Hamlet, Fortinbras, and Laertes Unified Goal in William...

Though the words we say carry a very powerful meaning behind them, it’s important to remember that our actions speak louder than words. Hamlet, Fortinbras, and Laertes all played very important roles in William Shakespeares Hamlet, and in one way or another all seem to connect. Though they were all in different positions of power, had differing objectives, and even some wanting to kill each other, they all share a special connection that makes them vital parts of this classic revenge tail. Though the three men all share a need to accomplish a certain goal, they accomplish their goals with differently causing different outcomes for them in the end. The first important comparison and contrast to make between the three characters is that Hamlet and Laertes both share a common goal: revenge. Though Fortinbras is not on a revenge rampage like them, he shares with them the want to assert power and authority. Throughout the play, Hamlet is motivated by the idea of taking revenge against the man who murdered his father in cold blood, and after speaking with his father’s ghost, he vows to avenge his father’s death and make things right. Laertes is in a similar position to Hamlet. After returning to Denmark and learning of the death of both his father Polonius and Ophelia because of Hamlet, he comes in to meet with the king with blood boiling, vowing to get revenge on Hamlet for what he had done. Fortinbras does not display any overbearing attitude of revenge, but he certainly

Knowledge Is Power Essay Example For Students

Knowledge Is Power Essay Knowledge can be defined as the fact or state of knowing. There are many different aspects of knowledge. Knowledge comes from many different places. There are great numbers of philosophers who have tried to describe where knowledge comes from. Also knowledge can be divided into different parts according to the way we receive knowledge. There are many things that related to the knowledge of something. The development of questions in philosophy about knowledge began back in the day of Plato. They are still around today. These questions are the hardest to answer. Also these questions are used to give background on a lot of philosophies. Epistemology is the theory of knowledge. This theory asks three questions: what are the sources of knowledge? What is the nature of knowledge? And is our knowledge valid? Knowledge is believed to come from four different sources. The sources each have their own way to look at the world. The appeal to authority is the first source of knowledge. We learn things about the past from the testimony of others. The experience of the person who gives you the testimony is the actual source. Although authority is used a lot as a source of knowledge, this is only a secondary source. Another source is the senses through empiricism. The realm of knowledge is given to us through all of our perceptions of something concrete. Whatever someone sees, hears, touches, smells, and tastes then is made into an idea that becomes a part of the knowledge that person can receive. The philosophy of pragmatism is similar to empiricism. The next source is rationalism. Rationalists say that thinking is a source of knowledge. They also say that the mind has the ability to discover truth by itself, or knowledge is obtained by comparing ideas with ideas. The things that the senses detect are just raw material of knowledge in rationalism. The last source is intuition, or the direct apprehension of knowledge that is not the result of conscious reasoning or of immediate sense perception. Intuition has four different ways that it is connected with being a source of knowledge. First George Santayana believed intuition was the awareness of the immediate data of consciousness. He said that intuition is in the knowledge of oneself and ones own life. The second is that intuition is actually just a combination of ones past experiences and thinking. It comes from subconscious induction or deduction. People who have done a lot of thinking and have done a certain type of work will have a good intuition in that area. The belief that intuition is a higher kind of knowledge is the third way it could be a source. Bergson said that intelligence and intuition are traveling in opposite directions. Intelligence is a tool used by science to deal with matter, while intuition is the instinct of someone that leads that person to the very inwardness of life. The last way intuition could be a source of knowledge is through mystical expressions. It is believed that mystical expressions can enable someone to gain an immediate knowledge that transcends knowledge gained through reason and the senses. This fourth description of intuition says that it could be a manifestation of the self in union with spiritual reality. These sources of knowledge range from the very perception of objects to the supernatural induction of knowledge Knowledge does not only have its sources but it also can come from different natures. The two main natures of knowledge are subjectivism and objectivism. Other than the nature of knowledge there are two types of knowledge. These types are associated into both natures. Subjectivism is the belief that things do not exist without a preconception of the object. Through consciousness we can find reality. The dreams, hallucinations, and illusions that a person has are all part of subjectivism. These things that a person experiences are not physical in the outside world making them a part of the experiences in the mind. Locke described the color, sound, taste, odor, and so on of an object to not belong to that object in the outside world. He called these secondary qualities. .u3bcf989ab20a08a35b0653cec40bf2ed , .u3bcf989ab20a08a35b0653cec40bf2ed .postImageUrl , .u3bcf989ab20a08a35b0653cec40bf2ed .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u3bcf989ab20a08a35b0653cec40bf2ed , .u3bcf989ab20a08a35b0653cec40bf2ed:hover , .u3bcf989ab20a08a35b0653cec40bf2ed:visited , .u3bcf989ab20a08a35b0653cec40bf2ed:active { border:0!important; } .u3bcf989ab20a08a35b0653cec40bf2ed .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u3bcf989ab20a08a35b0653cec40bf2ed { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u3bcf989ab20a08a35b0653cec40bf2ed:active , .u3bcf989ab20a08a35b0653cec40bf2ed:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u3bcf989ab20a08a35b0653cec40bf2ed .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u3bcf989ab20a08a35b0653cec40bf2ed .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u3bcf989ab20a08a35b0653cec40bf2ed .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u3bcf989ab20a08a35b0653cec40bf2ed .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u3bcf989ab20a08a35b0653cec40bf2ed:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u3bcf989ab20a08a35b0653cec40bf2ed .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u3bcf989ab20a08a35b0653cec40bf2ed .u3bcf989ab20a08a35b0653cec40bf2ed-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u3bcf989ab20a08a35b0653cec40bf2ed:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Deloach 1 Juvenile Criminals This newest phenomeno EssayThe secondary qualities vary from person to person. Later after Locke had had problems getting around the notion of material substances, Berkeley stated that all qualities, both primary and secondary, are in the mind therefore matter doesnt exist. More recent subjectivists have said that we cannot get outside our own experiences. The other nature of knowledge is objectivism. Objectivists reject Berkeleys view. They believe that there is an independent reality apart from minds. In part of the arguments for objectivism is that the conclusion is drawn that all known thing are known. This is a way of say that we cannot know things until we experience them. Although the subjectivists give a definition to the word idea, they also give that word another definition. The two definitions are, the concept held by the knower and the object known. This is a little confusing and brings up different questions about it. There is no way that the object of an act of thought can be the actual thought itself. Another argument for objectivism is that the existence of an outside world explains the experiences that we have to contribute to everyday life. These experiences are forced upon us by the outside world. The last argument is that we have other events that come in and break our train of thought. These experiences have to come from an outside world. These events have to obey laws outside our minds. The subjectivists and objectivists will argue day and night until both are blue in the face, but we will never know the nature of knowledge. The tests of knowledge are made up of skepticism, the correspondence theory, the coherence theory, and the pragmatic theory. Skepticism shows that there is no knowledge and the quest for truth is vain. Furthermore, skepticism is the attitude of questioning any assumption or conclusion until it can be subjected to rigorous examination. The correspondence theory is also the agreement with fact, which is most widely accepted by the realists. This theory says that truth is the agreement between the statement of fact and the actual fact. Also through this theory, belief has no effect on the truth or falsity of something. The idealists accept the coherence theory of consistency. This theory judges validity by the consistency or harmony of all our judgments. A judgment is true if consistent with other judgments that are accepted as true. The pragamatists see utility in the pragamatic theory as the test of truth. This theory states that ideas have to be tested before they can be found true. Knowledge is the most powerful tool known to man. If it is ever mastered, it could be very dangerous. Although people try everyday to find total knowledge they will never because there are so many ways knowledge can be found, the choice of nature of knowledge, and the tests of knowledge. It all hurts my head trying to understand everything that is known.

Opinion on Fisher v. Texas

The case of Fisher vs. Texas Affirmative Action was used as a defense in a race matter. Affirmative Action was created in order to make sure that certain populations or groups of people of specific race are not outnumbered by the predominant people. It came into existence in order to battle discrimination that was developing in the last decades.Advertising We will write a custom assessment sample on Opinion on Fisher v. Texas specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More It also includes gender and allows for specific criteria to be used when selecting people for employment or other reasons. Initially, supreme courts were defending places that implemented such policies due to the fact that there was a group that would negatively interact with the minority at a specific location. This led to many cases that were won according to the procedures. Fisher vs. Texas has established case law through another matter—Grutter v. Bollinger, which w as of the same scope. As a result, a Caucasian woman was rejected to enroll in University of Texas according to her race. This was thought to be a positive influence on the local community, but she decided to file an appeal. It is crucial to note that as soon as the Affirmative Action policy was implemented, it raised some debate with regard to its ethics and morals. This criticism is far reaching, as all the cases were handled with due process and fairness of the law. From one point it is difficult to see how any segregation can be a positive thing. Not allowing any group to de admitted, even if there is a greater number of people of any race, is still discrimination.[1] This case is important because it has historical significance in relation to other similar cases, especially amongst teaching institutions. People should not be denied education in case they are different from the desired group. Also, it is close to impossible to establish if there are any benefits is segregating c ertain underrepresented groups within a community. There are various constitutional issues that are connected to this legislation. These arguments focus on the consistency of the legislation with the constitution. This policy needs to be amended because it violates the rights of people. The criteria for deciding whether the policy should be adjusted are to be established, so that the evaluation for probability of representation is conducted in tandem with the court hearing. The court should apply the law to those areas where discrimination is harming people and preventing them from getting into a community. At the same time, the circumstances of the case play an important role, as even sometimes there could be factors that might turn out to be negative. For example, if the woman would be harassed because of the particular environment she was getting herself in, it could be wiser to acknowledge the possibility that it will happen.Advertising Looking for assessment on political s ciences? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More As long as she received the proper knowledge about the situation and gets a chance to decide for herself, then it would be appropriate. Overall, the system should consider the reasons and the existing consequences. The Affirmative Action policy works only for special cases. Its weaknesses outweigh the perceived benefits. The initiation of this policy reflects a fault in the judiciary system, as it fails to live up to the expectation of the society and the multicultural location of some public institutions. Not to mention that is clearly victimizes individuals who are rightfully entitled to freedom and a fair chance at employment or education. Changes in the facilities must be made to ensure that people undergo environmental assimilation once they pass through the system.[2] If the matter was upheld, the society would be affected in a negative way. Places where people of specific race would w ant to exclude everyone else would appear. This would provide for unfair distribution of resources and access to specific facilities or other places. The society must understand that visual differences are only topical and in order to change the social fabric of a nation, people must be educated about the true differences between people and the value of race. The court has to perceive a high degree surety that the probability of the personal, physical or mental harm is inevitable. However, there is sometimes likelihood that a judge may commit fundamental attribution error in his or her decision to apply Affirmative Action, leading to unfair treatment and rights violations. Sometimes the evidence presented points in the wrong direction and does not allow objective and fair decision to be made. People of social and psychological education are often instrumental in providing testimony, but their perspective or recollection of events might be skewed from the truth. Sufficient studies an d research must be objectionable and give full credit to people who want to enter a specific community that might want to implement the policy. Overall, each case is unique and should be closely taken apart. Bibliography Barnett, Hilarie. Constitutional Administrative Law. London, England: Routledge, 2012. â€Å"Fisher v. University of Texas at Austin et al.† Supreme Court of the United States, 2012. https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/12pdf/11-345_l5gm.pdfAdvertising We will write a custom assessment sample on Opinion on Fisher v. Texas specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Footnotes â€Å"Fisher v. University of Texas at Austin et al.† Supreme Court of the United States, 2012. Hilaire Barnett. Constitutional Administrative Law. (London, England: Routledge, 2012). This assessment on Opinion on Fisher v. Texas was written and submitted by user Livia Hobbs to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Free Essays on Muhammad Ali

, Muhammad Ali announced his refusal to be inducted into the U.S. Army to fight in the Vietnam War because it was a violation of his belief as a Black Muslim. Muhammad Ali was born on January 17, 1942 in Louisville, Kentucky. Known as Cassius Clay up until the beginning of his boxing career when he was recruited by the Islamic leader, Malcolm X. He approached by Malcolm to embrace and accept Islam. As Ali saw the purity of this magnificent religion, Ali deg deeper into Islam’s beliefs and fully converted himself and changed his name to Muhammad Ali. In 1966 Ali was at the peak of his boxing career and was called out to by the U.S. government to go fight in the Vietnam War. Now to Ali, fighting in a war was against his beliefs as a Muslim. As a Muslim, Islam taught not to kill when not needed and Ali stayed true to these teachings. By Ali fighting with the government about not going to war at the peak of his boxing career at that time and age was very risky. The government soon stripped Ali of his dignity, respect, well-earned money and heavy weight belt. The U.S. government also suspended Ali’s boxing license, which gave him the ability to fight all over the U.S. and without it, he wasn’t allowed to step into the boxing ring. Ali started his â€Å"real† boxing career by fighting in the Olympics on September 5, 1960 and won the gold medal in the Roman Olympics. This fight launched his boxing career and every manager in the boxing game was running to sign Muhammad Ali but at the same time weren’t too sure to do so due to his political beliefs and religion. Ali was always discriminated against due to his race and religion, but the teachings of Islam taught him to be patient and just ignore it. So Ali did do so and kept of fighting to follow his dreams to become the greatest. On October 29,1960, Ali s... Free Essays on Muhammad Ali Free Essays on Muhammad Ali Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr. later known as Muhammad Ali, was a black boxer, and was proud of it. Many African Americans were ashamed of their color, but Ali was different. He was the first boxer to win the Heavyweight Championship 3 different times. He had a great personality and was liked by the people. During his life, he made big decisions that changed the course of his life completely. Muhammad Ali's journey through life was a great inspiration for African American people, but Ali himself inspires admiration to everybody. Muhammad Ali was a man made to box. He had a great career before him since he made his first professional fight under President Eisenhower presidency. His Professional Career was really impressive. His had a great balance and was able to move his hands and feet in great speed and coordination. Ali was said to dance in the ring while destroying his opponents. Ali started fighting at a very short age, and his first teacher was Joe Martin (Hauser 18). Through hard work and discipline, he became a professional fighter and eventually the Heavyweight champion of the world. Although he lost the title twice, he regained it three times, putting him in the history books. His boxing career was put to an end when he started suffering from Parkinson's disease. This was the end of his boxing, but his greatness will never die. Muhammad Ali was not the kind of person that gets taken away with fame and money. He is a simple, unsophisticated person with a very loving heart, and very determined (Hauser 186). He did not care much about himself, he enjoyed making people happy. While training, he let people come and see him, charging them to see the show. Doing so, he earned about $1000 a day. After the training was over, he went home and gave away every cent to needy people, especially kids (Hauser 149). This was the kind of person Ali was. His big dream was to see peace in the country, racial peace. Also, he was not totally con... Free Essays on Muhammad Ali Muhammad Ali â€Å"I aint no quarrel with the Vietcong†¦. no Vietcong ever called me a nigger†. With these bold words, Muhammad Ali announced his refusal to be inducted into the U.S. Army to fight in the Vietnam War because it was a violation of his belief as a Black Muslim. Muhammad Ali was born on January 17, 1942 in Louisville, Kentucky. Known as Cassius Clay up until the beginning of his boxing career when he was recruited by the Islamic leader, Malcolm X. He approached by Malcolm to embrace and accept Islam. As Ali saw the purity of this magnificent religion, Ali deg deeper into Islam’s beliefs and fully converted himself and changed his name to Muhammad Ali. In 1966 Ali was at the peak of his boxing career and was called out to by the U.S. government to go fight in the Vietnam War. Now to Ali, fighting in a war was against his beliefs as a Muslim. As a Muslim, Islam taught not to kill when not needed and Ali stayed true to these teachings. By Ali fighting with the government about not going to war at the peak of his boxing career at that time and age was very risky. The government soon stripped Ali of his dignity, respect, well-earned money and heavy weight belt. The U.S. government also suspended Ali’s boxing license, which gave him the ability to fight all over the U.S. and without it, he wasn’t allowed to step into the boxing ring. Ali started his â€Å"real† boxing career by fighting in the Olympics on September 5, 1960 and won the gold medal in the Roman Olympics. This fight launched his boxing career and every manager in the boxing game was running to sign Muhammad Ali but at the same time weren’t too sure to do so due to his political beliefs and religion. Ali was always discriminated against due to his race and religion, but the teachings of Islam taught him to be patient and just ignore it. So Ali did do so and kept of fighting to follow his dreams to become the greatest. On October 29,1960, Ali s...

Is consumer privacy a bigger issue in the online world or offline Assignment

Is consumer privacy a bigger issue in the online world or offline world Why - Assignment Example Efficient privacy policies in the internet make access to information about any products a lengthy process. It discourages advances that are responsive to consumer needs because it limits consumers’ access to online content (Awad and Krishnan, 2006). For that reason, marketers have reduced the privacy levels for them to better market their products, a factor that is hazardous to consumers. In the offline world, consumer information is about purchases and subscriptions, and payment habits, which are sold to marketing firms for target advertisement purposes. Presently, it is interweaved with the online world since the information collected finds its way online (Roberts and Zahay, 2012). However, consumers often have no option because the collection of data is done unwillingly, for instance, through remittances. The damage done by the loss of consumer privacy is immeasurable and often irreversible. Companies have taken little measure to try to control the loss of privacy. In fact, they participate in the sharing of consumer information largely for commercial advantage. Online and offline consumer privacy must be addressed concurrently to be relevant owing to their

Career Immersion Day Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Career Immersion Day - Assignment Example Economic analysts are hired by companies, organizations or even businesses for a specified length of time depending on the length of the assigned project. Their services are essential and important for the success of any project. The most prominent employer in this area is BNY Mellon. This is an exciting career as I will always remain updated on what is happening in the global market influenced by both the public and private sectors in the economy. Later in the future, I would love to establish my consultancy firm in this area in order to reach more clients in the global market.Cover LetterMy grades at all levels are excellent, especially in mathematics and business. My transcripts in the university are also good. Since I have specialized in financial economics; I believe that I have acquired the best in terms of knowledge and skills from the University. The learning environment is very challenging also exposes me to different situations and challenges in my line of study. The course outline provided during every semester has always ensured that I have been able to cover what is expected of me. Through the different case studies and researches issued by my professors and instructors, I have been able to explore the real situations in the global market by analyzing them and drawing up the conclusion. When it comes to the financial markets, analyzing different stock portfolios is quite interesting and challenging in all aspects.I believe that I also pose qualities that most employers are looking for.

How Do Maya Angelou and Grace Nichols Communicate What It Means to Be a Black Woman in Todays Society Essay Example for Free

How Do Maya Angelou and Grace Nichols Communicate What It Means to Be a Black Woman in Todays Society Essay How do Maya Angelou and Grace Nichols communicate what it means to be a black woman in today’s society? In this essay I will compare two poems. The two poems I will compare is Maya Angelou’s ‘Still I rise’ to Grace Nichols’ ‘Of course when they ask for poems about the ‘realities’ of Black women’. I think Maya Angelou’s ‘Still in rise’ has a rather different message to Grace Nichols’ poem. I think they are interesting to compare because Maya Angelo is lively and spirited about writing a poem about how strong black women are and how it is to be a black woman in today’s society. Whereas, Grace Nichols is more disgruntled and irritated about writing her poem. The first poem I will scrutinize is Maya Angelo’s ‘Still I rise’. The title ‘Still I rise’ shows strength and optimism as it is a short but strong meaning title. It means that Maya Angelou will always defend herself. It makes you feel no matter what you do to Maya Angelou she will just get back up again. This makes you believe that Maya Angelou is a strong person. In the first verse, Maya Angelou starts off using an accusatory tone when she says ‘you may write me down in history with you bitter, twisted lies’. This gives the impression that she is talking to white people when she says this. I think this means she doesn’t like what white people have wrote in their history books about black people’s past as it is over exaggerated and a lot of lies. Near the end of the first verse, she uses the simile ‘but still like dust, I’ll rise’. This is once again reinforcing the idea that she is a strong black woman. By using this simile she is also comparing herself and her race to dust and this suggests that you can’t get rid of black people and that they are everywhere you go, as dust is hard to get rid of and it is everywhere as you can’t control or capture it. In the second verse, Maya Angelou is more lively and spirited when she says ‘Does my sassiness upset you? ’ This suggests that she is getting more confident as she progresses through the poem. She also uses two rhetorical questions to grip the reader’s attention ‘why are you beset with gloom? Also, in the second verse she shows more confidence when she uses the phrase ‘‘cause I walk like I’ve got oil wells pumping in my living room. ’ The use of informal language ‘cause’ shows this. This phrase also makes me think that she feels powerful, rich and important. In the third stanza, she uses a lot of similes such as ‘Just like moons and like suns’ I think she has put this simile in because it is natural imagery and she wants black people to be described as this because it is not only a part of nature but the sun and moon are beautiful; vital to the world. In the next line she continues with the natural imagery by saying ‘With certainty of tides’. This is also natural imagery as she is comparing the black race with tides. I think she chose to use the natural imagery of tides here because not only is it once again vital to the world but it also creates a sense of power as tides and waves are incontrollable, powerful and constant and waves always come back so I think maybe she was also trying to reinforce the idea that she and her race are strong. However in the fourth verse, she stops using natural imagery and changes into an interrogative mode when she says ‘did you want to see me broken? Bowed head and lowered eyes? ’ Here she uses negative lexis such as ‘broken’ to create an image of a typical slave to the reader. I think she does this here as she wants to show people that herself and her race are not slaves and that you should not dwell on their past and think of them as slaves. In the fifth stanza, it’s more about her culture when she uses the simile ‘cause I laugh like I’ve got gold mines’ I think she is implying here that she is not rich in wealth but she is rich in culture and in spirit. I think this changes the atmosphere to a more relaxed mood as she is embracing her culture. Also, when she says ‘diggin in my own back yard’ it gives you a sense of black soulful language and reinforces the fact that she embraces her culture and language. However, in stanza six, it is a more harsh verse as she uses an accusatory tone once again. She creates an atmosphere of fury and annoyance by using onomatopoeia and harsh sounds such as ‘cut’ and ‘kill’. I think this was put in so people would remember the way white people treated slaves and how violent they were towards them. I think she is trying to give an insight of how it must have felt to be a slave and make people feel guilty for treating them so unfairly. At the end of this verse, she repeats herself ‘But still, like air, I’ll rise’. I think she does this to not only make people believe she is a strong, black woman, but to also make the poem memorable for the reader and make it stand out. Also, when she uses the simile ‘like air’ it makes you think that you can’t hurt her because she is ‘like air’ and you can’t cut or hurt air. I think air was a good simile to use here because air rises and I think Angelou was implying that she will rise above all expectations people have for her, black women and black men. Also, by using the word air Maya Angelou is trying to indicate that herself and the black race are now free as black people are now free from slavery. In the seventh stanza, the atmosphere changes and you can see Angelou’s pride in her culture and race. I think Maya Angelou is trying to create a different image for black women as she says ‘does my sexiness up set you? . This suggests that she is trying to make a new image for black women that is sexy and more elegant because before they were seen as only slaves. In the third and fourth line of this verse, she says ‘that I dance like I’ve got diamonds, at the meeting of my thighs’. By using the word diamond she is implying that black women are rare, precious and tough as those are the main characteristics of a diamond. I t hink she is suggesting black women should be treasured and kept safe as they are too precious to lose. In the last stanza, Angelou breaks free from the previous set structure of the quatrains and it’s a more symbolic structure; it does not have a pattern to it. I think this is because it is supposed to imitate the slaves breaking free. Also, it has a random lay out and I think this is reinforcing the idea that you can’t capture black people like slaves anymore and that black people shouldn’t be treated unfairly anymore. The last verse also has more energy to it as it speeds up more. I think this is because when black people broke free from slavery they were lively and more spirited and had more pride in their culture and race. Also, in the last verse, Angelou uses metaphors instead of similes now such as ‘I’m a black ocean, leaping and wide’. I think she changes from similes to metaphors in this verse because she has gained more confidence and pride. It has also become a more happier, lively verse again as she uses more positive lexis such as ‘daybreak’ and ‘wondrously clear’. This is because she is happy and proud of being black and wants black women and men to be perceived as happy and lively. She has not only broken free from the quatrains in this last verse, but she has also broken free from the AB rhyming sentences and is now using rhyming couplets as well as repetition of the words ‘I rise, I rise, I rise’ to show confidence, power and pride of what it means to be a black woman. Overall, throughout the whole of the poem, I believe that Maya Angelou was trying to change the perception of black women and make black women feel as confident and as proud as Angelou does of being black. Throughout the poem Angelou’s tone differs. As in the beginning, although she started with an accusatory tone, she went on and used positive lexis such as ‘hopes springing high’ this then changed from a interrogative mood to a more lively and spirited atmosphere. However, as the poem continues she starts to use negative lexis again and the interrogative mode re-appears making the poem seem more harsh to the reader, although, when you read on the poem ends in a more lively and happier tone as she uses more absolute phrases and starts to use metaphors rather than similes now; ‘I’m a black ocean, leaping and wide’. Angelou’s use of sound imagery is interesting as she makes the reader imagine not only pretty, natural images, but harsh, cruel images as well. For instance, ‘Just like moons and like suns’ and ‘Shoulders falling down like teardrops’. I think she does this so we all can see what she wants black people to be perceived as and also what black people used to be perceived as. Overall, I think Maya Angelou wrote this poem to change the perception of black women in today’s society. The second poem I will analyse is Grace Nichols ‘Of course when they ask for poems about the ‘realities’ of black women’. This is a poem with a slightly different message. Whereas, Maya Angelou’s poem was overall lively and spirited, Grace Nichols poem takes on a more sarcastic side of what it’s like to be a black woman, compared to a white woman, in today’s society and how she feels about being asked to write a poem on what it’s like to be a black woman. The heading of Grace Nichols poem’ Of course when they ask for poems about the ‘realities’ of black women’ shows a sarcastic side as she has put realities in inverted commas. This gives you the impression that she doesn’t want to write this poem as black women are no different from white women or any other race. The first verse of the poem starts with ‘what they really want at times is a specimen whose heart is in the dust’. When she uses the word they in the beginning I think she is talking about white people, racists and those that misunderstand her race. Also, when she says the word specimen it makes you think of a different species; something that needs to be studied. I think this is what she feels racists think of the black race. When she refers to ‘whose heart is in the dust’ this makes the reader believe she thinks people pity her race. When she says ‘a mother-of-sufferer’ she is referring to ancestors of slaves and this then links to ‘trampled/oppressed’ which is the typical slave image. She’s is saying here that ‘they’, meaning white people or people that misunderstand her race, want a slave to write a poem about how it is to be a black person living in today’s society. Grace Nichols then moves on and says ‘they want a little black blood undressed and validation for the abused stereotype already in their heads’. This means that racists want a black, vulnerable person to be proof for the typical slave image, that’s a black stereotype, in their minds. When she says ‘black blood’ she is implying that black people are completely different to any other race and even have different blood, even though black people are no different from white people. She is also implying, when she says ‘For the abused stereotype already in their head’, that the stereotype has been put into people’s heads by white, biased history books. When she says, in the next verse, ‘a perfect song’ she is referring to someone that is proud of their race and would like to write a poem about being black, for example Maya Angelou. Within the next few lines, Grace Nichols talks more about how not all black women are the same and how they can’t be categorised. When she says’ I say I can write no poem big enough to hold the essence’. This means she can’t write one poem for black people or any other race as there are too many personalities and individuals to put them all into one category. When she says ‘of a black woman or a white woman or a green woman’ she is then showing her sarcasm again when she says ‘green woman’ as you can’t have green women and what she is trying to say is that we are all equal . ‘And there are Black women and Black women’ this is once again reinforcing the idea that there is not just ‘the’ black woman. There are different types of black women and they are not all the same and are individuals. In the next line she uses a very good simile when she says ‘like a contrasting sky of rainbow spectrum’. I love this simile as she is saying that there isn’t only one colour black and that when you put all the different colours together it makes something beautiful, such as a rainbow. She is also using natural imagery here and it makes you think of how special black people are to this world. As you go on in the poem, she uses the well known phrase ‘don’t judge a book by its cover’ very well as she says ‘touch a black woman you mistake for a rock and feel her melting down to fudge’. I think this is implying the phrase ‘don’t judge a book by its cover’ as it is saying if you insult a black woman when you think she has ‘thick skin’ she could really be vulnerable inside. In her poem, she does not only talk about different types of people and race, but she also introduces the fact of the different types of language. ‘If need be we’ll trade a piece-a-pussy’. Here she uses her own language of Creole and mixes Caribbean English with English to create a sense of her own Caribbean culture and how proud she is to be black and have her own, unique culture. Also, during her poem, Grace Nichols refers to some famous black women as she says ‘and there are black women so dangerous in South Africa they prison them away’. Here she is talking about Winnie Mandela, Nelson Mandela’s wife. She also refers to Maya Angelou throughout her poem as she says’ and there are black women strong and eloquent and focused’. Here she talks about Maya Angelou and how proud she is of her race. However, at the end of the poem, she ends on a positive note as she says’ the twisted self-negating history we’ve inherited’. I think this means even though they see their history as twisted and cruel, she wants black people to focus on the present and make their history better than that of the ancestors that were slaves. She also says ‘crushing out with each dancing step’. This shows me that she wants to crush out their past history and therefore ends on a positive note. Overall, throughout the poem, I think Grace Nichols was trying to make black women proud of their culture and race and that they are no more different than white people or any other race. I think Grace Nichols didn’t have a set structure for the poem as it is sporadic and a random layout. I think she did this because there is not a set pattern for black women and that the layout represents this. Also, the layout is random and unique and that’s what she wants black women to be perceived as instead as being in a set pattern and categorised. Grace Nichols repeats several thing throughout her poem. ‘of a black woman or a white woman or a green woman’ is repeated a lot to emphasize the point that all races are equal and it doesn’t depend on colour for how we are treated. She also repeats the phrase ‘crushing out with each dancing step’ to make her point that you shouldn’t judge people by their past and that you should forget about you and your ancestors history and create new history. I think Grace Nichols used Creole to emphasize how she is proud of her culture and that black women should be proud as well and celebrate their own culture. I think these poems differ in messages and tones as Maya Angelou’s poem ‘still I rise’ her message is that black women should be proud about their culture and to be black and that Maya Angelou wants to change the perception of black women so that it is not the typical lave image but it is more sexy and elegant. Also, I think Maya Angelou was lively and spirited throughout most of her poem, although she had some accusatory tone and interrogative mode. However, Grace Nichols’s message was different from Maya Angelou’s as Grace Nichols wanted black women to be treated fairly and equally as any other race are and that she doesn’t think its right to define black women all in one category. Also, she didn’t think it was right to be asked to write a poem about how black women feel living in today’s society as it is no different from any other race woman. Grace Nichols’s tone throughout was mainly accusatory and angry. In some ways the two poems are similar as they both feel that their race should not be treated as slave just because some of their ancestors were in captivity as slaves in past history. Also, they both feel that their race should now think about the present and not focus on the past and believe you should forget about slavery and the past. They both also want black people to celebrate their culture. I think Grace Nichols’s poem portrays the black race better as Maya Angelou categorises the black race even though they are all individuals and can’t be put into just one category. Whereas, Grace Nichols says all the way through her poem that black people are individuals and all unique and you can’t categorise them. Also, I think Grace Nichols write not just about the good things about being a black woman, but she also write about the bad things, whereas, Maya Angelou doesn’t.