Love, Death and the Changing of the Seasons Essay Example for Free

Love, Death and the Changing of the Seasons Essay The majority of poems and sonnets we have read, starting back from the first sonnet to today’s modern writers. They can be said to describe as a moment’s monument. As they describe a time of hurt, happiness or a memory in that was once enjoyed that has been put into words. I am going to discuss the meaning behind, what a moment’s monument is. I am also going to find out between two sonnets, The Forge and Love deaths and the changing of the season. Weather they answer the question â€Å"the sonnet has been described as a moment’s monument’. What is the meaning of a moment, it can mean so many things. Mainly it is described as a setting to a time in someone’s life. A moment in time that has been remembered, it could be happy, sad moment or an event that you have remember such a wedding day. Putting it into a sonnet, it can be a moment of a lost one someone is explaining. A monument is a statue, gravestone or a piece of history that can act as a record or memory for someone. For an example a gravestone is a record of a person’s death and the time they spent alive, it’s their record for people who loved them and also a way of saying â€Å"I was here. The sonnet Love deaths and the changing of the season by Marilyn Hacker can be described as a moment’s monument. The speaker of the sonnet is speaking about herself and about a moment in her life. The moment in her life that she is talking about is her loss of a lover. She is explaining the pain she has to face with letting go. The monument is the record of the tears she cried over her loss of this lover who was once there with her. This is shown in line thirteen and fourteen when she says â€Å"I drank our one year out in brine instead of honey. These lines mean she is describing the one year as drinking brine which is salt water which would cause dehydration and then sickness and eventually death, she has nothing left. When she compares brine to honey it is showing us, her life has gone from something sweet like honey, to something bitter like brine. The monument which can also be linked in this sonnet is that the death of the lover, will give them a gravestone as the record. The structure of the sonnet consists of fourteen line . The rhyme pattern can be debated of being either an Italian sonnet which the pattern the lines are divided into eight and six or English/Shakespearean which consists of the lines of three quatrains and two couplets. If it is an Italian version sonnet can be broken down the first eight lines. The first eight lines are her explaining her wanting him back. Then lines nine to fourteen is her accepting his gone and letting him go. If it is an English version sonnet it can be read as line one to four is her pain. Line five to eight is he realizing his not coming back and line nine to fourteen is her bitterness of crying over her loss. Hacker’s sonnet also allows the reader to get a language image. Some examples of this is, when she says â€Å"flood gates. † This is meaning that she is opening up her heart and letting the grief pouring out. She also says of a â€Å"gift† he left her behind, which is her way of saying bitterly he has left her with nothing but tears. Another language image is â€Å"season,† also mentioned as part of the title and mentioned in the sonnet. This can be used as she also mentions in the sonnet â€Å"winter,† which is a cold and comfortless and empty season, meaning this is how she feels with only have memories now. The metre of the poem is the standard iambic pentameter, but it is used to a good strong effect for the read as it emphasizes the main words such as in line three â€Å"stomach ache, headache and heartache, which is a good effect. As is emphasizes on the main word ache, which is another word for pain. The sonnet The Forge by Seamus Heaney can be described as a moment’s monument. The speaker in the sonnet is speaking from observation, watching the Black smith it could be someone who regularly passes by or an apprentice working with the blacksmith. The moment in time which the person watching is describing is the Blacksmith in the Forge and his every day routine of making horse shoes. This is shown in line nine when it is said â€Å"where he expends himself in shape and music†, we know this as he references to the guy as ‘he’ not ‘I’. The monument within this sonnet could also be considered a moment the lines twelve and thirteen shows a good example when it says â€Å"recalls a clatter of hoofs where traffic is flashing in rows. Demonstrating it’s a memory that a moment in time that he recorded of when the streets where once surrounded with horse and remembering the sound of their shoes clattering on the roads, but now it is taken over by car and traffic lights. The structure of the sonnet is a fourteen line sonnet. The rhyme pattern of this sonnet is an Italian sonnet. The Italian sonnets are in the pattern of lines that are divided into eight and six. It can be put lines one to eight is the person watching the daily routine completed by the Blacksmith and him going about his everyday activities. Then line nine to fourteen is the person watching the Blacksmith reminisce on the past and then getting upset and returning to his work. The poem is the normal iambic pentameter, but it is used responsively, for a good outcome. For example in the very first line we already get words like dark, which is a powerful word on its own Both The Forge and Love, Death and the changing of the seasons are sonnets that are a moment’s monument. The both describe a moment in time. Weather it is a loss of a lover or a working day. They both describe a monument a memory, traffic replacing horses or the way he use to take her in his arms.

Rome :: Roman Culture Rome Military History Essays

Rome The Greeks, after their country had been reduced into a province, imputed the triumphs of Rome, not to the merit, but to the FORTUNE, of the republic. The inconstant goddess, who so blindly distributes and resumes her favours, had now consented (such was the language of envious flattery) to resign her wings, to descend from her globe, and to fix her firm and immutable throne on the banks of the Tiber.[1] A wiser Greek, who has composed, with a philosophic spirit, the memorable history of his own times, deprived his countrymen of this vain and delusive comfort by opening to their view the deep foundations of the greatness of Rome.[2] The fidelity of the citizens to each other, and to the state, was confirmed by the habits of education and the prejudices of religion. Honour, as well as virtue, was the principle of the republic; the ambitious citizens laboured to deserve the solemn glories of a triumph; and the ardour of the Roman youth was kindled into active emulation, as often as the y beheld the domestic images of their ancestors.[3] The temperate struggles of the patricians and plebeians had finally established the firm and equal balance of the constitution; which united the freedom of popular assemblies with the authority and wisdom of a senate-and the executive powers of a regal magistrate. When the consul displayed the standard of the republic, each citizen bound himself, by the obligation of an oath, to draw his sword in the cause of his country, till he had discharged the sacred duty by a military service of ten years. This wise institution continually poured into the field the rising generations of freemen and soldiers; and their numbers were reinforced by the warlike and populous states of Italy, who, after a brave resistance, had yielded to the valour, and embraced the alliance, of the Romans. The sage historian, who excited the virtue of the younger Scipio and beheld the ruin of Carthage,[4] has accurately described their military system; their levies , arms, exercises, subordination, marches, encampments; and the invincible legion, superior in active strength to the Macedonian phalanx of Philip and Alexander. From these institutions of peace and war, Polybius has deduced the spirit and success of a people incapable of fear and impatient of repose. The ambitious design of conquest, which might have been defeated by the seasonable conspiracy of mankind, was attempted and achieved; and the perpetual violation of justice was maintained by the political virtues of prudence and courage.

Strategic operations issues and Lean Synchronisation

INTRODUCTION:Lean synchronisation is an emerging practice that seeks to streamline the ‘flow of products and services’ in order to eliminate waste (Slack et al. 2012 p. 352).The aim of this paper is to identify the strategic operational issues in relation to A&B Partners (a law firm referred to as â€Å"A&B†), more specifically with the process of signing out mail, which is referred to in Figure 1.1 below.The paper has three sections. Firstly, the definition of lean synchronisation (referred to herein as â€Å"LS†) will be defined, especially within the service industry, followed by outlining the current process of signing out mail at A&B. By analysing the existing procedure in the context of lean synchronisation, the paper will highlight the delays and imperfections of the existing procedure, as well as provide recommendations to improve the process in order to improve the five performance objectives.WHAT IS LEAN SYNCHRONISATION?LS is a process of producti on with the ‘aim of achieving a flow of products and services that always delivers exactly what customers want, in exact quantities, exactly when needed, exactly when required, and at the lowest possible cost’ (Slack et al. 2012 p. 358). It has successfully been implemented in such corporations as Toyota and the Bolton Hospitals National Health Service Trust. Both examples aim ‘to achieve perfect synchronisation through smooth and even flow’ (Slack et al. 2012 p. 358). It is important to note that LS cannot be achieved overnight, but it is a continuous process and should serve as an objective that managers should incessantly strive for (Slack et al. 2012 p. 353).Given that LS requires the co-operation of everyone involved in the process and the supply network, there needs to be transparency and communication between everyone involved, especially those involved with the operational components of the process and/or supply network (Jullien & Tjahono 2009 p. 32 5). The goal of LS is to open up the work process and abolish the usual hierarchies of traditional management to provide ‘smooth, uninterrupted flow without delay, waste or imperfection of any kind’ (Slack et al. 2012 p. 359).Whilst the idea of LS is well established in the manufacturing sector, the benefits of implementing the philosophy to the service industry can achieve equally valuable results. (Jullien & Tjahono 2009 p. 321). Pixar Animation Studios adopted Toyota’s approach to management and it has resulted in being a leader of computer graphics in filmmaking (Slack et al. 2012 p. 373).The encouragement of continuous advice and criticism from its creative teams, brings problems to the surface before it becomes and crises and affects the overall operation (Slack et al. 2012 p. 373). By encouraging open communication during LS the responsibility for solving the problem is now shared with everyone, ‘improving the chances of the problem being solved†™ in the most efficient and cost-effective manner in order to reply to the customer’s needs and demands (Slack et al. 2012 p. 355).  A & B PARTNERSA & B Partners (â€Å"A&B†) is a specialised insurance and commercial litigation law firm. The objectives of the business are to be the leader in the area of  insurance law, more specifically motor vehicle insurance, public liability and home insurance. The firm acts for various insurance companies and there is often a panel of law firms acting for these insurance companies.Whilst in most law firms there is only one client, in insurance litigation there are various stake holder interests to weigh up. There is the insurance company (â€Å"Client†) who insures the insured (â€Å"IO†) or the insured’s company, motor vehicle or home, the shareholders of the Client and upholding the Client’s obligations to the Insurance Commission Board, to which it is a signatory to. Weighing up these interests is sometimes a difficult and, often, a contradictory juggling act, which is made even more difficult with the solicitor’s obligation to the firm, his/her budget, the impact of settling one file affecting another file with the same opposition, complying with one’s obligations with the Legal Services Board and a solicitor’s primary duty to the court as an officer of the court, which overrides every other obligation.In insurance litigation, more specifically, in motor vehicle insurance, there are often the same law firms within the â€Å"game†. However, occasionally the other driver involved in the accident (â€Å"TPD†) chooses not to go through their insurance company and either goes through another law firm or a recovery agent law firm who specialises in issuing against insurance companies or choses to be unrepresented. Therefore, you often have more multiple matters against any one firm at the one time and, hence, how you interact with that firm on one matter will most likely influence how settlement negotiations will be dictated in another.Because of the contract A&B has with the client, all new files must be actioned within 48 hours. This is high volume, low variety work which often sees a solicitor handling 100- 115 files. The main principles are: – provide concise, practical and commercially focused advice – proactively manage all disputes– resolve disputes at the earliest possible opportunity – build long term client relationship – deliver value for moneyBecause A&B is often part of a panel of firms that continuously have to re-submit tenders every 5-7 years, it is competing with other firms to provide the best service. This is measured but to key performance indicators: 1. Total days it took to resolve the matter; and2. Recovery/Settlement rate (how much the client spent on legal costs compared to how much was recovered or how much was paid out to the TPD).MAIL SIGNINGGiven the main KP I’s are total days turnover and recover/settlement rates, speed and accuracy of advice is important. Law is often a game of chess. Even though most matters follow the same formula there is often one detail that can change the solicitor’s strategic approach to the whole matter and anticipating the other solicitor’s move will determine your next action. Because A&B is well regarded nationally as being one of the foremost leaders in its field, ensuring every document that leaves the firm from all 20 plus solicitors are consistent and align with the objectives of the firm, the client and the insured is important. This has resulted in a policy that all outgoing mail/documents must be signed off by a Partner.There are two Partners that are in charge of the motor vehicle team which consists of twelve Solicitors. Throughout the day solicitors place their completed correspondence in a designated pile in the respective partner’s office. Because each solicitor handl es files from more than one jurisdiction, often the solicitors have to drop off correspondence in both partner’s office. At approximately 3pm the process of mail signing and discussing any issues or problems with files commences. This is often a long and arduous process, eating into valuable billing time of the solicitors and partners, who also have 100 plus files of their own they are running.A minor mistake in a letter, for example an incorrect spelling of someone’s name, will result in the mail not being signed out and having it be  forwarded back to the solicitor’s secretary for amending. By the time it returns to the solicitor to give back to the partner, it is the end of the business day, mail people have gone home or worse, the designated partner has left for the day and the letter must be re-amended to change the date to the next business day. What may be a simple task of forwarding documents to another party in the proceedings has taken more than two days to complete. Figure 1.1 is a process flow map of the procedure.PERFORMANCE OBJECTIVE OF THE CURRENT SYSTEMThe aspects of the current mail signing procedure do not comply with all of the performance objectives of A&B.QualityThe quality of work is high as most letters are of similar standard and style. Whilst most of the documents conform to some type of readymade precedent on the system, many do not. Furthermore, the precedents are often out of date and do not correspond with costs allowed by the court. Additionally, numerous new cases have been handed down, which contradict the precedent letters regarding advice on liability and apportionment of costs. Even though the decisions in these cases are not upheld strictly in the local court and the courts of similar jurisdiction in other states and territories, it does add to the persuasiveness of one’s argument.SpeedAs previously stated one of the KPI’s is the total amount of days the matte was open with the firm and h ow long it took to resolve the matter Therefore, timing is crucial. It is generally a rule that all matters be issued or actioned within 48 hours of the files being received by the firm. However, one to two days are lost at the beginning with the claims department printing the file, and forwarding the said file to a partner who then allocates it to a solicitor. If, in the unlikelihood, the file contains all the documents needed to be actioned, it will still take a further two days at best to send out the first letter due to the backlog of dictation waiting to be typed up by the secretaries (at this stage, the ratio of secretaries to solicitors is 1:2.5), checked by the partner and ready to be sent out on  the first attempt. Within the first week of receiving the file, the file is sitting idle in a partner’s office or in a dictation line for at least half of the time.DependabilityWhilst every attempt is made to respond to a client’s request within 48 hours, it is diff icult with the amount of file load a solicitor has and the amount of â€Å"urgent† matters that need to be actioned that very day. As every solicitor’s schedule is difference, (i.e time or hearings and amount of hearings) it is difficult to provide a guaranteed response time across the whole firm.FlexibilityA&B values its relationship with its clients. Ensuring that we are able to provide general advice that we do not bill for, whilst performing the billable work is essential in ensuring A&B maintain client relationships as contracts must be re-tendered every 3-5 years. It is this â€Å"extra-value service† that sets A&B apart from the competition. Often it involves dropping whatever billable task is being performed and providing the client with a comprehensive researched advice based on current law and trends in a particular jurisdiction by the close of business that day or the next morning.CostDue to the highly competitive nature of the market, A&B have been t he leaders in introducing a fixed fee pricing framework. If a matter only gets to a certain stage, A&B will only charge a pre-determined amount no matter how many phone calls/letters were drafted or how much work was required. This has reduced the time solicitors spend on costing a file and it also forces the solicitor to adopt lean processes to ensure maximum results with minimum effort.Discounts are provided if the matter has not been finalised within a required time and if the settlement/recovery rate is not achieved. Conversely, solicitors are entitled to charge an uplift if matters are finalised within  the agreed time frame and the recovery/settlement rate is achieved. The days of putting certain files in the â€Å"too hard† basket and waiting for schedules to slow down are gone due to this new pricing framework.LEAN SYNCHRONISATIONThe rigidity of conforming to a certain style of writing affects the dependability, speed and, ultimately, the cost of the performance obj ectives of A&B. Not enough training is provided to new solicitors as to the â€Å"A&B way† of drafting and negotiating. Furthermore, the knowledge and experience of the partners are vital to the solicitor’s application of the law to current files. Seeing each solicitor individually and having to wait until mail signing time to request guidance does not assist with the firm’s objective of providing quick and efficient legal solution as it adds to the waste of irregular flow (Slack et al. 2012 p. 360).Given the new pricing framework, the importance of lean synchronisation has never been more important. The goal for all solicitors is to provide advice that will ensure an excellent recovery/settlement rate and quick resolution of the matter. With difficult files that do not fit the established precedent letters, advice from the partner’s is essential. However, as stated above, waiting until mail signing time is not ideal as there are often other solicitors ne eding their mail signed out and often there will be corrections that need to be made.Often making an appointment the next available business day is required to go into depth the theory behind certain legal principles as well as formulating a response that â€Å"fits† the intended audience as writing to a client differs greatly to writing to other firms and there is even a difference in the style of writing depending on who the law firm is.Often the Partner’s do not understand why things have taken as long as it has due to non-transparency and non-communication between the different processes; 1. The amount of dictating the secretaries have to type; 2. The file load of the solicitor; 3. The amount of extra research the solicitor is doing that is unable to be billed; 4. The insufficient claims documents  being supplied by the Client and, therefore, the amount of time spent chasing the client or IO for additional information; and 5. The amount of time wasted whilst bein g on hold with the Client to seek further instructions. All of the above factors contribute to waste on a file that is simple and straight forward. Files that are complex are expected to take longer as it often needs to be explained to the Client and IO in more detail.RECOMMENDATIONS Given the word limit only two recommendations will be outlined briefly.DECREASE FILE LOAD OF THE PARTNERS Within the legal field imparting one’s experience of a certain judge, opposition or client is just as important as one’s knowledge of the principles of the law. Knowing the credibility of your own client will be a major deciding factor of any case. The wisdom and experience of a partner is vital. Therefore, the Partner’s should assume more of a mentor role and harness their time to teach the solicitor’s the skills they have acquired throughout their careers.In time this knowledge can be passed on to the Senior Associates who can then share the responsibilities of signing out mail of the other solicitor, as well as aiding the solicitors with any queries. Access to knowledge and guidance will be readily acceptable, therefore, reducing the waiting time and delays between activities.REGULAR SOLICITORS MEETINGS Conducting regular solicitors meetings of 4-5 solicitors where each solicitor raises any problems they have with a file or a particular process (i.e secretarial support is spread to thin) can serve two purposes; 1.It communicates any processes to senior management that is not working on an operational level; and 2.It encourages solicitors to work together to resolve â€Å"problem files† whilst allowing greater access to knowledge from other solicitor’s successful (not so successful) negotiating techniques, approaches, legal strategy etc†¦ In time the solicitors will have confidence  in their ability to provide correct legal advice that the inefficient process of mail signing will be eradicated for experienced solicitors.7. CON CLUSIONBased on the analysis above, we can conclude the current mail signing process is time consuming and involves unnecessary processes that can eradicated completely or modified to increase the time available the solicitors can bill the client for. Eventually, the aim of adopting LS processes should be to increase access to information, whether that is recent trends in specific courts to theoretical knowledge of the legal principles so as to avoid the current bottleneck system. Partner’s should assume more of a mentor role and harness their time to teach the solicitor’s the skills they have acquired throughout their careers. Access to knowledge and guidance will be readily acceptable, therefore, reducing the waiting time and delays between activities

A Single Man (1964) by Christopher Isherwood

Christopher Isherwood’s A Single Man (1962) is not Isherwood’s most popular or most lauded work, even after the recent Hollywood movie, starring Colin Firth Julianne Moore.  That this novel is one of the â€Å"lesser read† of Isherwood’s novels speaks volumes for his other works, because this novel is absolutely beautiful.  Edmund White, one of gay literature’s most respected and prominent authors, called A Single Man â€Å"one of the first and best models of the Gay Liberation movement† and it’s impossible to disagree. Isherwood himself said that this was the favorite of his nine novels, and any reader might imagine that it would be quite difficult to top this work in terms of emotional connectivity and social relevance.   George, the main character, is an English-born gay man, living and working as a literature professor in Southern California.  George is struggling to readjust to â€Å"single life† after the death of his long-time partner, Jim.  George is brilliant but self-conscious. He is determined to see the best in his pupils, yet knows few, if any, of his students will amount to anything.  His friends look to him as a revolutionary and a philosopher, but George feels he’s simply an above-par teacher, a physically healthy but noticeably aging man with little prospects for love, though he seems to find it when determined not to look for it. The language flows beautifully, even poetically, without seeming self-indulgent. The structure – like short bursts of thought – is easy to keep pace with and seems to function almost in tune with George’s day-to-day musings.  What’s for breakfast?  What’s happening on the way to work?   What am I saying to my students, but what do I hope they’re hearing?   This is not to say that the book is an â€Å"easy read.†Ã‚   In fact, it is emotionally and psychologically haunting.  George’s love for his deceased partner, his loyalty to a broken friend, and his struggle to control lustful emotions for a student are effortlessly expressed by Isherwood, and the tension is brilliantly constructed.  There is a twist ending which, had it not been built with such ingenuity and genius, could read as something quite clichà ©.  Fortunately, Isherwood gets his point across without having to sacrifice his (or the reader’s) imme rsion into the plot line.  This was a balancing act pulled off immaculately – truly impressive. One of the more disappointing elements of the book may be the result of the novel’s length.   George’s simple, sad life is so ordinary but has so much promise; our understanding of this is largely due to George’s internal monologue – his analysis of every action and emotion (typically literary-inspired).  It is easy to imagine that many readers would enjoy getting more of the back story between George and Jim and more of the relationship (little as it existed) between George and his student, Kenny.  Some might be disappointed by George’s kindness to Dorothy; indeed, readers have consistently expressed that they would not have been able, personally, to forgive such a transgression and betrayal. This is the only inconsistency in an otherwise wholly believable plot line, though, and will likely be subject to reader-response, so we can hardly call it an outright fault. The novel takes place in the course of one day, so the characterization is about as well-developed as it can be; the emotion of the novel, the desperation and sadness, are genuine and personal. The reader at times might feel exposed and even violated; sometimes frustrated and, at other times, quite hopeful.  Isherwood has an uncanny ability to direct the reader’s empathy so that she might see herself in George and thereby find herself to be disappointed in herself at times, proud of herself at other times. Ultimately, we all are left with the sense of knowing who George is and of accepting things as they are, and Isherwood’s point seems to be that this awareness is the only way to live a truly satisfied, if not happy, life.