Pemberton is being introduced here as Mrs. Moreen is here explaining to him everything he needed to know to tutor Morgan, everything except his salary. This in itself seems a bit what would be not normal, as seen by Pemberton's nervousness and hesitation. From the reference to Nice, we can know that Pemberton is an Oxford graduate who is a “poor young man” and is thus looking for some form of money. Through this interaction, we can see that Mrs. Moreen is trying to hide something or be elusive and is not being frank to Pemberton about his wages and Pemberton is too nervous to speak up about it until the end, showing that his reluctance may due to the fact that he wanted to make money but then again, his employer might be too imposing to his character. Thus Pemberton's relationship to Mrs. Moreen can simply be of an employee to an employer.

However the relationship of Mrs. Moreen to her son is quite different when she sends him to “fetch” her fan. She thinks very lowly of him and this is true when Pemberton says that she uttered things that a “boy of eleven shouldn't catch.” Then she mentions a “weakness” with her son and from what Pemberton is thinking, we can gather that is some heart condition. This can help characterize Mrs. Moreen, who knows about her son's condition and thus is hiring someone to educate her son and not discussing the wages, probably because she is not able to pay him. Mrs. Moreen's relationship with Morgan is of a very loving parent who wants to teach Morgan things in life, even though he is at the “mercy of a weakness” and she is going to do this by hiring Pemberton and promising him that his wages will be “quite regular.” What is ironical and perhaps foreshadowing what will happen is when Pemberton says that people have varying perception of what is “quite regular.”

Pemberton and Morgan seems to share a special connection compared to the mother. When Morgan sees him first, he is giving Pemberton a look of confusion and looks straight at Pemberton for “taking his education in hand.” The first reaction or analysis of Pemberton is to teach Morgan how to address his mother in his response, not causally. Right away, Pemberton begins a role as a teacher without even fully taking charge of his pupil. Pemberton begins to analyze and connect the “dots” with Morgan, as to why he is not so “robust” and how he seems to look intelligent but a bit “unpleasant.” Right away Pemberton seems to connect to Morgan and Morgan to Pemberton and this is evident especially when Mrs. Morgan gets up to leave and Pemberton takes the job without a definite salary being promised to him, very unlikely for others in his field of work.

The whole tone of the passage is filled with curiosity as one character seems to probe and explore his new pupil and his family. From Pemberton's point of view, we can see that Morgan is quite sickly boy that needs attention and that he is also intelligent and clever. Also from Pemberton's point of view, we can understand that Mrs. Moreen's family might not be so good because Morgan did not have a proper education as seen by his casual response to his mother. The dialogue between Pemberton and Mrs. Moreen also facilitates much of what happens in the story and sheds light onto Morgan, who is never directly involved in interaction with Pemberton.

Pemberton and Morgan seems to develop a new bond and Mrs. Moreen seems to be a bit shady character as she promises a salary but never defines exactly what it is. Pemberton's point of view sheds light onto Morgan who is a very sickly character and Mrs. Moreen who seems to be a “large addable lady.” A very peculiar inquiring tone is seen in this passage by Henry James and Pemberton seems to be reluctant and at the same time enjoying this new charge that has been given to him. Overall, Henry James uses variety of techniques including Tone, Point of View and Dialogue to show the unique relationship between Pemberton, Mrs. Moreen and Morgan Moreen throughout his passage from the novel, “The Pupil.”

In the book Mildred attempts suicide by taking more sleeping pills than she should normally be taking. Two guys that look like plumbers, and are not even doctors, come to the house and give Mildred a blood transfusion. All of these things are like today's world in medicine. Suicide rates are getting higher each year. This is partly because of the increase of technology. This is because technology can increase the loneliness in a person, because they are usually shut off from the outside world. In today's society if something is wrong, a pill is perscribed. This is not always the right thing to do. Today medicine is so advanced that we are able to do blood transfusions as a more regular procedure than fifty years ago.

Communication in the book is seen through televisions, the seashells, and the bullet. “It'll be even more fun when we can afford to have the fourth wall installed.” (19). This quote is said by Mildred to Guy. She says this because she is upset by the fact that there are only three wall televisions instead of four. She says that it will be more fun because that means she can interact with four people by ways of the television, thus shutting herself away from the real world even more.

The seashells can be seen worn by people in the book. “And in her ears, the little seashells, the thimble radios tamped tight, and an electronic ocean of sound, of music and talk and music and talk coming in, coming in on the shore of her unsleeping mind” (12). This is the reason that Mildred has sleeping pills, because she can not let go of technology, not even to sleep. The bullet is a small device that can fit easily into somebody's ear, allowing two people to communicate.

Today, televisions are becoming a little interactive. There are some shows for little kids that have the characters asking the viewer questions, then little kids watching will give their answer. Also video games can be put into this category. Video games are becoming a way to socialize with people with online play. The seashells in the book are similar to the mp3 players that are around today. The bullets are the cell phones of today's world. It is almost a must-have nowadays to have a cell phone.

In Fahrenheit 451 the automobiles are little beetles. “I always like to drive fast… You get it up around ninety-five and you feel wonderful.” (64). Mildred said that she would just drive on for fun because of the fast speeds. Today's society cares about how fast we go. Even one of the most growing sports is NASCAR.

Advertising in both the book and in today's world is everywhere. Advertisers just try to get the consumer to remember their product. In the book this was shown on the subway with everybody singing the jingle for Denham's Dentrifice. Today, there are commercials everywhere you turn; television, radio, billboards, and even in the newspaper. All of this an effort to make us remember their product when we are shopping.

Kids in Fahrenheit 451 go to Fun Parks after school. This is a place where the kids just destroy things. “I'm afraid of children my own age. They kill each other. Did it always use to be that way?” (30). This is said by Clarrise to Guy. This shows that violence is on the rise and you can see that in today's society. There is more crime and murder today than 50 years ago and TV, movies, and video games could probably influence this. Most of these show violence and these are the things that kids today are into.

These reasons show that there are many ways that both our world and the one that Ray Bradbury created are parallel to each other.

It is a brilliant book that I can't resist to put down, and I just had to keep reading and reading. He's an amazing writer and is a genius with words. It's the kind of books that I would suggest twelve year olds and above get into. It's a thrilling book full of events and I strongly recommend it to any reader. He has a way of making you think you were there with him as he describes how he watched his colleagues being shot down by German Ju88's.

I'd most certainly without a doubt put it in the top five books I have ever read. He has also written another autobiographical book of when he was a child and how his life was growing up which is another excellent book. Going Solo is a very easy read although it leaves you at the end of the book wanting more with an ending that doesn't quite finish it as well as it should although don't let this put you off it. He has a very good memory of the events which occurred. Also every couple of pages he includes a letter that was written back to his mother while he was in the war.

Overall it is a great read - 5 Stars

Danny, the Hasidic Jewish boy, is constantly struggling throughout the novel. His father, the leader of the synagogue, wants his son to assume his role. Danny on the other hand, wants to study psychology. He is trapped in this cycle where his father and the rest of society want him to become the new tzaddik, and he wants to turn away from all of them and go off on his own. He describes a trapped feeling. “I'm trapped now, too...It's the most hellish, choking, constricting feeling in the world. I scream with every bone in my body to get out of it.”(Potok, 202) This explanation and description of Danny's problem can be closely viewed as the same problem that the European Jews were facing. They were kidnapped by the Germans and tortured in death camps. They, too, were trapped in the most “hellish, choking, constricting” environment. Danny's character and situation parallel that of the European Jews of World War 2.

Reuven, the Orthodox Jewish boy, helps Danny through his problems in the novel. He is the one who recommends Danny start reading books suggested by his father, and he often helps Danny deal with the challenges of living within the Hasidic society. On page 202, Danny states, “...One day I will...I'll need you around on that day...”(Potok, 202) The author italicizes the word “need", giving the impression that there is something more to that sentence than meets the eye. Reuven helps Danny just like the American and British soldiers helped the European Jews conquer the Germans. The soldiers liberated the Jews from an almost guaranteed death. Reuven helps to liberate Danny from the confusing cycle. He shows him a new independence and confidence that Danny can rely on to get through the social stubbornness. Reuven's character and circumstance parallel the American and British soldiers, and their state of affairs, in World War 2.

Reb Saunders, Danny Saunders' father, is "an extraordinarily limited character, who embodies the stereotypes of the intolerant religious fanatic and of the provincial immigrant father."(Kurshan) Mr. Saunders is endlessly trying to persuade Danny to follow his example and become a tzaddik. Saunders is also a very powerful man of high priority in terms of the Jewish Hasidic Community. As the reader finds out, Mr. Saunders has an odd, unnatural way of teaching Danny how to become independent and less reliant on his father. This process of "changing" Danny through isolation is somewhat like how Hitler and the other fascist leaders tried to "change" the face of the earth by isolating and exterminating the European Jews during World War 2. Reb Saunders exhibits other parallels to Adolf Hitler like the excellent, convincing speaking skills he shows when he communicates with the Jewish and German community. Hitler was known for his persuasive speeches and rallies that convinced the German people to vote the Nazi party into office. In addition, large rallies and speeches motivated the German men to join the army. Adolf Hitler actually coaxed the German citizens into thinking that they were the “master race” and that Germany would become the greatest world power. Reb Saunders' character and condition parallel to that of Adolf Hitler at the time of World War 2.

David Malter, Reuven's father, represents the ideal American Jewish father. "He combines religious rigor with scientific inquiry and a love of knowledge, all of which he tempers with his overwhelming love and respect for his son."(Kurshan) He is always willing to teach one about anything. Mr. Malter is an individual who understands the importance of relationships. He values and accepts the dual perspectives of tradition and secularism. Franklin Delano Roosevelt, the US President at the time of World War 2, understands many of the same things that Malter understands. Roosevelt was a respected politician for many years as a Senator, a Navy Secretary, and the President. Mr. Malter is very much like a politician. By definition, a politician is an individual who is involved in influencing public decision-making. Mr. Malter not only teaches Danny the importance of opening up to new opportunities, but he also teaches him how to make decisions for himself, and not his father. Just like Malter believes that tradition and secularism should be balanced, Roosevelt understood the importance of bringing a new era into the White House but not completely stomping out the past eras and accomplishments. David Malter's character and status parallel to Franklin Roosevelt's character during the time of World War 2.

Many of the major elements from the era of World War 2 parallel major characters of the novel, The Chosen , by Chaim Potok. The author of this popular novel, whether purposefully or accidentally, alluded to the parallels present between the elements of the war and the characters of the story. These parallels are not random comparisons. They advance the plot of the novel and directly reveal the theme of the book. These clever equivalents also reveal how intelligent and passionate the author is towards this story.

Sometimes, a person may be stuck in a rut and do not know where to turn. It may be a crisis that hits them or trying to make a decision but is afraid to make it. Understanding your purpose in life is the key to your life. Pray for a clear path to your purpose. A crisis may be a stumbling block but it can also serves as a guide for you to get back on the right course. You should never give up hope but keep on trying until you have achieved or attained your purpose. It is your only destiny that requires your quest in life.

It falls to parent therefore to acquaint them with this transition period. In order to help their children through it; they need to be constantly ready to make a helpful remark, to give needed assurance, and to provide answers to delicate questions. Perhaps the most striking of a threshold period is the child rapid growth. Within a few months a youngster will shoot up several inches in height. The feminine characteristics of young womanhood become apparent.

The capacity to grow constitutes one of the greatest gifts God has bestowed upon His creatures. Growth is vital to human existence. The infant must grow in order to become a child. The child must grow in order to become a youth, and the youth continues to grow until becomes an adult.

Success in life depends not only on physical growth. In order to live abundantly a person must also grow intellectually, emotionally, and spiritually. Physical growth is usually completed before age of twenty. Intellectual, emotional, and spiritual should continue, however, throughout life.

Girls usually reach their growth spurt when they are between nine and thirteen. During this period a girl becomes a young woman. By the end of the growth spurt, she becomes just about as tall as she will ever be.
A girl in the threshold period has reason to be happy when she is no longer a child. However, if she is not informed on the changes that take place within her body, she may become worried and anxious over what these changes means. It is in this situation a kindly and sympathetic mother can be of great help to her daughter. As the mother explains the events that take place in a girl's body her daughter will feel reassured that she is normal and will develop a poise and self-confidence that will even improve her personality.

During childhood, a girl's body contains certain organs different from those of a boy. Those are the organ that will enable her later, to become a mother. During childhood they do not function simply presenting a miniature, they await the time when womanhood arrives.

Chief among the organs in a girl's body which brings about the changes of this threshold are the ovaries. There are two of these, one on the top right and one on the left, in the lower part of the abdomen. The ovaries perform two duties. First they produce a chemical substance, estrogen, which circulate throughout the body and influence the various tissues to follow the feminine pattern of development. Becoming active for the first time during the threshold period, the ovaries are responsible for stimulating rapid increase in height, for bringing about a broadening of the hips, for stimulating the development of the breasts, for prompting the growth of hair under the arms and in the pubic area, and for causing a maturing of the uterus (womb). The second function of the ovaries is to produce the female sex cells, called ova. The purpose of the cell is to help in producing a new life to furnish a tiny bit of material that assist in forming a baby. But a baby has two parents-a mother and a father.

The creator therefore planned the life of human beings in such a way that a baby comes into being only when a female sex cell, produced by one of the mother's ovaries is joined by a male sex cell, produced by the baby father. When the union of these two sex cells occurs within a woman body, a new life is started and the woman is said to be pregnant. The mother should be able to educate the girl child being wise enough not to tell the whole story at one sitting. She should tell her daughter little at a time.

Educating the girl child therefore, on the primary basis of her developmental process into entering adulthood is simply unavoidable; this certainly will go a long way in making the mind of the growing girl child be at peace.

The Middle Ages despite being depicted as a brutal period as embodied by the Medieval offered a number of redeeming qualities as attested by the heroic accomplishments of the people in the era paving the way for the great age of Renaissance. Thus proving, nobility knows no age. In Renaissance we saw the rise and huge concentration of talented poets, philosophers, painters, artists and reformers coupled with the most astonishing villains.

“History is not a random sequence of unrelated events. Everything affects and is affected by everything else.” Nowhere is this truer than in the Medieval. The book is set towards the end of the Roman Empire to the Renaissance roughly from 400 -1500 AD. Europe was plunged in utter chaos towards the end of the Medieval Age up to the Renaissance. The Greco-Roman Empire though was highly prominent during that time.

Christianity was at the core of the conflict because of the wrongful interpretation of the Christian dogmas by people in authority such as popes and kings. The aristocracy was characterized as flawed, greedy, incestuous and other negative depictions. Most people particularly those belonging to the lower class were ignorant, very poor, unhealthy even savage. Warlords attacked each other to increase their lands. And if that was not enough, execution was constantly implemented and death for those executed did not come swiftly. Burning at the stake, slash, beheadings and other gory and extreme measures were adopted. Martin Luther, Leonardo da Vinci, Nicolus Copernicus, Sir Thomas Moore, Erasmus were some of the elite thinkers during the time who all met untimely and gruesome death such as murder or assassinations.

Based largely on his research, Manchester was able to compile a detailed, information-rich book that plunges the readers into the medieval mind-set. The broad span of the Dark Ages to the dawn of the Renaissance which is the setting of the book provided a varied and riveting tale to the avid reader. Manchester delineates the age when invisible spirits ruled the air, when tolerance was viewed as treachery and “a mafia of profane popes desecrated Christianity.'' It does not only delve on the tough lives of ordinary people, Manchester, a Wesleyan professor of history, was able to depict the lives of great people as well whose voices still echoed to this day. Leonardo, Machiavelli, Lucrezia Borgia, Erasmus, Luther, Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn fill the pages of the book. He described Martin Luther as the “the most anal of theologians . . . this derived from the national character of the Reich''. Manchester (The Arms of Krupp) focuses attention to Magellan, who disproved Christendom's belief that Europe is the center of the universe. Manchester describes the transition of the Medieval, "shackled in ignorance, disciplined by fear, and sheathed in superstition," into the Renaissance even with the famous villains such as Cesare Borgia and Torquemada. Manchester's depiction of the Middle Ages as a time when the strong and the shrewd prospered, while the creative, the dreamer, the thinker and the unfortunate suffered, resonates even to this day.

“A World Lit Only By Fire” is an absorbing and fascinating read. Instead of arranging the sequence of events by chronological order as historical books wont to do, Manchester takes the reader through subject by subject. It begins with the author's explanation of the Medieval mind and how it came to be. Manchester addresses every probable facet of life during the Middle Ages and Renaissance periods. Aside from recalling the defining moments of the time and portraying the lives of prominent people, he is able to vividly illustrate the main characteristics of the Medieval period starting from the way people dress, their eating habits, beliefs, and living conditions of all classes, ranging from peasantry to nobility. The book ends with a section dedicated to the explorer Ferdinand Magellan, telling of his voyage to travel all over the globe and how his voyages effectively quelled the erroneous Catholic dogma that promoted Europe as the center of the universe. It ushered in an era of enlightenment, changed Western man's view of the world and proved beyond doubt that the world is round. Consequently, these changes brought an end to the medieval era and its way of thinking.

Manchester managed to deviate from the traditional way of presenting history which is narrating events in a chronological order, that is, year after year after year until the period covered is fully covered. Manchester's “A World Lit Only By Fire” is done differently. He does not utilize the chronological order in his writing. He starts with one aspect of the Medieval period and traces its way back in time and forward until the topic is exhausted. It would have made the book utterly confusing if Manchester was not able to effectively combine and associate one event from the other. Manchester was able to present a fascinating tale of the close association of the seemingly differing aspects of the Medieval era. He himself pointed this out in the beginning of his book "each event [leads] inexorably to another, then another..." (pg. XV).

Manchester expresses his ideas in a clear and easy manner. He is also able to express his personal views on history without getting across as vicious. He may have his biases but he remains objective in presenting the facts all throughout. He has the ability to stick to details religiously which could be a factor in making his book a cut above the rest of history books.

“A World Lit Only By Fire” is comprehensive compilation of history turned into a fantastic tale not merely a boring narration which makes it all the more enjoyable. For those who take pleasure in learning about Europe particularly the Middle Ages, this book comes highly recommended.

References:

A World Lit Only By Fire by William Manchester. (2005). Barnes and Noble. Retrieved on April 7, 2006 from http://search.barnesandnoble.com/booksearch/isbninquiry.asp?z=y&pwb=1&ean=9780316545563

A World Lit Only by Fire : The Medieval Mind and the Renaissance - Portrait of an Age (Paperback). (2006). Amazon. Retrieved on April 7, 2006 from

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0316545562/002-1831185-7492851?v=glance&n=283155

The main character of this story is an old man named Santiago, and the other two main characters are the boy who is Santiago's friend, and the huge fish Santiago catches. In the beginning of the story the old man hasn't caught a good fish in eighty-five days and the only thing keeping him alive is the young boy who is his one true friend. The old man never loses faith that there is a big fish out there for him and he just has to keep fishing enough to catch it.

During most of the story Santiago goes out in his boat and hooks a huge fish and is being carried by it. The only companion Santiago has is his mind and the fish he is trying to kill. Probably the only thing that kept the old man going was thinking of his hero De Maggio the baseball player. Whenever Santiago was getting to the point of give up he always thought about if De Maggio would and that would make him struggle on.

When Santiago finally catches his big fish he has to tie it to the side of the boat because it is larger than the boat itself! As Santiago finally starts his journey home he is satisfied but worried about the shark infested waters. When he enters the shark infested waters many sharks attack his fish and he does his best to kill them all but only gets a few. Eventually when he gets home his fish is ruined and gone.

All together this is one of the most intense and sad books I have read in a long time. It shows the thoughts you think instead of the actions you take in a situation. It shows the courage of an old man on his last string of life trying to achieve one more great thing.

However according to history records, these are not the only things the Great War had an impact on. The war also had a major effect on poetry. Talented poets like Siegfreid Sassoon, Edward Thomas, Isaac Rosenberg and Wilfred Owen all expressed their views and stories of the war using poetry. Amongst the crowd, Wilfred Owen stood out for his distinguished and amusing way

Wilfred Owen was not just a great poet; he was also a soldier that fought in the war. Owen was a born of Tom and Susan Owen on the 18th of March 1893 in Oswestry, England. At an early stage, Owen gained interest in poetry but there is no EXACT record as at when he started writing them.

In between 1914 and 1915, Owen became increasingly aware of the magnitude of the War. Before this Owen visited hospitals and he was well familiar with many of the wars wounded.

Finally at the age of 22, Owen went back to England and enlisted in the British army. This was how his journey started. Owen described his decision to join the army in September, 1915. His exact words were; "I came out in order to help these boys--directly by leading them as well as an officer can; indirectly, by watching their sufferings that I may speak of them as well as a leader can. I have done the first."

This all changed within 2 years. Owen's perspectives of life had evolved from being a young man that found great interest in poetry to a man that spent his last minutes fighting for his country, Owen died on the 4th November when he tried to lead his men across the battlefield. In one of his poems, he quoted;

". . .Above all I am not concerned with Poetry.

My Subject is War, and the Pity of War,

The Poetry is in the Pity."

Although he lived only 25 years, he became known as one of the most popular War Poets.

Dulce Et Decorum Est is originally a Latin title from a line of Horace. This was the title that Owen gave to one of his poems meaning “It is sweet and honourable to die for one's country”. However his reasons for the title were not to prove the saying but to mock it and bring another meaning to the honour of dying at war.

The poem is split in four stanzas. Three of them describe a terrible incident which he experienced. From the beginning of this poem you get the picture of tired, hopeless, and wrecked soldiers that are spending the last of their strength trudging back to their camps after a fight on the battlefield.

After reading the poem, I could create a picture of devastation and soldiers clinging on to life. In their pain they cursed, bled, and limped as they tagged along. I could also picture them looking forward to resting. As if that wasn't enough, within seconds they were attacked by gas and even in their weak condition, they still struggled and hurried to put on their gas masks. Unfortunately, someone wasn't fast enough to put on his mask and he got caught up in the gas. They tried to help him but they couldn't ease his pain. All they could do was throw him at the back of the wagon where he suffered much more pain as Death was gently eating him away when the wagon jolted as they drove away.

Owen uses an agonizing way of expressing his experience in the First, second and third stanza. In those days, most people were probably under the impression that going to fight for your country in war was right and honourable. Other poets also portrayed war like this; as a thing worthy and honourable to do. However they left out the painful and bitter side of the story. This is where Wilfred Owen came in.

Maybe because of his war experience he knew that of all things it wasn't sweet to die. His message was clearly passed across to the people. In pure words Owen was saying“dying for your country is not as sweet as it sounds, it's not right and it's very painful”.

Other poets portrayed the war as something worthy of pride; something to boast and tell others about, Owen saw it as a terrible experience, one that could haunt you till the end of your days. His quote;

In all my dreams before my helpless sight

He plunges at me, guttering, choking, drowning

The third stanza was only two lines, yet it carries much weight that could touch anyone that read it. It is deliberately this length to give extra impact to the reader and emphasise the nightmare that the poet continually experiences.

On the other hand, the fourth stanza is much different. In the 1st, 2nd and 3rd stanza he moves from a narrative form of description to a very direct convincing manner in the fourth one.

The fourth stanza comes across as a direct speech; in poetry technique it is called “Direct Apostrophe”. This stanza directly speaks to the people to future convince them specifically that from his own experience, dying at war is not sweet.

In the poem, Owen also uses a great range of figures of speech. The structure is very traditional because is follows the “ABABA” method, he also uses similes to enhance his description of his experience in first and second stanza e.g. “like old beggars under sacks”, “coughing like hags”, “floundering like a man in fire or lime” and many more.

Apart from this, he uses other figures of speech like alliteration, oxymoron, and onomatopoeia which include Words and phrases like “knock - kneed”, “Drunk with fatigue”, “men marched asleep” and so on.

This is very overwhelming because the poem rhymes from the beginning to the end yet it still makes perfect sense. This is what shocks most people.

In general from my own perspective, I would say that this poem was is very tragic, something that brought back his old memories, something that brought back the pain and unimaginable suffering people went through for their country.

No wonder the last quote from the poem was;

The old lie: Dulce et decorum est

Pro patria mori

It is truly a lie. No one deserves to go through the heartache of dying on the battlefields of the Great War that would never be forgotten.

Anthem for Doomed Youth is another one of Wilfred Owen's famous poems that he wrote during the war. The title “Anthem of the doomed youth”, introduces the graveness of the poem. From that I could tell that the rest of the poem would be something sorrowful, tragic and maybe with a hopeless ending. When I read the poem, I understood that the poet; Wilfred Owen was lamenting and expressing how sober he felt about the way young lives were wasted in war.

The poem consisted of two stanzas one 8 lines and the other 6 lines making a total of 14 lines, the same structure of a sonnet but with an opposite theme. Usually sonnets are written as love poems but Owen writes about bitterness, violence and death. In the first stanza, Owen starts off with a rhetorical question (a question asked but does not need anyone else to answer);

What passing bells for those who die as cattle?

The passing bells were used in those days to announce someone's death. It was a custom and in other words, a way of honouring the dead. Owen starts of by questioning how people died at war, comparing the way they were killed to animals (using similes). Immediately after that, he answers his question himself using a wide range of figurative expressions to describe the violent and taunting honour that these people were given at war - The sound of guns, the atmosphere of violence, no choirs and people mourning and paying their last respect, He was actually saying ironically that they were giving no honour at all.

The seven lines of Wilfred Owen's description in the first stanza contains figures of speech such as descriptive words, personification, and even in one case an alliteration statement. This was all probably to enhance his explanation. Take for instance, the 2nd and 3rd lines are examples of personification - “Monstrous anger of the guns” and “stuttering rifles”. These lines use terms that are only used to describe human features to describe objects of violence. Also, the 2nd line contains an alliteration statement “rifles' rapid rattle” which explains the rifle sounds and gun noises going on in the air. The rhyming of this stanza follows the ABABABA scheme.

From the whole stanza, I observed that not only was he sober and bitter but he was also angry and total against the war.

However in the second stanza, I observed a change in atmosphere and location. The second stanza seems to have switched from a general topic on war to specifically directing the whole issue and relating it to young people. This could be because most of the men that fought at war were very young. The second stanza also starts off with a question and just in the same way, he immediately gives an answer which tells the reader that the way the people dye at war compared to the way people are meant to die is very miserable.

All in all, the poem summaries to one question - “What honour is given to those that die in such a way on the battle fields of the war.?” And unfortunately, only one answer - An atmosphere of violence.

In all of Wilfred Owen's poems, Wilfred explored a great use of writing skills and techniques to express his views of war. He used poetry to pass a message, he wrote in sonnet structures to express sorrow, and he never ceased to capture his audience. The moral content is very much anti war and this Owen brings across with great skill - which is still extraordinary today especially when you take in to account how young he was when he died. His subversion of the sonnet form, particularly, is outstanding - taking the structure of a traditional love poem and using it to portray the agony of war and loss.

Owen used language to great effect. Throughout his poems there is a vast usage of literary techniques - metaphors, similes, personification, onomatopoeia and such like. He uses these to heighten the emotional impact of his poetry. His use of alliteration gives the impression, when the poem is read out, of being closer to the action the poem conveys. It sounds like you are there.

His distinct achievement is as a result of how he used he portrayed War in a different way. It is clear that he was against the war because of his dominant way of his expressing his views. Today, the people of our modern age can understand the real things that went on during that war. Wilfred Owen represented a strong icon in the world of poetry through the War.

Written by student Riyanat Shittu.

Night Watch sees Ankh Morpork city watch captain Sam Vimes sent back in time through a magical accident, as well as the villain he is chasing. He reappears in his own past, in a time before the Guilds reigned over the city and before organised crime was legalised. It's a refreshing change seeing a small, *friendly* (not sure that is the right word) watch, over the ever growing watch of the future as seen in the other Guard books (i.e. Feet of Clay). There are also some old friends - such as Nobby Nobbs, who is at this time a street urchin.

It gives quite a bit of insight into the past of Discworld too. Pratchett has written this well, it's quite a gripping novel at parts and at others, Pratchett's dark humour is good at picking out the irony of war and battles, mocking the French Civil war with the battle of treacle mine lane (Liberty, Equality, Reasonably Priced Love, and a Hard-boiled Egg).

In all, a great read, good for your first read if you have never read Discworld before, though I suggest reading the first Guard books beforehand so you get to know some of the characters.