April Morning essays

April Morning essays April Morning was an interesting book concerning a young man, Adam Cooper, and the trials and tribulations of his taking part in the Battle of Lexington. The story takes place mostly in Adams home town of Lexington, Massachusetts, but also partially on the surrounding roads and countryside. The novel opens with a glimpse into the daily life of the Cooper family. As Adam com-ments on the harsh perfectionist opprobrium of his father, I find myself drawn to his side of the issue. Adam confuses his fathers constant animadversion with the feeling that his father hates him. These feelings of hate are somewhat annulled by Granny, Adams grandmother and confi-dant. She tells him that, since she has known Moses Cooper longer than anyone, she knows that he really loves Adam. This is further exerted when Adam overhears a conversation between his par-ents. All this was happening with the rumblings of war nearby. The British taxes and tariffs were intensifying and by then most New England towns had their own local governments called Committees. These Committees were supported by local community leaders who also organized a town militia. When word reached Lexington that a British army landed, the local militia was mustered through much urging by Moses Cooper and Jonas Parker, the Captain of the Militia. They pushed for a marshaling of the soldiers for completely different reasons, however. Moses stood firm by the principles of freedom and common human decency. Jonas Parker simply felt that because he was chosen to be Captain of the Militia, it was his right, duty, and obligation to be out for the blood of any redcoat crossing into Lexington, Massachusetts. In any case, the British came to Lexington. The town representatives went to parlay with them. Jonas Parker, Moses Cooper, the Reverend, and Simon Casper, a confrontational battle ad-vocate, were there in front of three mounted British officers. All they...

Imagery Essays - Christian Poetry, Eliot Family, New Criticism

Imagery Essays - Christian Poetry, Eliot Family, New Criticism Imagery Imagery Depicted Through T.S. Elliot's The Hollow Men The imagery depicted in T.S. Eliot's poem The Hollow Men evokes a sense of desolate hopelessness and lends to Eliot's generally cynical view of civilization during this period in history. A reaction of deep and profound disappointment in mankind around him is made evident in this poem, first published in 1925. In this short piece, Eliot lists several deep faults he finds in his fellow human beings, including hypocrisy, insensability and indifference. Overall Elliot leaves the reader with a feeling of overwhelming emptiness. An important feature of this poem is the fact that the narration of the poem is in first person. This establishes Eliot's and the readers relationship to the images and ideas presented. When the poem begins We are the hollow men rather than They are ... or You are... the reader is immediately included within this poem, along with Eliot himself. This type of narration creates a sense of common hollowness and by the end of the poem, therefore, a sense of common responsibility and guilt. Early in the poem, Eliot creates a world of desolation. The idea of dryness is emphasized by the repeadted use of the word dry in the first stanza, where we read of dried voices, dry grass and dry cellar. When he mentions the sound of rats feet over broken glass he subtly prods at our anxieties about disease and decay. Eliot then mentions the dead, calling them Those who have crossed...to death's other kingdom. These people are made real by Eliot's repeated mention of their eyes. He refers to them first as making their crossing into death with direct eyes, meaning that they faced and surrendered to death, unable to turn away. Also he states they have eyes I dare not meet in dreams, indicating that this narrator fears addressing death, either his own or those who have crossed. Later in the poem, in part IV, Eliot returns to the eyes imagery with The eyes are not here/There are no eyes here. The absence of eyes, here, indicates Eliot's condemnation of indifference among those still living to the fate of the dead. Further into section IV he presents The hope only/Of empty men as being when and if The eyes reappear/ As the perpetual star. Here Eliot calls for an opening of eyes and cessation of disregard and indifference to these deaths. The idea of being afraid to face death and feeling guilt over the deaths of others contributes to the full explanation of what Eliot means by hollow men. Besides being afraid to face the eyes of the dead, just as the criminal cannot face the eyes of his victim, this narrator also expresses a desire to hide from death itself. When he wishes to also wear/Such deliberate disguises/Rat's coat, crowskin, crossed staves/In a field/Behaving as the wind behaves, we realize that the hollowness is a disguise to fool death into going elsewhere. This particular section of the poem overlapes images of rats and crows, animals associated not only with death, but also with the scarecrow and it's crossed support staves. Section V of the poem begins with a variation of a children's rhyme, Here we go round the mulberry bush which replaces the mulberry with the cactus called a prickly pear. This strange song comes somehow as a relief from the desolate tone of the poem previously. The presence of the cactus instead of the familiar mulberry keeps the reader in Eliot's world of desolation, while bringing to mind the fact that innocent children still live and play in that world, and that someone must take responsibility for the world they are born into. The somewhat grim concluding stanza echoes the mulberry bush song from earlier, this time with an even darker tone. Again the reader is confronted with the image of children, their playfulness and hopefulness, paired with the image of the death of not only men but of the entire world. Here Eliot plainly states a ghastly warning about the path he sees his world taking. He sees it all coming to an end not in some apocalyptic catastrophe, but through mankind allowing himself to slowly decay and degrade to the point of oblivion.

Prostate Cancer Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Prostate Cancer - Essay Example Significantly, prostate incorporates gland cells that produce some of the seminal fluid and this fluid protects and nourishes sperm cells in semen and supports the ejaculatory ducts, or sperm tubes. The growth of the prostate normally continues till man reaches adulthood and it is maintained after it reaches normal size as long as male hormones are produced."Prostate cancer begins most often in the outer part of the prostate. It is the most common cancer in men older than age 50.In most men, the cancer grows very slowly. In fact, many men with the disease will never know they have the condition. Early prostate cancer is confined to the prostate gland itself, and the majority of patients with this type of cancer can live for years with no problems." (Prostate cancer) In certain cases, prostate cancer may spread from the prostate to nearby lymph nodes, bones or other organs and such spread is generally called metastasis. It is also essential to note that most prostate cancers originate in the posterior prostate gland, while some others start off near the urethra. As the US National Institute of Health suggests, the estimated new cases and deaths from prostate cancer in the United States in 2009 are: new cases of 192,280 and deaths of 27, 360. According to some important surveys, there aremore than2 million American men currently living with prostate cancer. The given data for the year 2009 in the US indicates the relevance of further researches and medical treatment for prostate cancer and this paper makes a reflective analysis of some vital elements of the prostate cancer. In a profound analysis of the prostate cancer, it becomes lucid that it is mainly found in older men, compared to younger ones, and the prostate may get bigger and block the urethra or bladder, when men grow old. Such phenomena within the reproductive system of elder men, in which prostate gets bigger and block the urethra or bladder, will cause difficulty in urination or it will interfere with sexual function. This condition called benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) can be corrected through surgery and it is not cancer, although the symptoms of benign prostatic hyperplasia or of other problems in the prostate will be similar to symptoms of prostate cancer. "Possible signs of prostate cancer include a weak flow of urine or frequent urination. These and other symptoms may be caused by prostate cancer. Other conditions may cause the same symptoms." (General Information about Prostate Cancer) It is important to consult a doctor if any of the following problems occur, as it may indicate prostate cancer. Such signs include weak or interrupted flow of urine, frequent urination (especially at night), trouble urinating, pain or burning during urination, blood in the urine or semen, a pain in the back, hips, or pelvis, and painful ejaculation. It is important to comprehend that prostate cancer is one of the most common diseases in the US and the curability of prostate cancer is based on how immediately one identifies the disease. Significantly, the 'cure' rates for prostate cancer, similar to all cancers, describe the percentage of patients likely remaining disease-free for a specific time and it is common that, the earlier