steves tees :: essays research papers

Steve decided to open his own tee- shirt shop, near a local university. He felt it was the perfect time to start his own business, due to the location and the fact that the summer Olympics were being held 55 miles away in Atlanta. Wow! What a great opportunity it was, for him to take initiative to become his own boss, gain exposure, and become profitable. The only problem was that Steve did not take into consideration any concerns with starting a business, which include: geography, a market for this product, competition/ who are the major competitors, uniqueness, etc. This all could have been done through generating information to aid in making marketing decisions. This process includes specifying what information is required, designing the method for collecting information, managing and implementing the collection of data, analyzing the results, and communicating the findings of their implications. In order to reduce the likelihood of failure, marketing research would provide the n ecessary information to reduce uncertainty. It helps to focus on decision making. So, prior to Steve opening the business, he should conducted exploratory research. Steve needed to acknowledge the situation, screen any and all alternatives, and discover new ideas to make his business stand apart from the competition. This research could have been conducted through focus groups, surveys, questionnaires, etc. The purpose of this marketing research is to narrow the scope of the research topic and to refine the problem into researchable form. Therefore, Steve would have been able to answer who, what, when, where, and how questions; identify the channels of distribution; and to target the market for advertising and promotions.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Promotion is one of the four elements of the marketing mix. It increases company sales by communicating product information to potential customers. Unfortunately, the advertising route Steve took did not help to generate sales. Steve should have recognized the four basic parts of any promotional effort, which include personal selling, advertising, publicity, and sales promotion. Steve solely focused on advertising in selected newspapers, but he failed to realize that everyone does not read the newspaper. If he wanted the business to appeal both to the college students and to the people of the town, he should have done several different types of promotions. He could have done direct promotions, where he and an employee would go into the community and pass out flyers to gain better exposure for the business.

Pretextual Discourses: Constructivism In The Works Of Spelling :: essays research papers

Pretextual Discourses: Constructivism in the works of Spelling 1. Spelling and Derridaist reading "Society is fundamentally meaningless," says Sartre. Many narratives concerning the role of the participant as poet may be discovered. But Foucault uses the term 'constructivism' to denote the futility, and some would say the failure, of dialectic art. The subject is contextualised into a postcapitalist textual theory that includes culture as a paradox. However, Sartre's analysis of constructivism implies that class has significance. Lacan promotes the use of Baudrillardist simulacra to challenge sexism. Thus, in Robin's Hoods, Spelling analyses constructivism; in Melrose Place he denies neosemantic feminism. 2. Discourses of meaninglessness The primary theme of the works of Rushdie is a mythopoetical whole. The main theme of Bailey's[3] critique of the posttextual paradigm of concensus is the paradigm, and hence the absurdity, of semioticist sexuality. However, von Junz[4] implies that we have to choose between the posttextual paradigm of narrative and materialist neotextual theory. "Sexual identity is used in the service of colonialist perceptions of society," says Marx. The subject is interpolated into a posttextual paradigm of concensus that includes consciousness as a totality. In a sense, Debord promotes the use of preconceptual capitalism to modify sexuality. "Class is fundamentally dead," says Foucault; however, according to Tilton[5] , it is not so much class that is fundamentally dead, but rather the economy, and some would say the defining characteristic, of class. Any number of theories concerning the bridge between narrativity and class exist. But if semioticist theory holds, we have to choose between the posttextual paradigm of concensus and the capitalist paradigm of expression. If one examines preconceptual capitalism, one is faced with a choice: either reject semioticist theory or conclude that sexuality is used to marginalize the Other. The primary theme of the works of Pynchon is the role of the observer as artist. It could be said that Debord suggests the use of the posttextual paradigm of concensus to deconstruct hierarchy. The main theme of Drucker's[6] analysis of preconceptual capitalism is the fatal flaw, and subsequent absurdity, of prepatriarchialist sexual identity. Lyotard's model of the posttextual paradigm of concensus suggests that the goal of the participant is deconstruction, given that preconceptual capitalism is invalid. But many narratives concerning semioticist theory may be revealed. Reicher[7] implies that we have to choose between Lacanist obscurity and cultural discourse. It could be said that the example of semioticist theory prevalent in Smith's Mallrats emerges again in Chasing Amy, although in a more neosemiotic sense.

Cocky versus Swagger in Beowulf and Sir Gowain Essay -- essays researc

Cocky vs. Swagger In entertainment, no matter if it is movies, music, or plays. One can almost always look in the story line and find a hero. The hero is perceived to be the character that everyone looks to step forward in a time of need. The hero can be like a savior and is expected to be like a savior by the other characters in the story in any and every situation. There is also a case in stories where the hero has to be found and is more of the unsung type of character within a story in which that character has to learn how to adjust to the advantages and disadvantages of their heroism and how it may affect the other characters in the story. Beowulf and Sir Gowain posses these types of characteristics and by actually reading the pieces of literature that they are featured in. These characteristics are evident and are exposed within their respective stories. The characters may come off as being cocky or extremely arrogant, but one may have a different opinion on this situation for the simple fact th at there is a difference between being cocky and arrogant or just having confidence in oneself along with a swagger about oneself. Confidence is defined as belief in oneself and one's powers or abilities, self-confidence, self-reliance, assurance. Confidence is something that these characters must have in the stories that they are in. Confidence is something that every person should have in order to succeed in anything that they do. Being cocky and having a swagger all comes from having confidence. Heroes in every story are known to have tasks that they must take on things and overcome obstacles that are more challenging than any other character in the story. The tasks they take on can be anything from realistic everyday life pro... ... from humble beginnings not making him behave cocky and arrogant like Beowulf. Because of his near death experience he was not that way. This is the model demonstration of the differences between being cocky and having a swagger. In closing, the differences of being cocky versus having a swagger are evident. It is understood that it is a number of ways to conduct oneself just being a regular person. It should be understood that it takes a different type of attitude to conduct yourself if you are a true hero. Depending on exactly what the resume of the hero is, he is entitled to have either a cocky behavior, or a certain swagger that sets themselves apart from the rest. Whatever the case may be, the hero as earned it because if he had not, he would not be a hero. Works Cited Sir Gowain and the Green Knight trans.Constance Hieatt. www.dictionary.com

Cultural and Social Change in the 1960’s

Cultural and Social Change in the 1960's The 1960's in America was a decade characterized by evolving social issues and a rapid growth of many subcultures and culture in general. As their world changed around them and different issues presented themselves, people looked for areas of exppression in which their voices could be heard. This led to an explosion in all forms of art and literature. Areas like music changed in such dramatic ways as to rebel against past sounds and styles while civil rights movements forever altered the way the people of the U. S. iewed race relations. Music in the 1960's was influenced by many factors that people of the time had to face. Protest for the vietnam war, racial turbulence, and general unease provided a platform for musical creation that resulted in sounds so revolutionary and different than anything ever heard before that thousands of people would gather at single shows. Protest music was very popular in this decade because of the ongoing conflic t in Vietnam. Acts such as Jimi Hendrix and Bob Dylan showed opposition to the war in music that became popular enough to define a generation. Woodstock, a massive three day music festival that took place Southwest of the town of Woodstock, New York was attended by nearly half a million people and became an icon that helped to identify the music of the 1960's. During the Sixtees, men like Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Malcolm X were a part of the Black Civil Rights movement, which advocated equal treatment of African Americans and the disbandment of Jim Crow laws. After the assassinations of both of these important figures, their legacies lived on through such organizations as the Black Panthers and the Nation of Islam. Another civil rights movement of the time was the Hispanic or Chicano movement. The goal of this movement was to empower and give equal rights to Mexican, Puerto Rican, and other Hispanic Americans that were being mistreated throughout the country. Movements like these had been seen in decades previous, but arguably with a great deal less success and popularity. The media was also another factor unique at the time to these civil rights movements, and without a doubt played a large role in their effectiveness.

Hofstede Canada vs Japan Essay

Individualism vs Collectivism In essence this dimension deals with the relationship between the individual and the collectives in a given society. It is reflected in the way in which people live together. For example, nuclear families, extended families, tribes and other larger communities. It directly effects peoples values and behaviours. In some cultures individualism is sometime to be sought after but in others it is seen as alienation. Canada Canada has a score of 80 in this dimension which is its highest score by a considerable margin of 28. Their society expects people to look after themselves and their immediate family. These values in are line with my own Irish values but we generally go one further and include extended family members in this bracket such as cousins, aunts and uncles by blood or marriage. Likewise in a business environment employees are expected to take initiative and be self-reliant without constant supervision. Where hiring and promotion decisions are concerned assessments are based on the individual’s accolades and capabilities. It is important to note that Canadian employees will be expected to be able to work on individual tasks as well as group projects. The vast majority of Canadians as well as other capitalist English speaking countries such as Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, United Kingdom and the United States have individualism ranked first. Financial most of all but most successes are a measure of personal achievement. Canadians are generally confident and open to discuss general topics however their private affairs are only up for discussion with their closest friends and family members. The predominately French speaking province of Quebec holds different views than the rest of Canada. This leads to tension between and their English speaking countrymen. Quebecers tend to be more private and reserved. Ethnocentrism is prevalent in Canada but particularly in Quebec. Japan Japan has a score of 46 on the Hofstede’s individualism dimension. Japan has many qualities of a collective society and indeed in popularly stereotyped as one, when in fact it scores in the middle. It prioritised harmonies relations over an individual’s need to express themselves and has a great sense of shame for losing face. This being said it is not as collective as its Chinese and Korean neighbours as they do not maintain extended families to the same extent. Japan has a paternalistic society where assets are inherited from father to eldest son while the remaining siblings are left to their own devices, making their own living with their core families. A more recent study by Woodring[1] found that Japanese students are scored higher on individualism and lower on power distance than Hofstede’s original sample. This was due to their age, according to Woodring. The findings suggest that Japanese college students value individualism and equality more than the rest of their society. Hofsede’s longitudinal study showed that national wealth and individualism are related. Japan has the world’s third largest economy[2], so it is no surprise that Japanese society is changing in this way. In fact a recent Japanese term shin jin rui literally meaning â€Å"new human beings† has developed to describe 25 year olds and younger by their elders. They are thought to be â€Å"selfish, self-centred and disrespectful of elders and traditions†[3]. Japanese society could be regarded as paradoxical as it is both individualist and collective depending on the given situation. For example Japanese employees are famous for their company loyalty but loyalty is something they choose for themselves which is a individualistic characteristic. Japanese society is collective by Canadian and indeed Irish standards but individualist by the rest of Asia’s standards. Individualism vs Collectivism impact on Decisions Making This mostly effects the motivations of a decision. Individualist societies are motivated by personal success and make their decisions according. They constantly trying to climb the corporate ladder and achieve a higher standard of living for themselves and their immediate family. Meanwhile in collective societies they prioritise their decisions for good of the group above their own personal goals. In a business context collective societies will work better in groups with people they have a personal relationship with. While individualist societies can work well as individuals and in groups with people they do not know. This allows for quicker decision making but not knowing a colleague on a personal level may lead to less active participation. Collective mentality takes more time but more options are analysed in more depth which in some circumstances is more effective but less time efficient. Uncertainty avoidance Uncertainty avoidance indicates how threatened a society will be by ambiguous contexts and the degree to which it will attempt to avoid these situations by not tolerating deviant ideas or behaviours, and a belief in absolute truths[4]. This ambiguity leads to anxiety. Different cultures manage this anxiety in different manners. A High Uncertainty Avoidance ranking indicates the country has a low tolerance for uncertainty and ambiguity. This creates a rule-oriented society that implements laws, rules, regulations, and controls in order avoid uncertainty. A Low Uncertainty Avoidance ranking indicates the country is less worried about doubt and is more comfortable taking into account a wide variety of views and opinions. This is mirrored in a society that is less strictly regulated, accepts change quicker, and takes more and greater risks. Japan Japan, with a score of 92, is one of the most uncertainty avoiding places on earth. This is thought to be due to Japans ever present threat of natural disasters such as earthquakes, tsunamis, typhoons and volcanic eruptions. May 2011s tsunami is a testament to this with a death toll of just under sixteen thousand. The Japanese have learned to prepare themselves all aspects of life and not just emergencies. From start to finish Japanese life is extremely organised by Canadian standards, with many tradition ceremonies such as opening and closing events for schools. These are performed in very much the same manner throughout Japan. Detailed etiquette books are available outlining proper behavioural practises and dress for important events such as weddings and funerals. In the Japanese business world, vast amounts of time are invested into feasibility studies. All risk factors must be precisely analysed before any project gets the go ahead. Managers will insist on and indeed expect detailed facts and figures before committing to any decision. This need to precedent and approved practises makes introducing change difficult. Canada With a score of 48 Canada is considerable more â€Å"uncertainty accepting† than Japan. They readily accept new ideas, innovative products and have an enthusiasm to try new or different things whether its new technology, products or business practices. They are accepting of ideas and opinions from people on any level of a business which allows freedom of expression and upward and downward communication. Canadian culture is not rule orientated as Japan is but they tend to be less emotional expressive than cultures scoring higher on the dimension. Canada uncertainty avoidance is fragmented somewhat. The British Columbia providence is viewed as the â€Å"Western Frontier† while Quebecers are much more reserved and reluctant to change. Traditionally British Columbia’s economy was based on exploiting natural resources such as mining, lumber and fishing. Due to a change in the global economy in the 1990s it shifted to a more entrepreneurial, innovative intense economy. Innovation is the product of entrepreneurship which is directly linked to lower uncertainty avoidance[5]. In May of 2002, the University of British Columbia studied entrepreneurial activity in B.C. and compared it to other Canadian provinces.[6] Their research showed that the province of B.C. is ready for greater entrepreneurial activity but that over-regulation may be stunting entrepreneurial activity in the province. During the late 1990s the number of new business starts in B.C. was higher than the Canadian national average. Thus, it shows lower uncertainty avoidance in B.C. Uncertainty avoidance impact on decision making This directly impacts decision making as it relates to risk taking and preparation in every form. A high scoring uncertainty avoidance country such as Japan actively makes decisions to constantly avoid risk. Decisions are only made after lengthy considerations with all plausible possibilities careful considered before action is taken. It was be advantage of being better informed but the disadvantage of being time consuming. Whereas in a country with a low uncertainty avoidance score such as Canada decisions are may much quicker with less considers and options accounted for before taking the plunge. This is a high risk, high reward strategy which can work well given the right entrepreneurial skills. Both nations could learn from each other, making reasonable quick decisions with the best information given time constraints. Bibliography https://docs.google.com/a/ucdconnect.ie/viewer?a=v&q=cache:5pvQ7O-6yo0J:www.cjrs-rcsr.org/archives/30-2/McNabb-final.pdf+canadian+uncertainty+avoidance&hl=en&gl=ie&pid=bl&srcid=ADGEESg1FrvsrtpXzN76VcxyTTQ-41w1fT3mmEF46pj4oZCKrQwWL-1IoYpW2iiR2wH9pu7aIgJORx1xQj8w06gzLj8xnIq7FEoS6QW14Ame4iS5nfDGejToZ70ZJS5KGa6GzRoFBw5H&sig=AHIEtbQ3NA9rLoVL-GovrHnXzRqTiSO5OA&pli=1 http://cos.sagepub.com/content/51/1-2/59.full.pdf+html http://www.cyborlink.com/besite/canada.htm Culture’s Consequences: Comparing Values, Behaviors, Institutions and Organizations Across Nations by By Geert H. Hofstede.

Raising Our Native Sons Essay

During the modern era, there was an overwhelming sense of optimism due to the nation’s booming economy. There was a generalization that any citizen could work hard and become successful. However, this was not always the case in American society. Not everyone was given equal opportunity to thrive and succeed. This struggle was expressed in various literary works. In is novel Native Son, Richard Wright uses symbolism and irony to attack race issues and oppression in order to suggest that African Americans should have equal opportunity as whites. Throughout the novel, the protagonist, Bigger Thomas faces persecution and mistreatment simply because of the color of his skin. This racism appears early in the novel when a rat is encountered in his apartment. Bigger’s mother is disgusted by the gross creature she finds wandering in the family’s apartment. She proclaims her disgust and fear of the rat by saying, â€Å"Lord, Lord, have mercy†¦ that sonofabitch could cut your throat† (10). Through this duologue, the readers realize the harsh treatment and attitude the rat is receiving from Bigger’s family. They are scared and afraid of the rat, even though it means no harm and is merely trying to surviving with the living conditions it has been given. This demonstrates the overall racism towards blacks throughout the book as they are treated poorly and set up to fail. Like the rat, they are considered the lowest of the low who scavenge off others to survive. They are treated as a threat that only causes harm and need to be rid of. Also, Bigger faces racism head on at home. When playing with his friends, they â€Å"play white†. This game attempts to imitate the way whites act in society. During this game, Bigger and his friends unknowingly play out the white people has having superior power over the whites. This demonstrates that the racism is engraved into their heads, even at a young age. This sets them up to fail from a young age by starting them off as knowing that they are considered inferior to the white people. As the book continues, Bigger’s story becomes a point of attention in the south side of Chicago. The newspaper reporters are gathered around preparing to write an article on Bigger’s recent crime. They are collaborating with  each other in order to create the best story possible. One of the reporters says, â€Å"I’m slanting to the primitive negro who doesn’t want to be disturbed by white civilization.† The conversation continues with another reporter saying, â€Å"mention his foreign sounding name† (201). The reporters are bouncing ideas off each other in order to write the best story for the readers. They mention how they are going to purposely define Bigger as a member of the African American community. This simple dialogue represents a much larger meaning within the novel. The reporters immediately turn to race in order to demonize Bigger. They call him â€Å"primitive† and point out his name in an attempt to dissociate him from white society. This display of racism conveys the treatment of African Americans as outcasts of mainstream society. In addition to this, the media is only aiding in the continued validity of this stereotype. The more the media portrays blacks as animals and creatures, the more they are attacked by mainstream white society. As a result of this, the blacks are suppressed more and more, causing them to become more and more desperate. This vicious cycle of racism and oppression is ongoing as society feeds off the harsh portrayal of African Americans by the news outlets. Wright brings attention to the overwhelming effect that oppression can have on an individual or group. Bigger is continuously oppressed throughout his life. After attempting to escape from the police, Bigger is captured and brought down to the street from a rooftop. He was dragged down the stairs with his head banging on every step. He found himself lying on his back in the snow, pinned down by his wrists and surrounded by a circle of this faces. The angry crowd shouts at Bigger. Roars from the crowd include, â€Å"Kill ‘im†¦ Lynch ‘im†¦ Kill that ape!† (253). The crowd is angry at the black man who has caused so much trouble to the white folk. When they finally capture him, they all seem to unite as one when shouting insults as if they have has a triumph by holding down this young black man. This unity represented the overpowering superiority of white society over that of the blacks. Although each individual is their own person and saying their own comments, all Bigger sees and hears is an overbearing common force. To Bigger, he does not see the individuality in each white person; he sees them as all members of the same group all with a common goal of suppressing his dreams. In addition to seeing all whites as a blanket of oppression, he is almost shameful of himself when around them.  While sitting in an interview, he sits in Mr. Dalton’s office with him. Bigger enters the room and does not make eye contact. He stands in a corner with his head down, being careful not to make eye contact with Mr. Dalton. Bigger knows the role that he has in society as well as the room. He is careful to not do anything to upset the white man for fear of potential punishment. This shame is built off the fact that he has been repetitively told and taught that he is inferior. This repeated oppression leads Bigger to act differently around white people, further placing him in to the mold of a non-productive member of society. Bigger feels as if he has been able to make very few decisions for himself his entire life. This suppression was put on him right from the start. Once he realizes his fate and is sitting on his cot, he thinks back on his life. He had always lived with the premonition that he would be sentenced to the electric chair. Once this becomes a reality, Bigger feels a sense of freedom that he has never felt before. He wonders to himself why he â€Å"put himself into the shadow of the electric chair only to find out this? Had he been blind all along? But there was no way to tell now. It was too late†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (335). He realizes that he lived his entire life under the shadow of fear of the electric chair. Once he realizes that he is actually doomed for the chair, he assumes that he should live his live with complete freedom with the remaining days he has left. He concludes, however, that it is too late to live with freedom since he wasted all of his previous days under the shadow. This shadow of oppression holds him back from living freely because he knows that his skin color limits his chances to succeed in life. Furthermore, Bigger can make choices that will only dig him deeper into a hole he cannot escape from. After lashing out and committing a murder, Bigger expresses his feelings that he has a sense of power for the first time in his life. By committing this murder, he has broken away from the limitations being placed on him. Although it was negative, he could not be stopped because he was not assumed to be capable of such a crime. This demonstrates that the oppressed are subject to hostility and more likely to lash out due to the poor treatment and lack of individual freedoms. By using irony and symbolism, Richard Wright brings light to the issue of race and oppression in America. He attempts to convey that blacks and white  should be given equal opportunity to succeed. Wright believes that African Americans are placed into a mold of failure, one that they cannot escape. The title â€Å"Native Son† suggests something about the treatment of the generation of young men we are raising in our country. All of our â€Å"Native Sons†, no matter what race, should be treated equally and be given ample opportunity to succeed.

We Grow Accustomed to the Dark…

Darkness is a recurring image in literature that evokes a universal unknown, yet is often entrenched in many meanings. A master poet, Emily Dickinson employs darkness as a metaphor many times throughout her poetry. In â€Å"We grow accustomed to the dark† (#428) she talks of the â€Å"newness† that awaits when we â€Å"fit our Vision to the Dark. † As enigmatic and shrouded in mystery as the dark she explores, Dickinson's poetry seems our only door to understanding the recluse. As she wrote to her friend T. W. Higginson on April 15, 1862, â€Å"the Mind is so near itself – it cannot see, distinctly†(Letters 253).In this musing, she acquiesces to a notion that man remains locked in an internal struggle with himself. This inner conflict is brought to light through a metaphorical darkness that pervades many of her poems. Evidenced by the sheer breadth of her poetry she penned throughout her life, it is clear Dickinson indulged and withdrew often into t he inner realm of her own mind. The darkness is an interesting metaphor because it represents a dichotomy between an internal and external. Poem 428 illustrates both as the darkness acts as a barrier against understanding, while at the same time a limitless passage to potential knowledge.As a poet, Dickinson meticulously fashions her poems. Each word, each capitalization, each rhyme scheme – the dash – is a device carefully calculated and chosen. The dash is rarely reflected on since Dickinson tends to utilize the punctuation in every poem. However, in poem 428, the formatting is essential to the meaning. What do the dashes mean? The punctuation – dash – has the power to immediately interrupt the flow of a sentence. Dashes indicate pauses – ends – places to wait – sometimes nothingness. Nothingness is what the darkness contains. Isn't nothingness an unknown?As we read the poem we pause at every turn, commanded to do so by the dash â⠂¬â€œ indicative of inner conflict. Our minds subconsciously repeat this action after ever pause – every dash. The words it is used on highlight the dark. The dash is used after lines directly referencing darkness itself and its incarnations (line 6's â€Å"night,† line 10's â€Å"Evenings,† line 11's â€Å"Moon,† line 19's â€Å"Midnight†) half of the time. In other lines, darkness is not directly referenced, yet evoked through certain associate terms. The power of darkness to hinder understanding and arbitrarily change are used fter such words (line 2's â€Å"away,† line 4's â€Å"bye,† line 11's â€Å"sign,† and line 17's â€Å"alters†).The darkness also could represent an inner conflict, such as the turmoil â€Å"within† (line 12) is exclusively mental. The line is indicative of the inner search for truth. The superfluous use of dashes in this specific line emphasizes the feeling of hopelessness that plagues t he search. This trend continues in line 13 as the subject, â€Å"the Bravest,† still always have darkness that lies ahead which they must â€Å"meet†¦ -erect-† (line 8) and overcome. After doing this, the brave can â€Å"see† (line 16) and reach the deeper enlightenment they've sought.What about the words that lack a dash? These lines emphasize the sworn enemy of darkness- the light. To begin, line 3's â€Å"lamp† illuminates the darkness. Light is used often as a metaphor to show knowledge that lies ahead or paths to understanding. Therefore, line 5's â€Å"step† and line 20's â€Å"straight† lack a dash since they show a direction. In darkness, there exists nothingness and no place to tread. In line 14, â€Å"tree† is indicative of light's other meaning – to shed light on something. A realization of a truth may be revealed in light. This connection causes light to be intrinsically linked to wisdom.Thus, in a poem so imme rsed in emotional darkness, wisdom would void it. As far as line 18's â€Å"sight† is concerned, no dash is present because without light a visual cannot be seen and will remain in (a physical and mental) darkness. In these lines without a dash, darkness is not acting as a barrier. In this poem, a rhyme scheme doesn't seem to exist at first. Few of the lines rhyme, except for lines 14 and 16 and lines 18 and 19. However, the poem has fluidity despite its apparent scarcity of rhyme. After examining the alteration of syllables in each line, a pattern is revealed in this poem concerning darkness.The first nine lines alternate between 8 and 6 syllables. These lines are concerned, as any narrative is, with exposition. These lines set up darkness as an internal conflict to come. The conflict intensifies in lines 10 and 11 as we are bombarded by an explosion of 8 syllables in each line. These lines present the conflict within one's own mind at its most desperate. After this climax, the syllables in the last nine lines resolve the conflict presented. In these lines, Dickinson presents us with an archetypal figure that is faced with a conflict: the â€Å"bravest† hero.These lines present the resolution in lines that alternate between 6 and 7 syllables. Just as the syllables decrease, the falling action presents us with a final insight. This insight discusses how darkness is an insurmountable entity that, like the hero, we must face to continue â€Å"straight† through â€Å"Life† (line 20). The next seemingly arbitrary decision is Dickinson's capitalization. The capitalization at the beginning of the sentence must be capitalized; therefore, we'll focus on the capitalizations that lie within each sentence. In this poem, each of these words is a noun.Past this simple reading, what may we deduce from these capitalizations? Each stanza presents a different set of capitalized objects which lend themselves to the interpretation that darkness is a b arrier. It is no mere coincidence, that like the darkness they reference, these objects are not easily read. The poem presents itself as a narrative, but when you want to seek a connection between these capitalized objects, you feel you've hit a wall – an impasse. In poem 554, Dickinson presents us with another frustrating statement when she asserts â€Å"I had not minded – Walls –†.In a similar way, this poem Dickinson is satisfied with the elusiveness that the darkness presents. She takes delight in contradiction and abstraction. In a letter sent to T. W Higginson on June 8, 1862, Dickinson states that she â€Å"[has] no tribunal† (255). Dickinson, like her poetry, is a paradox. In her house she was Emily Elizabeth Dickinson, yet in her poetry and letters takes on the form of the enigmatic â€Å"Your Scholar† or â€Å"E. Dickinson† (Letters 263-278). However, without seeming too presumptuous with a direct correlation to the poet, th ese objects remain impenetrable.The objects could be interpreted as external entities, yet each when internalized represents a concept inaccessible. For example, in poem 428, we find the â€Å"Moon† and â€Å"Star,† objects present in darkness of the sky, not characterized in the usual way we symbolically represent them. The â€Å"Moon† doesn't represent an omen – â€Å"sign† – and the â€Å"Star† is found â€Å"within† reach instead of far away. This is further evidenced when the â€Å"Bravest† in relation to the â€Å"Tree† do not act how we expect. We expect figures exemplifying courage to undergo immense – not â€Å"little† – obstacles and to always – not â€Å"sometimes† – encounter them (as represented by the tree).But what of all the poems that argue the opposite, that the darkness represents a potential limitless portent to freedom? Indeed poem 428's metaphorical d arkness could be interpreted as a veil that covers a deeper hidden truth. In fact, darkness takes on a myriad of manifestations, such as shadow, in Dickinson's poetry. In â€Å"Presentiment – is that long shadow – on the Lawn† (#487), Dickinson uses a â€Å"long shadow† in apposition with a â€Å"presentiment†. A presentiment is an intuition about the future (usually of something evil). In this instance, a limiting of light presents us with an indicator to further wisdom.In another poem, â€Å"In Ebon box, when years have flown† (#180), the darkness that covers the â€Å"box† is manifested as â€Å"velvet dust / Summers have sprinkled there! † A mere â€Å"wiping away† is all it takes to unlock what's hidden inside. In these poems, darkness is never directly referenced – only alluded to. However, in Dickinson's poetry, darkness need not solely be alluded to. In â€Å"Through the dark sod as education† (#559 ), the deeper theme of darkness explicitly leads to potential knowledge. In poem 559, the â€Å"Lily† is an entity known to thrive in the light of day (and perhaps even Dickinson herself).Then, why is the image of the â€Å"Dark Sod† brought in? Dickinson certainly could have chosen to utilize night, a period that flowers encounter every night. However, through this uncommon embodiment of lawn, Dickinson exposes darkness as an omnipresent force. Even for a â€Å"Lily,† darkness is a commonplace occurrence. However, here a head on confrontation with an omnipresent force doesn’t block the pursuer from realizing a deeper meaning. Thus, the â€Å"Lily† needs the darkness for redemption. Poem 559 presents darkness as a metaphor we shouldn't have â€Å"trepidation† or â€Å"fear† for.In the second stanza, Dickinson advances her exploration of darkness. In the â€Å"meadow,† the â€Å"Lily† acknowledges the darkness that it fac ed by reflecting on its recent â€Å"Mold-life†. The â€Å"Mold† in the garden-variety setting of the poem has the destructive power to devour and delineates passing of time. However, to ignore the first part of the hyphenated expression, the word â€Å"Mold,† would be to ignore the power of darkness' influence. Mold itself could refer back to the process of forming (both physical creation and the mental process undergone throughout life by the mind).In this poem, the â€Å"Lily† undergoes a transformative process that leaves it forever in â€Å"Extasy†. Ecstasy here is an interesting consequence when we consider Dickinson's own thoughts on the matter. On their first meeting, Dickinson said to T. W. Higginson, â€Å"I find ecstasy in living; the mere sense of living is joy itself† (Letters 264). (Therefore, if we conclude that ecstasy is an effect of darkness, then we could deduce that Dickinson believed it vital element since life is compri sed of birth and death. ) The flower in the poem is mutated and enhanced through the period of darkness it experiences.This poem could be seen as a musing on the human condition that befalls us all. A matter relatable and universally understood that life is a never-ending struggle which we all engage. The individual will emerge from the hardships, like â€Å"Dark Sod,† once they come to the realization that light cannot exist without its antithesis, darkness. Just as light cannot exist without its opposite, a discourse on metaphorical darkness in Emily Dickinson's poetry would not be complete without an inclusion of metaphorical light.However, light is such a commonly used word, that expressions expounding its revelatory nature have become cliches. To go beyond these two analyses, we must reveal the destructive nature underlying light. In â€Å"There's a certain slant of light† (#320), Dickinson explicates light in a novel way. In this poem, the setting is a â€Å"Win ter Afternoon. † From the very first line, the poet maintains a bias against the light. In the season of winter, it is expected for light to rarely appear. As a New England resident, Emily Dickinson knew this fact well. This poem, unlike many of Dickinson's poetry, does not extol nature or light.Unlike its usual connotation, Dickinson presents a light that contradicts what we expect and that instead exhibits a complicated nature. Interestingly enough, the light at work in this poem is found to be oppressive, despite nature superseding its position. Why then is light oppressive? The answer to this query is arrived at if we carefully decipher Dickinson's diction choice. In this poem, we can argue that change is epitomized by the â€Å"certain Slant of light† as a turning point for transformation. This slant of light is oppressive, but this is no simple, purely negative oppression.Rather, like darkness, it is both hard and worthwhile. The diction is heightened in the third stanza, when the poem 320’s speaker states how light cannot â€Å"teach† a lesson. An experience of painful transition is deemed more important. This experience is characterized by the stress placed on the word â€Å"Any. † The word both ends the physically written line and limits the expounded experience. Further explored, the turmoil disclosed is revealed not as a collective one by the diction choice an â€Å"imperial affliction. † It is almost as if a privileged group can only experience the transformation.In one word, Dickinson refashions light from universal emblem of revelation to a symbol of an exclusive human experience. However, taking light metaphorically where we never thought it could, Dickinson shows how easily transmuted these externals – light and dark – (which we’ve internalized and thought we knew) are. In Dickinson's first letter to T. W. Higginson on April 16, 1862, she asked him, â€Å"Are you too deeply occupied to say if my verse is alive? †(253) The irony lies in the fact that Dickinson’s verse is so alive that Emily Dickinson continues to rewrite the traditional modes of literature convention past her own lifetime.