Saturday, April 11, 2020

Case Study of Space Center Enterprises

Introduction For the success of any business, it is important that there be separations of ownership from management. A business should be run professionally in order to ensure that it survives hurdles in the business environment. Empirical evidence provided by financial experts show that one of the main causes of business failure is family relations or family problems (Aronoff Ward, 1996).Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Case Study of Space Center Enterprises specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More In fact, it is ranked as the main cause of business failure in small-scale businesses. This is a case study of a family-held business. It will be used to show the family conflict, transitions and connection between the conflicts and performance. In its life, Space Center Enterprises or Maritex, as it is presently known, was faced by many challenges that emanated from the ownership structure and governance (Hitt, Ireland Ho skisson, 2011). The company was even facing liquidation at one point and it took the intervention of a board of directors drawn from various stakeholders to restore the company back to profitability. In this case, an insight in the business, the challenges and the mechanisms used by the board of directors to overcome the challenges are discussed in detail. Success of the Business The company began from humble beginnings and became one of the most successful businesses in the time. Harry McNeely started it with a humble $ 5,000 capital that he had borrowed from his father in law (Hitt, Ireland Hoskisson, 2011). The company was called St. Paul Terminal Warehouse Company and it was in the business of warehouse and drayage. The company was co-owned between McNeely and his brother in law, Paul Frenzel, who was also a fellow company executive. His shareholding was however, minor compared to that of McNeely. The company registered growth in asset-base general size of business. A good meas ure of the success of any business is a close look at how the business has satisfied the stakeholder demands (Aronoff Ward, 1996). A business has stakeholders who are the management, the government or the local authorities, customers, the owners or shareholders, suppliers to the business and the public at large. The demands of each category of stakeholders are different and they are sometimes conflicting. A business must always try to rank the priorities of the businesses and ensure a balance in meeting the stakeholders’ demands.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More For the St. Paul Terminal Warehouse Company, success can be measured by looking at how the company met its obligations to various stakeholders. It is the demand by the shareholders that the business grows so that their value is maximized. The company grew both in business and asset base. It acquired real estat es and was profitable. It was renamed Space Center and later Meritex due to its growth. An example of property bought by the company includes a plant in Whirlpool and land in Burlington among others (Hitt, Ireland Hoskisson, 2011). The business grew from the primary business activity of warehousing to include other business lines such as transportation and financial business. The customer’s demands were met well by the company. The company produced quality goods and services to the customers. For instance, the customers were pleased by the acquisition of Quincy in Illinois by Space Center for distribution purposes since it was a measure to ensure safety and environmental stability (Hitt, Ireland Hoskisson, 2011). This was also a means of satisfying the obligations of the business to the public since the public requires that businesses should ensure environmental safety. The business operated within the regulations of the government and thus it met its business obligations. It paid taxes and was not involved in unlawful businesses. To the management, it is obvious that they were well remunerated since they were also the owners of the business and it was doing well. An overall conclusion can therefore be made that the business was very successful since it met the obligations to the various stakeholders (Aronoff Ward, 1996). Mechanisms available to enhance relationships with stakeholders in order to improve strategic direction and performance of the company There are various systems or mechanisms that an organization could use to ensure good relationship between stakeholders and to influence the strategic decisions and performance of a company. These mechanisms can be understood by having a clear understanding of the possible causes of conflicts of interest between stakeholders and ensuring that the causes of conflicts are avoided. One mechanism and the most important are to put in place a professional management of a business. This is because professio nal managers do not have an interest in the business other than to work for the business. There is thus no conflict of interest between stakeholders (Aronoff Ward, 1996). Another mechanism is to have in place a board of directors that consist of members drawn from the various stakeholders. This board should be charged with formulation of policies regarding the business. The board should have representatives of all the stakeholders to ensure that the interests of various stakeholders are protected (Aronoff Ward, 1996).Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Case Study of Space Center Enterprises specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The decisions made by this board are supposed to be well balanced hence elimination of conflicts. In the Space Center Enterprises, it is evident that the establishment and implementation of a well-balanced board of directors was a big factor to the recovery of the family business. After the est ablishment of a professional management team and a well-balanced board of directors, a system should be put in place that ensures that the management and the board of directors work towards the same goal. The management should not despise the board and likewise for the board. Each should respect the role of each other and work together in harmony (Aronoff Ward, 1996). Evaluation of performance of the board of directors for space center enterprises The board of directors of the Space Centre Enterprises was successful in fulfilling its governance and dealing with the challenges it faced. This can be supported by facts from the case study. The biggest challenge that the board of directors faced was that of family interference in the affairs of the business. The board made policies that would ensure that business decisions and family issues would not bring conflicts in the running of the family business. Issues such as career conflicts, dividend decisions and ownership structure and li quidity issues were solved once and for all (Hitt, Ireland Hoskisson, 2011). When faced by the family tension between the two brothers who were owners and founders of the company, the board of directors maintained its calm and took measures to mitigate the effects of the tension between family members and in effect the non family members. The board was successful in these attempts and it managed to survive the division that followed. When faced with the challenge of choosing the next CEO for the company after the retirement of Harry, the board ensured that it came up with the best CEO for the company. This was done through requiring Paddy to write plans he had for the family business (Hitt, Ireland Hoskisson, 2011). This was all in an attempt to ensure that the company got a visionary CEO. The board also had back up plans in case Paddy failed as the CEO, a fact that confirms the board was professional in its work. The board also helped the company to survive a takeover bid by the CEO who wanted to impose leadership of the company. He followed Walt Richie’s decision that he wanted to retire and that he had chosen one of the people in the organization to succeed him. The board did not approve this and it planned for a buyout that was effective.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More In an attempt to eliminate family issues in the business, the board decided to merge the two rival companies into one and initiate professional management into the business. These actions show that the board was successful in handling the challenges it faced in the business at various points. Evaluation of Paddy’s qualification to succeed his father as CEO of Meritex Paddy was qualified as CEO for Meritex Company. Paddy was a banker for ten years before he joined the family business. He was trained and experienced in banking issues such as loans and creations of credit. He was the youngest son of Harry junior and his names were Harry McNeely III. Paddy was his name too. It was less expected by the people and to Paddy himself that he would work in the family business at any time. His father had let him decide his career and Paddy admitted that only fate had brought him to run the family business. Paddy joined the family business without a defined designation after a restructur ing in the bank that he had been working for. It was at this time that he attended numerous meetings for and on behalf of the family business and this gave him the much-needed exposure (Hitt, Ireland Hoskisson, 2011). When he joined the family business, Paddy was in the executive team but with no title and it was from there that he realized there was a long-term opportunity in the business. He decided to participate fully in the management in order to earn the trust of his father and to convince the board, which consisted of both family and non-family members that he had the potential to lead the company. The vision for Paddy was to ensure that the business remained a family business and that it was professionally managed. With the help of other board members, Paddy managed to arrange a buyout programme to save the company from hereditary leadership. Through this, Paddy earned a leadership position in the company and he became the CEO for Space Center. The business name changed to Meritex. The board made the decision to make Paddy the CEO after long consultations and considerations of his role and commitment in the family business (Hitt, Ireland Hoskisson, 2011). His father left the matter of choosing the next CEO squarely in the hands of the board hence Paddy was not an imposed CEO. Accordingly, Paddy was well qualified as a replacement of his father. Primarily, Paddy had attended various meetings for the family business and he had shown the concern and passion he had for the business. Another reason that shows his suitability for the position is the fact that his father did not impose him. His appointment and take over was executed in a transparent manner and was approved by the board and the shareholders. He had tabled plans for the future of the family the business, which impressed the board. He had also helped the company to manage a takeover bid in order to protect the company hence the board had confidence in him. Another reason that can show that Pad dy was qualified as the CEO for the family business was the fact that he understood the role of professional management in the business. He also had support from the family members although they left the task of choosing the company CEO to the board. To cap the evidence that Paddy was qualified as CEO is the achievements he made in the company. He managed to lead the company to great growth heights and even made it win the ‘family business of the year’ award (Hitt, Ireland Hoskisson, 2011). Conclusion Family businesses are known to elicit unpleasant happenings and even cause family disintegration. This is because family issues and business are incompatible things. In the case of Space Center Enterprises, the business was facing a crisis but after separation of management of the business with family issues, the business recovered and became the award winning family business. For family businesses to succeed, they must put mechanisms in place that ensure that conflicts i n stakeholders’ interests are eliminated (Aronoff Ward, 1996). Space Center Enterprises faced various challenges and even filed for liquidation. The company was however saved by establishment of a well-balanced board of directors who were drawn from both the family and non-family shareholders. This went along way to ensure that there was no conflict of interest between the stakeholders and it minimized interference of family issues with the business (Aronoff Ward, 1996). References Aronoff, C. Ward, J. (1996). Family business governance: maximizing family and business potential. London: Family Enterprise Publisher. Hitt, M., Ireland, R. Hoskisson, R. (2011). Strategic management: Competitiveness and globalization, concepts and cases: 2011 custom edition. Mason, OH: Cengage Learning. This essay on Case Study of Space Center Enterprises was written and submitted by user Kara Q. to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Tuesday, March 10, 2020

How to Choose the Best ACT Test Locations

How to Choose the Best ACT Test Locations SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips We all want to max out brainpower on the day of the ACT. But what can help, besides studying? One factor worth considering is where you take the test. You want a place that allows you to focus completely on the test without other anxieties, concerns or discomfort. And guess where a lot of test-day anxieties, concerns and discomfort can come from? That's right, they can be direct results of choosing a distracting or inconvenient testing center. In this article, we give you all the information you need to make the right decision about which of all ACT test centers to choose In this article, we’ll cover how you find the ACT locations administering the test. Then, we’ll discuss the important factors you need to consider to choosing your test location. Finally, we’ll give you a few tips and reminders you might not have known about test centers. How Do I Find Which Locations Are Near Me? There are two ways to find test locations. 1) Use the ACT'sSearch Toolto Find a Test Center Near You I recommend that on this form you search by state, and not by city. If you enter the city, you’ll only receive schools for that exact city, not neighboring areas. You’ll see a list of cities and center names. When you click on the addition sign, you'll see the center code and the dates the ACT is offered at that center. Not all centers have all test dates, so make sure you plan ahead! 2) Start Registering for the Test You don't need to go through with the whole registration, and they won't charge you for it. You’ll need to log into your ACT account, and then click the link to register for the test. This will take you through many questionnaires. Finally, when you get to Test Date, choose your intended test date. Go through a few more pages, and you’ll get to the Test Center. On this page, you’ll be able to enter a Zip Code, and the ACT will conveniently show all ACT testing centers within 25 miles. It’s unclear why they don’t make the zip code search available publicly without registering for the test. Which ACT Test Location Should I Choose? Your best choice of ACT test locations depends on a number of factors. In order of importance: How long does it take to get there? How familiar are you with the location and layout? Will you know a lot of people at that location? How will that affect you? Are there known aspects about the location that make it problematic? Let’s cover each in order. How Long Does It Take to Get There? Timing is the primary concern when choosing the test location. Because the ACT requires that you arrive by 8AM sharp, you’ll need to wake up early to get to the test location. For example, if it takes you an hour to drive to the test location, you’ll likely need to wake up around 6AM to have enough time to get energized, eat breakfast, and arrive at the site with time to spare. Keep in mind that the longer you have to travel, the more variability there will be in your arrival time – a 10 minute drive might be delayed only by 5 minutes, but a 60 minute drive can be delayed by 30 minutes. Recommendation: generally try to choose locations that are closer to where you live. How Familiar Are You With the Location and Layout? Knowing exactly how to get to the ACT test center is an advantage. The morning of the test, you want as little distraction as possible when getting yourself in the mindset for acing the test. If you’re driving to an unknown location, you might run into unexpected traffic or construction, and you might confuse directions. This can cause anxiety that might not wear off until well into the test. Similarly, knowing the layout of the test center is helpful during bathroom breaks. Because breaks are tightly regulated in time, getting lost in the hallways of a school can be damaging to your concentration. Test centers at high schools typically use only a small portion of the school for testing, so it’s possible for you to lose your way if you’re unfamiliar with the location. Recommendation: Try to choose a location that you’re familiar with. If you must choose an unfamiliar location, try to scope it out beforehand, or budget extra time to get there and know the layout. Will You Know a Lot of People at That Location? How Will That Affect You? If you choose your local high school like most students, you’ll likely run into a lot of people you know. People respond very differently to this. To some, being around friends is helpful. It relieves the stress of the situation, and chatting casually during breaks might help them feel less nervous. To these people, going to an unfamiliar location with strangers causes additional stress. To others, the opposite is true - being around friends for the ACT is stressful. You might want as little distraction as possible, and talking to your friends might take your head out of the game. You want to concentrate silently during breaks, but you don’t want to give the impression that you’re rudely brushing off your friends. Plus, what if you take the test in the same room as your crush? It might be hard to take the test without sneaking glances at the person. Which group do you fit into? Each person is different, so act accordingly. Recommendation: If being around friends on test day is helpful, register at your high school. If it’s stressful, register elsewhere, keeping in mind the location and layout factors above. Are There Known Issues at the Location That Bother You? You’ll usually only know this ahead of time if you’re thinking about taking it at your high school. Here are things that you might worry about: Temperature control: do you know if the location can maintain a temperature that’s comfortable for you? Windows: do you tend to feel claustrophobic in this location, and might the presence of windows help? Testing environment: do you know if the location has noises, smells, or other factors that might be distracting? Do you tend to focus at school or drift off? Recommendation: Avoid testing centers with known problems that bother you. All these factors bring us to one important question that affect most students: Should You Take the ACT at Your High School? This is the default choice of most test takers, because it happens to be convenient. Some students don’t have this choice because their high school doesn’t offer the ACT – in this case, follow the guidelines above. But if you are able to take the ACT at your high school, don’t just assume this is the best option. You should NOT take the ACT at your high school if: There’s another testing location that is substantially closer to your home (saving more than 10 minutes of transit time) Testing around people you know stresses you out and can throw off your concentration You know there are problems at your school, like bad temperature control, uneven desks, or others. Other Tips and Facts Your test center may be changed before the test. If the ACT doesn’t have enough registered students at your chosen test center, they will reassign you to a different location you didn’t expect. Your test might even get rescheduled due to bad weather or other factors. If the location is unfamiliar, consider visiting it days before the test. You’ll practice getting to the location quickly, and you can take a brief look around so the environment is familiar the day of the test. If you have to choose a test center far away (30 minutes or more), here are some tips. Wake up earlier to give yourself buffer time in case problems happen. Prepare a breakfast to eat on the way, and notes to review on the way there. If music relaxes you, listen to it along the way. You can change your location, but it’ll cost you. If you make the change by the registration deadline, there’s a $23 fee. If you change it after your late registration deadline, your only option is to request standby testing, at which point you might as well take it at your original location. What's Next? Now that you know where to take the ACT, learn WHEN to take it. Find out the best ACT test dates and how you should schedule your tests. What's a good ACT score for you? Read this guide to figure out what score you need to aim for. Want to improve by 4 points or more on the ACT? Click below to get our free guide to 5 strategies you must remember to make big improvements on the ACT. Have friends who also need help with test prep? Share this article! 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Sunday, February 23, 2020

Settler Colonialism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Settler Colonialism - Essay Example From this study it is clear that the invasion by the European colonialist gave birth to cultural changes. Many native settlers adopted the colonial culture, ushering new era of modernity in the society. Colonial master used forceful methods to rule the natives, thus changing the administration systems in the society. Largely history records the contribution of settler colonialism in immigration of people. The intention of this paper is to evaluate the contribution of settler colonialism in history of immigration policy in United States and Australia. The introduction of immigration policies by colonial masters brought the following changes in the society population, socially and economically. Colonialist invaded many countries using the super military powers and influenced the lives of the native settlers. Settler colonialism entails internal and external colonialism. The two aspect of settler colonialism affected immigration policies in countries such as United States of America. Eu ropean settler colonialist who came into the United States changed the social system of the society. Immigration is a process where an individual leaves his native land to settle in a foreign land. The intention of immigration includes search for better climatic conditions, land for agriculture or business. Settler colonialism refers to a situation where a foreign nations invade, conquer and a rule a foreign territory. Settler colonialism is an act that runs throughout human history; the difference lies in the manner and period in which settler colonialism took place. Colonialism involves leaving a native country to settle as a conqueror in a foreign land. Settler colonialism fostered colonization of foreign land by establishing their rule and settling in that land. This process of settling and establishing colonial rule contributes to immigration policies, which favored the colonialist as the legitimate landowners. Largely, colonialist are immigrants who have conquered a foreign la nd and established their policies. Several historical facts illustrate settler colonialism and its effects to immigration. Upon settlement of settler colonialists, the native lost their legitimacy in the society. In 1848, United States of America waged a war with Mexico leading to the conquest of some part of Mexico. As the paper highlights history records that this action of United States led to change in boundary of the two nations. The entry of the Mexican people to United States territory was through settler colonialism. Today many Mexican immigrants still believe that they existence in the United States of America was not by choice, but through conquest. Largely, the conquered groups had no choice, but to be adherent to the policies and social systems introduced by the settler colonialist. History reveals that the United States used its military and political power to influence the signing of the Guadalupe Hidalgo treaty. Arguments against signing of the treaty indicated that the intention of United States was to usurp the natural resources found in Mexico. Notably, the argument is true. Industrial revolution in the United States led to the arrival of the first Asians in Hawaii. The Asians came under the auspice of Royal Hawaiian Agricultural Society and occupied land through the assistance of the settler colonial process in a period when United States was under siege of British colonialist.

Thursday, February 6, 2020

Keynesian macroeconomics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Keynesian macroeconomics - Essay Example However, large changes in available technology, especially regression is very difficult to support (Summers, 1986). Second, RBC theory assumes that fluctuations in employment reflect changes in the amount people want to work. Because employment fluctuates substantially while the determinants of labour supply - real wage and the real interest rate - vary only slightly, these models require that leisure be highly substitutable over time. This assumption conflicts with many studies (for example, Altonji, 1986); it also conflicts with the belief that high unemployment in recessions is largely involuntary. Third, real business cycle theory assumes that monetary policy is irrelevant for economic fluctuations, this challenges the Keynesian argument that any correlation of money with output arises because the money supply is endogenous (King and Plosser, 1984). Very little evidence supports this theory. A different approach to the business cycle is the sectoral shift theory, which emphasizes the costly adjustment of labour among sectors (Lilien 1982, Black 1987). According to this theory movement of labour from one sector to another occurs in response to market fluctuations and recessions are periods during which there are more sectoral shocks and thus a greater need for sectoral adjustment. If this were to be true we would observe high unemployment accompanied by high job vacancies during a recession - this is not correct (Abraham & Katz, 1986). In fact the measured movement of workers is opposite i.e. very low during recession (Murphy & Topel, 1987). Advocates of the sectoral shift theory argue that it is possible that since the process of sectoral adjustment requires a period of high unemployment and low income, it lowers the demand for the products of all sectors. Thus, we might observe low vacancies and low movement during recessions, even if recessions are initially caused by the need to reallocate labour among sectors. In this form, it is not clear how to distinguish empirically the sectoral shift theory from real business cycle theories that emphasize economy-wide fluctuations in technology or Keynesian theories that emphasize fluctuations in aggregate demand. The debate over the RBC theory boils down to four issues: 1. Do changes in employment reflect voluntary changes in labour supply 2. Does the economy experience large exogenous productivity shocks in the short run 3. Is money really neutral in the short run 4. Are wages and prices flexible in the short run Do they adjust quickly to keep supply and demand in balance in all markets Satisfactory answers have not been found to these questions within the framework of the RBC theory. New Keynesian Macroeconomics The single theme that identifies Keynesian economics is the belief that economic fluctuations do not reflect the optimal response of the economy to changes in tastes and technology, but some sort of market failure on a large scale. The market imperfection that recurs most frequently in Keynesian theories is the failure of wages and prices to adjust instantly to equilibrate supply and demand. The short-run

Wednesday, January 29, 2020

Obsession in the gothic Essay Example for Free

Obsession in the gothic Essay To what extent do you agree that obsession is a significant element in the gothic writing you have studied? The word obsession means the domination of ones thoughts or feelings by a persistent idea, image or desire. With this in mind, both Faustus and Frankenstein show symptoms of monomania in relation to academic obsession. Similarly, in ‘The Bloody Chamber’ the characters that experience obsession are also male, however they are driven by a different obsession: sexual desire. In the prologue of ‘Doctor Faustus’ it already begins to establish Faustus’ thirst for knowledge and how this resulted in his tragic downfall. Firstly, the Chorus compares Faustus to the Icarus myth â€Å"his waxen wings did mount above his reach†, which suggests that Faustus’ fixation with necromancy is not a power he is supposed to possess, and that his fate will end similarly to Icarus. Furthermore, it states that Faustus â€Å"glutted† for â€Å"learning†. The word gluttony highlights that Faustus’ obsession for knowledge can only result in tragedy because it’s one of the seven deadly sins, and also indicates how extreme Faustus’ obsession is. This is because gluttony’s definition is to gorge yourself with something, and is often to the extent of harm. However, you could argue that Faustus’ greed is not completely based around academic knowledge, and he actually desires rival God in terms of power and knowledge. For instance, when Faustus is listing what he would â€Å"most, desires† he wanted strength that â€Å"exceeded†¦. the mind of man† and was in comparison to â€Å"a mighty god. † In comparison, Frankenstein also overstepped his reach in pursuit of his obsession, and comments that Robert should â€Å"learn† from his mistakes, and that it is â€Å"dangerous† for men who â€Å"aspire to become greater than this nature will allow. † These short quotations show us the viewpoint of Shelley during this period on enlightenment, as she was trying to symbolise a moral and didactic message throughout Frankenstein as a warning of all the forthcomings of what could happen if the exploration of science and knowledge became an obsession. For example, Frankenstein deliberately makes the creature monstrous by making him â€Å"proportionally large† at about â€Å"eight feet in height† because he wanted to finish his creation as soon as possible, and didn’t think about the consequences this would have for the creature when he actually succeeded in bring him to life. On the other hand, in â€Å"The Bloody Chamber† whilst obsession is not as significant as the other two texts, Carter uses masculine sexual obsession to critique how patriarchal our society still is. For example, in ‘The Snow Child† she is called the â€Å"child of his desire†. He wishes for her to be beautiful and nothing else, so it is clear that he is interested only in her appearance and her value as a sexual object. Furthermore, once she has fulfilled her purpose of becoming a sexual object, she dies. This could be Carter symbolizing that once a woman tries to become the objection of a mans obsessions and desires, it becomes impossible for her to ever live up to expectations, and therefore a death sentence.

Monday, January 20, 2020

Comparing the Minority Experience in Baby of the Family, and House on M

Women Minority Experience in Baby of the Family, and House on Mango Street  Ã‚      The two novels Baby of the Family, and House on Mango Street expose the minority experience through the perspective of a child, struggling to find an identity in their own unique views of the cultures they are growing up in. The life of Lena's family, one of an upper class African American family in the southern part of the United States, appeals to the ideal of the New American as her family blends the dominant culture with their minority background in their everyday life experiences. Esperanza is a Hispanic youth, growing up in a barrio, where there is not much to offer the Hispanic locals. She ultimately feels the profile the of the New American in her view of attaining a better life, and escaping the suffocating prescence of the barrio, while still remembering her ethnic roots. Both these characters apply to the classification of the Double Minority in the obvious aspect of being females, and of course their relationship of being in a minority culture. In Baby of the Family, author Tina Ansa exposes the reader to the perspective of a child living in a dominant culture oriented household, that is trying to latch on to some very important traditional aspects of their minority background. Esperanza in House on Mango Street struggles to find her identity in a society discriminating against her not only as a minority, but her genders hinders her advancement also. The authors of these two minority novels corelate these ideals and explore the hardships these two character face as struggling to become the New American while being classified ultimately as Double Minorities. A few of the common apects shared by the two novels include the common... ...alls these children experience. These two children take the ideal of the "New American" and expose it as they find ways to live in a world in which they walk a fine line between the two clashing cultures. The "Double Minority" role plays an important and attempt to overcome the barriers in their own cultures. The cultures ultimately take on a new definition as time progresses, because there is truly not a definite distinction anymore. Works Cited Ansa, Tina McElroy. Baby of the Family. Harcourt Press; San Diego, 1989. Blicksilver, Edith. The Ethnic American Woman. Kenall/Hunt Publishing; Iowa, 1978. Cecil, Andrew R. The Meaning of the Family in Society. University of Texas; Dallas, 1991. Cisneros, Sandra. The House on Mango Street. Vintage Contemporaries; New York, 1991. Murray, Alma. Black Perspectives. Scholastic Books; New York, 1971.   

Sunday, January 12, 2020

Evaluating Poetry Essay

The poem â€Å"Gods Will for You and Me† is the good poem and â€Å"Pied Beauty† is the bad poem according to Perrine standards.  The central purpose of both these poems is to encourage the readers’ individual feelings about God. The poem â€Å"Pied Beauty† is extremely didactic. The writer of this poem is preaching God on the reader. They are trying to get the reader to see all of the things that God has created on the earth and how amazing each one is. The whole poem seems to be a continuous praise on God. The poem even ends with a very clear cut statement, â€Å"Praise him.† This may leave a reader feeling uncomfortable or uneasy. Some of the phrases used in â€Å"Pied Beauty† do not seem to be the best choices for the writing. The phrase â€Å"brinded cow† does not sound as nice as other phrases and does not make me want to love the cow like the writer is suggesting. The phrase â€Å"with swift, slow; sweet, sour; adazzle, dim;† breaks the flow of the poem and could have been left out or worded in a different way. The poem â€Å"Gods Will for You and Me† is getting the point across to be â€Å"loyal to God† in a much simpler and easy going manner. The poem is more realistic and although it has a childlike rhyme to it, it is still fresh and original. It makes me feel, as a reader, that following Gods plan is easy and simple, such as the poem itself. While it is sweet and sentimental it is not over the top or over stimulating to the readers emotions. When it comes to evaluating poetry according to Perrine’s standards, I don’t agree that rating a poem good or bad should be based on certain rules. As a reader, if what you are reading is making you feel good inside then it should be considered a good poem, even if it is sentimental, rhetorical, or didactic. For me, when I read poetry, if I can make sense of what the writer is saying and makes me feel any emotion from the writing, then I declare it a good poem. Didactic poetry should be considered good also, due to the fact that even though it is praising, it is still a strong emotional reading that is getting a point across, whether the reader chooses to follow or agree is  up to them to decide.