Matthew 6 24

Matthew 6 24 Introduction/ Thesis statement The gospel of Matthew is a book that alludes to the Old Testament books and other books from the New Testament, which had preached the coming and the works of Jesus Christ. Though the book has about three divisions, chapter six, verses twenty four to thirty (Matthew 6:24-34), enormously condemns worship of wealth due to greediness because such worship competes with the true worship of the sovereign Lord. According to Matthew, Jesus used parables, narratives, and miracles to pass his message to the people.Advertising We will write a custom critical writing sample on Matthew 6: 24-30 specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Moreover, he openly condemned ungodly practices like wealth possession at the expense of the faith of an individual. Matthew chose words with precision to ensure that all Christians, even children, clearly understood the message in the sermon. With application of literary elements like symbols and similes among others, Jesus convinced people to worship God and not wealth. Although the bible has different authors, some of the stories are parallel or similar especially in the Gospels, which are the case with Matthew, John, and Luke. Though translated from Greek, the book of Matthew (Matthew 6:24-30) elaborates the themes of faith or trust, materialism (wealth, possessions and greediness) and Christianity, which ultimately separate man from God. The passage translation Originally, Matthew 6:24-30 was in Greek, which led to different translations according to personal understanding of the text or message. Therefore, the following is the personal translation from the Greek language and New International Version (NIV). â€Å"â€Å"No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money. 25 â€Å"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothes? 26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow, reap, or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not valuable than they are? 27 Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?   28 â€Å"And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in his entire splendor was dressed like one of these. 30 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you- you of little faith?† (Matthew 6: 24-30 New international Version Bible). Choice of words in the translation in comparison to others The above translation may differ slightly from the Greek version due to the choice of words, which may have a slight different meaning. Greek is not as popular as Eng lish; therefore, the use of simple English verbs, phrases or words enables students or readers who are non-native speakers to study effectively.Advertising Looking for critical writing on religion theology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The words are simple, straightforward, and unsophisticated to enable anyone, even a child, to understand the message in the text. Due to simplicity, readers do not have to refer or infer to the original text in Greek or to the bible dictionary to get the meaning of the complex words in the text. Moreover, the interpretation of the message is easier due to the simplicity of the words; therefore, the themes like trust and faith are clear. The bible is a complex and enormous book that needs clarity of words; thus, simple words not only attract the readers, but also encourage them to read on. As aforementioned, English is a worldwide spoken language and unsophisticated language or choi ce of words enables all new learners to understand clearly the words including the message without the need of an instructor or a teacher for interpretation. Words like â€Å"single cubit† are complex words that will force a reader to use a dictionary. Therefore, I opted to use the word â€Å"increase your earthly survival time† to bring out the clarity that is lacking in the original text. The other word is â€Å"masters†, which I replaced with â€Å"people or individual† for easier understanding. The word ‘masters’ might have two meanings viz. a leader or a boss; therefore, it may confuse the reader. However, a simplified word like ‘person’ cannot have multiple meanings leading to clarity. I also used the word â€Å"richness† instead of â€Å"splendor† when describing King Solomon’s wealth to elaborate the text or message. Therefore, the simple choice of words as rich, people, and individual over others lik e Masters and splendor not only promotes easier understanding of the verses, but also attract new English learner to read and understand the sermon. The literary elements used in the passage Although the bible has been in existence for many years, Matthew explicitly used different literary elements to elaborate and cite the preaching of Jesus as it is the case in chapter six. According to Matthew, symbolism is one of the major elements applied by Jesus during his preaching. For instance, He used clothes, food, and money among other items during his preaching. According to Jesus, the aforementioned items connoted wealth, greediness, and other worldly possessions that most people fight and struggle to achieve. Even though Jesus did not condemn directly the issue of amassing wealth, the items he mentioned contribute to wealth, which eventually separate man from God. Money is a symbol of wealth, power, and luxury and thus anybody focusing on money is likely to forget about the existence of God in his or her life.Advertising We will write a custom critical writing sample on Matthew 6: 24-30 specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More From the preaching of Jesus about wealth and God, it is evident that, in the process of amassing riches, an individual commits a number of sins. Such deeds not only diminish his or her faith, but may also end up shortening his or her lifespan. On the other hand, Jesus used wild birds, flowers, and grasses, which are symbols of poverty. True to Jesus’ words, birds, flowers, and grass do not have houses, own land, money, or clothes; nevertheless, they eventually live a happy life, something that majority of human beings lack. Jesus used such symbols to warn people of the futility of chasing earthly possessions at the expense of knowing and revering their Creator. Additionally, the body is a symbol of life and happiness; therefore, people who take care of their body or life assume God cannot d o so. For anybody to live a longer life on earth, he or she should have faith in God and not work hard to prolong it. Finally, Solomon was a famous sagacious rich King; he is a symbol of wealth. However, Solomon’s life did not shine, as it is the case with the birds. When Jesus used Solomon as a symbol of wealth, he meant to discourage people from struggling or worrying about wealth, which separates them from God. However, slightly complex, symbols motivate the readers to reflect and meditate on the message and understand it fully. To sum it all, Jesus used different elements of work to not only attract his listeners, but also to encourage them to trust in God. The second literary element is narration, which elaborates Jesus’ preaching. He gives a story on a servant with two masters before underscoring the inability to serve them equally. A servant is mostly a poor person struggling to survive and by having a divided attention, s/he will do a shoddy or poor work. The m aster will have to dismiss such a servant for inefficient work and the same story applies to anybody struggling to work for earthly possessions. The use of narration is to bring out simplicity in a bid to clarify the intended message or sermon. The second story is about birds, their lifestyles, and happy life void of anxiety. The third story is about wild flowers and grass, which shine but do not struggle to gain wealth. Though living in wild habitat, flowers and grasses worry less about what might happen the following day. Through narration, Jesus was able to use common examples that are visible and easy to understand; thus clarifying his preaching .The third literary element is a simile, which compares clothes to flowers. â€Å"Not even King Solomon with all his richness dressed like flowers† (Matthew 6: 29).Advertising Looking for critical writing on religion theology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Though not tended, flowers outshine clothes, which need skill and precision to make and even the inherent beauty of flowers outshines the clothes of a rich man. Therefore, the use of a simile in his comparison elaborates and clarifies the intended message. The simile gives a direct comparison to physical, visible, and tangible items thus making it easier for anybody to interpret the message. The different translations of the words ‘single cubit’ In the old books, the phrase â€Å"single cubit† is a bit complex when compared to my translation, which I have replaced with â€Å"extends earthly survival with one hour.† conventionally, an adult stops growing in height at the age of twenty-two. Therefore, he or she has to read the text with concern and deep reflection to understand the hidden meaning, which is to increase one’s lifespan. On the other hand, the best choice of words and other literary forms is simple, open, and clear; no complex words in th e translation. Moreover, simple forms of literary choices also promote clarity and easier interpretation of the text or message. According to the teachings of Jesus in the book of John, the word â€Å"food† has different or symbolic meaning as opposed to my periscope. According to John, Jesus used the word food not to mean literary eating, but to imply spiritual nourishment. In John, Jesus says, â€Å"My food, is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work† (John 4:31-36). Therefore, according to Jesus, his food was to nourish spiritually all people and the accomplishment of his earthly work is his ‘food’. Although Jesus and his disciples were hungry, he did not allow them to look for food until he was done with his preaching. The harvests from the fields are useless if nobody listens to the preaching of Jesus. When compared to Matthew, the word â€Å"food† has different meaning in the two books. While the book of Matthew literary uses ‘food’ to imply food for body nourishment or nutrients, the book of John uses the same to imply spiritual and Godly nourishment. Nevertheless, the apostle Luke uses the word ‘food’ when referring to the miracles of Jesus. In the book of Luke, the word ‘food’ has the literary meaning of eating for body growth (Luke 9:13). Though used in different books, both Luke and Matthew refer to ‘food’ as necessity for body nutrients, while in John it means listening to God’s word. The similarity, difference/contradictions of the story with other Gospels The story of ‘God and Possessions’ is also similar to the story of ‘trust in God’ in the book of Luke 12:22-29. In the two texts, Jesus is asking his disciples not to worry about wealth especially food, clothes, and other forms of possessions at the expense of their spiritual wellbeing. The two stories are also similar because the apostle Luke uses wild flowers and grass to symbolize poverty. In the same way, he also alludes to the Old Testament on the lifestyle of King Solomon in that, despite being rich, Solomon’s clothes were not as shinny as the flowers of the field. Therefore, the two stories have the same literary elements and thus the same meaning. The two disciples used the element of narration to emphasize the ministry work of Jesus. Additionally, though slightly different, the simile used in both stories is similar and thus has a similar meaning. The themes of the stories are same whereby trust, faith, Christianity, and wealth are the main themes highlighted. On the other hand, there is a slight difference because instead of using birds, Luke uses a cow as a symbol to elaborate his message. In addition, Luke does not start with a story about a servant with two masters; thus, slightly differs with the book of Matthew. The book of Luke also highlights the theme of management, which lacks in the book of Matthew. The two stori es also contradict because, while Matthew uses ‘bird’, John uses ‘cow’ to symbolically mean poverty yet both of them were the disciples of Jesus who listened the same story at the same time. Therefore, Jesus preached a similar story to the same audience but at different times, which led to the difference especially in the symbols used. Similarly, the commencement of the story is not in the same way because while Luke omits some of the aspects, Matthew adds some words or phrases that are missing in Luke’s text thus bringing out the contradiction or difference. Significance of the pericope to the First audience During the times of Jesus, most people struggled to amerce wealth, which made them to commit sins while others decided to worship their wealth and not God. Eventually, Jesus had to condemn the people’s act of leading to the emergence of the above pericope. Because of the tough times and the need to make ends meet, the first audience to li sten the sermon on the above pericope was not only surprised but also confused. Everybody has to work in order to meet his or her daily needs but Jesus was urging them to forget about that and concentrate on God (Musser Para.3). Therefore, Jesus compelled Christians to practice the virtues of faith or trust other than doubting God. However, some of the disciples and the followers of Jesus opted to forgo their daily routine jobs like fishing to preach the word of God. The disciples of Jesus had to trust in God for the provision of their daily upkeep thus most of them had to continue to compel Christians to worship God other than wealth or other gods. Significance of the pericope in the contemporary world Contemporarily, wealth or riches are the essential needs but at the expense of God’s word. Currently, both Christian .Most priests, pastors and other church leaders compete to drive lavish cars or enormous bungalows at the expense of their Christian faith. Some preachers or ch urch leaders/ elders especially of the newly sprouting churches fight for leadership positions in their institutions. The aim for fighting for the leadership positions is to enable them control church funds (money). On the other hand, â€Å"Christians or people who acquire wealth or riches in ungodly ways will definitely pay the price† (Wiersbe â€Å"Bile Exposition Commentary set volume 2† 1). Therefore, Christians should trust or have faith in God thus enabling them to acquire genuine wealth. In addition, most Christians like politicians and other leaders worship either their wealth (vehicles, bodies) or other gods. Some people decide to worship other gods because of the lure of acquiring quick money, which completely separates them from God. Due to greed, some church leaders accept or give bribes to gain favors. Others people (Christians) either practice politics or are politicians who end up supporting one party or the other. Finally, enmity brews up in most church es or Christians. When Christians practice virtues like equality, trust, faith, mercy and love everybody in the world will be worshipping God. Due to fight for power, money and other forms riches kill, fornicate, or even consult witch doctors thus separating them from God. Eventually people or Christians are not only living a devilish lifestyle but also die prematurely. According to Wiersbe â€Å"Bile Exposition Commentary set volume 1†, people or Christians who trust God for their daily provisions live both a longer and peaceful life (15). Therefore, the above pericope preaches or ministers to both Christians and non-Christians to practice Godly virtues. Thusly, the world will be a better place to be if wealth is not a priority among Christians. Conclusion In Summary, the book of Matthew is an entity in the bible that preaches the desire of Jesus. Jesus always wanted Christians to practice Faith and trust in God for their everyday survival. Although the pericope is in many t ranslations, the message is the same. The apostles of Jesus were among the early Christians or audience to hear the above pericope. Most of them opted to follow Christ and his preaching and they had to forgo their jobs or family. Contemporarily, few Christians practice the message in the above pericope. Besides worshipping wealth, they also adore other god apart from the sovereign mainly due to greed. Some even kill or fight due to property ownerships but if they adhere to the message in the above pericope, nobody in the world will die or fight over wealth. Finally, according to the pericope God is the provider of all earthly riches therefore anybody who struggles singly to acquire wealth will end up as a pauper. Musser, Donald. An introduction to the Bible revised edition. Nashville: Abingdon, 2001. New international Version Bible, 1999. Web. https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John%204:31-36version=NIV Wiersbe, Warren. Bile Exposition Commentary set volume 2. New York: E vangelical Christian Publishers Association, 2009. Wiersbe, Warren. Bile Exposition Commentary set volume 1. New York: Evangelical Christian Publishers Association, 2004.

Testing Money Demand Equation, Econometrics Assignment, SAS Speech or Presentation

Testing Money Demand Equation, Econometrics Assignment, SAS - Speech or Presentation Example To interpret whether variations in dependent variable, (mt – pt) is explained or not, explanatory powers of each of the two independent variables have to be considered. If the Student’s-statistics of the respective estimated coefficients are found to be greater than the tabulated value at the given degrees of freedom, the corresponding variable is considered to be significantly explaining variations in the model and vice-versa. At 107 degrees of freedom, tabulated t-statistic is 1.99, which is lower than the estimated values in either case. Hence, each one of the two variables is found to be significantly explaining variations in the dependent variable so that variation in the model is perfectly explained. Money demand in excess of the general price level is found to be highly dependent on income and rate of interest in context of the US economy. The dependence is found to be in line with that of theory which says that demand for money is directly related to income but inversely related to the rate of interest. Moreover, the rate of interest in the nation is also gradually falling over time, revealing that the money demand in the nation is rising actually. A rise in money demand is actually a positive sign for economies which had been engulfed in a recession, since that implies a rise in aggregate demand and thus rise in national income. Hence it could be said that the US economy is actually at the verge of experiencing boom. In fact, a rising income will attract investors from all over the world thus ensure the nation a consistent period of boom. Since the number of observations is the same as that in the previous case, the degrees of freedom are equal to 107. So, using the rule mentioned above it can be said that both the intercept and time factor can explain variations in the dependent variable significantly. The model being estimated shows

Critical Analysis of a Public Speech by Kevin Rudd Essay

Critical Analysis of a Public Speech by Kevin Rudd - Essay Example The speaker applies a number of stylistic devices during his speech to make the message as real and practical as possible to the audience. In addition, body language and movement is used to enhance the delivery of the message. This essay will analyze the speech by Kevin Rudd on the topic â€Å"Are China and the US doomed to conflict† on the effectiveness of the delivery of the message. The speaker was Kevin Rudd and the speech was delivered in March 2015. Kevin Rudd is a former prime minister of the Republic of Australia. As a growing young boy, Kevin did not gain interest in working in the fields, a thing that was the norm in his home country, Australia. In his speech, he narrates a story of how his mother, knowing that the son will not gain interest in working in the fields, gave him an idea that he took up (Rudd). He decided to study the Chinese language since according to the newspaper his mother gave him when he was fourteen, the headline stating that China was entering the United Nation (Rudd). By providing this information, the former prime minister was establishing the foundation of the success of the country of China. This informed the audience why China was rising and the inspiration for studying the Chinese language. By providing the newspaper title, the speaker was establishing his credibility (Jaffe), showing the audience how much informed he was on th e developments in China. The use of an allegory provided the attention he expected from the audience.

Women In The Military Essay Example for Free

Women In The Military Essay Women in the military has been a controversial topic for many years now, and the roles they play in the armed services. In this paper I will discuss the roles women have occupied, and if they should be allowed to participate on the front lines in war. This has been a topic receiving more attention as the years progress. It used to be never customary for women to be involved in war in any way, but as civil rights has been more of an issue so has women going to war. The women want to be equal to men, but the question is can they handle doing what the men can do on the front lines. It is well known women provide good services and do a fine jobs working up the ranks in the military. They have grown in numbers and have gained more respect in recent years by using their knowledge and skills. However, they are still not prevalent in mass numbers during fighting in battles of war. I will try to balance out the positives and negatives of this topic then give my personal opinion on this widely discussed issue. It has been longed believed that men are suppose to be the warriors and the ones who fight to protect his family or country. That has been the basic theory for all the past years, so the women had no influence on war at all. Even back in the civil war days women had no part in the war in any way. They were expected to take care of the kids and the house hold has the men went off to fight. They did not even realize what was really going on, because they had knowledge how war was fought. This has been the way because of womens physical characteristics. In general women are not as big or strong as men, so they have been considered weak and not able to battle. For the maturity of women compared to men that is a true statement. They do not have the physical size, strength, or speed as men do for the most part. There are always exceptions, but for maturity that is a basic fact. The physical characteristic differences in women from men defiantly play a major part in them not fighting in the front the lines. When people go to war they carry extremely heavy backpacks on their backs all the time. Those backpacks are how they survive in the times they are not near their bases. Those packs are also very heavy along with all the clothes they have to wear as well. Most women could not travel with those packs on there backs for to long with out becoming fatigue then naturally slowing the group the down. The military eliminates men or women that would slow them down in battle, because time is of essence. The women would also have a hard time handling the guns the military uses. They use heavy machinery and powerful weapons that are difficult to handle. It is not an easy job to hold a gun in place when it kicks back every time the trigger is pulled. Most women would just become too fatigued, since there physical characteristics are not equal to men, so that therefore would be a negative affect with women on the front lines. The number of women in the armed forces has grown dramatically since World War II. During WWII women were mostly nurses so were suppose to take care of men. However, as America went deeper into the war, the women needed to play greater roles. They were called on to work in factories to build the weapons needed, and take more responsibilities in the medical teams. After WWII of course the civil rights movement started to grow stronger for more women rights. Women felt they could be more than just a housewife or a nurse. Some women went into the working field, while others wanted to be in the military. By the time the Gulf War started in the early 1990s there were numerous amounts of women in all areas of the armed forces. Women proved themselves to be disciplined and tough in the military, as well as sources of knowledge. Women think about things and see some situations differently than men. They can bring a new perspective to things, which helps develop better strategies in war. Women now have high ranks in all the armed forces and help protect America as well as any man. Women are also a lot more emotional than men are. This is another reason why women shouldnt be in the military, especially during times of war. They could not fight being all emotional. Once again for the maturity men can put on a tougher face and do the job without worrying what they are doing, while they are doing it. It is not an easy task for any sane person to kill someone or watch someone die without having some sort of emotion. However, they have to look past that for the time being or they could be in danger for letting there guard down. It is much more likely for women to care too much about the people dieing next to them when it happens. The group has to be willing to let that person go and continue at the task at hand. For the most part men can look past that persons death, without having to cry or worry about it while there still fighting. Most women could not handle what occurs in war. Womens numbers in the military has increased a lot because they have one many civil rights battles, and the fact there are a number of jobs available in the military other than actual combat. The military needs more to be successful than just good fighters. More jobs have opened up since the advancing technology and number of people in the military. The military offers excellent educational opportunities and other jobs such as engineers, scientists, doctors, lawyers, journalist, writers, accountants, and etcetera. With all those different jobs needed in the military in some way, there has been a lot of openings. Women can achieve just as good education or better than men, and have the opportunity to acquire those jobs. This benefits the military greatly because there is a variety, which can only help increase brain power. Traditionally through out time women are not supposed to fight in war. Women were thought of to never have what it takes to be a warrior in the eyes of men. They were not as big, strong, fast, or smart was the theory. Even Aristotle and Plato developed theories how women did not have enough courage or virtue to be able to fight. They felt they lacked that killer instinct. Basically, it has just been custom for men to battle and be the provider and for the women to take care of the home. Times are changing where women are equal to men, but it is hard to break something that has held true for so many years. Another positive to women fighting though is it increases the number of people. In theory if there are more people on one side chances are they are going to win the war. The army could just out number the opponent, so they could just dominate that way. It would be more intimating to fight with a lot more people than normal, and the enemy would be more likely to back down. Also something holds true about the saying safety in numbers. It is never good to have soldiers killed in battle, but the more people you have the more people you can afford to loose without being overrun by lack of numbers. Throughout this paper I have shown some of the positive and negative aspects of women in the military, especially women going into war. After researching this topic I have developed my own opinion on this issue. I now believe women are needed in the military to perform several jobs, but I do not feel they should be in battle. There are a number of opportunities to take advantage of in the military, where one will never have to go to war. People can work with intelligence agencies, on the medical staff, scientists, or professional jobs such as doctors, lawyers, or journalists. Women can filll the need for these jobs and others just as well as a man could. However, I believe in the traditional thinking that women should not be in battle. I also dont think they have the physical capabilities to handle war. There are some that could, but war is too physically and emotionally demanding for the maturity of women to handle.

William Wallace :: essays research papers

William Wallace, one of Scotlands greatest national heroes to ever live, had had enough of King Edward I (Longshanks), king of Englands rule over Scotland. The patriotic Scottish outlaw organized a rebellion to stand up to Edwards rule. Wallace became a hero among the Scots but was considered a traitor by the English. Ultimately Scotland did win its freedom, but Wallaces own campaign was a failure. The main reasons for the failure of William Wallaces military campaign are: The lack of leadership on the Scottish side, the lack of cooperation among the Scottish nobles, and the fact that the Scots were greatly outnumbered, poorly trained and poorly armed. The first point that will be discussed is the lack of Scottish leadership. It would be impossible for any army to have many, if any, victories when there is no true leader to stand up and lead. Scotlands king, Alexander III, had, died after riding off a cliff during a wild storm.1 There was no heir to the Scottish throne because King Alexander III had outlived all of his children.2 Without a king, Scotland was pretty much lost. They had no direction as to what to do or when to do it. Without a king, the next in line to rule would have been the nobles. The problem with the nobles is that they were all too stubborn and proud to be ordered around by anyone, or cooperate with any of the other nobles. They would fight in their own good time and wherever they saw fit, but they would accept orders from no one.3 It was bad enough that Scotland had no king but the defiance by the nobles to lend Wallace aid did not help Wallaces campaign at all. The little leadership the Scottish rebels had was not enough. William Wallace is said to have been an excellent fighter. Unmatched in strength, speed, stamina or skill with a claymore, but despite his ability to fight, he was very inexperienced in commanding an army. The only thing he had ever led was a handful of loyal rebels on raids. The Scottish spirits were high but their courage was not enough to overcome the lack of organization.4 Thomas B. Costain says, The best fighting force in the world would be helpless if it lacked authority behind it to supply arms and food and scouting facilities to keep an eye on enemy movements.

Poetry Analysis: Persimmons Essay

â€Å"See through.† Surely, most people have experienced this feeling before, the feelings of being seen, but not truly â€Å"seen.† As if every part of their being, their roots, their culture, and history meant nothing and holds no value to anyone but themselves, just as the speaker is raised in a bi-lingual, bi-culture atmosphere although most of us may be forgotten throughout our lifetime from daily encounters or short terms relationships; semester long classmates and professors, the poem â€Å"Persimmons† by Li-Young Lee reveals to us with his brilliant use of imagery, symbolism, and other literary devices, emotions so rooted, that they almost escape words. In the poem, the reality revealed is that we will someday fade away from people and this world. But that the true beauty lies during the events in our lives and until the finale, we are the ones to hold the sweet, ripe â€Å"Persimmon,† a sacred and distinct â€Å"sun inside [each of us]†¦ golden [and] warm.† Li-Young Lee implements imagery and symbolism to underline the metamorphosis of the early life of the struggles of social placement of a young American Chinese boy to the deep passions of a young man. â€Å"Persimmons† teach us that even if we may go blind, just like the speakers father in the poem, it comes to show that our experiences of life, that despite not everyone will appreciate, or understand fully, that it is something that will forever remain etched in our souls. At first the poem starts out a bit scattered. There were several pieces that did not seem to follow the time and meaning, but while seemingly scattered, his memories do in fact connect in several ways. As one specific device, most of his recollections involve the symbol of the Chinese fruit, persimmons. The poem begins with an unpleasant memory from the speaker’s sixth grade classroom where he recalls being slapped on the head and ordered to â€Å"stand in the corner for not knowing the difference/between [the words] persimmon and precision†(3-5). Right at that moment the speaker’s attitude is that of confusion. In the first stanza, we learn that Mrs. Walker was the speaker’s teacher in sixth grade: In sixth grade Mrs. Walker Slapped the back of my head and made me stand in the corner for not knowing the difference between persimmon and precision. How to choose   persimmons. This is precision. (1-6) To Mrs. Walker, the point is simple; the young boy, whose native language is Chinese, simply cannot attain and grasp the elements of English. Clearly he confuses the words that are seen from Mrs. Walker’s point of view to have nothing in common, but maybe only holds similar sounds and that is all. But in the boy’s mind, the two words are connected in a way that Mrs. Walker will never grasp without delving deep. A particular literary device that Lee uses is the choice of enjambment at the word â€Å"choose,† (6) which breaks the first stanza and draws attention to the act of selection, and the process of making choices. Although in the first stanza it is seen that the speaker, as a child and as a student is stripped from the power to choose in the process and codes of the incident of his classroom assimilation, he regains power by justifying his linguistic conflations of the words â€Å"persimmon and precision,† (5) by connecting the words through their sim ilar sounds and by symbolic association: â€Å"How to choose/ persimmons. This is precision† (6– 7) and â€Å"fight and fright, wren and yarn† (31). While justifying the melting pot of his words, he also re-claims control by demonstrating his command of the English language. In the second stanza, however, Lee elaborates on the correct way of carefully selecting and eating a persimmon, and along with that it is affirmed that the speaker does in fact know the difference between the two words. The speaker reveals his understanding of â€Å"precision† in the diction being used by Lee to describe how to pick out and eat a persimmon; the words â€Å"soft,† â€Å"sweet,† â€Å"sniff,† and â€Å"brown-spotted, are given to the fruit characterizing it and transcending the physical sense of the Chinese fruit and transforming it into an important element, and symbol. Whereas the character of Mrs. Walker  would fall in the category of the â€Å"teachers† that one may meet throughout life. It can be anyone: from a school teacher, a semester –long college peer, a random onlooker, or society itself. However, these â€Å"teachers† not judge one’s personality, but are also ignorant. In defined terms; a person may be treated as a sheep, when in fact, they are the ones fenced in, not able to reach, see or feel further; they do not bother to survey into the deep and enigmatic waters of people, Self, and emotions, in this case, the boy’s mind. The teacher is not aware that his mind is full of different worlds; the world or emotions, and his rich culture. The only thing they perceive is that the boy may have a problem; that the boy has trouble with words, which in a way he does, but for him, the words that tend to â€Å"stick out of the page† for him are because of the assimilations that they induce: Ripe ones are soft and brown-spotted. Sniff the bottoms. The sweet one Will be fragrant. How to eat: Put the knife away, lay down the newspaper. Peel the skin tenderly, not to tear the meat. Chew the skin, suck it,  and swallow. Now, eat   the meat of the fruit,  so sweet,  all of it, to the heart. Can Mrs. Walker and anyone belonging to this pragmatic world even care to imagine the world within him? To the speaker a persimmon is precision, because one needs the ability of perceiving a precise persimmon and the persimmon itself is precision by its existence; a soft fruit, the shape, the smell of a ripe one is an art; not everyone has the talent to spot one and the proper knowledge of how to eat one, just like Mrs. Walker incorrectly prepares the persimmons for the class, as she uses a knife to â€Å"cut it up† (41) as if she were â€Å"cutting up† this demonstrates her violation of the Chinese culture of the speaker. The poem takes on a dramatic turn at the third stanza, where the speaker fast  forwards through time. Here the speaker describes the moment of a passionate experience with his lover. Here by Lee’s use of symbolism and contrasting word choice is significant because of specific time and place it is being used. In this moment, the speaker has forgotten his Chinese, this could represent the past problems of assimilation to have faded in the aspect of the triumph over the English language. Although he has perhaps gained societal acceptance as an Asian American, he has also gravely lost, where his loss out wins his gain; the loss of his native language, the loss of his culture. As a second interpretation would be that when the speaker forgets about the â€Å"Dew† and the fact that they are â€Å"Naked,† but recalls the â€Å"Crickets: chiu chiu† and that â€Å"Ni, wo: [means] you and me† represents his total captivation in the moment, the moment when tw o lovers unite, creating a union, one perhaps forgets that fact of nakedness, because perhaps in that beautiful moment, one does not feel naked, because their significant other is there, and they are all they need to feel covered, a moment were all barriers are broken, both feel free comfortable in the bareness, where he even forgets the background sound playing. By the use of symbolism, it is known that â€Å"Persimmon† is the main symbol, and so acts as a metaphor of the love scene, focusing on the passionate experience that marks the speaker for life. In the ninth stanza, a new scene is present and there is another shift in time, this time the speaker is a mature adult, visiting his parents, but also revisiting old memories, that arouse ancient feelings. In this particular stanza, Lee’s use of vivid imagery is openly present, where he describes the speakers elderly father who has gone blind: I rummage, looking for something I lost†¦. I find a box†¦. three paintings by my father: Hibiscus leaf and a white flower. Two cats preening. Two persimmons, so full they want to drop from the cloth. †¦.Which is this? †¦.Oh, the feel of the wolf tail on the silk, the strength, the tense precision in the wrist†¦. Eyes closed. These I painted blind. Some things never leave a person: Scent of the hair of one you love, The texture of persimmons, in your palm, the ripe weight. (62-88). Lee’s use of concrete details allows has a great impact and effect on this particular poem, because it draws the reader in, allowing them to engage and become more attune to the feelings the poet is trying to transmit: the sight of the Hibiscus, the movements of the â€Å"cat’s preening† (75). Although the speaker’s father has lost his eyesight, he can still â€Å"see† the world. When a person goes blind, they are shut out from the world, but the thing that stays with the person transcends the sense of vision; the smell, the texture, the weight of the persimmon that the father speaks of that will â€Å"never leave a person,† (85) that the feel of a ripe persimmon in the palm will remain a part of you , just like the speakers culture, his memories and experiences. This could also represent an important shift in the poems tone, in that the speakers finally accepts his culture or art of reminiscing of familiar emotions, both like being â€Å"back home.† His experiences, although not entirely positive, have helped him grow into the man he is now. Li-Young Lee, by using sensory imagery and â€Å"precise† diction along with the informal stanza structure, reveals to the reader that, despite the speakers his bi-cultural past, he has now realized, through his experiences, that some of the most important things will not always be â€Å"visible† and he is at peace with his culture. The obscurity of words that Lee demonstrates in this poem correlates with the obscure and that of which is not accepted in our materialistic, and practical world. But the bitter-sweet irony of it all is that at times, as soon as something like a marvelous feeling or thought is put into words, its mystical beauty may diminish. This poem is not only a self contained piece of poetry. It is art, a ticket to see, witness, and feel between our and the poet’s inner world. Li-Young Lee, knowing that words cannot directly express these feelings; he us es his poetry as a tool to evoke such feelings in us utilizing the informal poetic form and the advantage of symbolism and imagery, has allowed us to picture detailed, vivid scenes to show us how superficial and apathetic the world around us can be to the secretly immense, and passionate world in each of us. Citation Dmitry, Divov. â€Å"Analysis of Persimmons by Li-Young Lee.† Web. 25 Feb 2012. .

Research Papers on How Computers and Assisted Technology Aid Students with Autism in the Classroom

A Community thrives and blossoms, if it has a good education system. The quality of education in any country is always dictated by, the expertise that implements the curriculum. A properly trained teacher should be able to understand the individual differences of his/her learners in order, to cater for each pupil’s special needs. Every class has got a variety of learners, who need special methods of instruction for them to understand. A standard class is composed of normal learners, but within normal, class there’s, quite a number of outstanding learners. These are learners who deviate from the normal or average pupil physically, intellectually, emotionally, and socially to, a level where, they cannot benefit from, regular classroom setup. Therefore, changing of school practice to introduce aspects of special education is unavoidable. A properly, modified class ensures that, the greatest academic potential of learners, suffering from autism is fully realized. Learners who suffer from autism are just but, among the exceptional learners in a normal class. Autism is a neurological brain disorder in a human being that is characterized by impaired social interaction problems, with both verbal and non verbal communication, and lastly severely limited activities and interest. Learners, who suffer from autism, need special teaching methods, and equipments that support to realize, their maximum potential. The silence which emanates from, speechlessness is not good. Bob Williams (2000:56-67), communication is just like, fundamental human rights. Students who suffer from Autism can only be assisted to communicate if, sustainable use of computer and assisted technologies will be put to use. Computers and assisted technologies, help support teachers, as well as students to implement all learning styles. Assistive technology is any item, piece of equipment or product, which is used to advance, sustain, or improve the functional abilities of the learner , with special needs. Intensive experimentation has shown that engaging, assistive technology (AT) is useful for a student with this exceptionality. Assistive devices come in different forms they can be electronic or not. Besides, Assistive devices are either in the form of low or high technology. The low technology assistive technology, strategies are not electronic in nature. They are locally made; hence they don’t require electrical powering. Most of low technology devices are inexpensive to obtain and maintain. They include dry erase boards; clipboards laminated photographs, three ring binders and Pecs. This method can be used to promote, and enhance, expressive and flexible communication skills among the learners with autism. High technology strategies involve, the most complex, expensive equipments such as the computer, and adaptive equipment, which requires a lot of money to obtain and maintain.   Examples of these, equipments are, touch screen, software and track balls, besides that, subsidiary equipments are involved (digital cameras and scanners.); video cameras and public address systems. The low and high technology  Ã‚   strategies, should be implemented everywhere, because they help, improve the functional capacity of autistic learners. Struggling to Accommodate, visual needs of, autism spectrum condition is very important for educational development. Learners, who suffer from this condition, exhibit unique, learning differences, including being very visible thinkers, Visual supports, along with existing precise language can assist the learner to understand instructional material. They may also offer serious cues about what is expected of them next, in terms of behavior and independent work. ( Adams, J. 1997:45-67). OVER HEAD PROJECTOR An overhead projector is, very helpful in assisting, learners with high-functioning autism, to process audio data, which they can conceptualize when presented in visual form. Quite often learners with this condition, finds it difficult to write while at the same time conceptualizing what the teacher is saying. Therefore, the teacher should use the overhead projector to; highlight the important points covered in class. A COMPUTER A computer is also an essential tool, of assistive technology. Learners with autism are motivated by sameness and predictability which a computer provides. A computer puts the leaner at the heart of learning alongside, independent functioning. Surveys carried out indicate that, learners with, autism who are accessed to the computer, receive increased attention spans. They can concentrate in one place for a long time, have improved motor skills and can remember all that was learned at school. In addition, a computer can be provided, to the learner, to get the notes electronically instead of using paper and pencil. Some children benefit, from getting used to a computer with, certain peripheral devices that make using a computer to be easy and enjoyable. Here, are examples of periphery devices: A touch screen is an easy to use. It allows the child to hit the screen of the computer instead of the computer mouse. With a touch screen, the child’s actions cause changes which increase the child’s conviction and effect. Big keys keyboard, is a different alphabet keyboard, with keys designed with children in mind. The keys are one inch square which makes it easier for the leaner to find letters. Intensive eye supports should be used to guide learners with autism. In optical communication system, graphics and other visual representatives of objects like models and diorama are used in place of words. The same pictures and signs should be used both at home and school for consistency. Furthermore, the communication is two way. Visual program makes use of signs daily. The symbols are placed, in a row in order of occurrence. The aim of the, schedule is to prepare learners to predict, what will happen next, alongside reassuring them of the stability of daily routines. David, Mitchell (i987:205-210). Laid down guide lines and written hints is very crucial resources for students with autism. They quite often lose focus, hence easily susceptible to losing direction. The written guidelines must not be in more than, three statements because, they might be difficult to comprehend. Fine motor skills are also sometimes deficient in students with autism. Optical signals are often an effective means of interfacing. Students, affected by autism line of disorders are likely to have trouble with supposed meanings and will need more prà ©cised literal hints. However, many visual signals are a basic way of providing guidance, without a spoken word. Visual literacy can also increase oral communications. Peer learning model is the most fundamental visual help to use. The peer model, involves a full time student at duty, whose station of operation, can close or adjacent to a learner suffering from, autism. They are not a peer tutor, though, learners suffering from this disorder, often, respond to their surroundings to seek for optical signals, they confused about what to do. Computer assisted teaching and learning process is an instrumental way of, offering optical supports. Children with autism feel more secure when, interacting with computers than with people. This method should be applied because; Students may be far more engaged in learning, when it is provided through vision computer-based programs. A computer with its application is very fundamental in, teaching learners, with severe autism. The most affected are those who experience difficulties when applying psychomotor skills, like writing on the paper. Such students can be offered a computer during an examination to record his or her answers. These answers are important tools of research, as they signify understanding, rather than, having them compete with the task of the handwriting, Colby, K. M. (1973:30-32). For children, Academic computer soft-wares can be used to demonstrate some of those pre-educational skills like reading or math skills in a more fun way. Computer Assisted Instruction (CAI): The use of computers to â€Å"improve decoding skills and phonetic knowledge of students with reading disabilities† Walter, Samuel (2001:34). Nonverbal Reading Approach (NRA): â€Å"Students are taught a meta-cognitive strategy using internal speech for decoding words. The NRA contains elements such as logical sequencing,drill-repetition-practice-feedback, teacher models, and systematic probes†. (ibid: 37). In situations where autism learners, have very little interest in the computer, an interactive white board (IWB) can be used. Research indicates that multimedia content, displayed on this board is more engaging than what is viewed on computer with a narrow display. The interesting, part of it is that, learners with little interest in computers, find it interesting staring, on the IWBs.   Students who have automatic reinforcement to modulus behavior   that tempers with, the ability to engage in normal activities dont seem to indicate this arrangement, nearly as much when the focus is on the IWB( ibid:36-37) In my opinion, IWBs are great tools for teaching children who suffer from severe, autism line of disorder. Teaching learners with this condition succeeds if; short video clips are incorporated in the learning environment. They, promote the reduction of levels of anxiety, repetitive behavior and anxiety amongst learners suffering from autism. BEHAVIOR SUPPORT Computer and assistive technology are very important in assisting learners suffering from autism; to shape their behavior. Adaptive equipment for computer service has also played a key role, in streamlining, extreme behaviors such as, agitation, uncontrollable repetition, and self conditioning behaviors. Owing to the fundamental importance, that computers provide, they should be part and parcel of the, special education curriculum, Peter, S and Adrianne F (2007:78-100). DIRECTIONS The low tech assistive technology is very fundamental in giving the child suffering from autism behavior visual information following guidelines. Visual information enhances comprehension of the learner concerning expected behavior. Visual directions assist learners to get, sustain and focus their attention as well as ensuring they get full instructions hence increasing independent skills. The dry erase white board or contact paper white board is among the assistive technology that aids learners with autism to shape their behavior. The audio directions are drawn to guide learners. An example of audio drawn directions is sequential step directions for tasks /activities. An example of these activities is like Brushing teeth, making lunch, folding towels homework directions among others. Morning arrival direction card can be prepared by drawing necessary directions that assist them to complete visual list of instructions before beginning of the day. A laminated card is used in this exercise. A string attached card is to be located near the leaner’s bag, hook. After hanging up his/her bag, she/he can take the card to begin morning guidelines. The learner is supposed to verify every item upon completion. (E.g. put text books in the locker, put lunch box in the cold box, put direction card away and then sit at the desk. Some activities do not signal the beginning and the end of a process. A good example is computer games usually disturb learners suffering from autism. In such like circumstances cards correctly labeled should be used to signal the beginning, almost the end. The color of these cards is very important. When the activity begins a green flash card may be put near the learner when the activity ends a green one is put near the learner. ALTERNATIVE BEHAVIOUR Drawing of rules makes the learner   aware of what is expected of them in terms of   good behavior, as well as the actions that are permitted by the rules. Besides, the drawn rules help to improve the learners’ self-regulation and self management skills without the help of an adult. These can be achieved through picture communication symbols that can be laminated on large index cards, to communicate the following: Sit on chair-PCS with a child sitting on a chair. The message signaling learners to be quiet make use PCS with face picture with a finger onto its lips indicating silence. Schedules can also be drawn to increase comprehension of the learner so as to reduce the occurrence of Un-desired behavior. A visual calendar is drawn which can help the learner to remember. If, a leaner is used to visit the swimming pool on Tuesdays and on a given day the swimming pool is closed a no message is put on Tuesday. It is very clear that resources to educate learners suffering from autism are so many. They range from high tech and low tech assistive technology. Besides, the low tech materials are the most used, therefore, they should be easily accessible to every teacher when teaching learners with autism. The learners suffering from autism should not be demonized but instead should be demystified. If, they are put under conducive learning environment, they can cope up and perform just like average learners. REFERENCES Walter, Samuel Psychological Association (2001) Hunter Publisher Peter Sturmey and Adrienne Fitzer, Autism spectrum disorders: applied behavior analysis. (2007), University of Virginia Robert Robinson Languages and linguists: aims, perspectives, and Duties of linguistics (1997), peters publishers. Adams, J. I.: More Creative Ideas. (1997) Adams Publications; Kent Bridge, Ontario, Canada. David, Mitchell, What works in special and inclusive education: using evidence-based teaching strategies (1987) Publisher Taylor. Walter Samuel, autism management (2001) longhorn publishers. Adams j, strategies for students with autism (1997) penguin publishers.