Modern Architecture Essay Example for Free

Modern Architecture Essay It is undeniable that Gothic Architecture has a great influence on modern Architecture. One has only to look at Antoni Gaudi’s design of La Sagrada Familia in Spain or the intricate tracery of Culvert Bridge in Central Park by Calvert Vaux to appreciate the modern interpretation of Gothic Architecture. When on hears of Gothic one immediately conjures images of intricate dark designs, tall lean spires, vaulted ceilings, flamboyant arches and iconic ornamentations. Usually Gothic is attributed to somber, grave and shadowy lighting. Thus it is a bit surprising that it was Gothic architecture that gave birth to the undeniably the most colorful element of dark cathedrals, the rose window – a circular window separated into stone segments and intricate tracery. This is a trademark of all Gothic cathedrals. Traditional Gothic Rose Windows are either intricate traceried circular windows with spokes radiating from a central rondel more colorful stained glass with elaborate pictures with holy depictions. The medium of the windows has changed in the modern adaptations. Some modern rose windows are now are now made of plexiglass or other aggregate instead of pure glass to lessen the cost of production and also to strengthen the material. Painted canvasses are also used to recreate rose windows. In the olden times the beautiful glass colors are achieved by integrating the colors while the glass is being blown. In the modern version, translucent acrylics or other artificial methods are used to accomplish an effect similar to real rose window. However, the rose window has evolved beyond windows itself. Different colored tiles and marbles are now used to imitate rose windows. And these are not used for windows primarily, but for decorating wall paneling and flooring. Not only did the medium change but the subject also changed. Originally, rose windows are used in cathedrals and depict scenes from the Bible. Nowadays, the subjects lean more on abstraction and eclectic symbolism. Whatever changes in the interpretation might have been, it is indisputable that the windows have thoroughly made their mark in Architecture. Reference Frankl, Paul. (1962). Gothic Architecture. US: Yale University Press.

Constitution Position Paper :: essays research papers

The falls of this country are due to the Articles of Confederation and a weak centralized government. To correct this, a strong national government will need to take its place. The majority of this delegation wishes to accept the Constitution as the new federal government of the United States.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Many good arguments were brought up during the proceedings such as William Paterson’s view of revising the Articles and proposing the union of the states as merely federal. Alexander Hamilton’s idea of a supreme executive serving during good behavior or life with veto power over all laws. Both of these were rejected. Paterson’s plan because there are too many faults with the Articles and Hamilton’s idea because it is too close to a form of monarchy. The most accepted idea was by Edmund Randolph and James Madison. In it they proposed the government be broken up into three branches: legislative, executive, and judicial; and each branch to check and balance each other’s power. This centralized government would have the power to veto laws enacted by state legislatures. The majority of the delegates voted on a supreme power national government over the federations being an agreement resting on the good faith of its members.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The many problems in the Articles of Confederation that led us to throw it away rather than to amend it were its inability to tax, no national court system, no executive to enforce acts of Congress, lack of regulation of foreign and interstate commerce, amendments with consent of all states, and the fact that the articles are only a firm league of friendship that is non-binding. There are too many changes to me made to have the state legislatures vote on it. The result would be no changes for the legislatures stand to loose power. The only way that changes will be made if we start new.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Many new issues came up with the Constitution and they were settled. The issue of legislation was fixed with a bicameral legislature with two houses where one is represented equally by each state is allotted two votes while the other is based on population. How slaves would be counted was settled where every five slaves counted as three persons.

Explore Joe Gargery’s role in Great Expectations Essay

In Great Expectations, Joe acts as a father figure to Pip, when he is in fact his brother-in-law, as Joe married Pip’s sister, Mrs Joe Gargery. We are introduced to Joe as a â€Å"mild, good-natured, sweet-tempered, easy-going, foolish, dear fellow†. Pip describes him as a kind and gentle man, making the reader immediately like him. â€Å"Good-natured† and â€Å"sweet-tempered† give Joe an endearing quality, so the reader is drawn to him. However, â€Å"foolish† introduces a potentially negative side to his character, like he is stupid, although this too could be considered endearing. Perhaps Dickens does this so that we can understand Joe’s actions better, or at least don’t view him too negatively when he can’t protect Pip from Mrs Joe. In contrast to his gentle personality, he is a blacksmith, and therefore a strong man. Pip thinks of him â€Å"like the steam-hammer, that can crush a man or pat an egg shell†. He is likening Joe to a machine in the forge, giving Joe a sense of power. Although, â€Å"crush† is quite a violent word, suggesting Joe to be violent, which he definitely is not. Perhaps Dickens included this detail to make us respect Joe, which is important for later on in the novel, so we don’t just view him as a â€Å"sweet-tempered† man. But there is a sense of this good natured man in the word â€Å"pat†, it could potentially have paternal connotations. Perhaps this links to the image of the egg shell as well, as it is a fragile protector of life. Furthermore Joe could almost be seen as the protector of Pip’s life, as he saves him several times. Also egg shells can be strong, but have weak sides if they are put under stress, just like Joe has a weak side  œ he can’t protect Joe from Mrs Joe Gargery. As well as this, there is the idea that Joe is in control, in the words â€Å"can† and â€Å"or†, he can choose which side of himself to be, strong or gentle. This is a very adult concept, but Joe can sometimes be very childlike. Joe can’t deal with the idea of death, despite being a strong blacksmith. When Pip asks Joe if Miss Havisham died, he eventually replies â€Å"she ain’t living†. This is a very backward way of saying it, a way we don’t normally use, showing Joe’s childish innocence. He avoids the subject of death again, when Pip asks him if he had heard of Magwitch’s death. Even though Joe never knew him personally, he avoids saying the words, instead he says he heard â€Å"something or another in a general way in that direction†. The vagueness of this statement is almost humorous, he can’t even just say â€Å"yes†. Joe is unable to confirm a person’s death, he just brushes over the subject, not fully acknowledging or possibly understanding it, like a child would. Another way Dickens portrays this childishness is through making Joe illiterate. Pip writes him a letter, and all he can read is his name: â€Å"Why, here’s three Js, and three Os, and three J-O, Joes, in it, Pip!† The exclamation mark at the end implies he is excited and proud that he has managed to read, and that he is wanting Pip to recognise his achievement, like a child would want their father too. This childishness makes Joe a lovable character, the reader wants to see him do well. Perhaps it also makes Pip’s behaviour towards him seem worse, from the reader’s perspective, as Joe is such an innocent character. Whilst Joe may not have great knowledge or academic skills, he possesses something most of the other characters don’t have, self-knowledge, he recognises he is illiterate and ‘stupid’. He tells Pip on two separate occasions that he is â€Å"most awful dull†. He is accepting of himself, he knows he is not the cleverest, in fact â€Å"awful† suggests that he thinks he is very stupid. Moreover, â€Å"dull† could imply many things, not only that he is stupid, but also that he isn’t sharp. Perhaps this is a reference to him being a black smith, that he is like one of his hammers, only good for physically things, he’s not sharp witted or clever. â€Å"Dull† could also intimate that he thinks he is boring, perhaps why he struggles to talk to, or be in the presence of people in a higher class to himself, because he considers himself boring and unworthy. But this ‘dullness’ does not stop him from being wise. Throughout the novel, Joe gives Pip many pieces of advice, for example â€Å"if you can’t get to be oncommon through going straight, you’ll never get to do it through going crooked†. Joe, even though he is perhaps the most uneducated character (shown in the wording of the sentence) he can sometimes be the most wise and honourable. Because of this he acts as a hidden role model for Pip. Not only is he honourable and wise, he understands his place: â€Å"I am wrong out of the forge† he tells Pip at their awkward reunion. Dickens suggests (through Joe) that people should stay in their class, and not aspire or try to move up; he argues for social immobility. Joe tells Pip that if he ever came back to the forge he’d â€Å"see Joe the blacksmith, there, at the old anvil, in the old burnt apron, sticking to the old work.† Joe labels himself â€Å"the blacksmith† implying that he believes it is all he is good at. The repetition of â€Å"old† makes him seem experienced, as he has been doing it a long time. There is also the idea that he clings or latches onto his work, in the word â€Å"sticking†, he fixes himself onto it so much that it has become how he defines himself. The fact that he feels himself â€Å"wrong† when not in the forge could be the reason why he can’t talk to Miss Havisham: â€Å"Joe†¦persisted in addressing me.† It is like he cannot deal with the formality of he occasion, as he feels he doesn’t belong there. Dickens humiliates Joe here, presenting him as a shy and awkward character, making the reader sympathise with him. This is another negative quality, helping to balance out the character of Joe. Joe also finds it difficult to deal with Pip when he is a ‘gentleman’. When Pip is ill, and needing Joe’s help, Joe is happy to call him Pip and treat him like he did when he was younger. But as soon as Pip starts getting better and gaining strength, Joe reverts to calling him â€Å"Sir†: â€Å"I shall be happy fur to see you able, sir†. This could show Joe’s insecurity, that when he is no longer sure if Pip needs him, he becomes very polite, and address Pip as if he is in a higher class again. However, Joe does treat everyone equally, for example when Magwitch confesses about stealing the pie, Joe says that whatever he has done, â€Å"we wouldn’t have you starved to death for it, poor miserable fellow-creature.† This shows how Joe views the world, and the people on it, that we are all of the same kind, and all have the same rights. As well as this, â€Å"creature† implies that Joe believes humans are animals, perhaps why he struggles with classes and formalities. This may relate to the fact that Joe never shows a real desire to learn to read or write, because he thinks we are animals that just do physical things, such as make things, like a blacksmith does. â€Å"Poor† also implies that Joe sympathises with the convict, despite knowing it was his own fault that he is in the position he is in, showing that Joe is very forgiving, which the reader respects him for. Joe shows this forgiveness on a number of occasions, for example, when he tells Pip about his abusive father, and how he came after him and his mother. He tells Pip it was because his â€Å"father were that good in his hart that he couldn’t abear to be without us.† One could argue that this was Joe’s innocent view on the world, and that he couldn’t accept that someone would deliberately want to hurt someone else. But, more likely, it is Joe forgiving his father for what he did. Forgiveness (or the lack of it) is a common theme throughout the novel, but Joe seems to be one of the only one who offers it readily. Not only does Joe forgive his father for abusing him, but also Mrs Joe. He tells Pip that she is a â€Å"fine figure of a woman†. This is somewhat ironic as Mrs Joe has no feminine qualities, not even a female name. It also shows Joe’s respect, if not affection, for Mrs Joe, despite her treating him so badly. For example she regularly abuses him: â€Å"she knocked his head for a little while against the wall behind him.† Joe puts up with her, although he could easily fight back. The image if almost comic, especially the phrase â€Å"for a little while†, it makes it sound like she is just casually doing it for the sake of it. It could also link to the phrase ‘knock some sense into him’, perhaps this is what Mrs Joe is trying to do? At any rate Joe is submissive, showing his selflessness, as he lets her do it so she doesn’t hurt Pip as much (as he explains later). The reader pities Joe, as he is such a kind man, married to an abusive woma n, who takes advantage of his kindness. Joe is very loyal to Pip, and is always there when he needs him. One of Joe’s ‘catch-phrases’ is â€Å"ever the best of friends†. â€Å"Ever† shows his loyalty towards Pip, and gives a sense of stability, he gives Pip something to come back to. As if to prove this loyalty, he pays of Pip’s debts. This is such a big gesture as Joe is the poorest of all men. The moral and emotional image of debt appears a lot throughout the novel, perhaps because debt was a personal issue for Dickens. His family were imprisoned for debt, therefore stopping Dickens’ education, and he bailed his father out many times. In the novel, Pip becomes Joe’s debtor, an image of ownership, like Joe owns Pip. One could argue that this was to do with Joe’s insecurity, and that he needs something solid to connect him to Pip. However, throughout the book, Joe has been completely selfless, so this act could just another example of Joe’s kindness. Ther e are also religious overtones to this, he is doing a Christian deed. There are several religious links associated with Joe, for example, Joe takes in Pip a a child â€Å"God bless the poor little child, there’s room for him at the forge.† This could be a reference to the Nativity story, when the innkeepers turn Mary away. Add this to the Christian deeds he does (like paying off Pip’s debt), give Joe an almost saint-like quality. But Dickens needs to balance the character, otherwise we may just view him as a perfect religious figure and would then find it hard to view him as a realistic role model for Pip. So Dickens makes Joe childish, innocent, illiterate and also includes some comedy moments. For example, when Joe has learned to write, he writes a letter to Biddy. Dickens writes this in a very comedic way, possibly overly so. Joe â€Å"constantly dipped his pen into space, and seemed satisfied with the result†, it is almost mocking him. As well as this, it is written like a performance for Pip, but throughout the novel Joe has been the only one who can’t act (e.g. he can’t deal with formal situations and pretend to be something he is not) or pretend. So why does Dickens include these humorous details? Possibly it could be to balance out Joe as a character, for if he was just a religious prophet, he would lose his power in the novel. Or alternatively, it could be to lighten the mood and relieve the tension between Pip and Joe. Or perhaps it is to show Joe fulfilling his mother’s expectations, of Joe being a â€Å"scholar†, to show that it can be done. This may provide hope for the reader, that Pip might be able to fulfill his own expectat ions eventually. Although that wouldn’t explain why it is so over the top. Some characters only see this side of Joe, the awkward, clown-like side. Pip says that Jaggers â€Å"recognised in Joe the village idiot and me his keeper.† Jaggers doesn’t understand Joe, he doesn’t know about Joe’s forgiving, loyal nature, he just sees an â€Å"idiot†. This could be reinforcing our first introduction to Joe, where he is described as foolish. Again this could be to balance the character of Joe, rather then make the reader view him negatively, as we know Joe is a very wise character. Jaggers believes this because Joe cries when he tells him about Pip’s expectations, and has to be comforted by Pip. Joe demonstrates many female tendencies throughout the novel, especially when he is caring for Pip at the end of the book, â€Å"Joe had actually laid his head down on the pillow at my side.† This is ironic considering his strength. Perhaps he is compensating for Mrs Joe’s lack of femininity, or he is filling in the gap left by her death, showing Joe to be a father figure for Pip. Ultimately, Joe is the only true father to Pip, he gives him â€Å"the wealth of his great nature†, which is more than Magwitch ever did. He may not have a lot of money, but he is a true gentleman in character. Ironically, the poorest of all the men is the most gentlemanly. Moreover, Pip eventually comes to realise this: â€Å"there was a simple dignity in him.† Now, whilst he is recognising Joe’s dignity, he doesn’t sound very respectful. The tone sounds quite patronising, and â€Å"simple† implies stupidity. Overall, Joe is the only constant in the book, he can’t act, he can’t pretend to be something he is not, he doesn’t change for anyone – â€Å"whoever came about me, still settled down into Joe.† Even the use of the word â€Å"settled† gives the idea of stability and constants, Joe is always there for Pip. He acts as a role model for Pip, and the other characters, even if they don’t realise it. But he does have his negative qualities, he is childish and awkward. However, this gives him more power in the book, as the reader can relate to him, and not just view him as a religious saint-like figure.

The Complexity of William Blakes Poetry Essay - 1049 Words

The Complexity of William Blakes Poetry Northrop Frye, in his critical essay, Poetry and Design, states; In a world as specialized as ours, concentration on one gift and a rigorous subordination of all others is practically a moral principle (Frye 137). William Blakes refusal to follow this moral principle by putting his poetry before his art, or vice versa, makes his work extraordinary as well as complex and ambiguous. Although critics attempt to juggle Blakes equally impressive talents, they seem to land on either one side or the other; failing to transcend, as Blake did, that moral principle of concentration. Blake, not only controlled his art and poetry through innovative printing techniques, but controlled how his readers†¦show more content†¦To create anew both the illustrated book and its reader, to bring into relief the infinite form of the book hidden by fragmentations of its art, Blake created his method of illuminated printing. A comparison of Blakes works with typical eighteenth-century illustrated boo ks reveals some of the sources available to Blake for illustrative techniques and shows points of contact between Blakes commercial career as copy engraver and his vocation as book artist. (Easson 36) The illustrated books structure is determined by the interaction of function and the books physical properties, thereby establishing the quality and degree of correlation within the books text and designs (Easson 41) The convenience and wisdom of yoking together decoration and illustration reside in the practical need to identify certain structural relationships of a books text and designs. It is not just art and then poetry underneath it or above it, but with the integration of decorative illustration,Although decorative illustration was used in the traditional sense to simply, beautify the book in which it used, Blake saw it has sublime ornament. To Blake, ornamental or decorative illustration has a motivating power: Ornament simultaneously enriched the book and compels theShow MoreRelatedWhitman And Blake Vs. Blake889 Words   |  4 Pagesto symbolize humankind’s experience of Nature†. To begin with I’d like to tell some information about Whitman and Blakeâ₠¬â„¢s life and work. Walt Whitman was an American poet, publicist and reformer of the American poetry. Whitman was the singer of the world democracy†, positive sciences, love and the association without social borders. He was also an innovator of the free verse. William Blake was an American poet, printmaker and painter. He became well-known for his drawings. The painter carried outRead MoreEssay about The Voice of the Chimney Sweepers1180 Words   |  5 PagesWilliam Blake (1757-1827) led a relatively happy life. At an early age, he claimed that he could see God, Angels, and other important Italian figures. Blake’s parents encouraged him to keep a record of all the masters he claimed to keep in contact with. Blake’s father, James Blake, gave him casts and engravings to keep this record. At the age of ten, Blake started at a drawing school named Henry Pars’ Drawing School. Three years later, he was apprenticed to a Master Engraver, James Basire. BlakeRead MoreEnglish Preromanticism: William Blake3403 Words   |  14 PagesPreromanticism: William Blake Term Paper Supervisor: Assoc. Prof. M. Ã…  idlauskas 2008 CONTENTS Introduction†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦...............3 1. William Blake-a forerunner of English Romanticism 1 William Blake-a social critic of his own time†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..6 2 William Blake’s ideas and the Modern World†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦6 2. â€Å"Songs of innocence and of Experience†-the most popular W.Blake’s poem book 1 The social significance of W. Blake’s work†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦8Read MoreContemplating Gods Creation in William Blakes The Lamb and The Tyger1205 Words   |  5 PagesWilliam Blake was born and raised in London from 1757 to 1827. Throughout his early years, Blake experienced many strange and unusual visions, claiming to have seen â€Å"angels and ghostly monks† (Moore). For those reasons, William Blake decided to write about mystical beings and Gods. Two examples of the poet expressing his point of view are seen in â€Å"The Tyger† and â€Å"The Lamb.† Both poems demonstrate how the world is and to sharpen one’s perception. People perceive the world in their own outlook, oftenRead MoreWilliam Blake Essay example826 Words   |  4 PagesWilliam Blake William Blake was born in 1757, the third son of a London hosier. Blake lived in or near to London, a city which dominates much of his work, whether as the nightmare London of the Songs of Experience, or the London which Blake saw as the New Jerusalem, the kingdom of God on earth. As the son of a hosier, a generally lower middle class occupation in late eighteenth century London, he was brought up in a poor household, a preparation for the relative poverty in which heRead MoreEssay on Explication of William Blakes Poem London1706 Words   |  7 PagesExplication of William Blakes Poem London William Blake’s poem â€Å"London† takes a complex look at life in London, England during the late seventeen hundreds into the early eighteen hundreds as he lived and experienced it. Blake’s use of ambiguous and double meaning words makes this poem both complex and interesting. Through the following explication I will unravel these complexities to show how this is an interesting poem. To better understand this poem some history about London during theRead MoreWhich Is Better Poetry and Prose? Essay1555 Words   |  7 Pagestheir best order; - poetry: the best words in the best order’ (Coleridge). A reflection on Coleridge’s definition, Nobody can claim that prose is a somewhat less commendable form of literature than poetry. Prose must still contain a certain amount of veraciousness and technique in order to be created. However poetry requires these things in order to be successful and whilst it is some people’s view that prose is layered with different meanings and is read to be analysed, poetry is simple, oftenRead MoreThe Lamb and the Tyger Essay1437 Words   |  6 PagesThe Tyger and The Lamb by William Blake, written in 1794 included both of these poems in his collection Songs of Innocence and Song of Experience, takes readers on a journey of faith. Through a cycle of unanswered questions, William Blake motivates the readers to question God. These two poems are meant to be interpreted in a comparison and contrast. They share two different perspectives, those being innocence and experience. To Blake, innocence is not better than experience. Both states haveRead More Practical Criticism: The Tyger Willi am Blake Essay1735 Words   |  7 PagesPractical Criticism: The Tyger William Blake Blakes poem The Tyger - written somewhere between 1785 and 1789 - was first published in Songs of Innocence and Experience. These two interconnected books of poetry were intended to show the two contrary states of the human soul. Appropriately enough The Tyger appeared in the second book, Experience, and has as its natural counter part The Lamb in Innocence. The Tyger as a poem is a perennial international favourite. It has been moreRead MoreThe Lamb and The Tyger by William Blake Essay1758 Words   |  8 Pages William Blake, a unique poet of the literary canon, is one of the most critiqued poets of all time. Having a rather unique stylistic approach to topics, especially religion, Blake seems to contradict himself in his own writing and, therefore, sparks questions in the readers’ minds on specific subjects. Two of his poems in particular have been widely critiqued and viewed in various lights. â€Å"The Tyger,† written in 1774, and â€Å"The Lamb,† written five years later in 1789, are considered companion poems