The Tsars or Lenin between 1855-1956 Essay Example for Free

The Tsars or Lenin between 1855-1956 Essay Stalin was more successful in modernising Russias economy than either the Tsars or Lenin between 1855-1956. How far is this a valid assessment? Over the time period 1855-1956, Russia underwent hugely dramatic changes, in such a relatively short amount of time the country and its people was ruled by different groups and people, with different ideologies and stances and the economy, and more specifically industrialization. Although on the face of things, it is obviously apparent that Stalin was the most successful at achieving a modernised economy , the context of the situation he inherited and manipulated was unique, and this modernisation came at great cost. Stalin and Lenin both built on the structure that the Tsars created, although it was not nearly enough to stabilize Russias economy, it was a start. Before explaining what impact each of these individuals had on the economy, it is important to understand the background of Russias economy, both agricultural and industrial. One of the most startling features of Russia at this point, was its size, and ironically how this size and potential was not being properly utilized. Communications across this huge area were extremely poor; roads outside the big cities were poor at best. The vast majority of Russia population at this point, were the serfs (making up around 70-75% of Russias total population). Serfs were virtually owned by their masters, they did what they were told and had little or no free will, the vast amount of surfs working in agriculture. It would be assumed that because there was so much emphasis on agriculture and so many numbers behind it that agricultural input would have been high, but in fact, the opposite was true. The state of agriculture in Russia in 1855 was abysmal; the method of farming was backward so efficiency levels were extremely poor, the strip system and wooden ploughs were still used, and there was not enough land for each serf. Concerning industry, there was a low level of this also considering the size of Russia, because the majority of the working population lived rurally, urban factories and workers had only a limited amount of available work. In 1855, it is safe to say that Russias economy needed a kick start; it was starting to become left behind and was being outranked by the other world powers. Tsar Alexander II 1855-1881, inherited the aforementioned situation, and it seems as though he was determined to make some sort of change. In 1861 he passed the Emancipation of the serfs, meaning that the vast majority of serfs, were granted freedom, allotted land, or were allowed to find work in the cities. It is estimated by 1864 some 50 million serfs had been granted freedom. The reasons for this turnaround are varied, but most believe that Alexander II had finally realized that Russias economy and industrial progress called for a free labour force. Although the intentions may have been good, there were problems with this act, first of all, landowners had to be compensated through redemption payments by the freed serfs, but because of the small amount of allotted land the serfs received, they were not much better off than they previously were because they amassed so much debt. The idea behind this emancipation was to free up a new work force, and let the peasants farm their own crops, with the excess to be sold for export thus revitalizing the economy. Many of the freed peasants moved into urban areas and a labour force was created, but the root problem of subsistence farming still remained, and without strict guidelines from their masters, agricultural production declined. Other changes made by Alexander II were the huge increase in the railway network (increase of 2000% by 1881 of its 1855 levels) and the amount of factory workers increased by 150% respectively. Although these numbers seem positive, considering the vast population and potential Russia had, these increases could have been much higher and are only just a start. Under Alexander II the state bank and ministry of finances in 1860 was established, giving the capital a strong position. Alexander III (1881-1894) took on a slightly less sympathetic position than his father, after Alexander IIs assassination, his son believed that the only way forward for Russia was one through traditional autocratic ruling. One of his biggest shortcomings was the fact he emphasized hugely on industry and failed to utilize the potential of Russias agriculture. Although this was negative, some advancement in industry was seen, such as the huge amount of railway development, namely the near completion of the vastly important trans-Siberian railway, and the production of coal doubled between 1892 and 1902. The policies of Sergei Witte had effects from this reign into that of Nicholas II. Investment from abroad and state subsidies to heavy industry all played a part in stabilizing the economy. However, the neglect of agriculture contributed to the 1891 famine.

Motivation Essay Example for Free

Motivation Essay 1. Define and discuss motivation. Which theory of motivation offers the best chance, if handled properly, of increasing productivity in your workplace? Motivation can be described as a process that accounts for an individuals intensity, direction and persisitence of efforts towards attaining a goal (Robbins, 2004). While general motivation is concerned with motivation towards the achievement of any goal, this paper will be discussing motivation in relation to organizational goals, as the focus is on work related behavior (Robbins, 2004). With regards to the definition, there are 3 key elements related to motivation. Intensity is concerned with how hard a person tries to achieve a goal. But in order for intensity to trnaslate into better performance it has to be channeled in the right direction. So, the quality of the intensity is very essential. Persistence is another dimension to motivation. It is a measure of how long a person can maintain his or her efforts. There have been numerous theories on motivation, devised and tested multiple times. But the theory I find most relevant and important to a workplace, the work be of any nature, is the expectacy theory, put forward by Victor Vroom (Robbins, 2004). Expectancy theory focuses on three main relationships. The effort-performance relationship, performance-reward relationship and the reward-personal goal relationship. In more practical terms, expectancy theory says that when an employee puts in effort o his job it is partly because he believes his effort will translate into better performance, but this performance alone would be useless to him, until and unless there are obvious benefits attached to better performance, i.e. rewards. These rewrds may be monetary or non-monetary and may vary from a promotion or pay increment to a pat on the back from the boss and a word or two of appreciation from the supervisor. This would motivate the workforce, as every individual will perceive that with this job he would be able accomplish his personal goals. 2. Define and discuss leadership. Which style is presently used in your own workplace? Which style is needed, or which style do you believe should be used to increase productivity? Leadership theories have great applications in business settings. For example, some organizations look for leadership traits when choosing a candidate for a leadership position.   Most organizations that we normally encounter look for specific personality traits of individuals such as their openness to experience, social behavior, extraversion etc. These are the traits that are associated with good leaders. Extraversion is a trait that is mostly associated with leadership emergence because extraverted people are quick to establish contacts, have usually good communication skills and are emotionally aware of others. Similarly, openness to experience is a good indicator of a leader’s ability to encounter and deal with new situations. Contemporary theories of leadership such as Charismatic leadership and Transformational leadership fit very well in the dynamic situation of the contemporary world. Contemporary leadership theories view leaders as individuals who inspire their followers through their words, ideas and behaviors. And this is so true of today’s successful leaders (Kotter, 1995).   Charismatic leadership theory can be applied to leaders such as New York mayor Rudy Guiliani, African President Nelson Mandela, and African-American leader Martin Luther King. Through his rhetoric, Martin Luther king was able to consolidate the civil rights movement and became one of the most inspiring leaders (Kotter, 1995). Contemporary leadership theories are forward looking as they emphasize on leader’s vision. A clear vision is described as one of the qualities of charismatic leaders because it is their vision that binds their followers and becomes the impetus for change. Moreover, contemporary leadership theories put emphasis on leader-follower relationship as in Leader Exchange Theory (Robbins, 2004). As employees become more empowered, leader-follower relationship becomes even more important and contemporary leadership theories provide valuable information in this regard. So, in essence, leadership has a huge role to play when it comes to the employees’ attitude towards work. Because, if a leader can inspire and motivate his or her followers, it may help bring out a more positive attitude from them, and ultimately this would have a positive impact on the productivity of the company.

Sound Technique In Amadeus

Sound Technique In Amadeus The film was mainly about how Salieri was jealous of Mozarts musical talent and achievements and how he always wanted to be like him. Mozart was a child who played the piano and violin from the age of five and was considered the most talented child as a musician. During his life time, he composed over 600 pieces of his music and work. After the death of Salieris father, Salieri moved to Vienna and produced a lot of musical peaces until he was promoted to be in the position of court composer. The emperor then learns about Mozart and chooses to assign an opera especially for him. When Mozart moved to Vienna and performed his opera, it was a great success and thats when Salieris envying started to grow up more and more. Salieri started his battle with God, after comparing Mozarts wonderful pieces of music to the sound of God. And by that his misery and madness continued to grow. Moreover, after too many music and hard work, Mozart was exhausted and Salieri decided to take this chance an d take his revenge by making Mozart work to death. Salieri sends a spy costumed as a home maid to work in Mozarts house. She then goes back to Salieri and tells him about all whats going on in Mozarts house and how he works all day long, with his health condition getting worse by each day. Finally, Mozart dies before finishing the piece of requiem he was writing. Also, Salieri believed that God would rather destroy his great beloved Mozart rather than letting Salieri share a small part of the glory of killing Mozart. He also believed that God kept him alive for thirty two years to torture him. Sound Technique: Sound is one of the most essential tools of expressing messages in a movie. The art of film is Sound; it adds meaning into the film. Some films had full orchestras and others had piano playing as a background of the film. Music in films was played for both artistic and practical reasons. Sound is divided into two types: synchronizing and nonsynchronous sound. Also, sound made acting seems more natural. As the Frenchman Rene Clair thought, sound shouldnt be used indiscriminately but rather it should be used selectively. He also thought that just like images, sound can be edited in films as well. Moreover, he thinks that just as the eye, the ear is discerning too (Giannetti, 2010). Sound effects in films create certain atmosphere, but also can be a great source to add meaning into the film. The cinematic sound is mixed in a studio after the shot of a scene has been taken. The sound editor then collects all different sounds in a film. The sound mixer then selects the pitch, volume, and tempo of each sound in the film. Sound in films can be either diegetic or nondiegetic, which means sounds that can be heard or sounds that couldnt be heard. Moreover, high pitched sounds generate tension and are frequently used in suspense sequence, during or before the films climax. Beside, low pitched sounds can too generate mystery and anxiety. Some suspense sequences starts with similar sounds. Furthermore, low frequency sounds are less tense. Moreover, the sound volume could be either loud or quiet. Loud sounds are likely intense and threatening. And quiet sounds are likely to be more delicate and hesitant. Additionally, the faster the tempo of the sound the more tension it g enerates and vice versa. Also, off screen sounds build up the image ahead of the frame. Film directors use those off screen sounds to create anxiety. Usually, film directors clean up the soundtracks of the movies from all the irrelevant noises. Also, internal emotions in films can be showed by using sound effects. Complete silence in films also could bring up meaning and create a certain mood. Complete silence is likely to generate some form of tension in films and brings up the feeling that something impending is nearly going to happen. An example of silence in movies could be using freeze frame, silence in a sound film can be used to symbolize death, because we tend to associate sound with the presence of ongoing life (Giannetti, 2010 p.212). Music can create a more convincing atmosphere of time and place. (Prendergast, 2005). Any filmmaker or director should use music effectively, after knowing what exactly they want from music. Music can create a specific mood or feeling to the film. Some types of music can imply locales, classes, and ethnic groups to the film. Usually, songs are been recorded in a studio beforehand and afterwards actors perform the songs in movies with lip-synch to those recorded songs. Also, music can be used as a foreshadowing, to make the audience ready for a dramatic scene. One type of music in films is called anxious music, which is a warning to get the audience ready for the next scene. That anxious music sometimes might just be false alarm. Lyrics can be attached to music and thats when characterization can be more accurate (Giannetti, 2010). The deeper reality of film music, the necessity which found body in its lucky accident, involves the way the film tries to evoke a sort of temporary and illusive film-subjectivity, which closely mimics our everyday subjectivity. (Spande, 2005). Musical, is one of the most common genres in films, like opera and ballet. There are two types of musicals: realistic and formalistic. Realistic Musicals are mainly offstage stories and the production numbers are introduced as dramatically reasonable. Formalistic Musicals make no believe at realism. Right in the middle of a scene, actors just come out in a song and dance without losing out into the number with a reasonable pretext (Giannetti, 2010). Words in movies are spoken not written. Actors can stress and emphasize on some words over others in order to reach the right effects needed. By pausing and/or hesitating, an actor can completely change the meaning of the whole sentence. Harold Pinter, the dramatist and screen writer, believes that language is more of a cross-talk; which is a method of covering up fears and doubts. This method is more efficient in films than on stage, due to having camera close ups that are capable of expressing the intended meanings behind the words. Moreover, music and sound effects may change the meaning of words. For example, a sentence spoken in an echo hall will be totally different than a sentence being whispered. Spoken language in films can have so many different meanings based on the vocal and visual emphasis and the soundtracks. Furthermore, spoken language in films has two types: monologue and dialogue. Monologues are usually combined with documentaries; which means that a narrator off sc reen tells the audience some information along with some visuals. Usually monologues are used in fiction movies. Besides, showing what an actor is thinking about is called interior monologue, this method is often used in plays and novels. Moreover, Dialogues are break down into stage dialogue and screen dialogue. Stage dialogues are not realistic even in realistic plays, because in real life people dont express their thoughts or feelings with such accuracy. On the other hand, film dialogues tend to be more realistic, because in films camera close ups make it much easier to show details. Furthermore, in dubbed movies it is hard to match up sound with image, especially when the movement of an actors lips isnt synchronized with the sound (Giannetti, 2010). Applying the Sound Technique in the movie Amadeus: Amadeus is considered a musical drama biography film. The use of music in Amadeus doesnt simply add to the background sound; however it plays more essential role; it becomes a character and a part of the narrative. Moreover, throughout the whole film, we can hear pieces of Mozart and Salieris music. Music in Amadeus was very important, because the whole film circles around music. The writer of Amadeus, Shaffer, uses Salieri to translate Mozarts music to the audience by explaining the core of Mozarts music piece. The director of the movie, Forman, tried to pay a lot of attention to the details of music in Amadeus and ways to record it. In Amadeus, the movie was shot around the music and not the other way around. Mozarts operas that were included in the film, showed the excellence of the musical and visual quality of the movie. At the start of the movie, there was a dramatic opening scene with the music of Don Giovanni, which represented fright and despair. That scene was dark and Salieri was shouting out Mozarts name asking for his forgiveness. The operas that were shown in the movie were related to the plot. They object as instruments of both Mozart and Salieri. In the movie, Mozarts operas show his position and how he is a great composer. And Salieris operas show how his work turns against him and how his battle is hurting him. Some of the melodies in those operas were symbolic in the movie. Almost in the middle of the movie, in the scene where Salieri was browsing through Mozarts handwritten composition, music appeared while Salieri was reading through the transcript. Music appeared in this scene to demonstrate to the audience the various emotions that Salieri was feeling. He was admiring what he was reading, however envying Mozart and also feeling despair of himself. Moreover, the music in this specific scene was presented also to show the audience how Mozarts work was creative and different than the usual. Besides, the scene shows that when Salieri reads the notes, he and the audience both hears the music. But in fact Salieri is not really hearing the music; instead he is imagining it in his head. The audience, on the other hand, is the ones who are really listening to the music. Salieri is experiencing the same piece of music as the audience, but not listening or hearing it for real. He is having very strong feelings of the value of the music and admiring the excelle nt quality of it while getting it through his mind instead of hearing it through his ears. Furthermore, a scene that is alike is when Mozart was dying. Mozart was dictating Salieri in a very high speed that no one can follow except of Salieri. Within a short time after the dictation, we hear the Requiem, the opera that Mozart was working on. We first hear it single instruments, then the whole final form all together. Then, we hear the whole Requiem when Mozarts wife comes back home. Also, in Amadeus some of the music was there to present what is going on in Mozarts head. Throughout the whole film, we can see how he continually hears music in his head and then he writes the notes down. This great skill of Mozart to produce his music is used in so many scenes in the film. In the scene right before the entrance of Lorl, Mozarts Father, we see that Mozart was composing his music and we also hear the music that he is hearing in his head. Then Mozarts wife, Constance, enters and had to shout his name out in order for him to hear her over the music that was played in his head. Suddenly, the music stops and Constance begins to argue with Leopold. After that, Mozart goes back to his work and the sound of music comes again, when the voices of his wife and his father fades away slowly. Another example of the sound, one of the cinematic techniques, in Amadeus is how difficult the thoughts were being expressed throughout some of the scenes with no words, but with music instead. For instance, in the scene where Mozart left his house, work, and his wife to go to party, he entertains people by singing The Magic Flute and playing the piano. The scene shows us how even though he was trying to sing louder and louder, he was feeling guilty for leaving his wife asleep at home and leaving his work behind, but that wasnt shown by any words, rather it was being expressed by the sound of music. Last but not least, one of the most extraordinary sounds in Amadeus was the giggle of Mozart. Its a high pitched giggle and a memorable sound, which was repeated several times throughout the entire movie. The first time we heard that giggle was in the scene where Mozart meets up with the Emperor. And at the end of the film, we hear Mozarts giggle ones again while it echoes throughout his music to end the movie. How this (Sound technique) was closely connected to another technique: At the start of the movie, Salieri was visited by a young priest for confession. Salieri started to talk about the relation between him and Mozart. During the entire movie, the scenes were cut back to this first scene of the movie, the dialogue between Salieri and the priest, which is called a frame story. The scenes that were cut back to the start of the movie were all flashbacks to Salieri and Mozarts lives. Conclusion: In Amadeus, Berger notes, The music becomes another character-theres Mozart and Salieri and the music. Its so perfectly and intimately integrated with the story and the transitions and the underlining, its one of the few movies that is able to coalesce all the functions of music-as source, as score, as underscore, as background-and it adds the idea of it as a voice in itself. (Jackson, 2002).

Beerpong :: essays papers

Beerpong Beer pong is one of the most popular drinking games known to collegiate students across the country. This game is so often played in college life that most of the time, rules cannot be agreed upon because there are so many different versions. Everyone who plays the game knows a different set of rules, based upon what they had previously been taught. This paper will discuss not only how to play the game, but popular variations that I have come across while doing extensive and grueling research for this paper as well. In order to play beer pong, there are essential items you must have. First, you will need a Ping-Pong table, but any table around the same length will do. Then you will need twelve, sixteen-ounce cups, preferably the red ones that are frequently used at parties, as well as two Ping-Pong balls. Two additional cups filled with water will be useful to clean the balls after they hit the floor. However, this is an optional hygienic step not necessary to play the game, but one that is recommended. Oh, not to mention, the beer. I would suggest that there is a lot readily available, because it is common to go through it quickly in this game. After all of the necessary items are gathered, it is time to set up the game. First, pick two teams, made up of either one or two people. There should be even teams, but Canadian doubles are acceptable. A Canadian double is a team of two, verses a team of one. Then each team should take six cups and set them up in pyramid form on the far ends of the table making sure that the rims of the cups are touching each other. Once the cups are set, they should be filled with beer. A lite, cheap beer is probably the best due to the fact that it is economical and it will go down easier. In the version that I’m most familiar with, there are two full beers in each set of six cups, and you can fill these cups however you want. For example, if you wanted, you could put all the beer in the back three cups and very little in the front three. The front three are easier to hit, because they are closer to the person shooting, so if you put less beer in them, it would make the game harder for you r opponent.

Napoleon Was NOT a Son of the Revolution Essay -- European History

At the end of the French Revolution, the hopes of the early stages of the Revolution had been mangled, leading into the Reign of Terror. France had dissolved into anarchy, with internal and international turmoil. It was out of the foreign wars that Napoleon came to power. Napoleon Bonaparte rose to power, victory by victory, eventually making himself Emperor of France, creating a strong central government while continuing the foreign wars, creating a mass French Empire. Although Napoleon was a product of the French Revolution and maintained the image as a â€Å"son of the Revolution,† idealism always fell to pragmatism as Napoleon’s main purpose was creating a strong unified France. Napoleon’s policies reflected some of the ideals of Enlightenment thought and he sought to spread them across Europe as he conquered. One of the core beliefs of the Enlightenment is that the universe is orderly and that there are natural laws that apply to everyone. Although what these rights were was up to debate, the central idea was that everyone should have them. As Napoleon conquered Europe he applied the same laws to everybody, everywhere. This set of laws is known as the Code Napoleon. Some of the laws enforced by the Code Napoleon can be seen in Napoleon’s Imperial Decree at Madrid, where Napoleon abolished feudal rights, such as banalities, as well as seizing church lands to be distributed among the people. Other actions he took were creating â€Å"constitutions† that created laws that applied to all people equally and could not be altered on a whim. These are the same actions taken during the French revolution applied to all other areas. In fac t, the promises of these reforms gave Napoleon’s forces supporters in the countries he sei... ...gery he used. Napoleon’s rule was greatly influenced by the Enlightenment ideas, but he was not a â€Å"son of the Revolution.† Louis Bergeron considered Napoleon an enlightened despot, saying, â€Å"the dynamism of Bonaparte and his rigorous administration revived the experiment of enlightened despotism, somewhat belatedly, since in the setting of Western Europe it was already a bit out of date.† Napoleon did resemble an enlightened despot as he upheld absolute power while encouraging legal and social equality for all classes of people (that weren’t him). What makes Napoleon unique among enlightenment despots is that he formatted his image to appear to be something else. The discrepancies between the image he presented and the person he was creates room for interpretation as to whether Napoleon was a dictator, an enlightened despot, or a champion of the revolution.

Summary and Analysis of The Reeves Tale Essay -- Canterbury Tales The

Summary and Analysis of The Reeve's Tale Prologue to the Reeve's Tale: The reactions of the crowd to the Miller's Tale were mixed, although many laughed. Only Oswald, the elderly Reeve was offended. He claims that with age the qualities of boasting, lying, anger and covetousness fade away. He vows to repay the Miller's Tale. Analysis The prologue to the Reeve's Tale continues the pattern established with the prologue to the Miller's Tale. Just as the Miller told his tale as a reaction to the Knight's tale, the Reeve vows to tell a tale as a reaction to what the Miller has told, offended by his satiric description of aged carpenter in comparison to the younger characters of the Miller's Tale. He believes that the Miller's Tale was an attack on him, and will so tell a tale that is an attack on the Miller. The Reeve's Tale: At Trumpington, near Cambridge, there is a brook where nearby stands a mill. There is a miller who lived there once who wore ostentatious clothing and could play the bagpipe, wrestle and fish. He always had a knife with him, and had a round face and flattened nose. His name was Simon, and nicknamed Symkyn. His wife came from a noble family; her father was the parson. Symkyn was a jealous man and his wife pretentious. They had a daughter who was now twenty and a toddler. The miller was dishonest in his business dealings. He cheated the college worst of all, and stole meal and corn from the dying steward of Cambridge. Two students, John and Aleyn, received permission from the provost to see the corn ground at the mill. Aleyn tells Symkyn that he is there to ground the corn and bring it back, since the sick steward cannot. While they ground the corn, Symkyn found the students' horse and set it loo... ...n this distinction is minor. Although they are students, they come from the more rustic northern area of England and show little of the savvy that Nicholas displayed in the previous tale. They are cheated out of their corn and lose their horse through the miller's deception. When they seduce the miller's wife and daughter, they do so merely out of opportunity and jealousy, and their actions seem to be little better than rape. The two students even lack that measure of lust that is present in the Miller's Tale and which might make the characters more sympathetic. In the end, most of the characters suffer some physical injury, but most of all the miller. For deceiving the students he found himself cuckolded, his daughter deflowered, and himself robbed and severely wounded. Even the means by which he is wounded is comic  ­ his wife conks him on the head with his staff.

Explication: the gift

This poem is written in free verse, separated into four stanzas each with a varying number of lines and syllables. There is no precise rhyming pattern, but there Is a pattern within the usage of words. The speaker uses bodily words such as palm, hands, face, and head at the ends of lines In the second stanza when describing, In the literal form, when the speaker Is talking about the experience he went through getting the metal sliver pulled from his palm.The speaker repeats those words when he Is describing performing the same process on his wife; remaining Just as calm ND tender as his father was with him. This poem follows a sequence of events, almost Like a timeline. This Is true for the literal reading as well as the metaphorical reading of the poem. The â€Å"gift† that Is passed down from the speakers father to him, and then utilized on his wife, Is a life lesson. At the age of seven, the speaker takes mental notes of his father and the actions that he made, and uses the m when he Is about 20 years older.This poem acts as the path the speaker had to take to get where he is today. The entire poem follows a route; gradually the speaker goes wrought life learning from his father. This has one exception: the third stanza. This stanza, directly in the middle of the poem, acts as a dividing line between the younger and older years of the speakers' life. It has 7 lines, (also the age of the speaker in the beginning) and it also doesn't really flow in the poem.The 2 stanzas prior talk about what happened to him when he was 7, and then the last line of the 3rd stanza and the last stanza talk about life when the speaker was approximately 20 years older. In my opinion this was a smart decision to have these sections divided cause it shows how there is a difference between learning something and using it to your advantage later on. The central metaphor for this poem is that the â€Å"gift† that the speakers' father passes down to him is a life lesson. Th e speaker learns this lesson at an early age and uses it throughout the rest of his life.The â€Å"metal splinter† is a problem that the speaker has faced once when he was a child and that his wife faced later on. The gift that his father passes onto him is the solution to that returning problem. His father teaches him the solution to this obviously important problem and cherishes it. When the speaker says, â€Å"l did what a child does/ when he's given something to keep,† it's clear that the speakers' father wanted his son to have and use this lesson as much as the speaker wanted to be seen as an Image of his father.Explication: the gift BY Nannette Explication #2 â€Å"The Gift† By Lie-Young Lee number of lines and syllables. There is no precise rhyming pattern, but there is a hands, face, and head at the ends of lines in the second stanza when describing, in he literal form, when the speaker is talking about the experience he went through he is describing per forming the same process on his wife; remaining Just as calm almost like a timeline.This is true for the literal reading as well as the metaphorical reading of the poem. The â€Å"gift† that is passed down from the speaker's father to him, and then utilized on his wife, is a life lesson. At the age of seven, the speaker takes mental notes of his father and the actions that he made, and uses them when he is and use this lesson as much as the speaker wanted to be seen as an image of his