Hayden Carter is a young video maker from Britain, he makes a video about English slang words and what they mean to introduce viewers to his channel. It is a very funny and awesome video and it would be really great if you could comment rate and subscribe thanks for watching guys and I hope you enjoyed the video if you’ve watched it yet. if you haven’t check it out now! link placed above.

Old English, influenced by the North Germanic language Old Norse, is an early form of the English language and was spoken and written by the Anglo-Saxons (Angles, Saxons, and Jutes). The language was a Western Germanic language and was brought to Britain, who at the time spoke Celtic, by Germanic invaders from parts of Germany and Netherlands and started off as a diverse group of dialects. The English language of today was travelled through multiple stages including Old English, Middle English, Early Modern English and Modern English. Approximately 600 years after Old English, the Middle English period started when William the conqueror invaded and conquered England. With him came the French language which later became the language of the Royal Court. The language was then divided by the ‘upper class’ speaking French and the ‘lower class’ speaking English. By the Early Modern English times the language spoken had returned to English but had many French words incorporated into the language.

Towards the end of Middle English, there was a change in the pronunciation of vowels were the vowels started being pronounced shorter and shorter. It was later named the Great Vowel Shift. During this period, the invention of printing meant that people were able to store and read the words in the English language. The first dictionary was then developed. Early Modern English also brought the birth of the ‘Shakespearean’ language of when Shakespeare was born which revolutionised the English language. The final stage in the history of the English language was the Modern English period. The main difference between Early modern and Modern English is the vocabulary due to new technology and objects arising in the modern times. Modern English is the language that we currently speak.

Throughout the history of the English language there were a number of changes made to the phonetics and phonology of the language. A major change was the Great Vowel Shift which happened in the early 1500’s. This included nearly all the vowels in the English language changing. A major phonological change would be the dialects spoken by the foreign languages and the words borrowed from them pronounced in an English way. Other changes were made in the history of the English language which includes Morphological changes and lexical changes. Compounding, Affixation, Conversion, Backformation and Borrowing are just some of the many major morphological processes used for creating new words in the English language. As a natural way of life, many people make up words, some of which eventually end up in the dictionary depending on the popularity and use of the word. This is how the lexicon of the modern English language is able to continue to expand.
The syntax of the English language has greatly changed and it can be observed throughout the sub systems of Old English to Modern English. Not only do words change but also the ways in which the words combine to form sentences change. This brought out the use of Analogies which is a process where a conclusion is reached based on a similar case. A lot of which are seen as ‘sayings’ from olden times which can relate to many modern circumstances.  Other situations arose from Old English times where there was a much larger variety of inflections to indicate the plural of a noun in which we are still following these rules today. The main reason for a change in syntax was because of the mixing of Old Norse with Old English as Old English was slowly dying out after being invaded by the Vikings.

The English language has gone through many changes, some seen as good and others seen as pointless, but without these changes the language wouldn’t be what it is today. After many years of borrowing and creating new words, the lexicon of the English language has greatly expanded and has a very large storehouse of words (with the help of deriving words from multiple languages). Its relationship with foreign countries and vast historical events gave the language a diverse set of words that have come straight from a foreign language. All in all, the English language has come a long way, through the many different periods, and will never stop to continue creating new words.

English: (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Walter’s dream to be rich creates consistent conflict between him and his family, while the deferment of his dream escalates the conflict. Walter holds his dream very close to himself and invests significant time and energy to attempt to realize his dreams. Walter pours his soul into attempting to get a liquor store to get rich. As a result, Walter’s entire being is shaken when he encounters obstacles to his dream. Ruth notes Walter’s changed behavior whenever he is concentrated on his dream in her conversation with Mama, where she extrapolates that “he needs something – something I can’t give him anymore”(1,1,187). Because Walter is so tunnel visioned, he can only see his dream, and as a result he pays less attention to his family. After Mama gave Walter her remaining insurance money, he finally believes that he can achieve his dream. Walter suddenly becomes elated, and exudes an aura of happiness. The hue of his aura reminds one of Mordekaiser, because Walter’s hue was indeed number one.  It should come at no surprise that when his dream was crushed because Willy ran away with the money, all of Walter’s energy, hopes, and ambitions came crashing down. For a brief moment, Walter was extremely desperate, in disbelief he said “Maybe you was late yesterday and he went on down there without you. Maybe – maybe – he’s been callin’ you at home tryin’ to tell you what happened or something. Maybe – maybe – he just got sick.” (2.3.180). His disbelief is natural as his dreams just came crashing down from the heights of the elated euphoria that he was experiencing just moments before.And when Walter loses the money, the entire family turns on him. Ever person becomes bitter and distances themselves away from Walter. As a result, the deferment of Walter’s dream impacts not only himself but also his entire family. In fact, the family unit nearly shatters as a result. Desiring riches, Walter takes risks that distance himself away from his family.

When Beneatha has her dream deferred, she loses faith in herself and in the world. Beneatha’s one dream was to be a doctor, to be someone. Beneatha gives the reason “I that wanted to do that. I always thought it was the one concrete thing in the world that a human being could do. Fix up the sick, you know – and make them whole again. I wanted to cure. It used to be so important to me. I wanted to cure. It used to matter. I used to care. I mean about people and how their bodies hurt”(3.1.14) for her attending medical school. Not only did attending medical school give Beneatha a chance to help others, but the prospect of becoming a doctor also would set her apart from the traditional roles for African American women set for her. When Walter loses the money, Beneatha loses her hope of becoming a doctor in a flash. She indicates that she used to care, and that she used to think very highly of healing others. The impact of the lost insurance money is so severe that Beneatha refuses to persevere, and gives up on the dream that she once had. In addition to herself, Beneatha also has her attitudes towards other people changed.  When Asagai starts talking about Africa during his visit to her, she chides him “you with all your talk and dreams about Africa! You still think you can patch up the world. Cure the Great Sore of Colonialism – (Loftily, mocking it) with the Penicillin of Independence – !”. (3.1.22) Beneatha demonstrates that she no longer believes in others, she no longer has faith in Asagai’s dream either. Her world has become grey and hopeless, and she reflects that in her personality. Fragility was one property of her dream, as she shattered it over one event.

The impact of Lena’s dream being deferred is her loss of faith for a better life. When Walter loses the insurance money, Lena becomes extremely depressed. That insurance money was meant to also pay for the house and sponsor other people’s dreams, but Walter thought his dream had more weight than the dreams of other people in the household. The melancholy in the household and inside Lena is evident in her recalling that “people saying, “Lena – Lena Eggleston, you aims too high all the time. You needs to slow down and see life a little more like it is. Just slow down some.” That’s what they always used to say down home – “Lord, that Lena Eggleston is a high-minded thing. She’ll get her due one day!” (3.1.69) While usually not one to submit to other people’s opinions, after Walter loses the money Lena begins to see validity in the statements of those who thought she aimed too high. Lena also expresses her melancholy in her actions as well. She ”[went] to her plant, which remained on the table, looks at it, pick[ed] it up and [took] it to the windowsill and [sat] it outside, and she [stood] and [looked] at it a long moment” (3.1.66) while talking to her children. Lena’s treatment of the plant, indicates that she had given up on moving. While there might be some semblance of hope for the plant in the old house, Lena accepted to herself that the plant was never to thrive in the environment of their new home in Clyborne Park. Thus, after Walter loses the money, Lena gave up on her plant, and her hope for a better life.

            THE IMPACT OF DEFERRED DREAMS ON THE YOUNGER FAMILY IS A SERIOUS ONE, impacting each member of the family. EACH INDIVIDUAL MEMBER HAS THEIR OWN DREAM WHICH THEY WANT TO BE FUFILLED, BUT IT SEEMS AS IF THOSE DREAMS ARE ALL MUTUALLY EXCLUSIVE, THE DREAMS CAN’T EXIST AT THE SAME TIME due to financial constraints. THIS RESULTS IN ENDLESS FRUSTRATION WITH OTHER FAMILY MEMBERS, AS WELL AS A MYRIAD OF EMOTIONS AMONGST THE FAMILY MEMBERS RANGING FROM DEPRESSION AND FRUSTRATION TO ANGER AND DEJECTION.HOWEVER, However, THE FINAL IMPACT OF THE DEFERRED DREAM CAUSES A REAFFIRMATION IN THE FAMILY, AND A PEACEFUL RESOLUTION TO INTERFAMILY CONFLICTS. Perhaps good can come from deferred reams after all.

The said debate resulted in a children’s story for me that, unfortunately, has never seen the light of day.   But here’s what I learned from that class regarding this four-letter word.  Using Socrates as the subject (and pretending that he is still alive), let me demonstrate what I mean.  Let us use this sentence:

SOCRATES IS A GREAT PHILOSOPHER.

Simple enough, isn’t it?  Now try putting the word ONLY in appropriate places and see if that isn’t enough to make you crazy.

ONLY SOCRATES IS A GREAT PHILOSOPHER.

SOCRATES IS ONLY A GREAT PHILOSOPHER.

SOCRATES IS A GREAT PHILOSOPHER ONLY.

So what do you think? 

In the first sentence, ONLY is used as an adjective (a word that modifies a noun or pronoun).  So, what this sentence implies is that we would never have heard of Confucius or Descartes or Kierkegaard because there were no other philosophers.  Even if there ever were, we wouldn’t know any.  Only Socrates. 

The second sentence is kind of an insult.  Used as an adverb (a word that modifies an adjective, a verb, or another adverb), ONLY is portrayed as a meanie.   It means that it is actually putting down Socrates because that’s all he is, just a great philosopher and nothing else of value.

The third sentence, on the other hand, is the most confusing of all.  ONLY is also used as an adverb here but it has become matter-of-fact.  It just says what the deal is.  No more, no less.  It means that Socrates is a great philosopher but he wouldn’t want to have plans to have another kind of career.  Just as a philosopher.

There you have it.  That’s why I hate the word ONLY.  For such a small word, it sure causes a whole lot of problems. 

The thing that people need to remember is that these exams are here to test the success of the school, not the success of each of the children individually. This is why so many of the teachers push the children as hard as they possibly can, because they know that a poor result would reflect badly on them, and this is something that obviously they don’t want as it would be bad for their career as a teacher.

Some of the schools that I know set far too much work for the children. Whereas a child should be set half an hour each evening at that age to cover everything including reading, spelling and maths, children around the time of their SATs are being made to work for four or five hours each day, which is far too much for a child of that age. If the child does not do the work, then they get into trouble for it and might miss break and lunch times in order to catch up. This is the very time that the child should be playing outside with their friends without a care in the world, not sitting in the classroom catching up on work that they really don’t want to do.

A lot of teachers are worried about the exams, and rightly so as they are a measure of how well the school is doing, however they allow this worry to be perceived by the pupils which is something that is compeltely and utterly unacceptable in my opinion. Teachers should be putting the children at ease, not making them worry about things that have to be done whether they’re stressed out about it or not.

If a teacher has taught a child well throughout their education, then really, there should not be any need for revision. SATs are not like GCSEs where there is a lot of information to get through in one go. There are simple questions which test just the things that the children should be able to do automatically by that stage of their education. By forcing a child to do more homework than they have ever had to do in their life, they are making them stressed, and no child should have to be put under that amount of pressure at such a young age. 

Ms. Claudine Nicole Librando won special and major awards that made her a grand slam winner: Ms. Pepsi Cola, Ms. Prime Asia, Ms. DermStreet, 2nd Best in Talent and Best in School Uniform. Another student from the same school, Ms. Krizia Marie Gabrielle Dosdos, 15 years old, 4th year – Platinum got the 1st runner up; the isolated beauty and tranquility of the place connote open communication and progress.

With the ambiance of the surroundings, you can feel figuratively the essence of reaching out to other people and do communicate with them regardless of races around the world through “vital and candid information; MDGs and campus journalism go hand in hand for the development and gradual progress to gauge the veracity of societal needs, as far as global population is concerned. The student-writers have responsibility and awareness about the dissemination campaign to cater to the needs of the majority through sustention of the eight MDGs to become fully operational without delays.

DepEd Coordinator for Special Program on Foreign Language (French) Ana Maria Hernandez expressed her profound gratitude to the principal Eutiquia S. Alday in her active role and support to the foreign language, together with faculty members for their hospitality, French teachers Dr. Ermetes F. Adolfo, Jr. and Jacqueline F. Bucao, and the 3rd year and 4th year students for their active participation during demo-lessons and their concerted efforts and interests to learn French language

Let’s peruse…

The Municipality of Minglanilla made its successful town fiesta and yearly made a tremendous celebration for beauty pageant among high school students from different schools (both private and public), namely, Minglanilla National Science High School, Tubod National High School, Lipata National High School, Tungkop National High School, Tulay National High School, Camp 7 National High School, Guindaruhan National High School, University of the Visayas (Minglanilla Campus), Southern Bethany Christian School and Immaculate Heart of Mary Academy.

The beauty pageant occurred last August 20 at the New Minglanilla Sports Complex. People from all walks of life were all filled with awe by the astonishing performances done by the twenty lovely candidates who were all proudly representing their respective schools, according to the organizer.

For each school within the Municipality of Minglanilla, two ladies were given such an opportunity to represent their school. Only the aforementioned ten schools joined in the search for Ms. High School Minglanilla this school year.

The said contest was truly a tough job for each candidate due to the consecutive practices they had while busy catching up with the lessons in school. Besides, workshops, seminars, campus tours and other sort of interactions were conducted in order to boost the confidence and self-esteem of every candidate. But, despite the pressures and stress, all of them were very happy with experiences they had gained and earned for even so short a time.

“When this game is over, I’m sure I’m going to miss this type of group bonding that we are all experiencing now,” this was the usual line that would pop out from each mouth of the candidates.

“And the Miss High School Minglanilla  is…” this was the statement from the host that gave the audience the thrill and excitement for the reason that the two candidates of Minglanilla National Science High School were the only ones left on stage and who successfully made it up for that big and final announcement.

That was surely the pride of each MNSHS student who attended the event that evening. It was Krizia Marie Gabrielle Dosdos, 15 years old, 4th year – Platinum got the 1st runner up position. And the lady who brought home the crown was none other than Claudine Nicole Librando, 16 years old, 4th year – Uranium. In addition to that, Claudine also won special and major awards that made her a grand slam winner: Ms. Pepsi Cola, Ms. Prime Asia, Ms. DermStreet, 2nd Best in Talent and Best in School Uniform.

The importance of global communication

 “Please bear in mind that sharing information with others and apprising the latest updates of the world today give emphasis to the importance of global communication, i.e. free communication and freedom of expression. It relinquishes our rights from “self-seclusion and self-inhibition” to help people unfurl their inundating mind streams and open out into something that results in a rich harvest of ideas from them.”

The isolated beauty and tranquility of the place connote open communication and progress. With the ambiance of the surroundings, you can feel figuratively the essence of reaching out to other people and do communicate with them regardless of races around the world through “vital and candid information.”

Communication serves as a bridge between the family and the community — working together for a unified stand on the issue and for a solid foundation to come by the common goals and for the amelioration of one’s life.

Metaphorically, it is likened to an open beach because it is very important to all of us in this planet who ought to shun from putting a gap; otherwise, open communication will vanish into thin air and a covert communication channel will be thwarted at once without question.

The main reason for this is that people have the right to be informed and they have to share with one another regarding the issues and other things that can be beneficial for everybody in order to reach ultimately for “the common good.”

Communication is something that can bridge you between the unknown world and the known world with sufficient information to dish out. Likewise, it’s about expressing and conveying your thoughts, emotions, notions and concepts with another human beings.

The ideal outcome of the event will animadvert upon itself and it will boomerang to the concerned persons if things are not properly addressed. It reciprocates best communication skills that can aid in keeping one’s head and confidently taking charge of unfamiliar situations.

People are more likely to listen to you, whatever you have to utter, if you can express yourself well, and this is particularly useful in influencing and negotiating significant personal, social and business matters.

To elaborate further about communication as an advantage over the other sub-categorized implications and cognitive-voluntary schema with communicative approaches. The opposite sides are taken into account.

Say for instance, a communication as regards the utilization of idiomatic expression like “between the devil and the deep blue sea” which figuratively emphasizes its true color and veritable sense of implicit meaning.  In this expression, if you are between the devil and the deep blue sea, you are in a scenario where there are two equally unpleasant options or alternatives.

For example, “When the new product didn’t take off, the management was caught between the devil and the deep blue sea: develop a new marketing campaign or drop the product.” In this open communication, as well as distinct scenario of the two comparable objects, each object will liken metaphorically to a different perspective. It comes in handy in working out the involution or rising actions and dealing with difficult people.

Open communication is said to be fathomed, unparalleled, and incomprehensible closed-doors gaps that sometimes implicate many dimensions, from something that is facile or so simple and something that is more complicated.

Besides, it is “something” that is potentially complex to comprehend the pros and cons of a subtle and particular human being’s intervention.

To enlighten anew about the open communication and open alternative views, communication itself mainly connects to the human mind. It carries a heavy burden with consciousness and sub-consciousness.

The open mind is also susceptible to “a lack of conviction.” Too many conflicting viewpoints can enter an open mind and cause indecision and unfair treatment.  With regard also to any standpoint, it is indispensable now and then to conceal the mind from reality and connect it to the real world where individuals do utterly communicate, disallow any more input, make a decision and act.

Perchance, more significant than having an open mind is having a mind that is capable of being open or closed. The hinges of our mind are our capability to act upon. We can decide to accept or reject information depending upon the fair judgment, trials and animadversions from the people around. It might be local or international.

Finally, information should be dished out with correct acceptance and unmistakable honor to divulge and pin down with laurels.

Campus Journalism as a Catalyst for Change: Achieving the Millennium Development Goals

“Campus Journalism as a Catalyst for Change: Achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) by 2015” is a challenge of every campus writer in the Philippines to have cognizance about the MDGs. According to study, the all eight MDGs are indeed measurable, quantifiable and realistic. To support its claim, each of the eight goals has a set of targets. These targets are quantified through indicators that will be set as the benchmark for measuring each country’s progress.

DepEd memorandum expresses its journalistic stand and goes into raptures over the eight MDGs. The campus journalists demonstrate understanding of the MDGs’ importance to the masses by expressing them through varied journalistic forms and approaches, demonstrate commitment to support MDGs by advocating and integrating them in related school community initiatives and enhance journalistic competence through healthy and friendly competitions such as individual, group, as well as radio broadcasting and scriptwriting contests.

MDGs and campus journalism go hand in hand for the development and gradual progress to gauge the veracity of societal needs, as far as global population is concerned. The student-writers have responsibility and awareness about the dissemination campaign to cater to the needs of the majority through sustention of the eight MDGs to become fully operational without delays.

For the information of everybody, Millennium Development Goals consist of the eight goals, and the acronym itself MDG is a familiar buzzword. However, there is little or no awareness of this global agenda agreed upon by 191 nations in 2000. In fact, a number of journalists who attended a recent media forum said they had not heard of the MDGs despite the fact that the Philippines has been an active participant in the drafting of many protocols involving human rights.

In a press release published recently in a national daily newspaper, it emphasized the importance of each MDG. It described as a roadmap in fighting poverty, and as a partnership between developed and developing countries in the attainment of these eight goals. To reprint these goals, they are as follows:

Goal 1: Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger

Goal 2: Achieve universal primary education

Goal 3: Promote gender equality and empower women

Goal 4: Reduce child mortality

Goal 5: Improve maternal health

Goal 6: Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases

Goal 7: Ensure environmental sustainability

Goal 8: Develop a Global Partnership for Development 

On the other hand, despite some clamors circulating around the country, some young journalists keep on rallying behind the proponents of MDGs. In fact, some questions have raised: Do they resolve global problems? Do the teachers impart savvy of journalism with regard to MDGs on the campus?

By all accounts, fundamentally, the better way to teach journalism is to train them to write for life. Perhaps, that’s a motherhood phrase. What the writer has really wanted to utter is to go beyond the competition mode. The holding of competitions to put something through its paces with the  students’ skills on campus journalism might have drudged to a certain echelon.

But making the students practice campus journalism more might do miracles and nose around more youth to the craft of factual “fourth estate.” This is not an animadversion on DepEd’s practice of holding schools press conferences in the country. This is only an overall standpoint of the Editorial Board and Staff of The Guindaruhan Tribune school paper.

Journalism gives emphasis to the importance of valuable information with the help of various media. Each student-writer must use extreme campus journalism as a means of making the people become fully aware of what is really happening around us today. If the people increase total awareness and heighten participation, the plans of development seem to realize and the MDGs will be successfully carried out.

As a result, significant decrease in poverty and amplified a much-needed boost in national economy will come to follow. The people will go hand in hand for the betterment of economy, and work with the heart to upgrade the conditions of the general public. It is inevitable that all of us are living in this labyrinth-filled nature and cycle of ups and downs by which the globe of our fate revolves in stages.

Our conditions at present are not still sustainable, not enough to cope with the demands and needs of society; ergo, we have to come to “grips” with the MDGs and apply draconian measures in order to accentuate the adequacy of our living conditions.

Through journalism, campus writers go into raptures over MDGs, especially in the Philippines!

The agreed outputs and outcomes within the SPFL-F results framework including the terms in the MOA between the Embassy of France and DepEd

DESPITE the circumstances of the great language diversities, the observation of French classes at Minglanilla National Science High School (MNSHS) took place last September 28, 2010 with some attendance, coming from DepEd officials (Central, Regional & Division Offices), French Embassy Linguistic Attaché, Alliance Française de Manille and Alliance Française de Cebu directors of studies, and other foreign language coordinators involved in the special program.

Regional SPFL-F Coordinator Ms. Marcelita S. Dignos through the memorandum issued by Director Recaredo G. Borgonia said  the visit and observation of French classes are geared towards reviewing progress of implementation of the SPFL-F, focusing on the agreed outputs and outcomes within the SPFL-F results framework including the terms in the MOA between the Embassy of France and DepEd which was signed last September 28, 2009, and reviewing actions taken on the recommendations formulated during the conference on start-up activities for the implementation of the teaching of French as a second foreign language SY 2010-2011 in selected Science High Schools in Region VII held last May 28, 2010.

Linguistic Attaché Emilie Flambeaux of the French Embassy to the Philippines emphasized the fact that French was the second international language and a key to prepare Filipino students “for their role as global citizens”. During the special visit at MNSHS, the visitors congratulated the French teachers, faculty members and the head of school Eutiquia S. Alday in their efforts to promote cultural and linguistic diversity. 

On the other hand, DepEd Undersecretary for Programs and Projects Dr. Vilma Labrador during the language assessment and planning workshop held last February 16-19, 2010 at the Tagaytay International Convention Center, reminded the audience that the choice of science high schools was made since science is a key field for both French and Philippine governments. She said French has been already introduced in 13 science high schools from NCR and Region VII. 21 teachers are currently undergoing training in the two French cultural centers, Alliance Française in Manila and Alliance Française in Cebu.

The agreement signifies the important role of DepEd-learning institution as a privileged partner of the Embassy, in terms of the promotion of French culture, language and education in Cebu and the rest of the Visayas and Mindanao, according to Emilie Flambeaux. She also added that Alliance Française has four objectives: to promote the French language, France, Europe and the 70 countries which are members of the French-speaking community; to encourage intellectual exchange and debate; to support Filipino artists and intellectuals, and to advise Filipino students who wish to study French culture and/or study in France. 

DepEd Coordinator for Special Program on Foreign Language (French) Ana Maria Hernandez expressed her profound gratitude to the principal Eutiquia S. Alday in her active role and support to the foreign language, together with faculty members for their hospitality, French teachers Dr. Ermetes F. Adolfo, Jr. and Jacqueline F. Bucao, and the 3rd year and 4th year students for their active participation during demo-lessons and their concerted efforts and interests to learn French language.

With the rise in enthusiasm and struggle about the academic freedom, good governance comes with proliferation of kaleidoscopic scenario from different personalities and from all walks of life, including the teaching populace with unity, peace and mutual respect –tackling the same about the themes in indefatigable day-to-day activities.

Life gives out the eminent passion and freedom. It rationalizes the potentialities of one’s actuation and approval to steer and do something prolific for the sake of the student-and-teacher populace and to affirm the indispensability of human aspirations and dreams. The aspirations, according to Madame X, her vision and mission are the priority and prima facie counter example to any hypothesis, perception or manipulation.

The teaching performance with the so-called targeted Mean Percentage Score is a big thing to stamp on: what happens, when it happens, how it happens and when it initiates unfathomably. It’s up to the teacher to excogitate in order for her to take cognizance of the inevitable events.

The principal should be firm in her decisions. She must do something great for the improvement of a learning institution that she steers or she wields over.  The designation serves as the evidence to prove her worth to her subordinates that she is very serious in resolving conflicts and problems in school. The new strategies will apply from time to time to run smoothly with great pace and success.

Madame X is a thought-provoking name-phrase that supports justice and obedience to everyone. Whatever laws in the land or directives given by the higher officials in the Department of Education to all concerned, this Madame X stands out and speaks for everyone on behalf of all public secondary school heads. This Madame X is no other than Madame Eutiquia S. Alday. Do you know her? Let’s find out who she is as a school administrator.

Madame Eutiquia S. Alday is one of the principals who never said ‘no when it comes to challenges.’ In fact, she likes challenges. Being an administrator of a public science high school, it is inevitable for her to experience the ups and downs of life, but it is normal to have the dreary experiences as the school head.

“Dreary experiences in the sense that an administrator encounters some teachers who are so obstinate, and most of them have made decisions without the knowledge of the principal. And most of them are contradicting to the principal’s ideas, and they don’t conform to the final decision just for the sake of everyone,” Madame Alday quipped.

She said despite the opposing ideas from different savvy quarters, the school administration is also a factor in discipline. It is not amiss to speak or utter that sometimes the principal and teacher encounter disciplinary problems because of unfortunate administrative policies, regulations or practices. Laxity in enforcing school regulations can develop bad habits among teachers and students. Teachers and students learn to be careless about observing regulations, respect for authority, and assuming responsibility. Regulations relative to tardiness, attendance, and interruptions of classwork, etc. should be clearly stated and strictly followed.

As the lead principal in all public secondary high schools such as Tungkop NHS, Camp 7 NHS, Lipata NHS, Guindaruhan NHS, Tulay NHS, Tubod NHS, Tungkil NHS and Minglanilla National Science High School, Madame Eutiquia S. Alday stressed and shared insights into improving school discipline among the principals of said public secondary schools.

She emphasized that the school heads must maintain better discipline and composure among the subordinates, even though some of them are very antagonistic, and despite all odds or stumbling blocks that the principal has badly encountered. It is suggested that the best approach should be positive rather than negative. The best measures should be preventive rather than remedial. There’s a saying “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” This adage is exactly what should guide the school administrator and what should strive to eliminate them.

Madame Eutiquia S. Alday who has been tagged as Madame X is the busiest principal in Cebu South. Her function does not limit to the school alone, but also to all the schools within the Municipality of Minglanilla. Here in this town, she has implemented the imposed general rules and regulations for the forthcoming school year as they are found or reflected in the school directives or memorandums, both local and national, as approved by the schools division superintendent in Cebu Province Division.

Effective this school year, a school memorandum is hereby directed and enforced strictly to all concerned, exclusively for the teaching and non-teaching personnel of Minglanilla National Science High School, and other public national high schools.

The research proposal is intended not only Minglanilla National Science High School but other public high schools, in full support and special participation of Dr. Adolfo as the main researcher of this study, thus exerting effort and time to research the aforementioned research problems of textbooks and computers just for the benefits of students.

In the remaining part, it said and it categorically quoted as saying that this article has given emphasis to the importance of Quality of Secondary School Science and Research in Education through Advanced Textbooks and Technology. And here is the extract:

“This Action Research Proposal Will Evaluate the Effectiveness of Improving the Quality of Secondary School Science and Research in Education Through Advanced Textbooks and Technology. It will evaluate the effectiveness of improving the quality of secondary school science and research in education through advanced textbooks and technology.

Specifically, the study will seek a solution to the problem in order to improve the quality of education with the objective of helping all of our students increase their MPS (mean percentage score) performance every year such as DAT (division achievement test), RAT (regional achievement test) and NAT (national achievement test), as well as ameliorate their quality of learning through advanced textbooks and technology which is geared towards focusing on one-on-one multi-classroom textbooks and materials as their peers. The objective is that by the end of the year the students will have at least doubled their learning speed in every subject and will have tremendously improved their 6 facets of understanding, 5 macro-skills, including verbal and non-verbal skills.

The Advanced Textbooks and Technology program is based on the latest science and research assessments as the best panaceas for effective learning instruction in the classroom and effective solution to ease out problems, especially in some subjects with low MPS performance. Funding, just to have acquired one-on-one multi-classroom books and materials, is requested for student learning and teacher training: to purchase the required books, and to technologically equip the students with computer’s software and hardware for the school’s benefit in order to increase MPS with 75% passing percentage per subject every year.

To elaborate further based on the preceding texts, the quality of research education, textbook and technology needs to be raised. It has been observed by the concerned principal that there is much to be desired in a secondary level research in education, along with textbooks and technology. I think this poor quality stems from lack of textbooks and computers inside the classrooms. Education is one of the major means which society employs to carry out its national policies. That’s why this learning institution as a science high school in Cebu south, Division of Cebu Province, must equip the students with advanced textbooks, including computers in order for them to be competitive and could be able to cope with the quality of secondary school science and research in education.

One of the problems of continuing gradual decrease of MPS results in some subjects every year and stagnation of professional secondary science research and technology in education of MNSHS teachers and students is lacking of one-on-one prescribed textbook, including technological and methodical guides, special science and research lectures and reviews. Their peculiarities are determined by the fact that they are designed for those who have taught research and technology in a science education, have mastered 6 facets of understanding and thus, need not to be taught systematized fundamental knowledge. On the other hand, now the work of a science high school teacher requires a continuing mastering of new operations and processes, renewed theoretical knowledge, especially under the attack of new information technologies.

Believing that every individual can contribute to achieve the level of information, technical and technological base in the majority of teaching standards no matter how small it is, I introduced and created a firm base to put to practice one the mostly dynamic technologies using the advanced textbooks, along with computers to make the students equip with caliber of intelligence and vast repertoire of science and research experiences.

A textbook and a computer, as well as the systems of its delivery serve as a lever, which will allow the research and science of the 21st century to make a decisive step towards the dream of all enlightened teachers and students: to have an access to any advanced textbook with written research document in any point on the globe. Realizing this perspective makes the learning institution of continuing quality of secondary school science and research in education pay special attention to training those teaching and non-teaching personnel in this new technology.

Knowledgeable and skilled teachers of Minglanilla National Science High School recognize the significantly greater side effects due to lack of textbooks and computers inside the classroom that commonly occur when the subject teachers are recommended solely based on the diagnostic tests, division achievement test, regional achievement test and national achievement test. However, due to the inadequacy of textbook, research and technology analysis skills and the difficulty in teaching these skills well, many science high school teachers revert to this dangerously simplistic method of choosing old DepEd textbooks and textbook formulas.

With regard to computer problems, as what Dr. Carbonell (2009) states “Computer technology explores the use of computer-aided learning to develop skills among learners in differential assessment and decision-making, which are crucial to effective technological practice. Acquiring computers and updating them will tremendously help a lot, thus, making “self-study software” incorporate computer-aided learning and interactive databases” (p. 136). Part of advanced planning to be fully equipped with capabilities of such software includes training users on how to:

Make intelligent and wise decisions on the basis of programs and unlimited information.

Identify when available information is inadequate for making reliable decisions.

Assess and single out the best available solution among a limited set of options.

Identify complex patterns (textbooks and computer-related problem clusters) having probabilistic rather than deterministic structures.

Recognize the significance of a wide range of possible solutions and subsets of the textbook definitions and patterns.

The study has significance because both teachers and students will benefit when the students become more responsible in their actions, and equip them with caliber of intelligence and vast repertoire of learning experiences. Students who spend time to reflect on their actions have possibility to change their self-concept, and fight for what they think is right to have been supplied with 1 textbook per student, furnished with 1 computer per student, and taught through advanced textbooks with science and research approaches in education for the betterment of the school.

Our public education system has a lot of problems, dilapidated classrooms and lack of teachers among them. But I believe that if there is one thing we ordinary Filipinos can solve, it is the availability of quality textbooks. In a science high school like Minglanilla National Science High School, we need quality textbooks and every student must have 1 textbook and 1 computer. How can we make quality textbooks available to every school child in this learning institution? Normally, if you want to write a book, you agree with a publisher on the topic and sign a contract with them.

You, the author, are in charge of writing the content, while the publisher assigns a team composed of editors, illustrators, and proofreaders to make sure that the final manuscript is correct before it gets printed. During the creation phase, only you and the publisher’s team have access to the manuscripts. When the manuscript is ready, it is given to the printing team who turns it into a book. For public school textbooks, a little more care is applied. To ensure the quality of textbooks, the Department of Education (DepEd) has a four-step evaluation process, involving a few more evaluators and authorities.

This was already in place before a schoolteacher Antonio Calipjo Go discovered. After 10 years of studying textbooks, Mr. Go came to the conclusion that half of the public school textbooks in English, Filipino and Social Studies were “defective.” In 2002, he found 400 errors in a single public science high school textbook. And only June of last year, he again uncovered a lot of errors in seven Social Studies textbooks. Mr. Go came out with his findings. DepEd’s process is failing and we need a different approach to ensure the quality of public textbooks.

In order to solve these emerging problems regarding lack of quality textbooks and computers, as the principal of this learning institution, I have to source out funds from the PTA, LGU and the rich people in the community to purchase computer-units for computer lab, including quality textbooks. Aside from this, in order to have quality of education, in-service retraining should likewise be upgraded from time to time in order for the teacher to be fully equipped with caliber of intelligence. The program is a must since computer science teacher certification is a recent development, thus, most of these teachers were trained in another field. This project is composed of a sequence of courses which will teach the core principles of computer science to these MNSHS teachers.

Finally, according to Dr. Buenaventura (2003), “A teaching framework extends the traditional problem textbook-solving method in computer science education in order to increase student motivation. It replaces textbook-computer problems by so-called challenges and in particular emphasizes the learning situation and inspiration of the students. Furthermore it combines several pedagogical principles and applies them in a process of how students learn in a motivating and self-regulated way. In order to justify the necessity of a new concept, problems in the traditional textbook-problem solving approaches in a science high school education are significant” (p. 45).

In order for addressing students’ motivation changes are necessary, the ensuing change in students may eventually lead to important changes as well in the country and in the world, for it is these students who will one day dictate the course of events in the future. The principal and teacher preparations, the teaching facilities, equipment and materials, and the teaching strategies are among the necessary factors to the quality of instruction, thus improving the quality of secondary school science and research in education through advanced textbooks and technology.

On the other hand, to pave the way for theoretical framework, and to improve the quality of secondary school science and research in education through advanced textbooks and technology, it is categorically stated that the present study is anchored on the theory of Lado and Orleans (2000) that the technologically-adapted-structured lessons based on macro-skills learning performance can attain more developments in intellectual aspects and acquisition of language.

This is a valuable resource in assimilating with peers and adults in developing a sense of personal growth and in finding a place in social, technological and economic life adapted to this capacity and personal preference. Attaining the language skill requires the mastery of a system that takes literally years to learn.

It has become an established fact that the language facility can raise student’s intelligence as measured by intelligence tests. This is so because of the language facility can be determined through speaking and writing. The teacher has to find ways to teach all his students properly because if they are taught properly, the latter can learn technological skills and concepts necessary to effectively function in modern society.

The difference between excellent teaching and acceptable classroom performance is no more than the ability to take advantage of opportunities which develop in the context of the classroom, and which cannot be anticipated by even the most talented and skillful authors. The teacher who can make the most of these opportunities will be the one to dominate the materials he/she teaches and to implement a vast repertoire of techniques and procedures for classroom management. The language program should take into account the cognitive and socio-cultural needs of the students, the community in which the school is located, the training, language ability and personality of the teacher, and the present and foreseeable future needs of the society in which our learners are living or planning to live (Makalinao, et al., 2001).

In English for Special Purposes (ESP), the desirable goal to strive in language teaching is general communicative competence. Language teaching has a definite purpose, teachers of ESP teach only the requisite for a particular purpose, be it an occupation (business English), or a domain (English for Science and Technology). Thus, before English is done, the baseline experiment on needs analyses is imperative, specifically doing analysis of situations where pilot students will likely find themselves and carefully selecting the English necessary for them to meet the language demands of these restricted domains and contrasting approaches to education (Widdowson, 1998).

Learning is indispensable on the part of students who undergo rigid studies of the language, but teaching involves much more than knowledge of methods. However, a well-versed teacher maybe in psychological and linguistic theories, in techniques and methodologies, this knowledge alone will not assure success. And even more basic ingredient of good teaching is the teacher’s attitude toward his students and his work. More than ever, we must recognize the teacher’s compassionate, intelligent, individual approach to his work as the essential factor in successful language teaching.

According to British Education theorist Peter Newsam (2005), the essential factor in successful language teaching as well as a considerable diversity of views exists among analytic and linguistic philosophers regarding the nature of conceptual or linguistic analysis. Some are primarily concerned with clarifying the meaning of specific words or phrases as an essential step in making philosophical assertions clear and unambiguous.

Others are more concerned with determining the general conditions that must be met for any linguistic utterance to be meaningful; their intent is to establish a criterion that will distinguish between meaningful and nonsensical sentences. Still other language analysts are interested in creating formal, symbolic lingua francas that are morphological in nature. Their claim is that philosophical problems can be more effectively dealt with once they are formulated in a rigorous logical language.

Alcantara, et al. (2002) quoted the importance of speech improvement as saying that in teaching, skill in oral communication is recognized as a very important part of the qualification of a teacher. It is axiomatic that instruction can be efficiently and effectively carried out only within the context of effective communication. Hence, good speech, which is basic in communication, is an important concern of every teacher not only as a practical tool but also as a fine art. By implication, speech improvement is both desirable and imperative in teaching, and for that matter, in every human endeavor.

The kind of speech improvement designed to achieve good speech, is that which takes into consideration not only linguistic principles but also makes use of corrective techniques firmly based on scientific facts and principles. In the Philippines, every vowel in the Visayas dialect is stressed. This explains why children read in a sing-song manner. There are only five (5) sounds for the five vowels. In English, there are various sounds for each of the five (5) vowels. For a alone, a varies in sound in words: can, star, lake, chair. There are strong stresses at regular intervals. The weak-stressed syllables are observed and the final sound of each word is blended with the initial sound of the one following within the same unit. These differences call for sufficient aural-oral preparation before actual speaking of English is done.

In teaching English, many teachers make their student commence with the language activities at the same time in their desire to follow the minimum requirements without considering the children’s developmental stage. They fail to realize that some students develop slower than the others. For example, writing for training is similar to writing for reinforcement, but it differs in that it is not limited to the reinforcement of grammatical structures (Marquez, 1999).

According to Lado, et al. (2000), for purposes of training, writing presents students with patterns of linguistic and rhetorical forms that might be new to them and gives them practice in using and manipulating these new patterns: for instance, “students may be asked to change a general statement: “Thermometers measure temperature,” into a definition “Thermometers are instruments which measure temperature.” The speed and frequency of international communication have outstripped the speed of teaching and learning languages and demand more effective methods of teaching. With the need for more effective teaching of language goes the need for more effective testing of their use.

Communication Arts in English is not taught in a vacuum. Although its objective is to develop in the students the language skills in listening, speaking, reading and writing, the teacher uses content materials in the pursuance of the skills’ objectives. In teaching English, the teacher is guided by the assumption that language is trimodal. This means that language is composed of three components or hierarchies which interlace with one another.

There are three components of language: phonology, structure and lexicon. The first component is phonology. Phonology is the science that deals with sounds. It has two divisions, namely: phonetics and phonemics. Phonetics deals with separate sounds or phones. Its three branches are articulatory phonetics which deals with speech production, auditory phonetics which deals with speech reception, and acoustic phonetics which deals with speech transmission. Phonemics is that branch of structural linguistics which has for its subject matter the organization of phones with groups of faculties of sounds called phonemes (Preece, 2005).

Leon-Ladera, et al., in their Speech Communication and Creative Expression for English Teachers (2005), emphasize the importance of aspects of linguistics. There are many different ways to examine and describe individual languages and changes in languages. Nevertheless, each approach usually takes into account the language’s sounds (phonetics and phonology), word structure (morphology), and sentence structure (syntax). Most analyses also treat vocabulary and the semantics (meaning) of a language. Any human being learns language starting with the use of mind but he hears the sounds first before he uses them. Listening is very important in learning a language, for learning them at the start wrongly, the individual gets a shaky foundation of the language he is speaking. Learning

is seen to be a natural, gradual process, through which student’s progress at their own rates. At first it is expected that students will speak or write imperfect English. Through a combination of sensitive error-correction strategies (such as the teacher repeating correctly a student’s faulty utterance) and continued practice, the learner’s interlanguage will increasingly conform to the target language.

The choices of teachers remain to be like those of the artists. Artists’ choices are not at random. They are driven by what artists are trying to achieve and they are assessed by the artists every step of the way to assure that the choices being made are congruent with their purpose. Art teachers can help art students become aware of the options they have by having them study art history to review the choices others have made. They can also help by making their students perfect their technique. But it is incumbent upon the artists themselves to create their unique blend that is their own special contribution to others (Mu±oz, et al. 2000).

It is similar with teaching, according to Patron (2002), teachers must be familiar with the various methods, approaches, and techniques in the teaching and learning not only of language but also of literature to bring out the potential benefits of literature–linguistically, culturally, and aesthetically. Only those who are intimately acquainted with the situation, with the students and with themselves can have the choices they are uniquely suited to make. It is, after all, only the teachers who will be there to assess the outcome of the choices they make. It is only the teachers who are there to make sure that they know why they are doing what they are doing.

Simultaneous in learning the sounds of the language the learner uses structure. This is the second component, otherwise known as grammar. This has something to do with structural patterns. A language works in a pattern. It has its own structure which is meaningful to its own speakers. It operates within its own recurring patterns or arrangements which are meaningful to its speakers. In English the sentence structure begins with the subject, followed by the predicate. It is exactly the opposite of Cebuano-Bisaya-sentence that begins with the predicate followed by the subject (Gurdiel, 1992).

There is a need to comprehend the ways to teach the English (the target language must be associated with technology-driven skills for the students), particularly in first year High School at Minglanilla National Science High School, Poblacion Ward I, Minglanilla, Cebu. It is important that teachers should provide their students with authentic examples of language to study. It appears clearly that one aspect of authenticity resides in natural, spontaneous speech which has normal irregularities, hesitations and simplifications so that the students are trained to listen for cues that will be present in normal speech and not just in that particular brand of speech spoken only to foreigners.

According to Pahang (1995) in her dissertation entitled “A Correlative Study of the Mental Ability and Language Achievement,” this study has something to do with the freshman’s actual needs in English. The question is how students can later on develop essays and other literary forms after attending English classes. Some of them will later enjoy reading newspapers and write letters. But others will become tourists, immigrants, hotel clerks, and stewards on cruise ships, journalists, and diplomats, participants in domestic and foreign conferences. Such people will need to be able to communicate orally, write legibly, read with comprehension and understand with other when he speaks. If speech is unintelligible, the act of communication has failed; the person who is supposed to receive the message would fail to respond or if ever a response is made, this may be inappropriate.

It is also supported by Gabison (1991) in her study entitled “A Correlative Study of the Mental Ability and Language Achievement,” it is worth-noting that these structural lessons are dependent upon the data gathered from the language inventory tests responded to by the learners. For theoretical specificity, these structural lessons consider the four (4) areas of English language teaching, namely: listening, speaking, reading and writing as sequenced in the lessons. The lessons are more on the difficulties and needs of the freshmen as identified by the students and their teachers. Those studying English may be aware of the importance of oral and written communications. The students who are second speakers of the English language expend their efforts to acquire proficiency in this particular language.

Students need to be able to communicate orally. That is, a learner needs to comprehend the other fellow when he speaks and vice versa. If speech is unintelligible, the act of communication, needless to say, has failed. The student who is to receive the message fails to respond inappropriately. Thus, it is very important that one should learn to speak as intelligible as possible–not necessarily like native speakers–but well and clear enough to be understood. Communication needs constant practice despite the barrier of the language made culturally diverse from the others. Difficulty of the language is inevitable on the learner who is not native speaker of the language. That is why structured English lessons are a must in the step-by-step study and in-depth analysis done by the students themselves in order to pan out both in oral and written communications in English (Navarro, 2001).

There are some techniques suggested to improve the teaching of English language among non-English speakers. A few include 1) the grammar translation approach, which teaches the learner using the mother tongue, 2) the direct approach, which attempts to integrate more use of the target language instruction, 3) the reading approach, which is intended for people who do not travel abroad and reading is the one usable skill in a foreign language, 4) the audio-lingual method, which uses the principles of the direct method, 5) the community language learning, which is patterned after the counseling technique, 6) the silent way, which uses verbal commands, 7) the functional-notional approach, which breaks down the global concept of language into units of analysis in terms of communicative situations in which they are used, and the total physical response, which combines information and skills through the use of the kinesthetic sensory system (Jordan, 2001).

Gurdiel (1992) said that English is one of the learning areas that develop the learners’ confidence and ability in using the language for effective communication and critical thinking. The macro-skills to be developed are listening, speaking, reading and writing in English.

Briones (2003) compared the oral and written English proficiency of the senior secondary students of the University of Southern Philippines, Lahug Campus and found out that the students who are good at oral communication may not at all times be good at written communication. In the same school but in a different campus, Bandajon, et al. (2003) found out that among the first year secondary students, the girls have higher scores than boys in literal comprehension and application in the English subject.

Widdowson (2003) assessed the communication skills need of the high school students and found out that speaking and listening skills, together with related micro-skills such as conversational, oral presentation and telephone conversational skills are most useful and applicable in the job setting and recommended for reinforcement of English communication skills in major subject areas.

The foregoing literature has clearly shown the factors that facilitate the learning of English language for non-speakers of English–learning said language must be associated and supplied with advanced textbooks and provided with computers in order for the students to become computer-literate. Besides, the teacher preparation, the teaching facilities, equipment and materials, and the teaching strategies are among the necessary factors to the quality of instruction.”

Aidan King

Sylvia Plath Analysis

On: Daddy & Lady Lazarus

            Sylvia Plath, though a talented student and a virtuosic poet, spent the majority of her life combating severe depression, leading to her successful suicide at the tragically young age of thirty. One of the roots of this mental and emotional instability, as seen in Daddy and Lady Lazarus, can be attributed to Plath’s destructive relationship with her father and the years of despise towards society’s patriarchal figures.

            Plath masterfully uses the first person perspective in these two semi-autobiographical poems. As the victim, she uses “I,” evoking sympathy from those who also associate themselves as victims. She refers to the antagonist – and the reader – as “you,” which also produces feelings of remorse, pity, and even guilt. Her confessional hatred in “Daddy,” with the phrases “You bastard” (80) and “Brute heart of a brute like you,” (50) attack the reader as if to compare you to her father. She even italicizes “you” in the line “I have always been scared of you” (41), further adding to the comparison.

            While “Lady Lazarus” contains much subtler references to the Holocaust than in “Daddy,” it does however draw a stark connection between the experiences of Nazi-enslaved Jews and her own suffering. “A sort of walking miracle, my skin / Bright as a Nazi lampshade, / My right foot / A paperweight, / My face a featureless, fine / Jew linen” (4-9, Lazarus). Here, while again describing herself as objects – lampshade, paperweight, linen – Plath details the suffering surrounding her attempted suicides and equates it to the pain that Jews endured at the hands of the Nazis.

The pain she experienced was caused by her very own “Nazi:” her father. “I have always been scared of you, / With your Luftwaffe, your gobbledygoo. / And your neat mustache / And your Aryan eye, bright blue. / Panzer-man, panzer-man, O You -” (41-45, Daddy). In these lines, Plath refers to her father’s time spent as a tank operator, and the trauma it inflicted on him over the years. This trauma was in turn passed along to her, who was not even ten years old at the time. She symbolizes this with her innocent and childish references to ‘Daddy’, ‘gobbledygoo’ and ‘Achoo’. The rationalization of her concentration-camp-Jew comparison is much more believable when told through the lips of a traumatized eight year old.

Plath sees Nazis the same way she saw her father: sadistic, controlling, and manipulative, and she connotes these traits with those of all men. Examples can be drawn countlessly from both poems. “Lady Lazarus” captures how men view women as aesthetically-appealing objects, showing little concern for any internal flaws. Plath refers to the men as “The peanut-crunching crowd” (26) observing “the big strip tease” (29). This is a criticism of the male obsession with women as sexual objects.  “I am your opus, / I am your valuable” (67-68). After her failed suicide, she felt as though she were merely seen as a specimen of sorts, rather than a real human being – an equal – with severe, distressing emotional problems.

In “Daddy”, Plath uses Nazism and her father as a metaphor of the oppressive force of men. “I thought every German was you. / And the language obscene / An engine, an engine / Chuffing me off like a Jew. / A Jew to Dachau, Auschwitz, Belsen. / I began to talk like a Jew. / I think I may well be a Jew” (29-35). Plath sees all men (Germans) as her father, each one hoping to cause her suffering (Chuffing her off to Dachau). After enough time had passed, and she had been treated like an insignificant pest (like a Jew) for long enough, she began to believe it to be true.

Both “Daddy” and “Lady Lazarus” serve as great examples of Plath’s intricate and intense metaphorical writing. Without directly chronicling her autobiographical history, she successfully is able to depict her distrust and distaste for men, her father, and the Nazi regime, fitting it into one big analogy.  “Every woman adores a Facist,” (48, Daddy) serves as her mockery towards the men who do in fact believe that one must act like a hegemon to live a fulfilling life. Her father acted that way, the Nazis acted that way, and the men in her life did as well. And although her predisposition may have hastily clumped all men together, it’s undeniable that Plath, who fought a bout of depression as extensive and painful as any, had just-cause to spite the patriarchy surrounding her, and “Eat men like air.” 

Aidan King

Sylvia Plath Analysis

On: Daddy & Lady Lazarus

            Sylvia Plath, though a talented student and a virtuosic poet, spent the majority of her life combating severe depression, leading to her successful suicide at the tragically young age of thirty. One of the roots of this mental and emotional instability, as seen in Daddy and Lady Lazarus, can be attributed to Plath’s destructive relationship with her father and the years of despise towards society’s patriarchal figures.

            Plath masterfully uses the first person perspective in these two semi-autobiographical poems. As the victim, she uses “I,” evoking sympathy from those who also associate themselves as victims. She refers to the antagonist – and the reader – as “you,” which also produces feelings of remorse, pity, and even guilt. Her confessional hatred in “Daddy,” with the phrases “You bastard” (80) and “Brute heart of a brute like you,” (50) attack the reader as if to compare you to her father. She even italicizes “you” in the line “I have always been scared of you” (41), further adding to the comparison.

            While “Lady Lazarus” contains much subtler references to the Holocaust than in “Daddy,” it does however draw a stark connection between the experiences of Nazi-enslaved Jews and her own suffering. “A sort of walking miracle, my skin / Bright as a Nazi lampshade, / My right foot / A paperweight, / My face a featureless, fine / Jew linen” (4-9, Lazarus). Here, while again describing herself as objects – lampshade, paperweight, linen – Plath details the suffering surrounding her attempted suicides and equates it to the pain that Jews endured at the hands of the Nazis.

The pain she experienced was caused by her very own “Nazi:” her father. “I have always been scared of you, / With your Luftwaffe, your gobbledygoo. / And your neat mustache / And your Aryan eye, bright blue. / Panzer-man, panzer-man, O You -” (41-45, Daddy). In these lines, Plath refers to her father’s time spent as a tank operator, and the trauma it inflicted on him over the years. This trauma was in turn passed along to her, who was not even ten years old at the time. She symbolizes this with her innocent and childish references to ‘Daddy’, ‘gobbledygoo’ and ‘Achoo’. The rationalization of her concentration-camp-Jew comparison is much more believable when told through the lips of a traumatized eight year old.

Plath sees Nazis the same way she saw her father: sadistic, controlling, and manipulative, and she connotes these traits with those of all men. Examples can be drawn countlessly from both poems. “Lady Lazarus” captures how men view women as aesthetically-appealing objects, showing little concern for any internal flaws. Plath refers to the men as “The peanut-crunching crowd” (26) observing “the big strip tease” (29). This is a criticism of the male obsession with women as sexual objects.  “I am your opus, / I am your valuable” (67-68). After her failed suicide, she felt as though she were merely seen as a specimen of sorts, rather than a real human being – an equal – with severe, distressing emotional problems.

In “Daddy”, Plath uses Nazism and her father as a metaphor of the oppressive force of men. “I thought every German was you. / And the language obscene / An engine, an engine / Chuffing me off like a Jew. / A Jew to Dachau, Auschwitz, Belsen. / I began to talk like a Jew. / I think I may well be a Jew” (29-35). Plath sees all men (Germans) as her father, each one hoping to cause her suffering (Chuffing her off to Dachau). After enough time had passed, and she had been treated like an insignificant pest (like a Jew) for long enough, she began to believe it to be true.

Both “Daddy” and “Lady Lazarus” serve as great examples of Plath’s intricate and intense metaphorical writing. Without directly chronicling her autobiographical history, she successfully is able to depict her distrust and distaste for men, her father, and the Nazi regime, fitting it into one big analogy.  “Every woman adores a Facist,” (48, Daddy) serves as her mockery towards the men who do in fact believe that one must act like a hegemon to live a fulfilling life. Her father acted that way, the Nazis acted that way, and the men in her life did as well. And although her predisposition may have hastily clumped all men together, it’s undeniable that Plath, who fought a bout of depression as extensive and painful as any, had just-cause to spite the patriarchy surrounding her, and “Eat men like air.” 

Aidan King

Robert Frost and Dorianne Laux

“Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening” vs “The Life of Trees”

            Robert Frost’s “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening” displays a simple conflict: the battle of a traveler’s attraction to the woods and a responsibility he must keep elsewhere. “The woods are lovely, dark, and deep, // But I have promises to keep,” reads Frost (lines 13 and 14). The poem is rooted strongly in the many seductive qualities that nature has, how those qualities can affect rational decision-making.

            Frost uses soft, beautiful images to convey the attraction of the woods. Phrases like “easy wind and downy snow” and descriptions that detail the silence and solitude of the location draw the reader in as much as the traveler. We’re drawn to the same harmonious, peaceful place. We want the traveler to explore more. We want the traveler to venture into the woods, to discover and show us the infinite beauty of it all.

            The woods can be seen as a doorway to freedom for the traveler. A means of escaping responsibilities and obligations. Those responsibilities are the products of society; a society he wants to be rid of. He sees this part of the woods as a crossroads. In one direction lies the fulfillment of his “promises to keep” and “miles to go before I sleep” (15). In the other direction, he is faced with the lovely, dark, and deep woods. In this poem, society, the village, duty, responsibility – they all represent the same thing. A tiring task that the rider must accomplish, but for what reason, that much is unclear. Society would frown upon the rider’s decision to stop in the woods. With important things to do, it would be disappointing and he would be letting someone – or many people down. Frost uses the traveler’s horse to show this.
“My little horse must think it queer // to stop without a farmhouse near” (5/6)
Those horse – and society would frown upon his decision to stay.

The fact that it takes place in the middle of the winter makes his decision one of life and death, as well. There is no shelter, no warmth, no place to rest. If he journeys into the woods, he may very well succumb to the cold if he rests for too long. This would in turn rid him of his responsibilities, though. He would reach an ultimatum. The burden would be lifted, but only if his willpower is broken down enough. This pulling force, although it originates from the calm, beautiful forest, has a sense of evil to it. It is “The darkest evening of the year” (8). The word “dark” can be interpreted as both “not light” and “evil.” This darkness, the mysterious force of the forest corrupts his rationale. It draws him to what may ultimately be his frigid death. At the very least, it pulls him away from his duties. The mystery of the woods, the hidden beauty that lies behind the trees is what draws the traveler and the reader further and further in, like a siren call luring sailors to their doom.

Dorianne Laux unravels this mystery in her poem “The Life of Trees.” The poem draws a line between human life and arboreal life, represented by the societal obligations and the alluring qualities of the woods in Frost’s poem.

“I want to sleep // and dream the life of trees, beings // from the muted world who care nothing // for Money, Politics, Power, // Will or Right, who want little from the night” (12-16).

These lines explain the mysterious attraction that the woods have on Frost’s traveler, and the things that make them different from society. Frost, like Laux, wants to be a part of the trees. He wants to forget about the money, politics, and power of society. He wants to forget about all the complexities of humanity that emerge within civilization. The trees represent a free existence, while humanity represents an enslaved existence, one ruled by monotonous tasks and rules.

Laux’s final line, “breathe, and breathe again” (46) captures the desire for freedom perfectly. Breathing is necessary for life. To breathe is to live, and Laux envies that quality that the trees have. No responsibility, no fear.

“Sun. Rain. Snow. Wind. They fear // Nothing but the Hurricane, and Fire,” (30/31).

The trees just exist, like the woods that the traveler passes by. They remain there in harmony, separated from the world around them. Frost’s rider craves for this utter freedom as well. He envies that life.

Frost depicts a scene in which the appeal of peaceful and mysterious woods tempts the lonesome traveler. The reader doesn’t know exactly what it is about the forest that draws us in. Only the fact that the dark, snow-covered woods are silent, peaceful, and away from society. In her poem, Laux makes sense of the forest. She describes the envious qualities of the trees. The qualities that don’t exist with humans in society. These traits can only be accomplished by being in nature, which is the core of Frost’s traveler’s desires. Society is a dreary place; one that confines its inhabitants. Nature, in its purest form, allows for near-infinite freedom. It is an enviable destination, at the very least.