Literary Terms Modern Essay Essay

The aim of this glossary is not to set in concrete words that are constantly changing and evolving, but rather to help students develop the critical tools and vocabulary with which to understand and talk about poetry. Since poets themselves often disagree about the meaning and importance of terms such as free verse, rhythm, lyric, structure, and the prose poem, and since control of literary discourse is part of each new generation’s struggle for poetic ascendancy, it seems only reasonable and appropriate for the student to view all efforts to define critical terminology in a historical perspective and with a healthy degree of scepticism. This mini-glossary reflects the continuing debate between traditional metrics and free verse, and between differing conceptions of the poet’s craft and role in society. A fuller and more lively debate may often be found in the notes on the poets and in the poetics section. In a number of instances, I have been less concerned to offer hard-andfast definitions than to alert readers to the controversy that surrounds certain critical terms. The following list is by no means complete, but is intended to aid and provoke, to stimulate discussion and debate and send the curious reader on to more comprehensive sources. I have made use of and recommend highly A Glossary of Literary Terms (1957), by M. H. Abrams; the Princeton Encyclopedia of Poetry and Poetics (1974), edited by Alex Preminger, Frank, J. Warnke, and O. B. Hardison, Jr; and The Poet’s Dictionary: A Handbook of Prosody and Poetic Devices (1989), by William Packard. G. G. ccent The emphasis, or stress, placed on a syllable, reflecting pitch, duration, and the pressures of grammar and syntax. While all syllables are accented or stressed in speech and in poetry, we tend to describe the less dominant as unstressed or unaccented syllables. In metrical verse, accented and unaccented (stressed and unstressed) syllables are easily identified. Robert Burns’s famous line â€Å"My love is like a red, red rose† might be described as an iambic tetrameter line, with four feet each consisting of one unaccented syllable followed by an accented one. However, it can be argued that such a reading trivializes and effectively undercuts the emotional power of the poetic utterance, and that the sense of the line dictates a slightly different reading, which locates three strong stresses or accents in the second half of the line: â€Å"My love is like a red, red rose†. See also FEET and METER. 2 20 -Century Poetry & Poetics th alexandrine A twelve-syllable line, usually consisting of six iambic feet. alliteration A common poetic device that involves the repetition of the same sound or sounds in words or lines in close proximity. Alliteration was most pronounced in Anglo-Saxon poems such as â€Å"The Wanderer† and â€Å"The Seafarer†, which Earle Birney imitates in his satire of Toronto, â€Å"Anglo-Saxon Street†: Dawndrizzle ended dampness steams from Blotching brick and blank plasterwaste Faded house patterns hoary and finicky unfold stuttering stick like a phonograph While such intense piling up of consonants was once a common mnemonic device (an aid to memory), changing literary fashions have, to a large extent, rendered such self-conscious exhibitions too blunt and obvious for the contemporary ear, except when used for comic purposes. Exceptions include rap poetry and spoken word, both of which make extensive use of alliteration and rhyme. Nevertheless, the repetition, or rhyming, of vowels, consonants, and consonant clusters (nt, th, st, etcetera) remains a still a central component in constructing the soundscape of the poem, just as the repetition and variation of image and idea enrich the intellectual and sensory fabric. The most talented practitioners will be listening backwards and forwards as they compose, picking up and repeating both images and sounds that give the poem a rich and interlocking texture. See ASSONANCE, CONSONANCE, RHYME, and PROSODY. allusion Personal, topical, historical, or literary references are common in poetry, though, to be successful, they require an audience with shared experience and values. Biblical or classical allusions, for example, or Canadian political allusions, might be totally unrecognizable to an Asian Muslim reader. Although readers soon tire of verbal exhibitionism, they still expect a degree of allusion to challenge them and to stimulate curiosity. Lawrence Ferlinghetti’s â€Å"Junkman’s Obgligato† assumes the reader’s familiarity with both T. S. Eliot’s â€Å"Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock† and W. B. Yeats’s â€Å"Lake Isle of Innisfree† for a full appreciation of the ironic counterpointing of down-and-out urban images and those of an idealized pastoral landscape. At the same time, the poem also overflows with topical and literary allusions from the junkyard of nineteenth- and twentieth-century European and American culture. ambiguity Words and the texts they inhabit are susceptible of a variety of interpetations. While a word may denote one thing, usage and context often bring various connotations to bear on the meaning, or meanings, of that word in the poem. As the American poet Randall Jarrell explains in his essay â€Å"The Obscurity of the Poet† (in Poetry and the Age, 1953), what we speak of as literature ranges from Dante’s Divine Comedy, with its seven levels of meaning, to Reader’s Digest, which, Glossary of Poetic Terms 3 like pulp fiction and greeting-card verse, barely manages half a level of meaning. Sophisticated readers not only enjoy, but also demand a certain level of ambiguity, or mystery, in poems. They find such ambiguity in Shakespeare, who loved puns, double-entendre, and various kinds of wordplay; they find it also in such early Moderns as T. S. Eliot, W. B. Yeats, Ezra Pound, and Wallace Stevens, who were influenced by seventeenth-century Metaphysical poets and French Symbolist poets, for both of whom the poem retains something of the quality of a riddle. As a result of declining audiences, a general trend towards a democratization of the arts, and the pressure of new kinds of psychological and political content, the pendulum of taste since mid-century swung towards less ambiguity. While puns and worldplay still add to our sense of the fecundity and depth of poetic expression, contemporary poets admit that a rose may, at times, be intended only as a rose; and they tend to avoid the use of obscure and esoteric references. See Robert Graves’ Poetic Unreason (1925) and William Empson’s Seven Types of Ambiguity (1930). anapest A metrical foot consisting of two unaccented syllables followed by an accented one: / ? ? ? /. See METRE. anaphora The rhetorical device of using the same word or phrase at the beginning of successive lines to obtain the effect of incantation. See Ginsberg’s â€Å"Howl† and Cohen’s â€Å"You Have the Lovers† and â€Å"style†. apostrophe A literary device of â€Å"turning away†, usually to address a famous person or idea. In the classical Greek plays of Aeschylus and Euripides, the chorus would march across the stage in one direction chanting various stanzas, or strophes, and then reverse their motion in an anti-strophe, or verbal about-face. In twentiethcentury poetry, the apostrophe is just as likely to be used ironically, or for romantic or satirical purposes. rchetype When you sense that a literary character, situation, or idea has significance far beyond its specific, or particular, occasion in the poem, you are probably in the presence of an archetype. In an essay called â€Å"Blake’s Treatment of the Archetype† (English Institute Essays, 1950), Northrop Frye says: â€Å"By archetype I mean an element in a work of literature, whether a character, an image, a nar rative formula, or an idea, which can be assimilated into a larger unifying pattern. † Psychologist C. G. Jung, in an essay called â€Å"The Problem of Types in Poetry† (1923), gives another dimension to the matter: â€Å"The primordial image or archetype is a figure, whether it be a daemon, man, or process, that repeats itself in the course of history wherever creative fantasy is freely manifested. Essentially, therefore, it is a mythological figure. If we subject these images to a closer examination, we discover them to be the formulated resultants of countless typical experiences of our ancestors. They are, as it were, the psychic residue of numberless experiences of the same type. 4 20 -Century Poetry & Poetics th Sibling rivalry, the betrayed or rejected lover, the innocent abroad, the rebel, the fool, the seasonal cycles of rebirth, fertility, and death, the enchanter or enchantress—all are common characters or situations in literature that can deepen our appreciation of a work of art. However, the search for universal symbols can be reductive in the reading of a poe m; so, too, can excessive efforts to make a work symbolic or archetypal reduce a poem into a sociology text or an essay on psychology. ssonance Also called vocalic rhyme, assonance is the repetition or recurrence of vowel sounds within a line (or lines), a stanza, or the overall poem. Listen to the long vowels conjure expiration and death in Wilfred Owen’s â€Å"Greater Love†: â€Å"As theirs whom none now hear, / Now earth has stopped their piteous mouths that coughed. † Assonance is most obvious among words beginning with an open, or initial, vowel (open / eyes / eat / autumn), but equally powerful as an internal rhyming device (tears / mean, thine / divine). allad A popular short narrative folk song, usually transmitted orally, and making use of various forms of shorthand, including truncated action, psychological and historical sketchiness, and a chorus or refrain for heightened impact and easy memorizing. A direct link can be drawn between such early folk s ongs as â€Å"Barbara Ellen† and â€Å"The Skye Boat Song†, country western music, and such contemporary ballads such as â€Å"Frankie and Johnny†, Leonard Cohen’s â€Å"Suzanne†, and Stan Rogers’ â€Å"The Lockkeeper†. lank verse Unrhymed iambic pentameter verse has been a staple since it was introduced by Henry Howard, Earl of Surrey, around 1540 in his translations of Virgil’s Aeneid. Shakepeare and Christopher Marlowe both used blank verse in their plays; in poetry, Milton used it for Paradise Lost and Paradise Regained, Wordsworth for The Prelude, and T. S. Eliot for The Waste Land. Eliot claimed in Poetry in the Eighteenth Century (1930) that the decasyllabic (or ten-syllable) line was â€Å"intractably poetic† yet had many of the capacities of prose. As such, blank verse could be said to be a precursor of the prose poem, which seems more aligned with ordinary speech and the counting of syllables than with poetic meter. broken rhyme The dividing of a word between two lines to fulfill the requirements of rhyme: Madame had learned to waltz before the charge of falsehood had been laid . . . cadence When poet John Ciardi describes the poem as â€Å"a countermotion across a silence†, he comes close to defining cadence, which refers to the pattern of melody established from line to line that creates in the reader a sense of time slowed down Glossary of Poetic Terms 5 and palpable. While cadence originally referred to regular traditional poetic measures, in which syllables and feet could be counted and identified, the term has come to be used more in relation to irregular patterning, where stress and accent are much looser and determined primarily by phrasing and syntax. Cadence is what Ezra Pound was referring to when he spoke of composing with the musical phrase instead of the metronome. Also worth reading is Dennis Lee’s essay â€Å"Cadence, Country, Silence†, in which he employs the term broadly and with greater cultural import. See also MEASURE, MUSIC, RHYTHM, and SONG. caesura This term is used to refer to any substantial break or pause within the line, though it is most often found in lines of five or more feet. The caesura was a regular feature in Anglo-Saxon poetry, dividing the two alliterating units within the line, bluntly drawn in Earle Birney’s â€Å"Anglo-Saxon Street† or more subtly in Wilfred Owen’s â€Å"Arms and the Boy†: Let the boy try along this bayonet blade How cold steel is, and keen with hunger of blood; Blue with all malice, like a madman’s flash; And thinly drawn with famishing for flesh. anto While in the twentieth century the term is often used to mean, simply, a song or a ballad, the canto was originally a subdivision of epic or narrative, which provided both a simpler organizing principle for the creator of the long poem and a muchneeded respite for the singer during delivery. Ezra Pound draws on both meanings of the word when he calls his great epic-length series of meditations The Cantos. conceit When a METAPHOR or other FIGURE OF SPEECH is extended over many lines, it is called a conceit. oncreteness Concrete nouns referring to objects, such as lip, flint, hubcap, gunbarrel, wheel, smoke, sugar, and fingernail, seem capable of making their appeal through the senses. So, too, verbs, such as run, scream, chop, and lick. Concrete words activate the imagination and anchor poetry in the world of particulars. A gifted poet such as Samuel Johnson can use abstract words in such as way as to make them feel concrete, as in the line â€Å"stern famine guards the solitary coast†, where the abstract idea is given the quality of ternness, the action of guarding, and a spatial location. e. e. cummings concretized abstractions in much the same way: â€Å"love is more thicker than forget, / more thinner than recall / more seldom than a wave is wet / more frequent than to fail†. concrete poetry This name was first applied in the twentieth century to works that exploit the visual and auditory limits of poetry, ranging from contemporary â€Å"visual puns† back to a seventeenth-century â€Å"shape-poem† whose typography was de- 6 20 -Century Poetry & Poetics th ployed to create the image of an altar. Since so much of the power of poetry is derived from sound—from rhythmical patterns, the residue of recurring vowels and consonants—it’s hardly surprising to find poets who break words into component syllables and letters, downplaying the intellectual dimension of poetry and emphasizing, instead, the psychic energy to be found in the acoustic dimension of language. See the notes on, and poems and poetics by, bpNichol, as well as An Anthology of Concrete Poetry (1967), edited by Emmett Williams, ed. consonance Consonance is the repetition of consonants in words or syllables with differing vowels: winter / water / went / waiter. See, for example, Wilfred Owen’s â€Å"Strange Meeting†, which proceeds with a series of consonantal half rhymes: escaped / scooped, groined / groaned, moan / mourn. content The substance or subject matter of a poem, as opposed to its style or manner, is what we usually refer to when we speak of content. But content cannot, properly, be discussed apart from form. A poet may begin to write a poem, broadly speaking, about war, love, or beach-combing; however, as soon as his or her thought begins to take shape as poetic language, as form, it is so transformed by the process that it bears little or no relation to the original impulse. Ideas or anecdotes that find their way into a poem are not the poem’s content, though they are certainly germaine to its overall impact. In fact, everything in the poem contributes to what we might call its content. Poets have reacted strongly to attempts to oversimplify their work or reduce it to a generalization or two. Archibald MacLeish argued that â€Å"A poem should not mean, but be. † Most poets believe that the poem is its own meaning. Robert Creeley insisted that content and form are indivisible, and rejected â€Å"any descriptive act . . . which leaves the attention outside the poem†. It’s probably most useful to stop asking what a poem means and begin to consider, as John Ciardi suggests in his book title, How Does A Poem Mean? If you begin to examine the formal and technical elements in a poem, the ways in which certain effects are achieved, you are more likely to arrive at a point of understanding and appreciation of the poem far beyond any simple statement about its content. See also DICTION, FORM, PROSODY. couplet The couplet—two lines of verse, usually rhymed—is one of the most common and useful verse forms in English and Chinese poetry. The couplet’s brevity encourages a pithy, epigrammatic quality; its two-line split provides a fulcrum which lends itself to argumentative summary and generalization, as in Alexander Pope’s â€Å"Know then thyself, presume not God to scan; / The proper study of mankind is man†. Closed couplets such as Pope’s or Dryden’s, which use mostly iambic pentameter lines and complete their thought with the final end-rhyme, are also called heroic couplets, a form that dominated the eighteenth-century English neoclassical period. Glossary of Poetic Terms 7 The couplet has many uses, as a concentrating unit within the poem or as a separate stanza form. Shakespeare used the couplet to conclude his sonnets forcefully. See also GHAZAL. dactyl A metrical foot consisting of an accented syllable followed by two unaccented syllables: / ? ? ? /. See FOOT and METER. diction Word choice. The French poet Verlaine felt the need to remind us that poems are made of words, not ideas. This is useful to think about, since poems are often spoken and written of as if they were chunks of autobiography, representations of nature, or little treatises on how to conduct, or not to conduct, our lives. Words are magical. When nature, experience, or ideas—any of which may give rise to a poem—pass through the rucible of language, they are transformed, as surely as white light is split into a spectrum of colour when it passes through a prism. Words, similarly, slow and alter those non-linguistic elements that endeavour to use or pass through them; that’s one reason poems, stories, and other verbal texts give us the impression of time slowe d down, of felt time. Words and the ideas they carry fly rather quickly through the brain, but when you speak or hear them you become aware of being immersed in another element, like a diver suddenly encountering water. These considerations are central to postmodern poetics, which seeks to remind us that the poem is not a mirror of nature or a window through which we see the natural world, or so-called reality, but rather a verbal reality in its own right. When the word, or language in general, is foregrounded, poetry ceases to be simply a vehicle for conveying pictures of, and passing on information about, quotidian reality; it aspires, instead, to the condition of other arts such as music and painting, where representation and referentiality are not the only, or even the primary, concern. In a sense, words are the poet’s paint, his or her primary medium. Coleridge once spoke of poetry as â€Å"the best words in the best order†. He was using the word best in the sense of most appropriate in a specific context, not with the idea that certain kinds of words are forbidden or inherently better or worse than others, though the choice would have its own moral significance. Words are dirty with meaning and can never be washed clean; we use them for ordinary discourse, to sell lawnmowers, to deliver sermons, and to make political speeches. As Joseph Conrad once wrote, using the Archimedean metaphor: Give me the right word or phrase and I will move the world. M. H. Abrams reminds us that diction can be described as â€Å"abstract or concrete, Latinate or Anglo-Saxon, colloquial or formal, technical or common, literal or figurative†, to which we might add archaic, plain, elevated. See CONCRETENESS and WORD, and also Owen Barfield’s Poetic Diction (1952) and Winnifred Nowottny’s The Language Poets Use (1962). 8 20 -Century Poetry & Poetics th idactic While classical and neo-classical poetics argue that poetry should both teach and delight, in didactic poems the teaching function tends to override the imaginative. Such works, often dismissed as propaganda, recall Yeats’s distinction, that his argument with the world produced only rhetoric, whereas his argument with himself resulted in poetry. And yet all great works are overtly or covertly didactic, whether they teach us indirectly and sublimina lly through the senses (by way of imagery and patterns of sound) or by arguing transparently. And, of course, all art, while it may not be a blatant call to arms, is an effort to persuade us to view the world differently. dimetre A line of verse consisting of two feet. dissonance An effect of harshness or discordance in a poem, often achieved by combining rhythmical irregularity and a jarring concentration of consonants. distich A COUPLET. dramatic monologue Unlike the soliloquy, in which a character on stage reveals his or her inner thoughts by â€Å"thinking aloud†, the dramatic monologue assumes and addresses an audience of one or more people. In the process of addresing this audience, the speaker of the dramatic monologue manages to confess, or simply reveal, a character flaw, a dread deed, or an impending crisis. Robert Browning pioneered the form in poems such as â€Å"My Last Duchess†, â€Å"Andrea del Sarto†, and â€Å"Fra Lippo Lippi†, but it has been used by Tennyson in â€Å"Ulysses†, by Eliot in â€Å"The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock†, and by many contemporary writers. duration The length of acoustic or phonetic phenomena such as syllables. According to linguists, the sounds we produce when we speak have pitch, loudness, quality, and duration. Aside from grammatical and syntactical considerations, the pacing in, or the speed at which we read, a poem is largely determined by the length of time it takes to enunciate syllables, lines, and stanzas. Short vowels speed up the poem; long vowels slow it down. See also MEASURE, MUSIC, PROSODY, RHYTHM, and SONG. elegy Originally a specifically metered Greek or Roman form, the elegy has come to refer generally to a sustained meditation on mutability or a formal lament on the death of a specific person. The conventional pastoral elegy included a rural setting, with shepherds and flowers (all nature mourning), an invocation to the muse, a procession, and a final consolation. Classics such as Milton’s â€Å"Lycidas†, Thomas Gray’s â€Å"Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard†, and Shelley’s â€Å"Adonais† are clearly the chief source and influence on such contemporary elegies as W. H. Auden’s â€Å"In Memory of W. B. Yeats†, Michael Ondaatje’s â€Å"Letters & Other Worlds†, Seamus Heaney’s â€Å"Requiem for the Croppies†, and so many of the poems of Adrienne Rich, Denise Levertov, Lorna Crozier and Michael Longley. In fact, one Glossary of Poetic Terms 9 might safely say that the elegiac tone is dominant in English poetry from Beowulf to the present. enjambment A means of escaping the limitations and rigidity of the end-stopped line or closed couplet, enjambment occurs when a sentence or thought carries over from one line to the next. The enjambed line, with its greater freedom and flexibility, has served to focus a great deal of attention on the position of line-breaks in twentiethcentury poetry. See LINE-BREAKS and also Al Purdy’s poem â€Å"The Cariboo Horses†. pic While the epic, or heroic, poem such as Homer’s Iliad and Odsyssey or the AngloSaxon classic Beowulf—each with its elevated style, tribal or national struggles, invocations to the muse, occasional use of the supernatural, and cast of important, or exalted, figures—belongs to an earlier age, it has not lost its appeal to poets of later ages. From Dante’s Divine Comedy, Spenser’s F? r ie Queene, Milton’s Paradise Lost, and Dryden’s and Pope’s mock epic satires to such contemporary long poems as Pound’s The Cantos, W. C. Williams’s Paterson, Atwood’s The Journals of Susanna Moodie, and Ondaatje’s The Collected Works of Billy the Kid, the long, or extended, poem has provided an alternative to the limited scope, self-directedness and, perhaps, too intense heat of the lyric. See LONG POEM and NARRATIVE. epigram A short, witty poem or statement, seldom more than four lines long, whose form dates back to Roman epigrammatist Martial. Alexander Pope’s poems are full of condensed witticisms that might be displayed as separate epigrams: â€Å"To err is human; to forgive, divine†. ye-rhyme An eye-rhyme features words or syllables that look alike but are pronounced differently: come / home; give / contrive. feminine ending While it may no longer be politically correct, this term is still used in criticism to refer to a line that ends with one or more unstressed syllables. Far from suggesting weakness or passivity, feminine endings are more flexible and colloquial, and their in formality and irregularity have been especially useful in dramatic blank verse. feminine rhyme A two-syllable (or disyllabic) rhyme, usually a stressed syllable followed by an unstressed syllable: witness / fitness. igurative language When language is heightened so that it moves beyond ordinary, or literal, usage, it is said to be figurative. These figures, figures of speech, or tropes (â€Å"turns†), as they are sometimes called, include simile, metaphor, personification, hyperbole, paradox, and pun. An extended figure of speech is called a CONCEIT. 10 20 -Century Poetry & Poetics th figure A group of words that evoke the senses by transcending ordinary usage. Consider, for example, Gloucester’s comment in Richard III: â€Å"Now is the winter of our discontent / Made glorious summer by the sun of York†. oot In A Poet’s Dictionary: Handbook of Prosody and Poetic Devices (1989), William Packard provides an interesting account of the origin of the metrical foot: When the Greeks described poetry as â€Å"numbers†, they were alluding to certain conspicuous elements of verse that could be counted off: â€Å"feet† were strong dance steps that could be measured out in separate beats of a choral ode or strophe or refrain. These â€Å"feet† could then be scanned for repeating patter ns of syllable quantities, either long or short, within strophes and antistrophes of a chorus. Greek metrics, then, did not derive from accent or stress but rather from the elongation required in the pronunciation of certain vowels and syllable lengths. Instead of the quantitative designation of long and short syllables, we now use the terms stressed and unstressed, or accented and unaccented to describe the components of the poetic foot, which is essentially a group of two or more syllables that form a metrical unit in a line of verse. The most common feet are the iambic (/ ? ? /), an unstressed followed by a stressed syllable (delight); the trochaic (/ ? /), a stressed followed by an unstressed syllable (action); the anapestic (/ ? ? ? /), two unstressed syllables followed by a stressed one (interrupt); the dactylic (/ ? ? ? /), a stressed syllable followed by two unstressed ones (comforting); and the spondaic (/ ? ? /), two stressed syllables (handbook). Other feet include the pyrrhic (/ ? ? /), one or more unstressed syllables; the amphibrachic (/ ? ? ? /), one unstressed, one stressed, one unstressed; the bacchic (/ ? ? ? /), one unstressed followed by two stressed; and the chorimabic (/ ? ? ? /), a stressed, two unstressed, and a stressed. See METER. form Form in poetry is no less intriguing and no less difficult to define and describe than form in the other arts. We can easily identify obvious elements of form, such as rhyme schemes, metrical patterns, stanza-lengths, and traditional modes like the sonnet and sestina; but the intricacies of language, timing, syntax, counterpoint, verbal play—those elements that contribute to the formal beauty and power of a poem—require some training and considerable attention. However, in an essay called â€Å"Admiration of Form: Reflections on Poetry and the Novel† (Brick / 34), poet and critic C. K. Williams offers some useful thoughts, reminding us that, among other things, form and content are inextricably allied: The important thing about form, though, is its artificiality. In English poetry, the historically dominant iambic foot is closely related to the actual movement of the voice in our language between stressed and unstressed syllables, but the regularity of the iambic line, and the five beats of the pentameter, for instance, are purely conventional. In irregular, or â€Å"free†, verse, where the Glossary of Poetic Terms 11 cadences are not regular, and not counted, it is what Galway Kinnell has called the â€Å"rhythmic surge†, which defies and controls the movement of language across its grid of artifice; the line in free verse becomes a much more defining factor of formal organization than in more arithmetical versetraditions. The crucial thing about form is that its necessities, though they are conventions, precede in importance the expressive or analytical demands of the work. Although a poem may to a greater or less degree seem to be driven by its content, in fact all the decisions a poet makes about a work finally have to be made in reference to the conventions which have been accepted as defining the formal nature of that work. If a ompelling experience is conveyed in a verse drama, if an interesting philosophical speculation occurs in a lyric poem, if a poem involves itself in an intricate and apparently entirely engrossing narrative adventure, these are secondary, although simultaneous with, the formal commitments of the work, and they must be embodied within the terms of those commitments, although in the end these almost playful divisions of an experienitial continuum, whether in the structures of a musical mode, or the pulse and surge of a poetic line, will mysteriously serve to intensify the emo tion and the meaning which the work evokes. I should mention, perhaps, that the dour and puritanical and ferociously self-serving â€Å"new formalism† has nothing to do with the notion of form I am elaborating here: the new formalism is rather a kind of conceptual primitivism which seems to gather most of its propulsive force from a distorted and jealous vision of the literary marketplace; it calls for a return to the good old safe and easily accounted-for systems of verse, with counted meters, rhyme, and so forth. All despite the generation over the last few centuries, from Smart to Blake through Whitman and countless others, of an enormous amount of significant poetry in non-traditional forms; and despite the fact that many verse-systems in the world require neither rhyme nor strictly counted meter, and despite the practice of many modern poets, who have been quite content to use whatever verse-form fitted the poem they were composing. One would not want to sacrifice either Rilke’s â€Å"Duino Elegies† or Lowell’s â€Å"Life Studies†, just to mention two poets who worked in both systems. In his essay â€Å"Rebellion and Art† (in The Rebel, 1956), Albert Camus argues that â€Å"A work in which the content overflows the form, or in which form drowns the content, only bespeaks an unconvinced and unconvincing unity. . . . Great style is invisible stylization, or rather stylization incarnate. † See PROSODY, STRUCTURE, and STYLE, and also Denise Levertovâ⠂¬â„¢s â€Å"Notes on Organic Form† in the Poetics section. free verse Poetry written with a persistently irregular meter (which is not to say without rhythm) and often in irregular line-lengths. The King James translations of 12 20 -Century Poetry & Poetics th the Psalms and Song of Songs are often held up as models of how dynamic nonmetrical poetry can be. Ezra Pound advised composing with the rhythms of the speaking-voice sounding in your ear, rather than the regular beat of the metronome; Robert Frost insisted that writing free verse was like playing tennis without a net; and T. S. Eliot claimed that no verse is free for the poet who wants to do a good job. All three were concerned to emphasize that, whether regular or irregular, the music of poetry bears close scrutiny, for it accounts for much of our pleasure as readers and, far from being incidental or decorative, is fundamental to our total experience of the poem. See LINES-BREAKS, METER, MUSIC, RHYTHM, PROSODY, and SONG. ghazal A Middle Eastern lyric, most commonly associated with the fourteenth-century Persian poet Hafiz. The ghazal consists of five to twelve closed couplets, often using the same rhyme. These seemingly disconnected couplets about love and wine are held together not by a narrative or rhetorical thread, but by a heightened tone or emotional intensity. Not surprisingly, the apparently random or non-rational structuring of the ghazal has proven attractive to twentieth-century poets as diverse as as John Thompson (Stilt Jack), Phyllis Webb (Water & Light), and Adrienne Rich. hexameter A line of verse consisting of six feet. hyperbole A figure of speech that involves extremes of exaggeration: big as a house, dumb as a doornail. ambic pentameter A line consisting of five iambic feet. Iambic pentameter is considered the poetic rhythm most basic to English speech. See FOOT and METER. image Ezra Pound described the image as â€Å"that which presents an intellectual and emotional complex in an instant of time†. Other poets have spoken of images as concentrations of linguistic energy directed at the senses. The image is a controversial term, which has often been used to mean, simply, a verbal picture; however, the poetic image may also conjure things, events, and people in our minds by appealing to senses other than sight. Images are so central to language that, in the line a brown cow leapt over the fence, which constitutes a composite image, we also find four discrete images: a cow, a fence, the act of leaping, and brownness. Imagery, along with prosody, is one of the two central ingredients of poetry; and its evocative power cannot be divorced from the texture of sounds through which it is delivered. Specific images seem more likely to stimulate the senses than images that are generic (tree, animal, machine). The difference between a line such as â€Å"I think that I shall never see / A poem as lovely as a tree† and the following—â€Å"Don’t hang your bones from the branch / of that gnarled oak, exuding elegies. / The chihuahua’s waiting in the Daimler†Ã¢â‚¬â€has as much to do with diction and specificity of image as with the difference between metrical and non-metrical verse. Glossary of Poetic Terms 13 Imagism A poetic movement in England and the US between 1909 and 1917, which reacted against the discursiveness, sentimentality, and philosophizing of late nineteenth-century poetry by trying to focus on the single image.

Spring exam

First Line Managers – supervise people who perform non-managerial duties Middle Managers – oversee the work of large departments or divisions Top Managers – guide the performance of the organization as a whole or of one of its major parts Governance – is the oversight of top management by a board of directors or a board of trustees Accountability – is the requirement so show performance results too supervisor The upside-Down Pyramid – view puts customers at the top of the organization by being served by workers who are supported by the managers below them Social Capital – Is the capacity to attract support and help from others In order to get things done. Emotional Intelligence – Is the ability to manage ourselves and our relationships effectively Conceptual Skill – Is the ability to think analytically and solve complex problems 1 . Self-Awareness ? understanding moods and emotions 2. Self-Regulation – thinking bef ore acting; controlling disruptive impulses 3. Motivation – working hard and persevering 4. Empathy – understanding the emotions of others 5.Social Skills – gaining rapport and building good relationships Global Sourcing – involves contracting for work that is performed in other countries Corporate Governance – is the oversight of a company's management by a board of directors Glass Ceiling Effect – an invisible barrier limiting career advancement of women and minorities Intellectual Capital – is the collective brainpower or shared knowledge of a workforce (Competency x Commitment = Intellectual Capital) Self-Management – is the ability to understand oneself, exercise initiative, accept responsibility and learn from experience ME – Chi. Critical Thinking – the ability to perceive situations, gather and interpret relevant information, and make decisions Sustainable Competitive Advantage – is an ability to ou tperform rivals in ways that are difficult to imitate Corporate Strategy – sets long- term direction for the total enterprise Business Strategy – identifies how a division or strategic business unit will compete in its product or service domain Functional Strategy – guides activities within one specific area of operations Growth Through Concentration – means expansion within an existing business area Growth ThroughDiversification – means expansion by entering related or new business areas Growth Through Vertical Integration – occurs by acquiring suppliers or distributors Retrenchment Strategy – changes operations to correct weaknesses Liquation – occurs when a business sells Its assets to pay creditors Restructuring – reduces the scale or mix of operations Divestiture – Involves selling off parts of the organization to refocus attention on core business areas Strategic Alliance – organizations Join together In partnership to pursue an area of mutual interest Co-petition – is the strategy of working with rivals n projects of mutual benefit business Strategy -strategically uses the internet to gain competitive advantage Scrounging – is strategic use of the internet to engage customers and potential customers in providing opinions and suggestions on implementing strategies Differentiation Strategy – offers products that are unique and different from those of the competition Cost Leadership Strategy – seeks to operate with lower costs than competitors Focused Differentiation Strategy – offers a unique product to a special market segment Focused Cost Leadership Strategy – seeks the lowest costs of operations within a special market segment Strategic Leadership – inspires people to implement organizational strategies Strategic Control – makes sure strategies are scrapped or changed ME – Chi. 9 Colonization – is the proces s through which new members learn the culture of an organization Observable Culture – is what you see and hear when walking around an organization Core Culture – is found in the underlying values of the organization Symbolic Leader – uses language and symbols and actions to establish and maintain a desired organizational culture.

Liquidity Measurement Ratios

TESTS , the basic findings to be focused are the ratio analysis to generate company's profitability, liquidity and asset management. First of all let us focus on the liquidity measurement ratios that proves company's solvency In repaying debts and other liabilities. In comparison of 2013 & 2014, the Interpretation from current ratio can be drawn as higher the current ratio higher the capability of paying obligations. Here in our study the current ratio In 2013 Is less than 1 that Indicates the company has problems of paying.Comparatively In 2014 the ratio Is greater than 1 . The indication Is quite good. The quick ratio meets company's short term liabilities. The higher the ratio, higher the company's ability for repaying short term liableness. Here for both the year 2013 the quick ratio In associate with the current ratio Is almost zero. It has negative effect on company but for 2014 the quick ratio Is better. It Indicates company Is In good liquidly position and It has 2. 5 lulls a ssets to cover its current liability. Now In the phase of profitability analysis return on asset is better in 201 3 than 2014. E higher return on asset Shows Company earning more with less investment. If we look at the return on capital employed the 2014 data shows higher value than the 2013. It signifies company is employing its capital appropriately and generating shareholders value. From the above discussion we can conclude company's position from 2013 to 2014 is better irrespective of its solvency and capital generation as well as profitability growth. For forecasting companies income statement we can use few assumptions like revenue assumption,operating expenses, cost of revenue, operating margin assumption.By following the record for the past data the future income statement can be predicted. If we discuss them one by one we can have a clear idea. For revenue if we analyses the past year records it can be noticed its fluctuation year by year. In 2012 the company having higher position in revenue than its position from 2013 & 14. By observing the operating expenses we can have the higher data in 2014 than 201 3 and in 2012 the lowest data. The operating expenses shows in which area the company can curtail its expenses before damaging the company situation.

Menopausal Symptoms can be controlled, the Natural Way, with Vitamin D Thesis

Menopausal Symptoms can be controlled, the Natural Way, with Vitamin D and E - Thesis Example The symptoms can start to show up many years earlier (MedlinePlus). A Gallup poll of menopausal women conducted in 2002 revealed the four major reasons for medical attention as hot flashes (70%), night sweats (68%), mood disturbances (50%), and sleep disturbances (48%) (Utian, 2005). An estimated 75% to 85% of menopausal women experience vasomotor symptoms such as hot flashes and night sweats (Ohayon, 2006; Umland, 2008). The pathophysiology of hot flashes is uncertain but it is widely accepted that a dysfunction of the central thermoregulatory centers e.g., hypothalamus caused by certain factors might lead to hot flashes (Shansfelt et al., 2002). Diminishing level of circulating estrogen as a result of waning ovarian function during menopause is believed to cause a narrowing of the thermoregulatory threshold between sweating and shivering in the hypothalamus, leading to hot flashes (North American Menopause Society, NAMS, 2004; Mayo Clinic, 2009). Also, according to Mayo Clinic (200 9), rather than low estrogen levels alone, it could be the withdrawal of estrogen occurring during menopause that causes hot flashes. This is in agreement with the observation that hot flashes are predominant at the initial stages of menopause and do not usually continue throughout the postmenopausal period despite circulating estrogens being low (Sturdee, 2008). Norepinephrine and serotonin have also been implicated in the complex neuroendocrine pathway controlling the thermoregulatory zone (Shanafelt et al., 2002). Hot flashes involve the sudden onset of uncomfortable sensation of intense warmth beginning in the chest and moving to the neck and face, or spreading throughout the body. Anxiety, palpitations, profuse sweating, and red blotching of the skin are accompanying symptoms. Among the women experiencing hot flashes, the severity was reported as mild by 50% of the women, moderate by about 33% of the subjects, and 15% had severe hot flashes (Ohayon et al., 2006). Hot flashes ca n have an adverse effect on a woman’s work capacity, social well being, sleep pattern besides her general perception of health (Shansfelt et al., 2002). More than 81% of women experiencing severe hot flashes regularly had symptoms of chronic insomnia as well (Ohayon et al., 2006) since hot flashes often occur at night and cause sleep disruption. It has recently been observed by Szmuilowicz and Manson (2011) that menopausal hot flashes could be a good sign for the heart. Their study reviewed medical information gathered from 60,000 women who were enrolled in the Women's Health Initiative Observational Study and followed for ten years, to determine the relationship between menopause symptoms and cardiovascular events. According to these authors, women who experience severe hot flashes and night sweats may have a lower risk for cardiovascular disease, stroke and death. Their study also revealed that women who experienced symptoms at initial stages of menopause had fewer cardiova scular events than those who experienced hot flashes late in menopause or not at all. The results reported by Szmuilowicz and Manson (2011) assume much importance since menopausal symptoms, being the result of instability of the blood vessels in the skin, have been thought to cause other types of vascular problems as well in women suffering from hot flashes. Vaginal atrophy or the thinning of the vaginal lining

Consumer behaviour Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Consumer behaviour - Essay Example Currently, many people are concerned with healthy living and healthy eating. Therefore, most will prefer to spend on salads than on fast foods, which are unhealthy. In addition, those who want to obtain their ideal self-image of a slim physique will also make a choice of what to purchase depending on their goals. These will prefer salads due to their nutritional value, and the fact that these are healthy to eat (Solomon, Zaichkowsky & Polegato, 2011). External factors influencing sale of pre-packaged salads include family decision and influence or opinions of groups. Some families have working mothers who do not have sufficient time to spend in the kitchen preparing salads; therefore, pre-packaged salad comes in handy. In addition, most students lack time for the kitchen, so, they will prefer to buy pre-packaged salad as a timesaving strategy. The factor of buying and disposing mainly affects single consumers who cannot buy and prepare salad for a single meal, as most will be disposed, thus going to waste. Therefore, such consumers will buy the pre-packaged salad, which comes in different quantities, and which does not go bad easily when it is left over (Solomon, Zaichkowsky & Polegato, 2011). It is more likely that the sale of pre-packaged salads will continue to grow in the coming years. This is because people are continuously being made aware of healthy eating for better lives. Many people are therefore, drifting from fast foods and processed foods to the more natural foods, including vegetables and fruits. In addition, research shows that most young women are getting an education, therefore, most future mothers will be working mothers, with knowledge in healthy eating, thus these are more likely to purchase pre-packaged vegetables, because of its convenience and health value. To increase the sale of pre-packaged vegetables, the concerned companies need to invest in more advertising. This is to make more consumers

To what extent does contemporary critical media theory illuminate the Essay

To what extent does contemporary critical media theory illuminate the recent mass media coverage of the local government led mil - Essay Example Advancement in communication technologies have worked towards changing the very connotation of power play in global politics, the strategies used in global politics for achieving objectives, and the type and number of players in the global political processes. Owing to the transformations brought in by the new age media, governments worldwide have been deprived of their monopolist control on dissemination of information, while individuals, activists and various other non-state actors have sprung into prominence within international relations, as regards conflict or warfare resolution. At present both state and non-state actor are looking towards using soft power that amalgamates diplomacy with soft power, and works towards changing the advantages of soft power into tangible activities (Nye, 2004, 4-5). In the contemporary form of media communication, the critical theory plays an important role in criticising the applied principles in any unfolding event (like the role played by the n ational government during a civil war), in order to judge the situation and bring about a positive change. Despite, the importance of critical media during the time of conflict/warfare and peace resolution, the area remains neglected by modern researchers, with major focus being given to the adverse effects of media in starting a conflict (Hume, 2000). This is owing to the fact that mass media, like television, radio played a major role in fomenting violent conflicts in various parts of the world like, Bosnia and Rwanda (Malley, 2009). The negative effects were also observed in the Danish cartoon controversy where media gave rise to a violent conflict within the Islamic world. A majority of the researchers have observed that the media tends to aggravate conflict situations with recommendations that media must reverse its role and contribute positively towards conflict resolution and transitional justice phase (Gilboa, 2009). In this context, we will examine the role of media, during times of conflict and during the post-civil war transitional phase, and examine it under the lens of contemporary critical media theory, with special focus on the recently concluded government led military warfare in Sri Lanka. Discussion Critical theories in human communication The classical theory of Marxism: In the twentieth century political realms, Marxism based social theory (loosely based on notions theorised by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels) formed to be one of the most important pillars of social sciences, that in theory defied the controlling social order (as regards, the contemporary ideological, political and economic orders). This is evident in The Communist Manifesto  published in 1848 where Marx contended that within the realms of society, the ways of production decides the nature of the social order. They further theorised that economy (along with its institutions) forms to be the basic social structure (simple-base superstructure). In capitalist social orders ec onomic profits motivates production and those that make profits control the worker classes. To obtain liberation the workers must rise against the prevailing economic order, the associated institutions and the dominant

Construction Best Practice Programme Assignment

Construction Best Practice Programme - Assignment Example Human Resource Evaluation: is the evaluation of current employees to assess suitability to current job and skill requirement in terms of interests, skills, experiences and overall abilities. Job analysis & Design: Involves the restructuring of an organization to optimize its human resource, to best meet the possible forecast requirements for human resources for any project. Analysis of Internal Availability: The organization reviews the availability of its current employees before deployment to a project. Job descriptions & Specifications. Employees with the most suitable skills and capabilities are shortlisted for deployment, with a degree of flexibility to mitigate unforeseeable risks. Training and development. Providing project-specific training to shortlisted employees Impact of Human Resources deployment planning Technical performance: An ability to meet technical requirements of the project. Technological innovativeness: The team on site is able to meet challenges to problems technical in and find solutions that are fast, efficient and cost-effective. Project efficiency in execution: Overall improved adherence to time and cost projections for the project. Team performance: is effective towards reducing risk, streamlining decision making, improved information exchange and a higher level of motivation achieved through teamwork. Possible Difficulties in this process Methods to negate problems / difficulties Ill-trained personnel deployed to site. Deployment only after appropriate training and vetting of skillsets Attrition of personnel during project attrition Project continuity assured through teamwork, where contingencies in terms... Evaluation of the effectiveness of human and material resource control can be done setting up and analyzing KPIs for all the different stakeholders in a project; the clients, contractors, workers, consultants and the suppliers. Benchmarks, both internal and external, assist in evaluating performance of all stakeholders in the project. Criticality of the activity. Monitoring is more extensive and frequent for activities that are an important part of the Project Critical path, to the extent that all activities that lead up to it are also monitored extensively to mitigate any potential risks in the timely execution of these activities. Time frame and sub-components of the activity. An activity that has several components that have to come together over, say, a 36 hr period, shall be monitored at the beginning and end of each component sub-activity. Criticality: Installation is a 36 hour process, and factors like availability of the crane, completion of chiller platforms on terrace, completion of housing nuts, presenc

Outsourcing IT Servises Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Outsourcing IT Servises - Essay Example Another form of outsourcing is based on salary cost arbitrage that takes place between national economies when a company will seek to contract with another business abroad where the labor costs are cheaper, so that cost savings will be gained in the overall organization. Some companies may establish overseas branches of their company and hire employees directly in the foreign market, but this is technically different than outsourcing on a business-to-business basis. In this context, most companies perform a cost analysis on the savings that can be gained through outsourcing by comparing local salaries and the internal requirements for managing the services with the quoted rate of the outsourcing company for the same work. The labor arbitrage through outsourcing may also include tax savings, a reduced requirement of benefit payments, or lower insurance costs for the company. Thus, in software development and hardware maintenance, the quality of the outsourcing services provided by for eign or offshore companies who provide the same service as local companies is critical and determinant as to whether outsourcing actually makes sense for a business. If the company cannot receive a quality of service from the outsourcing company that they can receive from local employees, it will generally not make sense for the company to pursue an outsourcing business model because the overall operations will suffer if there is a weak link in the organization. However, if the IT services such as medical software programming, computerized physician order entry (CPOE), and hardware maintenance can all be acquired from outsourcing companies in the U.S. or abroad at the same quality or higher and simultaneously a lower cost, then it does make sense to pursue outsourcing as a business model. Because some outsourcing companies are specializing in hiring highly skilled and trained staff for the employment positions, it is also possible to outsource abroad with the same level of quality o r higher than local staff, and to save significant operating costs in doing so. Outsourcing can potentially save billions of dollars in costs from within the U.S. healthcare system, but if quality is compromised in pursuit of greater profits or budgetary savings, the people who are being served by the business will not be satisfied or happy. (Rand, 2005) b) What component of IT services in your current organization makes the most sense to target as an early candidate for outsourcing? Why? Our organization is currently focusing on going live with a 50 person, outsourced Computerized Physician Order Entry (CPOE) program that is expected to save considerable costs for the hospital annually while still providing the same quality of service expected by doctors and patients alike. CPOE is ideal for outsourcing as it involves the digitalization of medical records that are linked to a master database of records in the IT department. The core skill required by the outsourcing team is the abi lity to quickly and accurately transcribe hand-written doctor notes and prescriptions, to archive these documents with the appropriate patient records, and also to forward the transcriptions to other offices within the medical network. In this manner, the skills

Internet Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

Internet Law - Essay Example Before embarking upon the topic under study, it would be advisable to precisely define intellectual property. The term intellectual property simply refers to the assets that are the outcome of the intellect or ideas of an individual or a group of individuals, which solely belongs to the author or the individual on the one hand, and the organisation to whom its rights have been sold or delegated by the individual creating the intellectual property, and these types of intellectual property can either be tangible or intangible. The term Intellectual Property (IP) reflects the idea that its subject matter is the product of the mind or the intellect.'These could be in the form of Patents; Trademarks; Geographical Indications; Industrial Designs; Layout-Designs (Topographies) of Integrated Circuits; Plant Variety Protection and Copyright.'1 Intellectual property act 1994 has determined two major types of intellectual property, which include i) Copyright and ii) Industrial property. Copyright consists of sections of art and literature including prose work, poems, lyrics, drama, novel, narrative, thesis, presentation, articles, essays, broachers, film, paintings, sculptures, drawings, photographs, musical tones and songs, printing material, publications, architectural and audio-visual works. Rafique defines copyright in these words: "Copyright is given to the first producer of a book irrespective of the fact whether that book is wise or foolish, accurate or inaccurate, or of literary merits or no merit whatever". 2 Modern technology has given a go to the introduction and implementation of new laws in order to settle the problems and issues appeared on the basis of information technology. The use or misuse of such property without the prior permission of the creator of the intellectual property is strictly prohibited under the intellectual property act. Intellectual Property Act aims to protect the rights of the owners and creators of the property and assets. The World intellectual Property Organization defines intellectual property in these words: "Intellectual property refers to creations of the mind: inventions, literary and artistic works, and symbols, names, images, and designs used in commerce." 3 Almost all the organisations whether large of small, national or multinational, and industrial or artistic develop logos, draw designs and introduce some specific names that serve as the identity mark of the company. Intellectual property is the identity mark of an individual, a company, an organisation or an industry, over which the creator contains complete and unconditional rights. The same is applied in respect of domain names and other rights created in the aftermath of technological advancements and hi-tech revolution. The statute of law provides protection to such property in favour of the originator, and claim over this type of property without referencing to the devisor is against the statute of law and liable to be punishment. Copyright Act, Trademark Ordinance and Patents Ordinance provide protection to

The War On Drug Dealing Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The War On Drug Dealing - Assignment Example I. Community policingEffective community policing involves some steps. the first thing to do towards achieving an effective community policing structure is to first educate the people on the manifest dangers of continued drug use and abuse. It is generally known that before there are drug use and abuse, there is drug dealing. it would be appropriate to conduct civic education to get people to know how drug abuse can be destructive to a country’s economy. The economy is derailed when there many people who are engaged in constructive activities that generate income. It generates more dependency and the dependency syndrome puts pressure on an economy, weighing it down. Drug use also leads to rising in vices like robbery with violence, rape etc. once people are made aware of all that, they take up the community policing on drug dealing and abuse as a matter of socio-economic importance and thus will report the crime as and when they are perpetrated. The benefits of the community p olicing approach include the following:A. Engages the people and makes them know the problems they have when the drug problem continuesB. Making people know that if their neighbor’s child reforms from the drug problem, then their own child is safe because nobody is likely to influence and lure them into drug abuseC. Discussing the drug abuse and addiction problem with the people makes it easy for them to relate the vice to slow pace of economic growth and the moral and social decay the societies grapple with today

How Venture Capitalists Evaluate Potential Venture Opportunities Essay

How Venture Capitalists Evaluate Potential Venture Opportunities - Essay Example The product is analyzed to determine if the product can produce a competitive advantage. The technology is examined to ascertain if it is a new item that can demand market share or is the technology and improvement over existing products. Although all four of the venture capitalists analyze the team, or specifically the people involved in the company, they differ on which aspect of the team they place a greater emphasis. Some venture capitalists place more emphasis on the founder, or entrepreneur, of the product or technology and other place more importance on the management team. The other item that venture capitalists differ is the stage of product development. Some venture capitalists prefer a new product or technology and some prefer to look at products that are currently inexistence. Venture capitalists are mostly focused on the tactical aspects of the company with which they want to invest. They examine the potential revenue stream of the product versus the strategy to achieve the market share. The venture capitalists analyze the tactical aspects of the market and

Christmas - 8th Grade Expository Example Essay Example for Free

Christmas 8th Grade Expository Example Essay â€Å"City sidewalks, busy sidewalks dressed in holiday style†¦ In the air, there’s a feeling of Christmas†¦Ã¢â‚¬  My favorite holiday has always been Christmas. I love everything about it! One of the best things about Christmastime is that we get such a long time off from school. In addition to that, my family flies back home to Pennsylvania in December, so we always get to see snow. We also spend time with family and friends playing games and exchanging gifts, which is always a lot of fun. Of all the holidays, I think Christmas is the best! Towards the end of December, we all really need a break, and Christmas Break comes at just the right time, lasting just over two weeks! It’s so nice to have off from school at a time when there’s great holiday music on the radio and great sales in all the stores. Not to mention the fantastic foods filling my plate as I go to all the holiday get-togethers. I don’t like too many gatherings, though, sometimes I just like to rest. I try to spend most of my time on the long break relaxing and enjoying family. Speaking of family, I get to fly back home to Pennsylvania over Christmas Break to visit my relatives. It is always snowy in Pennsylvania in December, so that’s an exciting part our vacation for my sister and me. We go to my cousins’ house and ride four wheelers in the snow, pulling inner tubes behind them. Our parents usually get some great videos of us playing in the snow. Last year we stayed outside so long in a snowstorm, that our hair was caked with snow by the time we came in! It looked like we had white dreadlocks! It is always so fun having adventures with my cousins, aunts, uncles, and grandparents back home in Pennsylvania. In addition to all of our snowy adventures, we also spend lots of time indoors with famil y and friends playing games and exchanging gifts. My grandma buys tons of little gifts – mostly candy and dollar store items, but a few nice things, too – that she wraps up and uses as prizes in a game that the whole family plays. There are about twenty of us sitting around her long dining room table, and we roll dice for about two minutes. Whenever anyone rolls doubles, they get to take a present. When all the presents are gone, but there’s still time on the clock, you get to steal someone else’s present! It’s kind of hard to explain, but it’s the most fun our family has at the holidays. Spending time with all of my family over Christmas Break is a great time that is very special to me†¦and getting little gifts is an added bonus! Just like most people I know, I think Christmas is the best holiday ever! Having such a long time off from school is a much-needed break in the middle of the school year. Because the break is so long, my family can fit in time to fly back home to Pennsylvania to have some fun playing in the snow. The fun continues indoors with family games and gifts, always a highlight of the vacation. This vacation is something I look forward to all year round. Christmas brings me so much happiness†¦just like those Silver Bells. â€Å"Ring-a-ling†¦.Hear them ring†¦ Soon it will be Christmas Day.†

Ritz Carlton Kuala Lumpur Hotel

Ritz Carlton Kuala Lumpur Hotel This report is based on my internship at The Ritz-Carlton Kuala Lumpur Hotel. My internship commenced from 6/10/2010 to 15/01/2011. This is a five star luxury hotel which is situated at the heart of Kuala Lumpur which is also known as The Golden Triangle area. I was assigned to few different departments in the hotel such as The Lobby Lounge, Carlton Gourmet, Housekeeping and Front Office. I have gained more knowledge and also widen my network with people from all walks of life. I also feel that The Ritz-Carlton Kuala Lumpur Hotel is a great place to gain experience as I have acquired about new techniques and skills which I have never known. Furthermore, being able to work in one of the worlds most prestige hotel really gave me a chance to test my skills and ability to cope with the harsh environment of the hoteliers life. In my report, I will include my working experience with The Ritz-Carlton Kuala Lumpur Hotel, my views during training and overall success of the hotel. Company Profiles The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, L.L.C. was founded in August, 1983 following the purchase of The Ritz-Carlton, Boston and the rights to the name Ritz-Carlton throughout the United States. The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, L.L.C. maintains its corporate headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia. Although the Company was officially formed in 1983, its history and traditions date back to the 1800s. Regarding the famous logo of the Ritz-Carlton, the crown was a symbol of British Royalty and the lion was actually the logo of an insurance company. The founder of the Ritz-Carlton hotels, Cesar Ritz decided to combine the two symbols together and in 1968 the logo was redesigned from a normal looking tamed lion to a look that was more elegant and yet sophisticated. This has made a change in direction for The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, L.L.C. in the years to come. The Ritz-Carlton Kuala Lumpur Hotel in particular is owned by a company called YTL CORPORATION BERHAD. YTL stands for YEOH TIONG LAY. This company is one of the biggest corporation in Malaysia and it is very well known for its award winning world class hotels and resorts such as JW MARRIOT , THE RITZ-CARLTON,PANGKOR LAUT AND VISTANA KUALA LUMPUR . Located within the famous Golden Triangle district, The Ritz-Carlton Kuala Lumpur has won multiple 5 Star Awards with its 250 guest rooms including 30 suites, 25 meeting rooms totaling up to 30,000 square feet and four exceptional restaurants such as The Lobby Lounge, Carlton Gourmet, Cesar and award winning Li Yen. Map to The Ritz-Carlton, Kuala Lumpur Hotel. C:UsersVINCENTDesktopritz-carlton_map.jpg The Ritz-Carlton Kuala Lumpur Hotel is located at No. 168, Jalan Imbi 52100 Kuala Lumpur. It is interconnected with Starhill Galery and the J.W. Marriot Hotel. This hotel is situated at a very strategic place because it is near to shopping malls such as Pavilion, Lot 10, Sungei Wang and the Menara Times Square. TYPES OF FACILITIES Facilities at The Ritz-Carlton Kuala Lumpur Hotel include a general swimming pool and also a personal swimming pool for every penthouse. The operation hours for the general swimming pool are from 6.00 A.M to 8.00 P.M. The hotel also provides a gymnasium which runs 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The hotels Jacuzzi, Sauna and Steam Bath operate from 6.00 A.M to 10.00 P.M daily. Massage and Spa services are available at Spa Village which is one of Malaysias most renowned Spa centre. Their signature treatments are the Sensory Exploration and Campur Campur. Spa Village also has their own private swimming pool catered for Spa guest and residence only. Their operating hour is from 9.00 A.M to 9.00 P.M. All of the above facilities mentioned are located on the 4th floor of the hotel wing. A Business Center can be found on the 1st floor of the hotel wing which caters mostly for businessmen, Internet users and gift shop for guest. Meeting room which can fit up to 6 person maximum is available for rental for RM 120++ per hour .As for the Suites Wing site, there are 25 more meeting rooms available for rental. For hotel guest who needs to use the internet, Internet usage is chargeable at RM 40 per hour. Other services such as fax, printing, photocopy and binding is also available at the same floor. In addition, hotel guest who wants to buy souvenirs such as postcards and hotel amenities, a gift shop is available also at the business center. Business center is open from Monday to Friday at 8.00 A.M to 10.00 P.M and Saturday, Sunday and Public Holidays at 9.00 A.M to 5.00 P.M. This is a luxury hotel so therefore the facilities are very limited. ORGANIZATIONAL CHART Mr. Stephen Andrew Cokkinias (General Manager) Ms. Aishah Khalid (Rooms Division Manager) Mr. Paolo Savi (Rooms Manager) Mr. Carlos De La Barra Lascurain (Director of Food and Beverage) Ms. Cheryl Loo Su-Ann (Director of Sales) Ms. Lim Chui Fung (Director of Human Resources) Mr. Joshua Lim (Suite Wing Manager) Ms. Katrina Ong Peik See (Financial Controller) Mr. Vincent Wong (Maintenance Manager) ~DEPARTMENTS~ Organizational Chart for Carlton Gourmet Outlet Manager Assistant Manager Waiter (x3) Chef (x2) Waitresses (x1) Steward (x1) Cashier (x1) This is the organization chart for Carlton Gourmet. With revenue of more than RM 80,000 a month this outlet has really pushed its limits and raised the standards. Carlton Gourmet is a very relaxed yet refined place to be at. The operation hours are from 7.30 A.M. to 6.00 P.M. This outlet concentrates mainly on breakfast, lunch and high tea. The morning shift crew which consists of the Manager, one chef and two waiters and one cashier whose shifts start at 7.00 A.M. to 3.00 P.M. As for the afternoon shift crew it consists of the Assistant Manager, one chef, and three waiters whose shifts start at 10.00 A.M. to 6.00 P.M. Only the steward stays from the start of the operation till the end. For breakfast, it is a semi-buffet selection which consist of a continental bar and a selection of Eggs and Omelets or From the Griddle. The continental bar consists of items such as fruits, salads, compote, cereal and many others. In the Eggs and Omelets menu there are six different types of selection to choose from which are two eggs any style, western omelet, smoked salmon omelet, egg white omelet, eggs benedict, and corned beef hash with two eggs. All of those six choices will come with a hash brown. As for the From the Griddle menu, you could choose from the silver dollar pancakes or French toast with Belgian waffles. The breakfast menu will only be served from 7.30 A.M. to 10.30 A.M. after that continued by the lunch menu until 6.00 A.M. which serves a variety of salads, pastas, sandwiches and wraps, sausages and from the grill such as burgers and grilled meats. At Carlton Gourmet, a variety of snacks, drinks, pastries, bakeries, chocolates and tea are sold there. They use the finest coffee from Italy which is illy coffee and serves a range from cappuccino to latte or even espresso. Sunkist oranges are used to make juices for the guest and in a day almost a whole box of oranges will be used. Carlton Gourmet also specializes in hamper packing. Hampers for occasions such as Arab Season, Hari Raya, Christmas, and Chinese New year will be packed for the hotel and suite guests. Roughly 200 hampers are handmade by the staff of Carlton Gourmet for each and every occasion mentioned. This are the duties needed to be carried out by the morning shift crew: Collect petty cash money from Accounts Department Collect newspapers and In House Details from Front Desk On all the lights in the outlet Overturn the coffee cups Prepare milk and butter for each table Prepare the breakfast semi-buffet bar Collect bakeries from Cesar restaurant Prepare Mise-en-place Count and send all their dirty napkins to laundry during their lunch break Fold all clean napkins and store in cupboard And most importantly attend to the guests This are the duties needed to be carried out by the afternoon shift crew: Collect bakeries and pastries from J.W. Marriot Clear morning setting on table to replace with lunch setting Ensure the drinks stock is at par Serve guests and make drinks Peel oranges for juices Wipe dry cutleries, cups, glasses and saucers Do table setting for the next day breakfast Sweep and mop the floor during closing time Arrange bills into orderly manner Log off cashier and return money back to Accounts Department Ensure all the lights are off except the entrance light Ensure all doors are locked and return keys back to Security Department My experience at Carlton Gourmet I have been training at this Food and Beverage outlet since 06/10/2010 to 17/10/2010. Working for two weeks at the Carlton Gourmet has given me an inside look on how to run a small yet successful dining outlet. The experience that I have gained over the days working there had made me a more knowledgeable person. Although this outlet is small and not really busy during normal days, I still managed to input a huge amount of working skill in me. Learning the different types of pastries and bakeries from names such as chicken pie, to names that my tongue cannot even pronounce, this is the one place where I learnt about food from all over the globe. This outlet normally caters to suite wing guest rather than hotel guests. There are many long term guests at the suite wing so one of my hardest challenges was one- remembering their names and how to address them correctly, two- remembering their room number and how many complimentary breakfast do they have, and three- remembering their food and drink preferences. For example, Ms. Mink Ong is a lady who is in her late 40s and she owns three shops at the Starhill Gallery. Every morning roughly around 10.00 A.M. she would come to Carlton Gourmet and no questions asked, she should be served her croissants and fresh cut of papaya (with a bowl of hot water for her to wash it in). After eating her fruits, clear her soiled plates and serve her one cup of coffee and a small jug of hot milk. What I have realized and noticed is that the little things that you take initiative to care about the guest make a very big difference. Because other than the staff of the hotel, the guests are also the ones who could make or break the revenue of the hotel and eventually the pay that goes into our pockets. Organizational Chart for The Lobby Lounge Outlet Manager Supervisor Bar Captain Bartender Server (X4) This is the organization chart for the Lobby Lounge at The Ritz-Carlton Kuala Lumpur. With revenue of more than RM 120,000 monthly, this is an outlet where working standards had to meet with quantity and quality. The operation hour for this outlet is from 10.00 A.M. to 1.00 A.M. Morning shift staff and trainees starts at 9.00 A.M. to 3.00 P.M. The afternoon shift trainee comes in at 3.00 P.M. to 11.00 P.M. where by the afternoon shift staff comes in at 5.00 P.M. to 1.00 A.M. The manager of this outlet only comes in from 11.00 A.M. onwards. This outlet can be quite slow in the morning because normally all the guests that comes in will only have tea or coffee. But when he sun sets and night approaches, usually the Lobby Lounge will be packed with guests. At the Lobby Lounge, we serve a variety of FOURTHY different types of tea which are broken down into 4 categories which are Black Tea, Fruit Tea, Green Tea, and Herbs Tea. All of the teas are imported from different countries such as Europe, USA, China, Japan, India and many other places. The bar consists of more than 30 brands of wine. The liquor served at the bar is based on a full bar set up which has vodka, rum, whisky, cognac, gin, liqueurs, and bitters. We have more than 20 different types of whisky brands ranging from single malt whiskies to blended whiskies. As far as beverages goes, we serve our famous Afternoon Tea. It is a very exquisite English tea tradition carried out by English people back in the days. It starts from 3.00 P.M. to 5.00 P.M. from Mondays to Saturdays. There is this watch/ jewelry shop in Starhill Galery named Mouawad. They signed a one year contract for us to deliver the Afternoon Tea set to their shop everyday from Mondays to Saturdays. Usually the Afternoon shift staff will send it to them. We also have an occasion called The Sunday Roast. It is a very elegant event which is strictly conducted by our FB Director Mr. Carlos De La Barra Lascurain. This event only takes place on every Sunday and no staff can take off for this weekend event. The Sunday Roast starts from 11.00 A.M. to 3.00 P.M. which will be accommodated by a three-piece jazz band consisting of a grand piano, double bass and a saxophone. This event is serves a semi-buffet style. With one main course to choose from which could either be the Angus Prime Black Beef, Scottish Salmon or Darling Roast Lamb. The main course will be placed on a portable trolley which the chef will push to a guests table and cut in front of them. As for the buffet counter, it consists of cheese from around the world, sausages, chocolates, salads, puddings, seafood, soup and sushi. The Afternoon Tea will not be served on this day. This are the duties needed to be carried out by the morning shift crew: Take petty cash money from Accounts Department at 2nd floor Opening of cash register Set up the bar and arrange all the alcohol beverages. Wipe all the glass tables and bar top. Prepare Mise-en-place and garnishes for drinks. Arrange magazines and daily newspapers. On the coffee machine. Ensure enough hot water is boiled for tea. Make welcome drink (to be placed at hotel wing lobby). Do cigar and cigarette inventory. Ensure all cups and glasses are clean and arrange neatly on shelf. Collect ice cubes for bar from main kitchen (Cesar, 1st floor). Tidy up the pillows and sofas. Write down inter-transfer list for Afternoon Tea. Send soiled napkins to laundry at 3rd floor. Collect Afternoon Tea from cold kitchen and pastry kitchen. Send a set of Afternoon Tea wit cutlery and plates to Mouawad by 2.30 P.M. Serve guest. Do inventory for sales closing. Do handover of cash register to afternoon shift staff. This are the duties needed to be carried out by the Afternoon shift crew: Do 2nd cigar and cigarette inventory of the day. Check for stock of bottled beer and juices. Light tea-light candles at 7.00 P.M. and to be placed on each table. Dim down the lights at 7.00 P.M. Push out the cup cake trolley. Ensure enough hot water is boiled for tea. Serve guest. Do closing of cash register. Do inventory for sales closing. Hand over petty cash money to Accounts Department (in an Elsafe) Bundle up all customer receipts of the day and placed at pigeon hole at Accounts Department. Clean up for next day. My experience at The Lobby Lounge I have been training at this Food and Beverage outlet since 18/10/2010 to 06/11/2010. My experience at the Lobby Lounge was a fantastic one. I felt very comfortable when I was doing my internship there. Yes there were some rough and pressured times but the staff at the Lobby Lounge felt like a little family to me. Everyone was so knowledgeable regarding the beverage that was sold at The Lobby Lounge. I had the privilege to study cocktail and mocktail making by the bartender. I also learnt how to pour a perfect glass of beer by the Captain. I also learnt how to make Latte and Cappuccino. I learnt about the different types of alcohol, wine and its origins too. There was abundant of things for me to learn in so little time. I also learnt that standing behind the bar and being a bartender, one has to have a very joyful and friendly attitude. Because for the guest sitting at the bar counter, they expect to be conversed with. There was this one time where this guest name Josh from the US came to the bar everyday to have a few drinks because he felt comfortable sitting and chatting with me. Working front of the house meant you have to have a positive attitude and attend to guest professionally while thinking What would I want if I was in the customers shoes?. As for the way of serving food and beverages to the guest, I learnt that the method practiced over there was Serve from the right, clear from the right. Many things I learnt at Tunku Abdul Rahman College, did not really apply to the work method in this outlet. But still, I was very thankful because now I know different ways of serving a guest/ customer. Having done my internship here at The Lobby Lounge thought me that I would WANT to be in this line of duty. Serving and mingling with the customers and guest of the hotel. It was a great pleasure working with my little family at The Lobby Lounge. They are the best at what they do. Organizational Chart for Front Office Front Office Manager Assistant Front Office Manager Duty Manager (X6) Guest Service Assistance (X 11) Concierge (X3) Bell Men (X9) Rooms Controller Door Man (X5) This is the organization chart for the Front Office Department at The Ritz-Carlton Kuala Lumpur. Basically this department is broken down into 3 groups which are Concierge counter, Bell Counter and the Reception. Only for the Bell counter (which includes the Door Men) and the Reception group operates continuous on a 24 hours basis. As for the Concierge, it only operates from 7.00 A.M. until 11.00 P.M. As for the working shifts in this department, only four shifts are provided which are: A.M. Shift 7.00 A.M. to 3.00 P.M. P.M. Shift 3.00 P.M. to 11.00 P.M. Night Shift 11.00 P.M. to 7.00 A.M. Relief Shift 12.00 P.M. to 8.00 P.M. My experience at Front Office My intern at this department began from the 7th of November 2010 to the 12th of December 2010. I had five weeks in this department and first week of this department started off at being a Door Man and a Bell Man. Being a Door Man is quite simple because all you have to do is open and close the lobby door for the guests as they walk in and out of the hotel, call for taxi which are on standby opposite the hotel for the guests and sometimes help the Bell Man to carry some luggages. Being a Bell Man has thought me to be sharp on the job because we had to tag and watch after guest luggages. We had 2 types of tags. One was for the Arrival Tag whereby when the guest checks into the hotel, the name and room of the guest will be written on the Arrival Tag so that the Bell Man can bring the luggages up for the guest. As for the Departure Tag, it could be used for either during guest check out or storing the luggages for guest. Then came to the second week of being at Front Office where I spent two whole weeks at the concierge counter. I really gained a lot of information about Malaysia that I did not even know about. Did you know that the Petronas Twin Tower serves a luxury lunch and dinner at the 86th floor which overlooks the city skyline? Well now I know. Being in the concierge had widened my knowledge regarding the little wonders that Malaysia has to offer and I had to learn about almost anything and everything in Kuala Lumpur regarding all the tourist sights. Every day, the staff at the concierge counter has to print out the arrival and departure list some guest arrive at the hotel with their own mode of transport but for those who like to be pampered, a Mercedes Limousine transport can be arranged for the guest but for those who wants a more cheaper but yet luxurious alternative, a VIP Train Service can be arranged to pick up guest all the way from the airport to KL Central followed by a limousine pi ck up directly to the hotel. Wai Kong Tours is a tour company where by it works in conjunction with the Ritz-Carlton Kuala Lumpur Hotel. Wai Kong Tours would provide the concierge counter with their broachers for us to promote their tours for them. What would happen is, if the guest would want to go for a tour from the broacher, we (the concierge) have to ask Wai Kong Tours whether there is any available tour that the guest wants for that that day. Because sometimes the tours may be full and the policy for Wai Kong Tour is that if a guest wants to go for a certain tour, it has to be two person and above. Basically being in the concierge meant you had to have a vast amount of knowledge regarding the area that surrounds you, not only that but also have knowledge about the operating hours of tourist locations and new promotions. For the first few days when I was in concierge, I was even too scared to answer the phone. But as the days progressed, I started to gain a certain amount of confidence in myself. As for the staff of the concierge, hats off to them because they are the ones that thought me a lot. After my training at the concierge, I moved on the reception counter where I was to be as a Guest Service Assistant. I had to learn the HIS System and learn how to check in guest. To check in a guest, I had to fill in their particulars on the registration card (which will be printed by the afternoon shift staff the day before). Guest particulars included their home address, mobile number, e-mail address, double check the name, credit card details (if they were to pay with it) and last but not least, get the guest signature. Once I have collected all the information that I needed, I would ask the guest how his or her mode of payment would be. If he or she is using a credit card, we had to explain that an amount of RM200 per night will be blocked from the credit card so that the guest can just sign the bill if he or she is ordering in room dining or paying for laundry. For example, if Mr. Guths room rate is at RM600 per night and is staying for three nights, so all together a Guest Ser vice Assistant (GSA) has to hold an amount of RM1,200 of the credit card. If a guest pays cash for their room, then we have to write the words COD on the registration card and alert all the outlets such as the Food and Beverage outlets and laundry department that the guest would and should pay cash for anything purchased. After collecting the mode of payment from the guest, we issue a key card to them and escort the guest to their room. While escorting the guest, the GSAs would brief them regarding the facilities at the hotel and some famous tourist spots around Kuala Lumpur. The GSAs would then open the room door for the guest and explain about the rooms complimentary internet and mini bar or the Kiblat sign for Muslim guest. We also had to do departure calls to know what time the guest is leaving and whether they would need any luggage assistance or transportation upon departure. As for guest wake up calls, it will be recorded down and at the end of the day handed over to the operator. If there is a VIP checking in, an express check in is done where by the GSA would pre-check in the guest, escort the guest up to his or her room with the credit card machine and take down the guest particulars in the room itself. At the end of every shift, the GSAs will submit all their check out receipts to the Duty Manager for inspection in case there has been any mix up. Being at the reception was somewhat pressuring because you had to face the guest day in and day out even matters that is not your fault but the guest just wants to let all his frustrations out on you. But on the sunny side up, the Front Office crew is a bunch of people that really knows how to work under pressure yet they can maintain to be lively and cheerful each and every day. The Front Office may be a small department but it is a powerful one. The whole hotel mainly relies on it to generate more income. The Front Office IS the brain of the hotel industry.

Inequality in the European Union (EU) Essay -- European Union Essays

Cumulative European Union (EU) enlargements to include relatively less developed countries such as Bulgaria and Romania, along with the possibility of future EU status being granted to Turkey and Albania (EC, 2011), raises further questions about inequality in the European Union. The global recession has bought the issue of labour market models and resulting inequities back into the forefront political discourse, as government cutbacks necessitate the reappraisal of welfare states and labour market policy. This essay will analyse both differing labour market models and the EU labour market as a whole to explain why EU countries have heterogeneous inequities. Overall, within countries, differing interplay of welfare states, varieties of capitalism and employment structures has a profound effect on levels of inequality within labour markets; particularly post EU-crisis when rapid change exacerbated many inequalities. Additionally, the macro EU labour market would appear to create ineq uality, particularly because of the free movement of labour. It seems despite having a labour market branded as homogenous (SiniÄ Ãƒ ¡kovà ¡, 2011), Europe’s interacting varieties of capitalism and employment legislation have created a heterogeneous continent; with equally diverse inequalities. Gosta Esping-Andersen’s 1990 book The Three Worlds of Welfare Capitalism remains a convenient starting point for examining the capacity different labour models have to create inequality. Despite criticism for being out-dated and of limited relevance given the homogenous nature of Andersen’s typologies, their intuitive coherence means they go some way in explaining patterns of inequality in the EU (Goodin, 1999). The liberal model of welfare capitalism puts ma... ...dersen, G. (1990). The three worlds of welfare capitalism. Cambridge: Polity Press. Hall, P., & Soskice, D. (2001). Varieties of capitalism: The institutional foundations of comparative advantage. (P. Hall & D. Soskice, Eds.). Oxford: Oxford University Press. Rosewarne, S. (2010). Globalisation and the Commodification of Labour: Temporary Labour Migration. The Economic and Labour Relations Review, 20(2), 99–110. Schmid, K. D., & Stein, U. (2013). Explaining Rising Income Inequality in Germany, 1991-2010. IMK, 32(1), 1–45. SiniÄ Ãƒ ¡kovà ¡, M. (2011). Homogeneity of the European Union from the Point of View of Labour Market. Journal of Women’s Entrepreneurship and Education, 17–28. Spicker, P. (2008). Social policy: themes and approaches (p. 307). Policy Press. Standing, G. (1999). Global labour flexibility: Seeking distributive justice. London: Palgrave Macmillan.

Gummo: A Review :: essays research papers

Gummo: A Review   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Pieces of a puzzle slowly fitting together, to reveal a picture. This is an accurate description of how the film, Gummo by Harmony Korine pans out. Through a series of quite disturbing yet visually stimulating vignettes, Korine somehow relays a tragic story. Essentially, the film is a collection of random events that are assimilated into a larger scheme of things. For the most part, the film emphasizes on showing us things that we know are very real and actually happen, but are terribly hard for the average person to confront.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The tone is unveiled from the very beginning, while a dim and dark outlook are forecast. As it is set in the dilapidated, small town of Xenia, Ohio, the severity of the living conditions there is visible from start to finish. A few of the senseless, haphazard events that are captured, consist of - countless, brutal feline slayings, teens euthanizing the helpless, bed-ridden elderly, and drunken, redneck furniture wrestling. Somehow, in a twisted pattern, these scenes converge to depict the pure horror of living in this place.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In respect to the cast of this film, Chloe Sevigny is reasonably the only name that people are likely to recognize. There are a handful of other obscure actors as well as some non-actors that appear in the film, for various reasons. In the process of being introduced to each person through certain circumstances, it is difficult to determine which ones are the actors and which are not. From some of the sequences presented, it seems tough to draw the line between harsh reality and exploitation.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Contrary to the town that this film takes place in (Xenia, Ohio), it was shot on location in Nashville, Tennesee. Nashville provides an appropriate backdrop for the setting that was trying to be portrayed. Korine shoots the film with raw textures, giving it a real, almost too real deliverance. The camera work at times is almost hard to watch. Throughout the film - the images have a natural, gritty appearance.

Management Policy :: essays research papers

OPERATION AND OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT All organizations have operations.† A manufacturing company may conduct operations in a foundry, mill, or factory. Our interest is in the management of operations, or operations management (OM), including the usual management cycle of planning, implementing, and monitoring/controlling. The driving force for OM must be an overriding goal of continually improving service to customers, where customer means the next process as well as the final, external user.  § Since there is an operation element in every function of the enterprise, all people in all jobs in every department of the organization should team up for improvement of there own operations management elements. Teaming Up with Customers What happens when suppliers and customer are disconnected? Consider design work, for example. Whether we speak of goods or services, time- and distance separation in the supplier-customer connection invites trouble. Question: â€Å"What’s your Job?† Question: â€Å"But isn’t your job to serve the customer?† In grocery stores, where the supplier-relationship is immediate, the operations manager system is hard pressed to maintain a customer focus. The customer is the next process, or where the work goes next. A buyer’s customer is the associate in the department to whom the purchased item goes; a cost accountant’s customer is the manager who uses the accounting operations-where the design will be produced or the service provided. It is also clear that throughout the organization, people not only have customers, they are customers. Let’s turn our attention to what customers want. A Short List of Basic Customer Wants The requirement is a recipient’s or customer’s view of a good or service. A close partnership with the customer’s actual requirements. A close partnership with the customer helps create good specifications, increasing the supplier’s ability to f ulfill the customer’s needs. What else do customers want? Customers have six requirements of their providers: High levels of quality. High levels of service. Low costs. OPERATIONS STRATEGY An organizational commitment with wide ranging effects, such as continuing improvement in meeting customer needs, is called a strategy. Strategy itself is necessary because of competition, and successful strategy ensures that company strengths match customer requirements. Integrated Business Strategy To accomplish its aims, the business team must plan strategy in all four-line functions. A comprehensive strategic business plan deals with issues affecting the whole organization: employees, markets, location, line of products and services, customers, capital and financing, profitability, competition, public image and so forth. Management Policy :: essays research papers OPERATION AND OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT All organizations have operations.† A manufacturing company may conduct operations in a foundry, mill, or factory. Our interest is in the management of operations, or operations management (OM), including the usual management cycle of planning, implementing, and monitoring/controlling. The driving force for OM must be an overriding goal of continually improving service to customers, where customer means the next process as well as the final, external user.  § Since there is an operation element in every function of the enterprise, all people in all jobs in every department of the organization should team up for improvement of there own operations management elements. Teaming Up with Customers What happens when suppliers and customer are disconnected? Consider design work, for example. Whether we speak of goods or services, time- and distance separation in the supplier-customer connection invites trouble. Question: â€Å"What’s your Job?† Question: â€Å"But isn’t your job to serve the customer?† In grocery stores, where the supplier-relationship is immediate, the operations manager system is hard pressed to maintain a customer focus. The customer is the next process, or where the work goes next. A buyer’s customer is the associate in the department to whom the purchased item goes; a cost accountant’s customer is the manager who uses the accounting operations-where the design will be produced or the service provided. It is also clear that throughout the organization, people not only have customers, they are customers. Let’s turn our attention to what customers want. A Short List of Basic Customer Wants The requirement is a recipient’s or customer’s view of a good or service. A close partnership with the customer’s actual requirements. A close partnership with the customer helps create good specifications, increasing the supplier’s ability to f ulfill the customer’s needs. What else do customers want? Customers have six requirements of their providers: High levels of quality. High levels of service. Low costs. OPERATIONS STRATEGY An organizational commitment with wide ranging effects, such as continuing improvement in meeting customer needs, is called a strategy. Strategy itself is necessary because of competition, and successful strategy ensures that company strengths match customer requirements. Integrated Business Strategy To accomplish its aims, the business team must plan strategy in all four-line functions. A comprehensive strategic business plan deals with issues affecting the whole organization: employees, markets, location, line of products and services, customers, capital and financing, profitability, competition, public image and so forth.