The Credit Crunch Literature review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Credit Crunch - Literature review Example Due to its major significance, the term was included in the latest edition of the Concise Oxford English Dictionary, meaning "an economic condition in which it suddenly becomes difficult and expensive to borrow money" (Oxford University Press,n.d.). A credit crunch is characterized by a shortage of funds in the credit market, resulting in decreased possibilities for credit agreements and increased levels of official interest rates. Economist John Hull (2009) argues that the origins of the credit crunch (which started in the US) can be found in the housing market. "The U.S government was keen to encourage home ownership. Interest rates were low. Mortgage brokers and mortgage lenders found it attractive to do more business by relaxing their lending standards () Banks thought the "good times" would continue and () chose to ignore the housing bubble..." Simply put, people were spending more money than they actually had - an inconsistency that grows into what economists call a "bubble" - the inflation of global property prices. A vicious circle is formed - prices rise, causing the number of credits to rise as well, which in turn makes prices rise even more. At some point, a large number of credits started to default. Property prices began to drop and so the "bubble" burst. On a related note, Mizen (2008, p. 564) points out that the most recent credit crunch was preceded by a prosperous period, which generated a certain degree of carelessness throughout the economy. "Financial innovation had () introduced greater complexity, higher leverage, and weaker underlying assets based on subprime mortgages." Mizen defines a subprime mortgage as a riskier bank product - a loan given to a person with non-standard income or credit profile, which was often mispriced. They provide good returns, compared to other asset classes, and therefore receive high ratings. However, they are not as safe as they seemed because they are tied to house prices. When prices drop, foreclosures becom e more frequent. Losses escalated and banks took measures by lowering credit availability. White (2008, p. 2-3) states that "Borrowers with inadequate income relative to their debts, many of whom had either counted on being able to borrow against a higher house value in the future in order to help them meet their monthly mortgage payments, or on being able to "flip" the property at a price that would more than repay their mortgage, began to default. Default rates on nonprime mortgages rose to unexpected highs. The high risk on the mortgages came back to bite mortgage holders, the financial institutions to whom the monthly payments were owed. Financial institutions that had stocked up on junk mortgages and junk-mortgage-backed securities found their stock prices dropping. The worst cases, like Countrywide Financial, the investment banks Lehman Brothers and Merrill Lynch, and the government-sponsored mortgage purchasers Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, went broke or had to find a last-minu te purchaser to avoid bankruptcy."

Understanding Customer Relationships Essay Example for Free

Understanding Customer Relationships Essay I further confirm that I have not shared my work with other candidates. Table of Contents Cover page1 Table of Contents2 Task 1: Keeping stakeholders informed 3 6 Task 2: Collecting stakeholder information 7 9 Task 3: CSR – Gaining an Internal Perspective 10 12 Task 4 REPORT To:Marketing Manager From:Marketing Assistant Date:25th November, 2011 Subject:Keeping stakeholders informed INTRODUCTION: Communication is defined as the process by which information is exchanged between individuals through a common system of symbols, signs or behavior (www. erriamwebster. com/dictionary). It is a two-way process and plays a central role for effective relationships within an organization (CIM Introductory Certificate in Marketing Study Workbook, pg 135). For communication to be effective, the receiver must understand the message in the manner the sender intended for it to be received. As with majority of organizations, stakeholders are an integral part of any organization and must be well informed of necessary decisions and activities of the said organization. With reference to the recent oil spillage crisis, it is important that BP communicates to the following stakeholder groups – a. FOUR STAKEHOLDER GROUPS THAT BP NEEDED TO COMMUNICATE WITH AND THEIR SCOPE OF INTEREST ARE: Governments and regulators: Government alongside the regulatory agencies established by the government to dominate the industry, are responsible for formulating policies which govern offshore drilling processes and also ensure that the interest of the public is protected from the activities of the oil companies. Both bodies need to be informed of the spillage to allow for monitoring of the situation and deployment of resources and assessment teams to establish shoreline protection and clean up priorities. (http://www. env. gov. bc. ca/eemp/resources/strategies/oilstrat. htm) The information would further assist the government investigate the cause of the spillage in order to take necessary legal actions and also help with legislation of regulatory laws which governs oil exploration by the oil companies. . Stakeholders and analysts: The stakeholders include shareholders and investors who have financial interests and commitments in BP. They should be informed of the spill and every progress made by BP, so that they are kept abreast of the financial implications and expenditure that would arise from the spillage, cleanup process and compensation cost which might result in a loss in revenue for BP and ultimately their financial interests. c. Local communities: Local communities are usually members of the community within which an oil project is situated and in this case, the community where the oil spill has occurred. They would also include the local media, medical organizations, nongovernmental organizations active within the area, local security forces etc. Organizations must establish themselves as reputable members of a community. (www. ou. edu/deptcomm/literature review. htm) By establishing a reservoir of goodwill in the community it is often easier to gain community support during a crisis (Sellnow, 1993). As such, affected residents of the local community around where the spillage occurred should be communicated to and assessed for physical and behavioral health effects the spillage might cause especially if the residents depend on oil, fishing or other affected industries in the locality of the spill. BP should also inform the local communities on steps it has taken or would take to combat the effect of the spillage on the environment and possible compensations to the communities. d. Customers: These vary from domestic fuel users to agricultural and aviation users of bulk LPG. All BP customers should be contacted and informed of the spillage as this might affect the supply of various products as supplied by BP. The multiplier effect of shortage of products by BP would not only mean a loss in revenue for the customer whose livelihood depend s on sale of products but also on the end user as might be in the case of retail fuel consumer and inadvertently more loss to BP. 2. ADAPTATION OF MESSAGES TO MEET THE NEEDS OF EACH OF THE STAKEHOLDER GROUP For a communication to be effective, the message passed must be well understood by the party for whom the message is intended (decoder) for and must be able to communicate back to the sender. BP must ensure that it communicates information about the spillage to the above mentioned stakeholders in respect to their functions and adaptabilities. o For the government, a series of meetings should be arranged where discussions regarding assessments, clean up exercises and monitoring policies are discussed and reported back to the government the progress of the situation. Stakeholders are to be informed via mails or financial reports the cost analysis of the clean up exercise as well as financial implications of the spill incurred by the company. o BP should seek to invite non-governmental organizations who focus on environmental policies and issues to assist with implementation of programs designed to help residents within affected communities. o Customers can be reached more effectively a nd interpersonally through in depth interviews, viral online communications, web based interactive programs and feedback channels on BP’s website. . TWO COMMUNICATION TOOLS THAT COULD BE USED TO ENHANCED THE MESSAGE The purpose of communication is to get a message across clearly using methods or tools that would effectively target the intended receiver. These tools could either be verbal or non-verbal tools of communication. To communicate its intent, BP must use the following communication tools to enhance the credibility of its message:- ? PR: Public Relations is defined as a planned and sustained effort to establish and maintain goodwill and mutual understanding between an organization and its publics (IPR). In enhancing the credibility of its message, BP would use PR to not only ensure that its intended target receives its message, but would also help reshape and boost the consumer perception of the BP image in light of the spill crisis thereby, warding off unfavorable rumors. ? Direct Marketing: This is the most targeted method of communication as it seeks to target individual customers with personalized messages and build relationships with them as they respond to direct communications (UCR online syllabus; session 7, pg 8). Direct marketing is defined as the planned recording, analysis and tracking of customer behavior to develop relational marketing strategies (Institute of Direct Marketing, UK) Using direct marketing, a well thought out and planned message is made available by BP to target each stakeholder group and solicit positive responses from each group to help manage the spill crisis. 4. EVALUATION OF THE EFFECTIVENESS OF COMMUNICATION TOOLS OUTLINED ABOVE †¢ Direct Marketing: One of the benefits of direct marketing is that it allows for direct interaction with the consumers and hence immediate responses are obtained from the consumers. This in turns also ensures that BP’s personalized messages are well targeted and monitored such that the aim of public relations in helping to enhance consumer perception of BP’s image is also attained. BRIEFING PAPER From:Marketing Assistant To:Marketing Manager Date:17. 12. 2011 Subject:Collecting Stakeholder information Information is defined as the data formatted or structured to support decision making or define the relationship between two facts (Zikmund/Babin: Essentials of marketing research; 3rd edition). It is a marketing asset which impacts on performance of an organization (CIM Study Workbook, pg 108) 2. INFORMATION TO BE COLLECTED BY BP IN RELATION TO ITS STAKEHOLDERS o Local Communities: BP would seek to collect information about the local communities which would include population count, availability of amenities such as hospitals, roads, schools, water, electricity, income levels, gender, age etc. It would also seek to identify the general occupation of residents in the community (e. g if farming or fishing is the main stay of the residents and the effects of the spill) and income/lifestyle of residents. It would also seek to understand the culture and ethnicity of the people so as not to strain relationship with its communities. BP should also seek to collect information about its communities to help assess the social and environmental impacts of its project within such communities. o Government and regulators: As these two bodies promulgate policies which govern the exploration of oil wells, CSR and offshore activities, it is important that BP is up to date with its information on all offshore and environmental laws so as to protect itself from abjurations. It would also collect information to understand its tax liabilities and entrepreneurial activities in collaboration with both bodies. . 2USEFULNESS OF INFORMATION COLLECTED TO BP †¢ For Budgetary control:- Greater control and more informed decision making are possible when all costs of all operations are available †¢ For Planning: Information helps BP make adequate plans for its operations within its communities, or act in accordance to governing policies and also inform actions to address/prevent health effects in affected communities during a spill crisis †¢ For decision making: Adequate data collected would be used for making strategic decisions for its sector and management plans. . 3USEFUL INFORMATION TO BE COLLECTED BY SCREENPLAY MARKETING MEDIA COMMUNICATIONS LTD. To ensure our relevance and maintain our market share over the next six months, we must seek to collect the following information about our varying clients in order to effectively meet their needs and surpass their expectations: ? Clients’ activities: we must seek to collect information about each client’s various activities within the next 6 months and plan media campaigns around those activities to meet intended consumers. Customer attitudes: We would need to interview and collect information on target segments of consumers to assess how well they match our ideas and fit into clients’ marketing plan ? Competitors’ activities: Over the next 6 months, we would need to identify who our competitors are through secondar y research and collect information about their activities in order to help us plan our strategies ? Markets: it is important that we carve our niche market and gather necessary information on them. We would need information as to who are clients are, their products, existing/potential market for the product all necessary for us to have an idea on how best to position our client’s product for an increase in market share. 2. 4ONE METHOD OF COLLECTING INFORMATION In order to collect the necessary information, I would recommend the Secondary method of data collection. Secondary data is data that has not been specifically created for the purpose at hand but can be used and analysed to provide marketing information where primary data is not yet available or not sufficient(CIM Study Workbook, pg 110). This is a preferred choice of data collection because it – o Helps to make primary data collection more specific since with the help of secondary data, we are able to make out what are the gaps and deficiencies and what additional information needs to be collected. o Is less expensive and economical to conduct seeing that the information is readily available and does not require the process of collecting new data o Saves time o It provides a basis for comparison for the data that is collected by the researcher (www. managementguide. com) DISCUSSION PAPER Prepared for: Marketing Manager Prepared by: Marketing Assistant Subject:CSR – An Internal perspective Date: 17. 12. 2011 INTRODUCTION: Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is about how businesses align their values and behaviour with the expectations and needs of stakeholders not just customers and investors, but also employees, suppliers, communities, regulators, special interest groups and society as a whole. CSR describes a companys commitment to be accountable to its stakeholders. CSR demands that businesses manage the economic, social and environmental impacts of their operations to maximise the benefits and minimise the downsides (www. srnetwork. com) 3. 1 PURPOSE OF THE PROJECT The purpose of this project is to seek to form a committee to propose and identify a CSR activity for ScreenPlay Marketing and Media Communications Ltd to embark on as its efforts in giving back to the society in which its business operates and increase our awareness of environmental consciousness. 3. 2BENEFITS OF CSR TO THE ORGANISATION Consumers increasin gly do not accept unethical business practices or organizations who act irresponsibly (www. simplycsr. co. uk). The benefits of Corporate Social Responsibility cannot be overemphasized and a carefully planned CSR would help our organization to †¢ Develop and enhance relationships with customers and society thereby retaining customers whilst attracting new ones †¢ Enhance brand image so customers’ perception about the brand is positive †¢ Attract, retain and motivate employees A key potential benefit from  CSR  initiatives involves establishing the conditions that can contribute to increasing the commitment and motivation of employees to become more innovative and productive. www. ic. gc. ca/site/csr-rse. nsf/eng/h_rs00100html) †¢ Sharpen decision making and help reduce risk 3. 3. IMPORTANCE OF INTERNAL COOPERATION AND PARTICIPATION It is important that a good working relationship exists between all departments of our organization on this project so as to ensure completion of tasks and fulfillment of our set objectives. It is envisaged that with team work and co ntribution of ideas from all each department involved in this project would yield productivity and also ensure the success of our CSR project. 3. IDEA ON IMPROVING OUR ORGANISTION’S ENVIRONMENTAL RESPONSIBILITY One idea I would like to suggest to increasing our environmental responsibility is the adoption of a child from the eye department of the children’s ward at the Lagos State Teaching Hospital. There are at present about 300 cases of children with cancer of the eye been treated at the hospital. It is my proposition that we render our CSR to the kids in this ward by sponsoring a child every quarter to the Suraksha Children’s Hospital India – a top hospital in India noted for treatment of eye tumors in children. The relative low costs of surgery and living expenditure has influenced the choice of Suraksha Children’s Hospital and the intervals at which each child would undergo a treatment would not be cumbersome for the organization to bear. We would work in conjunction with a team of doctors at the Lagos State Teaching Hospital to assist in compiling names of beneficiaries of the treatment through a series of preliminary requirements for each beneficiary. This would include age, severity of case, and income level of parents – as this would be aimed at children whose parents cannot afford the treatment cost in the state. This project would be tagged ‘The ScreenPlay Media Communications â€Å"Light a world† project. 3. 5COST IMPLICATION FOR PROPOSED CSR PROJECT The cost for this project is outlined below: †¢ Hospital fees: This would cover cost for accommodation in the hospital for the number of days from the date of admittance to the discharge date and would also cover administrative and drug fees. †¢ Surgery fees: includes surgery fees, anesthetic fees, blood transfusion (if necessary) and surgeon’s fee. Accommodation fees: this take care of accommodation and feeding costs for the accompanying ward/parent of the child †¢ Travel/logistics fees: covers flight fares for child and accompanying ward along with visa application fees. It would also cover for transportation for the beneficiaries upon arrival in India. This cost is estimated at a total of N750, 000 (? 3,000) per quarter and totaling N2, 250,000 (? 9,000) per annum for 3 kids. RESEARCH Prepared for:Mark eting Manager Prepared by:Marketing Assistant Subject:Maintaining the work/life balance Date:30. 11. 2011 EMAIL To:[emailprotected] com (marketing manager) Cc: [emailprotected] com, [emailprotected] com, [emailprotected] com Subject: Committee set up on Proposed CSR Project Dear Elliot, Trust you are fine. As per your memo dated 16th November 2011on setting up a committee for the proposed CSR activity, kindly see below the list of intended participants from the various departments:- a. Ore Odusanya (HR department): Having worked with Ore in the past few years, his analytical and interpersonal skills in relating with people would be very useful in this project . Trish Banner: (Accounts department): Trish’s skill in handling financial transactions as well as contacts within the travel agency would suffice in this project and assisting with obtaining relatively low fare prices for each beneficiary. c. Gladys Knight (Creative department): her artistic talents would help create the right messages for advertisement purposes which would position the brand as foremost in connecting with its s ociety. Her wits and acute sense of judgment would also aid in ensuring that the right candidates are chosen for the project. . Ken Rice (logistics department): an ardent and hardworking colleague, though in the HR department but with an ability to drive and ensure prompt delivery of projects would ensure that logistics such as visas, hotel booking and transportation of each beneficiary is handled promptly at designated timelines. I would also like to suggest that the committee is convened soon so as to enable us conclude the plans within the shortest time frame possible and liaise with the team of doctors in Nigeria and India for the commencement of the project. It would also afford us time to put together a media campaign to boost publicity. Best regards Lolah Adebambo Project Leader REFERENCES Book Sources Vincent. K CIM Introductory Certificate in Marketing Study Workbook, 2009/2011 (BPP Learning Media, London) Internet sources www. ic. gc. ca/site/csr-rse. nsf/eng/h_rs00100html (accessed in December 2011) (www. merriamwebster. com/dictionary). (accessed in November 2011) (www. csrnetwork. com) (accessed in December 2011) [pic]

Karen van der Zees A Secret Sorrow and Gail Godwins A Sorrowful Woman

Karen van der Zee's A Secret Sorrow and Gail Godwin's A Sorrowful Woman Though fulfilling love, happiness and trust in a relationship can be comforting, couples often are unsuccessful in finding or keeping the love that their relationship need; even if issues may interfere within the relationship, couples should find a way in working through their problems. Once a couple's happiness, trust and love have been fulfilled, they can experience unconditional love. Although they would need to make every possible step to heal their relationship, if and when their relationship breaks down, there is still much they can learn. With this stated this idea holds opposing views among the two females in A Secret Sorrow and "A Sorrowful Woman." In both selections of Karen van der Zee's romance novel, "A Secret Sorrow," and of Gail Godwin's fairy-tale like story, "A Sorrowful Woman," the story lines revolve around two women who struggle with their own personal issues-- in which in A Secret Sorrow, Faye could not have happiness in her life with fulfilling her dream of getting married and having children of her own; in contrary, in "A Sorrowful Woman, the secluded woman had already the fulfillment of being married and having a child, but was now at the point of not wanting that kind of life anymore--and in which how each of the women handle their situation. Faye is worried about how her relationship with her boyfriend will be affected by her inability to conceive children. On the other hand, the unnamed woman of "A Sorrowful Woman" is unhappy with her marriage and isolates herself from her family. Faye and Kai's relationship is one of those relationships that can never be broken. Meaning, that they have gotten to know each ... ... to the role of being a wife and mother to a family, who did not ever cause any pain or trouble? Sadly, the woman felt her marriage was weighing pressure on her, and her only resolution was to take her own life; abandoning her husband and son. In conclusion, A Secret Sorrow reveals that not everything in life can bring happiness for every situation, but with the search for answers and the help of friends or significant other, anybody should be able to resolve their situation and move on with their life on a brighter note. For Faye, she was on the verge of giving up hope, but since she had the help of Kai, her worst fear ended with true happiness. This was not true in "A Sorrowful Woman," in which the woman did not find happiness with her marriage and chose the wrong path by excluding herself from her family, and resolving her situation in a negative way.

English Patient

This key passage is from Michael Nonnative's The English Patient, found in the first few pages of chapter four. Before, this passage, Hanna is sitting beside Llamas while he begins to describe his first expedition in the deserts in the asses. After, Llamas explained how he came to hate nations, but was attached to the desert as It could not be claimed or own. The passage between reinforces the Idea that Identity Is not fixed, It changes over time as people grow and gain experience.This Is made evident through Almanacs character which Is portrayed through the symbol of the desert. Symbolism Is used to encapsulate plot elements that are crucial to the theme and allow the reader a deeper level of Interpretation of the novel. The desert represents transience; It Is neither fixed nor unitary. Further, It cannot be claimed, owned or defined similar to Almanacs Identity, which Is constantly shifting. Llamas explained: â€Å"The breeze that had been refreshing had gradually strengthened.Eve ntually we coked down, and the surface of the desert was changed. † This demonstrates the desert's refusal to use anything artificial such as borders, or names as a landscape because it's continuously changing by sandstorms, similar to how Llamas refuses to reveal his identity because it changes over time and does not reflect where he comes from. Identity is dynamic, and many factors are needed to create an identity. The reader is prompted to reconsider what exactly makes up an identity, what defines who are. Identity should be chosen rather than inherited.

How People Make Economic Decisions Paper Essay

How People Make Economic Decisions Paper University of Phoenix Eco 212 May 29, 2011 Economics plays a role in every person’s day-to-day life. One aspect that it plays apart in is decision making. For every decision that is made economics is applied. There are principles that relate to decision making. First is that for every decision made there are tradeoffs, to get one thing something else is given up. The next principle is for every decision made there is a cost. The cost is what was given up. The third principle is people think rationally and rational people think on the margin, meaning that the decision is not made unless the marginal benefit exceeds the marginal cost. The final principle is that people respond to incentives. Behavior changes when cost or benefits change. These principles explain how the economy functions as a whole. Since resources are scarce people have to make decisions based on benefiting themselves on how to spend their time and money. To make rational decisions people must interact with the environment and other decision makers. These interactions lead to the best allocation of resources. When people interact with one another they make trade for resources when the benefit is mutual. For example buying a soda the buyer is thirsty and enjoys soda so he or she will benefit from the soda, and the vender will benefit from the money for the soda so the trade has been made. These interactions are affected by the economy system present. In a centrally planned economy central authorities make decisions for what would be the best use of their goods and resources. The state can set prices of goods and determine how much to produce. Therefore, decisions are not voluntary. Decisions are voluntary in a market economy where the pricing of goods and services are guided solely by the interactions of a country’s citizens and businesses. In a mixed economy system where there is a variety of public and private control decisions are voluntary as well. No matter what economic system is present for a decision to be made the marginal benefit must out way the cost. To fully understand how the decision making process works the writer of this paper will provide an example. The decision is rather she should take the assistant manager position offered to her or not. Her first choice was to decline the offer but she began to think about the marginal benefits. The benefits would be a raise in pay, a step up in the career ladder and new learning experiences . The advancement would be a step towards her goal of becoming a human resources manager for Applebee’s. Also she would gain closer relations with corporate managers. Next she had to weigh the benefits against the cost. The marginal cost in accepting the position would be more responsibility, and it would be mandatory to work longer hours. For her the marginal benefit was greater than the marginal cost so she decided to take the position. If the circumstances were different her marginal benefits and marginal cost would have changed leading to a different choice. For example, season at her restaurant is out so money on tips has decreased. If the restaurant was still in season and tips had not decreased then there would not have been a pay raise so that benefit would have been eliminated. Another factor was she wanted one managerial shift a week if her boss had not agreed to that then she would not have taken the offer, either. Many people are not aware that when they make a decision rather it be to take the day off work or buy a house they are applying economics. Even the simple transaction of buying a soda is a part of economics. It can be concluded from this example and the facts provided that economics is implemented in day-to-day life. Reference Hubbard, R. , & O’Brien, A. (2010). Economics. The University if Phoenix eBook Collection database.

Cynddylan on a Tractor Essay Example

Cynddylan on a Tractor Essay Example Cynddylan on a Tractor Paper Cynddylan on a Tractor Paper Essay Topic: W H auden Poems Discuss the infinite variety of complaints shown in different forms in the poems The Unknown Citizen by W. H. Auden, Naming of Parts by Henry Reed, Cynddylan on a Tractor by R. S. Thomas and Do not go gentle into that Good Night by Dylan Thomas. Each of these four poems has a prominent theme of complaints or complaining, although each poem laments about something different. The poets use a variety of linguistic techniques to display their feelings to complain and vent their anger, including tonal shifts and the use of words from certain semantic fields. The Unknown Citizen by W. H. Auden is an ode to mediocrity. It complains about the way people are numbered and labelled by various organisations so that they can be clustered and sorted to generate lists of facts and figures about society in general. It is also a complaint about the boring and pointless life, that people are said to have, projected by these details. Audens use of language within this poem is particularly interesting and he uses a variety of linguistic techniques to get his point across. The title itself, The Unknown Citizen, has connotations to the famous Unknown Soldier, which represents all missing soldiers, and the reader immediately associates the two, connecting this Unknown Citizen to be representative of all normal people. The title indicates that the person described in the poem is completely unknown and Auden backs this point up with the number he gives the citizen, indicating that this person is so anonymous he is only justifiably identified by a number and not a name. Auden varies the length of lines dramatically throughout the poem and this is perhaps to add swiftness and pace to a mediocre subject, however Auden does use enjambment, i. e. He worked in a factory and never got fired/But satisfied his employers, Fudge Motors Inc. to continue his feelings onto the next line. The effect of this enjambment is that the syntax, rhythm and thought are continued onto the next line, whilst ensuring that the lines are not too long (as this would reduce the poems rapidity). Auden writes in rhyme to give this poem regularity and pace and uses rhyming couplets, such as the question is absurd/we should certainly have heard; to give the poem (or its verses) definite, tidy endings. One very interesting observation on Audens use of language is that he does not use a very critical and complaining lexis, but prefers to grumble through the use of irony, a technique used throughout the poem. For example, he suggests that it takes important psychologists to work out that He (i. e.the subject of the poem) was popular with his mates, which is hardly surprising as everyone is popular with friends, and that it took researchers to discover that he held the proper opinions for that time of year, which suggests that opinions are only seasonal and do not depend on the persons character. Auden complains by pointing out the irony in grouping an unknown person into a group to find out who they were and what they were like and tries to draw attention to the fact that there is no such thing as an average person. Auden wants the reader of his poem to discover that the pompous views of such psychological and educational organisations hold no value when talking about an individual person, which is why he rants about the boring and pointless life such average people are supposed to lead. Henry Reeds Naming of Parts demonstrates the contrast between the harsh realities of the military with the beliefs of a romantic young soldier. In the context of a complaint, it laments about the everyday mechanical organisation of the military and perhaps is a complaint that there is no romance in the daily life of a recruit, or perhaps in life itself. Reed uses the contrasting halves of each verse to illustrate the vast difference between the unforgiving, monotonous, mechanical organisation in the armed forces and the romantic visions of a young poet. He does this by distinguishing between the cold and emotionless drill instructions for army recruits and the passionate beliefs he embraces. Like W. H. Auden, he fails to use a lexis that is very critical or complaining, but instead uses two contrasting lexis to poetically describe natures romance, where words such as blossom and glistens are used, and the opposing mechanical structures he deals with, where Reed uses words including flick and swivel. To complain, Reed uses a technique of repeating what his drill instructor has said and almost translating it into his own, amorous tongue. An example of this is when he converts the drill instructors directions on how to slide the bolt rapidly backwards and forwards to open the breech of a gun to a sexual metaphor of bees rapidly assaulting and fumbling the flowers. The effect these translations have on Reeds piece is that they add overemphasis (they are hyperboles) on the romance in nature and they intrude and ignore the voice of his unromantic drill instructor. Instead of openly complaining about the mechanical tone of life, Reed overrides his teachers commands with romantic notions. Cynddylan on a Tractor by R. S. Thomas is essentially a complaint about the removal of man from the soil and his dependence on machinery. The quote Hes a new man now, part of the machine sums up Thomas belief that when man meets machine then the person ceases to be human. Thomas uses an irregular rhythm, some lines link whilst others dont, to highlight the modifications in the relationship between man and earth. Like W. H. Auden, R. S. Thomas uses enjambment to link ideas to one another, to ensure that the syntax, rhythm and thought of one line are continued onto the next, whilst ensuring that the lines are not too long and an example of enjambment in this poem is Mirror of silence, emptying the wood/Of foxes and squirrels and bright jays. Thomas also uses other linguistic techniques to convey his message, including personification to present things which are not human as if they were human, i. e. His nerves of metal and His blood oil link Cynddylan to the machine and presents him as part of the mechanism. Another interesting element of the poem is where Thomas says His engine runs on a different fuel. This likens Cynddylan to the tractor as it describes Cynddylan as having an engine and having to guzzle fuel as opposed to food like other humans. The lexis used within this poem is often associated with machinery, with words such as metal, oil and fuel often being used to show similarities between the tractor and its driver.

Report 3 Essay

Report 3 Essay Report 3 Essay Tyrus R. Garrett Period #5 Throwing Out the First Ball Each April in cities across the land, somebody stands up, cocks an arm, takes aim at the catcher’s mitt, and let’s go with the first toss of the basketball season. As sure a sign of spring as the sighting of a crocus or a robin, this ritual of throwing out the first ball has become an annual event enjoyed by sports enthusiasts everywhere. No one is quite sure when the practice of having someone other than the pitcher heave the first pitch began, but we know it was being done in the early 1900’s. One story has it that President William Howard Taft started the tradition at the 1910 Washington Senators game. In any event, he was the first of a long line of Presidents who can say they threw at least one pitch in the big leagues. While Presidents, mayors, and various other politicians have been favored for the honor over the years, people from all walks of life have gotten into the act. Opening day hurlers for the California Angles, for example, have included Richard Nixon, Ronald Reagan, and Disneyland’s Mickey Mouse. Even fans have taken part in the ceremony. Bill Veeck, the Chicago White sox owner famous for his promotional stunts in baseball, one handed out foam-plastic balls to all those in the crowd so everyone could have an opportunity to throw out the first ball. In San Diego, the Padres also devised a system whereby fans could be involved in the action. They allowed the person who purchased Season Ticket No. 10,000