Policy Making on Federal Spending

It’s the responsibility of the government to acquire some resources to finance its spending. There are several sources from which the government gets finances. For instance, through taxation, fund raising by selling its goods and services, and also through borrowing from a potential donor among other sources.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Policy Making on Federal Spending specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The main sources of centralized government revenue are the taxes from the individuals’ income, and the payroll taxes (Steuerle, 2004). Taxes play a great role in contributing to federal revenues because they are compulsory payments. Taxes are not paid in exchange of anything whether goods or services. Other sources may include, organizational income taxes, excise duties, and custom duties among others. For the last half-century, the payroll taxes have been increasing, with organizations taxes decr easing, and the individual income taxes remaining unchanged. In mid 1950s, individual income tax was the greatest source of the government revenue, followed by the payroll taxes. Starting from 1965, the payroll taxes became the major contributor of the government revenue (Steuerle, 2004). They increased rapidly due to the introduction of Medicare. The taxes that were received from Medicare, and the social security taxes led to the increment of payroll taxes from 1.6% in 1951 to 6% in early 1990s. Other sources that contributed to the increment of payroll taxes are national workers pension, and railroad retirement fund. Government spending is defined in three major ways. Firstly, the government spends its money by buying goods and services for current use by its citizens. Secondly, government spends its money to buy goods and services to be used in the future, like infrastructure (Steuerle, 2004). The third way through which government spends its money is by acquiring goods and servi ces through its own production, and by use of its labor. The main way through which the government spends its money is by securing the future of its citizens. When the first type of spending is combined with the second type, they form gross domestic product. In the year 2010, the United States central government spent $3.6% trillion, which was an equal amount of 24% of the GDP. Out of the $3.6%, approximately $2.2% was financed from nations tax revenues, while the remaining part was borrowed, creating a deficit to be recovered by future taxpayers. The largest issue faced in federal spending is federal debt. The financial problems and recession in US economy brought about a decrease in tax revenues, and on the other hand, spending increased. In the year 2007, the national budget had a deficit of 1.2% of the gross domestic product (Schick, 2007).Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More In the year 2009, the budget deficit increased to 10%, which was the highest deficit since 1945. The current reports concerning the economy declare that, the increasing government debt may turn to be unsustainable in the long run. The greatest issue at hand is that the interest rates on the federal debts are a bit higher than the rate of income growth (Schick, 2007). This situation may lead to debt consuming the high levels of income rates, unless the debt would be settled on time. If this situation would not be considered on time, there would be a higher probability of income falling, and new debt adding to the old ones. The private sectors in turn will have an increased risk of non-payment cases. These sectors will end up with weak financial base, and reduced annual profits. Reference List Schick, A. (2007). The Federal Budget, Politics, Policies, Process. Washington, DC: Brookings Institution. Steuerle, C. E. (2004). Contemporary U.S. Tax Policy. Washington, DC: Urban Institute Press. This essay on Policy Making on Federal Spending was written and submitted by user Leanna Spears to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Majoring in International Business

Majoring in International Business Business is more global than ever before. There are a growing number of companies who are conducting commercial operations across borders.  Furthermore, international business  is constantly expanding and evolving. This has created a need for business managers who are well-versed in all aspects of international business. A quality international business degree can be a wonderful springboard for individuals who are interested in securing a position within the global business market. International Business Coursework Business majors who study international business learn how business is conducted within their home country as well as other countries. They focus on learning how to serve customers in international markets, and how to take a local business global. Specific courses may include topics like strategic planning, government relations, and policy analysis. Educational Requirements Educational requirements for business majors who want to work in international business vary, and often depend upon the career goal. Students who want to work as a cultural advisor or in international banking will need more advanced degrees than someone who merely wishes to add knowledge of international business to their management skills arsenal. To get an idea of what types of international business degrees are available, and what you can expect from these degree programs, follow these links: Associate Programs  are two-year introductory programs that consist primarily of general education courses. Most positions in international business will require more than an associates degree.BBA Programs  provide a bachelors level education in business administration and take about four years of full-time study to complete. A BBA degree program will give students the basic knowledge required to secure an entry-level position in international business.MBA Programs  are for business majors who want to work in supervisory positions or other advanced positions, a masters level program in business administration is a good choice. These programs take one to two years to complete. Choosing an International Business Program   There are a growing number of schools that offer programs in international business. If you are a current business major or aspiring business major and are interested in international business, you should carefully research the potential job market, as well as the schools reputation in the field prior to enrolling in an international business program. This will allow you to choose the best career path and the best school before you begin your studies. Careers in International Business After successfully completing an international business program, business majors should be able to secure a number of positions within the business field. The positions graduates are best qualified for will depend on the education received. For example, someone who focused mainly on the marketing aspects of international business will be best suited for a marketing-related position, while students who specialized in the entrepreneurial aspect of ​international business will be prepared to start their own company or offer consulting services to established organizations.

Emergency response Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Emergency response - Research Paper Example The decisions taken during the response phase in disaster management should help restore order and re-establish a state of normality mainly through rehabilitation and reconstruction. In the United States, the Department of Homeland Security is responsible for planning for and conducting emergency response services (Perry and Lindell, 2003). During the emergency response phase, first responders are posted in the disaster area, while the necessary emergency services are mobilized. Some of the core services during this phase include policing, ambulance and firefighting services. Recent research information shows that although the federal government has put measures in place to aid in efficient response during emergencies, there is much more that needs to be done to ensure that further loss of life and damage to property and the environment does not occur (Waugh and Streib, 2006). During recent times, the government’s response to disasters such as the Florida floods in 2004 and Hurricane Katrina a year later has drawn a lot of criticism from what is seen as lackluster efforts from government to respond to the disasters in time (Sene, 2008). For homeland security, scholars argue that since the country is at risk of domestic and internationals terrorist attacks, more should be done to enable quick response in case a S eptember 11 disaster occurs again (Radvanovsky, and McDougall, 2010). There is general concurrence that a lack of a strong response strategy for terrorism attacks in the country’s emergency management plans can lead to massive loss of lives and property. The Federal Emergency Management Agency or FEMA is the federal organization charged with the responsibility of dealing with emergencies. The agency coordinates government’s efforts in the preparation for, prevention and mitigation of the effects of disasters that occur on American soil (Sene, 2008). The body is also responsible for response and recovery measures from domestic disasters. The

An investigation of either STRUCTURAL or TECHNOLOGICAL control and Essay

An investigation of either STRUCTURAL or TECHNOLOGICAL control and reactions to it in an organisation - Essay Example $170.9 billion and the net income was US $48.9 billion. Such financial returns could be achieved by the organization only with the help of an organized managerial structure. The human capital of the company is highly efficient and the latter constantly undertakes strategic business initiatives to enhance the skills of its workers. This paper will investigate ways through which the company manages its workforce and also, will discuss the impact of such management on the organization. In the contemporary world, the scope and scale of operations for nearly all organizations in the industry have turned out to be highly complex in nature. Since globalization, the prevalence of giant firms across different marketplaces has significantly increased (Stoica, 2010). It has been commented by analysts in the market that such high degree of internalization in business is feasible by firms, only with the assistance of a good managerial structure and technological development. This paper will concentrate on the managerial structure of the organization, Apple Inc., which is a giant multinational organization based in California. It engages in designing, developing and retailing of electronics, personal computers and computer software. Since its inception in 1976, the organization could achieve such high brand value among all its business stakeholders, only through efficient managerial expertise (Apple, 2013). Giant multinational companies possess a vast organizational structure for operating all its business branches across various nations. Figure 1 in the Appendix explains the general form of organizational structure that exists in every multinational company. However, there are five main types of structure: However, ethical issues in research were given high value by the researcher. All the personal information and data collected from each of the employees were, thus, highly confined and were not disclosed in public (Mukherji and Albon, 2009). The research

Quantitative and Qualitative Article Critiques Annotated Bibliography

Quantitative and Qualitative Article Critiques - Annotated Bibliography Example Since mental health is an important determining factor to grade the associated comorbidities and hence outcomes related to quality of life in individuals with heart failure, interventions to improve mental health would also influence the quality of life in these patients. The problem in this study therefore to investigate the effects of nursing interventions directed to this area and to know whether these mental health nursing interventions improves the outcome. The problem is sufficiently narrow, since this asks a specific question about the management of heart failure problems, where the psychological distress part of the causative factors for heart failure is in question. This does not make this question trivial, since even though narrow, this addresses a very important comorbidity which has been hypothesized to have significant impact on the outcome of care in these patients over and above the conventional means of symptom management and palliative measure. The study highlights a n area of focus where reduction of morbidity and mortality is important part of care, which tends to identify the nursing strategies in this context, in order to improve the perceptions of wellbeing and quality of life in these patients. ... This purpose hence narrows down and clarifies the aim of the study that has been designed to examine the effectiveness of these nursing strategies for intervention. The research variables have been thus identified, which are psychological comorbidities of heart failure, outcomes such as perceptions about symptoms and quality of life, and nursing interventions to enhance mental health. The population has been identified to the patients having heart failure, and the research setting has been identified to the heart failure patients who receive home care. The problem is significant, since research has acknowledged the importance of influence of mental health in determining comorbidity in heart failure patients. Improvement of quality of life and satisfaction is a nursing forte, since they are more closely related to care of the patients. If nursing mental health interventions are really proved to be improving health outcomes in these patients in home care, this can serve as evidence for care interventions in future nursing practice. This is a very feasible research in terms of money commitment, since although the design is experimental, this authors planned to utilize the existing system of home care nursing interventions, since many patients with heart failure are treated by home care agencies. They made arrangements made with home care agencies, where already baseline data were available. The rest of the design involves interventions, which are priceless, and analysis cost is nominal. The researchers are experienced professors, and this study was supported by American Heart Association, and they possess the expertise to undertake a research of this magnitude. As has been mentioned earlier, the

The Life of King David

The Life of King David David was the second king of Israel and a descendant of Abraham. He was the youngest of eight brothers in his family (1Samuel 17:22) and was growing up as a shepherd (Bible Dictionary). He was the father of the well known king Solomon. In New Testament Jesus called as son of David. I am going to tell about Davids life before he became a king; a description of his way of becoming a king of Israel. As a king he was righteous and brave. However, as far as I am concerned, his life before becoming a king was also interesting to know. I have chosen to concentrate particularly on this part of his life, because at that point he seemed to be an ordinary person like an average shepherd, but his great faith and believe in God gave him such a strength and bravery, that he managed to become a famous hero and king in the Biblical story of Israel. The story of David begins in the Bible from the 16th chapter of 1st Samuel. David was the youngest son of Jesse, who was son of Obed. Also here we get information about his anointment by Samuel, who was a prophet before and had set Saul on throne for the United Kingdom. After that, David faced the first trial which defined his future. It was the war with Philistine. Philistines had one unbeatable warrior Goliath whom they sent to fight with any Israelite warrior. The end of their battle would define the winner. Goliath was a champion in Philistine army, he was tall and strong. No one from Israelite army wanted to fight with him, because they were afraid of him. Some forty days later (New Bible Commentary, 2006, England) David became a warrior and fought against Goliath. The decision of fighting with Goliath for David was not made due to the wealth and honor, but rather because of the presence and honor of God (New Bible Commentary, 2006, England). Therefore, David showed here that he is a better leader and warrior than Saul. After that fight, where David defeated Goliath, Saul understood that David had more faith and strength than he had and that David was chosen by God. After that, David became a national hero, who saved Israel people from Philistine army. His popularity was growing and spreading. That was not beneficial for Saul, because he could lose his position in Israel and thus his offspring would not inherent the throne. So Saul decided to kill David and save the throne for himself and his sons. At the same time Saul gave his daughter to David to marry her. Son of Saul Jonathan got a task from his father to kill David in any way possible. Jonathan was very proud of David and told him about his father idea (1 Samuel 19:2-3). Later David has a long way of becoming as a king. There were a lot of situations when Saul tried to kill David, but he always escaped and was saved. This proved that he, as a faithful and righteous man, was protected by God. The most interesting thing is that David, as a very righteous and faithful man, knew Sauls plans to kill him, even when he had a chance to kill Saul he did not do it. I think that it was because that behavior showed to Saul that he even as a king was weaker than the one chosen by God. Saul was Davids enemy, but David was never Sauls enemy (New Bible Commentary, 2006). Davids behavior proves that he was not afraid of Saul, the powerful king of Israel; he was stronger and than Saul because of his true belief in God. So that fact shows that David was blessed by God and was none other than the future king of Israel. First time when Saul sent David to the most dangerous battle, hoping for his death, David has always emerged victorious. When Saul had sent one of his assassins, David, with his wife Mikal, fled from the palace and was forced to hide in caves. Each time David was meeting anyone from his story of becoming a king of the United Monarchy (1 Samuel 18 2 Samuel 1) he was always presented as a righteous and wise man and everyone appreciated that. Even Sauls own family loved David.(New Bible Commentary, 2006) There were a lot of cases where we can see him as a good man with wise and faithful heart. As I think he became a great believer in God and faithful from that time when God was talking to him about his mission in the battle against Philistines. As far as I am concerned, David is a great character from the Bible. His life after becoming a king was also very interesting, but not as pure, faithful and gracious as the time before becoming a king. This character is one of the best examples of a faithful and holy character in the Bible, besides the time of him being a king. That character includes real characteristics of a strong and faithful person, because he was living in harmony with himself and God. He is the man, who was strong, brave, and righteous; who was fighting for his people, nation and independence. I agree that Davids actions and behavior as a king put a great cross on his reputation, therefore I wanted to show the best side of his life and prove that Bible is a history book of Hebrew PEOPLE (Janes lectures), because all of them had both weaknesses and strong sides in their characteristics. I chose to demonstrate that there are no essentially bad people in the Bible; all of them are sinful, yet all of them prove to be good and righteous as well. I really do believe that sometimes faith and belief can make people stronger without strength, and somehow the invisible hand of God can save good people and give them free choice. David was a sinful person, yet I would point out not only his sinful actions after becoming the king of united Monarchy, but more of the faithful obedience he possessed. He was a good example of active, faithful, and courageous character in this passive and sometimes mysterious world.

enemy of the people Essay -- essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  An Enemy of the People by Henrik Ibsen is a theatrical drama which portrays important characteristics such as honesty, integrity, and courage. All of which could be seen as hazardous to European politics at the time. Dr. Thomas Stockmann is a common man who attempts to create a revolution in his town. With the help of his naturally defiant personality the doctor makes a discovery that he hopes will better the town. This discovery was meant to lead a change in the physical structure of the water source. Instead it created a waterfall of political disaster. Despite numerous stabs in the back and lack of free-thinking, Dr. Stockmann stood tall and never backed down from what he believed in.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The play is set in a small town in Norway that has just begun to develop the wings it needed to expand and become prosperous. This is in the most part due to The Baths; a business Dr. Stockmann and his brother Peter began, to cure the sick through spa treatments and rest. At the beginning, it seems as though The Baths had just begun to take off. The play is set in the Stockmann’s kitchen where Mr. Billings, a close friend and member of the People’s Herald, is having dinner. He is then joined by Hovstad, also a member of the People’s Herald, and in the absence of Dr. Stockmann they discuss the future of The Baths. The Mayor, who is also Thomas’ brother, stops in unexpectedly to have a word regarding The Baths. Since Dr. Stockmann has not yet arrived home from his walk with his sons; Billings, Hovstad, and the mayor begin to discuss future events. Hovstad explains to the mayor that he can see nothing but good in the future for the town, a nd that Dr. Stockmann had been holding an article he had written that was sure to spark interest in his recent discovery.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  At this point it is obvious that the relationship between Dr. Stockmann and his brother Peter is not the strongest. They seem to struggle on seeing eye-to-eye on several issues. Before Dr. Stockmann arrives home, his wife Katherine is comforting Peter, since he has taken great offense to Hovstad’s comment about The Baths being Thomas’ discovery. Dr. Stockmann arrives and is pleasantly surprised to see another dinner guest, Captain Horster, on his way in. His friends and brother have been awaiting him. A string of many arguments betwee... ...rrive home from school early because they have received a notice. Dr. Stockmann reassures his family that everything will be ok. He will host a school in the same room where he was branded an enemy of the people, and raise the poorest boys to drive out the wolves. Katherine worries that the wolves may drive him out of town, but Thomas reassures her that they don’t stand a chance. The doctor has made another great discovery†¦that the strongest man stands alone.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  It is intrigue in way of heroism that draws many of us to good novels such as this. By using Dr. Stockmann as a strong hearted individual who stands up for what he believes in, Ibsen has captivated many readers such as myself. I believe that many of the ideals that we as a society deem to be virtuous in a man are possessed by Dr. Stockmann in this novel. His strong will in the face of everyone trying to bring him down is a depiction of someone who stands up for what they believe in. As you look back on what you’ve read, you get a strong grasp of Dr. Stockmann’s ideology and it is something to admire, which combined with an interesting plot and well written scenes, makes for an exceptional novel.

Family and Indigenous Languages Essay

EXPOSITORY ESSAY THE NEED TO PROMISE THE STUDY OF INDIGENOUS LANGUAGE IN NIGERIA It is a pity that Nigeria’s indigenous languages have been relegated to the background over the years. Nigerian students are taught in English Language which is also regarded as the lingua franca of the country. This is not good enough. Though Nigeria has several indigenous languages, there is need to promote the study of these indigenous languages. This is why the Federal Ministry of Education made it compulsory for every student to study at least one Nigerian language at the Senior Secondary School level. Even during the tenure of Professor Babs Fafunwa as the ministry of education, it was canvassed that indigenous languages should be used to teach primary school students. Languages are associated with culture and tradition of the people. Therefore, the adoption of another people’s language as a medium of communication in Nigeria indicates that we have relegated our own culture and tradition to the background. This may also connote that we have not as a country thrown away every relic of colonization. Indigenous languages, if promote can be the unifying factor in Nigeria. They promote peaceful co-existence and tolerance among the Nigeria people who will have a sense of belonging in the country. In addition, indigenous languages also promote understanding and appreciation of our own culture and tradition. Why do we have to promote the culture of a foreign country at the expense of our own? The promotion and study of indigenous languages will also give us national identity. A language is always associated with a nation. So, if we promote and study our own indigenous languages, the world will identify us with these indigenous languages. There are lots of benefits to gain from promoting our indigenous languages. The lingua franca which we have been clamouring for over the years will ultimately emerge if we can promote the study of these indigenous languages. Furthermore, the study of these languages will enable our children to be conversant with mother tongues since thoughts and language can hardly be separated. Finally, it is an established fact that a leaner first thinks in the language of his environment and this process of thinking enriches his experience about his immediate environment and culture. Hence, a thorough foundation must be laid in the study of our indigenous languages in the country. ARGUMENTATIVE ESSAY NIGERIA NEXT PRESIDENT SHOULD BE A WOMAN Good day, Mr. Chairman, panel of judges, co-debators, ladies and gentlemen and my most attentive audience. My name is Oluwole Oludayo. I am here to support the motion which states that ‘Nigeria’s next president should be a woman†. 2015, it is expected that a new civilian president will emerge to direct the affairs of the country. The presidential candidates for each of the parties have been nominated but there is one thing that I am sure most of us have not noticed all candidates are men! Sometimes, I sit down and wonder why we cannot have at least a woman among the presidential candidates since we got independence in 1960, no woman has been given the chance to contest the presidential election and I think that our great nation is making a mistake. First and foremost, if Nigeria has a woman as her president, there are so many advantages and benefits that we can enjoy. One of such benefits is that a woman president can be more honest than men. When we have an honest president, then we can begin to think of economic growth. Furthermore, we all know the popular saying which goes thus: ‘what a man can do, a woman can do better’. Indeed, this saying is true because women have proved to be better leaders than men. For instance look at the famous Magaret Thatcher. She is a woman of virtue, discipline and honour. She has proved that women can in fact excel in a man world. In addition to this, if Nigeria next president is a woman, she would be upright, disciplined and very firm she would realise that she is in a man world and that she is facing many challenges in which she cannot afford to fail because she wants to prove a point. Therefore, this will make her work very hard and to be firm in decision-taking, she will not bend for anybody. If we have a president who is very firm, bribery and corruption will be curbed. Similarly, there will be less chances of waging war. The country under the rule of a woman will be at peace with her neighbours. Instead of going to war, a woman will easily negotiate for peace and she will also make sure that she is always at peace with the citizens of the country. I must also state that women are usually compassionate by nature, although they can be firm. If Nigeria has a female president, she would feel strongly for the little children, the poor, the widow and the less privilege who beg by the road sides. Also, those people who do not have clothing and shelter will be taken care of. Finally, I must say that if Nigerians elect a female president, it will be a great turning point in the history of the country. It will also be an honour to have a Nigeria’s first woman president. Therefore, ladies and gentlemen, I am of the candid view that if Nigerians can give women a chance, I am sure that they will not regret it. NARRATIVE ESSAY THE SHAME THAT REFUSES TO GO When I was fourteen years old, I was sent from my village to live with my sister who had just got married. My sister had complained about the need to have house help after having her first born. With the permission of my parents, I went to live with my sister and her husband in Lagos. Immediately I got to Lagos, I was registered in a school very near our house. My sister was a business woman who sold ladies shoes and bags while her husband was a civil servant. My sister regularly travelled to the eastern part of the country to buy her wares. In most times, I would be alone in the house with her husband and baby. After living with them for four years, I noticed a change in the attitude of my sister’s husband towards me. He was unnecessarily lavishing his care on me, buying me dresses and gifts. Several times, he bought new clothes for me and whenever he did this, he would instruct me not to tell my sister. One day, while my sister was away to Onitsha on a business trip, her husband called me and instructed me to cook rice and ‘dodo’ in the evening and that I should not go to bed until he came back at night. I did as he instructed me and I struggled to stay awake until he came back around 10.30pm. When he came back, he asked me to serve the rice and ‘dodo’ in one plate and that we were going to eat together. I told him that I had eaten but he insisted that I would eat with him on the same table. He further told me that he loved me and that all the beautiful dresses and gifts he had bought for me were mine if I would allow him to make love to me. My excuse that he should realise that he was my sister husband fell on deaf ears. To cut the long story short, we made love that night and that was the beginning of the several love bouts we had. After a year of having this secret love affair with my sister’s husband, I got pregnant. When I told him that I was pregnant for him he, he told me to make it a secret forever if could not agree to abort it. I was afraid to commit abortion and it did not take long before I was found out by my sister. She forced me to tell her who was responsible for my pregnancy. In her annoyance, she sent me back to my parents in the village, divorced her husband and swore to renounce me as her sister. I later got married and I had to live with my first child whom I had for my sister’s husband’s house. My husband did not know that Ade was my first child until somebody told him the whole story of my life. He lost all the confidence in me and since then things have not been the way it used to be. He couldn’t love me as he used to and so I have had to live with this stigma for the rest of my life. DESCRIPTIVE ESSAY THE LOCAL FESTIVAL IN MY VILLAGE The arrival of civilization and western culture has made us to forget our cultural past. Our heritage has been lost and traded off for the western ways. Those cultural heritages which had delighted our fore-fathers are looked down upon by youths who regard these heritages as old fashioned and anachronistic. I must confess that I did share this opinion with my peers but I have to give it another thought when I was privileged to accompany my parents to our village to witness a local festival. The festival is usually celebrated every first Saturday of September in my village, Obong. Every year the indigenes travel from far and near to convene at Obudu market square, the venue of the annual new year festival. The origin of this festival goes as far back as when the first group of settlers fled to the plateau for safety and decided to dwell there. I can recollect vividly what my grandfather told me about the first festival when the settlers had their first new yam harvested. Tradition has it that the very first celebration was held at the summit of the Obudu Plateau. The joy and happiness shared among the people was enough to pull the heavens down according to my grandmother. Ever since, the celebration has taken the same pattern. Last year, the new yam festival which I witnessed began on Thursday. The day preceding that Thursday, all men in the village woke up very early in the morning and left for their farms. They returned in the evening with their children carrying large tubers of yam on their hands. I joined the village children to carry the tubers which we dropped at the market square. In the evening, the men gathered after taking their bath to discuss over a gourd of freshly-tapped palm wine. Their discussion took them into the far night before they went to sleep in their various homes. Very early the next day, the women started peeling the yams for cooking. They brought all ingredients together for the cooking while the young men prepared themselves to carry masquerades. The girls, like myself were not allowed to cook but we helped the women in cooking the food. Saturday finally arrived and the festival was scheduled to begin at noon. As early as 7.00am on that day, the women were up again to add finishing touches to their cooking and finally they pounded the yams. The real festival began with the arrival of the ‘Usu’, the chief who was followed by the masquerades. The young girls like myself dressed beautifully with the ‘jigida’ beads around our waists. We danced to entertain the ‘Usu’ and his chiefs who occasionally waved their locally made fans. Then the food was served and there was more than enough to go around. Everybody ate to his or her satisfaction. Finally, after all the dancing, singing and eating, the festival came to an end in the early hours of Sunday morning. I could say that this festival is of great importance to the Obudu people because it is the only time of the year when all indigenes of the village, far and near come together to felicitate. Moreover, the festival gave me a sense of pride that I have a heritage which I can be proud of.

The Convergence of the Twain Essay Example

The Convergence of the Twain Essay Example The Convergence of the Twain Paper The Convergence of the Twain Paper Essay Topic: The Convergence Of the Twain In April 1912, the RMS Titanic sank, with the loss of 1,517 passengers. In the weeks that followed, numerous responses to the disaster were published, one of which was Hardys The Convergence of the Twain. The poem portrays a view of the disaster relating to the complex relationship between the two dominant forces of man and nature, and the understatedly devastating consequences of the consummation of mans hubristically flawed ambitions with the enduringly relentless power of the Spinner of the Years. The challenge of public poetry also alters the ways in which Hardys literary techniques of theme, structure; form and imagery combine to form the verse that went out to the grieving masses of 1912. In terms of theme, The Convergence of the Twain follows the story of the Titanics sinking, as well as exploring another side of the disaster, away from the predictable hysteria and grief. One of the main themes is that of juxtaposition, and the idea of the conflict, or consummation between the eternal verities. Ideas surrounding this theme include And the Pride of Life that planned her, stilly couches she, referring to the contrasts between life and death, and with the capitalisation in Pride of Life, elevating mans ambitions to those on a par with the omnipotence of the higher verities, of Time and Fate, of The Immanent Will and The Spinner of the Years. This juxtaposition in premise between the desires, actions and feelings of man against the unflinching rigour of the eternal verities is also one of the enduring themes of the poem, as it is in many of Hardys more confessional works of verse. Reflections of this include the idea of Times unflinching rigour reducing a person to one phantom figure in At Castle Boterel, and the intimate and confirmatory lyric of Woman much missed, how you call to me, call to me being reduced to the bitter indictment of And the woman, calling through the passage of time in The Voice. This suggests that Hardy keeps his main stylistic themes consistent, and applies them to differing events more in terms of scale, or levels of contrast, rather than changing the actual content of the themes. The form and structure of The Convergence of the Twain is very much unlike many of Hardys poems, a possible response to the scale of his commitment to write publically or perhaps simply an exploration of form to try and convey his own views, slightly antithetical in themselves, on the disaster. The poem is divided into eleven heroic triplets, self containing the stanzas with the rhyme scheme, and leaving the poem in an isometric form- possibly highlighting the impersonality of Hardys view on the events. Furthermore, these structurally static, contained triplets do not possess the natural speech rhythms caused by the heavy use of caesurae and changes in line length that exist of many of his more personal poems. This process of technique enacting meaning leads to poems like The Voice and Neutral Tones possessing a much deeper, heartfelt message as a result of the effervescent lines, Saying that now you are not as you were and the heavily accented pauses that convey effect and depth- Thus I; faltering forward/Leaves around me falling. This contrast in personal poetry having a more heartfelt feel and the public having a more stagnant, artificially composed nature suggests the impersonality of the public against the deeply confessional verse of the personal, and the lack of pronouns and simple lack of recognition of the dead in The Convergence of the Twain in contrast to the consistent I and You in the personal works adds to this feeling. A further comment that can be made on the form of structure of The Convergence of the Twain is the way that tense is portrayed in the poem, and how this contributes to its effect as well as how it contrasts or identifies with Hardys confessional work. The The Convergence of the Twain has a clear division between tense, and furthermore, this division is also key to the narration of events and the dynamic aspects of the narrative. Stanzas I-V are written entirely in the present tense, as Hardy describes the current situation of The Titanic- Steel chambers, late the pyres/Of her salamandrine fires/Cold currents thrid, and turn to tidal lyres- the ship itself is passive against the metaphor of the music of the tidal lyre sweeping over it, and the cold currents that employ the neologism of thrid to explain the meaning of their power over the once pristine ship. This passive stasis of the poem could highlight Hardys indifference to the loss of those who are described as the opulent, or the simple fact that the ship is now at the bottom of the ocean, at the mercy of the greater forces that Hardy discusses and references with such vigour in stanzas VI-XI. In stanza VI, the tense changes upon the heavily accentuated caesura of Well:, and Hardy proceeds to actively describe the events that contributed to the Titanics downfall- The Immanent Will that stirs and urges everything/Prepared a sinister mate, exemplifies this through the stanza wide enjambment highlighting the unstoppable nature of the Will, and the stirs and urges adding to dynamism of the poem. This idea of a clear definition between tense is one that occurs much more sparsely in works of a direct importance to Hardy, as his verse of this type often blurs the boundaries between tense to highlight the distinction, or lack of distinction in his memories and the contrast and confusion between the past and present. Examples of this include lines in The Voice, Saying that now you are not as you were, and the recounting of a memory through present description in At Castle Boterel, Myself and a girlish form benighted/In dry March weather.

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