Harlem Renaissance Essay Example for Free

Harlem Renaissance Essay Claude McKay was Jamaican American who moved from Jamaica to the United States in 1912. He attended the Tuskegee Institute in Alabama. This is where he received his first taste of racism here in America and this would have a drastic effect on his future writing. He left the Tuskegee Institute to attend school in Manhattan, Kansas. Mr. McKay then moved to New York invested in a restaurant and got married. The restaurant fell through and McKay moved back to Jamaica. He later became an editor of the Liberator and wrote some of his own poems during the time period known as the red summer. One of his poems he wrote in protest of the harsh times would later be used by Winston Churchill during World War II to motivate the soldiers. (Modern American Poetry, 2011) â€Å"If We Must Die†, written by Claude McKay during the summer of 1919, is a mantra for people to stand up against those who wish to keep them down or in Churchill’s case to kill them during battle(Sayre, 2012). He is saying even if they must die they should do it with dignity. They may only have the grave to come, but he does not wish them to just lie down even in the face of adversity. Claude McKay displays double consciousness from the time he comes to America. He is first an intelligent Jamaican man who has come here to America in search of an education. Here he was seen by the white Americans around him in Alabama as nothing more than just another â€Å"colored† man. Claude had to deal with both being â€Å"colored† or â€Å"Negro† and being an American. In his poem â€Å"If we must die† McKay shows the idea of double consciousness all the way through. He shows the pride of a dignified man who will not just sit back while anyone attempts to push down into the grave. His writing is not specific to one race or ethnicity, as proven when the British Prime Minister used it to motivate the British and American soldiers. (Sayre, 2012) Langston Hughes was a young poe t, writer, and musician during the Harlem renaissance period. According to Sayre (2012), Langston was like many African-Americans searching for a freedom they could not find in America moved to Paris. In France he was subjected to a music very similar to jazz and ragtime. Harlem was quickly becoming the Paris of America to African-Americans because they were free to be who they want to be and accepted by all those around. When Hughes moved backed to Harlem he became one of the most powerful voices for the African-Americans in Harlem due to his abilities, according to Sayre. His capability to speak to your emotion and to create a feeling empathy, as well as his use the local speech, grammar, and dialect made his works attractive to all. According to the Kansas Heritage Group (n.d.), Langston Hughes had only been in college a year before finding the allure of Harlem, where he met many other famous poets of the times. Langston Hughes wrote the poem â€Å"As I grew older† describing how he has a dream but because he is a â€Å"Black† man he has walls that rise up between himself and his dream. This is a perfect example of double consciousness, because like all Americans he has these dreams that are always growing within him. However because of his ethnicity he has walls that are placed in his path. He feels because he is black man he is being forced down into the shadows and blocked from his dreams. He also is persistent enough in the poem to not lie in the shadows and let the wall win. He breaks through the wall and pursues his dreams despites the efforts to block him. (Poemhunter.com, 2003) The poetry of the times brings out the views and emotions of the people who were writing it. These poems bring out the feelings desire to be free to chase their dreams that write about as well. There are many poems that display thoughts of death and dying. Some of the themes were being brought on by the war, while others are themes were brought on by the feelings of oppression and racism. The biggest theme of them all is the fact we are American, whether we are black or white, Jamaican, German, or French descent, we are American. In Langston Hughes poem â€Å"Theme for English B† he states he is black and â€Å"You are white- yet a part of me, as I am a part of you. That’s American†. We are all American and we are all one. We all have similar desires not identical but similar in nature. We want to be free to be what and who we want to be without being held back by others who wish to hold us back in order to advance themselves. In his poem â€Å"As I grew older† he writes about oppression, â€Å"And then the wall rose, Rose slowly, Slowly, Between me and my dream†, The wall rising is the oppression brought about by the racism he faced here in America. Claude McKay in â€Å"If We Must Die† he writes a poem that can used to motivate a group of people as Churchill used to motivate the soldiers of WWI or to motivate the African-Americans here in America. He wants his people to have their honor even in death. â€Å"If we must die-oh, let us nobly die,† He wants to be seen with honor and dignity as he wishes for all his people. In the poem Christianity I write about beliefs and faith in a world where it seems to shun anyone who openly believes in Jesus Christ and his teachings. In today’s society Christians are often told they are cannot display their crosses in public spaces, because â€Å"we are pushing our beliefs on others†. This country was formed with the idea that people would have their freedoms. Freedoms that their previous government denied them, and one of the biggest freedoms they searched for was freedom to practice the religion of their choice. Christianity in its many forms was the biggest religion at the time of this country formation and you can see that in many ways even still today, however publically today there seems to be a push to hide all forms of religion. Christianity seems to be the religion that people wish to hide the most. This is why I chose to use this theme for my poem. Christianity Faith Belief in only one Love all – even my enemy They don’t want love They don’t want faith Truth Will Science ever agree Where is your evidence Is your truth, My truth Freedom Freedom to live Freedom to Love Freedom to believe Freedom to question Faith Who wants it Who needs it Why have it They certainly do not want it References Modern American Poetry (2011). Claude McKay. Retrieved from http://www.english.illinois. edu/maps/poets/m_r/mckay/mckay.htm PoemHunter.com (January, 2003) As I grew older by Langston Hughes. Retrieved from http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/as-i-grew-older/ Sayre, H. M. (2012). The Humanities: Culture, continuity and change, Volume 2 (2nd ed.). (2011 Custom Edition). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education. Kansas Heritage Group, (n.d.). Langston Hughes Biography. Retrieved from http://www. kansasheritage.org/crossingboundaries/page6e1.html

The Debate Over Artificial Intelligence Essay -- Exploratory Essays Re

The Debate Over Artificial Intelligence    Can machines think? Or rather, can we develop true artificial intelligence in the sense of machines that think and understand as we humans do? This is an interesting problem that is becoming more and more relevant in our lives as computers become more complex and integral to our lives. Two articles, John Searle's "Minds, Brains, and Programs" and William Lycan's "Robots and Minds", present two different answers to this question and also raise several new questions. John Searle takes the position that on one level computers do think - they manipulate symbols - yet on another level they do not think - computers do not understand the symbols they are manipulating to mean anything in the sense that we humans do. Lycan takes the position that yes, computers do think, and that it is quite possibly only a matter of time before a machine can be created that not only looks and behaves like a person, but also thinks like a person. Therefore, Lycan claims, the suitably programmed machine of thi s complexity is a person as much as you and I are. I fall more on Lycan's side of the argument. Words such as "intelligence" and "understanding" have variations in their definitions depending on whom you ask. It is often hard to come up with even a simple definition once one delves into the problems at hand. But, since we as humans (in particular Searle) often try to separate ourselves from computers by saying that we understand the meaning of the symbols we manipulate, it is necessary that I give a useful and accurate meaning to the words (or symbols) I will be using. I define "thinking" as processing information, with any level of complexity. I include in the thinking category a thermostat makin... ...a human who's body is almost entirely mechanical) are people? If we cannot distinguish their minds from regular humans', then we have no basis for denying that they have the same basic rights. As for the second question, that is much tougher, and he makes the analogy to animal rights, for even now computers exhibit intelligence that is roughly equal to many animals. However, since I have proved my main point, and run over my page limit, I will now bow out. The area of animal rights is still hotly debated, and we still often disagree on many aspects of human rights. These areas are the subject of many papers, articles, news stories, even organizations. Maybe, if only to prevent a repeat of our confusion morally over our sudden ability to clone complex biological organisms, we should start looking now at the issue of "computer rights". It still sounds strange to me.   

Love Song of J.Alfrrd Prufrock Notes

The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock â€Å"A reader’s response to a text is influenced by that responder’s social, cultural and historical context† Choosing one of T. S Eliot’s poems set for study, consider to what extent your personal response to your chosen poem has been shaped by the enduring power of its intellectual and artistic qualities. (Quote) â€Å"There will be time, there will be time To prepare a face to meet the faces that you meet;† Good morning /Afternoon Ms and fellow classmates. A reader’s personal response to a text is shaped by the enduring power of its intellectual and artistic qualities.Their response is influenced by that responder’s social, cultural and historical context which is why texts including ‘The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock’ can be interpreted in various ways by various people. ‘The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock‘, was composed by poet T. S Eliot. Born in St Louis Missouri U SA, he attended Harvard University in 1906 and was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1948. ‘The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock’ was the earliest of T. S Eliot’s major works and was completed between 1910 and 1911.It is an examination of the tortured mind of the prototypical modern man – eloquent, neurotic and emotionally stilted. The ideas and themes explored and their relevance to us today: In ‘The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock’ there are various themes, symbols and ideas explored. The damaged mind of humanity and the changing nature of gender roles are two of the main themes explored in the poem. Like many modernist writers, Eliot wanted to capture the transformed world which he perceived as fractured and denigrated and also wanted his poetry to express the fragile psychological state of humanity in the twentieth century.In the poem ‘The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock’ Prufrock, the poems persona, is constantly quest ioning the romantic ideal of society; wondering whether he should make a radical change, or if he has the fortitude to continue living demonstrating a sense of indecisive paralysis in the persona. This is seen when Prufrock, unable to make decisions, watches women wander in and out of a room, â€Å"talking of Michelangelo. † Humanity’s collectively damaged psyche prevented people from communicating with one another, an idea that is clearly evident in Eliot’s poem.This also reflects the theme of the changing nature of gender roles, over the course of Eliot’s life, gender roles and sexuality became increasingly flexible, and Eliot reflected those changes in his work, including ‘The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock’. Prufrock is unable to talk to women and fears rejection, this conveys the feeling of emasculation experienced by many men as they returned home from World War 1, which was during Eliot’s time, to find women empowered by their new role as wage earners. These themes evident throughout ‘The Love Song of J.Alfred Prufrock’ are relevant in today’s contemporary society. Women constantly faced oppression which was seen as conventional in society in the twentieth century, men were the bread winners while women left school early to stay at home and raise children. Throughout history, especially in Eliot’s time, society transformed and women fought back against this inequality, discrimination and injustice in all its forms which led to The Universal Declaration of Human Rights adopting the convention of the equal rights of men and women.This period of revolution is why today, in most parts of the world, women’s rights and freedoms are supported by law and they are no longer ignored or suppressed. The unusual independence from men shown in the women in ‘The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock’ is what cause a shift in society and history and is also why today women have th e right to vote, attend school, earn the same wage as men, and even lead a nation. Your response to the poem as compared to Eliot’s time: My own personal response to ‘The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock’ was, at first, complete confusion as I was unable to understand what it was that Eliot was trying to convey.I soon realised that Prufrock, the poems persona, was psyche Your time and place, reflecting upon the ways in which context has shaped your response to the text: Prufrock, the poems persona, seems to be addressing a potential lover, with whom he would like to â€Å"force the moment to its crisis† by consummating their relationship. But Prufrock knows too much of life to â€Å"dare† and approach the woman: in his mind he hears the comments others make about his inadequacies. The poem moves from a series of fairly concrete physical settings – a cityscape with several interiors- to a series of vague ocean images onveying Prufrock emotional distance from the world as he comes to recognise his second-rate status. â€Å"Prufrock† is powerful for its range of intellectual reference and also vividness of character achieved. The modernist movement and the new perception of the world at the time along with the desire to create something new was one of the main influences in Eliot’s work. Modernist texts emerged in the early 20th century and were influenced by developments in psychoanalysis and anthropology , by social reforms and by the growing industrialisation and mechanisation of society.Modernist texts such as Eliot’s are more interested in representing the inner life of characters. For modernists the process of artistic creation exposed the alienation and displacement that individuals often experience in modern, industrial society. Other influences on Eliot’s work were the changes in religion, evident in Journey of the Magi, his questioning of traditional political paradigms and the way soci ety worked and how it was structured. It is evident that there is use of dramatic monologue throughout Eliot’s piece which helps to express a condition of instability.The epigraph to this poem is from Dante’s Inferno and describes Prufrock’s ideal listener; one who is as lost as the speaker and will not betray to the world the content of Prufrock’s present confessions. In the world Prufrock describes, though, no such sympathetic figure exists, and he must, therefore, be content with silent reflection. Using fictional personalities such as J. Alfred Prufrock to express a state of inner turmoil or a multiplicity of selves contained within one person. J.Alfred Prufrock is not just the speaker of one of Eliot’s poems, he is the representative man of early modernism. Shy, cultivated and oversensitive, the speakers of his poems are trapped inside their own excessive alertiveness. The general fragmentation of the poem is obvious and notorious. The poem se ems a perfect example of what Terry Eagleton calls â€Å"the modern transition from metaphor to metonym ; unable any longer to totalise his experience in some heroic figure, the bourgeois is forced to let trickle away into objects related to him by sheer contiguity. Eliot was interested in the divide between high and low culture â€Å"The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock† is, as the title, implies a song, with various lines repeated as refrains. That poem ends with the song of mermaids luring humans to their deaths by drowning—a scene that echoes Odysseus’s interactions with the Sirens in the Odyssey. Music thus becomes another way in which Eliot collages and references books from past literary traditions. Eliot chooses to make Prufrock an unacknowledged poet

Essay on Public Transportation Means

Public Transportation MeansNeed for holding public transit means particularly in Zouk Mosbeh – Lebanese republic, where Notre Dame University is located in order to:Reduce trafficReduce pollutionHaving a better and healthy topographic pointPossible causes of traffic jam in Zouk Mosbeh-LebanonLack of Planning of metropolis routeLow route infiniteUnplanned arrest or parking infiniteUnplanned metropolis growingHigh migration from rural to urban countriesDifferent velocity vehicleOver populationInsufficient and unequal route infiniteLack of jurisprudence executionNot plenty traffic constabularyLack of consciousnessPoor signaling systemPrivate autoImportant constitutions in Zouk mosbeh such as Notre Dame University and Louaize SchoolImpact of traffic jamEconomyFuel ingestionTransportation system costVehicle runing costHealth related issuesBreathing jobsConcernsMental emphasisUnexpected perspirationFatigueEye jobEnvironmental related issuesAir pollutionSound pollutionWastage and ing estion of clipPossible solutions for traffic jamPublic transit agenciesStrict jurisprudence executionSchool, university, office clip schedulingDecentralizationDetering private autosControling route side activitiesIncrease of public vehiclesIncreasing prosaic installationsMaximize of route breadthDecisionWe as victims will be relievedHaving a better life, and a better topographic point to populate inMentions:Butler, J. , & A ; Christopher, 2008. Road pricing, the economic system, and the environment. Publisher: German capital: Springer.Moutran, M.J. , 2010. Traffic jurisprudence enforcement in Lebanon in visible radiation of European and international pattern.Fioravante, E. F. , & A ; Figoli, M. G. B. 2009. Environmental impact due to automobile usage. Twenty-six IUSSP International Population Conference, Morocco.Issa, J. A. , 2010. Reporting on trafficking in individuals as human rights misdemeanor: instance survey Lebanon.O'Flaherty, & A ; Coleman A. , 2009. The DARPA Urban Challen ge: independent vehicles in traffic metropolis. Publisher: German capital: Springer.O'Flaherty, & A ; Coleman A. , 1993. Transport planning and traffic technology. Pulishers: Dutch capital: Elsevier/Butterworth-Heinemann, 1997Abou Jaoude, R. , 2013, June 14. Like traffic, Jal al-Dib tunnel programs at deadlock. The Daily Star.Paper Draft Public Transportation Means Transportation plays an of import function in our lives and particularly in our day-to-day modus operandi, including our place topographic point, work, drama, store, travel to university, travel to school, etc. It has a brooding control over residential forms or designs, industrial growing, societal and physical motion. Person should do a witting determination in order to turn up expresswaies, main roads, coach Michigans, particularly in â€Å"Zouk Mosbeh† where â€Å"Notre Dame University – Lebanon† is located. Transportation is a demand and is no less a public rights and quality of life concern. Health, clip, safety and the easiness of entree are the most momentous considerations in transit planning. Are we able to make something in order to promote people non to utilize private autos or to utilize them less by the intercession of public transit agencies? To be honest, by explicating the causes, impacts, and solutions for traffic jam in Zouk Mosbeh we might be able to achieve our ends, and make out for a well determined solution that suites decently everyone. Over the past decennaries, car production and the effort for main road building has gone viral, while urban mass theodolite systems have been disassembled or allowed to fall into disrepair. Hence, the terminal consequence has meant more traffic congestion, societal break, pollution, urban conurbation, wasted energy, and residential segregation. The more we disregard this affair the more jobs we will be confronting subsequently on. Peoples have non received the same public assistances from transit patterned advances and investings. Furthermore, some of the governmental policies in transit, lodging, environment, land usage, and environment may hold even subsidized to and exacerbated societal inequalities. For case, some communities accumulate net incomes from the enlargement undertakings of transit, while other communities endure a lopsided affliction and pay cost for the authorities. By and large, benefits are more disseminated, while costs or loads are more localised. Hence, holding a expressway for us as pupils to make Notre Dame University- Lebanon is non truly a benefit, because non all of us own a auto. A immense bulk of pupils suffer in order to make their university. For illustration, I as a pupil, suffer every twenty-four hours in order to make my category on clip. My journey starts by acquiring in a public coach and range Zouk Mosbeh Bridge ; afterwards as I reach my finish, I will hold to wait for 30 proceedingss at least in order to happen a cab that takes me to where my university is located. Furthermore, you will hold to pay duplicate the monetary value for the cab to take you to the secondary entryway of the university or else you will hold to walk from the chief entryway to make the secondary 1. For case, the same procedure takes topographic point as you leave university towards your place. Is this ethical? Do pupils who neither have a occupation nor have a auto have to travel through this procedure each and every individual twenty-f our hours? I believe that holding appropriate public coachs will break suit everyone. Furthermore, transit is critical to liveable, healthy and sustainable rural and urban communities. The transit strategy influences, and in bend is influenced by, fiscal enlargement determinations, existent estate’s investing determinations, land-use forms, and energy ingestion forms of the public and private sectors. The involvements of those doing transit determinations, upper and in-between category, educated governments chiefly, are served, while the demands, positions and involvements of people, are left out of the decision-making process, working, hapless and transit-dependent people, are non. The worthiness of societal justness and ecological sustainability are non major precedences and primacies in the bing transit system. On the other manus, traffic jam causes wellness jobs. We disregard these issues because we as users have no other solution for this affair. Each and every one of us decidedly suffer from take a breathing jobs, concerns, mental emphasis, unexpected perspiration, fatigue, oculus job, etc†¦ Our wellness is valuable without it we can no longer be able to accomplish our day-to-day undertakings. Then why non seek to work out this affair? Having several public coachs will decidedly hold less impact on our wellness than holding 1000000s of private autos. Most of import, clip is cherished why don’t we save it? We should be at least utilizing our clip for something utile, instead than passing it on route. Besides, in our Lebanese community, we have lack of planning of metropolis route. How much Numberss of autos can a low route infinite support? One of the major causes for our job is that, metropolis growing is unplanned ; neither are stoppage or parking infinites, every bit good as insufficient and unequal route infinite. Zouk Mosbeh is over populated due to the high migration from rural to urban countries. In add-on, there is deficiency of jurisprudence execution, hapless signaling system for drivers, and there is non adequate traffic constabulary to assist cut downing traffic jam. These are due to the deficiency of consciousness of our authorities. As for the of import constitutions in Zouk Mosbeh, Notre Dame University, and Notre Dame School, is a major cause for traffic jam. The route before was for local residential users, and now it has to back up pupils and teachers coming from everyplace in Lebanon. It is true that have such constitutions would increase economic facets, but t here should be a solution for traffic jam in order to ask for people in instead than allowing them go. Furthermore, there are environmental related issues due to the impact of traffic jam such as, air pollution, sound pollution, and noise pollution. How can we hold a healthy everlasting universe if we do non protect our environment? If we can non reconstruct our environment at an early phase, at least we should keep it and forestall its devastation. Hence, if cut down fuel ingestion, our environment will decidedly last thirster. On the other manus, there are some processs that could take topographic point and work out traffic jam. First, public transit agencies such as appropriate public coachs will for certain work out all the above jobs. Second, the authorities should implement rigorous jurisprudence by non leting high velocity vehicles on route, and they should deter private autos. For illustration, if the authorities In fact, the authorities should command route side activities and create arrest for coachs. Besides, there should be school, university, office clip scheduling. This will save clip for everyone. If we all go at the same clip, we will be spending clip on route instead than in university or work. Last but non least, increasing prosaic installations is of import. This would promote people to walk instead than sit in a auto making nil but perspiration. We are people who should take control of our lives. We should be wise plenty to larn from our mistakes. A healthy life is a right for everyone so why don’t we try to gain it?

Organ Donation Essays - Organ Donation, Medical Ethics, Free Essays

Organ Donation Essays - Organ Donation, Medical Ethics, Free Essays Organ Donation Organ donation is a topic which contains many conflicting views. To some of the public population organ donation is a genuine way of saving the life of another, to some it is mistrusted and to others it is not fully understood. There are some techniques that can be used to increase donation. Of these techniques the most crucial would be being educated. If the life threatening and the critical shortage of organs was fully understood by the public, organ donation would more likely be on the rise. An effort is needed throughout the world to make people aware of the benefits this process contains. Advances in medical technology have made it possible to save someone?s life by a process of organ donation. However, the scarcity of available organs is bringing the beneficial process down. By becoming an organ donor, people engage in improving someone else?s life at no cost. Although the question of religious or moral cost comes into effect, virtually there is no physical cost of becoming an organ donor. Organ donation should be seen as the "gift of life" but there are not enough logical explanations to explain this phrase. Whether people are donors, non-donors or recipients, all the public should be aware that organ donation is for the common welfare. Organ Donation-Why People Become Donors The main reason an individual becomes an organ donor is to give someone the "gift of life." By giving someone this privilege a person feels they are adding to another person?s life. Some reasons people give this gift is simply from having a kind heart, they may find the other person?s use for the organ more important than their need or maybe just because they just have no use for the organ. In certain circumstances a family will give consent of a deceased one?s organ in hope of easing their pain and sorrow. They feel by aiding in another life it will take some of their grief away. Organ donors compared to non-donors seem to be highly motivated and a bit more medically sophisticated. Those individuals who decide to become organ donors are those in our population who are willing to better other?s life. Organ Donation-Why People Do Not Become Donors Organ donation to some people is not the "gift of life," but "dying not whole." Religious aspects play a big role in why people don?t become donors, despite the fact that all major religious support organ donation to save lives. Moral beliefs also play into this issue regardless of religion. Several non-donors feel that physicians will terminate life support if they are aware of their wishes to be a donor. Another reason people chose not to become donors is they do not have enough knowledge on the topic. Those who are not donors tend to seem more suspicious and distrustful. Many non-donors have an overall mistrust of the medical community. Non-donors simply mistrust the organ donation system. They have mistrust for the system in regards to physicians and who physicians will award an organ to. Organ Donation-Public Education Needed For organ donation to increase, efforts must be directed to those who are not convinced that donation is for the common welfare. One way to increase organ donation is for physicians to educate their patients better regarding the benefits and success of transplantation. Public education about organ donation and volunteering for donation is needed. There should be more investments in public education programs to promote the idea of organ donation. Neither donors or non-donors have enough knowledge on this topic. Currently in the U.S. an effort to educate the public is underway. This effort is referred to as the Coalition on Donation and Advertising Council. The goal of this coalition is to ensure every individual in the U.S. understands the need for organ donation and accepts it as a human responsibility. Organ Donation-Ways to Increase Awareness organ donation is in serious need for more participants. Medical technology has made it possible to give people a second chance at life and our public population is bringing this chance down. Educational efforts remain most important to increase the success of donation. The public needs to recognize the benefits of such a process. The role of a family must also improve. Although families have the authority to refuse

10 Facts You Didnt Know About Sicily

10 Facts You Didn't Know About Sicily Population: 5,050,486 (2010 estimate)Capital: PalermoArea: 9,927 square miles (25,711 sq km)Highest Point: Mount Etna at 10,890 feet (3,320 m) Sicily is an island located in the Mediterranean Sea. It is the largest island in the Mediterranean. Politically, Sicily and the smaller islands surrounding it are considered an autonomous region of Italy. The island is known for its rugged, volcanic topography, history, culture,  and architecture. The following is a list of ten geographic facts to know about Sicily: Geography Facts About Sicily Sicily has a long history that dates back to ancient times. It is believed that the earliest inhabitants of the island were the Sicani people around 8,000 B.C.E. Around 750 B.C.E, the Greeks began to form settlements on Sicily and the culture of the native peoples of the island gradually shifted. The most important area of Sicily at this time was the Greek colony of Syracuse which controlled most of the island. The Greek-Punic wars then began in 600 B.C.E as the Greeks and Carthaginians fought for control of the island. In 262 B.C.E, Greece and the Roman Republic began to make peace and by 242 B.C.E, Sicily was a Roman province.Control of Sicily then shifted through various empires and people throughout the Early Middle Ages. Some of these included the Germanic Vandals, the Byzantines, Arabs, and Normans. In 1130 C.E., the island became the Kingdom of Sicily and it was known as one of the richest states in Europe at the time. In 1262, Sicilian locals rose up against the government in the War of the Sicilian Vespers which lasted until 1302. More revolts occurred in the 17th century and by the mid-1700s, the island was taken over by Spain. In the 1800s, Sicily joined the Napoleonic Wars and for a time after the wars, it was unified with Naples as the Two Sicilies. In 1848, a revolution took place which separated Sicily from Naples and gave it independence. In 1860 Giuseppe Garibaldi and his Expedition of the Thousand took control of Sicily and the island became a part of the Kingdom of Italy. In 1946, Italy became a republic and Sicily became an autonomous region.The economy of Sicily is relatively strong due to its very fertile, volcanic soil. It also has a long, hot growing season, making agriculture the primary industry on the island. The main agricultural products of Sicily are citrons, oranges, lemons, olives, olive oil, almonds, and grapes. In addition, wine is also a major part of Sicily’s economy. Other industries in Sicily include processed food, chemicals, petroleum, fertilizer, textiles, ships, leather goods, and forest products.In addition to its agriculture and other industries, tourism plays a major role in Sicily’s economy. Tourists often visit the island because of its mild climate, history, culture,  and cuisine. Sicily is also home to several UNESCO World Heritage Sites. These sites include the Archaeo logical Area of Agrigento, the Villa Romana del Casale, the Aeolian Islands, the Late Baroque Towns of the Val de Noto, and Syracuse and the Rocky Necropolis of Pantalica. Throughout its history, Sicily has been influenced by a variety of different cultures, including Greek, Roman, Byzantine, Norman, Saracens,  and Spanish. As a result of these influences, Sicily has a diverse culture, as well as diverse architecture and cuisine. As of 2010, Sicily had a population of 5,050,486 and the majority of the people on the island identify themselves as Sicilian.Sicily is a large, triangular island located in the Mediterranean Sea. It is separated from the mainland of Italy by the Strait of Messina. At their closest points, Sicily and Italy are separated by just 2 miles (3 km) in the northern part of the strait, while in the southern part the distance between the two is 10 miles (16 km). Sicily has an area of 9,927 square miles (25,711 sq km). The autonomous region of Sicily also includes the Aegadian Islands, the Aeolian Islands, Pantelleria, and Lampedusa.Most of Sicily’s topography is hilly to rugged and wherever possible, the land is dominated by a griculture. There are mountains along Sicily’s northern coast, and the island’s highest point, Mount Etna, stands at 10,890 feet (3,320 m) on its eastern coast. Sicily and its surrounding islands are home to a number of active volcanoes. Mount Etna is a very active, having last erupted in 2011. It is the tallest active volcano in Europe. The islands surrounding Sicily are also home to a number of active and dormant volcanoes, including Mount Stromboli in the Aeolian Islands.The climate of Sicily is considered Mediterranean. As such, it has mild, wet winters, and hot, dry summers. Sicily’s capital Palermo has a January average low temperature of 47ËšF (8.2ËšC) and an August average high temperature of 84ËšF (29ËšC).

7 Pep Talk Points About Writing

7 Pep Talk Points About Writing 7 Pep Talk Points About Writing 7 Pep Talk Points About Writing By Mark Nichol Fiction? Nonfiction? It doesn’t matter. It’s all about getting started, but you’ll need a few supplies, and some directions, for your journey: 1. The Elevator Pitch Imagine you’re in an elevator, and a literary agent, a theatrical producer, or a movie star steps in. After a quick greeting (we’re fantasizing here), you mention that you’re writing a story and they ask you what it’s about (fantasizing roll with it). You have 15 seconds before they step off the elevator and (unless you take my advice) out of your life forever. What do you say? That’s an elevator pitch. Without a pitch, you have no story. (Sometimes it’s the first sentence.) Nonfiction? Same. 2. The First Word Sit down and write the first word that comes into your head. The page isn’t blank anymore, and you now have permission to continue. 3. Procrastination Work it into your writing schedule. When you’re getting started each day, allow 5, 10, or 15 minutes to do something else an administrative task, a spot of research, scanning your notes or what you wrote yesterday (but don’t dive in to revise it). Then, when your time is up, get to work. 4. Exposition You’ve heard it before, but you can’t be reminded often enough: Show, don’t tell. Don’t describe how someone feels; illustrate attitude or emotion with actions, not observations. This rule applies to nonfiction as well as fiction. 5. Purpose â€Å"What’s my motivation?† is the cliched actor’s query, but it’s a good question. Your characters are actors, too (but let’s not get distracted about film rights just yet). What do they want? What are they willing to do to get it? When you answer the first question, it’s easier to produce the answer to the second one also known as a story. 6. Challenges A story without obstacles is like well, like a dull story. Readers identify with characters who get knocked down, dust themselves off, and get knocked down again. Rinse and repeat. Whether, on the last page, they end up on their feet or on a slab is up to you, but a story without significant challenges to the protagonist(s) is called a manuscript, not a book. 7. Rejection Did you give up on dating after you were turned down the first time? If you want your manuscript to â€Å"go out with† an editor or an agent, you must persevere. Each â€Å"No† brings you one step closer to â€Å"Yes.† And there will be a â€Å"Yes.† Unless you quit before you hear it. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the General category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:When to Use â€Å"That,† â€Å"Which,† and â€Å"Who†Using the Active Voice to Strengthen Your WritingCapitalizing Titles of People and Groups