CBRN Chemical Biological Radiological Nuclear weapons Essay

CBRN Chemical Biological Radiological Nuclear weapons - Essay Example In the modern context, political instability is a serious problem because one cannot expect an unstable state to be responsible towards humanity. Comparing with nuclear weapons, radiological weapons are with less capacity to create severe damage. To be specific, this sort of weapons is generally used to create chaos among the mass. Within this scenario, world nations suspect that notorious terrorist organizations may make use of this weapon to intimidate humanity. For instance, the Padilla case (2002) proves that terrorist groups have worldwide network and are strong enough to use radiological weapons. To be specific, the government suspected that Padilla may involve in jihad because he is trained to handle radiological weapons. Besides, this person is closely related to the leadership within Al-Qaeda. So, the Padilla case proves that terrorist groups may make use of civilians to handle radioactive weapons. In my opinion, Al-Qaeda possesses economic capability to plot and conduct a severe attack using radiological weapon. Shane (2010) states that, â€Å"Al Qaeda is on the march again, targeting the country from within and without, and your hapless government cannot protect you† (p. A1). To be specific, the revenue from oil trade in the Middle East supports Al-Qaeda. So, one can see that economic capability is not a serious problem for the terrorist organizations. On the other side, the former satellite nations related to Russia (USSR) may have weapons (say, nuclear) and the terrorist organizations can easily influence these nations. Besides, the terrorist organizations make use of religious ideology to attract individuals who live in U.S. and other western nations. Mendelsohn (2009) states that, â€Å"Al Qaeda has never disguised its desire to acquire weapons of mass destruction, including nuclear capabilities† (p.77). So, I rate the threat of radiological weapons as high risk because

Sms Based Home Appliance Control Information Technology Essay

Sms Based Home Appliance Control Information Technology Essay Security for homes and offices is an important aspect in the modern world; engineers are continuously developing unique security systems that take advantage of todays technology. GSM based zone security system is one of those unique systems that provides security. This system basically works by sending a SMS to a predetermined mobile unit within a GSM network when the security is breached. It can also be logged through a pc or laptop in order to monitor the status of the security. In todays world various types of security systems are being used in homes, offices, cars etc. All of these systems particularly the ones used at homes mainly consist of a motion detector, a siren that triggers when it receives a signal from the motion detector, a battery, a control device and an electronic card. If there is a breach in security the motion detector sends a signal to the electronic card which in turn triggers the siren to provide the warning. This is a disadvantage as these type of warnings can only be heard if there are people present close to the source of the siren and even though some of the security systems provide a warning call to a pre-determined phone (police/security company) using the fixed land line, thieves usually disrupt the phone lines leading to the failure of such security systems. Therefore it is important to remove the afore-mentioned shortcoming and provide a security system that is efficient, affordable and user friendly which can be achieved by taking advantage of the present technological infrastructure and hardware. Project Aim and Objectives The main aim of this project is to design and develop an efficient GSM based zone security system which takes advantage of the existing GSM infrastructure and hardware components that can be used at homes and offices. The project will focus on the following specific objectives:- To develop and enhance a security system that sends the user a SMS when the security is breached. To test the GSM based security system on a simulator. To build a security system that can be logged through a PC or laptop in order to monitor the status of the security. To put forward a security system that will make it difficult to be breached by burglars. To tell the benefits of the GSM based Zone security system compared to the other normal security system. 1.3 2.0 LITERATURE REVIEW 2.1Conceptual Literature According to Phillips (2006) security systems provide important protection against burglary and robbery. They are being relied more and more in the world to prevent theft especially with the current high crime rate. Norman (2007) stated that there are several types of security systems but the one that users today prefer to install at homes and businesses are wireless systems as they do not have the hassle of installing a lot of wires. They are also considered to be one of the easiest of all security alarm systems to operate. Norman (2007) highlighted that the wireless security systems use radio waves to send signals from the sensors to the control panel in order to monitor the activity within the property. The latest wireless security systems also have the ability to send data to outside sources wirelessly by using GSM. According to Fares (2003) GSM which stands for Global systems for mobile communications is basically a cellular network in which mobile phones connect to it by searching cell in the immediate vicinity. In todays world GSM has become one of the most essential items to us as it provides us with a communication channel that enables us to communicate with the world freely. With GSM came the implementation of SMS or text messaging as stated by Poole (2006). Gast (2005) stated that the security systems that work with GSM infrastructure using GSM modem are known as GSM security system. In this system when there is an occurrence of security breach the user is sent a SMS notifying him/her of the security breach. It is a reliable security system but recently Nohl (2009) stated that there are fears that the GSM itself can be breached by cracking the algorithm that is responsible for the protection of the security of the GSM. This has been denied by the GSM association that represents the interests of the worldwide mobile communications industry. They have affirmed that the GSM cannot be breached and that it is not currently possible to crack the algorithm protecting the GSM. According to Norman (2007) GSM security system consists of many other main components such as electromagnetic sensors, PIC microcontrollers, keypad etc. These components make together with the GSM modem make a very effective and reliable security system. 2.2 Related Projects 2.2.1 SMS based Home Appliance Control. This project which was done by Anand kumar 2007 is a GSM based project in which SMS is used to control home appliances. This is done by sending the instruction through SMS which would be received by the microcontroller which then decodes the instruction and after that executes the instruction by switching on the relays attached to its port to control the appliances. In this project 8051 microcontroller was used and for software Keil u-Vision 3.0 and PRO51 programmer software was used. 2.2.2 GSM based Voting Machine This project was done by John Seymour (2009). It is a GSM based project in which registered voters can send their vote through SMS. This achieved by first registering the mobile number of the voter and during that registration they are given a password. So when the user is sending a SMS vote the microcontroller will read the instruction and will first run a check whether it is a registered voter or not, if it is a registered voter then it will ask for the password and verify it. If the password is correct it will accept the vote and send back an SMS acknowledgement to the voter. The microcontroller used is an 89S52 microcontroller. 2.2.3 GSM based Remote Energy Monitoring Meter This project is a GSM based project which was done by Hussain Said (2009). This project uses GSM infrastructure to do remote monitoring and control of the energy meter located at domestic houses. This project is very useful to the Electricity Department as it would enable them to read the meter readings regularly without the need of personnel visiting each house. It basically works by using a microcontroller unit that always monitors and records the meter readings in its memory location.  Ã‚  Then these reading are sent to optimum location set by the Electricity Department. In this project 8051 microcontroller was used and for software Kiel u-Vision 3.0 and PRO51 programmer software was used 3. MATERIALS AND METHODS 3.1 Technical Proposal This project is a combination of hardware and software development. The circuit is first designed and then optimum components are selected and used for the construction of the circuit. A program is developed for the PIC microcontroller. This is done by first writing the program in C programming and then compiling it in MikroC. Several tests are done to make sure that they are all working successfully. After that the hardware development and the software development are combined. Then Visual Basic program is written for interfacing. Then an overall test is done to see if the whole project is working successfully. Block Diagram of the Methodology used in this Project. Start Project Design Circuit Design Develop Program for PIC Test program on PIC Simulator Construct Circuit Troubleshoot Develop VB for Interfacing Combination of Hardware and Software Final Testing Troubleshooting END 3.2 Equipment/ Facilities/ Programs Hardware: Breadboard is used before a prototype is built. It is used for troubleshooting and testing. PCB: The circuit is finally built on the Printed Circuit Board (PCB). Multimeter was used for measuring voltage, current etc and also for fault finding. GSM modem Software: EAGLE (Easily Applicable Graphical Layout Editor) software: For Printed Circuit Board drawing MikroC: PIC Simulator Software: To test the program for the PIC microcontroller Visual Basic 3.3 Technical Description 3.3.1 PIC Microcontroller PIC microcontroller stands for Peripheral Interface Controller according to Wilmshurt (2006). The PIC is a popular microcontroller because of several advantages such as: Power consumption PICs have much lower power consumption at 5V. Clock It has more accurate calibrated oscillators which help it have precise timing thus making the design more stable and efficient. Availability It is widely available. Programming The PIC microcontroller can be easily reprogrammed. Pin direction Most of the PIC microcontroller pins are flexible as they can be set as an input or and output thus making the design of the circuit easier. 3.3.2 Electromagnetic sensors C:UsersKHALEDPicturesPhoto0289.jpg Figure 2.17: Electromagnetic sensor: The magnetic sensor on the left and the magnet on the right Electromagnetic sensors are usually used on doors and in a security system they are an integral part as stated by Norman (2007). They work by sensing the movement of the doors and windows magnetically. The magnetic sensors are small in size and consist of 1 magnet and 1 magnetic sensor. Phillips (2006) stated that the magnet is placed so that the magnet and magnetic sensor are in a position to be parallel to each other. So that when the signal that is between them is interrupted the magnetic the switch is tripped and immediately it sounds the alarm . 3.3.3 Keypad Figure 2.14: 4ÃÆ'-4 matrix keypad modules A matrix keypad is used to provide a simple data entry device for microcontroller systems. Their design is that the keys are connected in rows and columns, so that when a button is pressed a row and a column are connected. In order to read the keypad, each row is set low in turn and the state of the inputs is tested. If no button is pressed, all the inputs remain high. During the operation the rows and the columns of the keypad will be scan continuously by the microcontroller. When a key is being operated, a low on that row is detected on the column input for that key, which allows a corresponding code to be generated. 3.3.4 RS 232 RS 232 is an electrical signaling specification which is also known as signal port is used as the gateway for data transmissions 232 comes in 9 pins which have its own specific pin assignments. There are two types of RS 232 which is male (DB9M) and female (DB9F). Figure 2.11: The serial port overview Table 2.12: The definition of each serial port pins In this project only three pins are used. Pin 2 and PIN 3 is used to receive and transmit signal with the circuit. So Pin 5 will be uses as ground. 3.3.5 GSM modem A GSM modem is a wireless modem that works within a GSM wireless network according to Fares (2003) and he also states that the behavior of dial up modem is the same as a wireless modem. The only difference is that a dial up modem uses a fixed telephone line to transmit and receive data while a wireless modem transmits and receives data through radio waves. A GSM modem needs a SIM card in order to operate. The GSM modem available in 2 types External wireless modem It is connected to the computer or a laptop a serial cable or USB cable. PC card/PCMCIA card Its designed for laptops as it is slotted in a particular card slot built in the laptop. Figure 2.19 shown the main blocks and communication principle of a wireless system using the SIEMEINS C35i GSM modem. Figure 2.19: Main blocks in communication modem and the microcontroller. 3.3.6 AT command An AT command is simply a set of instructions used to control a modem it the short form for Attention. Each command line starts with AT or at. A common set of standard AT commands are supported by GSM and dial up modems but the GSM modems support a more extended set of AT commands. In order to send, read, write and delete SMS message. We can use For example AT+CMGS (send command), AT+CMGR (read command), AT+CMGW (write command) and AT+CMGD (delete command) . Using the above mentioned commands the modem can do :-: Reading, writing and deleting SMS message. Sending SMS message Monitoring the signal strength 3.3.7 SMS SMS which is a short form for Short Message Service is used to receiving and sending message in between the mobile phone. Fares (2003) stated that since the development of SMS it has become a very successful wireless carrier because SMS message can be sent and ready at any time. SMS message are supported 100% GSM mobile phones and they can be exchanged between different wireless carriers. SMS is a suitable technology for wireless application. The application of SMS is virtually limitless today as they are always being associated with embedded system to increase its utilization. Examples of SMS application are:- Person-person text message Delivery and notification message Used in remote system monitoring application. 3.3.8 MikroC Software MikroC is a software programming program which used by the people in order to program and compile microcontroller. Figure 3.3: MikroC with C programming After created the program compile it by click the BUILD icon from the project toolbar. Figure 3.5: After compilation successful 3.3.9 EAGLE EAGLE also known as Easily Applicable Graphical Layout Editor is draw schematic for PCB layout. One of the main reason that EAGLE is better in drawing schematic than any other software is that it has a comprehensive component library so this helps save time as there is less need to draw up the components. The auto route function of EAGLE is also good. Figure 3.6: Schematic drawing window Figure 3.7: Placing components net Figure 3.9: Wire up components Figure 3.10: Switch from schematic to board Route toolbar Figure 3.11: Routing toolbar 4 PROJECT DEVELOPMENT 4.1 Overall Circuit Schematic Diagram Figure 3.01: The Full Circuit Diagram of the GSM Zone based Security System Figure 3.01 shows the overall schematic diagram of GSM Zone based intruder system. The system hardware is divided into few parts for a better explanation. They are Microcontroller (PIC16F877A) Power Supply module, Serial port communications and LCD. 4.1.1 PIC 16F877P Figure 3.02: The microcontroller and LCD implementation As shown in Figure 3.02 the PIC Microcontroller 16F877P was chosen because of its software support availability, low cost and high feature count. For a reset button a push button is connected to MCLR# pin anything happens during the operation. When the PIC is ON and the MCLR# pin is connected to ground RESET occurs. A 4MHz oscillator is used which is widely popular in PIC circuits due to the importance of timing and clocking. Capacitor C3 and C4 is used to filter the oscillator signal. The resistor R11 is used for current limiting. The complete pin allocation shown in table 3.03. PIN NUM. PIN NAME CONNECTION 1 MCLR Connected to reset switch and Vcc (+5V) 2 RA0 ZONE 1 3 RA1 ZONE 2 4 RA2 ZONE 3 5 RA3 ZONE 4 6 RA4 7 RA5 8 RE0 Connected to Buzzer 9 RE1 Connected to Buzzer 10 RE2 11 VDD Vcc (+5V) 12 GND Ground 13 OSC1 Connected to 4MHz Oscillator 14 OSC2 Connected to 4MHz Oscillator 15 RC0 ZONE 5 16 RC1 ZONE 2 17 RC2 ZONE 7 18 RC3 ZONE 8 19 RD0 Connected to LCD pin 11 20 RD1 Connected to LCD pin 12 21 RD2 Connected to LCD pin 13 22 RD3 Connected to LCD pin 14 23 RC4 24 RC5 25 RC6 Connected to MAX 232 26 RC7 Connected to MAX 232 27 RD4 Connected to LCD pin 4 28 RD5 Connected to LCD pin 6 29 RD6 30 RD7 Connected to output 31 VSS Connected to ground 32 VDD Connected to VCC (+5V) 33 RB0 Connected to Keypad pin 1 34 RB1 Connected to Keypad pin 2 35 RB2 Connected to Keypad pin 3 36 RB3 Connected to Keypad pin 4 37 RB4 Connected to Keypad pin 5 38 RB5 Connected to Keypad pin 6 39 RB6 Connected to Keypad pin 7 40 RB7 Connected to Keypad pin 8 Table 3.03: The PIC16F877P pin allocation 4.1.2 Power supply module Figure 3.04: Voltage regulator used in system Designing a power supply module will be more complex and heavy as it consist of a step down transformer. By considering the fact, the required input voltage is supplied directly from a 9V battery. The figure 3.04 is the voltage regulator LM 7805 used to regulate the 9V input voltage from the battery. The 9V voltage will be step down and regulate to 5V.The output obtain from this power supply circuit are 9V (V+) and 5V (Vcc) DC voltage. These voltages value are based on the requirement of each module especially PIC 16F877P.The capacitor 220 µF is a bypass capacitor used for filtering the regulated voltage. The output voltage of this module will be supplied to PIC 16F877P, Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) and MAX 232. 4.1.3 Serial Port communication Figure 3.05: The serial port communication component In the serial port communication shown above, MAX 232 is connected in between modem and the circuit to work as buffer .It works by shifting the signal voltage level according to the requirement. The connection is figure above are based on the datasheet. The serial port pin 3(Tx) in RS 232 is connected with MAX 232 T1 OUTPUT which is pin 14.This connection is used to transmit data from modem to microcontroller. Hence the serial port pin 2(Rx) in RS 232 is connected with MAX 232 R1 IN input pin 13.The purpose of connection is for receiving data from microcontroller to modem. The capacitors are chosen as 10 µF and not 1 µF as stated in datasheet because the value worked well when testing was done. 4.1.4 LCD Figure 3.06: The LCD used in the system The LCD is used to display the status of the GSM Zone based Security System. The type of LCD used is a 16 character line length in two line version JHD162A series LCD, which conform to a standard interface specification. Pins 1 and 2 are the power supply lines, whereby pin 1 is connected to ground and pin 2 to Vcc (+5V). Pin 3 is a control pin, which is used to alter the contrast of the display. This pin is connected to a variable resistor to alter the contrast by altering the resistance value. Pin 4 is the register select (RS line) connected to pin 27 of PIC 16F877P .Pin5 which will be the Read/Write line is connected with pin 3 of LCD itself. Where else the pin 6 which function as enable line connected to pin 28 of PIC 16F877P.The data line pin 11 to 14 of LCD is connected with pin 19,pin20,pin21 and pin 22 of PIC 16F877P. 4.1.5 Relay Figure 3.07: Relay used in the system Relay are devices which allow low power circuits to control the high circuits or instruments. Figure 3.07 shows the basic relay driver circuits used in GSM Zone based Security System. A 9V DC voltage been feed through the coil. A NPN BC547 transistor is being used to control the relay. The transistor is turn ON when the signal is feed through the pin 30 of the PIC. Once the transistor turns ON it will turn ON the relay. A diode IN4148 is connected across the relay coil to protect the transistor. 4.1.6 Software Architecture The PIC used in the system is programmed by using the C language. C language is one of the several programmer language commonly used to create a list of instruction to control the system. Figure 3.08 shows the flow of the constructed program in this project. As what has been discussed in chapter 2.3 the C language need to go through the compiling stage before being stored in the PIC. The MIKRO C compiler is used to compile the program of the system. Hence, the compiled program will be stored in PIC by using the PIC KIT 2 programmer. The compiling and storing process will be show in detail in appendices. Figure 3.08: Flow of the program in the intruder system 4.1.6 PCB Schematic Layout Fig 4.3.1 PCB Schematic Layout

Animal Influences in Paleolithic, Egyptian and Greek Art Essay

Animal Influences in Paleolithic, Egyptian and Greek Art There are numerous ways in which animals have resonated within the human mind. Throughout history there have been representations ranging from the realistic, to myths, legends, symbols, and even horrific murderous beasts; at the same time providing fascinating perspectives of our own humanity. Various forms of art have conveyed ideas and concepts of animal’s intelligence, as well as behavior, from generation to generation. Animal art is used as a tool to make the connection between different cultures at different time periods and it relates historical and symbolic meanings. In most cultures animals have been linked with the supernatural forces which were believed to control the natural world and the destiny of humans. They were often revered as the agents. or associates, of gods, and goddesses, and were even the focus of worship as deities. Following the tracks of historical animal art, through the human imagination introduces a trail of creativity and unsurpassed beauty. Paleolithic art: Cave paintings are the earliest known example of human art dating 40,000 to 8,000 BCE. The paintings mainly feature various animals running, sleeping, and eating. Some also contain a few humans, geometrical shapes, and even hand prints. The artist used permanent features like ceilings, floors, and walls of rock shelters and caves as their canvas. Pigments of black, yellow, red, and brown were utilized to display the observations of animals. The painters gathered a great deal of information about finding food, and which foods were safe to eat or to hunt, by closely observing animals. The valuable information was passed to others through the detailes in the... ... Avery, Catherine B. The New Century Classical Handbook. New York, 1962 Beckett, Sister Wendy. The Story of Painting. New York, 1994 Boardman, John, Greek Art. London, 1964 Durant, Will. Our Oriental Heritage. New York, 1935 Fleming, William. Arts & Ideas. New York Gombrich, E. H. The Story of Art. London, 1967 Hall, James. Dictionary of Subjects & Symbolism in Art. New York, 1974 Kirk, G. S. The Nature of Greek Myths. New York, 1975 Janson, H. W. History of Art. New York, 1969 Leroi-Gourhan, Andre. Treasures of Prehistoric Art. New York MacClintock, Dorcas. Animals Observed. New York, 1993 Metropolitan Museum of Art. Treasures of Tutankhamun. New York, 1976 Richter, Gisela M. A. A Handbook of Greek Art. New York, 1987 Scranton, Robert L. Aesthetic Aspects of Ancient Art. Chicago, 1964 Stockstad, Marilyn. Art History. New York, 1995

How WW1 Changed British Literature Essay -- essays research papers

World War One began on July 28, 1914 and ended with the signing of the armistice on November 11, 1918. The war cost a total of one hundred eighty-six billion dollars. The total casualties of the war were thirty-seven million, with another eleven million civilian casualties. The British Empire alone lost over three million people in the war. (English) World War One effected the whole world- the heartache and bloodshed changed politics, economics, and public opinion. This war changed people's lives, but it also changes their way of thinking and their way of writing. After World War One British literature was changed from simple stories to a more realistic and meaningful approach to life. Nineteenth century England is what most historians call the Victorian age, which is how British literature got started. It was during the Victorian age that people began to learn how to read and write. â€Å"In 1837 about half of the adult male population could read and write; by the end of the century, literacy was almost universal.† (Abrams) The novel became the most popular form of literature during this time period in England. â€Å"Victorian novels seek to represent a large and comprehensive social world, with the variety of classes and social settings that constitute a community.† (Abrams) The authors of these novels tried to make the reader feel like the characters and the events that take place in the novel seem so realistic that they could see it happening in real life. The novels were written about concerns, or issues, that the everyday person went through. The novels usually dealt with experiences with the relationship in the middle-class or inter-class relationships. Life during the Victorian age is explained in The Norton Anthology as, â€Å"a society where the material conditions of life indicate social position, where money defines opportunity, where social class enforces a powerful sense of stratification, yet where chances for class mobility exist.† (Abrams) Victorian novels usually were focused on a persons struggle to find his or herself in the cruel world of social classes. These types of novels were often written during the Victorian age, in fact Charles Dickens wrote a novel called Great Expectations in 1861, which dealt with a boy named Pip and how he finds his place in the world.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There were many good writers during that time period. Charles Dickens, Thomas H... ...uesome poetry came from Owen and Sassoon, who were actually, interestingly enough, bedmates at a hospital during the war. The reason their poetry was so unbelievably moving was the fact that both of them were in the war and they saw the mayhem firsthand. (Wilfred) â€Å"An officer in World War One, he [Sassoon] expressed his conviction of the brutality and waste of war in grim, forceful, realistic verse.† (Siegfred) These two poets alone changed British literature, but they couldn’t have done that without World War One and the pain and suffering, which all people felt. A world war and a depression can put any one down, but what the writer of the twentieth century did was turn that anger, that hate around into realistic, hard-hitting writing. No one likes to remember World War One and the killing that went on, however people always want to talk about the writings of Virginia Woolf, D. H. Lawrence and H. G. Wells. These writers were so successful at what they did because they wrote down on paper what everyone was feeling in the world, whether it was anger or sorrow. Even though World War One was a gruesome event it caused people to question their opinions and made for great literature.

How do the poems ‘The Choosing’ and ‘As I Grew Older’ explore different lives? Essay

Two different poems explore various aspects in life such as different paths and dreams taken by different individuals. In the poem ‘As I Grew Older’ punctuation causes the poem to flow at a slower paste. This is done by separating each idea into individual lines, causing readers to stop at the end of each line before continuing into the next. â€Å"And then the wall rose,† â€Å"Rose slowly,† â€Å"Slowly,† In the first stanza, the poet seems to have lost hope, feeling hopeless as his dream is forgotten. Then suddenly, his dream seemed to have moved closer â€Å"in front of me† and the ability to reach out to his dreams, once again. In the second stanza, the poet uses and repeats words more than once creating a dream like atmosphere, as the last word at the end of the first two lines are carried and used again in the beginning of the next. â€Å"Wall rose† â€Å"rose slowly† â€Å"slowly† By repeating and having very short lines, it suggests that these words are being echoed again and again almost allowing readers to see an image of this wall rising. Although it does not state whether the wall is visible or not, it tells us that time is passing since the wall is rising higher and higher, slowly. Higher and higher the wall becomes as time passes, it slowly blocks and damages his dream â€Å"Dimming,† â€Å"The light of my dream.† He eventually becomes frustrated as this wall rose so high it touched the sky, again showing the passing of time. The third stanza only contains two short lines, which is able to communicate a lot to the readers. A single word â€Å"shadow† may lead us to think of darkness, which may then link back into the second stanza, where the wall have rose so high that it is causing this â€Å"shadow†. This may further suggest and add to the imagery that the wall is visible. The poet then goes on and describes himself as being â€Å"black† which might put forward the idea of him being racially black, informing readers that he could have been discriminated and therefore, have lost hope or could also imply that the shadow have caused this blackness over him. In the next stanza, the speaker seemed to have given up as he realized that no matter how hard he tries, his dream is out of reach. â€Å"No longer the light of my dream before me† â€Å"above me.† Followed by the most depressed moment in the poem, where the poet uses the word â€Å"only† implying that he could no longer see his future, as all he sees is the wall and the shadow. In the last stanza, there is a change in both the tone and the speed. The lines seem to flow quicker as each line is longer and extended. Exclamation marks are constantly used while there are less full stops, â€Å"my hands!† showing force and motivation. Then the speaker changes his tone demonstrating hope and excitement. â€Å"Break through the wall!† indicating success, having the potential to achieve his dream. â€Å"The Choosing† explores and compares two individuals and the path they have chosen. The eye is the narrator (participant poet) that creates a stream of consciousness effect. The first stanza stronger enforces the idea to readers that the two individuals are â€Å"equal† and â€Å"alike†, by using words such as â€Å"we† â€Å"same† and â€Å"equal† over and over again. This stanza is written in past tense; with the continuous use of the word â€Å"first† indicating that the two individuals have started with the same ability and chances. This stanza informs readers about the similarities and feelings they shared inside school. The second stanza occurs outside school, showing readers that as well as being alike, they are also best friends who have a â€Å"common bond† being the cleverest. The poet has used brackets â€Å"(equal)† reinforcing to the readers that they are still equal. Readers is also told that they do not have many opportunities, as everything is â€Å"small†, â€Å"small town†, â€Å"a small school†. Despite the fact that they are equally bright, the poet also admits that â€Å"fear† is present between them as one individual excels more at a subject whilst they both fear that the other would be able to achieve more. In the third stanza, things begin to change. Since things are no longer â€Å"equal†, they start becoming â€Å"different† in the separate homes but same houses. The idea of alikeness is still present although the word â€Å"home† extends further suggesting different cultural and traditional ideas inside the families. Readers start to become aware that things begin to change as it states, â€Å"Where the choices were made.† This shows how similar two individuals may be physically, with the same coloured ribbons and hair and yet, they are so different. In the fourth stanza, a decision was made as Mary have moved away from their little town, while there is a change in status â€Å"cheaper rent†, â€Å"high school bus.† Readers hear the decision being made as Mary’s father â€Å"didn’t believe in high school education† â€Å"especially for girls† and so we learn that Mary’s father has very traditional and old-fashioned ideas. Informal languages are used to describe how Mary’s father feels such as â€Å"forking.† Then there is a jump in time as it states â€Å"ten years later† where the two individuals meet up again, no longer alike. It has shorter lines that again, would make the flow slower taking in each idea separately. These seem like memories, where Mary is seated on the same bus, but with something extra. Her husband and the newborn baby (suggesting a happy family) since the poet describes how loving they seem. Then the speaker says â€Å"not that I envy her, really† giving an impression to the readers that somewhere deep inside her, she would too like someone who loves her. Finally in the last stanza, there is a comparison between the speaker and Mary. Mary’s arm wraps around her newborn baby, where the speaker’s arm are full of books. The speaker â€Å"wonders† what path would have been taken if the individuals were able to make their own choices, wondering if they would have chosen different paths, as the speaker finishes with â€Å"we do not remember making them.† In conclusion, the two poems explore different lives through the use of punctuation and repetition of words, which helps to create imagery as well as assisting the indication of the passing of time.

My Grandma’s House

When I was younger, I lived in my Grandmother’s house in a small village. The house is over 130 years old now and is still standing although my Grandmother doesn’t live there anymore. As I drive by I’m reminded of all the memories in that house. The house is white with a tan coloured trim and 2 stories high with a wrap-around, screened in porch. The parking is at the right side of the house and you walk around to the front, on a walkway that is lined with pretty yellow flowers. Entering the house through a light wooden door with a large window, you will first see the porch, with a fainting couch to the left of the door and a coat rack to the right. There is an aluminum screen door and a French door that you have to go through to get to the main living area, which is the dining room. It has a nice large wooden table and matching chairs that one of my uncle’s made in the centre of the room and a wood stove to the left, which is used as a second source of heat during the winter. The dining room has a living room off to the right with well-worn, but comfortable furniture in it and a television unit with a small TV, there is a large piano to the right of the door which no one learned to play and many plants placed around the room. Going back out into the dining room right next to the living room is a narrow hallway leading to a bathroom. Next to the bathroom is the stairs leading to the second floor where the 3 bedrooms are located. When you walk into the dining room, you can also keep walking straight into a large open kitchen, which was also used to place another table end to end with the wooden one, for when we had company. There was a pantry to the right and another door to lead out to the back of the house and the basement. Then moving to the left, there was the refrigerator, a large counter with a huge sink, more counters and cupboards going around to the far wall, and finally the stove. Moving to the door to go outside you will see a huge back yard with a shed in the back for storage of a lawnmower and summertime furniture. The yard has a fence at the back leading down to a creek, which I used to climb over and catch frogs, crayfish and salamanders with my friends.

Poetic Reflections on Mortality and Ephemerality Essay

Have you ever hypothetically pondered the details of your own fatality? Everyone covets a bit of certainty that not many realities allow, but mortality -while a glum concept- is a definite fate we will all ultimately encounter in our respective lifetimes. â€Å"Nothing is more predictable than death. Each of us will die without any need to take adventuresome risks. † (Kelly, 1986). This is likely the reason prolific poets Emily Dickinson and Robert Frost have created quite similar themed poems using dissimilar imaginative slants in which they optimistically convey the topic of human transience. Death is a disheartening, tragic matter that not very many individuals readily wish to discuss. Because ephemerality is, however, an extremely ordinary notion to countless expressive artists, it is vital to notice the literary elements these renowned authors applied which set such works apart from less potent pieces. The symbolism, tone, assonance, rhythm, and other literary techniques behind the elegies â€Å"Nothing Gold Can Stay† (Frost, 1969) and â€Å"Because I could not stop for Death† (Dickinson, 1893) fervently beg for further exploration. No matter which approach authors apply to such deviations, one truth remains; the amount of life contained in the works by Frost and Dickinson is somewhat ironic to say the least. If you envision the scenery described in literary pieces you read as if you are a participating, fictional character, you exceptionally possess â€Å"The human power that shapes artistic expression†¦ † (Clugston, 2010 a). Put in simpler terms, you clearly have a vivid imagination! Prodigious writers can and will effortlessly incorporate such imagery into their work by imploring the implicit values of society and culture(s). Nothing Gold Can Stay† by Robert Frost (1969) is unquestionably far from the exception as he connects the way leaves grow, change, and die to our eventual demise with ease. Frost wrote, â€Å"Nature’s first green is gold, Her hardest hue to hold. † (Frost, 1969). With the introduction of this allusive writing technique, he develops a clear yet slightly ambiguous mental picture for his readers to envisage. Of course, we know nature is not a person nor does have hands in which it could literally grasp a color. Hence, the meaning of Robert’s words is symbolic and figurative. Sure, Mr. Frost could very well have written something resembling â€Å"Beings age like leaves change colors. † Instead, this brilliant poet was aware of the fact that generating embodiment versus the aforementioned simile delivers the most enticing reading experience to the audience. In â€Å"Because I could not stop for Death† (Dickinson, 1893), the author similarly dishes out a full serving of powerful metaphors making this another comparable aspect to personification found in Frosts’ poem. At the very beginning, Emily Dickinson refers to unescapable, human cessation as a chivalrous gentleman when she states, â€Å"Because I could not stop for Death, He kindly stopped for me;† (Dickinson, 1893). The author is actually being extremely facetious as a deliberate, artistic maneuver in order to give life to the darkest of subjects. She selects to represent passing away in a more graceful process. It is a steady flowing motif continuing throughout the body of this work to form a concise, elucidating theme. From centuries beyond the grave, the narrator describes the peaceful process of her passing, in which Death is personified and escorts her in his carriage. During the leisurely ride, she passes many ordinary sights: a school house, fields–but finally realizes that the ride will last for all eternity. † (Chen & Aull, 1993). Dickinson’s apparent intention in this poem is depiction via exemplification. Her language is a quintessential representation of an allegory with more thought provocation than verity. Again, readers should prepare themselves to observe a nonliteral or rhetorical scenario and focus on ascertaining the seriousness hidden behind a much more abstract meaning. Symbolism is another conceptualized, literary element featured in both stories despite being more prevalent in â€Å"Nothing Gold Can Stay† (Frost, 1969). Frost used the typical colors of nature (green and gold) imply symbols of spring, that progress as the remaining cycles of nature seasonally occur. Furthermore, he hints at a deeper meaning behind death— a period of transformational change. In order to appreciate this impression, â€Å"Recall Socrates’s argument: ‘the state of death is one of two things: either the dead man wholly ceases to be and loses all consciousness or, as we are told, it is change and a migration of the soul to another place’. † (Deppman, 2000). He picked the color gold to symbolize the fragility and eventual insignificance of even our most valuable physical and emotional possessions. By his statement, â€Å"Then leaf subsides to leaf, So, Eden sank to grief. † (Frost, 1969), Frost selects to demonstrate the sorrow felt after loss of life as well as depicting an analogous allusion to the biblical Creation story. Whereas in â€Å"Because I could not stop for Death† (1893), Emily Dickinson poses a more unconventional attitude toward her own demise. In lines five through eight, she writes, â€Å"We slowly drove, he knew no haste, And I had put away, My labor, and my leisure too, For his civility. † (Dickinson, 1893). When the speaker refers to ‘his’ â€Å"kindness† and â€Å"civility†, she is articulating death as a slow, patient, and compassionate. â€Å"She progresses from childhood, maturity (the â€Å"gazing grain† is ripe) and the setting (dying) sun to her grave. The children are presented as active in their leisure (â€Å"strove†). The images of children and grain suggest futurity, that is, they have a future; they also depict the progress of human life. † (Unknown Author, 2009). Thus, the carriage ride actually symbolizes the act of abandoning her life and the memories it contained. She humbly revers death as the calm, quiet finally of incarnation. Dickinson even insinuated the harsh reality of visiting of her own grave when she wrote, â€Å"We paused before a house that seemed, A swelling of the ground; The roof was scarcely visible, The cornice but a mound. (Dickinson, 1893). Aging to the point of loss of life does remain the central theme inside both poems, but representations are a tad more distinct in Frosts’ than in Dickinson’s symbolic approach. Have you ever witnessed one’s mood shift completely? Authors generally try to maintain the same theme throughout one work. It is equally as important to dis cern the how the author’s tones contribute to the clarity of each piece. Sometimes, whether done by the author accidentally or with intent, we observe a change in the mood(s) of a motif. While Emily Dickinson and Robert Frost mutually demonstrate the qualities of human temporariness, their tones are also diverse. By writing, â€Å"Nothing Gold Can Stay† (Frost, 1969), the permanent state of leaving this world is denoted in a matter of fact way. Frost does not truly elude to his personal outlook on an afterlife, but focuses more on the cycle of life itself. Dickinson not only utilizes the same facet, but also takes it a step further when she states, â€Å"Since then ’tis centuries, and yet each, Feels shorter than the day I first surmised the horses’ heads, Were toward eternity. (Dickinson, 1893). She began her countenance with succinct tenor that later becomes a bit clouded. Dickinson’s audience receives a definite resolve rather than experiencing the need to imply ideals she holds about her faith. Each of these poems is incredibly whimsical, but Frost concisely manipulates the setting of nature giving his work the currency of application to any period in time. Sound patterns are another inspired technique both composers have exposed us to in the intricacy of their work. We automatically follow the rhythm these superb authors display. For instance, Frost uses alliteration in â€Å"Nothing Gold Can Stay† when he writes, â€Å"So dawn goes down to day. † (Frost, 1969). The repetition of words that begin with a â€Å"d† is a strategy meant to make the thought stronger and more emphatic for readers. His rhyme scheme is comprised of modest, consonant couplets (non-alternating). Dickinson actually used the complete opposite effect. In her poem â€Å"Because I could not stop for Death† (Dickinson, 1893), she integrated the repetition of vowel sounds by presenting an alternating pattern of words known as assonance. Again, an example is unmistakable in the lines, â€Å"We slowly drove, he knew no haste, And I had put away, My labor, and my leisure too, For his civility. † (Dickinson, 1893) and more specifically the poetic harmony of the words â€Å"away† and â€Å"civility. † With the rhythm in this poem, there is rhyme, but it has a much greater reliance on pronunciation. She may have started a trend in literature as, â€Å"Assonance is frequently substituted for end rhymes in modern poetry. † (Clugston, 2010 b). The authoring style Frost exercised was extra simplistic, yet multidimensional as well. Is it not an astounding conception to think of the distinguished artistry that must have went into two ostensibly austere compositions about the matching theme of impermanence? The fact that we cannot artlessly disregard the scholarly adeptness and literate gifts of Dickinson and Frost is surpasses distinction. Even more significant than the expiry themes both versifiers applied is the presence of underlying secondary themes. Frost hints life as being â€Å"golden,† leading one to surmise he is ‘saying’ to â€Å"Carpe Diem† or â€Å"Enjoy the day. (Online Etymology Dictionary, 2010). Therein, he selects to show life has precious intrinsic worth. Even though there are purity and a biblical reference in Frost’s â€Å"Nothing Gold Can Stay† (1969), his nature theme additionally highlights environmental/scientific characteristics. Syntax expended by Dickinson in â€Å"Because I could not stop for death† (Dickinson, 1893), in fact, alludes to a compassion and sympathy being felt for the persona. A prime example is her statement, â€Å"The carriage held but just ourselves, And Immortality. † (Dickinson, 1893). If the dramatic concentration of this author was to deliver a graceful reflection on her evolution, she was unequivocally efficacious. Some find it helpful to get an outsider’s opinion of the depressing conversational topic of human immortality. While our passing lingers as a fully common subject for individuals to contemplate spiritual principles, authors have written pieces that include a plethora of other beneficial notions worth uncovering. â€Å"Because I could not stop for Death† (Dickinson, 1893) is exquisitely illustrated by Emily Dickinson and venerated as an allegoric requiem with assonance that produced solid imagery. Likewise, Robert Frost impeccably regulated â€Å"Nothing Gold Can Stay† (Frost, 1969) to communicate symbolism with a classic form of consonance that is painless to identify. Both literature icons fine-tuned those components with figures of speech, personification, and tone and themes, rhyme schemes, and other literary techniques all requiring immense, prior critical thought in â€Å"Nothing Gold Can Stay† (Frost, 1969) and â€Å"Because I Could Not Stop for Death† (Dickinson, 1893). They expel an aura of chirpiness that renders as a refreshing and unique outlook encompassed in positivity. These poetic mavens wanted their audience(s) to derive a deeper message about making the most of our lives. Two notorious, inspirational pieces of literature are calling upon us to take some risks and make an impression before we take our last breathe.