15 Classic Poems for the New Year

15 Classic Poems for the New Year The turning of the calendar from one year to the next has always been a time of reflection and hope. We spend the days  summing up past experiences, bidding farewell to those we have lost, renewing old friendships, making plans and resolutions, and expressing our hopes for the future. All of these are fit subjects for poems, like these classics on New Year’s themes. Robert Burns,  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Song- Auld Lang Syne† (1788) It is a song that millions choose to sing every year as the clock strikes midnight and it is a timeless classic. Auld Lang Syne is both a song and a poem, after all, songs are poetry set to music, right? And yet, the tune we know today isnt quite the same thing that Robert Burns had in mind when he wrote it over two centuries ago. The melody has changed and a few of the words have been updated (and others have not) to meet modern tongues. For instance, in the last verse, Burns wrote: And there’s a hand, my trusty fere!And gie’s a hand o’ thine!And we’ll tak a right gude-willie waught, The modern version prefers: And thers a hand, my trusty friend,And gies a hand o thine;Well tak a cup o kindness yet, It is the phrase gude-willie waught that catches most people by surprise and its easy to see why many people choose to repeat cup o kindness yet. They do mean the same thing though, as gude-willie is Scottish adjective meaning  good-will  and  waught  means  hearty drink. Tip:  Ã‚  A common misconception is that  Sin is pronounced  zine  when really it is more like  sign. It means  since  and  auld lang syne  refers to something like old long since. Ella Wheeler Wilcox,  Ã¢â‚¬Å"The Year† (1910) If there is a New Years Eve poem worth putting to memory, it is Ella Wheeler Wilcoxs The Year. This short and rhythmical poem sums up everything we experience with the passing of each year and it rolls off the tongue when recited. What can be said in New Year rhymes,That’s not been said a thousand times?The new years come, the old years go,We know we dream, we dream we know.We rise up laughing with the light,We lie down weeping with the night.We hug the world until it stings,We curse it then and sigh for wings.We live, we love, we woo, we wed,We wreathe our brides, we sheet our dead.We laugh, we weep, we hope, we fear,And that’s the burden of the year. If you get the opportunity, read Wilcoxs  Ã¢â‚¬Å"New Year: A Dialogue.† Written in  1909, it is a fantastic dialogue between Mortal and The New Year in which the latter knocks on the door with offers of good cheer, hope, success, health, and love. The reluctant and downcast mortal is finally lured in. It is a brilliant commentary on how the new year often revives us even though it is just another day on the calendar. Helen Hunt Jackson,  Ã¢â‚¬Å"New Year’s Morning† (1892) Along those same lines, Hellen Hunt Jacksons poem, New Years Morning discusses how its only one night and that each morning can be New Years. This is a fantastic piece of inspirational prose that ends with: Only a night from old to new;Only a sleep from night to morn.The new is but the old come true;Each sunrise sees a new year born. Alfred, Lord Tennyson,  Ã¢â‚¬Å"The Death of the Old Year† (1842) Poets often relate the old year with drudgery and sorrow and the new year with hope and lifted spirits. Alfred, Lord Tennyson did not shy away from these thoughts and the title of his poem, The Death of the Old Year captures the sentiment of the verses perfectly. In this classic poem, Tennyson spends the first four verses lamenting the years passing as if it were an old and dear friend on his death bed. The first stanza ends with four poignant lines: Old year you must not die;You came to us so readily,You lived with us so steadily,Old year you shall not die. As the verses move on, he counts down the hours: ’ Tis nearly twelve o’clock. Shake hands, before you die. Eventually, a new face is at his door and the narrator must Step from the corpse, and let him in. Tennyson addresses the new year in  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Ring Out, Wild Bells† (from In Memoriam A.H.H., 1849) as well. In this poem, he pleads with the wild bells to Ring out the grief, dying, pride, spite, and many more distasteful traits. As he does this, he asks the bells to ring in the good, the peace, the noble, and the true. More New Years Poetry Death, life, sadness, and hope; poets in the 19th and 20th centuries took these New Years themes to great extremes as they wrote. Some took an optimistic view while, for others, it seems to have only led to despair. As you explore this theme, be sure to read these classic poems and study some of the context of the poets lives as the influence is often very profound in understanding. William Cullen Bryant,  Ã¢â‚¬Å"A Song for New Year’s Eve† (1859) - Bryant reminds us that the old year is not yet gone and that we should enjoy it to the last second. Many people take this as a great reminder for life in general. Emily Dickinson,  Ã¢â‚¬Å"One Year ago - jots what?† (#296) - The new year makes many people look back and reflect. While not specifically about New Years Day, this brilliant poem is wildly introspective. The poet wrote it on the anniversary of her fathers death and her writing seems so jumbled, so distraught that it moves the reader. No matter your anniversary - death, loss... whatever - you have likely felt the same as Dickinson at one time. Christina Rossetti,  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Old and New Year Ditties† (1862) - The Victorian poet could be quite morbid and, surprisingly, this poem from the collection Goblin Market and Other Poems is one of her brighter works. It is very Biblical and offers hope and fulfillment. Also Recommended Francis Thompson,  Ã¢â‚¬Å"New Year’s Chimes† (1897)Thomas Hardy,  Ã¢â‚¬Å"The Darkling Thrush† (composed December 31, 1900, published 1902)Thomas Hardy,  Ã¢â‚¬Å"New Year’s Eve† (1906)D.H. Lawrence,  Ã¢â‚¬Å"New Year’s Eve† (1917) and  Ã¢â‚¬Å"New Year’s Night† (1917)John Clare,  Ã¢â‚¬Å"The Old Year† (1920)

The Sedition Act of 1798 essays

The Sedition Act of 1798 essays For the first few years of Constitutional government, under the leadership of George Washington, there was a unity, commonly called Federalism that even James Madison (the future architect of the Republican Party) acknowledged in describing the Republican form of government " And according to the degree of pleasure and pride we feel in being republicans, ought to be our zeal in cherishing the spirit and supporting the character of Federalists." Although legislators had serious differences of opinions, political unity was considered absolutely essential for the stability of the nation.Political parties or factions were considered evil as "Complaints are everywhere heard from our most considerate and virtuous citizens, equally the friends of public and private faith, and of public and personal liberty, that our governments are too unstable, that the public good is disregarded in the conflicts of rival parties, and that measures are too often decided, not according to the rules of justice and the rights of the minor party, but by the superior force of an interested and overbearing majority_" Public perception of factions were related to British excesses and thought to be "the mortal diseases under which popular governments have everywhere perished." James Madison wrote in Federalist Papers #10, "By a faction, I understand a number of citizens, whether amounting to a majority or a minority of the whole, who are united and actuated by some common impulse of passion, or of interest, adversed to the rights of other citizens, or to the permanent and aggregate interests of the community." He went on to explain that faction is part of human nature; "that the CAUSES of faction cannot be removed, and that relief is only to be sought in the means of controlling its EFFECTS." The significant point Madison was to make in this essay was that the Union was a safeguard against factions in...

Humanities Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 3

Humanities - Essay Example This paper approves that The settlement was started in mid-1830s when Yankee whaling ships who had gone from the Pacific areas began arriving in cove at the west side of San Francisco Bay. This cove became popular to ships to replenish their supplies before returning home around Cape Horn. By 1849, after the gold rush, San Francisco became inhabited by around 40,000 people to take advantage of the economic boom, and buildings soon started to rise. They were short lived because fires ate them up damaging millions of dollars worth of property and displacing many families. Business and commerce became alive again, with warehouses, shops, hotels, and saloons mushrooming in the waterfront streets doing brisk business. People who came from around the world came to settle in San Francisco. The cornerstone for the cathedral was laid on July 17, 1853, and the design resembled a â€Å"Gothic church in Alemany’s hometown in Spain.† Our church’s website describes the first constructed cathedral as having â€Å"parapets on either flank, surmounted with embrasures, and buttresses finished cut-stone pinnacles. Inside a vaulted ceiling with groin arches rose above a Carrara marble altar imported from Rome.† This essay makes a conclusion that all these years saw the emergence of a new Old Saint Mary’s Cathedral with many new plans and projects for its reconstruction, and with the start of Old Saint Mary’s Living Landmark Campaign initiated by Rev. Charles Kullman, CSP, Pastor.

Designing for the Future Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

Designing for the Future - Essay Example According to Professor David Leon, epidemiologist of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, WHO (World Health Organisation) Health for All Database, and the Human Mortality Database, statistical analysis of the UK’s life expectancy and lifespan change is the research topic of relevant epidemiological studies. Mortality data reveals â€Å"†¦Britains are living longer than ever before. Average life expectancy has increased to eighty years old – eight years higher than the 1970s† (Leon, 2011, p. 1). The ageing population of Western Europe, including the UK, has experienced steady increases since the 1970s. â€Å"One reason for the increase and change in lifespan and life expectancy is the decline of deaths due to cardiovascular disease. However, there has been an increase in obesity† (Leon, 2011, p. 1) The Foresight Ageing Population Panel is a collaborative of the voices of the businesses, government, and the sciences that address the threats and opportunities that the UK may face over the next ten to twenty years. â€Å"Foresight is about being ready for the future. The future is shaped by the decisions we make today†¦we will encounter old age†¦it is important to be concerned. If we wait for the future to happen to us, the UK will miss out on opportunities for wealth creation and better quality of life† (Foresight Ageing Population Panel, 2000, p. 6). Over the span of thirty years, the UK’s population will change significantly. â€Å"The postwar baby boom generation will age first into middle age and then into older age. Rapid changes in lifespan and life expectancy of the ageing population means that successive generations of older people are living much longer† (p. 6). There are advantages in acknowledging the opportunities and challenges of changes in lifespan of the UK ageing population. By planning for demographic change of the population, economic, social,

Current Trends in Leadership Essay Example for Free

Current Trends in Leadership Essay Now a day leaders are following a trend of As one, which is a short phrase but it is filled with meaning and inspiration. In simple sense As one means to sum up the individual actions into collective power. According to the article individuals can collaborate to achieve extraordinary results together. Every day people meet, collaborate from different countries, organizations and industries so that to make the things happen. In this, some collaborations are unintentional, some are deliberately or sometimes it uses web technologies. But the basic fundamental reason behind these collaborations or working as one phenomenon is to have a winning edge. And this winning edge is usually determined by the organization that best works as one. Leaders have added the phrase as one which has changed its meaning completely. For e.g. working, it is an individual action but when it is connected with â€Å"as one† the entire meaning of both word and the phrase has changed, i.e. working as one, which shows the power of collectivism in an organization. Similarly winning versus winning as one, stronger versus stronger as one. Now they know that sources of inspirations are endless, just think of the possibilities and believe as one, succeed as one. The definition of leadership is evolving, such as: * Some say leadership is all about productivity, making employees work together efficiently. They say that great leader should get people to have a common interpretation around how to work together. * Some say leadership is all about people. They say a leader’s job is to develop people’s sense of belonging to their group. They believe a great leader should get people to have a strong shared identity or sense of who they are. * Some say leadership is all about purpose. They feel a leader’s job is to drive people’s commitment to act on the goals of the organization. A great leader gets people to have a strong sense of directional intensity around what they need to do together. But a real leader should involve all these things. Some leaders call it working as one and it represents the pinnacle of collective leadership, or leadership that results in a cohesive group of people working together effectively toward a common goal or purpose. As one may seem primarily available to leaders and their teams, but it doesn’t just have to be about internal interactions. The concept is a starting point for all leaders to understand how they can apply specific collective leadership techniques to best fit their situations and challenges. * Employee’s Trust in his Leader2: One out of four employees do not trust their leader. What leaders do so that their employees trust them? And how they know that whether their employees trust him or not? A leader should have answers for these questions. As a leader, you can’t afford to avoid trust between you and your employees or teammates. A lack of trust in leader results in negative impact on staff retention, employee well being and performance. Trust requires a person to have reliance and confidence in the actions of another, with no guarantee that he/she will behave as desired in return. When applied to leadership, trust is a person’s willingness to take a risk for a leader with the expectations that, in exchange, the leader will behave in some desired way. To maximize the trust leaders receive from their employees, they demonstrate three qualities. 1. Competence (Can they do the job?); 2. Benevolence (Do they care about me?); and 3. Integrity (Are they honest?). Integrity is the most important part at 41 percent, the benevolence at 34 percent, then competence at 25 percent. When the goal is to maximize the trust, leaders must know how to do their jobs well, but it is even more important for them to be considerate, supportive and honest with their employees. Leaders not only demonstrate these three qualities- honest, benevolent and competent, but they have also try to be seen to be so. Now leaders show trust in people around them. They listen to their employees, empathize with them, show their concern for the employees, are honest with them, true to their word, and treat them fairly. Leaders actively manage how they are perceived by others. They try to connect their employees at a personal level, which could be as simple as shaking hands with them. There are clear links between professional human capital management (HCM) best practices (such as mission statements, regular surveys and performance reviews) and trust in leadership. These practices, typically of progressive organizations, and are also linked to levels of trust in leadership. Employees are twice as likely to trust their senior leaders if the organization has engaged in these practices. And the more of these best practices that the organization engages in, the greater the level of employee trust in leadership. Conclusion: On the basis of the studies, I came to know that different leaders are following different trends in their leadership techniques. So there is no set trend for leadership. Also different people have different opinion about their leaders. But what I realized from my learning on these articles that to have a winning and competitive edge, organizations require leaders who can inspire, motivate, direct, etc. their employees to achieve the company’s goal effectively and efficiently. Leaders should also build their trust on employees, so that they can trust and believe their leaders for better outcomes and staff retention. Also I came to know that leaders are practicing to work in a team and currently they are using a trend of As one, that is whole organization is one and they are having a common goal, objective and vision. Sources: 1. Leadership Excellence, Art. Collective leadership, March 2012 2. Leadership Excellence, Art. How to gain trust?, May 2012

Abortion - Views from Both Sides Essay -- Social Issues

Abortion - Views from Both Sides Abortion is the ending of pregnancy before birth and is morally wrong. An abortion results in the death of an embryo or a fetus. Abortion destroys the lives of helpless, innocent children and is illegal in many countries. By aborting these unborn infants, humans are hurting themselves; they are not allowing themselves to meet these new identities and unique personalities. Abortion is very simply wrong. Everyone is raised knowing the difference between right and wrong. Murder is wrong so why isn’t abortion? People argue that it is not murder since the fetus being destroyed is not living, breathing and moving. Why is it that if an infant is destroyed a month before the birth, there is no problem, but if killed a month after birth, this is inhumane murder? The main purpose abortions are immoral is how they are so viciously done. Everyday, innocent, harmless fetuses that could soon be laughing children are being brutally destroyed. One form of abortion is to cut the fetus into pieces with serrated forceps before being removed, piece by piece from the uterus by suction with a vacuum aspirator. Another form consists of bringing the fetus feet first into the birth canal, puncturing its skull with a sharp instrument and sucking out the brain tissue. The body parts, such as the head, are given letters, rather than refer to the parts as what they are. In my opinion this is for the doctors who cannot face the reality of what they are doing. The re...

My Masters Are You Mad? Essay

Interestingly, the concept of ‘madness’ can be interpreted and explored in many ways. The foolishness of one’s actions; the mayhem or pandemonium of a situation; or the mental instability of an individual. Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night mentions ‘madness’ more often than any of his other plays, suggestion that madness plays a central role in the development of both the plot and the characters. The intention of Malvolio’s question, although potentially ambiguous, is to suggest to his ‘masters’, Sir Toby and Sir Andrew, that they are crazy to be up in the early hours of the morning making such a noise in Olivia’s house. Through his question Twelfth Night, indirectly, presents many answers that lead us, the reader, to our own conclusion about the degree of madness within each of the characters and the situations they create or find themselves in. The theme of love as a cause of madness is one that presents itself regularly in Twelfth Night. As the play opens, Orsino talks of how too much love can make one’s appetite for it ‘sicken and so die’. He says how love can make you want things one minute, and then, in another, make you sick of them, ‘But falls into abatement and low price Even in a minute.’ Love should be, in theory, a powerful, all consuming feeling of euphoria and fulfillment. However, when Orsino describes this violent mix of desires accompanying love, he seems to be referring to everybody’s experience of love. He is generalising and assuming, however disruptive and chaotic love is, everybody experiences it in the same way he describes. As the play progresses, we are shown that his love for Olivia is unrequited, ‘How will she love, when the rich golden shaft hath killed the flock of all affections [†¦] !’ Unrequited love is impure love, as the path of the one who love is almost certainly headed for despair. The suggestion that such a beautiful emotion could result in turbulence and such pain & upset is the suggestion that love, and the journey it takes Orsino on, is mad. The readers are left contemplating that if Orsino knows the path he it taking is unstable, why does he bother continuing when he knows his fate? Love has left him mad & unhinged and, possibly, incapable of making rational and thoughtful decisions. Instead he leaves to ‘sweet beds of flowers’ to further ponder his emotions. The loss of Olivia’s both brother and father within a short space of time has left her grieving excessively and unnecessarily. Sir Toby opens a scene by questioning Olivia’s behavior, ‘What a plague means my niece to take the death of her brother thus?’ intimating his disapproval. He is the first to be bold enough to point out the ridiculousness of her overly-melodramatic grieving, having vowed to hide away for seven years. It is considered appropriate to mourn for the loss of a loved one for a period of time, but, in Olivia’s case, seven years would usually be considered inordinate. Before Olivia even makes her debut appearance in Twelfth Night, precast as a self-indulgent and overemotional character. The theme of madness again presents itself in her self-important view of the world. The fact that Olivia is giving up seven years of her own life to grieve, shows her desire to play the victim, hiding away from the world outside her house and the affections of others. When Viola, in disguise, comes to Olivia on Orsino’s behalf, Olivia plays upon his affections for her, teasing his messenger with her disguise, ‘Give me my veil; come throw it o’er my face.’ If she truly was wretched from the loss of her brother and father she would not indulge in such frivolous devices to keep others interested. The prolonged grieving she had opened herself up to has been at the expense of her better-judgment and maturity. She, a ‘master’ of Malvolio, as his question includes, has slipped into instability and silliness, and, if she keeps it up, is not far from the madness that seems to engulf the characters of Twelfth Night. The role of the ‘fool’ in Olivia’s household is to speak their mind, having no fear of the possible repercussions they may face from their masters for their honesty. Ironically, but perhaps unsurprisingly as this is a work of confusion in Shakespearean proportions, Feste, the clown is perhaps the most sane and wise of all the characters. Feste makes a comment to Sir Toby and Sir Andrew, asking them if they have ever seen ‘the picture of ‘We Three’?’ The picture he is referring to is that of two fools, with the idea that the viewed is the third fool. He is suggesting that they either are the fools in the picture, or have both seen it and, therefore, make up the third fool. He is the only character inferior to both Sir Toby and Sir Andrew to refer to their drunken and feasting lifestyle as foolish, showing not only his boldness, but also his astute observations and wit. Later on, when speaking to Viola disguised as Cesario, he comments on her lack of facial hair, ‘Now Jove, in his next commodity of hair, send thee a beard!’. Although he may only be commenting on the fact a post-pubescent boy is without a beard, it is also suggested that he is wise to the fact ‘Cesario’ is not the eunuch he appears to be but is, in fact, a girl, Viola. Shakespeare’s introduction of such a minor, and seemingly insignificant, line that holds incredible subtext is enough to suggest that Feste, the fool, is not as foolish or as mad as the other characters perceive him. The many ways in which madness can be interpreted in both the characters perceptions of each other and the reader’s, or audience’s, perception opens Twelfth Night up to the questioning of the sanity and the rationale behind the motives of the characters. It has never been more true to say of something than it is of this play that madness is in the eye of the beholder.