. The title is a definite article which specifically indicates that The Patriot is one person; however the subtitle is an indefinite article ‘An Old Story’ which suggests that this is something that can happen to anyone and does time and time again. The first stanza sets the scene of the poem creating a contrasting setting. The stanza starts with, ‘it was roses, roses, all the way’ this use of imagery is used to paint a picture of positivity, as roses were often used to symbolise love. This first line also indicates a retrospective narrative which suggests that something significant has happened which has changed the situation. Browning describes how the ‘house-roofs seemed to heave and sway’ which suggests that the poem begins in a busy town which is heaving with people living in poverty which would have been common during the Victorian period, this therefore gives an insight as to when the play was set. The narrator also mentions how the ‘church-spires flames’ this introduces the religious element whilst using the word ‘flamed’ to suggest it is hot weather; this is Browning’s use of pathetic fallacy. Browning uses dialogue in the second stanza to convey the relationship the narrator had with his community. He uses hyperbolic imagery – ‘give me your sun from yonder skies’ to show the extent of love the crowds felt for him. From the beginning we are presented with two different sides the narrator and the crowd always presented as ‘I’ and ‘They’ this creates sympathy for the narrator as we feel emotionally connected with the narrator as opposed to ‘They’ the crowd, this is perhaps because he narrator is ambiguous with what he has done worn got make them go against him. The first line of the third stanza portrays the narrator ‘who leaped at the sun’ this line references an old tale of Icarus who stuck feathers onto his arms with wax, however when he got closer to the sun the wax began to melt and he fell to the ground. Browning uses this intentionally to convey that bad things come with being too ambitious, which the Patriot obviously did. The narrator feels hopeless feeling as though he has done everything that he could do, the third line ‘nought man could do, have I left undone’ suggests that he left something ‘undone’ which he felt was impossible to complete which is perhaps the reason the crowds turned on him. There is also more biblical and religious reference, ‘my harvest, what I reap This very day, now a year is run’ could suggest that due to events in the past he has turned to god since then. It may also suggest by using the word ‘reap’ that he was in a powerful position and now all he has left are the things that he has done in the past. In the fourth stanza Browning shows a negative contrast in setting, juxtaposing with the previous description of the house-roofs filled with people now ‘there’s nobody on the house –tops. ’ We can gather that the narrator is getting executed with ‘just a palsied few’ there to watch. The poems setting has moved place, now at the ‘Shambles’ Gate’ where people would go to watch public executions. The fact that it is a gate mirrors the gates of heaven which includes the religious element. The poem has made a transit into present tense. In the fifth stanza Browning uses pathetic fallacy once more however in contrast to the first stanza now the patriot goes ‘in the rain. ’ The rain can also symbolise how the patriot is innocent and the rain is reflecting being washed clean. The narrator appears confused as though everything is happening without him quite understanding why. They have held his hands behind his back and- although this is ambiguous- placed a crown of thorns on his head. We have gathered this from the line ‘my forehead bleeds’ – this reflects the character of Jesus, it is arguable that the narrator himself could be Jesus. It is quite clear that the crowd has shown a change in nature towards the patriot replacing their love and admiration with desire for him to be killed, some critics believe that this was Browning’s attempt of portraying the fickleness of human nature. The last line of the stanza reveals that he has done a ‘year’s misdeeds’ which they are punishing him for however it is ambiguous as to what those misdeeds are. We can tell that the patriot is coming close to the end as Browning has increased tension within previous paragraphs using techniques such as pathetic fallacy and juxtaposition. The last stanza reflects the emotional contrast in how he felt before and how he feels now, the first line reads ‘thus I entered and thus I go’ I think that Browning is conveying the message that human temperament is changeable and that you shouldn’t get too use to being top of the ‘heap’. However the patriot begins to realise that sometimes people die for doing good as well ‘in triumphs, people have dropped down dead’ sometimes things are just meant to be. The religious element is brought back into the poem at the end to create a universal meaning of the poem ‘tis God shall repay: I am safer so’ The patriot feels safe at last because he knows that God will see that he has done nothing morally wrong. This links into Brownings message for the poem who asks whether it is better to be out of the world of corruption where it will be more peaceful than to be in the world.

Tuesday, November 5, 2019

The Lady with the Pet Dog Study Guide

The Lady with the Pet Dog Study Guide Anton Chekhov’s short story The Lady with the Pet Dog begins in the resort town of Yalta, where a new visitor- a fair-haired young woman of medium height who owns a white Pomeranian- has caught the attention of the vacationers. In particular, this young woman piques the interest of Dmitri Dmitrich Gurov, a well-educated married man who has regularly been unfaithful to his wife. Chekhov wrote The Lady with the Pet Dog in 1899, and theres much about the story to suggest its semi-biographical.  At the time he wrote it, Chekhov was a regular resident of Yalta and was dealing with protracted periods of separation from his own lover, the actress Olga Knipper. As Chekhov wrote to her in October of 1899, I have grown accustomed to you. And I feel so alone without you that I cannot accept the idea that I shall not see you again until spring. Plot Summary of The Lady with the Pet Dog Gurov introduces himself to the woman with the pet dog one evening, while both of them are dining in a public garden. He learns that her she is married to an official in the Russian provinces and that her name is Anna Sergeyevna. The two become friends, and one evening Gurov and Anna walk out to the docks, where they find a festive crowd. The crowd eventually disperses, and Gurov suddenly embraces and kisses Anna. At Gurov’s suggestion, the two of them retire to Anna’s rooms. But the two lovers have very different reactions to their newly-consummated affair: Anna bursts into tears, and Gurov decides that he is bored with her. Nonetheless, Gurov continues the affair until Anna leaves Yalta. Gurov returns to his home in and his job at a city bank. Though he attempts to immerse himself in the life of the city, he is unable to shake off his memories of Anna. He sets out to visit her in her provincial hometown. He encounters Anna and her husband at a local theater, and Gurov approaches her during an intermission. She is disconcerted by Gurov’s surprise appearance and his unabashed displays of passion. She tells him to leave but promises to come see him in Moscow. The two continue their affair for several years, meeting at a hotel in Moscow. However, they’re both troubled by their secretive lives, and by the end of the story, their plight remains unresolved (but they are still together). Background and Context of The Lady with the Pet Dog Like a few of Chekhov’s other masterpieces â€Å"The Lady with the Pet Dog† may have been an effort to imagine how a personality like his would have fared under different, perhaps unfavorable circumstances. It is worth noting that Gurov is a man of art and culture. Chekhov himself began his professional life divided between his work as a traveling doctor and his pursuits in literature. He had more or less forsaken medicine for writing by 1899; Gurov may be his attempt to envision himself in the kind of staid lifestyle he had left behind. Themes in The Lady with the Pet Dog Like many of Chekhov’s stories, â€Å"The Lady with the Pet Dog†   centers on a protagonist whose personality remains static and staid, even when the conditions around him are sharply altered. The plot bears similarity to several of Chekhov’s plays, including â€Å"Uncle Vanya† and â€Å"Three Sisters,† which focus on characters who are incapable of forsaking their unwanted lifestyles, or of overcoming their personal failings. Despite its romantic subject matter and its focus on a small, private relationship, â€Å"The Lady with the Pet Dog† also levels harsh criticisms at society in general. And it is Gurov who delivers the bulk of these criticisms. Already jaded in romance and repelled by his own wife, Gurov eventually develops bitter feelings for Moscow society.   Life in Anna Sergeyevna’s tiny hometown, however, is not much better.  Society offers only easy and fleeting pleasures in The Lady with the Pet Dog.   In contrast, the romance between Gurov and Anna is more difficult, yet more durable. A cynic at heart, Gurov lives a life based on deception and duplicity. He is aware of his less appealing and less overt traits and is convinced that he has given Anna Sergeyevna a falsely positive impression of his personality. But as â€Å"The Lady with the Pet Dog† progresses, the dynamic of Gurov’s double-life undergoes a change. By the end of the story, it is the life he shows to other people that feels base and burdensome- and his secret life that seems noble and beautiful. Questions about The Lady with the Pet Dog for Study and Discussion Is it fair to draw comparisons between Chekhov and Gurov? Do you think that Chekhov consciously wanted to identify with the main character in this story? Or do the similarities between them ever seem unintentional, accidental, or simply unimportant?Return to the discussion of conversion experiences, and determine the extent of Gurov’s change or conversion. Is Gurov a very different person by the time Chekhov’s story draws to a close, or are there major elements of his personality that remain intact?How are we meant to react to the less pleasant aspects of The Lady with the Pet Dog, such as the dingy provincial scenes and the discussions of Gurov’s double life? What does Chekhov intend for us to feel while reading these passages? References: The Lady with the Pet Dog printed in The Portable Chekhov, edited by Avrahm Yarmolinsky. (Penguin Books, 1977).

Saturday, November 2, 2019

Assignment - Discussion Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

- Discussion - Assignment Example Apple’s product can be marketed to a single general audience, yet Apple still targets specific segments. In targeting the parents of small children, Apple has found probably some of the most willing buyers of their product. This segment has more money, more interest in the utility of the product, and may even buy more than one. Demonstrating the applications on the iPad and their positive influence for children as a learning tool is an excellent strategy that targets that market—these parents want a toy that also provides educational value. Finally, the product positioning of the iPad, for this segment, stresses how it is revolutionary among modern computer technology as well as learning software. Alone, use of computers and software is not a new idea—but Apple shows that the iPad as a whole is entirely new. Overall, we see that this is a case of differentiated marketing, and this specific article talks about Apple’s appeal to a certain segment by making their product appear youthful, educational, revolutionary, and completely