The Form and Meaning in “The Ballad of the Lonely Masturbator” - Literature Essay Samples

â€Å"The Ballad of the Lonely Masturbator† is a confessional poem by Anne Sexton, in which she explores her intimate feelings about masturbation during a post-break-up era in her life. The poem is noteworthy because of its ability to bring forth the taboo subject of female sexuality with an organized structure resembling that of a traditional ballad, and while doing so, evoking vivid images that furthers our understanding of her painful situation. The poem consists of seven stanzas of six lines. The rhyme scheme is strict, as it follows the pattern of ABABCC, DEDECC, and so on. The structure seems rigid in terms of lines and stanzas, but the number of syllables in each line varies without a pattern. In addition, we cannot talk about a certain meter, either, for the lines have different variables of stressed and unstressed words. For example, the first line â€Å"The end of the affair is always death† is written in iambic pentameter, five feet of unstressed and stressed syllables, but we see trochees in the fourth and fifth lines, and also spondees in the phrases like â€Å"the knock-kneed broom†. Moreover, enjambment is the foregrounded prosodic element in the poem, due to which, the sentences begin and end in the middle of the lines, and run-on to the next ones at the end. Thus, the full stops we encounter midway in a line, prevents the poem from flowing with the harmonic and repetitive sounds of a metered work. Instead, by playing with a traditional form, the poem gives us an appearance of structure at the first look on the page, and a feeling of uncertainty and abruptness in its sound. The language of the poem is colloquial, and fairly easy to grasp. The whole poem goes around the idea of sex and masturbation, yet we do not have the word sex even once, and the word masturbation appears only in the title. The poet skillfully delivers all these meanings without using the words themselves but rather by using a suggestive language overall. The metaphor for sexual satisfaction is `being fed`, which is extended from the beginning to the end of the poem. The refrain of the poem â€Å"At night, alone, I marry the bed† becomes a euphemism for masturbation, and is repeated at the end of each stanza. The last stanza is striking in that it builds up the scene for sex so vividly that it becomes apparent for us that the poet does not need the word sex to talk about sex. The agents of the act are generalized as ‘the boys and girls’, and sex is described as being ‘one’. The image is strengthened with references to taking off the clothes, and we ret urn to the conceit of eating with the line â€Å"They are eating each other. They are overfed†. The refrain following this overly satisfactory scene juxtaposes our poet, who is troubled with loneliness and heartache, to the passionate lovers, making the contrast between them even more distinct. The imagery in the poem, though it is not the prevailing element, helps it further insert the dominant feelings. For instance, we know right from the start that the speaker is lonely, and reminiscing her ex-lover. Yet, when we get to the line â€Å"I am spread out. I crucify†, it immediately makes us imagine her in the bed, arms and legs opened up, extremely vulnerable and in agony, as suggested by the idea of crucifixion. Another significant image is in the fifth stanza, where the poet describes the new lover of her ex. The woman is ‘black-eyed’, and likened to a goddess as ‘the lady of water’ with the power of creating music as well with the piano and the flute. This description creates an image of a beautiful and pure goddess with musical skills, and the poet set herself as a ‘knocked-kneed broom’ side by side with the image of a goddess. Through this juxtaposition of the images, the feelings of abasement and humiliation come to the su rface, and we imagine the poet perhaps as an ugly witch, suggested with the reference to a broom. In conclusion, this poem seems to be extremely sincere and coming out of the deepest parts of the poet’s psyche. The themes of loneliness, humiliation, and jealousy are common to us all, and the way she conveys these feelings onto the page is remarkable. The use of female sexuality as the subject matter evidently requires courage for her part, writing this poem at a time when it is considered a taboo. The images throughout the poem helps us to visualize her pain, therefore supplementing our connection to and empathy with the poet’s feelings in general.

A Brief Note On Pesticides And The Environmental...

1) Rationale and References: Neonicotinoids are important pesticides. They are used to kill a variety of pests. Many researches have been done with neonicotinoids. Researchers have found that neonicotinoids have toxic effects on many non-target species, one example being insects. This results in reduced growth, insects have problems reproducing and insect populations have also been declining as a result of this. Researchers have classified the effects of the insecticides based on US Environmental Protection Agency’s ecotoxicity classification system. Three insecticides: imidacloprid, clothianidin and fipronil all showed adverse effects on insects. There have been hundreds of scientific publications over the last 20 years that have talked about the adverse effects of neonicotinoids on pollinating insects. Also very low concentrations of neonics have an effect of insects. Reason why neonicotinoid pesticides is popular in controlling pests is because of its water solubility. Water solubility lets neonicotinoid to be applied in plants and then taken up by the plants. This, in turn helps kill insects in plants. The first neonicotinoid, imidacloprid, can just be sprayed on the plant. But it is more useful when it is applied to the soil instead. These insecticides help control beetles, fleas, cockroaches and other flies. However, there are many environmental concerns associated with the application of these insecticides. Research has shown that it is actually toxic to bees and

The Role Of Gendered Environmental Messages On Consumer...

Blue, pink, and green: The role of gendered environmental messages on consumer purchase intentions Christina Quint James Madison University Dr. C. Leigh Nelson October 13, 2014 Due to the prevalence of green advertising as a marketing strategy, extensive research has been done on influences impacting consumer purchase behaviors. Message segmentation is a popular tactic traditionally used by marketing professionals to target a specific demographic, and gender is one of the most common demographic variables utilized. While research suggests that there are distinct differences in the way that products should be marketed toward men and women, limited research has been conducted to determine how responses to environmental†¦show more content†¦Now, more than ever, consumers are displaying a heightened interest in environmental issues, lending itself to the prominence of green advertising strategies. In turn, companies are recognizing the value of communicating their efforts to â€Å"Do no harm† to the environment. As such, these companies are adopting various marketing strategies to inform consumers that their products are environmentally friendly (for instance, â€Å"pesticide-free† labels), and concerned for the well-being of people (â€Å"fair trade† labels are an example) (Fisher et al, 2012). For the purpose of this study, the definition of green advertising will be adapted from the criteria provided by Banerjee, Gulas, and Iyer (1995). Green advertising is an ad which meets one or more of the following criteria: explicitly or implicitly addresses the relationship between a product and the environment; promotes a green lifestyle through highlighting a product; presents a corporate image of sustainability and environmental stewardship (1995). â€Å"Sustainability† is the term embodied by companies who strive to communicate their efforts to satisfy the â€Å"triple bottom line†, which takes into account the wellbeing of people, planet, and profits (Fisher, Bashyal, and Bachman 2012). While research has indicated a consumer preference for environmentally-preferable products, there appears to be a significant gap between environmental beliefs and action (Gabler, Butler, Adams 2013; Kronrod and Wathieu 2012; Peattie, K. andShow MoreRelatedThe Effects of Advertising on Children33281 Words   |  134 Pages.................................................................................................. 7 Media literacy ............................................................................................................................... 7 Gendered, racial and cultural portrayals ....................................................................................... 8 The state and perspective of knowledge ....................................................................................Read MoreTravel and Tourism14814 Words   |  60 Pagesbehaviour Ð °nd experience. (Pearce, Morrison Rutledge, 1998) The general motives underlined by research Ð ¾f why nature tourism Ã'â€"s thÐ µ fastest growing segment internationally Ã'â€"n tourism are: widespread changing environmental attitude, development Ð ¾f environmental education, development Ð ¾f environmental mass media. (Lindberg, Wood Engeldrum, 1998) Pearce, Morrison Ð °nd Rutledge (1998) present ten trends which represent important issues Ð ¾f content Ã'â€"n describing tourist motives, we can mention four whichRead MoreOne Significant Change That Has Occurred in the World Between 1900 and 2005. Explain the Impact This Change Has Made on Our Lives and Why It Is an Important Change.163893 Words   |  656 PagesMorrow Jr. 161 6 Locating the United States in Twentieth-Century World History †¢ Carl J. Guarneri 213 7 The Technopolitics of Cold War: Toward a Transregional Perspective †¢ Gabrielle Hecht and Paul N. Edwards 271 8 A Century of Environmental Transitions †¢ Richard P. Tucker 315 About the Contributors †¢ 343 _ IN TR OD UC TIO N Michael Adas B y any of the customary measures we deploy to demarcate historical epochs, the twentieth century does not appear toRead MoreOrganisational Theory230255 Words   |  922 Pagesdebates: explaining and understanding the diverse nature of organization theory Mapping some aspects of organization theory’s diversity Positivist protagonists: the truth is out there, and we can objectively know it Philosophical disputes around the role of the subjective in science Epistemological and ontolological disputes: how can we ever know the ‘truth’ and is there an ‘out there’? A few words of warning about the term postmodernism Overview of the structure and rationale of the book Chapter summaries

New Trends in Global Business Environment

Question: Write about the New Trends in Global Business Environment. Answer: Summary of the Article: The article has highlighted the fact that professional service firms can earn higher profits, gain competitive edge and increase customer loyalty when all the partners collaborate with the aim of serving clients. The article examines collaboration among highly powerful, autonomous and professional peers towards organizational growth perspective. For that reason, the article has tried to examine the benefits of teamwork among the top management for fulfilling all the business objectives. The article has illustrated organizational performances from the individual perspective to show that collaboration is primarily regarded as more complex and costly compared to individual management of problem. In fact, it has been assessed that collaboration is not as much rewarding compared to individual management aspect. For that reason, the article has focused on collecting extensive quantitative data from interview and survey process. The article has collected data from three professional service firm out of which one is among top 100 global law firms. It has also collected data from a large US based commercial advisory firm and boutique executive search firm. The article has also collected information from around 2000 partner level professionals working in different sector. The article has identified that professionals collaborate with peers who have the autonomy to select work independently and collectively, authority and power are not means to formulate a team and make it more effective. The article has mentioned that collaboration to individuals is equally quantifiable if less intuitive. Findings of the article have showed that professionals interpret the relative benefits and costs of collaboration. In majority of the cases, senior professionals will not give up or will not attempt prior collaborations can reap significant benefits. Thus, the article has highlighted the fact that short-term cost of collaboration restricts opportunity to experience long-term benefits for the organization. The article has used longitudinal perspective to resolve the developed paradox related to professional collaboration. The findings of the article have focused on nascent theory of instrumental collaboration with five testable hypotheses for suggesting future directi on to the business entities. Thus, the article has provided a roadmap for the partners and their organizations that are looking to fostering the kind of collaboration that pays off. Four Key Questions From the Article: Four identified key questions are provided as follows: What are of impact partner collaboration on the overall business performances of the organizations? What will be the expected cost for fostering organizations to develop collaborative business environment in short-term? What is the significance of supply chain collaboration for making long term partnership? What are the long-term roles of partner collaboration to enhance performance level of the organization? Literature Review on Selected Four Key Questions: First Article: In this particular article, Inter-temporal patterns of RD collaboration and innovative performance, by Belderbos et al. (2015), partner collaboration in RD sector can allow organizations to initiate innovative strategies for fulfilling all the business requirements in an appropriate manner. In fact, the article has highlighted that collaboration is the best way to handle present dynamic business challenges, which will enhance the performance level of the business in an effective way. As per the article by Wiengarten et al. (2013), management collaboration enhances the performance growth of the employees as well. By collaborating the entire business process, the organization gets a huge strength of management that enables the managers to take appropriate correct decision. In addition, due to the huge strength of management the concerned business managers get the scope to guide every individual employee towards effective service process. Automatically, the performance level of the business employees becomes high. The article has highlighted that research and development sector is one of the most significant parts for every business organization. Hughes and Kitson (2012) commented that after the collaboration of RD sectors the business experts get the scope to conduct more in-depth analysis about the current market and employee needs and demands. Therefore, on one hand, organizations get innumerable information regarding the current needs and demands of the customers. On the other hand, RD sector by enhancing their employee strength provides more time and labour to identify the business issues. Consequently, the entire process of business becomes very much systematic that enables to grab the customers attention. Second Article: In the article Teamwork on the fly published by Edmondson (2012), the author has stated that teamwork is highly important to render the business success and to place the brand in international market. In order to enhance the entire process of business partnership is highly required. Initially a particular business organization has to invest large amount of cost for collaboration. The organizational resources, human resources, financial resources, technological resources have to be invested for making an effective collaboration. As a result, the business experts have to face innumerable challenges if the purpose of collaboration becomes failure. Ansari, Munir and Gregg (2012) stated that teamwork is not devoid of some of the negative effects as well. While collaborating a business the strength of employees automatically increases. Employees of two business organizations are accustomed with separate cultures and values. As a result, while providing a team effort the business employees have to face innumerable difficulties in order to conduct the entire work successfully. In addition while taking an effective managerial decision, the collaborated management has to face several challenges to take appropriate decision regarding meeting the business target. Therefore, teamwork is having some of its negative effects towards business process as well. Dupas and Robinson (2013) stated that after evaluating the point of view of the previous scholar, it can be concluded that teamwork is possessed with numerous risk factors. At the same time, it is undeniable that if the managers and the employees become successful to be accustomed with the culture of new business environment the organization does not have to face difficulties in order to get positive result. The article has depicted on how teamwork renders the business success by maintaining collaboration with each other. In the article, the author has emphas ized the importance of collaboration among the managers as well. Chen, Chiang and Storey (2012) opined that before taking a business decision, the mangers should take an effective collaborative decision in order to grab the attention of customers. Third Article: The article Collaboration: How leaders avoid the traps, build common ground, and reap big results published by Hansen (2013), has portrayed on how leaders have to play an important role for making a business collaboration successful. While facing a new environment business leaders have to face innumerable difficulties after meeting the employees of different cultural attitudes. On the other hand, employees face challenges in making an effective interaction with the leaders. In this kind of situation, a major communication gap arises in between the employees and the leaders. After collaboration, the business leaders have to face employees of different cultural attitudes. In order to keep the business environment under control the leaders tend to use autocratic style of leadership. This particular form of leadership style enables the employees to follow the instruction of leaders without any further questions. Duflo (2012) stated that autocratic style of leadership is possessed with bo th positive and negative effect. This particular leadership style does not motivate the employees whenever they are imposed in a new environment. Therefore, in a collaborative business the organizational leaders should use participative form of leadership style. This particular form of leadership style helped the business employees immensely to share their own point of view. As a result, while performing for the organization the employees intend to show their enthusiastic attitudes to reach the business goal. Therefore, Sakarya et al. (2012) stated that participative form of leadership is always suitable for collaborative business process. In this specific article, the author has suggested that in order to avoid any kind of trap the business managers by making a collective decision should allow the leaders for maintaining a cordial leadership style for motivating every individual employee towards the right path. The author in this specific article has highlighted the importance of democratic form of leadership style to maintain a strong communication with the team members. After the collaboration, the business experts intend to form a team in such a way that the employees of both the organizations can participate. As a result, the employees would be able to overcome any kind of psychological barrier, communication barrier or cultural barrier at the workplace. Otherwise, the employees would like to maintain a distance between each other. This kind of distance can have a major impact on ren dering business success. Rodrguez and Nieto (2012) commented that the customers would get deprived of receiving good services from the employees. As a result, the entire rhythmic flow of business would be affected highly. Fourth Article: In the article Supply chain collaboration: A literature review and empirical analysis to investigate uncertainty and collaborative benefits in regards to their practical impact on collaboration and performance, published by Ralston (2014), the author has emphasized that business organizations after collaborating supply chain process are able to satisfy the customers rate more effectively. The primary purpose of supply chain management is to maintain a systematic balance between the supply and demand of the products. Therefore, business experts in order to enhance the level of performance intend to collaborate supply chain to make the department stronger. A specific department of supply chain is to deal with several processes that include operation process, inventory, logistics process and so many. In order to make an inventory procedure more systematic, organizations need to implement advanced technology. Therefore, the business collaboration helps to expand the technological devices. As a result, the entire process of supply chain becomes faster. Customers do not have to wait for a long time in order to get the services at proper time. On the other hand, the number of logistics and suppliers increases. Consequently, the suppliers transmit the entire service process within time. Doloreux and Shearmur (2012) opined that supply chain collaboration is possessed with some of the negative effects as well. Due to the business collaboration, the suppliers come from different cultural backgrounds. Therefore, in order to deliver a particular service process the suppliers have to face several barriers among which psychological barriers and communication barriers are most prominent. Taras et al. (2013) emphasized that due to these kinds of communication barriers customers fail to get the ir services at proper time. As a result, they tend to show their intense dissatisfaction for purchasing products and services from the business organization. Ultimately, the image and reputation of the collaborated business process is highly affects. References: Ansari, S., Munir, K. and Gregg, T., 2012. Impact at the bottom of the pyramid: the role of social capital in capability development and community empowerment.Journal of Management Studies,49(4), pp.813-842. Belderbos, R., Carree, M., Lokshin, B. and Sastre, J.F., 2015. Inter-temporal patterns of RD collaboration and innovative performance.The Journal of Technology Transfer,40(1), pp.123-137. Chen, H., Chiang, R.H. and Storey, V.C., 2012. Business intelligence and analytics: From big data to big impact.MIS quarterly,36(4), pp.1165-1188. Doloreux, D. and Shearmur, R., 2012. Collaboration, information and the geography of innovation in knowledge intensive business services.Journal of economic geography,12(1), pp.79-105. Duflo, E., 2012. Women empowerment and economic development.Journal of Economic Literature,50(4), pp.1051-1079. Dupas, P. and Robinson, J., 2013. Savings constraints and microenterprise development: Evidence from a field experiment in Kenya.American Economic Journal: Applied Economics,5(1), pp.163-192. Edmondson, A.C., 2012. Teamwork on the fly.Harvard Business Review,90(4), pp.72-80 Hansen, M., 2013.Collaboration: How leaders avoid the traps, build common ground, and reap big results. Harvard Business Press.X` Hughes, A. and Kitson, M., 2012. Pathways to impact and the strategic role of universities: new evidence on the breadth and depth of university knowledge exchange in the UK and the factors constraining its development.Cambridge Journal of Economics,36(3), pp.723-750. Ralston, P., 2014. Supply chain collaboration: A literature review and empirical analysis to investigate uncertainty and collaborative benefits in regards to their practical impact on collaboration and performance. Rodrguez, A. and Nieto, M.J., 2012. The internationalization of knowledge-intensive business services: the effect of collaboration and the mediating role of innovation.The Service Industries Journal,32(7), pp.1057-1075. Sakarya, S., Bodur, M., Yildirim-ktem, . and Selekler-Gksen, N., 2012. Social alliances: Business and social enterprise collaboration for social transformation.Journal of Business Research,65(12), pp.1710-1720. Taras, V., Caprar, D.V., Rottig, D., Sarala, R.M., Zakaria, N., Zhao, F., Jimnez, A., Wankel, C., Lei, W.S., Minor, M.S. and Bry?a, P., 2013. A global classroom? Evaluating the effectiveness of global virtual collaboration as a teaching tool in management education.Academy of Management Learning Education,12(3), pp.414-435. Wiengarten, F., Humphreys, P., McKittrick, A. and Fynes, B., 2013. Investigating the impact of e-business applications on supply chain collaboration in the German automotive industry.International Journal of Operations Production Management,33(1), pp.25-48.