Mosquito By John Updike Essays - Literature, Aircraft, Hexapoda

Mosquito By John Updike The Mosquito By John Updike This poem by Updike describes an ordinarily dull and bland, if not even annoying pest and one of his dealings with such a creature. This pest is of course a mosquito, which seems to have made its way into his bedroom, looking to make a meal out of him. The main point that I think this poem is trying to convey is that sometimes ordinary or dull occurrences can be made into a game, and had fun with. No one likes mosquitoes, but when you think of one as an opponent and it is either kill, or be killed, then you can understand the mosquito's point of view. The speaker, who is Updike himself, seems to want to convey a melancholy affect with the use of his nonchalant language, as when he makes the mosquito a woman. Who knows, or even cares what a mosquito is, when it is bugging you, you just want it dead. Which is what he wants, but the tone remains laid back and lazy. It almost has a sarcastic or ironic twinge to it. It makes this huge melodrama out of something that is quite ordinary. Yet he professes the mosquito's innocence of wrongdoing. All she wanted was a necessary meal, lest she die, she had to drink of his "fragrant lake of blood." The diction of the poem is just wonderful and spectacular. When he says "fine wire of her whine she walked," we all know that he is describing how a mosquito hums along and winds through the air, with no direct course, but the picture it creates in your mind is very clear. When he uses"ominous" in the second line, it foreshadows some deep, dark thing to come. The word fragrant in the second stanza reveals that the mosquito probably cannot see him, but only smells his delicious blood, as one smells a home cooked meal from one's bedroom, down the hall. When he describes himself as a "lavish field of food," the word lavish jumps out at you. Once again saying that she in fact did not want to hurt anyone, but only to feast on this wonderful meal before her. He compares himself with her as if they were raging in some game or battle; he calls them "opponents." He uses "thread" and "fine wire" to describe her movement, almost as if she were a puppet. He gives her human characteristics by saying she has a "nose," and saying that she was"thankful." He says his death movement was "cunning and strong," as if it took some great skill to kill a mosquito. He describes himself as a "Gargantua," as if to say that his opponent never really had a chance. He describes his skin as a "feast," reinforcing the fact that she was only out to get a meal. She was "Lulled" by his blood, as if it had sung her a lull-a-by, as if his blood was a self-defense mechanism, to put to sleep those who would attack him. The only remorse he had was a "small welt," and a welt is a small enough thing in its self, I mean, its not a bruise or anything, and a small welt, well, that's hardly a welt at all. He describes himself as a "murderer" and the mosquito as "murdered," because she was, in fact, innocent of any wrongdoing. All that she was doing was getting herself a meal, and he had killed her for it. There is much great imagery in this poem. To start off with, when he describes the flight of the mosquito as walking on a fine wire, we actually see this insect walking on a fine wire, and can see that to be true in our minds from past experiences. The mosquito's camouflage is obviously darkness, and when she betrays this, she does so with the hum of her wings, or her voice as in line 3. All that he was to her was a "fragrant lake of blood." This helps to put the reader in the shoes of the mosquito. All that she saw was like, to us, this big lake of coke. What crime is it to go and take a few gulps of the coke lake then? Once again, he compares his body to a big pile of delicious food. Just imagine your favorite food. Now imagine Shasta Lake drained, and filled with this food. This is what she sees. Now imagine that

The Crimes of Betty Lou Beets

The Crimes of Betty Lou Beets Betty Lou Beets was convicted of murdering her husband, Jimmy Don Beets. She was suspected of having killed her ex-husband, Doyle Wayne Barker. Beets was executed by lethal injection in Texas on February 24, 2000 at the age of 62. Betty Lou Beets Childhood Years Betty Lou Beets was born in Roxboro, North Carolina on March 12, 1937. According to Beets, her childhood was filled with traumatic events. Her parents were poor tobacco farmers and suffered from alcoholism. At age three she lost her hearing after getting the measles. The disability also affected her speech. She never received hearing aids or special training on how to deal with her disability. At age five Beets alleged that she was raped by her father and was sexually abused by others throughout her early childhood years. At the age of 12 she had to leave school to take care of her younger brother and sister after her mother was institutionalized. Husband #1 Robert Franklin Branson In 1952, at the age of 15, she married her first husband, Robert Franklin Branson, and they had a daughter the following year. The marriage was not without trouble and they separated. Beets attempted suicide in 1953. Later, after facing execution  for the murder of Jimmy Don Beets, she described her marriage to Robert as abusive. However, the two remained married until 1969 and had five more children together. Robert ultimately left Betty Lou which she said devastated her both financially and emotionally. Husband #2 #3 Billy York Lane According to Beets, she did not like being single and began to drink to chase away the loneliness. Her ex-husband did little to support the children and the money she received from welfare agencies was inadequate. By late July 1970, Beets was married again to Billy York Lane, but he, too, proved to be abusive and the two divorced. After the divorce, she and Lane continued fighting: he broke her nose and threatened to kill her. Beets shot Lane. She was tried for attempted murder, but the charges were dropped after Lane admitted that he had threatened her life. The drama of the trial must have rekindled their relationship because they remarried right after the trial in 1972. The marriage lasted one month. Husband #4 Ronnie Threlkold In 1973 at age 36, Beets began dating Ronnie Threlkold and they were married in 1978. This marriage did not seem to work out any better than her past marriage. Beets allegedly attempted to run Thekold over with a car. The marriage ended in 1979, the same year Beets, now 42, did thirty days in the county jail for public lewdness: she was arrested at a topless bar where she worked. Husband #5 Doyle Wayne Barker At the end of 1979 Beets met and married another man, Doyle Wayne Barker. When she divorced from Barker is uncertain, but nobody knew his bullet-ridden body was buried in the backyard of Betty Lous home. It was later determined that Doyle was murdered in October, 1981. Husband #6 Jimmy Don Beets Not quite a year had passed since Doyle Barker’s disappearance when Beets married again, this time in August 1982 to a retired Dallas fireman, Jimmy Don Beets. Jimmy Don survived the marriage for just under a year before she shot and killed him and buried his body in a specially built wishing well in the front yard. To hide the murder Beets solicited help from her son, Robert Bobbie Franklin Branson II, and her daughter, Shirley Stegner. Arrest Beets was arrested on June 8, 1985, almost two years after Jimmy Don Beets went missing. A   confidential source gave information to the Henderson County Sheriffs Department that indicated Jimmy Beets was possibly murdered. A search warrant was issued for Betty Lou’s home. The bodies of Jimmy Beets and Doyle Barker were found on the property. A pistol discovered in the Beets home matched the type of pistol used to shoot two bullets into Jimmy Beets and three into Barker. Kids Admit InvolvementWhen investigators interviewed Betty Lou’s children, Branson and Stegner, they admitted to some involvement in helping to conceal the murders that their mother had committed. Stegner also testified in court that Beets told her of her plan to shoot and kill Barker and that she helped dispose of Barkers body. Robbie Branson testified that on August 6, 1983, he left his parents’ home on the night that Beets told him that she was going to kill Jimmy Don. He returned a few hours later to help his mother get rid of the body in the â€Å"wishing well†. He planted evidence to make it look like Jimmy had drowned while out fishing. Stegner testified that her mother called her to her home on August 6 and when she arrived she was told everything had been taken care of in regards to killing and disposing of the Jimmy Dons body. Beets reaction to her childrens testimony was to point the finger at them as the true killers of Jimmy Don Beets. Why Did She Do It? The testimony given in court points to money as the reason Betty Lou Beets murdered both men. According to her daughter, Beets told her she needed to get rid of Barker because he owned the trailer in Gun Barrel City, Texas that they lived in and, if they were to divorce, he would get it. As for her killing Jimmy Don, she did it for insurance money and pension benefits that he might have had. Guilty Beets was never tried for the murder of Barker, but she was found guilty of capital murder of Jimmy Don Beets and sentenced to death. Execution After over 10 years of appeals Betty Lou Beets was executed by lethal injection on February 24, 2000, at 6:18 p.m. in the Huntsville, Texas prison. At the time of her death she had five children, nine grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.

Metathesis

Metathesis Metathesis Metathesis By Maeve Maddox One of the changes that takes place in the pronunciation of words is the linguistic phenomenon called metathesis: metathesis: The transposition of sounds or letters in a word, or (occasionally) of whole words or syllables; the result of such a transposition. The most commonly cited example of metathesis in an English word is the pronunciation of [aks] for [ask]. The Old English verb acsian is usually mentioned to show that [ask] was a later development. In fact, like modern English, Old English had more than one dialect. Two versions of the verb for â€Å"to ask†acsian and ascianwere in use at the same time in different dialects. Northern ascian happened to be the one that prevailed in the dialect we call â€Å"modern standard English.† Numerous English words acquired their present forms by way of metathesis. We still say three and thrice, but the OE ordinal form thrid morphed into third. Our word foliage was altered by metathesis from an early form that put the â€Å"i† before the â€Å"l†: foillage. The word changed back and forth more than once, coming as it did from the Latin word for â€Å"leaf,† folium. From the same source, Old French foille, â€Å"leaf,† became modern French feuille. The standard pronunciation of foliage is [FOH-lee-ij], although many speakers alter it by dropping one of the syllables, pronouncing it [FOH-lij]. (The word for omitting a syllable is syncope [SIN-cuh-pee].) Burn is another word in the modern vocabulary that has had a see-saw relationship with metathesis. Old English had the verbs brinnan, â€Å"to burn,† baernan, â€Å"to expose to the action of heat,† and beornan, â€Å"to be on fire.† The verbs eventually merged. The forms brune, brenne, and brent occur in Middle English. The Wycliffe Bible (1382) has â€Å"Fyr brennende all dai.† (Fire burned all day.) Isa. lxv. 5.  Ã‚   The King James Bible (1611) has â€Å"Let not thine anger burne against thy seruant.† (Let not your anger burn against your servant.) Gen. xliv. 18.  Ã‚  By the 16th century, the prevailing forms were burn and burnt. Only time will tell if common mispronunciations resulting from metathesis will find their way into standard English. Here are five words frequently mispronounced by changing the order of their sounds: asterisk (*): mispronounced as â€Å"as-ter-iks† cavalry (mounted soldiers): mispronounced as â€Å"calvary† (site of the crucifixion) introduce: mispronounced as â€Å"in-ter-duce† relevant: mispronounced as â€Å"rev-e-lent† prescription: mispronounced as â€Å"per-scrip-tion† I’m sure that my readers can think of many more examples of contemporary pronunciation errors that result from metathesis. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Spelling category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Fly, Flew, (has) FlownFlied?Probable vs. Possible150 Foreign Expressions to Inspire You

Education Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Education - Essay Example Thus, repeated experiences of teaching different topics and observing lectures and sessions being taken emphasized the understanding within the Physicist that the general notion of understanding among the teacher-to-be was that the meaning of learning something was only to memorize it word by word, knowing every single definition by heart. But the core understanding of any of those things was unimportant to them. Absence of actual understanding led to the inability of the students to relate the physics concepts to practical situations. Certain words or ideas that appear frequently are ‘learn’, ‘meaning’ etc. The physicist is trying to emphasize that knowing something is not merely memorizing it but it actually requires concepts to be understood in practical perspectives especially when it comes to physics. The most important binaries that the author sets up are mentioning the Brazilian teachers-to-be to the mainstream system of the country itself. Another im portant binary that the physicist mentions is that of mentioning the US government officials to be as naive as the Brazilians who were unaware of the deficiency in their system. As the officials fail to realize the essence of Robert’s analysis he considers the US officials to be educated in a similar superficial manner in which the Brazilians are being educated. I think the text sarcastically points out the general nature of the Brazilian people. If it is the matter of learning Physics that is dealt such superficially then it must be the same with all the other subjects and even official state related matter. This is because the officials that would eventually come out of such a learning system would not let any such peers survive who may be learned enough to raise... This paper approves that about the topic of the essay Feynman believes that it was very clearly deceiving. He was alarmed to realize that Brazilian personnel who were being trained as teachers were hardly aware of the core concepts of practical Physics and had only learned word to word the exact text in the books instead of ever realizing the meaning of that text. Absence of actual understanding led to the inability of the students to relate the physics concepts to practical situations. This essay makes a conclusion that if it is the matter of learning Physics that is dealt such superficially then it must be the same with all the other subjects and even official state related matter. This is because the officials that would eventually come out of such a learning system would not let any such peers survive who may be learned enough to raise points of objection upon their modes of conduct. Since the entire Brazilian system is the resultant of a single educational system running throughout the country, it would behave just as similar to the larger in majority students who would suppress any others who would like to raise questions during lectures. They would refer to this question raising action as a deviation from learning not only for the student itself but also for all those others around him. So, the text may seems to be entirely about the knowing of something not as merely as learning it superficially, but in reality it was a critical analysis of the perspective o f the people of Brazil and specially the higher ups of the system of the state.

The use of covert human information sources within an investigation Essay

The use of covert human information sources within an investigation - Essay Example CHISs use different methods of surveillance to obtain intelligence or information from the targets such as interception of their communication, communications data, or â€Å"directed and intrusive surveillance† (Freedom from Suspicion: Surveillance Reform for a Digital Age, 2011, p.18). While directed surveillance does not involve any intrusion on one’s private property, the latter involves the same and security forces may use methods such as tapping of telephone, or fitting of electronic devices etc for surveillance of the premises. Law enforcement agencies also use technology for collecting intelligence from their sources or targets. However, when a suspect is not actually involved in any complicity, the security forces come under criticism for violation of privacy. Human beings must have the right to privacy and it is in the â€Å"collective interest† of all citizens to maintain a â€Å"society in which personal privacy is protected† (p.20). Therefore, the governments of nations have a responsibility to ensure that only in cases where the national security has a chance of being breached, they should endorse the use of CHIS. In the modern world, criminal activities, especially terrorism, have risen to such a high magnitude that countries are forced to implement stringent preventive policies for maintaining law and order. Under the scenario, the deployment of CHIS to obtain relevant intelligence has assumed considerable priority. This is especially relevant in the case of countries like the US, UK, India etc, which are prime targets for terrorist groups as can be evidenced from the WTC, London Bombings and Mumbai terror strikes.... In the modern world, criminal activities, especially terrorism, have risen to such a high magnitude that countries are forced to implement stringent preventive policies for maintaining law and order. Under the scenario, the deployment of CHIS to obtain relevant intelligence has assumed considerable priority. This is especially relevant in the case of countries like the US, UK, India etc, which are prime targets for terrorist groups as can be evidenced from the WTC, London Bombings, and Mumbai terror strikes. On the other hand, as stated earlier, countries also have a responsibility to ensure that the right to privacy of their citizens remains protected and no unwarranted intrusions occur on their private property or persons. Therefore, national governments in these countries need to exercise utmost discretion while deploying CHIS for obtaining intelligence. On the other hand, the United Arab Emirates, a country in the Middle East, constitutionally protects prohibits any â€Å"arbitr ary interference with privacy, family, home or correspondence† of their citizens.

A tree grows in brooklyn :: essays research papers

â€Å"A person who pulls himself up from a low environment via the boot-strap route has two choices. Having risen above his environment, he can forget it; or, he can rise above it and never forget it and keep compassion in his heart for those has left behind him in the cruel up climb.† (pg 129) Betty Smith’s novel A Tree Grows In Brooklyn is a tale of poignant family relationships and childhood and also of grim privation. The story revolves around the protagonist of the story, young Francie Nolan. She is an imaginative, endearing 11-year-old girl growing up in 1912, in Brooklyn, New York. The entire story revolves around Francie and the Nolan family, including her brother Neelie, her mother Katie and her father Johnny. An ensemble of high relief characters aids and abets them in their journey through this story of sometimes bleak survival and everlasting hope. As we find out, the struggle for survival is primarily focused against the antagonist of this story, the hard-grinding poverty afflicting Francie, the Nolan’s and Brooklyn itself. The hope in the novel is shown symbolically in the â€Å"The â€Å"Tree of Heaven†Ã¢â‚¬ . A symbol used throughout the novel to show hope, perseverance and to highlight other key points. Although the author, Betty Smith, denied ever writing a novel with socially political motives, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn abounds with references to class issues. Nearly every scene, every character illustrates or deals with the problem of poverty in early twentieth-century America. For the Nolan’s, being poor means they must always think about being poor – how they will buy the next load of coal, where their food will come from, their insurance, rent, medicine, all the necessities of raising a family. The novel also shows that poverty is not just the absence of food or comfort, it is the direct cause for Uncle Flittman to leave, Johnny’s utter nothingness and Francie’s inability to go to a high school. Every action in the novel is based around a limited amount of resources, as not only the Nolan’s but also the entire community suffers. Exploitation abounds, whether in the overpriced sale of candy, child labour in metal collection, dishonest grocers a nd butchers and employers with impunity to set their own rules. Katie does her best with the household money, and we find that for the poor sometimes a luxury isn’t in getting something, but in being able to waste it.

Persuasive Bullying Essay

This article is a practical help for you in your persuasive bullying essay writing. In order to write a good persuasive bullying essay, you have to become determine with the fact what the bullying is and how badly it influences the people. The definition of the notion of bullying is as follows: bullying is an open aggression towards a person or towards a group of people by the other person or a group of people. There are so many kinds of bullying, however, we are going to deal with the bullying, which is taking place in the colleges and other higher educational establishments because of this problem is too sharp in this very field nowadays. In order to write a professional persuasive bullying essay you have to write it from the prism of psychology. That is why be ready to investigate and analyze a lot while your persuasive bullying essay writing. A Topic Addressing a Common Occurrence Bullying Essays Need Novel and Fresh Perspectives Have you ever been bullied? Have you ever bullied someone? Sometimes what we think as simple teasing may amount to bullying in the eyes and the minds of someone with a sensitive mind. Therefore, this is a common occurrence which has repercussions which most of us may not foresee. Writing a bullying essay, can contain the feelings you had when either being bullied or bullying someone. On the other hand, it could be about the repercussions as mental trauma undergone by the victims. There are many ways in which to write this essay. However, firstly, we need to understand what bullying is. Defining Bullying Bullying is behaviour where one individual who is usually physically bigger act obnoxiously, annoying and physically and mentally disturbing another individual. Most often bullying comes from people who are either lacking in social skills or some form of personal affliction or a complex. Bullying is most common in young children. There are many instances where a small made child is often bullied by bigger and aggressive children. But we also see adults resorting to bullying younger children or more timid individuals. Write a Bullying Essay Which Address this Social Bane The Dire Repercussions of Bullying can be addressed in a Bullying Essay Bullying is something which can occur in many places. Bullying will begin mainly in schools, beginning at the age of ten or twelve. However, it is something which many people do regardless of age as well. This extends the habit to colleges, work place and even home. Writing a bullying essay will educate you and others on the repercussions of bullying. Your essay on bullying can be handled in various ways. If you wish, you will be able to concentrate on the repercussions of being bullied, especially once itâ„ ¢s carried too far, how to stop bullying, and the reasons for bullying. Make sure that you develop a proper essay layout and plan what part of bullying you will concentrate on in your essay.