Analysis of Randall Jarrells The Death of the Ball Turret Gunner Essay

Analysis of Randall Jarrell's The Death of the Ball Turret Gunner Many of the great poems we read today were written in times of great distress. One of these writers was Randall Jarrell. After being born on May 6, 1914, in Nashville Tennessee, Jarrell and his parents moved to Los Angeles where his dad worked as a photographer. When Mr. and Mrs. Jarrell divorced, Randall and his younger brother returned to Nashville to live with their mother. While in Nashville, Randall attended Hume-Frogg high school. Randall showed his love for the arts while in high school by participating in dramatics and journalism. Jarrell continued his career in the arts when he wrote and edited for Vanderbilt’s humor magazine, The Vanderbilt Masquerader. After earning his graduate degree at Vanderbilt, Jarrell accepted a teaching job at the University of Texas. While teaching at Texas, Jarrell met his future wife, Mackie Langham, a fellow English teacher. In 1942, Jarrell left home to join the Army Air Corps as a flying cadet. At about this same time, Randall’s first book of poetry was being published. When Jarrell wrote home, his family often said his letters were, â€Å"confined and dreary.† When Jarrell could not quite cut it as a cadet, he switched to being a navigation control tower operator. As a control tower operator, Randall began to write about the pilots, navigators and gunners of the war. This is probably when Jarrell wrote one of his most famous poems, â€Å"The Death of the Ball Turret Gunner.† After being discharged from the army, Randall went back to teaching. Randall’s love for teaching showed by his famous quote, â€Å"if I were a rich man, I would pay money to teach.† Randall did have some psychiatric problems though. Many people thought Jarrell committed suicide when he was hit by a car on a dark road in 1965. People assumed suicide because at the time of his death Randall was in treatment for slitting his wrists in an attempt to kill himself. Most of Randall’s poetry reflects what he saw and experienced during the war. The structure that Jarrell uses in his poem, â€Å"The Death of the Ball Turret Gunner,† is quite unique. This poem consists of five uneven verses. All of these verses are combined into one stanza. The metric pattern in this poem is very hard to detect. All of the lines begin with at least two anapestic feet followed by at least one iambic foot. This poem i... ...between abortion and a gunner being killed in the belly of a plane. During an abortion, after the baby has been killed in the womb, the doctors, â€Å"wash† the dead fetus out of the mother with a hose. In the first part of the fourth line of this poem when Jarrell writes, â€Å"I woke to the black flak,† the reader heres the alliteration of the, â€Å"ck,† sound. With the repetition of this sound the reader can almost hear gunfire. Although there is no rhyme scheme to this poem, end rhyme takes place at the end of the first and fifth lines. The last thing one would analyze when explicating this poem would be the theme. Analyzing the theme of a poem consists of two things. First one would have to look at the topic of the poem. In this poem the topic is obviously the gunner getting drafted, the horrifying experiences of the gunner, and the death of the gunner. The second thing one would have to look at would be how the author feels about the topic. In this poem the author obviously feels that life is a very fragile thing. Whether you are a baby in your mother’s womb or you are a gunner in the belly of a bomber, Jarrell shows us just how fragile life is and how easily it can be taken away.

Arthur Miller uses to create dramatic tension in Acts Essay

During â€Å"all my sons†, Miller creates a sense of normality with a undercurrent of unease using several different techniques including: the use of setting, stage directions and dramatic tension between characters. All of course being subsequently keeping the audience enthralled in the play. The plot its self breeds tension, revolving around the two major areas of the family conflict: the disagreement within the family over the pending marriage and at the core of the play, the conflict between father and son. But by definition Drama Plays are by nature about conflict, in the play ‘All My Sons’ (ASM) has two levels a surface gloss of normality and a submerged latent The opening of act 1 paints a scene of leisurely, relaxed life, untouched by the horrors/ deprivation of the recent war (world War II). The whole setting itself has sense of normality and unease which is created by Miller for effect for Act 1 is in an American regular back yard, (this is done so the audience can relate and empathise with the characters and there are a lot more things in the play a lot of the audience can also relate to) its the family back garden which is an open space is half private yet shared with their neighbours â€Å"the back yard of the Keller house in the outskirts of an American town† This creates a very ordinary sense of a families back garden, however there is an undercurrent of unease as â€Å"the stage is hedged from right to left by tall, closely planted poplars which lend the yard a secluded atmosphere†(P. 3) making it seem private and narrow minded almost closed off to rest of world almost as if there hiding from the rest of the world while at same time remaining open to neighbours peering eyes and approach by the open driveway which leads into the backyard. As an example of one of Millers use of techniques to his disposal was the use of stage directions. Throughout the act 1, tension/ unease is created from conflicts between characters, especially between the Keller families. The conflicts between the characters occasionally climax to expose a dramatic secret or revelation, however Tension is often broken with the arrival of a new character. For example after the arrival of Ann during act 1 the argument between mother and Keller is soon interrupted. Using this method, Miller often has short breaks of tension that quickly cease to keep the audience hungry for more, thus maintaining a ‘drip feed’ style of revealing information. 1. Jo Keller relaxes in the sunshine of a quiet Sunday Morning reading his newspaper; it’s a picture of normality. Miller use of conversation style creates a sense of normality by using simple plain words. The conversation is short and uneventful about routine things like the weather. The dialogue is ordinary everyday and slow paced, the conversation casually flits almost aimlessly from the weather to newspaper ads to mentioning arrival of a visitor to a toaster that’s not working and a doctor answers a patients call. The style of conversation is colloquial , recorded as its spoken , without correct grammar . The subject content not great deep meaningful speeches. It’s an average day, all the talk is not about any specific subject, but it gives a general sense that there are no particular problems as neighbours walk into the Keller’s garden on a relaxed August Sunday morning. The stage direction Settings convey immediate familiarity, the opening of Act I paints a scene of a leisurely relaxed cosy family garden, in contrast to the recent horrors of WWII, â€Å"the backyard of the Keller household in the outskirts an American town â€Å", the description of the stage set is realistic homely and safe lifelike and not at all theatrical, but a highly familiar setting for the audience. The family backyard setting is an open space set in ‘ordinaryville’ where neighbours feel comfortable just walking into to start conversations. the ordinariness stage setting is emphasised â€Å"it would have cost fifteen thousand† 2. Joe Keller is sitting in a peaceful sunny suburban garden reading a newspaper as ordinary as regular routine relaxed weekend,(p. 4) as his neighbour Frank casually walks into his garden he asks â€Å"what’s today’s calamity? â€Å". It is telling that Keller replies â€Å"I don’t read the news part any more. its more interesting in the want adds†. I believe that Keller only chose to read the want adverts’ and not any news items because he doesn’t like facing reality or the fact that someone is reporting calamities or about crimes that someone’s done wrong . Keller is hiding a deep guilt 3. the stage direction Settings convey immediate familiarity, the opening of Act I paints a scene of a leisurely relaxed cosy family garden, in contrast to the recent horrors of WWII, â€Å"the backyard of the Keller household in the outskirts an American town â€Å", the description of the stage set is realistic homely and safe lifelike and not at all theatrical, but a highly familiar setting for the audience. The family backyard setting is an open space set in ‘ordinaryville’ where neighbours feel comfortable just walking into to start conversations. the ordinariness stage setting is emphasised â€Å"it would have cost fifteen thousand† .

Hr Theories of Motivation - 1667 Words

1. Introduction The companies’ leaders can improve their business by investing in development new products or services, improvement product or service quality, and enhancement marketing and sales. Another possible investment is improving the way a company manages its people – tends to receive less attention. Human Resource Management is very important for business as it involves a variety of activities that deal with the ‘human side of organisation’ (Griffiths and Wall, 2005). Armstrong claims (1999) that â€Å"HRM can be regarded as†¦ a strategic and cohered approach to the management of an organization’s most values assets - the people working there who individually and collectively contribute to the achievements to this goals† (in†¦show more content†¦McGregor believed that people want to learn and that work is their natural activity to the extent that they develop self-discipline and self-development (Accel-Team, 2008). They see their reward not so much in cash payments as in the freedom to do difficult and challenging work by themselves (ibid). The main job is to follow the human wish for self-development into the organisations need for maximum productive efficiency (ibid). The basic objectives of both are therefore met and with mind and honesty, the enormous potential can be tapped. NEED Theories It is widely accepted that a good deal of motivation has its origins in certain basic needs. Need theories particularly the works of Maslow, Alderfer and McClelland- are based on the assumption that basic wants or requirements govern much of people’s behaviour. This notion has pervasive implications for human resources policies and practices tend to develop the performance of a range of human needs, the more likely it is that motivation and performance will be improved. However, attention to needs must be balanced. To emphasize salary and benefits (in the fulfillment basic needs) and to not expect high standards of performance (related to needs of esteem and, self-actualisation, and achievement) may be risky. On the other hand, to expect employees to increase to performance andShow MoreRelatedEssay about Busman1552 Words   |  7 Pagespersonnel management, in most large organisations. - Personnel management is a narrower area of management concerned only in recruiting and keeping employment records. - HR Managers contribute to the strategic and operational level, and previous personnel managements have had to take on broader tasks within the organisation, and HR is now a fully integrated function of the organisation. - The role of a human resource manager is to plan, organise, lead and control all matters that relate to the employmentRead MoreEmployee Motivation in the Workplace1413 Words   |  6 Pagesrunning a business, one would have to hire employees who perform well and product and or quality is of the same caliber. The key to an employee performance is motivation. The expression, you can lead a horse to water but you cannot force it to drink water, can be seen within the human race. The purpose of this paper is to discuss motivation in the workplace. To have a successful company, employee must be motivated enough to work and get the job done. One way have success in the workplace is toRead MoreAn Organization s Strategic Planning1323 Words   |  6 Pagesdramatically changed the role of human resources (HR). Recruiting and retaining talent has become a key initiative as human capital and knowledge have become recognized as an organization’s top asset and avenue for creating a competitive advantage. More than ever before, chief executives officers (CEOs) and other organizational leaders are relying on HR to play an integral role in the strategic planning process. For this reason, successful HR professionals must have a thorough understanding ofRead MoreHuman Resource Management And Organizational Success1516 Words   |  7 Pagesthat human resources functions were not clearly grouped together and identified until the early 1900’s. Human res ource management is an accumulation of many different theories and practices. Management, psychology, sociology, anthropology, and economics all have a place within the practice of human resource management. Motivation theory attempts to explain what factors play an integral part in the daily decisions employees and manager make including showing up for work, deciding on the amount of effortRead Moreunit 16958 Words   |  4 Pagesorganisation Scenario You are required to select a large organisation and investigate the following aspects of their HR planning: i. How they identify their skills needs ii. How internal and external factors impact on the HR planning iii. Why HR planning is important to the organisation Assignment should be produced as an article (word document) for your chosen organisation HR Manager to include in their annual report. Task 1: P1 Describe the internal and external factors to be consideredRead MoreCase Study1566 Words   |  7 Pagesand below. In a general view the whole of top management seems not to care much how the operations run at the ground level as long as there’s money pumped in and they have something to report to their superiors/managers and so on. 3. Motivation Theories and their suitability: Every organization, in this case the Airline should be having a vision and mission. From what I understood from this case study as an organization they are not focusing on their vision. They are not working towards aRead MoreEssay Function of a Manager1381 Words   |  6 Pagesmanaging work, planning, and motivating. Motivation is clearly a way to enhance the performance of employees and boost the morale of the company. When morale decreases for any reason, productivity usually tumbles right along with it. Employee absenteeism, accidents, turnover and dissatisfaction increase, all of which can greatly harm the stability of the company. Without a managers concern and action to attack the causes of decreasing morale, the motivation and activity levels of the employees mayRead MoreSoft/Hard Hrm971 Words   |  4 Pagespolicies and practice’- Guest 1997 identifies 3 categories of general-level theory: 1. Strategic theories-origin: contingency theory 2. Descriptive theories-origin: systems theory 3. Normative theories: origin: motivation theory Models of HRM Hard HRM (also referred to as strategic management) †¢ Emphasis is on strategy- HR employed to achieve and meet business goals. †¢ Emphasizes the necessity of ‘tight-fit’ between HR strategy and business strategy goals of the organization. †¢ Focuses onRead MoreAnalysis Of Emu s International Outlook Essay1117 Words   |  5 Pagesnecessary to offshore some of its operations. Every year, EMU aims to fulfill its goal of recruiting international students by hiring representatives in each of the countries that it seeks to recruit students from. The problem however is the lack of a motivation system. Admissions supervisors limit their communication with the representatives to issues such as admissions decisions, the next admissions target, or changes in the marketing plan. Supervisors do not provide performance appraisals, and do notRead MoreThe Impact Of Organizational Culture On Hrm Practices And Its Effect On Hr Outcomes1554 Words   |  7 PagesBahraini higher education sector.?(Remove question mark) 3. To find out the what is the role of (HR Outcomes: Commitment And Retention) in mediating the effect of HRM practices on the Bahraini higher education sector.? 4. To check the What are the effects of HRM Practices bundles on Performance? 5. To study the What are the effect of Bahraini organizational culture on HRM practices and its effect on HR outcomes.? 1-7 Researcher’s Philosophy of Research toward the study A researcher’s philosophical