Sunday, January 26, 2020

The Renaissance And The Reformation

The Renaissance And The Reformation Upon initial inspection, the Renaissance and the Reformation appear to be two entirely separate periods of change that occurred in Western Europe with equally dissimilar causes and purposes. The Renaissance, literally a time of rebirth, marked the decisive break from the Middle Ages and the rediscovery for the appreciation of the arts, literature, and the further development of politics and economy. On the other hand, the Reformation focused mainly on the split of ideals dealing with the church and the methods with which reformers such as Martin Luther, John Calvin, and others who preached against simony, the selling of indulgences, and essentially dealing with the corrupt ways of the Church. While the two may not bear many outwardly apparent similarities, the Reformation, in fact, depended heavily upon the human developments during the Renaissance. The single most important document linking the Renaissance and the Reformation is the 95 Theses, written by Martin Luther who posted it on the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg, Germany. This piece of writing which mostly addresses the improper abuse of clerical powers and the immoral conduct of selling indulgences, which was initially triggered by mercantilism and the rising importance of money in a growing economical society, was only able to be circulated throughout Germany with the help of the printing press. Although the printing press, invented by Johannes Gutenberg, was not a direct product of the Renaissance, it was the revolutionizing piece of technology which allowed the circulation of numerous printed copies of the Bible throughout Western Europe, served as a crucial tool in developing a well-informed, literate population during the Renaissance in Europe, and, of course, printed over 300,000 copies of Luthers 95 Theses, the catalyst of the Protestant Reformation. With the aid of the printing press, the people of Western Europe became further educated by having a greater opportunity to come into contact with a Bible. Prior to reading the Bible for themselves, people were only able rely on the words of the papacy, the clergy, and other members of the church, who were, unbeknownst to the common man, in fact corrupt. Through obtaining personal knowledge from reading the Bible (even those who could not read Latin now have access to the Bible translated into vernacular, English, or German), people now felt they had the control to formulate their own decisions and grasped the idea that they will not be controlled by a corrupt church. With this state of mind, secularization, the separation from religious influences, and individualism, the recognition of the self as having moral value, flourished throughout the Renaissance in Europe. While reading the Bible significantly guided the people of Western Europe in Luthers general direction of thought even prior to the beginning of the Protestant Reformation, another group of people known as the Humanists, who provided their time to truly understand the Classics the works of Socrates, Plato, and other ancient Greek philosophers began eradicating the idea of scholasticism, which was, in essence, believing everything as they are told. People began to read, comprehend, and make decisions for themselves without relying strictly on the church. Books such as Castigliones The Book of the Courtier, which taught men to be the perfect gentlemen, and women to be the perfect gentlewomen, and Erasmus In Praise of Folly, which satirizes and mocks the Church of its erroneous ways (Palmer, 72), were published and read. The final result was a greater movement of secularization and individualism which led to a continual separation of the people from the church. In addition to an increasingly self-determining population, one event which becomes the catalyst to ignite a sense of distrust amongst the common people of Europe towards the church was The Great Schism. The crisis of assigning multiple papacies was not only an indication of the manipulating of the power given to the popes in order to satisfy the Churches self-indulgence, but also caused the devout to question which of the papacies truly holds the keys of Peter, or simply if any church at all would lead them to salvation (Palmer, 53). This dissatisfaction with the church spread through all ranks of society, from the kings to the common people. From these uncertainty sprouted the teachings of John Wyclif and John Huss, who both supported the ideology of salvation by reading the Bible, and not from the teachings of an organized church (Palmer, 54). This led to the eventual denunciation of the Pope, or in this case, Popes, as a religious leader. With scholars and people in general granted the ability to finally read and scrutinize the Bible for themselves, important theologians such as Martin Luther, John Calvin, and Huldrych Zwingli, only to name a few, emerged, attempting to correct the erroneous ways of the corrupt church. Luther, who preached not for the sake of creating a new religion but to simply correct the misdoings of the church, translated the Bible into many accessible languages and gathered many followers who agreed wholeheartedly with his ultimate principle of salvation by faith alone, and that only the Bible contains the true words of God. One final aspect of the Renaissance that affected the course of action of people throughout the Reformation was the development and enforcement of politics. While the ideas of Luther, Calvin, and other theologians caused new churches to rise in towns, they were not able to replace the previously existing church prior to some government intervention. The new church did not have immediate power to dissolve the old church and was obligated to wait on governments decision before implementing and taking action. Although inconvenient for those eagerly awaiting the further spread of the Protestant Church, the higher power given to the government and the advance of politics developed through the Renaissance provided a greater source of order for the people during the Reformation. The Renaissance and the Reformation, although largely unlike, greatly complemented each other in various aspects. From the most important advancement of educating the populace in order to instill in them the understanding of individualism and separation from scholasticism, to the initial dissatisfaction towards the church caused by confusions of The Great Schism, to the works of Castiglione and Erasmus, the Renaissance shaped the minds of those previously unaware of the immorality of the Church into the minds of those prepared for a change through the Reformation.

Saturday, January 18, 2020

Billy Collins: analysis of his poems Essay

Arguably the most popular poet in America, Billy Collins provides readers with two types of poetry that is nothing like typical poetry. One of his unique styles is writing as if the poem could be read like a novel. The other type brings humor and whimsy to his work, yet he hints at a seriousness that lies beneath the surface. Both styles of poetry are easy to read, but take a second look to realize what the Collins is intending the reader to understand. Billy Collins is an exceptionally talented poet whose writing at first can be taken to be a simple comedy but when read more carefully, it can be interpreted as a far more complex script. First readings of the poems I Chop Some Parsley While Listening To Art Blakey’s Version Of Three Blind Mice, Victorias Secret, and Shoveling Snow with Buddha might convince the reader that Collins is offering poems that are clever yet easy to read and understand. A quick reading of Collins poems shows a similarity of his witty style, although the subject matter of each is different.First glance readings of these poems might lead readers to the following interpretations. A man wasting his time flipping through the pages of a Victorias Secret magazine. A man shoveling snow from a driveway with Buddha. Lastly, a man daydreaming about the childrens rhyme Three Blind Mice. However, if these poems are read more carefully they reveal a hidden richness in their meanings. In the first reading of the poem Victorias Secret, the narrator is flipping through the pages of a lingerie magazine. He describes the outfits of the eight models in great detail. For example, wearing a deeply scalloped / flame-stitched halter top / with padded push-up styling / and easy side-zip tap pants. Also, the narrator evaluates the mood of each model by the expression on her face. For instance, looks at me over her bare shoulder, / cannot hide the shadow of annoyance in her brow. None of the models in the photographs seem to like narrator looking at them. Yet, even still the narrator continues to look at the next model until he realizes that he has wasted too much time already. He s till has so much to do and it sounds as if there is a commotion going on in his house. The dog is barking, the phone is ringing, and the rain is beating on the roof. In a second and deeper reading of Victorias Secret Collins describes each of the models in an absurd pose. This is from the hard work the modeling agencies put the girls through. Collins is making a mockery of the girls and in greater sense, the modeling agencies. For example, her mouth is the  shape of petulance. a confused mixture of pain and surprise / as if she had stepped on a tack arching one eyebrow slightly and best of all stretched out catlike Since, Collins is a college professor in New York City, all of these big modeling agencies advertisements are all over the streets, that is why he is making such a mockery of them. All of these models are in awkward poses that they obviously are not comfortable in but, still agree to do them just to be in the photo. Another thought Collins is trying to get across to the reader is the amount of time the narrator had spent looking at pictures. The narrator r epresents every average everyday guy who since childhood has spent a lot of time looking at pictures. This child had grown up to be a man and still imprinted in his memory, a good time is looking at pictures; of course, now of societies definition of beautiful women. The last thought Collins throws into this poem is the idea that life is too short to waste. Life is rushing by like a mad, swollen river. He puts the image of roses blossoming in the garden and the next minute it is snowing. In the first reading of Shoveling Snow with Buddha the narrator is shoveling a driveway with Buddha. This is something that is very unlike Buddhas usual environment and unlike his usual action. Once the narrator gets past that point, it becomes a story of two guys shoveling a driveway. They work and work We toss the light power into the clean air. Then the narrator realizes that what they are doing is more than just shoveling snow; they are practicing a religion. This is so much better than a sermon in church, Thought the poem Buddha is mostly silent until the snow is piled high all around them, he t hen asks if they could go inside and play cards after they finish. This strikes the narrator excitement and he tells Buddha that not only will they play cards but, will also drink some hot chocolate. Buddha is satisfied with the narrators reply and returns to his work.In a second and deeper reading of Shoveling Snow with Buddha Collins portrays Buddha as a well respected person. The first point Collins is trying to get reader to understand is that respected men are humble. Respected men do work without complaining and they do not stop until the goal is reached. smile so wide it wraps itself around the waist of the universe, Buddha keeps on shoveling. purpose of existence, but he is too busy to hear me. All morning long we work. This is why Buddha is shoveling snow, from a driveway that is not even his. The setting of this  poem also relates to Collins childhood, where he grew up in New York and after the snow, shoveling the driveway is not an easy task for one man to do. When the narrator says This is the true religion, the religion of snow, / and sunlight and winter geese barking in the sky, / I say, This is where Collins inputs religion into the poem. The goal of Buddhism is enlightenment; in the poem the narrator truly feels enlightened by shoveling snow. That is why he appreciates things such as the sunlight and the geese barking in the sky. The final point Collins puts in this poem is when Buddha asks can we go inside and play cards? Since Buddha is interpreted as a normal human in this poem, every human needs a source of motivation no matter how much he wants to help. Playing cards is Buddhas source of motivation in this poem.In the first reading of I Chop Some Parsley While Listening to Art Blakey’s Version of Three Blind Mice the narrator is chopping vegetables while listening to some music. When the song Three Blind Mice comes on he goes into a daydream about how the mice went blind, how they could have found each other, and why they would run after a farmers wife. The narrator then slips into thoughts of the mice without eyes and tails venturing through moist grass and on the floor along the baseboards. The narrator then becomes saddened by his thoughts and blames his wet eyes on the dicing of an onion.In a second and deeper reading of I Chop Some Parsley While Listening to Art Blakey’s Version of Three Blind Mice Collins uses the narrator as a guilty cynic. is the cynics answer. cynic who always lounges within me. A cynic is one who believes in selfishness as the motivation of human actions and disbelieves in selflessness. Collins compares the cynic of the childrens rhyme to the cynic inside the narrator. Although, the narrator in this poem does feel remorse for the mice; this is the point Collins is trying to get the reader to understand. There is always a way for a person to go from cynical to respectful. Yet, in this poem the narrator tries to elude the reader by making reference to the fumes from the onion for causing his wet eyes. It is only ironic that the next song that comes to play is Freddie Hubbards mournful trumpet on Blue Moon. The music in this poem demonstrate s Collins love for jazz, even though it is a mournful trumpet playing he uses his own hobbies to illustrate a feeling for the reader. Collins is known for using detailed writing to bold the element of imagery in his poetry. In Victorias Secret Collins goes into great  detail to what the models are wearing. wearing a deeply scalloped / flame-stitched halter top / with padded push-up styling / and easy side-zip tap pants. whisperweight camisole with / keyhole closure and a point desprit mesh back. wearing nothing / but this stretch panne velvet bodysuit / with a low sweetheart neckline / featuring molded cups and adjustable straps. All of these images are easily put into the readers mind and allow the reader to actually see the models outfits without viewing the picture in the poem. Collins even displays the images of the models expression in the poem. a confused mixture of pain and surprise / as if she had stepped on a tack, she is putting about something, / all lower lip and cheekbone. Lastly, when Collins describes how quickly life can pass by he uses phrases like One minute roses are opening in the garden. And describes the night as black and silky. Imagery in Shoveling Snow with Buddha is evident as well. over the mountain / of his bare, round shoulder. cold mist on our faces. glittering white snow. winter geese barking in the sky, and drive off with a broken heater fan and a song on the radio. All of these phrases make the reader feel as if they are in the middle of winter along with Buddha and the narrator. The reader feels the cold mist, hears the geese barking and the song on the radio and, sees the half naked Buddha tossing the glittering white snow over his shoulder. Collins also adds a sense of home with our boots stand dripping by the door. That phrase familiarizes readers with their own memories of coming back to a warm cozy home from the harsh cold of the winter. The imagery in I Chop Some Parsley While Listening to Art Blakey’s Version of Three Blind Mice is not as apparent as the other poems but, is still spot able. When Collins refers to the tiny darkness, of the blind mice the reader can sense the tiny dark tunnel the mice live in. Also the reader feels the narrators wet stinging eyes, along with the sound of the mournful trumpet. The reader can as well smell the chopping of the vegetables, such as the parsley and most of all the fumes from the diced onion. In the poems I Chop Some Parsley While Listening To Art Blakey’s Version Of Three Blind Mice, Victorias Secret, and Shoveling Snow with Buddha the  imagery element is astonishing. A reader of these poems not only sees the images in their head, but can also smell, hear, and feel what the characters in the poem can. Collins is so talented that he creates a duplicate world for the reader with his poetic language. He uses this imagery to involve the reader in his poem. Collins likes to call this kind of poetry travel poetry a mental travel from the beginning of the poem to the ending. To be interested in the entire poem, not just one line that sounds good. Billy Collins says in an interview with John Bush When you convey the tone, youre really conveying the spirit of the poem. Mark Conway describes Collins tone The pokerfaced tone of Collins poems never lets readers be sure if the tone in his poetry is respectful or mocking. (287). On the other hand, many would argue with Conway. Just like most of Collins other poems, a deeper reading can help find the true meaning of the poem. With that meaning the tone is simple to see. In Victorias Secret Collins puts each model in an awkward pose. her mouth is the shape of petulance. a confused mixture of pain and surprise / as if she had stepped on a tack arching one eyebrow slightly and best of all stretched out catlike All of these models look ridiculous. The tone in this poem is mockery; Collins portrays this by using imagery as well. He paints a picture of the model in the readers head in an absurd poise with a somewhat constipated look on their face. Also, Collins makes the reader feel as if all the models are stuck up and dont want to be looked at. Do you have a problem withthat?! Why do I care, her eyes say, were all going to hell anyway. He shows that the models are stuck up by literally attacking one model by using these phrases in his stanza, she is pouting about something, Perhaps her ice cream has tumbled / out of its cone Perhaps she has been waiting all day / for a new sofa to be delivered, The tone of this poem is very comical and by the end of it the reader sees the models as immature juveniles. In the poem Shoveling Snow with Buddha the tone is much more respectful. Collins shows his respect for men like Buddha through his literal language. Even the season is wrong for him. This is not implied by his serene expression, Buddha is symbolized as a selfless man who is shoveling a driveway that not even his. Buddha will not stop the job until the goal is  reached, Collins is very admiral of this type of behavior. He has thrown himself into shoveling snow / as if it were the purpose of his existence, and he inside his generous pocket of silence, It is evident in the poem that Collins respects Buddha but, with the use of his language he makes the reader respect Buddha. Since Buddha is personified by all the natural good people in the world, the reader appreciates these kind of people much more by the end of the poem. In the poem I Chop Some Parsley While Listening To Art Blakey’s Version Of Three Blind Mice, the tone is not evident until Collins uses the term cynic. After this word the poem goes from a comical tone to a mournful tone. but the thought of them without eyes / and now without tails to trail through the moist grass, has the cynic who always lounges within me / up off his couch and at the window / trying to hide the rising softness that he feels. From the daydream that Collins put the narrator in, the narrator becomes very sad and mournful for these three blind mice whose tails have been cut off. wet stinging / in my own eyes, is what the narrator has by the end of the poem. Collins use of language in this poem makes the reader feel the same way as the narrator by the end of the poem. In an interview with Dave Weich, Collins describes his initial tone Usually I try to create a hospitable tone at the beginning of a poem. This makes the poem easy to get into and understand. Then Collins adds a twist and puts in a more complex tone that usually makes the reader feel the same way the narrator in the story feels. The tone in Victorias Secret is very comical and by the end of it the reader sees the models as immature juveniles. The tone in Shoveling Snow with Buddha is respectful and makes the reader respect all selfless people like Buddha. And lastly the tone in I Chop Some Parsley While Listening To Art Blakey’s Version Of Three Blind Mice, is sad and mournful and makes readers have wet stinging eyes just as the narrator at the end of the poem. Collins is very talented at bringing the feeling of his poetry into the readers selves. Billy Collins is an exceptionally talented poet whose writing at first can be taken to be a simple comedy but when read more carefully, it can be  interpreted as a far more complex script. His use of imagery and tone give the readers an interactive movie in their heads when they read his literature. As a college professor, Collins is very talented at making all readers of his poetry understand the meaning and feeling in his poems. Philip Jason describes Collins poetry as suggests why he so often uses humor to lead the reader into a place, often a serious and surprising place, of the poems conclusion. However, Collins poetry cannot be skimmed if the reader wants the true meaning and feeling to be apparent to them. A second and deeper reading is needed to truly feel the poem. Collins poetry is humble and vibrant with language, imagery and, tone and serves as a sample for all American poets. Works Cited Bush, John. A Conversation with Billy Collins. http://www.windriverpress.com/critique/collins_b.html. Critique Magazine. Collins, Billy. Picnic, Lightning. Pittsburgh: University of Pittsburgh Press, 1998. Conway, Mark. Billy Collins. The Oxford Encyclopedia of American Literature. Vol. 1. 2006. Jason, Philip. Critical Survey of Poetry. Vol. 2. California: Salem Press,Inc., 2003. 8 vols. Lee, Michelle. Poetry Criticism. Vol. 68. New York: Thomas Gale, 2006. 83 vols. Saunder, Alletha. Interview with Billy Collins. Summer 2006. http://www.uidaho.edu/fugue/billy_collins.htm. Fugue, University of Idaho. Varnes, Kathrine. An exaltation of forms: contemporary. Michigan: University ofMichigan Press, 2002. Weich, Dave. Billy Collins, Bringing Poetry to the Public. January 14, 2004. http://www.powells.com/authors/collins.html. Powells.com.

Friday, January 10, 2020

Scholarship, Practice and Leadership in Higher Education

From a pragmatic point of view, what higher education demands in the current context of the Information Age and the globalized, digital economy is a vision of improvement and change; that is, a vision for moving forward, a vision which discerns mistakes and more importantly, addresses them. It is important to note that teaching and learning are processes; fundamental modes of human behavior and endeavor. With the increasing demand for higher education across countries, and as new technology applications emerge, most of administrators, faculty, and students embrace a new educational infrastructure; one which is built upon information technology. While this is true, it is also true that the digital divide is widening. This is to say that children from the lowest strata of society have less access to computers, the Worldwide Web, and new information resources in their schools than the wealthy. Such realities create future problems for these children because of the fact that most careers nowadays require information technology skills. Within this context, this paper seeks to explicate how information literacy influences, shapes and moulds scholarship, practice, and leadership in higher education. It is important to note that there are a number of definitions of information literacy but most of these definitions are derived from the definition provided by the American Library Association (ALA) Presidential Committee on Information Literacy (1989): To be information literate, a person must be able to recognize when information is needed and have the ability to locate, evaluate, and use effectively the needed information (p. ) As far as higher education is concerned, information literacy then should not be viewed as discipline specific, but the other way around; a position argued by Diane Zabel in her article entitled â€Å"A Reaction to Information Literacy and Higher Education. † â€Å"It is imperative that information literacy not stand in isolation but be integrated across the curriculum† (Zabel, 20 04). It can be observed that the demands of the current global and digital economy require more collaboration and concerted efforts. If we are to comply with such demands, the direction that our institutions of higher education should take, in terms of their instruction and research should be leaning towards multi-disciplinary, participatory and collaborative approaches. â€Å"For information literacy to succeed, it must be integrated, relevant, ongoing, collaborative, and applied† (Zabel, 2004). Such ideas resonate even in Sean Lauer and Carrie Yodanis’ article entitled, â€Å"The International Social Survey Programme: A Tool for Teaching with an International Perspective. † Lauer’s and Yodanis’ focus is, however, on the teaching of sociology in the undergraduate curriculum. Over the years that we have used ISSP in the classroom, we have found that it does contribute to a learning environment in which students’ sociological questions and answers are not limited to their own country but are cross-national† (Lauer et al, 2004). The current global and digital economy h as implications not only in terms of instruction and research, but also on the concept of leadership. In as far as the current market paradigm is concerned, corporate business activities also tend to put premium on teamwork, collaborations, and collective strength in terms of leadership. In the current global and digital economy, the idea is for an individual to be capable of multi-tasking and networking; faculty members who do not only teach but also do research, practicing nurses who do not only do clinical duty but also do research, sociologists working side by side with medical practitioners, etc. In the final analysis, information literacy is a very important life-skill that an individual should possess in order to cope up with the demands of the globalized and digital economy.

Thursday, January 2, 2020

Cattle Ranching in the Brazilian Amazon Essay - 2243 Words

Summary This policy memo addresses the development and expansion of the cattle ranching industry in Brazil, which has contributed to the mass deforestation of the Brazilian Amazon in the last 40 years. It exposes the regional and global consequences to deforestation and provides strategies for the Brazilian government to sustainably manage cattle ranching industries while protecting the future of the Amazon. The rainforest ecosystem is an immense reserve of natural recourses that is far more valuable than the beef produced on Brazilian cattle ranches. Not only does the rainforest create habitat for up to 65% of the world’s biodiversity, but when harvested sustainably, it provides humans with an abundance of spices, foods, oils, medicines†¦show more content†¦(Fearnside). SUDAM was a major direct and indirect force in the conversion of the rainforest to pastureland. It provided incentives directly to ranchers but also built new roads and highways to attract new investors (Pa ncheco). â€Å"SUDAM invested about a billion dollars in corporate ranches by 1978† (Pancheco). Yet, because of the low yield standard of Brazilian cattle ranches, many SUDAM supported ranches were either taken over or partially abandoned by the 1980’s (Pancheco). The low yields of Brazilian cattle ranches can be attributed to the soil and climate of the converted pastureland. The â€Å"high temperatures and heavy rains of the rain forest wash nutrients from the soil making it very thin† (NASA Lindsey). After slash and burn techniques are used to clear the forest, flooding and erosion sets in making it even less viable (NASA Lindsey). The converted forest is highly unsuited for many agricultural activities, including ranching. This leads to low yields and an overall lower economic gain for ranchers (Economist). Despite its expansion, cattle ranches are actually a low income and unfavorable market for Brazilians (ECONOMIST). In fact, many Brazilian ranchers do not make a viable profit from beef sales but rather, are involved in timber sales, money laundering, tax evasion, and other corruption crimes to earn a living (Fearnside). On the contrary, many law abiding Brazilians use their pastureland for animalShow MoreRelatedDeforestation O f The Amazon Rainforest833 Words   |  4 Pages David Alas ENF 111 11/01/15 The Deforestation of the Amazon Rainforest I. Introduction A. The Amazon Rainforest is one of the most important natural features of our planet, crucial to our way of life. However, what Godfrey (1990) described as â€Å"one of the world’s last great settlement frontiers† is severely under threat. B. According to some experts, during the past 40 years close to 20 % of the Amazon rainforest has been destroyed. 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