West European Studies Essay Example for Free

West European Studies Essay 1. The three-fold divisions of learning by Augustine were: ? Physical- he related it to the working of nature, and posited that there was a cause to all things- the principle of cause-effect. ? Education- the acquisition of knowledge followed some rules, i. e. the methodology of science and procedures used in scientific studies and systematic experimentations ? Practice- Augustine argued that life had some meaning and an end, which people sought in their daily lives through actions and practicing of ideologies and principles. 2. The seven liberal arts outlined by Martianus Capella were: a) The Trivium which comprised of;   Grammar Rhetoric   Logic/dialectic b) The Quadrivium which included; Arithmetic   Geometry   Music   Astronomy Grammar taught one how to write words and understand their meaning. Music signified the cardinal virtues of temperance, prudence, fortitude and justice. Logic was necessary to help individuals distinguish right from wrong so as to avoid evil deeds. Rhetoric was the art of effective use of language to speak eloquently. Geometry was useful in measuring space, distance such as fields and cities. Arithmetic was significant as it aided in assigning numerical values- counting objects. Lastly, astronomy was used to foretell luck or misfortune- it was an essential art in predicting the future. 3. According to St. Augustine, pagan learning was reliant on logic and skeptical criticism of scripture. It appealed to observable evidence and to those things that are physically provable. St. Augustine taught that Christians should shun those elements, which undermined their faith by challenging beliefs that could not be substantiated with physical evidence, e. g. the existence of God. By appealing to logic, therefore, pagan learning dismissed the spiritual aspect of life to which Christianity was intimately connected. Nonetheless, he recognized the significant of logic and reason in a Christian’s life. He observed that the scripture was given by God’s inspiration for correction and reproof of character. Thus, to understand its teachings, believers ought to examine its contents critically to make correct interpretations. At the same time, logic reflected the logical and orderliness of God’s nature, represented by the order he perfected in His creation. Similarly, logical reasoning makes a significant contribution to the ordering of life in the world. Without logic, there would be chaos and conflicts among men. Reason appeals to the common sense that compels people to observe basic rules and obligations. 4. Hugh of St. Victor outlined four types of philosophy in his quaternary of the arts. The first three are concerned with human character, as they shape people into better mortal beings. They include: ? Truth, which is derived from theoretical philosophy- through abstract reasoning and contemplations that leads to insights about acceptable principles Practical philosophy which leads to good virtues that guides human conduct ? Mechanical philosophy which reliefs men from physical burdens ? Logic enables men to make clear and realistic conclusions concerning the preceding three philosophies. 5. The seven mechanical arts as defined by Hugh of St. Victor are: ? Fabric- it is necessary as man is essentially naked, lacking in the fur that is endowed to wild animals ? Armaments- necessitated due to man’s innate weakness for his lack of defensive mechanisms such as the teeth and claws of animals. Commerce- it is necessary to reconcile the world’s nations that have become divided by selfish aspirations. It leads to international relations and diplomacy that calms wars, enhances peaceful negotiations and achieves the greatest good of individual possessions.   Agriculture- it is a compensation of hard labor, what Hugh called the ‘brow’s sweat’ that goes back to Adam’s time, when the ground was cursed such that he had to sweat for a living.   Hunting was a skill necessary to help man get food by preying on wild animals Theatrics- the sooth the mind through laughter, and by providing relaxation and refreshment to a tired spirit; probably after a day’s work. 6. The four senses of scripture of St. Gregory the Great are: literal sense, allegorical sense, moral/tropological sense and the anagogical sense. a) Literal sense- it reveals the plain facts about events or things. For instance, the creation of Adam as explained in the Book of Genesis is a literal understanding of scripture, since the events happened just the way they are stated. b) Allegorical sense- it goes beyond what is plainly stated, to arrive at a meaning that is both metaphorical and symbolic. For instance, the creation of Eve from Adam’s rib symbolizes the subordinate role that a woman plays in her relation to man. This is exemplified in the family unit where the man is the head of the household. Similarly, it symbolizes the significance of marriage, since a woman, with her one rib taken from Adam, is considered incomplete. Consequently, she must seek completeness by uniting with her source- Adam/man. c) Moral sense- it derives from the Greek word â€Å"trepein,† which means ‘to turn. ’ In scriptural interpretation, it refers to the act of ‘turning’ ideas, principles and divine teachings into deeds. It is reflected in an individual’s life through good deeds to all people. In the scripture, the parables of Jesus were reflections on the moral conduct of men. For instance, the parable about the Good Samaritan represents real life situations where Christians are called upon to help those in need, and not to be like the uncaring Levite who walked past the robbed man on his way to Jericho. d) Anagogical sense- it refers to the interpretation of scripture teaching within the wider context of eternity. It attaches a universal meaning to divine concepts, which transcends all boundaries of space and time. For instance, the reference to the Lord’s feast in Mathew 22 signifies the eternal happiness to be enjoyed by the save in heaven. Likewise, the new Jerusalem refers to God’s City, the kingdom that shall reign forever after the second coming.

Summary of Danielle Steels Granny Dan :: essays research papers

Granny Dan Written By Danielle Steel, 1999, Delacorte Press (fiction, historical) I came upon this book one day while rifling through my mother’s yawn-inducing adult paperbacks, due to a lack of recent visits to the library. They were the kind of books that are thick, fine print, and usually about some unhappy beautiful heroine who finds true love through a turbulent 700 pages. Then I came across Granny Dan. It was hardcover, a mere 223 pages, and had no close-up shot of a gun, or broken glass, or some other imagery in that vein. So, I did the obvious thing, I opened it up and began to read. Granny Dan was a magical grandmother, who enjoyed roller skating in her kitchen, singing to her family in Russian, and mostly just loving her family in her own little ways. But when she passed away, no one knew anything about her past, which she’d spoken little of. When cleaning out her house after her death, her granddaughter is sent a small brown box, containing all the secrets of Granny Dan’s life, secrets just bursting to be understood. The box contained very few things, a pair of satin toe ballet shoes, a gold locket, and letters tied together. Granny Dan suddenly becomes more than just an endearing grandmother, she becomes Danina Petroskova, the great ballerina. Learning more of Danina’s past, her granddaughter slowly begins to unravel the mystery surrounding her life. As a young girl, Danina’s father and brothers gave her up to a ballet school in St. Petersburg, Russia, because so many men would not know how to raise the motherless girl. For years, Danina devoted her life to ballet, she did not know the outside world. While other girls fell in love and began to ruin their focus for training, Danina only ate, slept, and danced, it was a monastic life, enduring gruelling hours of training with her teacher, Madame Markova. By the age of seventeen, Danina was a prima, and from her performances, she was soon recognized by the Czar and Czarina, members of the royal family. As time went on, she became a favourite of the Imperial family, especially the sickly Czarevitch, Alexei. (The Czar is basically the equivalent of the king, the Czarina, the queen, and the Czarevitch, the prince. Alexei’s family, the Imperial family, were real) Many shattering events occur to Danina, from losing precious brothers to war, to falling in love with Alexei’s (the Czarevitch) doctor, Nikolai Obrajensky.

How does Coleridge tell the story in part 1 of Rime of the Ancient Mariner? Essay

As part 1 is the first of all parts in Coleridge’s Rime of the Ancient Mariner, we are introduced to the characters in the poem and Coleridge establishes the setting of the poem. ‘It is an ancient Mariner†¦he stoppeth one of three. ’ The impersonal pronoun of ‘it’ suggests that this Mariner may not be human, however there is a change in pronoun with ‘he’, implying a liminal state of the Mariner; he is somewhere in between being supernatural and mortality, reinforced by the word, ‘ancient’. Coleridge’s use of archaic language is used to take the reader back in time to a bygone era, as well as acting as an indicator of setting. The Wedding Guest describes the Mariner in an other-worldly way, having a ‘long grey beard and glittering eye’; both the beard and the singular glittering eye possess connotations of wizardry and reinforce the idea that the Mariner may be a supernatural being. Coleridge creates a number of contrasts between the 1st and 2nd stanzas. The 2nd stanza is used to represent a ‘normal’ world, a world that the Mariner can never be a part of. In the stanza, ‘the Bridegroom’s doors are opened wide’, the word, ‘wide’, is juxtaposed by the Mariner’s unnatural obstruction to the Guest in the previous stanza, as well as to the potential story of the wedding. There is also a contrast between the tones of the stanzas, the atmosphere in the 1st stanza is particularly eerie, but we are presented with an upbeat tone and pace in the 2nd stanza, demonstrated through Coleridge’s use of internal rhyme, ‘the guests are met, the feast is set’. The festive imagery emphasises the upbeat nature of the stanza, ‘feast’, and ‘merry’. The 3rd and 4th stanzas are used by Coleridge to illustrate the extent of power that the Mariner has over the Guest. The Mariner ‘holds him with his skinny hand’, here, the Mariner has been able to physically obtain him against his will. The Mariner fails to answer the Guest’s question in the 1st stanza and begins, ‘there was a ship,’ here, this particular narrative gap creates suspense, adding to the poem’s tension. The Guest is unhappy and conveys his pain and anger through imperative sentence structure, ‘hold off! unhand me. ’ The structural device of exclamation also emphasises the pain felt by the Guest. We see Coleridge’s use of repetition in the 4th stanza, ‘he holds him with his glittering eye’, but this time instead of the Mariner’s hand; it’s his singular eye that is compelling the Guest to listen against his own will, suggesting that the Mariner possesses supernatural powers. The simile used by Coleridge, ‘listens like a three years child’, helps to highlight the true extent of the Guest’s vulnerability now that the Mariner has successfully transfixed him and ‘hath his will’, despite the fact that the Guest previously had more control over the Mariner; ‘his hand dropt he. ’ The Mariner’s begins his ‘rime’ in the 6th and 7th stanzas positively, using internal rhyme to create an upbeat rhythm and a more positive mood after the previous eerie stanzas, ‘the ship was cheered, the harbour cleared’. The imagery of security is what they are moving away from, creating a sense of foreboding. The sound created by the internal rhyme almost sounds crafted, helping to reflect the Mariner’s sense of familiarity with these objects associated with his home, ‘kirk’, ‘hill’, and the ‘light-house top’. The Mariner’s familiarity is emphasised by the anaphora, ‘before’. Coleridge uses further internal rhyme, ‘he shone bright, and on the right’, in order to maintain the positive mood and the upbeat rhythm. Coleridge also personifies the sun, perhaps to foreshadow the immense power of the sun that appears later on in the Mariner’s story. The consistent movement of the personified sun helps to indicate the passing of time within the story being told by the Mariner. The 8th, 9th and 10th stanzas act as a narrative break to the Mariner’s story, reminding the reader that a story within a story is being told. The story is interrupted by ‘the Wedding-Guest here beat[ing] his breast’; the animalistic imagery reflects the Guest’s primitive instincts to flee the Mariner’s grip, as well as his general frustration. This action from the Guest is in response to ‘the loud bassoon,’ creating a contrast between the mystical elements of the Mariner and the celebratory and festive event that the Guest is trying to be a part of. We see what the Guest is missing out on, ‘the bride†¦red as a rose is she’, although this simile is seemingly conventional, with closer inspection we are able to see that the bride is fully red, not just her lips, reflecting her full vibrancy, contrasted with the Mariner’s ‘skinny hand’. The wedding almost acts as a narrative backdrop; it demonstrates the joyous occasion that both the Guest and the Mariner are not a part of and serves to spotlight the tragic story that’s being told by the Mariner. Coleridge’s use of repetition, ‘he beat his breast’, is suggestive of the Mariner’s hypnotic ways and the guest’s continuous attempts to escape the grip of the Mariner. In the 11th, 12th, 13th, 14th and 15th stanzas, the Mariner heavily depicts the weather and the environment. The capitalisation of ‘Storm’ is used to create a visual representation, and his use of personification, ‘he’, reflects the storm’s severity and power. He reinforces this idea by using predatory language, ‘his o’ertaking wings†¦chased us’, the storm is presented as some sort of dark, higher power. In the 12th stanza, Coleridge deviates from the traditional folk-ballad form, demonstrating the chaos at this particular point, as well as the Mariner’s heightened emotions. Coleridge reinforces the storm’s aggression through the use of onomatopoeic language, ‘roared’ and ‘blast’. In the 13th stanza, Coleridge returns to the traditional ballad structure to mark a sense of restored order now that the storm has stopped. ‘And now there came both mist and snow, and it grew wondrous cold’, the use of present tense, ‘now’, allows a shock for the reader, building tension. The use of assonance, ‘wondrous cold’, and short clauses forces the reader to pause and slow down, hindering the pace of the stanza, and therefore creating a contrast between the previous fast-moving and chaotic stanzas. The simile, ‘ice†¦as green as emerald’, marks the beginning of the Mariner and his ship’s problems; the green ice is peculiar and mysterious and hints at the supernatural. The Mariner describes the effects of the snow, ‘the snowy clifts did send a dismal sheen’, as ‘dismal’ possesses connotations with misery, and ‘sheen’ with impaired vision, the grouping of them creates a sense that there is no escape and no life wherever they are. These conditions are then emphasised through the personification of ice, ‘it cracked and growled, and roared and howled’, and the onomatopoeic language helps to show the possibly fatal effects of the ice. The anaphora, ‘the ice’, as well as the repetition reinforce this idea, and illustrate the true amount of ice they are surrounded by. In the final stanzas, we see the emergence of the Albatross, ‘at length did cross an Albatross, thorough the fog it came. ’ The capitalisation of ‘Albatross’ reflects his importance, as he is the only form of life that the ship can see. He emerges as a good omen from the ‘fog’, the fog having connotations of mystery and darkness, symbolising a newfound sense of hope, as the bird is like a gift sent from God. The religious lexical fields, ‘God’s name’, ‘hail’, ‘Christian soul’, reflect the Mariner’s gratitude towards God who he believes is responsible for the Albatross’ appearance. The internal rhyme, ‘cross’ and ‘Albatross’, conveys the uplifted mood of the Mariner now that the Albatross has apparently rescued their ship, ‘the ice did split’ and ‘a good south wind sprung up behind’. Further internal rhyme reinforces the upbeat mood of the Mariner, ‘the Albatross did follow, and every day, for food or play’, he is presented as almost anthropomorphic; he’s like an angel. The semantic fields about goodness and religion suggest that Coleridge’s poem is coming to an end, or at least leading in a different direction. Indeed, the story is quite upbeat until the mention of ‘moon-shine’, as moon often signifies near or distant change, a sense of foreboding is created. Perhaps the Guest realises this too, as the hyphen may represent another attempt to get away from the Mariner, or the Guest’s realisation that the Mariner is disturbed, ‘Why look’st thou so? †Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬Å"With my cross-bow I shot the Albatross’. The enjambment in the line helps to emphasise both the reader and the Guest’s honest reaction of shock. Coleridge ends part 1 with a cliff-hanger in order to create suspense in the poem, as well as a sense of mystery.

Essay on Alcohol - 813 Words

Alcohol The topic alcohol brings many things to mind. In my immediate family the only people that drink any type of alcohol are my mother and father. When my dad comes home from work he usually has a beer for a little relaxation and my mom has a glass of wine for dinner. I feel that they are moderate drinkers and I also feel that it sets a good example for my brother and I. If we hadnt gone over this topic in class I would never have known what type of drinkers they were. Now that I think of it I have one relative who has not always lived the good life. If I was writing this paper 8 years ago my aunt Ann would be drinking very heavily right now. Thats because she was an Alcoholic. She was in very bad shape for a while until†¦show more content†¦I definitely dont want that to happen. No one in my family smokes but I do have friends who do. I keep telling my friends how its going to kill them but they dont listen. They keep giving me answers like you have to die sometime or Im not sick right now so who cares. I tell them that their family and friends care but they just ignore me. I know that I need to stay away from cigarettes and cigars because I play sports like golf and I love to ride my bike. If I started to smoke it would decrease my performance of whatever I was doing. That wouldnt be smart because if I ran track the effects of my smoking could cause me to lose a race. Another effect it would have would have on my life is my breath and clothes would smell of smoke and that might make it hard to get a date. Also you said that smoking detererates and the voice box and pops the alveoli in your lungs. That would mean there is a chance of me loosing my voice. If I couldnt talk then I would probably go insane. Mental Health 2 If everyone had perfect mental health the world would be very different. There would be no need for mental hospitals, psychologists, and nurses to take care of the mentally handicapped. Many people give weird or dirty looks at mentally challenged people like they werent even human. But they are human just like you and me. I know this because I have an aunt that suffers from Down Syndrome. She lives inShow MoreRelatedAlcohol : Alcohol And Alcohol Essay836 Words   |  4 Pagestopic for class is alcohol. 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