Self Evaluation Essay Online For Free - Free Essay Example

Self Evaluation Upon Learning This paper describes a process of self-evaluation, reflection upon learning, and planning for future developments. As well as considering the learning points which have been successfully internalized over the course of the semester, it will incorporate reflection on strengths and weaknesses, and begin to outline future communication with putative employers. In addition to presenting some analysis of the formal and academic aspects of the experience, it will discuss the interpersonal aspects of learning, and the development of those capacities which may have professional and vocational applications. As Stenhouse points out, ‘A curriculum is an attempt to communicate the essential principles and features of an educational proposal in such a form that it is open to critical scrutiny and capable of effective translation into practice. (1), However, negotiating the formal structures and requirements of the curriculum is only one aspect of the learning process. A perceptible process of transformation has begun in education, away from a lecture based didactic approach and towards adaptable, flexible modes of learning and teaching. Accordingly, this record of reflective learning will discuss the use of oral, listening and communication skills, considering self-management in group situations. In conclusion, it will present a flexible plan for the future, outlining the skills which need to be developed and providing some indicative targets and points for action. This piece presents my own reflections, and where appropriate, makes reference to appropriate research and analysi s by published authorities. From a purely personal perspective, undertaking the module involved a reconsideration of my own identity and purpose, and the sorting through of the multiple dimensions and preoccupations of my life. As Hall points out, ‘†¦no one has one identity; and indeed those identities may be in tension (one example would be the ways in which â€Å"mother† and â€Å"worker† are often understood as existing in tension. (2) Consequently, it was important to reconfigure ones self-identity and direction in the light of new knowledge and perspectives. In this respect, it is important to be aware that personality and self-image are often key determinants in setting personal objectives, defining outcomes, and constructing the parameters within which any one of us can grow and interact with their environment. As Elliot puts it, ‘We often think of the self as primarily a private domain, an inner realm of personal thoughts, values, stri vings, emotions and desires. Yet this view, which seems largely self-evident, is in contrast to the way in which sociologists study the framing of personal identity and the self. (3) Therefore, locating oneself within a social continuum, in some ways a necessary social skill and a pre-requisite of social/group orientation, can be both limiting and damaging. It is also important to consider cultural identity and the way national, regional, chronological and even familial micro cultures are profoundly constructive of our own life politics. It has become a truism in life-politics that emotional awareness – or emotional intelligence – is a fundamental determinant of how individuals will approach, engage with, and function with regard to social structures, whether the latter are in the public or private sphere. As Goleman explains, ‘self-awareness – recognizing a feeling as it happens – is the keystone of emotional intelligence†¦.the ability t o monitor feelings from moment to moment is crucial to psychological insight and self-understanding. (4) Some individuals may have this capacity through innate cognitive ability, whilst others must attempt to construct it using deliberately reflective techniques. However, the experience of the module has illustrated to me that it is not an option: interpersonal effectiveness basically demands that individuals exercise this facility, or develop it, as appropriate. As Bolton explains, ‘Reflective practice and reflexivity are not subjects but a pedagogical approach which should pervade the curriculum. (5) This is not say that formally defined subject knowledge, academic skills, or the didactic position, itself, are in any way less relevant or marginal in the curriculum process. It does indicate however that the ability to manage the dynamics of learning, and to demonstrate it through interpersonal growth, has become more prominent. It is fair to argue then, as Fraser and B osanquet have done, that ‘†¦Students are the receptors of the curriculum and their impact upon it varies†¦ (6) I found that, in the interactive learning environment, the effectiveness of the curriculum was determined and defined to a significant degree by us as learners, and in particular by our willingness to contribute new knowledge as perceptions. In this respect, the module was As Fraser and Bosanquet point out, ‘The changing nature of knowledge relevant to the discipline, and research in the discipline area, also influence the structure and learning goals of the programme†¦. (7). I consider that one of the key aspects of the module was its capacity to develop interpersonal working and the ability to work within a group dynamic. The resolution of issues, coordination of effort, and maximisation of individual skills through delegation are all highly transferable skills, which added to the developmental strengths of the formal curriculum. As Dav is observes, ‘Whilst there is demand for the traditional ability to analyse, think critically an work independently†¦, there is also a growing demand for ‘†¦transferable skills†¦.communication, team working,†¦and problem solving. This requires ‘careful curriculum planning, support mechanisms, teaching methodologies and assessment strategies†¦ (8). As discussed above, there are a range of factors which form the individuals attitudes and effectiveness within this dynamic, in terms of what they deem acceptable or effective approaches. Many of these are culturally formed, and may be interpreted within frameworks such Hofstedes Cultural Dimensions Index. Within this, Hofestede projects, each culture has tolerances and behavioural norms which dictate group behaviour, as well as strategic thinking within organisations. He defines these criteria as uncertainty avoidance, power distance, long/short term orientation, gender, i.e. masculinity a nd femininity, and individualism/collectivism. (9). Perhaps more revealing than this scheme of wide cultural sub-groups, however, is the related idea that these are just one component in tripartite scheme which includes universal human traits, ‘learned behaviour and values, and individual personality traits. (10) I consider that the recognition of individual strengths and weaknesses is a key factor, not only in the recognition of individual contributions, but in effective team building. I have definitely learned that assembling a team is a skill in itself. Simply pushing together a random group of individuals is not team-building. Correspondingly, one learning point which I can take from team working on the module, is that different individuals place value upon different aspects of interpersonal dealings, and that this has to recognised, despite personal preferences. For example, some co-learners on the module – and through logical extension, some colleagues in a professional situation – placed a high value on directness within relationships, and preferred immediate action to a deferred approach. Conversely, some personalities felt far more secure with an incremental approach to issues, preferring to delay action until the maximum possible information and analysis was assembled. Some individuals placed a high premium on relationship building through personal interaction, and took this as the inception of a trust network, before moving on to the specifics of a problem or issue. Meanwhile, some individuals were comfortable with the exact reverse of this; they wanted to stay focused on the dimensions of the issue, and preferred to leave the interpersonal dimensions of team building to take their natural course. The main learning point which emerged from this for me, was that such characteristics needed to be recognised, accepted, and factored into team building, as well as its functioning dynamic. No one individual conforms abso lutely to a specific personality or behavioural type: however, their dominant personality traits are likely to be those which emerge at key decision making moments. To get the best out of people and teams, the nature of their contribution needs to be taken into account. As Sonnetag observes, ‘There is relatively consistent empirical evidence for a positive relationship between specific aspects of individual well-being and.performance. (11) The ability to ensure this well-being and secure the related performance – in myself as well as in other learners – and eventually co-workers – is one of the key developmental points that I will take from the module as a whole. . As Murphy and Riggio indicate, ‘†¦complexity provides the resources (cognitive, social, behavioural) for generating numerous possible responses to a given situation. Individuals as well as organizations are healthy and thrive when they are capable of many responses to a given situation, and become brittle and vulnerable to changing conditions when they are uniform and specialized. (12). I prefer to think of this as understanding the personal, interpersonal, and strategic implications of the psychological contract. As Williams indicates regarding this phenomenon, ‘this interpersonal aspect to fairness reminds us that there is a social basis to the exchange relationship between employer and employee and we might expect this to be part of the psychological contract. (13) One of the key objectives that I will take away from the module is the ability to understand – through use of a reflective cycle the development of psychological contracts between individuals, within groups, across stakeholders, and between employees and management. I recognise that this, in itself, is an objective which relies heavily on the capacity to use ones own emotional intelligence, and that this in itself is an on-going task. As Goleman has observed, , ‘ †¦unlike the familiar tests for IQ, there is, as yet, no single paper and pencil test that yields an emotional intelligence score, and there may never be one. ‘ (14) In fact it could be argued that those with emotional intelligence as a dominant aspect of their skills set, tend to eschew formal learning situations altogether, relying on their reading of situations and interpersonal skills rather than credentialism to get where they want to be. The important point for me here is to recognize that these skills are increasingly important in the socialized workforce, and central to achievement of common goals. As Guest and Conway have indicated, ‘†¦built on the three pillars of fairness, trust and delivery of the deal between organizations and employees, a positive psychological contract is the best guarantee of good performance outcomes. (15) Here are some key points for my development, around which specific targets may be developed. Have I planned and managed my own workload effectively: have I consistently met deadlines, without suspending working routines, or the absorption of resources of time from other projects or priorities? In team working situations, was I effective in determining the roles allocated to myself and others, using prior knowledge about myself and them? Did I retain effective control over my role, and did my input have a discernible and measurable impact on the project as a whole? How will I assess whether or not I have consistently managed work relationships in an effective way? Assuming I can assemble such an assessment, would my co-learners or colleagues evaluations be likely to support this? Is my role – or the role of others – clear to everyone concerned? In my estimation, and with regard to the insights I have obtained about interpersonal effectiveness from the module, achievement of these objectives would go a considerable way towards making me an effective learner. They are also principles which could be deemed constructive of a learning organization as a whole, something which, in my view, we should all regard as the worthwhile outcome of our individual contributions. As Hyam and Mason point out, ‘The learning organization, argue its advocates, is one in which managers perceive their position in the organization, and their relationship with subordinates, in a radically new way, utilizing new metaphors and ways of understanding. (16). One way to measure individual progress towards this outcome would be through the use of a reflective scheme such as Gibbs Reflective Cycle.: Within this, the learner or practitioner can use description to visualize developments or events, subsequently evaluating their own emotional respo nse in the ‘feelings stage of the process. From there you progress on to the evaluation and analysis stages, seeking out any wider implications or perceptible patterns from the situation, before proceeding onto the conclusion and action plan. I consider this skill-set to be of huge importance, because wherever you go in the contemporary employment scene, you will encounter an appraisal and system, and some form of target setting regime. Being aware of ones own real situation in relation to the requirements of a professional situation, is therefore just as important as finding out about the perceptions of others. In my opinion, this is the difference between merely transactional or genuinely transformational management. As Fincham and Rhodes express it, the transactional model is ‘†¦simply a mutual exchange for economic or political reasons between leader or follower. In transformational leadership a deeper, more powerful process is present. Here one or more p ersons engage with others in such a way that leaders and followers raise each other up to higher levels of motivation and morality. (17). It can be argued therefore that worthwhile transactional management begins in the personal sphere. Footnotes 1.) Stenhouse, L (1975, .An Introduction to Curriculum Research and Development .London: Heinemann, p.4. 2 ) Hall, S., ‘Who Needs Identity? in Hall, S., and du Gay, P., (1996), (eds), Questions of Cultural Identity, Sage, London. p.5. 3.) Elliot, A., (2001), Concepts of the Self, Polity Press, Cambridge p.24. 4.) Goleman, (1996), Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More Than IQ, Bloomsbury, London. p.43. 5.) Bolton, G., (2005), Reflective Practice: Writing and Professional Development, 2nd Edition, Sage, London, p.3. 6.) Fraser, S., and Bosanquet, A., (2006), ‘The curriculum? That is just a unit outline, isnt it?, Studies in Higher Education, 31, pp.269-284, p.274 7.) ibid. 8.) Davis, M., (2003), ‘Barriers to reflective practice: the changing nature of higher education in Active learning in higher education 4 (3) pp. 243-255, p.247. 9.) Hofstede, G., (2003), Cultures and Organizations: Intercultural Cooperation and its Importance fo r Survival, Profile Business, London. p.9 10.) ibid., p.6. 11.) Sonnetag, S., (ed), (2002) Psychological Management of Individual Performance, John Wiley and Sons, Chichester, p.4110. 12.) Murphy, S.E., Riggio, R.E., (2003), The Future of Leadership Development, Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Mahwah NJ, p.13. 13.) Williams, R.S., (1998) Performance Management: Perspectives on Employee Performance, International Thomson Business Press, St.Ives, p.183. 14.) Goleman, (1996), Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More Than IQ, Bloomsbury, London p.44. 15.) Guest, D.E., and Conway, N., (2004), Employee Well-being and the Psychological Contract: A Report for the CIPD, Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, London, p.vii. 16.) Hyam, J., and Mason, B., (1995), Managing Employee Involvement and Participation, Sage, London, p.145. 17.) Fincham, R., Rhodes, P., (2005), Principles of Organizational Behaviour, Oxford University Press, Oxford p.345. Bibliography Armstrong, A., and Baron, A.,(2005), Managing Performance: Performance Management in Action, CIPD, London. Armstrong, A., (1994), Performance Management, Kogan Page, London. Arthur, M.B., (1996), The Boundaryless Career: A New Employment Principle for a New Organizational Era Oxford University Press. Baker, J., (1988), Causes of Failure in Performance Appraisal and Supervision: A Guide to Analysis and Evaluation for Human Resources Professionals, Quorum Books, New York. Barrow, G., and Newton, T., (2004), Walking the Talk: How Transactional Analysis is Improving Behaviour and Raising Self-Esteem, David Fulton, London. Bolton, G., (2005), Reflective Practice: Writing and Professional Development, 2nd Edition, Sage, London. Davis, M., (2003), ‘Barriers to reflective practice: the changing nature of higher education in Active learning in higher education 4 (3) pp. 243-255 Fincham, R., Rhodes, P., (2005), Principles of Organizational Behaviour, Oxford Un iversity Press, Oxford. Forster, M., (2005) Maximum Performance: A Practical Guide to Leading and Managing People at Work, Edward Elgar, Cheltenham. Fraser, S., and Bosanquet, A., (2006), ‘The curriculum? That is just a unit outline, isnt it?, Studies in Higher Education, 31, pp.269-284. Goleman, D., (1996), Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More Than IQ, Bloomsbury, London. Guest, D.E., and Conway, N., (2004), Employee Well-being and the Psychological Contract: A Report for the CIPD, Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, London. Hall, S., ‘Who Needs Identity? in Hall, S., and du Gay, P., (1996), (eds), Questions of Cultural Identity, Sage, London. Hiser, S., ‘e-Recruitment: Tools help staff see the effects of effort. Financial Times , Published: November 7 2007. INTERNET, available at https://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/c8757344-8c95-11dc-b887-0000779fd2ac.html, [viewed 12.4.08] n.p. Gerte Hofstede Cultural Dimensions Website, INTERNET, available at https://www.geert-hofstede.com/hofstede_dimensions.php?culture1=95culture2=18#compare [viewed 20.8.08] n.p. Hofstede, G., (2003), Cultures and Organizations: Intercultural Cooperation and its Importance for Survival, Profile Business, London. Holland, J.L., (1997), Making Vocational Choices: A Theory of Vocational Personalities and Work Environments, London. Hyam, J., and Mason, B., (1995), Managing Employee Involvement and Participation, Sage, London. Maslow, A.H., (1970) Motivation and Personality, 3rd Edition, Harper Collins, New York. Murphy, S.E., Riggio, R.E., (2003), The Future of Leadership Development, Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Mahwah NJ. Sonnetag, S., (ed), (2002) Psychological Management of Individual Performance, John Wiley and Sons, Chi chester. Stenhouse, L (1975, .An Introduction to Curriculum Research and Development .London: Heinemann. Walters, M., (1995), The Performance Management Handbook, Institute of Personnel and Development, London. Warmington, A., Lupton, C., and Gribbin, C., (1977), Organisational Behaviour and Performance: an Open Systems Approach to Change, MacMillan, London. Williams, R.S., (1998) Performance Management: Perspectives on Employee Performance, International Thomson Business Press, St.Ives.

Introspection vs Behaviourism - 849 Words

So, should psychology study things and hypothesize about things that are not directly observable? Before I begin my argument I want to point out that the word psychology is the combination of two terms - study (ology) and soul (psyche), or mind. The derivation of the word from Latin gives it this clear and obvious meaning: The study of the soul or mind. I believe that Behaviourists such as Watson wished to alter the meaning of the word ‘psychology’ because it was not sufficient or capable of answering the metaphysical questions such as â€Å"what is the mind?† and â€Å"what is consciousness?† They believed that the discipline could only be effective or ‘scientific’ if every hypothetical question could be operationalized and therefore quantified,†¦show more content†¦Human motivations, emotions, thoughts and behaviours are messy, unpredictable and every human being is a unique bit of mystery. Maybe it shouldn’t be a question of ‘can the experiment be replicated in the laboratory’ because we don’t live in labs. I believe a more pragmatic approach will eventually answer many of the questions psychology struggles with and that’s also what I think MacDougall was advocating in his argument. Watson, as a leading behaviourist of the day advocated for complete rejection of mental phenomena and the concept of consciousness had no place in science b/c mental phenomena cannot be directly observable. So Watson was suggesting that psychology can only be defined as a science if it denies the mind, whaa?! I suggest advocates for this position would instead be more comfortable if they left â€Å"Psych†ology to its rightful place as the study of the human mind, and therefore human nature, and instead form a science called Behaviourology. But really, what is the point of experimenting and making observations if you don’t further attempt to determine WHY the observed behaviour occurs? For example: take a child that was physically abused every day of his life and then observe that he grows into an adult who physically abuses his children. Wow how fascinating, not. I believe that this only becomes a question for/of psychology when the observer attempts to determine WHY these patterns ofShow MoreRelatedThe Theory Of Psychology And New Schools1057 Words   |  5 Pagesdown of mental processes into its most fundamental components in trying to understand a person s mind. Then came functionalism (James,1902). Functionalists weren t concerned with mental processes, but in the role, that these processes played. Behaviourism (Watson, 1931) attempts to explain behaviour by environmental causes rather than by internal forces. They believe in experimenting on observable components while completely ignoring the unobservable mental processes. Gestalt psychology (WertheimerRead MoreThe Theory Of The Mind And Behavior1264 Words   |  6 Pagesthat we are born with imprinted knowledge. Aristotle, a student of Plato, theorized the concept that we were born a blank canvas and the development of our minds are sculpted by our experience, demonstrating that modern psychological debates of nature VS nurture, and interests of the functions of the mind, have been discussed for centuries. Psychology as we know it today is the scientific study of the mind and behaviour. All scientists whether chemists, biologists, physicists or psychologists mustRead MorePsychology Ncert Book 1 Chapter Notes11190 Words   |  45 Pagesconstituents or the building blocks of the mind. Psychologists during Wundt’s time analysed the structure of the mind through introspection and therefore were called structuralists. Introspection was a procedure in which individuals or subjects in psychological experiments were asked to describe in detail, their own mental processes or experiences. However, introspection as a method did not satisfy many other psychologists. It was considered less scientific because the introspective reports couldRead MoreThe Philosophy of Happiness11705 Words   |  47 Pagesanother’s. But he does not really address the problem inherent in the Greatest Happiness Principle, that it leaves room for the misery of an individual to be discounted in order to inc rease the he overall total of happiness in the community. Happiness vs Duty At the opposite extreme from utilitarianism, in modern times, stands the moral theory of Kant. Kant’s starting point is that the only thing that is good without qualification is a good will. Talents, character, and fortune can be used to bad ends

Essay on the Artist as Hero in A Portrait of the Artist...

The Artist as Hero in A Portrait of the Artist As a Young Man A Portrait of the Artist As a Young Man by James Joyce is a partly autobiographical account of the authors life growing up. The novel chronicles the process through which the main character, Stephen, struggles against authority and religious doctrine to develop his own philosophies on life. Stephen is not necessarily rebelling against God and his father as much as he is finding his own person, creating his own life. He is an artist, not because of the outcome of his life, but because of the process he goes through to achieve that outcome. The artist is a hero because of the sacrifices he makes, the persecution he endures, and the risks he undertakes merely to†¦show more content†¦God would look down on him and on them and would love them all. It was easy to be good. Stephen has just thrown away a slow but obvious rebellion and endured a life of humiliation and ridicule, only to end up back where he started. His easy retreats back to conformity and accepted doctrine are used to demonstrate how all the more profound his ultimate evolution into an artist is. It also shows how the artist, like Hercules or Superman, is a hero; not because of the arduous physical tasks, but rather, because of the more difficult mental and spiritual changes and challenges that need to be overcome. Secondly, Stephens decision to pursue his life as an artist, over his family, his country, and in some ways, God, shows that he is not being selfish and self-centered. He chooses a potential life of loneliness, poverty, and exile over a less grueling life of conformity and obedience. Stephen decides to lead such a life not because he is masochistic, but because he realizes the corruptness of the world he lives in. Even at an early age, he experiences the flaws of what is to be accepted as true and just. For instance, after his personal and social triumph of going to rector to tell on Father Dolan, after his cruel and unjust beating, he is disillusioned to find that the rector, Father Dolan and his own father had a hearty laugh together over it. Ha! Ha! Ha! Stephen realizes that he has to createShow MoreRelated Essay on Discourse in A Portrait of an Artist as a Young Man1470 Words   |  6 PagesAuthoritative Discourse in A Portrait of an Artist as a Young Man    In James Joyces A Portrait of An Artist As A Young Man, the main character, Stephen Dedalus, struggles between his natural instincts, or what Bakhtin calls the internally persuasive discourse that [is not] backed up by [an] authority at all, and his learned response, reinforced by the authoritative discourse of religion. To Stephens internally persuasive discourse, his natural sex drive is not wrong. It is onlyRead More The Key Elements of A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man Essay1853 Words   |  8 PagesKey Elements of A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   James Joyces A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man provides an introspective exploration of an Irish Catholic upbringing. To provide the reader with a proper interpretation, Joyce permeates the story with vivid imagery and a variety of linguistic devices. This paper will provide an in-depth of analysis of the work by examining its key elements. The central theme of A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man is Stephen DedalusRead More Humanism Essay example1241 Words   |  5 Pageshumanists, however, were sometimes skeptical as to the authority of the ancient writers.   Medieval humanists accepted pagan and classical authors uncritically.   The humanists of the Renaissance, however, viewed the classics from a Christian perspective, Man is created in Gods image.   They rejected any classical ideas that opposed Christianity but sometimes found an underlying harmony between secular and pagan ideas and the Christian faith.   The humanists of the Renaissance loved the language ofRead More James Joyces A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man and Flann OBriens At Swim-Two-Birds and Modernist Writing2431 Words   |  10 PagesJames Joyces A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man and Flann OBriens At Swim-Two-Birds and Modernist Writing The Twentieth Century found literature with a considerably different attitude and frame-of-mind than had the Eighteenth and Nineteenth Centuries. Two hundred years is, of course, a long time to allow change within genres, but after the fairly gradual progression of the novel as a form, its change in the hands of modernism happened rapidly in comparison. Explaining how textsRead MoreJames Joyce Annotated Bibliography Essay3544 Words   |  15 Pagesbook, like all of Joyces works, contains autobiographical matter and is rooted in an intensely accurate apprehension of the detail of the Dublin life (www.jamesjoyce.ie). Joyce writes about the experience of modern urban life in Dublin. The portrait of a dismal, enervated provincial world that Joyce draws in Dubliners must owe its realism in part to Joyces admiration for plays by Ibsen, a Norwegian dramatist that influenced Joyces writing (Phillips 16). Joyce has said that the book is anRead MoreAnalysis Of Kehinde Wiley s Large Scale, Brightly Colored2992 Words   |  12 Pagesbrightly colored, highly patterned portraits of African American subjects are a salute to traditional portraiture as well as a critique of the art historical focus on the privileged male Caucasian. The artist scouts out ordinary black men of ages 18 to 25 from urban settings to copy poses from works by master Western painters like Titian and Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres. The photographs of their poses become Wiley’s references for his enormous, dazzlingly vibrant portraits. The extreme realism of theRead More Stephen Dedalus in James Joyces A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man3169 Words   |  13 PagesStephen Dedalus in Jame s Joyces A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man When the soul of a man is born in this country there are nets flung at it to hold it back from flight. You talk to me of nationality, language, religion. I shall try to fly by those nets The spirit of Ireland is embodied in young Stephen Dedalus, the central character of James Joyces A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man. Like the Dedalus of Greek myth, Stephen must grow wings so that he may fly above the tribulationsRead MoreDedalus and Daedalus In James Joyce’s novel, A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, Joyce tells1500 Words   |  6 PagesDedalus and Daedalus In James Joyce’s novel, A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, Joyce tells us a story of a young man who struggles with who he is and who he is to become. Stephen Dedalus was born into an Irish Catholic family with very strong beliefs. Stephan believes in God and follows the path he is taught. His young life is very doctrinaire, but he believes in his God. He follows the ways of the Church because he does not want to let God down. Later, as Stephan matures, he struggles withRead MoreInvisible Man1288 Words   |  6 PagesInvisible Man Essay Topic #9 The invisible man is a novel diving deep into the social and political issues of society. While doing so, it follows the experiences and obstacles of one particular blank man who is the â€Å"invisible man† (IM). Chapter to chapter, he comes across a new individual who has a completely different definition of him and that gives him a completely different role to play in society. By the end of the novel, the invisible man has a sense of moral reconciliation and he has someRead MoreMona Lisa and Last Supper3080 Words   |  13 Pages All of the angles and lighting draws attention to Christ. 4. Damage and restorations. Leonardo painted The Last Supper on a dry wall rather than on wet plaster (Ã'ˆÃ'‚Ã'Æ'Ð ºÃ °Ã'‚Ã'Æ'Ã'€Ð ºÃ °), so it is not a true fresco. Because a fresco cannot be modified as the artist works, Leonardo instead chose to seal the stone wall with a layer of pitch (Ã' Ã ¼Ã ¾Ã »Ã °), gesso (Ð ³Ã ¸Ã ¿Ã'  Ð ´Ã »Ã'  Ã' Ã ºÃ'Æ'Ð »Ã'Å'Ð ¿Ã'‚Ã'Æ'Ã'€Ã'‹ ) and mastic (Ð ¼Ã °Ã' Ã'‚Ð ¸Ã ºÃ °; Ð ·Ã °Ã ¼Ã °Ã ·Ã ºÃ °, Ã'ˆÐ ¿Ã °Ã ºÃ »Ã µÃ ²Ã ºÃ °), then paint onto the sealing layer with tempera. Because of the method used, the piece has not

The Nature of Lucy Essay Example For Students

The Nature of Lucy Essay William Wordsworth is a revered romantic poet who believed that the meaning of romanticism is best illustrated when using everyday life events and familiar speech. Wordsworths explicit love of nature and mastery of the language allowed him to bring such emotion and power into each poem without the use of sophisticated words, which he believes takes away the effect of what is trying to be said. His intentions were such that any man capable of reading, well educated or not, could feel these emotions and fully understand his projected messages. He drops to the earth, for once, all that matter-of-factness of which Coleridge complained (Internet Bartleby). (Coleridge did not look to nature the way Wordsworth did).Wordsworth best shows his love of nature throughout his renowned Lucy Poems. In these poems Lucy is considered a child of nature. She is pure like the earth and has been cared for by nature since her tenderest years, Nature vowed to make her a Lady of her own (Bartleby). Wordswor th seems to believe that her death was an act of fate, with Nature being so in love with her that it had to take her back from the Earth. Nature serves as a vitalizing, inspiring force in all Wordsworths works. According to Wordsworth People are at their best when close to the splendor and mystery of nature. (Internet Anonymous 1 )The attitude toward Nature in the literature of any age may be tested in two ways: by what is said, and by what is left unsaid, and of these the second is perhaps the more significant (Reynolds 7). The omitted information of the identity and age, and the realization of Lucy has puzzled critics since the publications of these Lucy Poems. Perhaps this is what has kept readers so interested and critics so baffled. She is thought to be Wordsworths fantasy or his lover, and to some she is believed to be a relative who he held very close to his heart. He (Wordsworth) believed that it was especially in the language of nature that man could know ultimate truths. These truths coexist both in the human mind and in the depth of things, but rarely become knowable in direct intuition.(Perkins 92) The mind of man is naturally the mirror of the fairest and most interesting properties of nature (Stallknecht 46). Every man has some knowledge of nature, so every man should be able to interpret what Wordsworth is saying. However, it is the way the mind works and the difference in interpretations that is interesting.One Critic claimed: She may be linked to the wild boy of Tintern Abbey, who was lost when the narrator left Nature and childhood to become an adult (Internet Anonymous 2 ). Her morality is the more significant, since it brings together two irreconcilable ideas Lucys beauty and the ineluctable fact of her death, all the more unthinkable if it should take place in her youth (Beer 96). Whatever the relation or age, his love for Lucy sh ows so vividly throughout each of these poems that the reader can feel it. Lucy is construed as many different people and objects, but only Wordsworth will know the true identity. Lucy Gray, Strange Fits of Passion Have I Known, She Dwelt Among the Untrodden Ways, I Traveled Among Unknown Men, Three Years She Grew in Sun and Shower, and A Slumber Did My Spirit Seal are the six poems known as The Lucy Poems. A process seemed to arise as the poems were read in order of their publications. Starting from the night of her assumed death, Wordsworth gives a description of her life. He writes on who she was up to his opinion of her reason for death. He then expresses his reactions to the passing of his beloved Lucy. How can one properly describe the death of a young girl who has lived close to the genius of nature? (Beer 95)Many critics have analyzed these poems, and many of the same conclusions have come to arise. Wordsworth brings nature from the Earth to the Heavens in his poem She Dwelt Among the Untrodden Ways. .ufc2ba9d9924dbcea31e5ef015ce8de6f , .ufc2ba9d9924dbcea31e5ef015ce8de6f .postImageUrl , .ufc2ba9d9924dbcea31e5ef015ce8de6f .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .ufc2ba9d9924dbcea31e5ef015ce8de6f , .ufc2ba9d9924dbcea31e5ef015ce8de6f:hover , .ufc2ba9d9924dbcea31e5ef015ce8de6f:visited , .ufc2ba9d9924dbcea31e5ef015ce8de6f:active { border:0!important; } .ufc2ba9d9924dbcea31e5ef015ce8de6f .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .ufc2ba9d9924dbcea31e5ef015ce8de6f { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .ufc2ba9d9924dbcea31e5ef015ce8de6f:active , .ufc2ba9d9924dbcea31e5ef015ce8de6f:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .ufc2ba9d9924dbcea31e5ef015ce8de6f .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .ufc2ba9d9924dbcea31e5ef015ce8de6f .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .ufc2ba9d9924dbcea31e5ef015ce8de6f .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .ufc2ba9d9924dbcea31e5ef015ce8de6f .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .ufc2ba9d9924dbcea31e5ef015ce8de6f:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .ufc2ba9d9924dbcea31e5ef015ce8de6f .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .ufc2ba9d9924dbcea31e5ef015ce8de6f .ufc2ba9d9924dbcea31e5ef015ce8de6f-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .ufc2ba9d9924dbcea31e5ef015ce8de6f:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Types Of Computer Graphics EssayA critic, Bateson , remarks that he sees Lucy as a violet hidden from the public world, and the single star represents her importance in the private world. Beer reacts to Batesons thoughts by adding that he believes that the landscape created by these two objects is that of Wordsworths new universe of life. The flower represents human affection and tenderness for the particular, and the star focuses on the human imagination and the wondering of perception. He believed that Lucy possessed the qualities of both: her growth in the flesh portrays the organic harmony of a flowers growth, while her own inward light gives her the quality of a star (Beer 95-6). Geoffrey Hartman a renowned critic added that he believed that when people amount to nothing in the eyes of the world, they become their own world in each others eyes (Hartman 43). Strange Fits of Passion Have I Known, this poem is highly significant in its portrayal of the senses and emotion and how he ties this into nature. From the very beginning Strange Fits of passion Have I Known to the very last lines, Oh mercy! to myself I cried, If Lucy should be dead! Wordsworth also heightens the feeling of emotion in the narrative technique he uses. His language is plain, which leaves more room for the reader to concentrate on content rather than style. Because his poem is very emotional, it seems obvious that this poem be about love. His love seen in this poem is not only described in the descriptions of the lover but also in descriptions of nature. As in most of Wordsworths work nature is an established part of his style. His love for the outdoors and all things natural shows here with references to a rose in June, and the evening moon. Symbols of death are paramount to the poem with words showing sadness and mourning such as the moon descended, and the planet dro pped, as though nature fears with him. The poem is written in past tense and so the fear of gloom and death are prominent. Many believe Lucys the moon going down represents death, but in reality the moon returns every night. Poets added moonlight to their poems to instill the thoughts of mystery, since darkness has a premonition of fear (Reynolds 23). Many believe that since this is true, Wordsworth is talking about a ghost. Lucys identity mirrors that of a ghost in all but one poem (Lucy Gray) in the way she makes her exit, always with an immediate sense of nonexistence. Her reflection through forests and the moon (the indicator of Lucys presence) indicate an alignment with nature, and departure with men. (Cunningham)One could link Lucy with Lucy Gray, his poem, where according to superstition, Lucy died in the midst of nature, but her spirit as been seen there. However, Wordsworth did not believe in writing about the supernatural, so once again the identity remains unknown. In the study of the evolution of the love of nature three stages have come about. The third stage is based on the cosmic sense, or the unity between man and nature. The second stage is recognized as the world around us and its beauty and worthiness of close study. In the first stage nature deals with human actions and passions (Reynolds 27-8). Wordsworth has touched each of these stages in the Lucy Poems. Most poetry relies on the first stage, but because of Wordsworths creative ability he brings in every stage and shows how Lucy resembles each. This truly makes Lucy Natures Child. Bibliography:Works CitedAnonymous 1. 15 Jan. 1997. Gatech Inc. 31 Oct. 2000. Anonymous 2. 17 Jan. 1997. Gatech Inc. 31 Oct. 2000. .u3a8e305601671818cf1e50733c5ad82b , .u3a8e305601671818cf1e50733c5ad82b .postImageUrl , .u3a8e305601671818cf1e50733c5ad82b .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u3a8e305601671818cf1e50733c5ad82b , .u3a8e305601671818cf1e50733c5ad82b:hover , .u3a8e305601671818cf1e50733c5ad82b:visited , .u3a8e305601671818cf1e50733c5ad82b:active { border:0!important; } .u3a8e305601671818cf1e50733c5ad82b .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u3a8e305601671818cf1e50733c5ad82b { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u3a8e305601671818cf1e50733c5ad82b:active , .u3a8e305601671818cf1e50733c5ad82b:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u3a8e305601671818cf1e50733c5ad82b .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u3a8e305601671818cf1e50733c5ad82b .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u3a8e305601671818cf1e50733c5ad82b .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u3a8e305601671818cf1e50733c5ad82b .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u3a8e305601671818cf1e50733c5ad82b:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u3a8e305601671818cf1e50733c5ad82b .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u3a8e305601671818cf1e50733c5ad82b .u3a8e305601671818cf1e50733c5ad82b-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u3a8e305601671818cf1e50733c5ad82b:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: An Analysis of The House on Mango Street House Man EssayBartleby. 2000. Bartleby Inc. 31 Oct. 2000 . Beer, John. Wordsworth and the Human Heart. New York: Columbia University Press, 1978. Hartman, Geoffrey. Beyond Formalism. New Haven and London: Yale University Press, 1970. Perkins, David. Wordsworth and the Poetry of Sincerity. Cambridge, Massachusetts: The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, 1964. Reynolds, Myra. The Treatment of Nature In English Poetry. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, 1909. Stallknecht, Newton P. Strange Seas of Thought. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1958. Stein, Edwin. Wordsworths Art of Allusion. University Park and London: The Pennsylvania State University Press, 1988. Wu, Duncan ed. Romanticism: An Anthology. Malden:Blackwell Publishers Inc., 1998.