Dream :: essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When thinking about the video and reflecting on it, I found my reflections very different from those of which I had when I first saw the video. The first time I saw that video was either fourth or fifth grade. I can remember feeling sorry for Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. because of the way he was treated and that fact that his life was cut short. As I’ve grown and matured I believe that Dr. King wouldn’t want people to feel sorry for him. I feel that MLK knew and believed that his works and his assassination served a greater purpose. He stated in the video that people who believe in something but don’t fight for it are as good as dead because their soul already is. I feel that Dr. King knew that his life was in constant danger and that if or when he would be assassinated that it would only strengthen the cause he was fighting for. To this day, I’m still thankful for everything that he did because it is very possible that had it not been for his calm and rational ideas on how to make change, we could still have a country that is divided.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"I have a dream† has so many different meanings that it only matters to the person who is stating the quote. My belief is that Dr. King’s dream was a world that was equal and that people were truly judged on what kind of human being they are instead of being judged on what kind of human being they look like. At the same time I think that â€Å"I have a dream† is just that, a dream. No matter how much we teach and try to make our society equal and fair, their will always be some degree of segregation whether it is based on race or not. What is probably most satisfying to MLK is that although we as a society haven’t met his complete dream, we have made significant strides in improving and moving towards his dream.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Dr. King’s key idea in my opinion spawns the rest of his key ideas.

William Stafford and Randall Jarrell

William Stafford and Randall Jarrell There are two poetry writers that have wrote very good pomes and have quite a few that are popular. To compare and contrast two, it would have to be â€Å"Traveling through the Dark† by William Stafford and â€Å"The Death of the Ball Turret Gunner† by Randall Jarrell. These two authors have a different way and style they write there poems, that is why it makes sense to look at these two really close and really see how they write and how they get the message across. Both Stafford’s and Jarrell’s poem is in the book read in class so having read these two works it is somewhat familiar what they are about.But further reading is needed to really understand what these poets are trying to say and what they are writing about. So it is best to read these poems or any poem in general, more than one time. Just so it becomes easier to understand the words and the theme. To compare and contrast these two poems every detail makes a difference because that way the reader understands what is going on in the poem. When a poet begins to write a poem there is always that one message they are trying to get across or a little story they are trying to tell.So as a reader, it is important to read a poem more than once to really understand it. Imagery is a big key that both of these poets use. This is good when writing so that the readers are interested when reading the poem and to really draw mental pictures in the heads of the readers. Metaphor is also a big tool used in poetry, and without that many poems do not make sense. In both of these poems there is metaphor but it is not very clear to see sometimes. A lot of poets just ramble on with words and sometimes is not clear on what they are trying to say.So with these two poems you see how one is easier to read than the other. In William Stafford’s â€Å"Traveling through the Dark† it is very clear on what he is writing about and the theme is simple to u nderstand. But in Randall Jarrell’s â€Å"The Death of the Ball Turret Gunner† it is not that easy to get if you just read the poem once. Randall Jarrell is a type of writer that criticizes a lot of other writings he does not like. He gives a lot of harsh criticism because he is a big fan of literature so by seeing work that is badly written he is not afraid to come out and say something about it.But many other writers say over time he softens up because he is worried about the writer’s extinction. Even though he was really tough on other writers work, Jarrell’s passion for writing shows in his poetry. His poetry is more of the modern plain style which other famous writers use like Robert Frost. Jarrell likes to write about ordinary experiences that connect to the reader’s feelings. Not all of his poetry makes sense like â€Å"The Death of the Ball Turret Gunner† if it is only read once. Jarrell writes in a colloquial voice and mostly all hi s poems have no development in them.He will write about a topic and just go one and one but you do not see what he is really talking about at first. When you read Randall Jarrell’s work there is a lot of critical thinking that is involved and a lot of questions. For example in this poem the title says â€Å"The Death of the Ball Turret Gunner† and by seeing the word â€Å"Gunner† it makes sense to say this poem might be about war or a fighter plane. Jarrell’s other work was a lot about war because that is what he enjoyed to write about, so it only seems right that this poem is about war. But when you read it at first it seems as if he may be writing about an abortion.Because he uses the word mother, it may throw off the reader but he uses a lot of imagery in the poem, so when you think about it, it may connect to an abortion. The â€Å"Gunner† in this case could be the doctor and the Ball Turret could be the mother’s womb. Since he connects a lot of his work to war the Ball Turret could be the sphere like space where the pilot of a jet fighter would be in and the Gunner of course would be the enemy. And when the character in the poem was attacked he went upside down in the turret, little sphere, and looked like a fetus in the womb.But when a reader reads it for the first time it is not as clear, so it is safe to say that Randall Jarrell’s type of writing is not as clear and makes the reader think while reading. Jarrell’s poems were meant to have the reader really think about what they are reading to a point where one might get confused. So now there is the other side where it is much easier to read and comprehend what the author is saying. Stafford’s work is mostly always dealing with the outdoors and that’s mainly because of where Stafford grew up. He is also known for his unique method of composition and soft spoken voice.You can easily tell by reading his work because he does not try to c onfuse the reader and just gets the main point of the poem out there. Unlike Jarrell, Stafford goes into a lot of detail and uses imagery to show the reader what to think about while reading. For example, his poem â€Å"Traveling through the Dark† is taken place along a roadside near the woods. The poem is viewed as a dramatic lyric because Stafford develops the scene just like a playwright. You have the characters (speaker, deer); setting (nighttime on Road) complication (â€Å"swerve might make more dead†); action (â€Å"dragged†) climax (â€Å"pushed deer over the edge†).When you first read the poem it seems simple, that there is a dead deer on the road and the speaker pulls over and pushes the dead deer over the bank into the river. Yes the dead deer is pregnant because the character explains how he could feel the warmth on her belly, and yes he decides to roll it into the bank to prevent accidents. But why does Stafford write about a dead deer on the road. It is to show how a person unexpectedly faces a crisis which tests his or her moral sensitivity in everyday life. And that is what Stafford mostly writes about, everyday life situations.So by looking at these two poets you can see that Randall Jarrell likes to write with so much passion and wants it to be so perfect that sometimes his work is not easily understood. Jarrell wants the reader to think about what they are really reading, but sometimes bores the reader. Now William Stafford also wants the reader to think about the theme but it is much clearer on how he sets up his poems. He uses more and clear imagery so that the reader can see what the main point to the poem is. And these two pieces of work are good examples on how these two poets write their feelings and thoughts down.

Biography of Jan Hus, Religious Reformer and Martyr

Biography of Jan Hus, Religious Reformer and Martyr A century before Martin Luther posted his 95 Theses criticizing the Roman Catholic Church, Czech pastor and church reformer Jan Hus pointed out the same problems. The Church labeled Hus a heretic and burned him at the stake. But Hus complaints would not die with him. Instead, they sparked a wildfire of protest that roared across Europe, changing Christianity forever. Early Life and Career The birth of Jan Hus around 1370 was of little notice in the southern Bohemian town of Husinec. His parents were peasants, and as an adult, he shortened his surname from Husinec to Hus. By 1394, Hus had earned a bachelors degree at the University of Prague. Two years later he added a masters and became an instructor at the university. A struggle at the university pitted the German masters, who opposed church reform, against the Czech masters, who admired the writings of John Wycliffe (1330 - 1384), an English reformer who translated the gospels into English. Wycliffes writings found their way into Prague about 1401, worsening the split between the Germans and Czechs. Hus Discovers Wycliffe Hus found himself agreeing with many of the points Wycliffe had raised. For example, Wycliffe considered Scripture to be the supreme authority, not the pope. He also opposed the sale of indulgences, Church documents which supposedly shortened or terminated a souls stay in purgatory. Wycliffes belief in trusting in Christ alone for salvation, rather than good works or obeying church rules, later became a cornerstone of the Reformation. Hus also agreed with Wycliffes plea for restraining clergy, who had become powerful landowners in Bohemia. Hus denounced the sin of simony, the practice of using a church position to profit from selling pardons or church appointments.   Church and Politics Needless to say, Hus positions were not popular with the local bishops and the pope. In 1403, Johann Hubner, one of the anti-reform German masters at the university, drew up a list of 45 of Wycliffes articles and condemned them as heresy. Besides the upheaval caused by the fledgling reform movement, this was a period of chaos in the Roman Catholic Church. There were two popes, Gregory XII and Benedict XIII, and a later election resulted in a third, Alexander V. Archbishop Zbynek Zajic of Bohemia, initially a supporter of Hus, turned against him and bribed Pope Alexander V to prohibit preaching in private chapels. Hus preached in Bethlehem Chapel in Prague. When Hus refused to follow the popes order, Archbishop Zbynek excommunicated him. Still, Hus continued to preach and teach at the university. Once more, the matter of indulgences came up when Alexanders successor, Pope John XXIII, sold them in Bohemia to raise money. Hus again condemned the practice, but that did not sit well with King Vaclav IV of Bohemia, who received a share from indulgence sales. Without Vaclavs support, Hus was excommunicated by the Roman curia. A church interdict was placed on Prague in 1412, which meant Catholics could not receive sacraments or be buried in church cemeteries. To spare the city, Hus fled to southern Bohemia, where he stayed in exile at the castles of friends. Hus Writes Feverishly In an attempt to answer charges against him, Hus wrote a lengthy book titled The Church (de Ecclesia) in which he asserted that Jesus Christ, not the pope, is the head of the church. Hus stated that Christ is the Rock upon which the church is built, not Peter. While Hus declared Catholics were obligated to obey the church when its laws were based on Scripture, he said they had no duty to obey when humanmade rules could not be supported by the Bible. In his book On Simony, Hus attacked the common practice of simony, rampant in the 15th century. Affluent parents bought high church positions for their sons, most of whom showed little interest in the gospel. That led to a string of lazy, corrupt church leaders. During that period Hus also penned a long series of letters to everyone from personal friends to the people of Prague to cardinals and the pope. Much of what is known about him comes from those documents. His other works explained the Ten Commandments, the Apostles Creed, and the Lords Prayer. Of course, many of Hus positions undercut church authority, a stance that further alienated him from the local archbishop and Rome. Hus was dangerously unaware of just how much he was hated by church officials. Betrayal and Execution In 1414, a naive Jan Hus traveled to a church conference in Constance, Germany, believing he would have the chance to defend himself before a group of church fathers gathered to discuss the situation of three sitting popes. Hus was promised safe passage there and back by King Sigismund of Hungary, Vaclavs half-brother, but when Hus arrived, he was arrested and thrown in prison. Located next to the latrines, Hus unsanitary cell stunk. The reformer grew so ill that treatment by the popes doctor and relocation to another cell were needed to keep Hus alive. When Hus finally appeared before the council, the loathing against him was overwhelming. Sigismund, caving to political pressure, secretly withdrew his vow of protection. The council concocted 30 false articles they said Hus taught, including that he was the fourth person of the Godhead. Every time Hus tried to defend himself, he was shouted down. On July 6, 1415, Hus was dressed in priestly vestments then ceremonially defrocked. He refused to recant his beliefs. Dragged to the place of execution, he was bound to the stake with a chain around his neck. Men piled wood up to his chin. Given one last chance to recant, Hus proclaimed his innocence. As the fire overtook him, Hus could be heard singing, Jesus, son of the living God, have mercy on me. Reformation Legacy Hus impact on later reformers was immense. In 1520, Martin Luther confessed, I have taught and held all the teachings of Jan Hus, but thus far did I not know it . . . In short, we are all Hussites and did not know it. Most mainstays of Protestant theology can be traced to Hus: Christ alone as head of the church, strict adherence to the Bible, all worship readings and sermons in the local language, reception of both wine and bread in communion, daily Bible reading by Christians, and the danger of temptations in culture. As a Catholic priest, Hus never advocated breaking from the church. Instead, he called for change, for reforming the corrupt bureaucracy of the church and returning to the nonpolitical norms of early Christianity. The system called his appeals heresy.   Jan Hus Fast Facts Full Name: Jan Hus  Also Known As: John Huss, Johann Huss  Occupation: Priest, theologian, teacher   Born: Between 1369 and 1372 in Husinec, Czech RepublicDied: July 6, 1415, in Constance, GermanyEducation: University of PraguePublished Works: The Church, On Simony, lettersKey Accomplishments: Inspired church reformers like Martin LutherFamous quote: In life eternal, there is perfect joy and light, without pain or torture, and there is communion with God Himself and His angels. Sources Christian History Institute.  To Build a Fire. https://christianhistoryinstitute.org/magazine/article/to-build-a-fire.Reformation 500. Jan Hus. https://reformation500.csl.edu/bio/jan-hus/.C.S. Lewis Institute. The Legacy of John Hus. cslewisinstitute.org/The_Legacy_of_John_Hus_FullArticle.Online Library of Liberty. Jan Huss,  The Church  [1411]. http://oll.libertyfund.org/titles/huss-the-church.Christianity Today, Christian History. John Huss, Pre-Reformation Reformer. https://www.christianitytoday.com/history/people/martyrs/john-huss.html.Encyclopedia Britannica. Han Hus, Bohemian Religious Leader. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Jan-Hus.The Famous People. 18 Thought-Provoking Quotes By John Huss That Prove Hope Springs Eternal. https://quotes.thefamouspeople.com/john-huss-87.php