A Critical Analysis Of A Satirical Piece Essay Example for Free

A Critical Analysis Of A Satirical Piece Essay The piece of satirical work that Ive chosen to analyse is a poem written by Carol Ann Duffy, a very successful female poet. The poem itself is called Poet For Our Times, it was written approximately ten to fifteen years ago, at the time she was working in a comprehensive school running workshops. This poem bore some personal significance to Duffy because her brother was working as the news editor for the Daily Mirror. The poem is written in the first person, told from the point of view of a newspaper headline writer. The poem attempts to satirize the culture of the time and there is an underlying political and social contemporary context. The use of the headlines is satirizing the un-poetic nature of the headlines and therefore the newspapers. Duffy also uses the content of the headlines referring to the conservative government of the time in an attempt to satirize both the governments effectiveness; and the private lives of the more significant figures in the government, such as Cecil Parkinson, CECIL-KEAYS ROW SHOCK TELLS EYETIE WAITER. See more: how to write a good critical analysis essay This headline tells of a row between the politician and his secretary Keays who he allegedly had a love child with. This is satirizing his inability to stick to his marriage vows, so in using this headline she succeeds in exposing the weakness of Cecil Parkinson for another woman, other than his wife. This headline also feature a term which wouldnt be understood in this day, that is, EYETIE This is a racial slang term for Italian, which originated during the Second World War when Italy formed an alliance with Germany. The derogatory term is satirizing the racist nature of many English men during the time the poem was written, I think that this is an attempt to satirize this feature of the late nineteen eighties English man and his folly into racial slur. The narrator thinks very highly of himself and he even goes as far as to say that he thinks he is a, Poet for our times. Whereas in actual fact he isnt and this is what Duffy is satirizing, his high opinion of himself which is unjustified, as in fact he merely writes punchy lines in order to try and sell more papers for the daily paper that he works for. I think that another aspect of the headline writers life that Duffy is satirizing is the pub culture of him and of his working class friends and peers. I think this stands out due to short phrases in each stanza, which are read as pub talk, for example, all-right-squire. I think that this talk could be the narrator talking to either a landlord or lady or his friends. The pub talk continues throughout the poem and I think that this implies that the man doesnt just go to the pub for a swift half, but more like for a heavy drinking session. I think that this is implied because the man says, My shout In the following stanza that implies that it is his turn to pay for a round of drinks. Then two stanzas later another drink is asked for, this is implied when he says, make that a scotch, ta. This implies that he isnt merely in the pub for a quick drink, but that he is a heavy drinker as he is changing his drink to a spirit. I think that this satirization is in order to depict the weakness of the narrator to alcohol and the unhealthy lifestyle. I think that she is trying to make the point that working class men should spend less time in the pub, and possibly more with their family if theyre married or partaking in some kind of recreational activity, such as using a local health club or playing five a side football. In conclusion to the points I have made I think that Duffys poem is very successful in exposing human follies and weaknesses and trying toi change the cultural approach of working class men of the time.

Garbage, Recycling, and Waste Management Essay -- essays research pape

Garbage, Recycling, and Waste Management There are already ways of getting rid of garbage so people won’t have to see it or smell it. For example there is incineration, in which trash that can’t be recycled is burned. Although this meets the requirements mentioned above it has a downside. The burning itself causes waste and eventually it will have a bad effect on the environment. Recycling is a good process that reuses materials so they won’t be wasted and cause waste. But many products are not recyclable, like plastics.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There are a number of ways to solve the dilemma of collection and transportation of municipal solid waste. An underground system of conveyor belts to the dump is a possibility. It would cost a lot of money to build, but then only additional costs would be keeping the conveyor belt running. Each house could be connected to one long conveyor belt dug under the road. Every time people needed to take their garbage out they could bring it through their basement through a path onto the conveyor belt.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The goal of trash compactors and sink-garbage disposals is to reduce garbage. In the end, I think it is apparent that this garbage is still there, whether or not it is compacted into a smaller space. These two methods of disposal do not rid the person of the act of actually removing the garbage, and it eventually gets into everyday life instead of being taken away. If it were up to me, instead of just co...

My Argument Paper

Stefanie Markel 1/2/2012 English Composition II Maria Mahon Adoption vs. Artificial Insemination Argument Essay When starting a family, parents are given several options. Unassisted pregnancy, where a couple gets pregnant with no outside interference, artificial insemination, or adoption are several options that a couple would consider when deciding to start a family. The two that I will focus on are the latter two, adoption and artificial insemination. Adoption is a special, somewhat heartbreaking subject for me, however, for the sake of this argument, it needs to be addressed. I will touch on the pros and cons of each technique of starting a family. My position is that the decision to adopt or be artificially inseminated is an informed decision that each person should make after reviewing all of the information that one can gather. IF it were me, I would prefer artificial insemination, for of course, my own personal reasons. The adoption process brings to light several pros and several cons that a couple or single parent would need to consider before proceeding. Before considering adoption, one would need to consider these things, 1. cost of adoption, 2. ) domestic or international adoption, 3. ) and cost of caring for child, 4. ) opened or closed adoption. One pro of adoption is if you are not able to have a child of your own, there are many children out there that need a home and family to care for them. Depending on the situation a child is in, you may be saving that child from abuse, neglect, poverty, or malnutrition from environmental challenges (if a dopted internationally you may see this more so than domestically). On the other hand, it may be a situation of an underage mother that has no help or ability to care for the child. Another pro of adoption is that you would be able to have a child even if you as couple or as a single mother cannot conceive on your own. A con of adoption is that it is expensive; there is a lot that goes into approving someone to be able to adopt a child. And the time that it takes for an adoption to be finalized can take months up to years. The end result of holding a child in your arms is the biggest pro of all. Now a con in the child’s point of view would be not knowing who your biological parents are or your heritage. As a child who was adopted grows older, he/she may have questions that can be difficult at best to explain depending on the circumstances of the adoption. This is where my experience comes in; however, my experience is an exceptional situation. I was adopted by my maternal grandmother at the age of 10 years old. This was an open adoption. This made things very difficult. My mother did not just have my grandmother adopt and then leave me be. No, she was in and out of my life constantly, usually when it was convenient for her. This made things difficult for my adoptive mother to deal with. This is not usually a normal situation. My children, not by my choice, however, were also adopted last year. The adoptive parents do not allow me contact, this is a closed adoption. I hope to one day change this. (personal experience) While my mother gave up her rights willingly, I did not willingly sign the papers giving up my rights, I was forced to. These are two extreme situations of adoption. When my children get older, they will ask the questions of who they are and where they come from of their adoptive parents, then my hope is that they will come find me so that we may eventually have a mother/children relationship. The second option that is available for prospective parents is artificial insemination. This is a slightly less expensive option to become parents, depending on what route you take. A pro to this, is that you can become a natural parent, by this I mean the child is yours biologically. Now depending on the situation, you may be seeking to have a child, but do not have a partner. Or your partner (male) may not be able to help conceive a child. These are just two reasons that you would choose this option, there are many reasons, and all are different for different people. In this process, at least one process that is, you can go to cryogenic clinic, select the donor you wish, and have a doctor inseminate you. To choose a donor, select age, race, medical history (personal and family), profession, hobbies. This will bring up donors to choose from. Another con is that even though you can select pretty much everything about a donor, your child will not look like your partner, and could eventually raise questions later. Another con, as a single parent choosing this option, as your child grows older, they may ask questions that you cannot answer, as well as the question to find their biological father. In conclusion, of the two options given, each have their pros and cons but they both have a wonderful ending result, a child to love. No matter what choice you choose, remember a child is a precious responsibility and nothing to take lightly. When it comes time for me to choose, it may be possible for me to choose both, having been adopted I do know the benefits to the child in a normal situation. And I would love to experience pregnancy again, although I may not have a partner, I do know that I will have lots of support if I decide to do the second option. I would very much like to give a child a home someday and get them out of whatever situation they are in. References Adoption. com, retrieved 1/4/2012 from http://forums. doption. com/thanks-life/62158-seeking-adoptees-pro-life-pro-adoption-testimonies. html Adoption. org, retrieved 1/3/2012 from http://www. adoption. org/adopt/pro-adoption. php Personal Experience of being adopted and having my children taken from me and being adopted by foster parents LifeScript: Healthy Living for Women, retrieved 1/3/201, http://www. lifescript. com/Health/Conditions/Womens- health/Pregnancy/The_Pros_And_Cons_Of_Artificial_Insemination. aspx WebMD, retrieved 1/3/2012 from http://www. webmd. com/infertility-and-reproduction/guide/artificial-insemination

Jacobsons Organ and the Sixth Sense

Humans are equipped with five senses: sight, hearing, taste, touch, and smell. Animals possess several extra senses, including altered vision and hearing, echolocation, electric and/or magnetic field detection, and supplementary chemical detection senses. In addition to taste and smell, most vertebrates use Jacobsons organ (also termed the vomeronasal organ and vomeronasal pit) to detect trace quantities of chemicals. Jacobson's Organ While snakes and other reptiles flick substances into Jacobsons organ with their tongues, several mammals (e.g., cats) exhibit the Flehmen reaction. When Flehmening, an animal appears to sneer as it curls its upper lip to better expose the twin vomeronasal organs for chemical sensing. In mammals, Jacobsons organ is used not simply to identify minute quantities of chemicals, but also for subtle communication between other members of the same species, through the emission and reception of chemical signals called pheromones. L. Jacobson In the 1800s, Danish physician L. Jacobson detected structures in a patients nose that became termed Jacobsons organ (although the organ was actually first reported in humans by F. Ruysch in 1703). Since its discovery, comparisons of human and animal embryos led scientists to conclude that Jacobsons organ in humans corresponded to the pits in snakes and vomeronasal organs in other mammals, but the organ was thought to be vestigial (no longer functional) in humans. While humans dont display the Flehmen reaction, recent studies have demonstrated that Jacobsons organ functions as in other mammals to detect pheromones and to sample low concentrations of certain non-human chemicals in the air. There are indications that Jacobsons organ may be stimulated in pregnant women, perhaps partially accounting for an improved sense of smell during pregnancy and possibly implicated in morning sickness. Since extra-sensory perception or ESP is awareness of the world beyond the senses, it would be inappropriate to term this sixth sense extrasensory. After all, the vomeronasal organ connects to the amygdala of the brain and relays information about the surroundings in essentially the same manner as any other sense. Like ESP, however, the sixth sense remains somewhat elusive and hard to describe.