Poetry by Langston Hughes and his life as an African American - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 3 Words: 901 Downloads: 7 Date added: 2019/10/30 Category People Essay Level High school Tags: Langston Hughes Essay Did you like this example? Langston Hughes poetry reflects his life as an African American and the time period in which he lived in.He was born in 1902, in Joplin Missouri. After his parents separated, he and his mom lived a life of poverty moving from place to place. After completing high school and attending a year at Columbia University, he worked in a series of low skill jobs. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Poetry by Langston Hughes and his life as an African American" essay for you Create order He became a merchant seaman in 1923 visiting ports in West Africa and living for a time in Paris, Genoa, and Rome before coming back to the United States. He then published some poems and an essay which earned him fame. In 1929 he graduated from Lincoln University. Hughes was a central figure in the Harlem Renaissance. He was a talented author in many areas including: fiction, drama, translation, criticism, opera libretti, memoir, cinema, songwriting, and poetry. He was also enthusiastic about African American culture and wrote down folklore and poetry.The 1920s was a time period called the Harlem Renaissance. The Harlem Renaissance was the development of the primarily African American Harlem neighborhood in New York City where black culture and the social and artistic boom happened. It is considered a golden age in African American culture, resulting in literature, music, stage performance and art. The civil rights movement was a struggle for social justice that took place mainly du ring the 1950s and 1960s. Blacks wanted to gain equal rights under the law in the United States. The civil war abolished slavery but it didnt end discrimination and segregation against African Americans. Blacks continued to endure the devastating effects of racism, especially in the South. In the mid-20th century, African Americans were fedup of the prejudice and violence against them. Blacks along with many whites, mobilized and began an unprecedented fight for equality that spanned two decades.Langston Hughes Mother to Son poem reflects his life as an African American and the time period in which he lived. In this poem, a mother uses the metaphor of life being like a set of steps. This poem uses symbols like tacks, splinters, uncarpeted floor and dark, unlit corners to refer to hardships, challenges, and darkness in life. She tells her son that life is difficult but just as you walk up a set of stairs, you have to keep moving in life, keep going forward and upward. She tells him not to go back down even if climbing the stairs is difficult. She confesses that she is still climbing, still going up the steps, even though her life is still filled with hardships and problems. The mother has an inner strength which gives her perseverance and allows her to keep going against all odds.This poem also touches on the civil rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s. The poem talks about the painful history of African Americans. The poem is comparing a staircase to the many hardships in life. His poem has obvious tone of hopelessness, perseverance, and sadness. Langston is talking about a mother talking to her son and all young people suggesting they keep persevering when its hard too. Most African Americans during this time could relate to Hughess poems. They lived in these hard times, encountered these struggles he talked about. They felt Hughes frustration. His words were affirming, challenging, and political. They spoke to all those trying to live up to his advice and reach for their dreams. Hughes showed that wisdom was passed down through generations when writing about the mother telling her son to never give up, even though times were difficult and hard. Wisdom is learned through experience and influences ones decisions to continue in the face of hardships.The poem I, Too by Langston Hughes reflects his life as an African American and the racism and unequal treatment of African Americans in the time period he lived in. He wrote this poem from the eyes of a black servant. He begins by saying that he too can sing America, meaning that he is claiming his personal right to feel patriotic towards his country, even though he is the darker brother who cannot sit at the table and must eat in the kitchen. This implies to the common prac tice of racial segregation during the early 20th century, when African Americans faced discrimination in almost every way of their lives. They were forced to live, work, eat and travel separately from whites. They had few civil or legal rights. They were often victims of racial violence, and faced economic isolation in both the North and the South.He then claims that tomorrow he will join the others at the table and no one will dare send him back to the kitchen. Not only that, but the people will see how beautiful he is, even though he is black and will therefore feel ashamed of how they were treating him. This states the hope that African Americans have for tomorrow meaning the future. Poetry by Langston Hughes reflects his life as an African American and the time period in which he lived in. He condemned racism and injustice and promoted equality and celebrated african american culture. Langston Hughes accomplished many things in his life. He was a poet, novelist, playwright, columnist, social activist and more. His writings influenced people and helped shape american literature. He played an important role in many peoples lives. People could relate to his writings especially African Americans.

Capital Budgeting Valuation Essay Example

Essays on Capital Budgeting Valuation Essay The paper "Capital Budgeting Valuation" is an excellent example of an essay on finance and accounting. The primary step in evaluating various investment opportunities is preparing a list of potential projects. A capital budget enumerates the investments and projects that a company strategizes to undertake during future years. Theoretical knowledge of capital budgeting differs from the real application of these skills due to various factors (Baker 10). Capital budgeting can be generally defined as methodical evaluation of how much capital to spend in one venture or asset and the exact assets companies should exploit to meet their investment objectives. This differs when it came to implementation. Most organizations are faced have limited resources and strict regulations, in addition, to a set of priorities hence a rift in implementation. Making best capital budgeting decision frequently necessitate identifying and accurate analysis of opportunities associated with the project. Inadequ ate assessments and decision tools jeopardize the likelihood of applying scarce resources to sections that give revenue less than the cost of capital, consequences in the destruction of value. This educational knowledge acts as a guiding principle; however, the chief financial officer may find it difficult to implement them 100 percent due to underlying factors in the organization. The popular methods used in capital budgeting include net present value, internal rate of return, profitability index, payback period and discounted payback period (Baker 120). Due to cost issues and complexity of some of the methods many organizations prefer alternatives thus hindering chief financial officers from maximizing on the methods. Monitoring of the capital budgeting is done by topmost officials of the companies. This act limits implementations of the recommendations that a chief financial officer might have instructed.   Statements of other students on the Discussion Board are ideal and tackle the discussion question adequately. In general, students have talked of the capital budgeting process, methods applicable, decision-making criteria, challenges facing the chief financial officer in implementing processes adequately and investment opportunities available.

Fatal Attraction ( Adrian Lyne ) Cape Fear ( Martin Scorsese ) free essay sample

Compares 1987 1992 films portrayals of traditional social gender roles, family values the threat of sexual deviance. Films make a number of assumptions about gender based on audience beliefs and expectations, and these are derived from the social structure prevalent at the time the film is made. A given film may present different images of gender roles through different characters. In both Fatal Attraction (1987) and the 1992 version of Cape Fear, there are gender roles based on the nuclear family that are held up as preferred or normal roles, and these are countered either by the actual behavior of some family member or by an outside force representing a different sexual energy, a different gender role. The films deliberately contrast what the filmmakers see as normal gender roles and deviant gender roles, and in both cases the deviant sexual energy threatens the family unit to such a degree that the outside force has to be killed to restore order to the family. We will write a custom essay sample on Fatal Attraction ( Adrian Lyne ) Cape Fear ( Martin Scorsese ) or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page

What makes Odysseus a Hero Essays - Odyssey, Ancient Greek Religion

What makes Odysseus a Hero What makes a hero? The epic The Odyssey tells the story of a hero named Odysseus. Odysseus is the king of Ithica, Greece. There are many ways to identify heroes, superheros, tragic heroes, and epic heroes. Odysseus was an epic hero, defined by qualities through the epic. One of the characteristics of an epic hero is to have courage. Odysseus clearly shows this when he was in the Cyclopes cave. The way he reacted when faced with danger, was relaxed and calm, Odysseus was ready to fight. He came up with a smart scheme and escaped the Cyclops. Bravery is a quality of a hero because without courage, man cannot complete the journey of being a hero. Along with being brave, an epic hero must have physical strength. Odysseus shows his strength when he throws a discus. At the Olympics many men were competing and they asked him to join. Knowing his strength he humbly said no, but he was bullied a bit, and threw the discus. The discus went tremendously far, and no one challenged him anymore. Strength is required to defeat humans and to overthrow monsters. Scylla is a monster with 12 legs, six heads, and three rows of teeth, with an urge to eat humans. Charybdis is a monster that drinks the ocean and also swallows boats in the process to get back home to Ithica Odysseus and his crew must pass by these two monsters. In the process, Scylla kills six of his men and the rest of the crew makes it out alive. This is vital to the formation of Odysseus as a hero because to be a hero man must battle demons or monsters. Monsters are an important part of Greek mythology so the specification of battling against a monster is seen as a vital part of being an epic hero. While Scylla and Charybdis were seen as vicious monsters, many forget about the murderous nymphs The Sirens. These were sea nymphs that would use their beautiful singing to lure in men, and then kill them. Odysseus was told to but bees wax in the ears of himself and the crew. Instead, Odysseus took an unnecessary risk and listened to them. He did this because he wanted to be the only man to hear them and live, showing how he accepts challenges and invites problems, and takes unnecessary risks. To be an epic hero Odysseus had to descend into the underworld. There Odysseus gets advice on how to complete his journey. While in the underworld he meets one of his dead crewmen. The crewman speaks of how he was not buried and tells Odysseus to give him a proper burial. When Odysseus leaves the underworld, he does go back and bury the man. This shows his value of honor he respected what he was told and did the morally right task. While Odysseus was a man of most his morals, he did not do the right things at times. One of the characteristics of an epic hero is encounter women who tempt him. Odysseus was tempted by calypso but did not choose to be adulterous, but calypso forced him against his will. Calypso was later punished her actions, but she was angry because of a double standard for gods and goddess. Odysseus met Circe was tempted, and stayed with her for a year. A hero is a man of great strength and contains physical appeal, so the idea of women trying to seduce him, would prove as a common happening. Some women helped Odysseus in a beneficial way. Athena, the goddess, proved as a source of advice, and protection, through Odysseus journey. One of the ways she helped Odysseus was when he was trapped with Calypso. Athena urges her father to help Odysseus out, and Zeus sends Hermes to Calypso to release Odysseus so he can return home. Athena often makes Odysseus appear younger, stronger, and more attractive for many reasons. When he was put in a situation with fighting between men, appearing stronger and younger would provide a sense of fear, which would help Odysseus win. Also when Odysseus arrives home Athena makes him appear as an old man, a beggar. This lets him

Reading changed my life free essay sample

At eleven years old, I opened a magical book that changed my life and opened my heart to a world of literacy. Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone (Rowling, 1997) not only intensified my already keen imagination, but filled me with a hunger for knowledge. I knew then that I had to enhance my literary skills in order to obtain the level of intellectual stimulation I craved, and Harry Potter gave me the tools and motivation to do so. To this day, the series carries an impact in both my personal life as well as fueling my own desire to write. When I read Harry Potter, I developed a fervent need to continue reading. While I had to wait in agony between the premieres of each book, I kept myself busy by burying my mind, and nose, in every book I could get my hands on. I know that I would not have had such an interest in the world of books and creativity if it weren’t for Rowling’s beautiful world of wizardry. We will write a custom essay sample on Reading changed my life or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Every time one of the books would come out, I would shut myself up in my room and would not leave until I had devoured every word from cover to cover. I had never been so emotionally moved by a book before I discovered the Harry Potter series. I felt joy, fear, awe, sadness, love, and grief through the stories of good and evil; friendship and betrayal; love and forgiveness. I was quite a peculiar child in that my parents would not punish me by taking away my phone or my television; they knew the most effective way to punish me for my wrongdoings was to take away my books, especially my Harry Potter books. To me, there was no fate worse than being without my stories. Hogwarts has always been a safe haven for me when the true world became too much, or too little, for me to handle alone. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (Rowling, 2003) has always had a particularly strong impact on my life when I am battling with life and am losing- the characters that are admired are shown to possess both positive and negative attributes, just as we all do. That particular book came to my aid through any strife I have ever faced, including the death of three grandfathers (for whom I have a Harry Potter quote memorial tattoo, because of how much it makes me think of them), the confusion of teenage life, and my journey to accept myself for who I am as a person. When I was a teenager, I was not outwardly troubled; I never touched drugs or alcohol, I enjoyed participating in school activities, and I was a decent student. However, I was struggling internally every day with my personal demons. I was my own worst enemy and biggest critic. Just as I started to think, as many teenagers do, that life would always feel that way, I reread the entire Harry Potter series, and was brought to tears. Each book had something to teach me about myself and the world that surrounded me. They made me less cynical towards those around me, and I felt as though I could make a difference. Perhaps I would never make a difference to the world, but I could be successful in my own right and that no battle was too large if I had my friends, family, self, and an unwavering belief that I could overcome any obstacle. It is with no exaggeration that I say the Harry Potter books have saved my life. Words from each book penetrate my very soul, are etched into my heart, are literally etched on my skin, and apply to my life every day. The fact that one woman’s words could affect my life so strongly made me think that, perhaps, I could have an impact on someone’s life through my words; and so, I decided to write. With my imagination as sharpened as my pencil, and the courage found from the Harry Potter books to keep me going, I put pencil to paper and began to write my stories. From faeries to mermaids; murderous villains and courageous heroines; even an entire anthology about phobias. My goal is to give even one person a place to escape the harsh, or even simply mundane, realities of everyday life, just as J. K. Rowling gave me an entire universe to escape to at the turn of a page. I had a poem published in my college’s biannual art book, it was the very first time I have seen my work in print. It is a dream of mine to have a book published and maybe even put on the New York Time’s Best Seller List. Rowling’s real life story has inspired me to believe that it can actually happen for me. She went from being on welfare and battling depression to being one of the most successful and influential women of our time, all because of her words. Though I will, probably, never receive my acceptance letter to Hogwarts, I can say without the slightest hesitation that the Harry Potter books have changed both my literary and personal lives. Because of them, I now see writing as the best creative outlet for myself and I will not let go of the dream to have a book published. I have gone through much with my fictional friends by my side. â€Å"Hogwarts will always be there to welcome you home† (Rowling, 2011). The stories of the Boy Who Lived helped me become the Girl Who Lived.

A comparison Between Asian Americans and Latinos

A comparison Between Asian Americans and Latinos For a long time, most people were convinced that a child was bestowed with a certain level of intelligence at birth. Past studies have revealed that genetics could not have been the sole determinant of a child’s intelligence. However, as the world changed from using genetics to explain differences in intelligence, there was also a corresponding shift to focus on culture and the environment. Culture is now believed to be the determining factor in explaining differences between races (Liu 5). By examining how learning takes place between Asian Americans, it emerges that we are more intelligent than the rest of the population, in addition, it also emerges that the environment has something to do with the grades achieved by both the Latinos and the Asian Americans. This paper shall endeavor to compare the Asian Americans with the Latino ethnic group. It will mainly focus on how learning takes place within the two groups and the associated outcome. In addition, the paper will also use an article by Fuller and Garcia Coll (2010) to explore the choices made by parents and how they affect learning.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on A comparison Between Asian Americans and Latinos specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The article by Fuller and Garcia Coll (559) discusses the environment in which children are brought up in Latino households. It especially focuses on immigration and how it affects the manner in which children grow up.Using four theoretical frameworks, the paper explains how learning and development take place within culturally bounded context. In their analysis, the authors show how learning is perceived as taking place and the changes that have occurred over the years. The paper further explains how traditional Latino families are able to keep the family close and support their children socially. It also highlights the pressure on children and teenagers to assimilate into the American cu lture and how this poses a risk to their development. Overall, its aim is to bring an understanding of how learning takes place within groups that are heavily influenced by culture. This paper argues that Latino children use socialization practices to create their identity at home. The social practices acquired at school further influence their school performance (Fuller Garcia Coll 560). There is an obvious different in the family sizes of both the Latinos and the Asian Americans. For example, Latinos living in America typically have larger families than Asian Americans. Such Latinos as the Mexican Americans had 2.4 children on average as of 2003 while white and other minorities had an average of 2.0 children, according to study conducted by Fuller et al 2009 (qtd. in Fuller Garcia Coll 561). This difference has contributed to the disparity observed in terms of development between the two groups. The cognitive development of children raised in large families tends to be slower th an that of children raised in smaller families (Fuller Garcia Coll 561). This is because as the size of the family increases there is a corresponding depletion of the available resources. The order in which the children are born also affects the quality of each child’s education. For example, the first child gets a good education while those born later in families do not get as much education (Black et al.6). The interest and commitment that parents show their first child also declines as the number of children increases as they are now faced with the responsibility of taking care of more children.Advertising Looking for essay on ethnicity studies? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Asian American parents differ from Latino parents in the way they approach their children’s schoolwork. From an early age, Latinos create an environment that enables a child to observe and copy the behavior of the society (Ful ler Garcia Coll 560). Asian Americans believe that the child should be solely focused on school and do not encourage distractions that interfere with it. Any activities such as sports, taking part in school plays or socializations are considered distractions. For those Asian American parents who own businesses, their children are not permitted to work in the shops while neglecting their school work (8). For Latino parents, the learning that takes place for their children is more observational than book related. Learning in Latino families takes place through participation in everyday activities. Children will do household chores and take care of the younger ones in the family. Teenagers are also allowed to work for pay to improve the family’s economic status (Fuller Garcia 563). The Asian American and Latino families both aim to improve their status through their children but their approach differs. Asian Americans students do better academically than Latino students. A stu dy by (Liu, 2) shows that the number of Asian American students who complete college is two thirds greater than that of Latinos (2). Asian Americans do better in school as their parents have advanced education, they are able to attend schools with enough resources, their peers support them and their community is always looking out for them (Liu 5). Latinos do not do as well as Asian Americans as they are not fully focused on academics alone. They are heavily involved in community activities and extracurricular activities. They are also eager to assimilate into the American culture and this affects their academic performance. Second generation Latino teenagers succumb to peer pressure and let go of family duties leading to a deterioration of their performance in school according to a study by Fuligni 2001 (qtd. in Fuller and Garcia Coll 560). First generation Latinos are more engaged in school work as they are able to identify more closely with their ethnic community (Fuller Garcia Coll 560). The instability of being torn between two cultures affects Latinos more than Asian Americans as Asian Americans are more integrated and less likely to be totally assimilated in their childhood.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on A comparison Between Asian Americans and Latinos specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More In Conclusion, this paper has shown that there are various forms of learning. Using an article by Fuller and Garcia (2010) it has explored how learning takes place in the Latino community. For example, learning can take place through observation as practiced by Latinos. On the other hand, the Asian Americans have a preference for academic learning. This paper has explained how Latinos differ from Asian Americans when it comes to modes of learning. It has shown that in early childhood, Asian Americans prefer that their children concentrate on schoolwork and avoid any extracurricular or social activities while Latinos see observational learning as beneficial to the child and are encouraged to work to support their families. It has also explained that the large size of Latino families hinders learning due to a scarcity of resources and inadequate attention on each individual child. It has also shown that this may be why Latino students perform poorly in school in comparison with the Asian American students. The paper has pointed out that as the second generation Latinos try to emulate their American counterparts and in the process, they lose track of their school work and perform poorly in comparison with first generation Latinos. Black, Sandra, Devereux, Paul, and Salvanes, Kjell 2004, The More the Merrier? The Effect of Family Composition on Children’s Education. PDF file. 12 Feb. 2013. econ.ucla.edu/people/papers/Black/Black493.pdf. Fuller, Bruce and Garcia Coll, Cynthia. â€Å"Learning From Latinos: Contexts, Families, and Child Development in Motion. â€Å"Developmenta l Psychology, 46.3 (2010):559-565. Print. Liu, Eric. The Accidental Asian, New York: Vintage Books, 1998. Print.

Harmful ingredients within protein shakes Essay

Harmful ingredients within protein shakes - Essay Example Protein shake is a mixture of a powdered form of protein with water, juice, or milk. Bodybuilders consume this mixture after or before practice to supplement their diets increase the protein levels in the body. Bodybuilders usually require high levels of protein to achieve maximum muscle growth. The exact amount of protein, that an athlete is uncertain, and usually left for the user to decide the desired amount. The protein powder is, in variety flavors, to suit the different users. Protein shakes are a popular source of protein since it is directly absorbed into the body. However, the levels of nutrients found in it may not be in the amount exactly required. Different people require different levels of nourishment needs. For example in the human structure, women require more iron as compared to men. In studies conducted and reported by independent laboratories in United States, popular brands of protein shakes prove to contain higher than the recommended levels of heavy metals. The law recommends a minimum of fifteen, five, ten, and fifteen micrograms per day of arsenic, cadmium, lead and mercury levels respectively. This shows that a majority of the brands of powder shakes are a threat to the health of their users (Coleman, 2008). Cadmium is one of the extremely poisonous metals. Thus, even very small traces of cadmium present in the body can cause severe damage in the body. Usually this metal is majorly in industrial work places. Just a small exposure to it may result to symptoms such as fever, chills, and muscle ache. With an increase in cadmium exposure, it causes respiratory damages such as pneumonitis, trachea-bronchitis, and pulmonary edema. Cadmium poisoning too affects other internal organs such as kidney and bones (Avedon, 2007). Another heavy metal present in a majority of the protein shakes is lead. Lead accumulates in the body leading to severe emergency symptoms. Medical experts show that even low levels of lead if present in a child may hinder a child’s mental and body development. In addition, lead is more dangerous to children as compared to adults. Some of the complications because of lead poisoning include; kidney damage, hearing problems, hindering body growth, reduced levels of IQ, and behavior problems. Its symptoms include headaches, anemia, irritability, low appetite, abdominal pain, and cramping (Shamy, 2013). As mentioned above, mostly children are vulnerable to the effects of lead poisoning. Administering protein shakes to children can lead to disaster in children development. In 2005, a study published in pediatrics’ journal found that protein shakes is common to individuals between the ages of twelve and eighteen. This shows a majority of children gain higher protein levels by use of protein shakes (Massie, 2012). High levels of arsenic in the body lead to arsenic poisoning. At early stages of the condition, the victims suffer headaches, drowsiness, confusion, and severe diarrhea. Lungs, skin, l iver, and kidneys are the major internal organs that suffer the wrath of arsenic poisoning. Very high levels usually lead to night blindness. In some cases, the victim slips into a coma and finally dies. High arsenic levels are not good for the body making protein shakes a threat to its user (Sewell, 2013). Mercury is a heavy metal, whose exposure results to hydrargyriasis. Having different symptoms from