Wilfred Owen Essay Example for Free

Wilfred Owen Essay Wilfred Edward Salter Owen was born on 18 March 1893 and died on 4 November 1918. He was an English poet and soldier, one of the leading poets of the First World War. His shocking, graphic poetry about the First World War was very heavily influenced by his friend, Siegfried Sassoon. There was a vast contrast between his poetry about the war and that of others, such as Rupert Brooke, as his took on a completely different perspective, and showed the readers a whole new side of the war. This wasn’t how he always looked at the war though. It was out of his own free choice that he joined the army, but it was two traumatic experiences that caused his view point to change so drastically. Firstly, he was thrown into the air when hit by a trench mortar and landed in the remains of a fellow soldier. Then, he was trapped for days in a German dugout. It was these two horrible experiences that caused his dramatic change of mind, and caused him to suffer from ‘shell shock’, which led to him being sent to a hospital for treatment. That was where he met fellow poet Siegfried Sassoon, and this meeting changed his life. In March 1918, he was sent to a command depot in Ripon, and here, a number of poems were written. After he had recovered, he was sent back to the front line, and tragically, a mere week before the war ended, he was shot in the head and died. Owen started writing poems long before the war, and he stated that he started at the age of ten. His friend, Siegfried Sassoon had a large effect on his poetry, especially in ‘Dulce et Decorum est’ and ‘Anthem for Doomed Youth’. These show direct results of Sassoon’s influence. A poem by Pat Barker was written about their relationship. His poetry changed significantly in 1917, where as part of his therapy his doctor got him to write his experiences down into poems. Though thousands of poems were published during the war, very few were acknowledged, and even fewer were loved, but Owen was one of them. Only 5 of Wilfred’s poems were published before he died. It was a popular belief that Owen was a homosexual, and there were some elements of homoeroticism in his poems, though he never actually said this. Historians have speculated as to whether he had an affair with Scott-Moncrieff, as Scott had dedicated many of his works to ‘Mr. W.O.’, but Owen never responded on this matter. It was only as a result of Sassoon being shot that led to his decision to return to the front line back in France, even though he could have chosen not to. He felt he needed to ‘take Sassoon’s place’. However, Sassoon was strongly opposed to the idea, and even threatened to ‘stab him in the leg’ if he tried it. Aware of what Sassoon thought, Owen didn’t tell him he went ahead with it and returned to the front line. He was killed whilst crossing the canal on 4 November 1918.

The Future In Technology Essay -- essays research papers

Can you imagine a machine so big it dwarfs entire planets? Can you imagine a machine with a single goal, a single purpose? Can you see it, hovering in space, blotting out the stars, so big it bends thought? Can you imagine a machine so complex that no human has ever even tried to understand it, and yet the machine exists because humans built it in the first place? A machine consisting of entire worlds, entire ecosystems powered by chemicals and energy regulated by computers that build and program themselves. Imagine these worlds connected by transport and communications systems, always kept up to date automatically, and modified as needed by the people who live in these habitats. Can you imagine a machine that makes money obsolete, anything you need is anticipated designed and made ready as fast as physically possible? Can you imagine this machine whose soul purpose is to keep hundreds of millions of multiplying people alive and happy at all times, growing bigger and bigger, growing more complex in the race to stay functioning, replacing its own parts by better parts designed by the machine itself, making it able to design and build even more complex parts, until the machine curves in on perfection, but never really reaches it. Can you imagine a machine with these capabilities being forced to purify and expand itself in order to fulfill trilli ons of people's needs? Can you see it being forced to build computers fast enough to plot every atom in a planet simply to manage th...

Compromise of 1877

AP US History Even though compromises and agreements look straight forward, the parties involved usually have ulterior motives. The Compromise of 1877 was consisted of a few main point. It called for the withdrawal of all federal troops from the South, supported internal improvements in the South and promised to appoint at least one Southerner to the cabinet. Also it gave conservative Southern Democrats some control over their local patronage and gave the South a free hand in race relations. Many may have seen these details as a way to mend the country back together, however it was really just a despicable plan.Although the Compromise of 1877 was successful in burying sectional tensions, in reality, it was a cynical political deal because it was a fraudulent election, white conservatives maintained power, and blacks became disenfranchised. During the election of 1876, political improprieties between Tilden and Hayes caused tensions between the two parties. The Republicans thought the y could once again use the tactic and political stand of â€Å"waving the bloody shirt,† which had secured their victories for the past two presidential elections.Unfortunately for the Republicans, American voters had forgotten the Civil War already, and Tilden won the popular vote over Hayes and led the electoral vote 184 to 165. The winner was not decided yet because 20 votes were disputed by the Republican governments in South Carolina, Florida, and Louisiana. Resulting from the miscommunication and corruption on both sides of the ticket, Congress had to form a special commission comprised of 5 members from the Senate, House, and Supreme Court. It was decided that exactly seven Democrats, seven Republicans, and one Independent would be allowed, to keep the commission neutral.The Republicans, desperate for a win, devised a plan to have the only independent justice on the bench elected into the Senate by his state’s legislature. When he resigned to assume his new posi tion, all of the remaining justices were Republicans. The vote came in with the Republican’s winning by one vote, meaning all 20 remaining electoral votes were given to Hayes. This scheme cause turmoil between citizens, and it proved that the government would do whatever it could to get what they wanted, even if it meant a scam.Also, the Compromise of 1877 was just a way for white, male conservatives to stay in power. By writing this Compromise, these powerful, WASP men were able to get what they wanted in addition to satisfying the needs of the other party. After all was said and done, the Republicans received the White House, and in return, the Democrats were awarded a spot in Hayes’ cabinet and the removal of federal troops from the south. With both parties temporarily happy, they silently agreed to ignore the rising problem of southern blacks.Both parties sacrificed blacks as they challenged the racial system. The ability for the white conservatives to maintain pow er while manipulating the political system demonstrates that this election was another derisive move by conservatives. Finally, with the Compromise, the blacks became disenfranchised. After the Democrats failed to fight for the rights of the blacks, they were just left out in the dust. The government implemented literacy requirements and poll taxes so that they could prevent them from voting.They also developed the system of tenant farming and share cropping, which significantly decreased their salary and they plunged into economic poverty. They introduced legal systems of racial segregation and it made living for these people harsh, cruel, and near impossible. Finally, there was a significant rise of mob lynchings. This was due to the blacks who decided to challenge the racial system. All of these examples show how the blacks were put down in order to keep them out of the way, and they just became another ordeal in the political deal.In conclusion, the Compromise of 1877 was a cyni cal political deal and was unsuccessful in burying sectional tensions. Between the election fraud, the stronghold of conservatives maintaining power, and the blacks being sunk down back to the bottom, the Compromise was a negative for the country all in all. Many thought it was a positive and could mend us back together, but we eventually found its faults. â€Å"After nearly four months of angry uncertainty, filled with blatant fraud, violence, and fears of renewed civil war, the nation finally†¦ (Morris Jr. 15)† found its ulterior motive and tricked a nation.

Fahrenheit 451 By Ray Bradbury - 954 Words

In Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury, the author uses allegory (often misinterpreted by readers) to show the dangers of mass media consumption and the decline of reading traditional media. Many readers draw incorrect conclusions (lessons learned) from the book due to how generally the book applies its theme. Government censorship, though an important topic, is not the intended focus of the novel Fahrenheit 451. Finally, Bradbury’s original message of the book shows the beauty of traditional media and the dangers of consuming primarily packaged mass media (such as television and radio). In Fahrenheit 451, Ray Bradbury used events that were pertinent to the time to try and convey the message he originally intended. While this message has been lost to many, that does not lessen the work’s value as a piece of literature. Going forward this paper will explore the conclusions normally reached by readers, as well as exploring the authors own original intentions for the work. The primary theme taken from the book is from the author’s chosen setting, being of an authoritarian regime in which books are illegal. While this theme is very easy to grasp (as the reader is figuratively bludgeoned over the head with it), it isn’t the only one people have taken away from the book, nor was it the authors intended focus. Another theme that many readers (normally graduate readers from my research) have identified with are the Christian symbols in the book. While these are used, in some casesShow MoreRelatedFahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury719 Words   |  3 PagesThe flash point of paper, or the temperature at which paper will burst in flames, is 451 degrees Fahrenheit. In Fahrenheit 451, written by Ray Bradbury, the main character, Guy Montag, is a â€Å"fireman† in a futuristic society where he and his coworkers start fires, rather than put them out. Books are banned and burned, along with the owner of the book’s house and sometimes even the o wner of the book, upon discovery. Technology has taken over in a sense that social interaction between the average personRead MoreFahrenheit 451 By Ray Bradbury1952 Words   |  8 Pagesis clearly displayed in the plight of Ray Bradbury’s novel about a dystopian American society, Fahrenheit 451, which contains many ideas and bits of content that some people believed should be censored. In fact, one of the reasons that this novel was censored for displaying the dangers of censorship, which is both extremely ironic, and telling as to where this society is going. Thanks to several distributors and oversensitive parents and teachers, Fahrenheit 451 has been banned in many schools overRead MoreFahrenheit 451 By Ray Bradbury1592 Words   |  7 PagesWhen writing the introduction to Fahrenheit 451, author Neil Gaiman stated that â€Å"ideas--written ideas--are special. They are the way we transmit our stories and our thoughts from one generation to the next. If we lose them, we l ose our shared history†. Gaiman is absolutely correct; especially because what he is saying heavily applies to books. Books are a critical aspect in shaping humanity as a whole, they create and share a network of creative ideas, history, and overall entertainment; to loseRead MoreFahrenheit 451 By Ray Bradbury918 Words   |  4 Pagesâ€Å"Fahrenheit 451,† written by Ray Bradbury, is a futuristic, dystopian novel based upon a society secluded by technology and ignorance. In this future society, books are outlawed and firemen are presented with the task of burning books that are found in people’s homes. Montag, a fireman, finds himself intrigued with the books, and begins to take them home and read them. As the story progresses, Montag learns the truth behind why books are outlawed and flees his city to join the last remnants of age-oldRead MoreFahrenheit 451 By Ray Bradbury847 Words   |  4 PagesSet Knowledge On Fire The book Fahrenheit 451 is a postmodern work by Ray Bradbury first published in 1951. In Bradbury’s story, all books are illegal and are subject to be burned by firemen. Furthermore, the two predominant themes of Fahrenheit 451 are censorship and ignorance. The censorship implemented over the years removes all information from society that is necessary to learn, which accomplishes to prevent people from questioning anything. The ignorance of society has been fostered and theRead MoreFahrenheit 451 By Ray Bradbury1661 Words   |  7 Pages1.) In the novel, Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury, Montag’s view on life reverses. Two characters the influence the main character Guy Montag are the old lady whose house and books were burnt down and Mildred. The old lady was caught preserving books in her home. Firemen including Montag were ordered to burn the books. The old lady refused to leave her books, so she too was burned. She bravely gave an allusion as her last words, â€Å"Play the man,’ she said, ‘Master Ridley.’ Something, somethingRead MoreFahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury818 Words   |  4 PagesFAHRENHEIT 451 BY RAY BRADBURY Important People in Montag’s Life In Partical Fulfillment Of English 2 Ms Irina Abramov By Helen Hernandez November 9, 2012 â€Å"There are worse crimes than burning books. One of them is not reading them† -Ray Bradbury. In the past there were events that affected book writers. People will get together to burn books because they thought it was inappropriate or they were against their literature. Montag is a fireman in a futuristic society who would startRead MoreFahrenheit 451 By Ray Bradbury863 Words   |  4 PagesThe novel, Fahrenheit 451 was written by Ray Bradbury and it took place in the dystopian future. Throughout each novel, we are able to see a major theme, which is censorship. In this essay, I will explain how this theme are explored in the story by using the literary devices. To begin with, in this novel, censorship is not given a straight description, but we can see how the author shows it through many literary elements, such as using the setting, tone and symbolisms even foreshadowing. This novelRead MoreFahrenheit 451 By Ray Bradbury1544 Words   |  7 PagesRay Bradbury, the author of Fahrenheit 451, expresses his perspective on life in an interview. His interview contains a common theme: Do what you love, and love what you do (Bradbury). Bradbury sends a message in his interview that people should love life, and live to the fullest because he believes life is a beautiful thing. Although Bradbury no longer can demonstrate his love for life his message still lives in the pages of Fahrenheit 451. The Government of the society in the novel has told theirRead MoreFahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury904 Words   |  4 PagesLiving in a world with no free thought would be bland as cardboard. But, if that cardboard illuminated with fire, would it have more mea ning than it did before? The answer is yes. In the novel Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury, the main character, Montag, finds much meaning behind the simple element of fire. The symbol of fire is used to represent how Montag changes himself and his ideas and thoughts about fire throughout the novel. At first, Montag views fire as destructive, but enjoys burning because