Applications of a Connectionist Model of Poetic Meter to Problems in Generative Metrics :: Poem Poetry Poet Meter Metrics Essays

Applications of a Connectionist Model of Poetic Meter to Problems in Generative Metrics Meter is one of the most distinctive formal features of English verse. Yet theoretical approaches to metrical analysis have proved problematical for a number of reasons. Traditional metrics, based upon scansion systems derived from Latin forms, is strong and flexible in its ability to describe individual units of a line, but fails to describe well the dynamics of the line as a whole and the lexical and syntactic structures which underlie that line. Moreover, traditional metrics does not address the general issue of metricality: most lines of poetry show some variation from metrical norms through the substitution of irregular units (such as a trochee opening an iambic line). When do such variations, which are permissible in individual units, render the line as a whole unmetrical? Generative metrics does address these issues by analyzing underlying lexical and syntactic structures and formulating rules to describe allowable and unallowable metrical transgressions. In this way, th e theory defines metricality, distinguishing between lines which are metrical and those which are not. This approach has had some success, and yet counter-examples, lines which are unmetrical by its analysis but are found to be used by poets, have proved somewhat intractable. Generative metrics is not, moreover, well adapted to describing verse in its actual performance. While generative metrics does account for some of the factors that affect the metrical rhythm of a line of poetry, such as lexical stress and the syntactic structure of a textual unit, it does not have a place for other features which may impact on the amount of stress that a syllable receives in performance, such as rhyme, alliteration, repetition, and the reader's interpretation of the significance of the word in the poem. Any or all of these features may affect the speaker's decision to give a certain prominence to the word, a prominence which will be realized in performance by stress. Moreover, since stress is measured in comparison to adjacent units, the amount of stress given to one unit will affect other units in its immediate environment. One reader of Keats's line, 'My heart aches, and a drowsy numbness pains' may stress 'heart', rather than 'aches'; this will aff ect the amount of stress given to 'aches'.

Martin Luther King Memorial in Yerba Buena Gardens Essay

Situated on the corner of 4th St. and Mission St., in downtown San Francisco is Yerba Buena Gardens. Sounds from the hustle and bustle of cars driving and people walking permeate Yerba Buena Gardens, except in one particular location. In one corner of the gardens stands a Martin Luther King Jr. memorial. The memorial is breathtakingly beautiful with a fifty foot high and twenty foot wide waterfall that falls over Sierra granite. In the Memorial’s hallway, visitors read quotes from Dr. King himself that are engraved on glass panels and set in granite. The physical beauty of the memorial is undeniable, however many people are not aware of the symbolism lying beneath the memorial’s surface. The memorial’s waterfall symbolizes the realization of Dr. King’s dreams the realization of Dr. King’s dream, the tears shed by millions and of the voices of African Americas The memorial also reminds us of the oppressed African Americans whose voices were drowned out ignored; yet, it is apparent that society was pushed backwards in the race to equality with the mandatory evacuation of thousands of people due to the development of the Yerba Buena Gardens. King Jr. dreamt that all human beings, regardless of skin color, will one day be able to live in a completely free, just, and non-discriminatory society. It was his dream of an equal society that pushed Martin Luther King Jr. to become an advocate for universal suffrage. Even though the United States already had universal suffrage, unfair literacy tests and poll taxes plagued the voting process and disqualified nearly all impoverished African Americans from voting 1. King wanted a colorblind society; a society where all human beings are treated equally and respectfully and given the same personal liberties and political freedom. Martin Luther King argued, in his â€Å"I Have a Dream† speech, that â€Å"we are not satisfied until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream† 2. This quote from Dr. King’s speech is inscribed on the right end wall of the memorial. After reading the final inscribed quote, it is apparent that the purpose of the waterfall is to signify the realization of Martin Luther King’s dream of a just society. Justice , The United States Martin Luther King’s dream of justice in today’s society; a monumental victory of justice over prejudice. It is so easy to forget about what it took for America to become a truly free and nondiscriminatory nation. The mists are a necessary reminder for people in today’s society that personal liberty and political freedom should never be taken for granted. Though Yerba Buena Gardens is situated in downtown San Francisco, a busy city filled with loud noises, the memorial itself is peculiarly quiet and calm. The memorial’s serenity is due to the overpowering, yet surprisingly tranquil sound of the rushing water from the waterfall. The power of the waterfall to drown out all exterior noise is phenomenal. It is impossible to even hear what someone is saying when they are right next to you. Visitors try to overcome the sound of the rushing water by screaming or whistling, but are unsuccessful. Independent from life’s distractions, visitors are given the opportunity to absorb all that the memorial and Dr. King’s words have to offer. Visitors can take this time to self-reflect and to appreciate the efforts of earlier generations fighting for equality during our nation’s infancy. The undeniable strength of the waterfall’s sound to obscure all external noise makes Being incapable of expressing feelings or thou ghts leaves an unfamiliar and dreadful sensation. People living in today’s society are usually ignorant to this unfamiliar, almost claustrophobic feeling of screaming at the top of your lungs without a single person acknowledging your frustrations. During our nation’s history, however, nearly all African Americans struggled with this same frustration. Helpless against the white minority, blacks throughout history struggled to get their concerns addressed and their votes counted. The visitor’s inability to communicate vocally is short-lived and fortunately, only lasts as long as it takes for the person to walk through the memorial. African Americans, however, were plagued with powerlessness for hundreds of years. Martin Luther King Jr. felt obliged to provide a voice for all African Americans stripped of the right to do so on their own. Due to the hard work of Martin Luther King, civil rights leaders and activists, and President Johnson, on August 6, 1965 the Voting Rights Act was signed into law, which banned the use of literacy tests and also required stricter monitoring of the use of poll taxes in state and local elections† 3. Finally, the time had come when African Americans could voice their opinions and have them be heard, and vote for the political constituent whom carried similar beliefs and morals. The development of the Yerba Buena Gardens, as part of the â€Å"Urban Renewal Project† was not always considered to be something positive and beneficial. During the 1950’s, city planners forced thousands of people living in the South of Market area out of their homes, arguing that the area was â€Å"dangerous ‘Skid Row’ ripe for redevelopment, populated by â€Å"bums† and â€Å"transients† whose fate mattered little† 4. City planners left out the important fact that many people who lived in this area were elderly and poor and had â€Å"little defense against the federal bulldozer† 5. The city did try and relocate as many people as possible, but only had 276 units of new housing to replace thousands of demolished units. Thousands were left homeless and kicked out of possibly the only home they have ever known and will ever know, due to lack of job skills needed to find employment. The irony of placing a Martin Luther King Jr. memorial, a man who advocated for equality and justice until his assassination, on land where thousands of impoverished people were evicted just a couple years earli er, is almost too horrific to comprehend. The hypocrisy in the decision to place this memorial at the Yerba Buena Gardens is undeniable and unforgiveable. The memorial’s waterfall is a reminder of the relentless adversity that plagued millions of blacks for thousands of years and the tears they shed. The waterfall also symbolizes the realization of Dr. King’s dream. The eviction methods used during the Urban Renewal period to obtain the land where the memorial sits were ethically questionable, however it is still important to visit this monument from time to time. The memorial stands there in the middle of Yerba Buena Gardens, in the middle of downtown San Francisco, as a silent, yet constant reminder to never take anything for granted and to always remember the blood, sweat, and tears shed by millions in order for people today to enjoy and exercise the complete personal liberty and political freedom that we are so fortunately blessed with.

Billy Collins An Early Age - 1745 Words

Sarah Smith Professor Scarboro English 232 3 May 2016 Billy Collins Billy Collins is among the most well known poets in the Untied States. His use of plain language, humor, his fascination with the ordinary, and his clear acknowledgment of the mundane are just some of the attributes that make his work instantly recognizable (Cunningham). Collins’ ability to write poetry was evident at an early age. He wrote his first poem at the age of 12 and went on to join the literary magazine of his high school (Cunningham). Collins has earned numerous literary degrees including a Bachelor in Arts from College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Massachusetts, and a doctorate in Romantic poetry from the University of California, Riverside, in 1971. Collins’ career began when he became an English teacher at Lehman College in New York city. He also wrote many short poems for Rolling Stone magazine and published his first book of poetry in 1977 called Pokerface. However, Collins’ apex of fame was not reached until his manuscript for Q uestions About Angels was selected for the National Poetry Series (Cunningham). â€Å"In 2001 Collins was named poet laureate consultant in poetry to the Library of Congress, a post he held for two years. In that capacity he devised and promoted an initiative called Poetry 180, intended to help high-school students connect with and find pleasure in poetry† (Cunningham). Billy Collins was born an only child to parents who were already on into their late thirtiesShow MoreRelated The Clanton Gang Essay1291 Words   |  6 Pagestheir own fights, and his last surviving son parted with gunfighting and started his own successful business. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; Gunfights were common and took place regularly. The earliest gunfighters, or gunslingers, were born in the early 1800’s, and most men got recognition as slingers in the 1850’s. The founder of gunfighting was â€Å"Old Man Clanton†, or N. H. Clanton. In 1816, Newman Haynes quot;Old Manquot; Clanton was born in Davidson County, Tennessee. On January 5, 1840 NewmanRead Moretruett cathy8608 Words   |  35 Pagesseveral entrepreneurial ventures as a youth. At the age of eight he began buying six-packs of Coca Cola for 25 cents and then selling individual bottles door-to-door for 5 cents each. Then he opened a soft drink stand in the familys front yard. Next he sold magazines door-to-door. At the age of eleven he began helping a friend with a newspaper route. In the process he met Jeannette McNeil whom he would marry many years later. At the age of twelve Truett was awarded a newspaper route of his Read MoreHistory in the 80s2071 Words   |  9 Pagesinformation and the development of world wide pop culture, also appeared in 1983 and remains today as an after dinner favorite to show off all that Jeopardy worthy information you keep locked away. Flash forward a few years, and the electronic toy age kicks into gear with the introduction of hundreds of new toys that could talk, move about and imitate favorite cartoon characters. The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles hit it big at the end of the decade, unleashing a blitzkrieg of marketing on the nationRead MorePoetry Essay Prompt2545 Words   |  11 Pagesconsideration the poetic techniques Blake uses in each. 2005B Poems: â€Å"Five A.M.† (William Stafford) and â€Å"Five Flights Up† (Elizabeth Bishop) Prompt: Carefully read the two poems below. Then in a well-organized essay compare the speakers’ reflections on their early morning surroundings and analyze the techniques the poets use to communicate the speakers’ different states of mind. 2006 Poem: â€Å"Evening Hawk† (Robert Penn Warren) Prompt: Read the following poem carefully. Then write a well-organized essay in whichRead MoreThe Story of Maurice White and Earth Wind and Fire3436 Words   |  14 Pagesthe Chi-Lites and Stylistics. They also list Junior Walker and the All-stars, Al Jaureau, and Ronnie Laws, among others, as jazz groups. However, Earth Wind and Fire’s sound is unique and quite different from all other groups of that era. In the early 1970s, a new brand of pop music was born - one that was steeped in African and African-American styles - particularly jazz and Rhythm and Blues (RB) but appealed to a broader cross-section of the listening public. The musical band Earth, Wind Read Morepreschool Essay46149 Words   |  185 Pagesiii A Message from the State Superintendent of Public Instruction I am delighted to present the Cali ­ for ­ ia Preschool Learning Founda ­ n tions (Volume 2). This publication is the second of a three-volume series designed to im ­ rove early learning and p develop ­ ent for California’s preschool m children. Young children are naturally eager to learn. However, not all of them enter kindergarten ready for school. All too often, children are already lagging behind their classmatesRead MoreAnalysis of the Music Industry30024 Words   |  121 Pageswebsite  © Crown copyright material is reproduced with the permission of the Controller of HMSO (and the Queen s Printer for Scotland) Inflation Inflation remains at a low level (2.8% in 2005), even though this is slightly higher than it was in the early 2000s. Table 1.3: UK Rate of Inflation (%), 2001-2005 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 Inflation (%) 1.8 1.6 2.9 3.0 2.8 Percentage point change year-on-year - -0.2 1.3 0.1 -0.2 Note: inflation is at retail priceRead MoreCoco Cola18335 Words   |  74 Pagesvariety of issues, including health effects, environmental issues, and business practices.  The Coca-Cola Company, its subsidiaries and products have been subject to sustained criticism by both consumer groups and watchdogs, particularly since the early 2000s. Allegations against the company are varied, including * possible health effects of Coca-Cola products, * a poor  environmental  record, * perception of the companies engagement in  monopolistic  business practices, * questionableRead MoreFundamentals of Hrm263904 Words   |  1056 PagesCommunication Skills 83 DID YOU KNOW?: Suggestions for Recruiting Minorities and Women 60 Adverse Impact 61 Chapter 4 Employee Rights and Discipline 84 Learning Outcomes 84 Introduction 86 What Other Laws Affect Discrimination Practices? 61 Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 62 The Pregnancy Discrimination Act of 1978 62 viii Contents Employee Rights Legislation and the HRM Implications 86 The Privacy Act of 1974 86 The Fair Credit Reporting Act of 1974 87 The Drug-FreeRead MoreStrategic Human Resource Management View.Pdf Uploaded Successfully133347 Words   |  534 Pagesof the demand for outsourcing, a whole new service industry of personnel service providers has Page 13 STRATEGIC HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT Section One been created, often by human resource executives who were downsized during the 1980s and early 1990s. Although many firms have been willing to outsource a wide range of their human resource activities, virtually all of them have retained the critical and sensitive functions of performance management, employee relations, and labor relations.18