The Importance of Mr. Darby

'Cincinnati'- Modeled After William Wordsworth

Cincinnati

Tis nothing more majestic and pretty,

than the unique spectacle that is upon

the Ohio; food, sports, attractions all drawn

together into a one of a kind city.

As the small waves crash upon the shore

and the boats and barges cruise by,

I look upon the stadium that rises so high,

And watch the eager fans arrive, in they pour.

The sights and sounds can not be

Imitated, as the people have a special spirit

That can be seen with every score or hit,

Creating noise, with their spirits so free.

Along with the special people, special places

Are all around the city; with Fountain Square,

Museums, and parks, all treated with care.

Each produces joy upon the visitors’ faces.

There are things to do in each of the seasons,

From swimming, skating, and sight

Seeing; both in the afternoon and the dark of night.

As for visiting the city, I can think of a thousand reasons.

The people come from both the east and the west,

All distinct, but the same feeling of pride they share

for their hometown is so prevalent and clear,

as each and every one sees it as the city which is best.

Whether traveling for business or pleasure,

The Queen City will prove to be a real treasure.

        My poem about Cincinnati, my hometown, was modeled after William Wordsworth's poem called Composed Upon Westminster Bridge which was a tribute to his home of London. He spoke of London in an eloquent manner, praising it for its beauty. One of the main focuses in much of his poetry was the beauty found in nature, and how he spoke in the language of the people. The beauty of nature around us is also a characteristic of all the Romantic poets. Another characteristic was the focus on traditions, which I did in my poem about some of the traditions unique to Cincinnati. The Romantic writers believed in liberty for the individual, and I touched on the spirit of Cincinnatians and the liberties that they get to enjoy in the city. I showed an appreciation for the people, which is also a characteristic of Romanticism. All in all, I incorporated both the characteristics of all the Romantic writers and some that are unique to William Wordsworth. I took one of his poetic pieces and made a more modern model of it about my own hometown that I love.

Shakespeare Lost in the Future

Shakespeare in the Future
by: sambechtol

Women in Society

All forty four U.S. Presidents have been men, and it appears if we get a new president in January it will also be a man. When you think of a president, boss, or other types of people in power you usually think of a man. It makes sense because it's all we've ever really known. For a majority of history, women couldn't hold positions of power. They were looked at as inferior to men. Over time, this stereotype has faded and now men and women are looked at as equals. However, we still don't see many women holding leadership positions. I think that although we view women as equal people, we may not see them as equal leaders. It might not be because we think they can't lead, but rather we've fallen into the commonplace world of only having men as leaders. Some people may have a fear of voting for a women as President. In my opinion, things probably would be different with a female president. However, this wouldn't necessarily be a bad thing, especially when you look at how things aren't exactly perfect with our current government leaders. When women run for office such as president, they often try to act more like a man; less emotion, more strength, and try to seem as powerful as possible. This could be part of their problem. If they would just act like themselves, they may get more of a following. Society already has their own perceptions of them beforehand, so there's no point in trying to act like someone they aren't. They can't be exactly the same as a male leader, just as a man couldn't lead in the same way a woman could. As seen in the article about Hilary Clinton, the press was sort of making fun of her emotions. A man probably would not have cried in that situation, exposing one of the differences the American public would see with a female president. I liked the quote in The Iron Lady where Meryl Streep said, "I have done battle every single day of my life". This shows that although Margaret had never been to war, she was a fighter and she would fight for her country. The man from the military was talking down to her, but she showed him that she could hold just as much power as any man. I think the title "Iron Lady" is a testament to the strength and fortitude that Thatcher displayed, almost to say that she was "tough as nails". Although society looks differently at women as leaders, they could possibly offer alternative views on issues and improve certain deficiencies in government. I don't believe that society's gender stereotypes will ever be gone, but courageous women can work to improve their images in the public eye.

Can You Learn Anything From a Void?

During the Holocaust, numerous atrocities were committed both by ruthless and cruel Nazis, and those non-Jews who were just following orders. You could say that the ones committing the murders at the concentration camps were "just doing their jobs", but you'd think human decency would overrule these horrific commands. Nonetheless, most of the concentration camp workers followed the orders and followed through with the executions. Are these people worthy of being convicted of murder? In my opinion, they shouldn't be held completely accountable for the murders, but they should be given some sort of penalty for their actions. They are only partially responsible, as they were told to kill, they didn't necessarily want to kill anyone. However, if they truly didn't want to commit any atrocities they should have refused to go through with the executions. This is much easier said than done, as they would probably be threatened to be killed themselves if they didn't follow orders. It really makes you wonder if their time at the concentration camps was almost as much torture and suffering as those who were sent to work at the camps. Now they obviously didn't face the same amount of physical labor and fatigue, but they were most likely emotionally drained from everything they saw and everything they were forced to do. Their consciences were probably torn apart, as they faced many internal struggles on what decisions to make. It sounds really difficult to feel any sympathy for a person who executes thousands of innocent people, but can we honestly say we wouldn't have done the same in their shoes? The account that strikes me the most is that of Dr. Capesius. People he knew from home stared him in the eye and he had to decide whether or not they live or die. It is disheartening to hear about a man sending his own acquaintances to the gas chamber, and I'm sure it was something he struggled to deal with. When Macbeth goes to kill Duncan, he feels a sense of guilt as well. It isn't until Lady Macbeth pushes him to go through with it that he actually commits the crime. As for the "innocent" onlookers, they should also be held accountable for the crimes in some way as they didn't do anything to stop the inhumane deeds. They didn't actually kill anyone, but they didn't save any one's life. Just like the one's committing the murders, they too must have had guilty consciences as they did nothing to prevent the killings. I think the only way to combat the evils would be to work together with others to stop the evil-doing. It would be much more difficult to tackle the power alone. It seems possible as a group to stop the officials in charge. It would take a lot of courage to go against the regime, and it would take a completely moral conscience to do so.

The Globe Theater

If I was living in England during the Shakespearean era, I would probably go see The Taming of the Shrew. This is my favorite of all of Shakespeare's plays, and I think it would be the most exciting to see in person. It is my favorite work of his because it contains a lot of humor, opposed to the normal sappy emotional love story. This play has elements of love and romance, but with a comedic twist. With the audience wrapped around the crowded theater, I imagine this play being a joy to experience. The play would be most enjoyable for me if I was around other people, so I could share a laugh with them. The area with the most people is the ground level, and I think I would want a general admission ticket for the small price of a penny. I imagine myself just being an average citizen, and this is where the normal citizens gathered for the plays as the covered areas with chairs were more expensive. I think the overall atmosphere on the ground level would be more fun for a comedy show, because it is a more open area, and it isn't essential to catch every single detail in the play. The people around are laughing, smiling, and talking to one another as they witness the amusing show put on by the quirky actors. Overall, I think it is a very lighthearted scene, unlike some of Shakespeare's other plays. I understand everything on the stage because it is easier to understand compared to other Shakespeare dramas. I approve of each actor on stage and I enjoy how goofy and obnoxious they are as they provide comic relief throughout the plot of the story. Before the play, I ate lunch with a friend on a hillside overlooking the Thames. Afterwards, we walked to the Globe Theater and arrived about half an hour before the show began to claim a good spot on the ground. We ended up being dead center, about thirty feet from the stage. My seat couldn't have been any better, as I was able to easily see all the action on stage and hear all of the dialogue. After the play, my friend and I are going to a local pub to meet a few other friends that are seeing a different show at another local theater. It should be the perfect ending to a fun-filled day with lots of laughter. I would've enjoyed seeing The Taming of the Shrew at the Globe Theater, as it would've been a one of a kind experience to see  such a famous work  from a well-respected playwright as Shakespeare.