grace’s space

WARNING: i was a but confused about the prompt and this may not seem specific enough. i feel like i made up some stuff, but i tried to be creative and thoughtful!

Before Deng took power in 1978, China was not playing a large role in the global economy. By 2004, however, China was the third largest trading nation in the world, exporting 75% of the world’s toys. Foreign investment has skyrocketed in China—everyone wants to be a part of the country with the unstoppable economy. However, while one aspect of China is transforming remarkably, others are left in the dust. The fact that social and political change are constant and still laced with socialism and egalitarianism (even if Deng lessened it) remains a problem in China, and has led to several demonstrations of the peoples anger (i.e. the events at Tiananmen Square). The country’s leadership has unfailingly agreed that, while the economy can change, the political side of things should stay constant. Deng explains that China should “never dispense with leadership by the party.” To this effect, while a constitution has been drawn up defining roles in government, leadership positions change, but the communist party never does. The government, the executive branch primarily, is made in a way so that personal connections and individual powers are more important that formal, governmental arrangements. To this effect, leaders of China often never occupy government offices in the communist party (Deng never did in his 20 years in office). This may be the source of China’s enormous capacity; Deng was not funneled or blockaded by any restrictions of a government job. He was able to design the economy that China flourishes under today without having to comply with requirements of his position in the government, while still maintaining legitimacy and control. Maybe this is coincidental, that the leaders stay far from constraining positions so as not to limit their power over their country and influence over the economy, or maybe China’s governmental policy was designed to aid in this process. The set up of the country’s government as a whole, too, lends to its recent economic successes. Several bodies and layers of government, including the National Party Congress and the Central Committee, are set up with different jobs and responsibilities. This makes fluid, yet secure, two attributes that come to mind when considering China’s economy. However, it also allows for the country’s main leadership to have primary areas of concentration, and not have to consider ever policy (i.e. Deng decided to completely restructure the economy and could focus on that instead of every other bit of policy, which could be left to lower councils, even if they aren’t always effective). Economic reforms since Deng’s leadership also seem to foster the sense of secrecy that the Chinese government is riddled with. As we discussed, under Mao’s leadership prior to 1978, economic reforms like the Great Leap Forward and collectivization were decided on the government level and seemed to be thrust upon the people without their understanding of the state of their country. While Mao’s reforms didn’t prove effective, Deng followed in his path of secrecy and government supremacy by deciding economic policy for the people without explaining his actions. His efforts, however, proved useful and efficient, and the people accepted a continuation of his hidden plots. The legitimacy of policy making and the government, too, has been heightened from Deng’s control. Deng created a booming economy and brought China into the global community while simultaneously maintaining the influence and control of the communist party. In fact, he raised its legitimacy by demonstrating that it is the party that can lead the country through its first economic boom. The most basic change in policy making when Deng came into power was the change from a one leader “’Mao-in-command’” system to “’fragmented authoritarianism’”, where there is one person in power, but several levels of government to approach policy making. The new system is a more relaxed one that recognizes that, due to changes in the country, especially economic ones, China has become increasingly fragmented and that therefore local governments need more say in the policy process.

6 Major Powers Move Closer to Considering More Iran Sanctions

UNITED NATIONS — Six major powers agreed Saturday that the Iranian response to proposals to altering its nuclear development program had been inadequate and that it warranted consideration of further measures by the United Nations Security Council.

Summary:

6 World Powers of the United Nations Security Council met January 16^th in New York to discuss further measures for forcing Iran to limit and alter its nuclear development program. The council came to a consensus in terms of their understanding that Iran has not adequately responded to the present sanctions and agreements in terms of the uranium enrichment. However, China sided against the group saying that they oppose new sanctions now. As of now, the countries of the council are pursuing a duel track system under which they would like to attempt to negotiate a settlement with Iran. However, if that effort fell through, they would pursue further sanctions. While the first half of the policy is still in effect, “consideration of appropriate further measures has also begun,” says Robert Cooper, a senior European Union official. Both China and Russia (which also has exhibited some doubt as to whether Iran is actually creating nuclear weapons and therefore is hesitant to enforce restrictions) have voted in favor of the last three rounds of sanctions but recently China has begun to show open opposition towards the efforts, which makes the process of decision making on the council more difficult. While the negotiations seem to be taking a long time, there is always the pressure of time, as there is the possibility that Iran is developing enough enriched uranium to create dangerous nuclear weapons. In addition, the international Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty (a treaty created in 1968 to prevent the international spread of nuclear weapons) is to be reviewed in May, and the Council wants all sanctions to be in place before discussions are to be had concerning the future of the treaty, so as not to complicate the situation further.

Analysis:

Firstly, this article reveals the struggles of globalization. It is through cases like these that we can see how each country truly affects the other and how interconnected the separate countries really are. While Iran claims to be enriching uranium for “peaceful civilian purposes”, major countries believe that they are in fact creating large quantities of enriched uranium in order to generate nuclear weapons. While this facet of globalization, the fact that we are kept safe by countries keeping check on one another, seems protective, there is also a downside. Because the countries are separate yet still connected, there is a large chance for mistrust and skepticism, which can draw countries apart and lead to large global conflict, like this one we face today. This piece also exhibits the degree to which the decisions of countries affect other countries. In response to the decision to place sanctions on Iran, the country has to immediately put up a defense and deny the claims if it is to survive in the global community. However, the actions of Iran are also highly consequential to the rest of the world. The belief that they are manufacturing weapons of mass destruction has sent the international community into a state of shock and fright. Information surrounding the nuclear weaponry issue has reached far into the public eye–there seems to be a general mistrust of Iran, especially in American society (see cartoons below). The article also illuminates the global crisis and conflict that Iran faces. In the midst of a war on terror between Western Powers and the Middle East, Iran is suspected of creating the weapons that directly caused the War on Terror. As they are widely mistrusted in the global spectrum, Iran is unable to convince other countries that it is creating uranium solely for peaceful purposes (if it even is). The country appears sneaky and manipulative to foreign powers and cannot be trusted in the international community. This fares badly for Iran’s role in the global economy and community.

A. 1. INTEGRATION INTO EU

Conservative: The Conservative Party, naturally, takes a conservative outlook on Britain’s integration into the EU, feeling that it is unjustified by the people, unfair and ineffective for the wellbeing and progression of the country. Conservatives feel that a position in the EU lowers efficiency, forcing the country to accept and follow common law for example, replacing the euro with the pound (if it were to become an EU law). While Tony Blair believed that involvement in the EU would heal wounds and build bonds, Conservatives feel that it greatly restricts and threatens British independence and individual effectiveness. Their biggest argument is that the people are not given a say while other member countries held referendums and could ratify treaties entering them into the EU, it seems that British government jumped into the union before giving its people a say. Conservatives feel that involvement in a union that affects the people so greatly should be influenced by their desires.

Labour: The Labour Party believes that involvement in the European Union is vital to Britain’s success. They believe that the days of British isolationism need to be buried history and, instead, Britain needs to rise as a world leader. This can only be done, however, if the country ceases to stand on the sidelines of a union as influential and powerful as the EU. Further integration into the EU would not only boost Britain’s presently ineffective economy (as the EU is the most influential unit of European economic policy), but would also restore stability to the country, allow it to further adapt to globalization and aid in its rise as a world power. The Labour Party opposes the Conservative’s policies of isolationism and “sideline” involvement and, instead, believes that involvement in the EU is the sole mode of keeping time with other countries and remaining involved in the global community. However, while they want to maintain a place in the EU, Labours are not willing to give up issues of human rights and judiciary policy for the EU to decide for them.

Policy: Passed December 1, 2009, the Labour Party has supported and ratified the Lisbon Treaty, which grants the EU even more law making abilities, thereby providing it more power. While more power yields more responsibility, the EU claims that it will be even more accountable for its citizens. However, it is the Parliament has the final say on the budget of the EU. EU legislation oversees several categories including agriculture, energy policy, immigration and more. Through the treaty, not only is the EU gaining power, but so too is the European Parliament. In this respect, critics of the Lisbon Treaty claim that European citizens, especially the British with their heavily democratic system, will see a drop in the level of democracy, as the institutions of government gain power while the peoples’ voice remains on the same level. Citizens worry that the ability of the EU to make extremely important and influential laws for the entirety of Europe will undermine their voice and dangerously strengthen central power.

A. 2. WELFARE

Conservative: Conservatives believe that some welfare is necessary to support Britain’s citizens. However, the party feels that the extent of the Labour Party’s social care exceeds the needed amount and has contributed heavily to the enormous national deficit ($67 million spent on welfare for the elderly). In hopes of creating a welfare system in which people are encouraged to get back on their feet but not given the crutches of the government’s money, Conservatives believe that a federal system in which unemployed citizens join federal groups and receive pension but promise to work eventually is the most effective system. Conservatives feel that the people should be given a bridge to employment, a temporary shoulder to lean on before they get back on their feet and are capable of work. A system in which citizens are able to lean completely on the government and use taxpayers’ money for their own living funds creates an ineffective and unfair system.

Labour: The Labour party believes in a much more widespread and universal system of welfare. For example, the party has guaranteed education to every 16 or 17 year old who seeks it. Also, vascular checks for all people ages 40-74 has been implemented by the Labour Party. The party tends to favor and accept higher and more flexible budgets for recipients of social care in hopes of offering them management of their own lifestyles. The Labour Party sees it fit that a huge percentage of federal taxes go toward social care. They lean less towards the bridgeway system that the Conservatives use; they view welfare as something that can support an individual for a long period of time and are more open to the idea of the extended neediness of the impoverished.

Policy: In 1997, the Labour Party developed the NHS, or the National Health Service. Sticking to their policy of wider healthcare coverage and greater social services, the party developed the NHS with the goal of creating more accessible and better quality treatment and healthcare. The NHS has lowered waitlist time for treatment, increased number of doctors, and built over 100 new hospitals schemes. However, while this reform seems perfect, it comes at a great cost to the government and, more importantly, to the taxpayers. Critics of government spending throughout the past decade argue that the Labour Party boasts its reforms but cannot back them up with responsible spending. While widespread healthcare is undeniably beneficial to Britain’s citizens, it does come at a high cost.

Robert Frost, “Desert Places”

RHYMING:

• Definite rhyme scheme: aaba:
  • 1^st stanza: “fast”, “past”, “snow”, “last”
  • 2^nd stanza: “theirs”, “lairs”, “count”, “unawares”
  • 3^rd stanza: “loneliness”, “less”, “snow”, “express”
  • 4^th stanza: “spaces”, “race is”, “home”, “places” (some slant rhyme here)
• Rhyme scheme gives a rhythm to the poem—constant throughout so the reader looks for it in the following stanzas
• Mostly perfect rhyme (i.e. “fast”, “past”, and “last”) but some slant rhyme (i.e. “spaces”, “race is”—feminine rhyme? Focused on last syllable only?)

SOUND ELEMENTS:

• HEAVY initial alliteration:

o    “snow falling and night falling fast, oh, fast”

o    “and the ground almost covered smooth in snow”

• Internal alliteration:

o    “absent-spirited”

o    “ no expression, nothing to express”

o    “to scare myself with my own desert places”

• Assonance:

o    “I looked into going past/ and the ground almost covered smooth in snow”

o    “And lonely as it is, that loneliness/ will be more lonely ere it will be less”

o    “A blanker whiteness of benighted snow”

WORD CHOICE:

• Heavy repetition which creates alliteration:
  • “Snow falling and night falling fast, oh, fast”
  • “And lonely as it is, that loneliness will be more lonely ere it will be less”
• Also accentuates certain important lines (i.e. the setting of snow falling heavily, the idea/theme of loneliness)
• Alliteration calls importance to sounds (tone, feeling), repetition calls importance to ideas of the poem
• Interesting word choice:
  • “all animals are smothered in their lairs”à powerful, makes the place seem harmful
  • “between stars—on stars where no human race is”à very strong statement, abruptà reader’s attention drawn

Michael Stillman, “In Memoriam John Coltrane”

SOUND ELEMENTS:

• Alliteration:
  • “Listen to the coal/ rolling, rolling through the cold”
  • “wheel, listen to the turning of the wheels”
  • “listen to these cars carry coal, listen to the coal train roll”
• Alliteration is intensified by repetition and rhyming (the alliterated words are the ones that rhyme and repeat):
  • “rolling, rolling”
  • “wheel…wheels”
  • “cars carry coal, listen to the coal”

RHYME:

• Internal rhyme:
  • “turning of the wheels this night/ black as coal dust, steel”
  • “these cars carry coal listen,/ to the coal train roll”
  • Words that are repeated (coal, wheels, roll/rolling) are also those that rhyme and those that are initially alliteratedà entire poem compliments itself

WORD CHOICE:

• A TON of repetition of words and ideas:
  • Coal: “listen to the coal” “black as coal dust” “cars carry coal” “coal train roll”
  • Roll: “rolling, rolling through the cold” “coal train roll”
  • Wheel: “wheel on” “wheel” “turning of the wheels”
• Repeats the word coal as a tangible item, but then also uses it metaphorically (“this night black as coal dust”)
• Poem about John Coltrane, jazz musicianà smooth words to compliment a smooth type of music: “rolling, rolling” “stead rain” “wheel on wheel” “steel on steel” “listen to these cars carry coal” “listen to the coal train roll”
  • On the surface, seems like a poem about a train, but if read aloud, sounds of smooth jazz come about
  • Musical and rhythmic
  • Dark motifs running throughout give it a jazzy feel- mysterious, smooth

STUCTURE:

• Whole lines repeated (or similar), almost like a song
• First line of every stanza includes “listen to the”
• Every relative line in the stanzas match in syllables: first line 5 syllables, second line 7 syllable, third line 5 syllables (haiku?)
• Makes it even more like a rhythmic jazz song, internal rhyme and alliteration compliments this 

First and foremost, the reading helped to explain how Britain’s isolationism has shaped the relationship that it has with nearby European countries today. Historically Britain felt secured by the vast surrounding waters and by its distance from other countries. While this early isolationism was undermined by Britain’s enormous involvement in the global economy during the Industrial Revolution of the mid 18^th century, Britain never exploited its close proximity to European countries by creating ties with them. This historical attitude has huge implications on the country today, as a major theme in the comparative study of Britain is their “challenges in their dealings with the EU”. As European countries modernize and join together via creating a common currency, etc., Britain seems to be aloof or indifferent towards the world around them. The isolationist attitudes that Britain adapted for protection and development early on remain today, causing the country to fall behind its surrounding countries. This also relates to Britain’s role in the world. Many question whether Britain is in the middle or is even falling behind in terms of other European countries. As Britain quickly became involved in the U.S.’s war, the question of whether the U.S. takes the upper hand in their “special relationship” has also arisen.

Britain was one of, if not the, first country to move into the realm of a democratic system of government, with a basic parliamentary democracy arising by the end of the 17^th century. With monarchial power moving from one hand to another, from the joining of England, Wales and Scotland under James I to James II to, finally, William and Mary in the Glorious Revolution, it was decided that a constant governmental body was necessary in the country. Parliament was created to satisfy this need and was created so as to minimize corruption and keep the monarchial rule in check. Still today this form of government is in place, although it has been tweaked a bit. While there is still a royal family, the prime minister and parliament have the majority of political control. The prime minister stays in power as long as his party is in power—regular elections are not held. This can be seen both as a stable and as a dangerous system. Party corruption is always a possibility, but the political scene in Britain seems to be relatively stable and secure. In the aftermath of the creation of such an effective form of government, however, many states followed Britain’s example in creating a democratic form of government.

In terms of state involvement in the economy, Britain has gone through several transformations. Before the mid 18^th century, Britain was a country heavily dependent on agricultural income. After the Industrial Revolution, however, Britain became a major contributor to the global economy, based highly upon technological advancements and modernized manufacturing. This form of economy called upon a laissez-faire system, with the government aiding in large-scheme economic issues but generally allowing the market to function independently. However, this changed during and after World War I when the state took control of a number of industries, set prices, restricted foreign trade and channeled the country’s production towards war goods.  As this marked a large change in the system of economy, turmoil amongst the people, the government and the economy erupted and intensified during the Great Depression and World War II. With Margaret Thatcher as prime minister, the goal was to reverse Britain’s economic downfall via cutting taxes, reducing social expenditures and using state intervention to jumpstart competition and efficiency of the economy. When Blair became prime minister, however, he turned back towards the laissez-faire economic system, believing that state involvement impeded the abilities of the economy.

T.S. Eliot, “Virginia”

SOUND ELEMENTS:

• “Virginia” is better read aloud, as it contains several sound elements:
  • HEAVY initial alliteration which is hand in hand with repetition:
    • “Red river, red river”
    • “Will heat move only through the mocking-bird”
    • “Wait. Gates wait”
    • “White trees, wait, wait”
    • “Decay, decay. Living, living”
    • “Never moving. Ever moving”
    • “Red river, river, river.”
  • Internal alliteration:
    • “Iron thoughts”
    • “Gates wait”
  • HEAVY internal rhyme: creates a noticeable rhyme scheme that is effective and rhythmic without using exhausted and cheesy end rhymeà creates a beautiful/euphonious effect
    • “Slow flow heat”
    • “No will is still as a river”
    • “Still. Will heat move”
    • “Still hills”
    • “Wait. Gates wait”
    • “Delay, decay”
    • “Never moving. Ever moving”
  • Euphony:
    • “Red river, red river,/ Slow flow heat is silent/ No will is still as a river/ Still.”
    • “Will heat move/ Only through the mocking-bird/ Heard once?”
    • Words flow together via their initial alliteration and internal rhyme
    • Sibilants—“slow”, “silent”, “still”, “Still”—make the words flow and sound like water (flowing, smooth, etc.)

IMAGERY:

• Visual:
  • “Red river, red river/ slow flow”
  • “Purple trees/ white trees”
• Auditory:
  • Slow flow heat is silence”
  • “only through the mocking-bird heard once”

Sir Thomas Wyatt, “White serving still”

RHYTHM:

• Iambic dimeter: 2 iambs ( u / ) per line ( u / u / )

                          u            /    u    /       u      /      u    /     u      /    u       /       u   /    u   /    

• • With serving still/ This have I won,/ For my goodwill/ To be undone;”
• Very easy to HEAR this rhythm while reading—rhyming helps rhythm along
  • Still, will; won, undone
• Rhythm is constant throughout (5 stanzas, 4 lines each)à gives it a light style, sounds simple and bouncy
• No area of the poem is more important than another (besides stressed words)à constant rhythm throughout gives the same feelings to the entire poem
• Rhythm comes naturally to the reader in such a simple form of meter
• Causes reader to take breaks between lines (cesuras), especially with iambic dimeter

WORD CHOICE/SYNTAX:

• Stressed words are more important to the meaning than unstressed (stressed are bolded)
  • “And for redress/ Of all my pain,/ Disdainfulness/ I have again”
  • Stressed words, or stressed parts of words are the most powerful parts: all, pain, disDAINfulNESS, have, again
  • Rhythm forces us to read to poem with accentuated important parts
• Old-fashioned- “And for reward/ Of all my smart/ Lo, thus unheard,/ I must depart!”
• Steady punctuation—use of punctuation marks, exclamations: “”Thus for her sake/ To be undone!”

RHYMING:

• Abab rhyme scheme fits with bouncy rhythm: ye, shall, be, thrall (perfect rhymes, can hear them in the perfect rhythm, reading in rhythm puts a stress on the last word/last syllable, which is the rhyming word) 

Alred, Lord Tennyson, “Flower in the Crannied Wall”

IMAGERY:

• “Flower in the crannied wall”—image of a flower with roots being pulled from the wall
• “I pluck you out of the crannies,/ I hold you here, root and all, in my hand”à imagery of flower being held and inspected closely (appreciated)
• Imagery doesn’t relate to a metaphor, just says “Little flower—but if I could understand/ what you are, root and all, and all in all,/ I should know what God and man is”à relating the image of the flower to his understanding of God and man (life)
  • If he understands the ROOT of something as simple as a flower, maybe he can understand life

WORD CHOICE:

• Reflects simple imagery:
  • “flower in a crannied wall/ I pluck you out of the crannies”à simple action, sentence structure
  • Moves from a very simple explanation to a complex one: “I should know what God and man”à connection of imagery is displayed in the very end
• Repetition accentuates important parts: “what you are, root and all, and all in all”à wants to understand every part of the flower and of life
• Confusing and abstract, allows the reader to be puzzled by the imagery of the flower and its relationship to life

STRUCTURE:

• Simple, no complex structureà sounds more like a description/explanation
• Strange rhyme scheme: “wall” “crannies” “hand” “understand” “all” “is”

William Blake, “To see a world in a grain of sand”

FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE:

• Entire poem is a metaphor: “to see a world in a grain of sand/ And heaven in a wild flower”
• World=grain of sand, both round, rocky, complex yet simple in structure, small piece of a huge whole
• Heaven=wild flower, beautiful, complex, cannot understand the beauty
• Figurative language makes the poem much more complexà “Hold infinity in the palm of your hand/ And eternity in an hour”à holds a lot of meaning in something so small

LANGUAGE:

• Addresses beautiful objects—the world and heaven in a flower and sand—very natural allusions and relationships
• Portrays big ideas in small words which makes them beautiful—world is fragile like sand (glass), world is small compared to other things, clear and simple but unique and different
• Uses words like infinity and eternity in simple sentences: “hold infinity in the palm of your hand/ and eternity in an hour”
• VERY SUGGESTIVE: “to hold A world in A grain of sand/ And A heaven in A wild flower”à non-personal words, very generalà reader can make of it what she wants

RHYMING:

• “sand” “flower” “hand” “hour”
• Simple word choice (with big ideas) highlighted with simple abab rhyme scheme (direct rhyme, no slant rhyme)

Charles Simic, “Fork”

IMAGERY:

• Automatically we know the “creature” must be evil—“this strange thing must have crept right out of hell”
• VISUAL:
  • No metaphor—says what it looks like: “it resembles a bird’s foot/ worn around the cannibal’s neck
  • “it is possible to imagine the rest of the bird: its head which like your fist is large, bald, beakless, and blind”à a lot of descriptive adjectives to create effective visual imagery
• TACTILE:
  • “As you hold it in your hand/ as you stab with it into a piece of meat”
• Ordinary thing turned into gruesome image

LANGUAGE/WORD CHOICE/SOUND ELEMENTS:

• Strong word choice:
  • “crept right out of hell”
  • “stab with it into a piece of meat”
  • “cannibal’s neck”
  • Word choice illuminates a side of an object that we don’t usually see-> turning an ordinary thing into something evil
  • Word choice turns the fork into something vicious and cannibalistic: “as you stab with it into a piece of meat”
• Initial alliteration:
  • Plosives: “bald, beakless, and blind”
• Cacophony?
  • “It resembles a bird’s foot/ worn around the cannibal’s neck”à hard to say, ugly image 

John Haines, “Winter News”

TONE:

• Both cheerful and dark:
  • Cheerful: “the voice of the snowman calls the white-haired children home”
  • Dark: “men go out to feed stiffening dogs”
• Feeling of newly cold weather: “winter news”, “they say the wells are freezing”, “the cold begins”
• Called “winter news”à reader feels like we’re hearing the literal news “They say the wells are freezing at Northway where the cold begins”
• Neutral tone which seems to have a purpose of explaining a change

IMAGERY:

• Contains a lot of auditory imagery:
  • “oil cans bang”
  • “the voice of the snowman calls”
• Visual:
  • “clouds of steaming breath drift in the street”
  • “white-haired children”à cold area? Somewhere like Sweden? Everything covered in snow?

LANGUAGE:

• Figurative for such a short poem:
  • “clouds of steaming breath drift in the street”
  • “voice of the snowman calls”à wind?
• Descriptive:
  • “oil tins”
  • “steaming breath”
  • “stiffening dogs”
  • “white-haired children”
• Simple:
  • “they say the wells are freezing at Northway where the cold begins”
  • “men go out to feed stiffening dogs”
  • Describes a seemingly simple event of the first shock of winter
• Mentions several subjects: “men”, “stiffening dogs”, “snowman” (personifies snowman), “children”

STRUCTURE:

• Enjambment:
  • “they say that wells/ are freezing/ at Northway where/ the cold begins”
• Simple structure: short lines, small stanzas: “Men go out to feed/ the stiffening dogs”, doesn’t seem to contain a lot of poetic elements (no trace of alliteration, sound elements)

A.E. Housman, “Eight O’Clock”

SOUND ELEMENTS:

• Heavy initial alliteration:
  • “he stood and hear the steeple”
  • “Strapped, noosed, nighing”
  • “he stood and counted them and cursed his luck”
  • “and then the clock collected”
  • “it’s strength, and struck”
• Also internal alliteration:
  • “clock collected”
  • Plosivesà “stood and heard the steeple” 
  • “stood and counted”
• Sibilants: “he stood, and heard the steeple sprinkle”
• Plosive (sharp c): “”he stood and counted them and cursed his luck; and then the clock collected in the tower”
• Alliteration calls for emphasis—calls importance to such a short poem
• Euphony—words flow together: “he stood, and heard the steeple”, “he stood and counted them and cursed his luck”

STYLE:

• Personification: “and then the clock collected in the tower its strength, and struck”
• Short but effective because of sound elements
• Enjambment: “He stood, and heard the steeple/ Sprinkle the quarters on the morning town”
• Word choice important:
  • “its strength and struck”à clock is important, powerful, effective

RHYMING:

• abab rhyme scheme:
• “steeple” “town” “people” “down”
• “hour” “luck” “tower” “struck”
• Very typical in structure, very complex in word choice and sound elements
• No slant rhyme—direct rhyme: “steeple” “people” 

“Clinton: Russia sees Iran Threat”

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has told the BBC that Russia now recognises the threat posed by Iran.

Summary:

Although Iran has been seen as a nuclear threat for a while, within the month of October, the threat of nuclear weapons has heightened, as more nuclear sites are being built and Iranians are going behind bans to pursue work with nuclear materials. While Iranians claim that these sites are for the sole purpose of energy production, the fact that they are rapidly building additional sites concerns other countries of the UN, especially the U.S. As of earlier this month, the U.S. was the country most concerned with the nuclear situation in Iran but, as the threat has become more serious, the concern has spread. Specifically Russia has been hesitant to accept the threat that is being posed by Iran but within the last months has “’moved tremendously’ to acknowledge the threat of Iran’s programme.” U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton described the future of this conflict, explaining, “we are also in agreement that if our diplomatic engagement is not successful then we have to look at other measures to take, including sanctions to try to pressure the Iranians.” Some diplomatic efforts have been effective, as Tehran has agreed to allow an inspection of an undisclosed nuclear site near Qom, but the UN feels that they are simply buying time to cover up their nuclear weapons. While the U.S. believes that the threat is severe enough to enforce sanctions (i.e. bans on Iran’s arms exports and all trade in nuclear material) on Iran, Russia and other countries believe that this is farfetched and far too sudden, as it would dramatically harm the economy of the country. The threat of nuclear weapons in Iran turns attention to the possibility of a nuclear attack and the negligence of Iranians to the U.S. requirement of no nuclear weapon production, concerning not only the U.S., but countries around the globe.

Analysis:

“Clinton: Russia sees Iran Threat” highlights many of the important themes of comparative government. Firstly, Iran is clearly facing both domestic and international conflict. While Iran has claimed to be uninvolved in nuclear weapon production since the start of America’s involvement in the country via its “War on Terror”, now it seems to the rest of the world that they are becoming a threat yet again. Domestically, Iran seems to be confused about their role in globalization and how they want to treat the foreign countries that have banned them from using or producing any form of nuclear weapons or power. They are frustrated the with U.S. and the UN in general for putting bans on their nuclear power when, as they claim, they are using it for energy production. They are even angrier that other countries are allowed to make rules and regulations for them. Globally, Iran is facing an evident crisis. Seen by the rest of the world as a nuclear threat, the UN is considering placing sanctions on Iranian economy (i.e. banning arms exports and all trade in nuclear material), which would set Iran into economic distress. This conflict also heightens the notoriety of Iran around the world as a threatening, dangerous, violent state, which affects its relationship to all other countries more so than has already been done in the present war. The article also touches on the effects of democratization as a force pushing down upon globalization. As the United States and its allies have entered the Middle East in hopes of spreading ideals of democratization, the “right way of doing things”, and ending the violence and threat of nuclear weapons in the region, Iran has become a state that has been heavily influenced and somewhat pushed around in the recent years. This presence of democratic forces has caused Iran to want to break free from the influence of others, overlooking globally enforced bans on their nuclear material production in the process. Ironically, the U.S.’s constant efforts to democratize an area that does not necessarily want its aid is causing it to turn against democratization. Thirdly, and most importantly, this article touches on the vital theme of globalization and, specifically, on the implications that actions of certain countries have on others. Because the UN and the U.S. have power and influence in the Middle East, the decisions that they make affect the area heavily, illustrating the true essence of globalization: each country’s actions and decisions inevitably affect the entire global climate. Iran, which has been heavily influenced by other countries, especially in the past few years, is facing this immense pressure of democratization and being affected by the decisions of the U.S., Russia and other countries around it. This aspect of globalization works two ways, though. While other countries’ actions affect Iran, Iran’s actions and attitudes affect other countries too. Their supposed nuclear weapons production has sent the outside world into a state of fright and shock. Seemingly unable to implement diplomacy, it seems that the UN will use sanctions to get Iran to forfeit their nuclear materials and admit to having them at all (if they even do). Also, Iran’s attitude toward the issue, one of innocence and negligence, affects how other countries around to world view the state. Various countries, the U.S. especially, are becoming angered by the fact that Iranians will not admit and forfeit their nuclear weapons (as they are convinced they have them) and therefore are willing to implement severe punishments (i.e. sanctions) for Iran.

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