Analytical essay of Raymond Carver’s “Cathedral” Essay

Blindness can manifest itself in many ways. Arguably the most detrimental form of this condition may be the figurative blindness of ones own situations and ignorance towards the feelings of others. In Raymond Carver’s short story â€Å"Cathedral,† the narrator’s emotional and psychological blindness is immediately apparent. The many issues faced by the narrator as well as the turn-around experienced at the culmination of the tale are the main ideas for the theme of this story; and these ideas aid the narrator in eventually succumbing to character transformation by simply regarding the literal blind man in a positive light. The narrators statement at the very beginning of the story explains his own lack of knowledge concerning physical blindness. His lack of knowledge relating to the visitors disability is undeniable, yet he makes it very clear that he is aware of this ignorance, stating that he wasnt enthusiastic about his visit. He was no one I knew. And his being blind bothered me. My idea of blindness came from the movies. In the movies, the blind moved slowly and never laughed. Sometimes they were led by seeing-eye dogs. A blind man in my house was not something I looked forward to.† (90) These statements sum up his entire attitude about Robert (the houseguest) and other blind people in general at the onset of the story, giving the narrator an instant feeling of exactly who the narrator and even what he may turn out to be. While there are many undertones concerning other things about which he is unaware, the specific topic of character awareness is the main thought of the storys plot, ultimat ely developing into a solid theme. The introduction of the story explains the relationship between narrators wife and the blind man, detailing how it evolved to its present status. It is here the reader may see other examples of the figurative blindness from which the narrator suffers because of his knowledge of the relationship between the two, which seem to stem from his own troubled relationship with his wife. His wife gives him an ultimatum for acceptance of the blind man, stating that if her husband loves her, he would do this for me. If you dont love me, okay. (92) Throughout the story the narrator exudes jealousy toward the relationship his wife and the blind man share. Insecurity gives way to a troubled relationship with his wife. The narrator revaluates his suspicious  ideas regarding the troubled relationship; and his ultimate personal transformation gives way to the foreshadowing of a profound epiphany surrounding the entire story. Drug and alcohol usage throughout the entire story significantly adds to another blindness of which the subject is oblivious. Once Robert arrives, he is immediately introduced to social drinking, especially when he is questioned for his choice of drink. The narrator quickly supports this inquiry by further explaining that he and his wife carry a little of everything. It’s one of our pastimes.† (94) From this point on in the plot, drug and alcohol usage is described. The final enlightenment experienced by the narrator is a direct result of the mindset brought upon by his marijuana usage. In fact, many of his described problems may be attributed to his drinking and drug use. The effects of these habits are shown very well as the narrator and Robert converse directly after smoking a marijuana cigarette: â€Å"I reached for my glass. But it was empty. I tried to remember what I could remember.† (98) This exact portion of the dialogue accurately describes that of someo ne who is under the influence of a foreign substance. Once presented, the negative effects of drug usage on the characters are obvious throughout the story. The story climaxes after the wife falls asleep and the two men are finally allowed to converse with each other. It is at this time when the narrator finally gets to see the attitude and thoughts of the blind man, leading directly to his own personal transformation. When Robert asks whether or not the narrator is religious, his ambiguous response â€Å"I guess I dont believe in it. In anything. Sometimes its hard. You know what I’m saying?† (99) leads the reader (and Robert, as well) to see that this man is in need of something which means more than physical blindness. The reader becomes aware that this blind man feels it necessary to help the narrator both mentally and emotionally, bringing justice and understanding to a man filled with petty ideals. Once Robert has fulfilled this deed, the narrator begins to understand that certain positions of his are, and always has been, wrong, leading to an ultimate revelation towards change. Many among society today have a minute understanding of what it is to truly see, that this initiative  is more than physical viewing and bases itself mainly on emotional understanding, for instance, figuratively seeing what is inside other people, what they feel and how they think. Conclusively, the final drawing of the Cathedral truly helps the reader understand the meaning of achievement through working together. The two men hold hands while drawing the Cathedral, which inevitably is the basis for the story being told. If not for this truly life-changing experience, this narrator would simply have continued on his close-minded lifestyle never learning about or accepting other people as they are. The last few sentences of this story paint a beautiful picture of someone coming to the realization that being blind is not an affliction that is limited solely to the body. A person can be blind to the feelings of others and the problems that can affect our everyday life, yet through interaction and tolerance an individual can find both themselves and an awareness for people around them. Work Cited Carver, Raymond. Cathedral Literature and its writers. 4th ed. Ed. Ann Charters and Samuel Charters. Boston: Bedford/St. Martins,2007. 91-113

Examples of the Verb Ride, Including Ride Past Tense

Examples of the Verb Ride, Including Ride Past Tense The verb ride means to sit on and control the movement of a means of transportation such as a bike, car, or a horse, as well as to be a passenger being conveyed in or on such a means of transportation. The verb is used in English to express how a person or thing is using that transportation, such as, I rode in a car or He rides a horse. Ride is an irregular verb because it does not take a regular conjugation pattern. For example, the verb want is a regular verb in English, where the present tense is simply the verb, itself, often preceded by a pronoun, such as I want, or an infinitive, such as to want. For a regular verb in the past tense, you would simply add ed, as in I wanted. By contrast, ride is an irregular verb because its conjugations do not follow the pattern of a regular-conjugation verb such as want. The verb takes the same conjugations as the irregular verb drive, for example, which conjugates with a pattern of drive-drove-driven, depending on the tense. The verb ride, then, is the same as a regular verb in English, taking the form ride in the present tense. But in the past tense, the root changes, with the i changing to o, to form the verb rode. The past participle is completely different, but more on that below. Key Takeaways: The Irregularity of Ride The verb ride does not follow a regular conjugation pattern.  Its conjugation pattern is the same as for the verb drive, which conjugates as drive-drove-driven, depending on the tense.In the present tense, the conjugation of ride is the same as for a regular verb taking the form ride.In the past tense, the root changes, with the i swapping out for o, to form the verb rode. The past participle is ridden, as in: He has ridden the bike. Conjugating the Verb Ride It can be helpful for English learners to view the basic conjugations of a verb. The table provides conjugations for ride in the present, past, and past participle tenses. Present I ride you ride he/she/it rides we ride you ride they ride Past I rode you rode he/she/it rode we rode you rode they rode Past Participle I/you/he/she/it/we/you/they (have) ridden Note that the base form is  ride, the simple past tense is rode, and the past participle is  ridden. Example Sentences of the Verb Ride Here are sentences of the  verb  ride in nearly all  tenses  including active and passive forms, as well as  conditional  and  modal  forms. The tense is indicated in bold, followed by a brief explanation of when to use the particular tense, together with three example sentences. Present Simple This is the basic present tense. Use it to indicate something that occurs in the present. He rides his motorcycle to work.They ride to work together.I like to ride my horse. Present Simple Passive Though using passive voice is not considered the best practice for writing, there are conjugations for this voice, including for the verb ride. Use this form of the passive voice to express something that is happening to or being done by someone. That horse is ridden by Tom.The mower is ridden by Joe.The bus is ridden by the passengers. Present Continuous The present continuous is used to express an ongoing action. Were riding our bikes to the park this afternoon.They are riding the horses to the track.Sally is riding her scooter. Present Continuous Passive This tense is similar to the present continuous but in passive form. The horses are being ridden by tourists at the moment.The scooter is being ridden by Sally.The horses are being ridden to the park by them. Present Perfect The present perfect connotes an  action or situation that started in the past and continues in the present. Have you ever ridden a horse?They havent ridden their scooters for years.She has ridden her bike to work for six months. Present Perfect Passive This tense is similar to the present perfect but in the passive voice. Has that horse by ridden yet?The scooters havent been ridden by them for years.The bike hasnt been ridden for months. Present Perfect Continuous This tense is used to  refer to an unspecified time between before now and now. We have been riding bikes since 9 a.m.She has been riding the open road since last night.He has been riding his scooter for the past three hours. Past Simple The past simple is, as the name implies, the simple past. It expresses an action that occurred and was completed, in the past. He rode his bike to work last week.She rode her scooter to work.The passenger rode in the car. Past Simple Passive This tense is the same as the simple past but in the passive voice. That motorcycle was ridden by Elvis.The scooter was ridden by her.The horse was ridden by the equestrian competitor. Past Continuous The past continuous shows that an ongoing  action was happening at a specific moment in the past. He was riding his bike when his cell phone rang.She was riding her scooter to work when the police officer gave her a ticket.The equestrian competitor was riding her horse when she was stopped by a fan. Past Continuous Passive As in the other tenses, the past continuous passive is the same as the past continuous but in the passive voice. The horse was being ridden by Jack when it fell.The scooter was being ridden by her when a policeman stopped her.The bike was being ridden by him when his cell phone rang. Past Perfect The past perfect refers to something that occurred in the past before another action in the past. They had already ridden the horse before they bought it.She had already ridden the scooter before she got into an accident.He had already ridden the bike when he got a flat. Past Perfect Passive This tense is the same as the past perfect but in the passive voice. The horse had been ridden before it was sold.The bike had been ridden before its tire went flat.The scooter had already been ridden when it was in an accident. Past Perfect Continuous This tense expresses  something that started in the  past  and continued until another event happened, also in the  past. They had been riding for two hours when the accident happened.She had been riding for an hour before she received a ticket.The competitor had been riding for two months before her first fan approached her. Future The future tense expresses something that will happen in the future. She will ride her bike to work.He will ride with the other passengers.The competitor will ride the horse at the nationals. Future   passive The future passive expresses a future action but in the passive voice. That horse will be ridden by the queen.The scooter will be ridden by her.The bike will be ridden by the commuter. Future Continuous This tense expresses an action that will start and continue in the future. This time next week we will be riding our motorcycles down the highway on holiday.By next year, we will all be riding scooters to work.By the time I get to Phoenix, Ill be riding a train. Future Perfect The future perfect expresses an action that starts and finishes at some point in the future. She will have ridden all the horses in the stable by the end of the month.The commuters will have ridden the scooters to work 100 times by the end of the year.By the time I get to Phoenix, I will have ridden for 66 hours. Future Possibility The future possibility expresses something that might happen in the future. She might ride Lucky.The gambler might break even.The commuter might save time if he takes a different route. Real Conditional The real conditional expresses uncertainty about whether an action will occur. If she rides her motorcycle, she will change her clothes.If he commutes by bike, he will save money.If the jockey rides the horse Affirmed, he will win the race. Present Modal Modal verbs are  auxiliary (helping) verbs that  express ability, possibility, permission, or obligation. The present modal expresses these things in the present. She should ride that horse.I may ride that scooter.She might get a ticket if she rides too fast. Past Modal The past modal is similar to the present modal but in the past tense. She cant have ridden her bike!I might have ridden that scooter, but Im not sure.She might have ridden to fast before receiving a moving violation. Quiz: Conjugate with Ride Use the verb to ride to conjugate the following sentences. The quiz answers are listed below. In some cases, more than one answer may be correct. That horse _____ by Tom._____ you ever _____ a horse?He _____ his bike when his cell phone rang.She _____ her motorcycle to work next week.If she _____ her motorcycle, she will change her clothes.He _____ his bike to work last week.That motorcycle _____ by Elvis!He _____ his motorcycle to work.We _____ bikes since nine this morning.If she _____ her motorcycle, she will change her clothes. Quiz Answers is riddenHave riddenwas ridingis going to rideridesrodewas riddenrideshave been ridingrides

An Analysis of Walt Whitmans Song of Myself

Analysis of Walt Whitman's My Own Song Whitman is always asking questions. He believes the purpose and cause of life is a mystery. He is surrounded by people who draw a line between good and evil and refuses what is not a holy direct vote in the universe. Unlike modern people, Whitman encompasses everything. His mystical perception of the world has caused the idea that God can be found in all and he can never be fully understood. Walt Whitman's article on My Own Song explains Walt Whitman's My Own Song about Julia Kristeva's Fallen Theory. The importance of corruption This negative, imminent and unpleasant thing arises from Whitman's view of rebuilding the concept of sublime material that can cause sublime moments. - From time to time, humans must ask questions: what constitutes actions and determines the type of interaction that we show around others? My own commentary is the way the modern world doubts the value of the facade. The novel also doubts what we know as insignificant lik e seeing the cat we are sleeping on our stomach and looking at the clouds in the sky It was. Analysis of Walt Whitman's My Own Song Whitman is always asking questions. He believes the purpose and cause of life is a mystery. He is surrounded by people who draw a line between good and evil and refuses what is not a holy direct vote in the universe. Unlike modern people, Whitman encompasses everything. - Walt Whitman is considered to be the most important American democratic poet of his time. Not only does he accept it completely, I believe America's democracy is not just a political regime but a lifestyle (Casale 48). Many of his personal experiences influenced his deep democratic views (48). As a volunteer at a military hospital during the American Civil War he saw a lot of death and thanked the opportunity offered by the US government more and more (Mirsky)

The Space Shuttle Challenger disaster Assignment - 1

The Space Shuttle Challenger disaster - Assignment Example In this paper, the author describes and comments on the various aspects of the accident. First, the author describes the events leading to the explosion. Next is a discussion of the main causes of the accident. Next, the author describes the steps that could have been taken to avert the accident. After that, a description of the prevailing culture within NASA is provided, accompanied with a discussion of how that culture might have impacted the decisions of NASA engineers and staff. The author then comments on the management of NASA and how the institution implements its systems and procedures. Finally, the author sums up the main points of the paper. Initially, Challenger had been scheduled to launch from the Kennedy Space Centre (KSC) in Florida on January 22 at 14:42 Eastern Standard Time (EST). However, the launch did not happen as had been planned due to delays in the preceding mission, STS-61-C(McConnel, 1986). Consequently, Challenger launched was pushed forward to January 23 then January 24. The launch was once more moved to January 25 owing to unfavourable weather conditions at the Transoceanic Abort Landing (TAL) centre in Dakar, Senegal. NASA decide to use Casablanca as an alternative TAL, but because it lacked facilities for night landings, the launch was once more rescheduled for the morning of January 26, Florida time. Then, it was predicted that the weather at KSC would be unfavourable, so the lift-off was moved to January 27 at 9:37 EST. Again, the launch failed to take off due to problems registered in the exterior access hatch. By the time engineers solved the problems, the wind speed had increases substantially such that a launch was impossible. It was under these circumstances that the launch eventually happened on January 28, even though weather forecasts had predicted an unusually cold morning with temperatures close to -10C, the lowest possible temperature at which a launch may happen.

Enhancing the Patient Experience Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Enhancing the Patient Experience - Essay Example Due to space imitation, the paper will focus only on the challenges that were experienced during the case study discussed, and not on the treatment. Different studies have revealed that person-centred care not only gives psychological satisfaction to patients, but also helps the nurses to gain psychological satisfaction in their job, as person-centred care not only makes easy their ‘job’, but also provides certain sense of spiritual meaning and depth to the process of caring. The Case Study The case study included in this paper is of a teenage female client who was recommended by her school for counseling and therapy. The physical examination of the client had revealed that the client was severely overweight and was suffering from obesity related problems. Her academic performance had gone down drastically in last six months, and she was becoming emotionally and psychologically distant from her peers and teachers. However, the decision to send her for counseling was take n when her parents approached the school regarding her performance and expressed worries over her behaviour problems. The method used to understand the client was personal interview. Six sessions of interview were conducted with the client. It was found that she was suffering from low self-esteem and insecurity. ... The client’s eating pattern was related to the emotional insecurity and unfulfilled needs. Hence, it was very necessary to adopt a person-centred approach to gain her confidence and faith. Person-centred approach is one of the most effective approaches in care. According to Ford and McCormack (2000), â€Å"in order to provide person-centred care, practitioners must acquire knowledge about the person which allows them to provide care and services that are compatible with individual’s values and which are, as such, highly valued† (Clarke, Hanson and Ross 2003, p.697). However, understanding the values of a person is not an easy task. There were many challenges that were experienced during the journey of the treatment process. Interestingly, the challenges started right from the beginning of the treatment as the first challenge was faced when I had to understand the core values of my client. Building mutual trust Communication between nurse and patient is an importa nt aspect of a successful treatment. However, communication is possible only when the patient trusts the nurse and believes that the details of his personal life will remain confidential. Hence, in order to encourage my client to open up emotionally, it was necessary for me to gain her trust. It was important to assure her that I was not going to judge her in any way, but understood her point of view completely. It has been observed that due to differing interpretation of illness and related conditions, the mutual trust between the nurse and the patient, which is necessary for good communication, cannot be developed (Sartain, Clarke and Heyman 2000, p. 913). Mutual trust can be enhanced by accessing and resolving the difference in patient’s and service provider’s interpretation of the medical

Euthanasia Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

Euthanasia - Essay Example According to my survey, it is apparent that quite a number of people have little understanding of euthanasia and are adamant to embrace the practice. In an attempt to elucidate the opinion of the people and evaluate their propositions about euthanasia, a survey was done. The survey targeted twenty respondents who were required to answer fifteen questions based on the topic of euthanasia. To prevent any inconveniences to the respondents, the survey took approximately ten to fifteen minutes per respondent. The questions were framed in such a manner that one question led to a more deeper and specific question. The responses were brief, most of them having yes/no questions, while some required some brief explanations. No personal data was supposed to be provided in the survey forms in order to protect their confidentiality. The questions were brief, simple and clear so that the respondent clearly understands what the questions involved. Majority of the people interviewed have some basic understanding of euthanasia. Fourteen out of the twenty respondents could distinguish euthanasia and assisted suicide. The reasons given by the respondents about the differences were justifiable, a situation that demonstrated that they understood some aspects of the practice. The basis of assisted suicide as revealed by most of the respondents relates to a person wishing to die. In addition, it is not done to escape a painful and incurable situation. True to the fact that euthanasia is a controversial issue, most of the respondents believe that the practice is not ethically justifiable, nobody among the group stood for the ethical justification. However, lack of experience in having people who were willing to be euthanized among majority of the respondents revealed that, they didn’t really comprehend the magnitude of the situation facing these people. Only two among the twenty had an experience with an individual willing to be euthanized. Euthanasia is one of the practices th at are common in the media. A whooping majority, seventeen out of twenty respondents confessed having never heard or read about the practice in the media. This presents the situation as minor, because if it were a major issue many would have read about euthanasia in the print media and heard through the electronic media. Euthanasia does not appear to be one of the emerging issues neither is it a problem that has been given a lot of attention. However, the fact that a few individuals have heard and read about the practice is enough evidence to reveal that Euthanasia is not any strange around us. Death and pain are resented aspects according the findings of the survey. The majority of the people was of the opinion that life is extremely important and should be protected at all costs. A substantial majority of the people said they would prefer having a person who helps another in committing suicide be prosecuted. In addition, they would not support a death sentence for such an offender but they supported the argument of the legal system handling the case appropriately. However, considering the sensitivity of the cases presented, a majority are of the opinion that euthanasia should be made legal in some cases. This proves the understanding of the people about euthanasia and the opinion they have towards unbearable pain and

Fern Hill: Literary Analysis

Fern Hill: Literary Analysis Time is a weary thing, but it is also a beautiful thing. It also slow, yet fast and moments and experiences sometimes are severely lacking in appreciation because of an inattentive and inpatient eye. All of the aforementioned are the hallmarks of youth, children and adolescents alike lean more to living in the present, not appreciating life as a whole. When this fact comes to light, it is often too late and all there is left to do is to reminisce and regret, miss and yearn for the days of yore. Unfortunately, this is what middle and old age frequently is. These topics are explored greatly in Fern Hill, it is filled with metaphors and biblical allusions, and the poem itself bears a striking resemblance to life itself. In the first stanza, the setting of Fern Hill is established and since it is the beginning of the poem; it mirrors the beginning of life: youth. Now as I was young and easy under the apple boughs / About the lilting house and happy as the grass was green / The night above the dingle starry, Here, the tone is a rather happy and carefree tone, not unlike the majority of the poem. Alliteration is used rather well here, it gives the poem a rhythm and a sense of movement, and this echoes the progression of life. The house is personified as if it is singing, giving the speakers youth a merry feeling, he/she is happy and like the grass, he/she is still young and full of life. It is only the beginning. The word order is a bit odd for the third line, normally, it would be The starry night above the dingle, but here, the words are switched. This is used to give more rhythm to the line, it further contributes to the building motion of the poem. The next few lines continue to be joyful and happy, it personifies time as a being, God perhaps. Time let me hail and climb / Golden in the heydays of his eyes, / And honoured among wagons I was prince of the apple town In the first line, its as though Time is letting the young one be young and enjoy its youth, not out of obligation or what not, but out of kindness and compassion. Time understands that time is limited and that youthfulness doesnt last forever. This is further supported by the third line in which it is personified and is referred to as a he. Another possible reference to God, as God is kind and merciful; Time is here as well. Not only that, but Time seems to be also watching the young one, letting him be free and young. The youth is so great, that the speaker even refers to himself as a prince. It doesnt come off as callousness or as pride, just a genuine belief that he was mighty and powerful in the heydays of his youth. The youth is so great, that the speaker even refers to himself as a prince. It doesnt come off as callousness or as pride, just a genuine belief that he was mighty and powerful in the heydays of his youth. And once below a time I lordly had the trees and leaves / Trail with daises and barley / Down the rivers of the windfall light The word and gets repeated twice in the span of two lines, repetition is a key theme of Fern Hill and it is not only in its content. Time is like a sequence, and and achieves this similar effect as it piles one line with the other. Assonance is present with the words trees, leaves, daises, and barley. It has a rather nice sound, and when said aloud; has a distinctive flow. Not unlike the flow of time itself perhaps. The second stanza is overall, structurally similar to the first. As with the first stanza, there nine lines in the second stanza, this is not exclusive to the first two stanza. The whole poem is composed of six stanzas each containing nine lines. These numbers are not just arbitrarily in the poem for the sake of being in the poem, it is yet another biblical allusion. This specifically being; the Book of Genesis from the Bible. The world was created by God in six days, the seventh used for rest. This is not the only allusion to Genesis as there is another one further in the poem, the Farm could be like the Garden of Eden to the Speaker. Not only is it similar in structure, but in its content as well. And I was green and carefree, famous among the barns / About the happy yard and singing as the farm was home, / In the sun that is young once only, Just as the grass was green before, the speaker is also green, he is young. Assonance is present once again, being carefree, as aforementione d is one the many hallmarks of youth. The speaker could not give a care in the world, for he is young. However, he knows that youth only comes once, and that it doesnt last forever, this foreshadows the later parts of the poem. But, for now, just as the poem remains happy, he too is happy on the farm. Once more, time is personified and is being portrayed as kind and merciful. This reinforces the allusion to God, God is watching the young one and letting him be. Time let me play and be / Golden in the mercy of his means, / And green and golden I was huntsman and herdsman, the calves The words green and golden keep getting repeated again and again, and alliteration keeps getting used again and again, the speaker is young and prosperous, this is being reinforced so much because once youth is gone, it is gone for good. The speakersis remaining in the past for this long because thats how good his youth is. He is only this prosperous because of Time or God, he knows he is at the mercy of him, Time is benevolent, but regardless; he is still at Times very whim, just as every human is. The allusion to the Bible is no longer as subtle as before, not that it was that subtle to begin with, but now it is ever more blatant. Sang to my horn, the foxes on the hills barked clear and cold, / And the Sabbath rang slowly / In the pebbles of the holy streams. The speaker was in power because of his youth perhaps, seeing as though the foxes barked at the sound of his horn singing. An alliteration is used again to portray the foxes clear bark without much emotion. This is signaling the end of youth, it is slow, but the end is near. The Sabbath is day of rest, just as God was resting on the seventh day of creation, so too will the speaker, but instead of creation; he will be resting in old age. The streams near the farm seem to be sacred, again, with the Biblical allusion. The third stanza marks a shift in tone, in content and in structure. It is significantly different than the first two stanzas; like the parallel between youthfulness and old age. All the sun long it was running, it was lovely, the hay / Fields high as the house, the tunes from the chimneys, it was air / And playing, lovely and watery The day keeps on going, however, the descriptions are beginning to be not as specific as the ones from the first stanza, they are also beginning to be dreamlike, lucid almost. Fields as high as the house, music coming from the chimney, all strange descriptions. When they are referred to as air, this comes across as a metaphor for life, fluidity and tranquility; such is youth. The speaker remembers the youth well, quite fondly in fact. Now comes the transition from day into night, youth into old age. The descriptions become even stranger. And fire green as grass. / And nightly under the simple stars / As I rode to sleep the owls were bearing the night away, Green fire is unheard of, unnatural, but strangely enough, it is natural; because is starting to drift into sleep, into old age. Instead of the natural process of time passing through sleep, the owls seem to carry the night away instead. All very surreal. Now comes the climax of the surreal, of the dream. Very unnatural thing, the night is coming to a close, just as the wake is coming. All the moon long I heard blessed among stables, the nightjars / Flying with the ricks, and the horses / Flashing into the dark. Instead of all day long in the beginning of the stanza, it is now the opposite, all night long. The stables are blessed, are personified and seem to be alive. The ricks, which are stacks of hay, are flying with nightjars; insects. The night is ending soon, as well as this dream. And the horses just vanish into thin air, becoming part of the night, with this, night draws to a close, and day begins anew; a cycle of some sorts. Now the Biblical allusions come into full swing and are no longer just allusion but are direct references, the religious overtones are present throughout the poem. And then to awake, and the farm, like a wanderer white / With the dew, come back, the cock on his shoulder: it was all / Singing, it was Adam and maiden, Day has come once more, the farm is once again personified, however, this time; the farm may be Jesus. Jesus was known to wear white, white represents holiness, goodness, purity and all things sacred. But Jesus is mostly known to be a wanderer, spreading the word of God. The speaker loves the farm so much, that it is sacred and holy. Here is the good part, Adam and Eve come into the picture, the feeling that the farm is the Garden of Eden is ever so more blatant. Just as Adam and Eve were cast out of the Garden of Eden following the act of committing the original sin, so too will the speaker be cast out of his farm, his Garden of Eden; youth. Albeit, not for any wrongdoin g, but because of the natural process. But wait, there is more! The sky gathered again / And the sun grew round that very day. /So it must have been after the birth of the simple light / The Genesis references do not end there, in the first line, it says that the sky gathered again. It just so happens that in the Book of Genesis, there is also a similar phrase: And God said, Let the water under the sky be gathered to one place, and let dry ground appear. (Book of Genesis 1) The creation of the Universe is being mirrored by the return of day, old age. The sun grew round once more, just as when God said let there be light. Creation, Adam and Eve, and the Book of Genesis are all symbols for the cycle of life in this poem and life itself. That is not all, now the animals that God created unto Eden are being referenced. In the first, spinning place, the spellbound horses walking warm / Out of the whinnying green stable / On to the fields of praise. The first spinning place is a reference to Earth, a planet that so happens to spin, it also happens to be the first one. The horses are attracted to, or rather mystified by the farm, and are coming out of the whinnying green stable. The horses are not just horses, but all the animals of Gods creation; out of his own hand. The fields of praise, are obviously a substitute for Eden. However, the fields of praise is also the farm itself, in the beginning of the poem, the farm is the subject of praise, now, and the farm is now praise itself. Such is Gods holy creation. The end is nigh, literally and figuratively. The first line of this stanza is a callback to one of the lines from the very first stanza. And honoured among foxes and pheasants by the gay house / Under the new made clouds and happy as the heart was long, / In the sun born over and over, Instead of being honoured by wagons and material things part of the physical realm, the speaker is now honoured among animals of the House of God. The house is personified, giving the house joy, such is the House of God. Creation is recent as the clouds are newly made, old age is here, but happiness remains in the heart. With the sun being born over and over again, eternal is too God and his kingdom. However, not all is well. With old age, comes regret and reminiscing. I ran my heedless ways, / My wishes raced through the house high hay / nothing I cared, at my sky blue trades, that time allows Because of the joys of youth, and the freedom that comes with it, heedlessness is also unfortunately part of youth as well. The speaker is starting to regret living life at such a fast pace and is noting that he is careless. Time only allows so much, and the time has come for the end. Time/ God is seemingly leading children into his grace through song, again, green and golden are repeated here. In all his tuneful turning so few and such good morning songs / Before the children green and golden / Follow him out of grace. The children symbolize the speakers youth, or perhaps humanitys youth as a whole. It is now time for golden years to draw to a close. Regret is still present, and is even more powerful than before. Youth is gone and old age is here to stay. Nothing I cared, in the lamb white days, that time would take me / Up to the swallow thronged loft by the shadow of my hand, / In the moon that is always rising, The sentiment of regret from before is repeated, the swallows, the loft and the hand shadow represents the speakers life, how time is carrying the speaker, but the speakers shadow is present and is ever present, looming even. Just as the sun represented youth and how it is short and temporary, the eternal rising of the moon represents old age and how old age will last much longer than youth. Even though if the speaker is sleeping, which he is not, he will hear his farm being taken way, his very youth being taken away. Nor that riding to sleep / I should hear him fly with the high fields / And wake to the farm forever fled from the childless land. The farm is still here, but it is not the same as before. It is childless, that is, without youth, it is here no longer, forever. The alliteration gives the line a swift and quick motion of this, almost as though a picture is being created. Similar to the old saying regarding youth and old age. Happy, that is what the poems tone is in the beginning. However, there is now dramatic shift in tone, it is now melancholic and regretful. The speaker is no longer swift and free-spirted, he is now chained to sadness and old age. Oh as I was young and easy in the mercy of his means, / Time held me green and dying / Though I sang in my chains like the sea. The second line reflects life, like a newborn baby, even though it is alive, it also dying at the same time. The clock of death starts ticking the very moment the heart starts beating. Ironic and cruel, but that is life.