Leaves Of Grass By Walt Whitman Essays - Literature,

Leaves Of Grass By Walt Whitman In the twentieth century, the name Walt Whitman has been synonymous with poetry. Whitman's most celebrated work, Leaves of Grass, was the only book he ever wrote, and he took a lifetime to write it. A large assortment of poems, it is one of the most widely criticized works in literature, and one of the most loved works as well. Whitman was unmarried and childless, and it has been noted that Leaves of Grass consumed him greatly; James E. Miller Jr. writes: "...he guided his poetic offspring through an uncertain, hesitant childhood, a lusty young manhood, and a serene old age...it is difficult to write the life of Whitman without writing instead of the life and times of his book...Whitman was the kind of parent who lives his life through his child." (Miller 15) The"poetic offspring" that Miller writes of is of course Leaves of Grass. Whitman poured his soul into the work, as he questioned himself and observed his demeanor through his writing. He "fathered" the tome, as after its initial publishing Whitman went on to release revision after revision as time progressed. Miller goes on to reflect on Whitman's methods, as he tells the reader of Whitman's curiosity towards life, particularly curious about his own meaning in the world in which he lived. "Like any individual of depth and complexity, Whitman was continuously curious about who he was...(he had) a lusty enthusiasm, a hearty relish for life lived at all times to its fullest intensity." (Miller 17) The life Whitman lived "to its fullest intensity" started in West Hills, Long Island, May 31, 1819. He was one of nine children to Walter and Louisa Whitman, his father a farmer and his mother a devout Quaker. Quakerism was the only religious inheritance the Perez 2 family passed on to Walt, and, as Miller notes, could also be seen later in his famous"sea-poem". "Out of the cradle endlessly rocking, Out of the mocking-bird's throat, the musical shuttle, Out of the Ninth-month midnight... Passage to more than India! Of secret of the earth and sky! Of you o waters of the sea! O winding creeks and rivers!... O day and night, passage to you!' (Whitman 180-294) ...His use of ?thee' and ?thou' in his poetry, his reference to the months by their sequential number (?ninth month' for September), and his instinctive adoption of the inner light?all of these Walt could trace back to his Quaker background." (Miller 17) This Quakerism also contributed to the style of Leaves, told with certain closeness and a certain emphasis paralleling that of a preacher. Miller comments on this style: "His was a day of evangelism and oratory. As a child he was no doubt frequently exposed to both. The passionate intimacy and pleading of many lines in Leaves of Grass could...have been used by an itinerant preacher..." (Miller 43) Aside from his Quaker traces, Leaves of Grass has been criticized as being an extension of Whitman's life. Just as Miller described the work as Whitman's child, John Kinnaird comments on the great level of importance at which Whitman held his masterpiece: "...Leaves of Grass suggests so much of the original existential Whitman that criticism must continue to recover and understand, particularly since this is the first poet who ever insisted that his book was in reality no book." (Kinnaird 24) Kinnaird reinforces the criticism of Miller Jr. as he emphasizes the autobiographical and introspective nature of Leaves. It seems that Whitman used this work as a release, and Perez 3 had a marvelous interpretation of life in general. He also had a unique estimation of poetry itself. In his introduction to Leaves of Grass he writes: "The power to destroy or remold, is freely used by him (the greatest poet) but never the power of attack. What is past is past. If he does not expose superior models and prove himself by every step he takes he is not what is wanted." (Whitman 8) The introduction from which the passage was taken is one of great length, with elaborative and expressive sections, in which Whitman further explains the muse behind his book, the "child" he conjured up at the time, as he was without any family of his own. James A. Wright comments on the introduction and his poetic brilliance: "Whitman's poetry has delicacy of music, of diction, and of form...I mean it to suggest powers of restraint, clarity, and wholeness, all of which taken together embody that deep spiritual inwardness...which I take to be the most

Trends in Human Resource Management

Trends in Human Resource Management Introduction It has been observed that human resource practices are characterized by certain designs and changes based on trends in the working environments. Consequently, the effect of a particular trend has resulted into implementation of a particular human resource management approach to ensure the intended purpose of effective management is realized.Advertising We will write a custom coursework sample on Trends in Human Resource Management specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More A number of trends have been observed to contribute to the changes in human resource management and their impacts explained on the basis of staffing, training and development, salary allocation, promotion as well as career planning. Discussion Increasing health regulation by government has affected the manner in which human resource management takes place in terms of provision of free health care for employees at work place. Where such services are not offered fo r free, there has been need for the organization to allocate some resources for accomplishing this purpose. Aging workforce has ensured that positions occupied by older people are advertised so that when they retire, new employees take over from where they have left. Thus, human resource personnel have to ensure that any aged employee is replaced at the right time through recruitment and training (Rothwell, 2010). The trend of increasing and outsourcing employees or leasing employees has been applied in situation where the workforce needs to be obtained from a different place or when specific skills which are not available in an organization are needed. Increasing diversity has ensured that a particular type of people is considered when providing employment opportunities. For instance, when a company wants to employ more women than men, there will be need to ensure that more women vacancies are advertised compared to men. The trend of recruitment of multigenerational workforce has b een observed to take effect where a company needs to recruit employees of various ages in different capacities. Companies that need to recruit more youth may need to advertise the maximum age for the applicants in order to prevent certain age groups from dominating the work force (Bernardin, 2002).Advertising Looking for coursework on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More There has also been the need to increase the use of social networks in areas such as job advertisement and employee motivation. As a result, human resource administrators have made their accessibility possible in organizations to assist employees in accessing information regarding the company. It has also ensured vacant jobs are posted on social networks to ensure more potential employees get access to them. When the trends of employment requires that foreign employees are recruited, human resource managers have always ensured that th ey advertise the vacancies by making sure potential foreigners are reached. This has made the personnel in the human resource departments to focus their resources on such channels as internet and online applications to enable applicants from other countries make their applications (Barry and Hollenbeck, 2005). Global warming has contributed to recruitment of staff with pollution management skills to assist the company in making decisions regarding environmental management. These experts have been assigned the task of monitoring the levels of pollution in these companies and provide the right advice for regulation of amount of pollutants. Shortages of labor in a particular field of employment have ensured that human resource department allocate sufficient resources are channeled towards recruitment, training and orientation of employees in these areas. Stagnant economic growth in the U.S and the entire world has ensured that human resources are channeled to areas where there is possi bility of slow growth in an organization. The resources have been allocated for advertisement of goods and services, customer care improvement and quality products and services provision. References Barry, G. Hollenbeck, S. (2005) Fundamentals of Human Resource Management. London: McGraw-Hill/ Ryerson Limited. Bernardin, G. (2002). Human resource management: an experiential approach. London: London: McGraw-Hill/Irwin.Advertising We will write a custom coursework sample on Trends in Human Resource Management specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Rothwell, W. (2010). Human Resource Transformation: Demonstrating Strategic Leadership in the Face of Future Trends. New York: Nicholas Brealey Publishing.