Once More, America, Before I Go Essay Example for Free

Once More, America, Before I Go Essay The explication of poetry demands close reading of a single short poem or several stanzas of a longer work. Its goal is to unearth the hidden meaning/s of the poem by using the poetic techniques and elements employed by the author. Some of these techniques and elements include â€Å"diction, stanza and line structure, meter, rhythm and imagery (â€Å"Poetry Explication,† n. d. ). Walt Whitman’s poem, â€Å"Once More, America, Before I Go,† benefits from the use of explication due to its abstract nature, as it lacks concrete and specific imagery. To offset this problem, an in-depth look at the way Whitman uses rhythm and language will help to expound on the theme of the American democracy, of which he was an outspoken supporter. For Whitman, rhythm and language are intertwined, as the rhythm of the poem is inevitably linked with the type of language used. The work begins with the lines from which the poem takes its title: â€Å"One song, America, before I go / I’d sing, o’er all the rest, with trumpet sound, / For thee—the Future (Whitman, 1872). † This first stanza is notable: it establishes and introduces the readers to Whitman’s radical departure from traditional poetics. Note that the stanza seems like one continuous line, as if it were written in prose. Yet, this prose unit is broken in erratic intervals to form lines and not one continuous sentence. Whitman’s experimentation encapsulates perfectly his view of the democratic American society. This society, he believed, was the best form of society because it allowed for the individual’s self-expression and self-formation. Written as if spoken from his deathbed, as signaled by the first line, he tells American that it is the â€Å"Future. † The first letter of future is capitalized, which indicates it to be a proper noun. As such, future was become synonymous with future, and, at the same time, it implies the American democracy is the future, the mold for everybody to follow. Words such as these pepper the work, as can be seen in succeeding stanzas. In the second stanza, he elaborates on the other things he would do for America before dying: â€Å"I’d sow a seed for thee of endless Nationality; / I’d fashion thy Ensemble, including Body and Soul; / I’d show, away ahead, thy real Union, and how it may be accomplish’d (Whitman, 1872). † Nationality, ensemble, body and soul, and union all have their first letters capitalized. Again, Whitman’s unique use of language here gives the poem a deeper meaning. By using the same technique he used with the word â€Å"future† in the preceding stanza, he again turns these abstract concepts into concrete proper nouns. Furthermore, through such technique, he emphasizes the America will inevitably be the paradigm of all these because of democracy. In the second line, three words are capitalized: ensemble, body, and soul. All of these points to Whitman’s desire to form the perfect citizenry of America. In order to do this, he had to start with perfecting the individual person, a goal that can easily be reached because of democracy. The third stanza is different from the rest of the poem, being set off in parenthesis. It indicates a plan he will only start, but not accomplish, unlike those tasks he mentioned initially: â€Å"(The paths to the House I seek to make, / But leave to those to come, the House itself. ) (Whitman, 1872)† Here, Whitman is broaching on the continuation of time from the past to the future, and the fact that the experiment in democracy will see its final form in the future. He will only blaze the trails, but the final form will be for the future. The poem ends with an assertion of his belief. However, he says that simply believing will not bring results – they must also prepare: â€Å"Belief I sing—and Preparation (Whitman, 1872)† Both must act together to fulfill the goal not only for the present but also for the future: â€Å"Life and Nature are not great with reference to the Present only, / But greater still from what is yet to come, / Out of that formula for Thee I sing (Whitman, 1872). † He believes that the present is already good, as emphasized by the words life, nature, and present having their first letters capitalized. However, he believes that with the coming of future comes the fulfillment of the promise afforded by democracy.

Graduation Speech: We Can Be Heroes -- Graduation Speech, Commencemen

Class of 2012, as we sit here this evening, I would like you to take a look at the classmates sitting around you. Many students have given countless hours of time, energy, and passion to worthy cuases that they have been a part of throughout high school. However, those aren't the only students deserving of recognition this evening. We have students here tonight, who have taken a stand for what they believe in, not even hesitating to compromise their reputations. I believe there are many ordinary heroes wearing caps and gowns tonight. Many of you are heroes because you challenge yourselves to be more accepting of those around you. Some of you heroes woke up every day and came to school with the desire to reach out to those hurting and in need of a friend. Other heroes went the extra mile to make someone feel important, encouraging them and offering hope they may not otherwise have experienced. One of our deepest needs as humans is to be valued. The need to be needed is often more powerful than the need to survive. Every one of us has a deep longing to write our signature on the world. As individuals, we are each equipped with unique gifts and talents to share with our family, our community, and our world. Nelson Mandela once said, "As we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others." When we open ourselves to become all that we were created to be, we allow those around us to be themselves, empowering them to be a unique individual and to use the talents they possess. It doesn't matter if we are brilliant, beautiful, or incredibly charismatic. We can make a difference by just being who we are. We simpl... ...ctivities, while encouraging us to be our best. These acts of love and many more are what make you our heroes. Class of 2012, I challenge you to recognize the heroes in your life, and continue to be heroes yourselves. Author Charles Swindoll said, "We need heroes. I mean genuine heroes, authentic men and women who are admired for their achievements, noble qualities, and courage. Such people aren't afraid to be different. They risk. They stand a cut above." Swindoll's message speaks so highly of those who are heroes and those who have the potential to be heroes. So, here is my challenge to you. Rise above your fears, take risks, and don't let your abilities collect dust. Instead, live life passionately, dream big, and seek every day in ways small and large to write your signature on the planet. But be careful ... you may just empower someone else to do the same.

FIFA World Cup 2014 In Brazil Essay

In 2014 Brazil will host one of the most important competitions for the sports. It is the FIFA world cup. It will be the 20th official FIFA world cup and it will happen between June 12 and July 14 of 2014. This is the 20th edition of this competition and will be contested by the men’s national teams from the 208 member associations of the FIFA. Brazil will be host the competition for the second time. The first time was in 1950 right after the World War 2. The two world cups before the one in 1950 got canceled because of the war. Seventeen cities showed interest in being chosen as world cup host cities, but usually FIFA only approves 8 to 10 cities so they ended up choosing 12 cities in 12 different states. The final game will happen in Rio de Janeiro at the Macarana stadium. The opening ceremony was supposed to happen at Sao Paulo’s football club stadium but technical problems wouldn’t allow it so a brand new stadium will be built just for the world cup. Rio de Janeiro is one of the most popular cities and is the second largest cities of Brazil, containing 6.3 million people and it is very famous for the samba, carnival and the Christ of Redeemer. Maracana is their principal and biggest stadium. It was built for the world cup in 1050. It was renovated in 2006 and fits 82 000 people but in the days it used to fit almost 200 000 people. Sao Paulo is also a popular city. Sao Paulo is the largest city in South and Central America. The population use a lot of public transportation because cars are v ery expensive and there is a lot of traffic. Sao Paulo is known as the â€Å"motor of the economy† because a lot of big companies has their bases in Sao Paulo.

Entrepreneurship Is A Dream Of Many People - 2126 Words

Entrepreneurship is a dream of many people. Successfully running and assuring longevity of an organization is not an easy process in today’s business culture. According to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics approximately fifty percent of businesses fail within the first five years (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Inc). Over the last twenty years there has been a lot of changes in the way organizations operate in order to survive in a very competitive world. According to Dr. John Kotter, a professor of leadership at Harvard Business School and founder of Kotter International, the cultural differences between companies in the twentieth century and twenty-first century are that companies today are externally oriented,†¦show more content†¦The fundamental foundations of an organization are things that constantly evolve and explain the company’s purpose. These are often considered the backbone of the organization. They serve as the driving factors of any organization. They are always referenced by leaders and managers with ongoing development, growth, and implementation of change. The four fundamental foundations of an organization are mission statements, core values, vision statements, and the team. Mission statements explain what the company’s core purposes are and reason for existing. In â€Å"Mission Statements and the Small Business,† an article in Business Strategy Review, Charles Toftoy and Joydeep Chatterjee explain that a clear, concise mission statement is the first and foremost step all entrepreneurs must create in order to survive in today’s dynamic business culture (42) . A poorly written mission statement can be detrimental to an organization. â€Å"Without a concrete statement of organizational mission, the values and beliefs of a small business must be interpreted from the actions and decisions of the individual managers.† (Toftoy 43) When the team of the organization has a clea r understanding of a well written mission statement it creates a feeling of destined success in turn developing a sense of worthwhile efforts they contribute, leaving little up for interpretation. Mission statements not only describes the company and its purpose for generations,