Hector Berliozs Contribution To The Symphony Music Essay

Hector Berliozs Contribution To The Symphony Music Essay The French composer Hector Berlioz (1803 1869) does not belong to any school. Because of his difference in style he has been criticized by critics, and his contemporaries about his works melodies and formal structures. Berliozs work could not be influenced by critics, because of the originality and vitality of his ideas as an orchestral innovator; it allowed expression that affected the fundamental elements of the symphony and the instrumental changes themselves. The misunderstanding between Berliozs work and his critics may be excused, because of the ideas he used in his works, he used it in an unusual extend that unified with literature themes. The themes determined the manner of each work so that there is no defined development from any period. From his early to late style he never repeated inventions, harmonic and melodic nor formal of his predecessors. (Alexander 1989: 143; Hicks 2001: 387; Slonimsky 2001: 314 315; Whittall 1987: 55.) BERLIOZS CONTRIBUTION TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE SYMPHONY Berlioz reconceived the symphony as a programmatic work and allowed it to be in an unconventional form to fit the program. Influenced by Beethovens Fifth and Sixth Symphonies, Berlioz shaped his Symphonies around a series of emotions that tell a story. Berlioz was not a pianist and was not influenced by thinking harmonically like a pianist, but was harmonically influenced by guitar playing that was overstated by those who criticized him. (Burkholder 2006: 639; Longyear 1988: 138.) In 1826 Berlioz entered the Paris Conservatoire; he composed Herminie in 1828 for the Prix de Rome and won the second prize, Berlioz used the idà ©e fixe (fixed idea, a medical expression of the new psychology that Berlioz made into a musical term) of Herminie in his first symphony, the Symphonie fantastique. (Downes 1978: 150; Hicks 2001: 386.) Berlioz was a twenty-six year old conservatorium student when he composed Symphonie fantastique. It was his love for the Irish actress Harrieth Smithson that inspired him to compose the Symphonie fantastique. He based the story on his own personal experiences with the actress. The Symphonie fantastique is much unrelated to the works contemporary with it or the past. It is seen as one of the biggest works that helped developing the symphony to new heights, it gave its listeners an experience to listen to, until Stravinsky composed Rite of the Spring. (Alexander 1989: 146; Burkholder 2006: 639; Downes 1978: 147; Einstein 1957: 163 164; Hicks 2001: 386 387; Slonimsky 2001: 315; Whittall 1987: 63.) The Symphonie fantastique is not operatic but is seen as a drama. Berlioz decided to integrate the music with a recurring melody known as the idà ©e fixe which he used in each movement to represent the image of the heros beloved to fit the mood and situation of each point of the symphony. After this work Berlioz and the rest of the Romantic Movement struggled to get along with the leitmotif. (Alexander 1989: 146; Burkholder 2006: 639; Einstein 1957: 134; Slonimsky 2001: 315.) Berlioz made sure that the people who listened to the Symphonie fantastique would understand the inspiration that inspired him to compose the Symphony, by giving it the subtitle Episode in the Life of an Artist and providing it with an autobiographical program, which is being read silently by the listener while the symphony plays. The Symphonie fantastique became a musical autobiography. There are no words sung or read aloud during the performance. The autobiographical document that was provided explained each movements expressions and moods. (Alexander 1989: 146; Burkholder 2006: 640; Slonimsky 2001: 315.) The Symphonie fantastique is divided into five movements: I. Dreams and Passions; II. A Ball; III. Scene in the fields; IV. March to Execution; V. Dream of a Sabbath Night. The first movement describes a musician that falls in love with a woman he sees for the first time, but his mind cannot stop thinking about her, causing the idea fixe to keep on recurring in the movements of the symphony. The first movement have a slow introduction followed by an allegro that has the same characteristics as a sonata form, but the development section is interrupted by an three-measure pause announcing the main theme in the dominant, which he keeps doing until tutti fortissimo appears in tonic. (Alexander 1989: 147; Burkholder 2006: 640; Downes 1978: 150 154; Slonimsky 2001: 315.) In the second movement the musician goes to a ball, but is troubled because he keeps on seeing images of his beloved in his head. Berlioz replaced the minuet with a waltz, describing the musician at a ball with the idà ©e fixe describing the images of the beloved recurring in his head. The third movement is a slow movement which takes place in a country, where he walks and then he hears in the distance two herdsmen piping to their flocks as his mind is distracted by thinking of his beloved. (Alexander 1989: 147; Burkholder 2006: 640; Downes 1978: 150 155.) In the fourth movement the musician is troubled by his rejected love and poisons himself with opium. But instead of the poison killing him he receives dreams that he killed his beloved and is condemned to death. In the end of the march the first four bars of the idà ©e fixe returns like a last memory of his beloved. (Alexander 1989: 147; Burkholder 2006: 640; Downes 1978: 150 155.) In the last movement he sees himself at a Sabbath where beasts and witches gather for his burial. The idà ©e fixe with two other themes are transformed, first alone then combined. The Dies irae is a chant sequence from one of the themes, which is part of the Mass for the Dead. (Alexander 1989: 147; Burkholder 2006: 640; Downes 1978: 150.) Berlioz hoped for an orchestra of over 200 for the premiere, but never had more than 130 players. The variety of orchestral colours was normally achieved with the list found in the printed score: 2 flutes, 2 oboes. 2 B-flat clarinets, 2 bassoons, 2 cornets, 2 trumpets, 2 tubas, 3 trombones, 4 horns, piccolo, E-flat clarinet, kettle drums, bass drum, bells, and the strings. (Downes 1978: 155.) Berliozs next important work was Harold en Italie, with a viola as a solo instrument and orchestra. This was his second symphony. The title was drawn and inspired by Lord Byrons poem; Childe Harold. Paganini commissioned it but refused to play it because of the viola part that does not have enough to play. (Burkholder 2006: 641; Downes 1978: 130; Slonimsky 2001: 315.) Harold en Italie is a picturesque symphony. It does not have a program, but it only has specific titles for each movement: I. Adagio Allegro Harold in the Mountains: Scenes of Sadness, of happiness, and of Joy. II. Allegretto. March of the Pilgrims Singing Their Evening Prayer. III. Allegro assai Allegretto. Serenade of an Abruzzi Mountaineer to His Mistress. IV. Allegro frenetic. Brigands Orgy; Memoirs of Past Scenes. (Alexander 1989: 152; Downes 1978: 132.) A reappearance theme in the viola reappears in every movement of the symphony and is combined contrapuntally to each movement. The first movement has an Melancholy opening section that anticipates the principal melody, which represents Harold. It is first presented in a minor key, then the viola takes over playing the melody twice, very soft the second time. The accompaniment is played by the harp. The live part of the movement has an idà ©e fixe symphonic-ally developed in fragments. (Burkholder 2006: 641; Downes 1978: 132.) In the second movement the strings play a melody, soft at first then it crescendos as if the pilgrims is approaching, the it fades away as the idà ©e fixe returns slightly transformed. The third movement after the fast introduction the serenade melody is related to the idà ©e fixe and played by the English horn. Berlioz added colour to this movement by imitating the pifferari. (Allexander 1989: 152; Downes 1978: 132.) The final movement recalls the themes of the first three movements almost like Beethovens ninth symphony, but does not end with a chorale. Between the episodes are rapid modulations, and the viola remains active, so that the work inverts the heroism of Beethovens symphonies. Throughout the first three movements a double idà ©e fixe accurse: in the first both where in the solo viola and melody, in the second and third instead of becoming the mood it is combined with the music. (Alexander 1989: 152; Burkholder 2006: 641; Downes 1978: 132.) The printed score has a piccolo, 2 flutes, 2 oboes, English horn, 2 clarinets, 4 bassoons, 4 horns, 2 cornets, 2 trumpets, 3 trombones, ophicleide or tuba, triangle, kettledrums, cymbals, harp. the solo viola part was conceived for Paganini. And the string section: 15 violins, 15 second violins, 10 violas, 12 cellos and 9 double basses. (Downes 1978: 132.) Berlioz conducted Harold en Italie near the end of 1838 in front of an audience. After the performance Paganini bowed on his knees and clamed Berlioz as the successor of Beethoven, the following day Paganini send Berlioz money, enabling Berlioz to reduce his journalistic commitments and devote himself to composition. By the end of 1839 he composed and performed Romà ©o et Juliette. (Alexander 1989: 153; Downes 1978: 141.) Romà ©o et Juliette is central to his achievements, it is also the first large-scale work that is based on a major work of art. His symphony played its part in the development of the musical language appropriate to the symphonic poem. It influenced Liszt and Wagner, who were at one of Berliozs performances. Berlioz called this symphony the dramatic symphony, he combined the orchestra, soloist and chorus into an concert drama. (Alexander 1989: 153; Burkholder 2006: 641; Downes 1978: 140 141.) CONCLUSION Hector Berlioz was criticized about his works, but because of his unique style he developed the symphony to a new standard that was beyond those of his contemporaries. Berlioz is seen as the father of the symphony, and was influenced by Beethovens Fifth and Sixth Symphonies. His harmonic influence was developed by guitar playing. (Alexander 1989: 143; Burkholder 2006: 639; Hicks 2001: 387; Longyear 1988: 138; Slonimsky 2001: 314 315; Whittall 1987: 55.) Berlioz invented the term idà ©e fixe and used it in his symphonies to showcase a recurring theme that keeps on returning reminding the listener of a previous event. This is an example that Berlioz was indeed an influence on Wagner when you go look at Wagners works such as his music dramas that contains leitmotivs that is a theme that recurs the whole time reminding the listener of something, like the ring leitmotive in The ring of the Nibelungs. (Burkholder 2006: 639 641, 693 694; Downes 1978: 150; Hicks 2001: 386.) The Symphonie fantastique is just not just an introduction to making a symphony into a narrative or autobiographical purpose, but also Berliozs skill to compose emotional content for communicational purposes. Berlioz unified the symphony by introducing the idà ©e fixe in all five his movements of the Symphonie fantastique and in the four movements of Harold en Italie, extending the ideas Beethoven had in his fifth, sixth and ninth symphonies. (Burkholder 2006: 641) Berlioz created a variety by changing his themes by using different instrumental colours that gave a character to each passage. Examples were muted strings, harps, English horns, offstage oboe, snare drum, cymbals, tubular bells, and by letting the violinists play on the wooden side of their bows. Berliozs creativeness is seen everywhere in his compositions. (Burkholder 2006: 641) Berliozs Symphonies made him the leader of the Romantic movement, all composers of program music would be indebted to Berlioz. He introduced the orchestra with new resources of harmony, colour, expression and form. His orchestration created a new era in which instrumental colour could be used as an expressive tool for composers. (Burkholder 2006: 641) SOURCES Alexander, L. Mc Culloch, D. 1989. Heritage of Music: The Romantic Era. New York: Oxford University press. Burkholder, J. P., Grout, D. J., Palisca, C. V. 2006. A History of Western Music. London: WW Norton. Downes, E. 1978. Everymans Guide to Orchestral Music. London: J. M . Dent and Sons. Einstein, A. 1957. Music In The Romatic Era. New York: Norton Company. Hicks, A. 2001. The New grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, Vol 3. London: Macmillan. Longyear, R, M. 1988. Nineteenth-Century Romanticism in music. New Jersey: Prentice Hall. Slonimsky, N. 2001. Bakers Biographical Dictionary of Musicians. Volume 1. New York: Schirmer Books. Whittall, A. 1987. Romantic Music: A Concise History from Schubert to Sibelius. London: Thames and Hudson. Downes, E. 1978. Everymans Guide to Orchestral Music. London: J. M . Dent and Sons.

ADHD Essay -- Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder

ADHD Upon shadowing a fourth grade teacher at Deer Ridge Elementary School, I decided to talk with her about the students in her classroom. Mrs. Riley first set the scene of the school for me by stating that it was in the southwest suburban area of Fort Wayne, Indiana, and this particular school was not hurting for money. She then began to explain the different children in her classroom. There were twenty-eight students from a variety of different backgrounds. There were also two students with ADHD. My first thought was, "What exactly is ADHD?" and, "Would these two children stick out from the rest of the students in the classroom?". These questions are commonly asked by people who are unfamiliar with ADHD, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder. ADHD children have specific symptoms, in which no one is certain as to what causes these symptoms to occur. Some ADHD children do have other problems associated with this disorder, for example behavioral and social problems. Children with ADHD might stand out from other children, only if they have not had the proper treatment prescribed for them. ADHD is the "developmental failure in the brain circuitry that underlies inhibition and self-control" (Barkley, 1998), or "inability to inhibit thoughts"(NIMH, 1996), that affects about five percent of school age children (McEwan, 1998). Loss of control and thought may be believed to be caused by certain impaired brain functions that are important for children to maintain attention. The prefrontal cortex, caudate nucleus, and globus pallidus are three parts of the brain that are involved with regulating attention (Barkley, 1998). In a Scientific American article, entitled "Attention-Deficit Hypera... ...Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. Available: http://www.sciam.com/1998/0998issue/0998barkleybox3.html. September 1998. Leutwyler, Kristen. Scientific American: Analysis Paying Attention. Available: http://www.sciam.com/0896issue/0896infocus.html. August 1996. Long, Phillip W., MD. Mental Health: A Report of the Surgeon General. Internet Mental Health. Available: www.mentalhealth.com. 1995-2000. McEwan, Elaine K. The Principal’s Guide at Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. Thousand Oaks, California: Corwin Press, Inc. 1998. National Institute of Mental Health. Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. Available: http://www.HIMH.com. number 96-3572. 1994. National Institute of Mental Health. Subtle Brain Circuit Abnormalities Confirmed in ADHD. Available: http://www.mhsource.com/hy/brainadhd.html. July 1996.

Posthumous Rating of Hawthorne and “Young Goodman Brown” :: Young Goodman Brown YGB

Posthumous Rating of Hawthorne and â€Å"Young Goodman Brown†      Ã‚  Ã‚   This essay intends to trace the main literary criticism of the author, Nathaniel Hawthorne, and â€Å"Young Goodman Brown†since the author’s death in 1864.    Nathaniel Hawthorne’s acclamation as a great writer by both critics and the general public was not an overnight occurrence. The Norton Anthology: American Literature states that â€Å"he was agonizingly slow in winning acclaim† (547).    Initially, of course, Nathaniel Hawthorne’s literary works went unranked among those of other American and British writers. But his reputation grew gradually even among contemporary critics, until he was recognized as a â€Å"man of genius.† The question in this essay is this: How does he and â€Å"Young Goodman Brown† fare since 1864 when Hawthorne died.    The poet, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, wrote a poem commemorating Hawthorne for the funeral in 1864:      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   . . . . There in seclusion and remote from men   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The wizard hand lies cold,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Which at its topmost speed let fall the pen,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   And left the tale half told.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Ah! who shall lift that wand of magic power,   Ã‚     Ã‚  And the lost clew regain?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The unfinished windows in Aladdin's tower   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Unfinished must remain!    In 1871 James T. Fields published Yesterdays With Authors, in which Chapter 3 deals with his evaluation of Nathaniel Hawthorne:    I AM sitting to-day opposite the likeness of the rarest genius America has given to literature,--a man who lately sojourned in this busy world of ours, but during many years of his life    "Wandered lonely as a cloud,"--    a man who had, so to speak, a physical affinity with solitude. The writings of this author have never soiled the public mind with one unlovely image. His men and women have a magic of their own, and we shall wait a long time before another arises among us to take his place. Indeed, it seems probable no one will ever walk precisely the same round of fiction which he traversed with so free and firm a step.    What lovely thoughts! What a tribute to Hawthorne’s genius! The very next year Henry James wrote a review of Hawthorne for the Nation:    Our remarks are not provoked by any visible detriment conferred on Mr. Hawthorne's fame by these recent publications. . .His journals throw but little light on his personal feelings, and even less on his genius per se.

Controversies as a Result of the Alien and Sedition Acts Essay

In the late 1700s and into the early 1800s, large controversies over the Alien and the Sedition Acts, containing four bills, took place. Some of the controversies included immigration, slander and libel of the government, and states’ rights. While the controversy set the stage for Jefferson’s election, it also left some in tense and unsettled states. The Alien and Sedition Acts brought many disagreements upon the states. The Acts had two bills that seemed to stand out most among the government. The second bill of the Alien and Sedition Acts gave the President power to deport â€Å"all such aliens as he shall judge dangerous to the peace and safety of the United Stats. † Just before the Acts were created, President George Washington wrote to the Vice-President John Adams in 1794 of his believe that immigrants brought with them not only their language, but their habits and formal morals too. Later, he goes on to say, that this is not particularly a bad thing because as time goes on, as generations grow, all people will become one. Just before that though, in 1785, Thomas Jefferson had made close to the same note, but a bit different. He believed it would be a miracle for the morals and beliefs of the immigrants to halt in changing at the exact point of liberty. He believed that infusing the aliens into our United States would create a â€Å"heterogeneous, incoherent, distracted mass. † Altogether, immigration was an extremely controversial topic. Each person had their own opinion, especially the rising parties who seemed to almost separate the nation more. While the Acts had allowed the President this power, it also prohibited the slander of libel of the President or any other part of the government. It seems to almost be a coincidence. After this was passed, Federalist prosecutors arrested more than twenty Republican newspaper editors and politicians. The Federalists had accused them of sedition, and convicted and jailed a number of them. Many believed that this part of the Sedition Act was against the First Amendment that forbade the †abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press. † As a matter of fact, the Republicans actually tried to charge the Sedition Act as a violation of the First Amendment, although it did not appeal to the Supreme Court. This was because the Court was not sure how to review the case considering the board was made up of mostly Federalists. Jefferson sent a letter to Francis Hopkinson of Pennsylvania clearing up a rumor that he was a Federalist. He states that he â€Å"never submitted the whole system of (his) opinions to the creed of any party of men whatever in religion, in philosophy, in politics, or in anything else where I was capable of thinking for myself. † Last, but definitely not least, was the issue of whether or not the states had a right to judge the Constitution. After the Republicans tried to charge the Sedition Acts as a violation against the Constitution, Madison and Jefferson looked to the state legislature which led to their declaring the Alien and Sedition Acts to be â€Å"unauthoritative, void, and of no force. This resolution set forth a states’ rights interpretation of the Constitution, asserting that the states had a â€Å"right to judge† the legitimacy of national laws. Albert Gallatin, a Democratic-Republican congressman from Pennsylvania, made a speech in the House of Representatives on the proposed Sedition Act wherein he stated, â€Å"The only evidences brought by the supporters of this bill consist of writings expressing an opinion that certain measures of government have been dictated by an unwise policy, or by improper motives, and that some of them are unconstitutional. The Alien and Sedition Acts caused many controversies. The controversies led to many letters and arguments with the government. With this being said, the major problems seem to have been the topics of immigration, slander and libel of the government, and states’ rights. Although, after these controversies developed over the Acts, the Acts were then rethought. It is often wondered, even now, why the Alien and Sedition Acts were ever passed in the first place.

Overview of the Stock Market

Over the past few years, many millionaires have been created due to the economical explosion of the stock market. The market isn†t just growing, as it did in the mid to late seventies; but it is on steroids, and is growing like never before. Backed by the relentless, yet sometimes spasmodic, growth of the NASDAQ Composite, Wall Street†s impact on the future cannot be denied. For as long as the market has been in existence, drastic changes such as these have never taken place. What awesome power could have produced so much money in so little time? What colossal force could have caused the United States† economy to flourish? The answer lies in one, simple, recently coined phrase: the tech stock. The stock market has been around since people traded silver for ownership of cargo 200 years ago, yet many people don†t know how it works, or where their money goes when they purchase a stock; they simply think â€Å"buy low, sell high. † Although this is a good basic investment plan, it is imperative that one knows where his money is headed when he buys a thousand dollars worth of a specific stock. When one purchases a stock, they are actually purchasing part of a company (Brian 1). The reason one would do this is because he wants part of the profits of the company. If one purchases 1% of a company, he will receive 1% of the income, to put it in a simplified manner. The money the company gains from selling their stock is placed back into the company. This way, the company can grow, and produce more profits for the stockholders. The company†s value is represented by the stock price on the stock exchange (Brian 2). Over time, a method of judging a stock†s performance, called the â€Å"profit to earning ratio† was created. P/E is shorthand for the ratio of a company's share price to its per-share earnings. For example, a P/E ratio of 10 means that the company has $1 of annual, per-share earnings for every $10 in share price (Green 1). † This ratio basically represents how much money the investor is putting in per dollar earned. This was generally a good thing to look at when choosing a stock to invest in, but the P/E ratio can be misleading, especially in the few tech stocks that have tremendous stock prices, yet have little net profit. No one knows exactly when the tech stock came about, but it seems like it came all at once. The phrase â€Å"tech stock† simply refers to all stocks that deal with any form of technology related, directly or indirectly, to the computer or computer chips. A good portion of the popular tech stocks today deal with the Internet (Brian 4). One reason for this is the easy access by millions of people worldwide. Small companies are able to reach out to the whole globe with just a few bucks, and thus become prosperous over a short amount of time. Just a few of the most popular tech stock corporations include: Microsoft, Apple, TI, Amazon, Yahoo, and Dell. Companies such as Microsoft, Apple and Dell are companies that handle computers directly, and have been around for a long time (NASDAQ 5) TI creates many semiconductors that are found in most all products that have computer chips in them. Amazon and Yahoo are both directly related to the Internet. These companies are popular due to their originality and business management. However, popularity hardly gains profit, so why is it that Yahoo can make so much money on the stock market? Surprisingly and ironically enough, it is precisely popularity that causes its gains. Because of the popularity, people continue to purchase Yahoo†s stock. Although the company isn†t making direct profit, it certainly makes a lot of money from the stock purchases, so the company actually makes the money off of the stock market (Brian 5). Rare, indeed, to see this at such an extreme. With all of this success must come organization, and thus is the role of the NASDAQ Composite. Although NASDAQ came about long before the rise of tech stocks, it now represents the growth that they portray. This is mostly due to the large volume of blue chip Internet stocks that have joined the Composite, as well as the small technical companies that are looking for a big break. Duarte summarizes the whole NASDAQ universe in once sentence; â€Å"The NASDAQ is fueled by blue chip stocks and small caps which explode into high-earnings (Technology 1). † And explode it did. In just over one year, â€Å"The Index gained 1876. 62 points and 85. 59 percent for the year. The NASDAQ Composite Index also eclipsed the 3000 and 4000 point milestones during the last quarter of 1999† (Nasdaq 1). This far surpasses the Dow Jones Industrial, which only gained 25. 22% over the 1999-2000 year. â€Å"The market†s best index performers were the computer, telecommunications, and biotechnology up 105. 03 percent, 102. 71 percent and 101. 64 percent respectively† (Nasdaq 2). This obviously displays a growing interest in the tech stock, which has caused this major uprising to occur. One may wonder how the Dow Jones Industrial got off so bad, because, after all, it represents our nations largest companies. For a long time, the Dow Jones Industrial has represented the stock market as a whole, but times change. One cause of this change is the high interest rates that affect the corporate stocks such as Wal-Mart and ExxonMobil. These stocks reduce in price as a result of this, and therefore, the Dow average reflects the decrease. The Dow Jones blue chips remain stable, but haven†t increased dramatically, and this isn†t sufficient to make up for the losses of the stocks that tanked, such as banking stocks, financial stocks, and oil marketing stocks (Duarte, Technology 1). One thing that everyone wonders is â€Å"Is the gold rush over? † The answer is no, not as of 3-2-00, anyway. However, all good things must come to an end; the question is when. Milton Friedman and Alan Greenspan are both major authorities in Wall Street, and when they speak, the world of investors listens. The one bad thing is this, they usually never agree. In late 1999, Friedman â€Å"suggested the current market looks similar to the pre-crash markets in the U. S. in 1929 and the pre-crash market in Japan in 1989. † Soon after, â€Å"Greenspan made equally scary remarks about the stock market and the wealth effect† (Duarte, Greenspan 1). These are remarkable authorities in the world of investing, but these notes don†t specifically talk about the tech stock falling. Some people believe that the so-called â€Å"crash† that they spoke of has already happened at the turn of the millennium, when both the Dow Jones and the Nasdaq fell at record-breaking volumes. This proved that the NASDAQ wasn†t invincible with its precious tech stocks, but it also started an ugly observation that whatever the Dow does, the NASDAQ does at a more flamboyant rate (Jennings 1). This simply means that if the Dow goes up a little, the NASDAQ goes up a lot. When the Dow drops a little, the NASDAQ drops a lot (Fool 9). However, there†s no concrete evidence to prove this theory that they are connected somehow. January 4th, 2000; a sigh of relief sweeps the world as nothing too terribly devastating happens on the turn of the millennium. However, this sigh turns quickly into a gasp; at least for those watching the stock market. The Dow Jones plummets nearly 360 points, and NASDAQ plummets nearly 230 points in just one trading day. The next two days, NASDAQ continues to fall another 200 points, resulting in nearly a 8% drop in just three days. It recovers from this drop in only about two days, only to drop back into a lower pit in three more days. Those who held onto their pocketbooks for this roller coaster ride found a light at the end of the tunnel, and by the end of February, the Composite had climbed to the 4600 mark, 600 points higher than at the beginning of the year (Fool 1). Many other times in the first quarter of 2000 NASDAQ took a hefty fall, but it always regrouped and rallied to surpass it is original price. Another thing to remember is that NASDAQ isn†t made entirely of tech stock blue chips such as Dell and Amazon (Nasdaq 1). It is also made up of small caps that fail, large caps that fail, and those penny stocks that people get so worked up about†¦ that also fail; so it is hard to judge how well tech stocks are actually doing by looking directly at the NASDAQ Composite or P/E ratios. Tech stocks are still a relatively new thing for the market, and investors haven†t yet predicted their fate. However, they are still intensely popular, and as long as they are popular, people will keep buying; and, of course, if people buy them, they will raise in value. Technology is not going away any time soon, there†s no doubt about that; the future is now. Computers rule our lifestyle, making everything faster, easier, cheaper, more efficient; and these tech stocks represent our new economy based on this new efficient system. Even though they may not present themselves as strongly as they once did, tech stocks are definitely here to stay.

An Overview of the Life and Literary Works of Alfred Noyes

An Overview of the Life and Literary Works of Alfred Noyes Alfred Noyes was born in Wolver Hampton on 16th September 1880. In 1896, he went to Exeter College, Oxford, where he distinguished himself at rowing. His first volume of poems was The Loom of Years (1902). The Highwayman, Noyess best-loved poem, is included in the volume Forty Singing Seamen and other poems. The poem is about a highwayman and his lover Bess. The highwayman is deeply in love with Bess and goes to see her one night. Tim, the ostler was also in love with Bess and was jealous of the highwayman. He quietly listens to the conversation of bess and the highwayman .The highwayman was a felon and was wanted by the red coats. Tim informs the red coats about his next visit. To arrest the highwayman, the redcoats use Bess as bait. They position themselves everywhere in the neighborhood and in the inn. They tie Bess in front the window with a musket under her breast. At midnight she hears the highwayman coming closer and closer. To save him she pulls the trigger of the musket and kills herself. On hearing the shot of the musket, the highwayman flees away. The next day, when the highwayman gets to know about Bess he is furious and spurs on his horse to take revenge. But he is shot down. Even after years, it is said that on a night like that one, one can hear the highwayman on his horse coming to the inn-door, and one can see Bess at the window with her hair let loose waiting for the highwayman. The language of poetry is significantly different from the language of ordinary conversation because it is very often the language of indirection: it uses figures of speech like metaphors, similes, and symbols to get across the experience that the poet is trying to recreate. In the following paragraphs, I have analyzed the poem and stated a few of these figures of speech. Using the language of poetry, the poet creates a scene and makes the reader imagine his thoughts. In the first verse of his poem, Alfred Noyes, metaphorically describes: the wind to a river, which is flowing through the mountain like trees: the moon to a ship, which floats in a sea of clouds: the road to ribbon, twisting and turning, shining in moonlight, and passing through a marshy piece of land. In the same verse, the poet introduces the highwayman riding a long distance on his horse before arriving to the inn-door. This can be noticed and the poet puns on the word riding and repeats the word over and over again. Another example of the same style of poetry can be seen in the seventh verse, where the red coats arrive to the landlords inn. In this example the pun is on the word marching. In the second and the third verse the poet describes the highwayman and Bess. The highwayman is dressed in rich attire and when he arrives Bess is waiting for him there. The lovers are parted apart, as the landlord doesnt want Bess to meet the Highwayman. This is because in verse, the highwayman is a wanted convict by the red coats. The poet also introduces Tim who takes of the horses and is also in love with Bess, and is jealous of the highwayman. Unlike the highwayman, the poet presents Tim in a very rustic manner.

The Classic Style in Mississippi and Innocents Abroad Essay - 1

The Classic Style in Mississippi and Innocents Abroad - Essay Example Classic style is the preferred style since it makes people earn frequently than the school style. Writers in Mississippi and innocents abroad practice the classic style in their articles. For instance, Mark Twain is one of the writers abroad that employ this type of writing. Comparably, classic style employs equity between the writer and audience. The writer is equal to the task and delivers as if he is part of theaudience. In school style, the writer and the audience are never equal (Loewe par. 4). The writer is to perform a task as a duty but not out of interest and willingness to do so. For instance, it is a rule to fill the required number of pages while writing in school type. Classic style therefore enables the writer to take part in facilitating a character trait in a piece of work. Mark Twain in his book describes himself from page to page and the readers fill like taking part in his life. The readers are able to share the understanding that the writer has over an article for the sole purpose of lucidity, confidence, and wish. It is also clear that use of classic style involves more fun since it is done out interest but not writing to fulfill a task given. Mark Twain shares his views of Mississipiriver in a hilarious way that one cannot imagine to hate the book ( Loewe par. 6). Effectively, the readers who pin point the weaknesses determine performance of the writer. A person writes what he can only read and avoids what he cannot read and understand to enhance his clarity and relevance. There is nothing regrettable that is, not a magic bullet in classic writing. A person is able to revise his work and identifies the mistakes, he also finds out the topic discussed to maintain the relevance of the article. Loewe (par. 5) opines that classic writing does not subject the writers to skim over the topic simply because of clarity but warrants a chance to observe effective communication skills to deliver to different audience. The writer becomes the primary sou rce of information hence trust and reliability remains the main pillars of a credible writer.In conclusion, it is therefore clear that people living along Mississippi river and abroad use classic style to write their articles.