Analysis of “Uphill” by Christina Rossetti Essay

â€Å"Uphill† by Christina Rossetti is an allegory about life and death. Rossetti is considered one of the finest religious poets of her time and her many spiritual beliefs are conveyed in her poem â€Å"Uphill†. H.B. de Groot said, â€Å"Undeniably, her strong lyric gifts are often held in check by her moral and theological scruples† (Groot). The dialogue style Rossetti uses mimics the parables told by Jesus in The Bible. In â€Å"Overview of Christina (Georgina) Rossetti† one author stated that during her adult life, Rossetti turned down two marriage proposals, due to her strong religious convictions. Instead of marrying, she used her convictions to script eloquent poetry that reaffirms faith for the faithful and provides faith for the hopeless. Rossetti’s use of metaphors, symbols, and biblical allusions in â€Å"Uphill† conveys the idea of life and death and represents the difficult journey to salvation and the promise of eternal life in heaven. In â€Å"Uphill,† Rossetti uses metaphors to invite the reader to draw comparisons between one’s journey through life, death, and eternal rest. The first question and answer the speaker mentions is a metaphor to depict the road being traveled, conveying that it is difficult and long, much like life: â€Å"Does the road wind up-hill all the way?/Yes, to the very end† (Rossetti 1-2). In lines five and seven the speaker develops the metaphor of night and darkness to mean death: â€Å"But is there for the night a resting-place?/May not the darkness hide it from my face† (5/7)? The speaker seems doubtful and unsure about the process of death and provokes the speaker to ask questions about the after-life. Assurance of such a place is found in line eight when the inn is used as a metaphor to describe heave, a place that: â€Å"You cannot miss†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (8). The author uses symbols to assist the reader by evoking a deeper subconscious meaning of one’s uphill trek towards heaven. The title of the poem â€Å"Uphill† serves as a symbol for the difficulties encountered along the speaker’s journey. In lines six and eight the words _roof_ and _inn_ are symbols for the security felt, â€Å"†¦when the slow dark hours begin./You cannot miss that inn† (6/8). Rossetti uses the word _bed_ in lines fifteen and sixteen to  represent the final resting place for those seeking eternal life in heaven: â€Å"Will there be beds for me and all who seek?/Yea, beds for all who come (15-16). Beds invoke feelings of comfort and warmth and peace. The speaker hopes to find the same comfort and peace in heaven with an eternal place to sleep. The Biblical allusions Rossetti uses in the poem help the reader understand what happens after death. Matthew 7:14 explains that the path to salvation will be difficult and long and is referenced in line three when the speaker asks how long the day’s journey will take: â€Å"But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it† (_New International Version_, Matthew. 7.14). In the Bible, Christ teaches that there are two ways; right and wrong, good and evil. The road to the narrow gate is not only constricted, but also uphill. It is a struggle and often not the easy way, which is why only few endure it. But it is the only path that will lead you to eternal life. All other ways may be easier, but lead to destruction. In lines eleven and twelve, the speaker receives assurance that by knocking, the doors will be open at the end of the journey, a Biblical allusion to Matthew 7:7. This verse states that if one asks, seeks, and knocks that the door will be open: â€Å"Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened† (Matthew 7.7). In John 14:2 Jesus comforts his twelve disciples by saying: â€Å"There is more than enough room in my Father’s home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? When everything is ready, I will come get you, so that you will always be with me where I am† (John 14.2). This verse serves as a point of reference to lines fifteen and sixteen in the poem: â€Å"Will there be beds for me and all who seek?/Yea, beds for all who come† (15-16). Christians believe that there is a dwelling-place in which devout believing souls would abide forever. Believers gain comfort in knowing that He has already prepared such a special p lace that is vast and sufficient in room for all his people. Rossetti’s poem is a beautiful illustration of ones journey through life as illustrated by the questions the speaker asks throughout the poem. In the  beginning the speaker is anxious about the journey that lies ahead and asks: â€Å"Does the road wind up-hill all the way† (1), but by the end of the poem the speaker is peaceful and assured about the final resting place: â€Å"Shall I find comfort, travel-sore and weak† (13)? Rossetti links one’s journey to life, death, and eternity by using metaphors throughout the text. Symbols are layered throughout the text to assist the reader with identifying heaven. Rossetti’s use of Biblical allusions allow the reader to grasps what eternity will be like for those that believe and stay the course of the _uphill_ journey. The difficult life and death decisions made along the journey towards salvation and eternity in heaven are made evident throughout the poem with the use of metaphors, symbols, and Biblical allusions. Works Cited â€Å"Christina Rossetti.† _Contemporary Authors Online_. Detroit: Gale, 2006. _Literature Resource_ _Center_. Web. 19 Mar. 2014. _English Standard Version_. Bible Gateway. Web. 26 Mar. 2014. Rossetti, Christina. â€Å"Uphill.† _Literature; An Introduction to Fiction, Poetry, Drama, and Writing_. Seventh Edition. Ed. X.J. Kennedy and Dana Gioia. 7th ed. Boston: Pearson, 2013.

Management of Computing Resources Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

Management of Computing Resources - Essay Example Computer resources within the commission includes aggregate of available software, computer hardware, supplies, documentation, trained personnel and support services that are to be protected. The report is about designing an end user training and support system that will help serve the 5000 work stations of the education commission and whether Google or social media can be utilized to lower the cost of support outlays and IS end user training. Currently the commission is utilizing Microsoft products for the various computing operations that are done on the commission. The education commission organization is in need of an effective information system that will provide the personnel as well as the management with up to date information regarding the performance of the commission including their future plans, goals and objective. The information may be processed at the central point or headquarter of the commission and dispatched to all the other 5,000 work stations in Australia. Having an effective computing management plan that is evidence based in place will ensure safe passage of information from the sender to the receiver and back. The computers at the various work stations will be joined together with an intension of allowing sharing of resources and data. The management system will be designed to capture, store, transmit, manipulate, retrieve and display the intended information in various work stations. The system will out the information in a form that can be utilized in various workstations. Increased innovation has led to the development of the internet system which has resulted to development of information systems that can be exchanged via web-based emails, extranets and intranets. The technology will allow for faster exchange of information and data between the management and the end user located in various work stations located within and outside the city. Designing an end user training and support system for the various

Analysis of Three Selected Poems by Robert Frost Research Paper

Analysis of Three Selected Poems by Robert Frost - Research Paper Example After his death, life became tough for the family and they moved to live with their grandfather who used to live in Lawrence, Massachusetts. His mother then supported her children by working as a teacher in a school. In the year 1892, Frost completed his graduation from the Lawrence High School where he developed a liking for poetry. His poems were published in his school magazine. His first official work was ‘My Butterfly: An Elegy’ which appeared in the New York Independent in the year 1894. This was the beginning of his career as a poet. In the following year, Robert Frost got married to Elinor Miriam White. Frost took up different professions which included farming as well as teaching. He was unsuccessful in these and he finally sold the farm for a journey to England. In 1912, he settled in Beaconsfield, a small town outside London. This is where he found the fascination for rural life and nature, which became the chief ingredients for his poetry. After a year of his arrival in England, he started walking towards the path of success as his poems became successful. He published his first book of poetry ‘A boy’s will.’ The book was welcomed by the public and notable poets of the time. He has written many famous poems which include the Oven Bird, The Road Not Taken and The Gift Outright. An analysis of these poems assists in understanding the theme of the poems (Francis 2004; Thompson 1959). The Oven Bird In this poem, Frost uses the sobriquet of the Oven Bird that sings beautifully in the jungle, sending the message of the changing seasons. But a point comes when the bird stops singing. The poem follows two important themes. It presents the theme of modernism and the destruction of nature owing to this. He also uses the different seasons to explain the life of a man and the aspect of ageing. With the assistance of the poem, Frost tries to convey the message that modernism had sucked out all the simple joys of life. Everything is losing its natural gleam and machines are taking over, making life fast and self-centered. For the poet, the lofty purpose of life is lost. For him, the height of life’s purpose existed in the classical era. Like many poets of his time, Frost believed that life’s joys were lost as man moved away from nature. Frost was a true admirer of nature and he believed that nature was not being preserved. The second idea that is presented in the poem is that of ageing and death. The seasonal changes depict the changes in the life of the people. The season of spring is indicative of the youth of an individual which serves as the peak in every human beings life. But despite of all these changes, ageing and death are unavoidable. The word â€Å"diminished† in the last line of the poem clearly reveals the fact of mortality and explains that everything has to end and death is the ultimate end. Robert Frost, thus, shows the different phases of life with the assistance of the seasons. A student of Robert Frost Sydney Cox used to refer to Frost by calling him â€Å"The Oven Bird.† It was implied by him that the poem was indicative of the life of Robert Frost himself. Cox believed that Frost had reflected his personality in the poem and at the same time he had discussed the issue of the damage that was being brought to nature. He indicated that Frost was actually

International sale carriege and contract of goods Essay

International sale carriege and contract of goods - Essay Example In the United Kingdom, the nature of a sale transaction, as to whether domestic or international, is determined in accordance with the places where the contracting parties hold their principal places of business. If the parties hold their places of business in different jurisdictions, the sale is characterised as international, otherwise it is domestic. This is the approach taken by the s. 26 of the Unfair Contract Terms Act 1977 as well as Article 1 of the United Nations Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods (CISG hereafter).1 Many types of risks are being borne by long distance sellers in an international sale of goods, which include, inter alia: the uncertainty resulting from the transit of goods by sea; possible political uncertainty; conflict of law, and; payment issues. 1.1 The Uncertainty Brought About by Transit of Goods by Sea It has been said that the management of international business is the management of risk, a fair assessment considering the geog raphical distance between parties and the political and legal disparities between and among various jurisdictions. International sale of goods is complicated by the likely sea transit of goods. The uncertainty of having the goods travel from one point to the other for a considerable period of time from the time the seller brings his goods to the carrier for shipment to the time these goods are actually delivered to the buyer often entails risks that parties are eventually forced to assume. Thus, it is an often told tale in the international business world of goods damaged, spoiled, rusted, contaminated or lost while aboard vessels or when the vessels sink because of bad weather as they are being taken from one point to another. 2 1.2 Conflict of Laws Additionally, when a transaction of sale of goods involves parties coming from different states or countries a conflict of laws is likely to ensue. Thus, when conditions necessitating resolutions of dispute regarding the contract crop u p, the problem of what law should govern the interpretation of the contract as well as the proper forum of the dispute resolution become a problem. After resolution, the problem of enforcing them in the other jurisdiction remains.3 1.3 Problems Pertaining to Payment If the sale, for example, is agreed to be on credit terms the main problem of the seller is how to ensure payment. Allied to this is the problem of currency fluctuation that may occur at any time during the pendency of the transaction, which can potentially change the complexion of the transaction from being profitable to disadvantageous.4 1.4 Political Instability If the other party comes from a state with an unstable political environment and changes in government policies in international transactions occur during the pendency of the transaction, this could lead to changes as well in the nature of the original contract between the parties.5 To minimise risks inherent in

Nursing Children and Childbearing Families Essay - 2

Nursing Children and Childbearing Families - Essay Example Health conditions like protein energy malnutrition, iron deficiency anemia, recurrent infections and multivitamin deficiencies can also occur. Consumption of illicit drugs, smoking and alcohol abuse during pregnancy leads to development of growth retardation and fetal anomalies in the baby. Children are often neglected when parents are indulged in these activities. They also follow the foot prints of their parents and resort to illicit drug abuse, smoking and alcohol abuse. Stressful relationship between family members, especially between parents causes emotional and psychological turmoil to the child. The parents, who are engaged in their personal stress are unable to take care of their children resulting in poor nutrition and poor health. These children also do not receive timely medical attention. Stress during pregnancy can lead to premature death, premature rupture of membranes, postnatal feeding problems and intrauterine growth retardation. Single parent is as such a stressful condition to the parent and the child and can result in decreased care and monitoring of the child leading to poor nutrition. Single mothers do not have any support to take care of the baby after birth (Atrash, 2006). Question 2.

Greek Mythology and Platos Concept of the Soul Essay

Greek Mythology and Platos Concept of the Soul - Essay Example Platonic philosophy views the immortal soul and the body as separate entities. At death, the body decomposes and merges with the elements from which it was created but the soul is imperishable. This brings me to the point of linkage. To what degree was Plato influenced by Greek religious beliefs involving the immortality of the soul and what did Plato think of the afterlife compared to the earlier Greek religious beliefs about it? I cannot actually know this exactly but I can and will look at what Plato was reacting to. The Greek word for soul is psyche. Through the ages, the word psyche stayed the same but the meaning changed. My claim is that Plato’s idea of the soul differed from the earlier view expressed in Homer’s epics and other myths and he almost always chose the opposite position to Homer’s writings. Throughout the dialogues, Plato often argues against and almost ridicules Homer’s text, stepping outside the Greek societal box of thinking about the soul. Plato’s theory differs to that of the earlier Greek times because it portrayed the soul as being immortal and the means to knowledge. He did not associate the word psyche with de ath as did Homer. Hendrik Lorenz comments, â€Å"From comparatively humble beginnings, the word ‘soul’ undergoes quite a remarkable semantic expansion in sixth and fifth century usage. By the end of the fifth century -- the time of Socrates’ death-- the soul is standard thought and spoken of as the distinguishing mark of living things, as something that is the subject of emotional states and that is responsible for planning and practical thinking, and also as the bearer of such virtues as courage and justice.†1 Through the ages, Greek society associated the soul or psyche with the idea of death. The ancient Greeks’ religious beliefs were not prescribed in code on a set of tablets or papyri but rather passed down

Mexican-American Assimilation at the Turn of the 20th Century Essay Example for Free

Mexican-American Assimilation at the Turn of the 20th Century Essay The first major wave of Mexican immigration during the twentieth century triggered physical as well as verbal attacks by white Americans. Immigrant labor camps were raided by whites espousing white supremacist beliefs. By 1911 certain politicians lobbied against further Mexican immigration. The Dillingham Commission argued that Mexicans were undesirable as future citizens. Nativist scholars and politicians feared mongrelization as a by-product of contact with Mexicans, and in 1925 a Princeton economics professor even spoke of the future elimination of Anglo Americans by interbreeding with Mexicans (Feagin and Feagin, p. 265). These themes reemerged in 1928 when a congressional committee attempted to set limits on immigration from the western hemisphere. Congressman John Box called for restrictions on Mexican immigration because the Mexican was a product of mixing by the Spaniard and low-grade Indians. This mixture, according to Boxer, was an obstacle to participation in American democracy. The image of the Mexican American male possessing innate criminal tendencies emerged during the World War II era. For example, in 1943, following the Zoot Suit Riots, the Los Angeles Sheriffs Department issued a report alleging that the Mexican Americans desire to spill blood was an inborn characteristic. Further, the report concluded that Mexican Americans were violent because of their Indian blood (Feagin and Feagin, 265). And as late as 1969, a California judge ruling in an incest case reiterated similar racist beliefs. He stated in court: Mexican people think it is perfectly all right to act like an animal. We ought to send you out of this country. You are lower than animals maybe Hitler was right. The animals in our society probably ought to be destroyed (Feagin and Feagin, p. 266). One of the most persistent stereotypes is the image of simplemindedness. In 1982 the U. S. Department of Defense issued a report explaining that lower test scores for Hispanics and African Americans as compared to white Americans were due to genetic differences as well as cultural differences. During the same year, the National Educational Testing Service, surprised by the excellent performance of 18 Mexican American students attending Garfield High School (a school situated in one of Los Angeles poorest Mexican American communities), demanded that all retake the exam. Allegations of cheating by the students was the reasoning of the testing administrators. The students eventually did re-take the exam; once again they received excellent scores. Other Immigrants: Mexicans and the Dillingham Commission of 1907-1911 http://www. jstor. org/stable/10. 5406/jamerethnhist. 30. 2. 0033 Biological Superiority of Whites. http://www. princeton. edu/~tleonard/papers/retrospectives. pdf John Box’s Proposed Immigration Limitations http://www. digitalhistory. uh. edu/disp_textbook. cfm? smtID=3psid=594 Zoot Suit Fights http://www. pbs. org/wgbh/amex/zoot/eng_sfeature/sf_press_text_04. html Mexican immigration general info http://www. jstor. org/stable/981093 Gutierrez, David. 1993. Significant to Whom? : Mexican Americans and the History of the American West. Western Historical Quarterly (24):4. http://www. jstor. org/stable/2702497? seq=3 THIS ONE IS MONEY.