Thoreaus Walden The Battle of the Ants

Revered by many readers as the father of American nature writing, Henry David Thoreau (1817-1862) characterized himself as a mystic, a transcendentalist and a natural philosopher to boot. His one masterpiece, Walden, came out of a two-year experiment in simple economy and creative leisure conducted in a self-made cabin near Walden Pond. Thoreau grew up in Concord, Massachusetts, now part of the Boston metropolitan area, and Walden Pond is near Concord. Thoreau and Emerson Thoreau and Ralph Waldo Emerson, also from Concord, became friends around 1840, after Thoreau had finished college, and it was Emerson who introduced Thoreau to transcendentalism and acted as his mentor. Thoreau built a small house on Walden Pond in 1845 on land owned by Emerson, and he spent two years there, immersed in philosophy and beginning to write what would be his masterpiece and legacy, Walden, which was published in 1854. Thoreaus Style In the introduction to The Norton Book of Nature Writing (1990), editors John Elder and Robert Finch observe that Thoreaus supremely self-conscious style has kept him continuously available to readers who no longer draw a confident distinction between humanity and the rest of the world, and who would find a simpler worship of nature both archaic and incredible. This excerpt from Chapter 12 of Walden, developed with historical allusions and an understated analogy, conveys Thoreaus unsentimental view of nature. The Battle of the Ants From Chapter 12 of Walden, or Life in the Woods (1854)  Ã‚  by Henry David Thoreau You only need sit still long enough in some attractive spot in the woods that all its inhabitants may exhibit themselves to you by turns. I was witness to events of a less peaceful character. One day when I went out to my wood-pile, or rather my pile of stumps, I observed two large ants, the one red, the other much larger, nearly half an inch long, and black, fiercely contending with one another. Having once got hold they never let go, but struggled and wrestled and rolled on the chips incessantly. Looking farther, I was surprised to find that the chips were covered with such combatants, that it was not a duellum, but a bellum, a war between two races of ants, the red always pitted against the black, and frequently two red ones to one black. The legions of these Myrmidons covered all the hills and vales in my wood-yard, and the ground was already strewn with the dead and dying, both red and black. It was the only battle which I have ever witnessed, the only battle-field I ever trod while the battle was raging; internecine war; the red republicans on the one hand, and the black imperialists on the other. On every side t hey were engaged in deadly combat, yet without any noise that I could hear, and human soldiers never fought so resolutely. I watched a couple that were fast locked in each others embraces, in a little sunny valley amid the chips, now at noonday prepared to fight till the sun went down, or life went out. The smaller red champion had fastened himself like a vice to his adversarys front, and through all the tumblings on that field never for an instant ceased to gnaw at one of his feelers near the root, having already caused the other to go by the board; while the stronger black one dashed him from side to side, and, as I saw on looking nearer, had already divested him of several of his members. They fought with more pertinacity than bulldogs. Neither manifested the least disposition to retreat. It was evident that their battle-cry was Conquer or die. In the meanwhile there came along a single red ant on the hillside of this valley, evidently full of excitement, who either had dispatche d his foe, or had not yet taken part in the battle; probably the latter, for he had lost none of his limbs; whose mother had charged him to return with his shield or upon it. Or perchance he was some Achilles, who had nourished his wrath apart, and had now come to avenge or rescue his Patroclus. He saw this unequal combat from afar--for the blacks were nearly twice the size of the red--he drew near with rapid pace till be stood on his guard within half an inch of the combatants; then, watching his opportunity, he sprang upon the black warrior, and commenced his operations near the root of his right foreleg, leaving the foe to select among his own members; and so there were three united for life, as if a new kind of attraction had been invented which put all other locks and cements to shame. I should not have wondered by this time to find that they had their respective musical bands stationed on some eminent chip, and playing their national airs the while, to excite the slow and chee r the dying combatants. I was myself excited somewhat even as if they had been men. The more you think of it, the less the difference. And certainly there is not the fight recorded in Concord history, at least, if in the history of America, that will bear a moments comparison with this, whether for the numbers engaged in it, or for the patriotism and heroism displayed. For numbers and for carnage it was an Austerlitz or Dresden. Concord Fight! Two killed on the patriots side, and Luther Blanchard wounded! Why here every ant was a Buttrick--Fire! for Gods sake fire!--and thousands shared the fate of Davis and Hosmer. There was not one hireling there. I have no doubt that it was a principle they fought for, as much as our ancestors, and not to avoid a three-penny tax on their tea; and the results of this battle will be as important and memorable to those whom it concerns as those of the battle of Bunker Hill, at least. I took up the chip on which the three I have particularly described were struggling, carried it into my house, and placed it under a tumbler on my window-sill, in order to see the issue. Holding a microscope to the first-mentioned red ant, I saw that, though he was assiduously gnawing at the near foreleg of his enemy, having severed his remaining feeler, his own breast was all torn away, exposing what vitals he had there to the jaws of the black warrior, whose breastplate was apparently too thick for him to pierce; and the dark carbuncles of the sufferers eyes shone with ferocity such as war only could excite. They struggled half an hour longer under the tumbler, and when I looked again the black soldier had severed the heads of his foes from their bodies, and the still living heads were hanging on either side of him like ghastly trophies at his saddle-bow, still apparently as firmly fastened as ever, and he was endeavoring with feeble struggles, being without feelers and with only t he remnant of a leg, and I know not how many other wounds, to divest himself of them, which at length, after half an hour more, he accomplished. I raised the glass, and he went off over the window-sill in that crippled state. Whether he finally survived that  combat,  and spent the remainder of his days in some Hà ´tel des Invalides, I do not know; but I thought that his industry would not be worth much thereafter. I never learned which party was victorious, nor the cause of the war; but I felt for the rest of that day as if I had had my feelings excited and harrowed by witnessing the struggle, the  ferocity  and carnage, of a human battle before my door. Kirby and Spence tell us that the battles of ants have long been celebrated and the date of them recorded, though they say that Huber is the only modern author who appears to have witnessed them. Aeneas Sylvius, say they, after giving a very circumstantial account of one contested with great obstinacy by a great and small species on the trunk of a pear tree, adds that this action was fought in the pontificate of Eugenius the Fourth, in the presence of Nicholas Pistoriensis, an eminent lawyer, who related the whole history of the battle with the greatest fidelity. A similar engagement between great and small ants is recorded by Olaus Magnus, in which the small ones, being victorious, are said to have buried the bodies of their own soldiers, but left those of their giant enemies a prey to the birds. This event happened previous to the expulsion of the tyrant Christiern the Second from Sweden. The battle which I witnessed took place in the Presidency of Polk, five years before the passa ge of Websters Fugitive-Slave Bill. Originally published by Ticknor Fields in 1854, Walden, or Life in the Woods   by Henry David Thoreau is available in many editions, including Walden: A Fully Annotated Edition, edited by Jeffrey S. Cramer (2004).

Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill A Human Rights Issue

Caitlin Morse A10904065 8 June 2015 Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill: A Human Rights Issue In April 2010, the Deepwater Horizon oil rig exploded, polluting the Gulf of Mexico with 4.9 million barrels of oil (EPA, 2015). This disaster is known as the BP oil spill, and is regarded as one of the worst environmental catastrophes in American history. Although it is widely recognized for its impact on ocean ecosystems, marine animals, and public health, it is also a human rights issue. The extensive impacts of the spill include the violations of the human rights to a healthy environment, livelihood, and housing. Further, the oil spill disproportionately affected low-income communities of color that are systematically excluded from protection against environmental harm. This adds to its relevance to human rights because all rights are intended to be enjoyed equally regardless of race, color, income, or other status. The Deepwater Horizon oil spill demonstrates how the legal system often fails to defend vulnerable people and the i nequalities associated with the damage and compensation of the disaster. Amnesty International published a detailed and comprehensive report on the human rights violations in the Gulf Coast. The authors highlight the six major violations: shortage of affordable housing, inadequate mental health care, inadequate primary health care, failure to rebuild, police corruption, and criminal justice issues (Amnesty International, 2010). The article focuses on how muchShow MoreRelatedThe Long Lasting Effects Of The Deepwater Horizon On The Gulf Of Mexico1544 Words   |  7 PagesThis essay will discuss the long lasting effects on the economy from the explosion on the DeepWater Horizon oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico. The events that took place on April 20, 2010 would go down in history as the worst deep sea oil spill in history. 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first aid Free Essays

First Aid Free Essays INTRODUCTION First aid is the immediate assistance or treatment given to someone injured or suddenly taken ill before the arrival of an ambulance, doctor, or other appropriate qualified persons. It is a skill, based on knowledge, training and experience. First aid training is important as it is relevant at home, work place or industries and any other place. We will write a custom essay sample on First Aid or any similar topic only for you Order Now The term â€Å"FIRST AIDER† is usually applied to someone who has completed a theoretical and practical instruction course, and passed a professionally supervised examination. The standard first aid certificate awarded by St John Ambulance, St Andrews Ambulance Association and the British Red Cross is proof of all round competence. First aid must be administered as soon as possible. In case of critical injury, a few minutes can make the difference between complete recovery and loss of life. First aid requires rapid assessment of victims to determine whether life threatening conditions exists. First aid measures depend on the victims need and the provider’s level of knowledge and skill. Knowing what not to do in an emergency is as important as knowing what to do. DEFINITION OF TERMS FIRST AIDER: someone who has completed a theoretical and practical instruction course, and passed a professionally supervised examination. EMERGENCY: A serious, unexpected and potentially dangerous situation requiring immediate action or an unexpected event that must be dealt with urgently. CASUALTY: somebody who has a fatal accident, or receives a serious injury or suddenly falls ill. ACCIDENT: An unpleasant incident that happens unexpectedly. INCIDENT: An event, the occurrence of dangerous or exciting event. AMBULANCE: A vehicle for taking sick or injured people to and from hospital. HOSPITAL: An institution providing medical treatment and nursing care for sick or injured people. IMMOBILIZE: Prevent from moving or operating as normal. SIGN: What you see on the casualty. SYMPTOMS: What the casualty feels and tells you. FIRST AID DEFINITION: – immediate assistance or treatment given to an injured person or someone who suddenly falls ill before the arrival of an ambulance, doctor, or other appropriate qualified persons. It is also the first care given to a casualty or someone who suddenly falls ill before the arrival of a doctor or before taking the person to the hospital. AIMS AND OBJECTIVE OF FIRST AID †¢To save life. †¢To promote quick recovery. †¢To prevent the situation from getting worse †¢To save time. †¢To save cost. PRINCIPLES OF FIRST AID The golden rule is ‘’ first do no harm’’ while applying the principle of calculated risk. You should use treatment that is most likely to be beneficial to a casualty but do not use a doubtful treatment just for the sake of doing something. Assess the situation ?Observe what has happened quickly and calmly. ?Look for dangers to yourself and to the casualty. ?Never put yourself at risk. Make area safe. Protect the casualty from danger. ?Be aware of your limitations. Assess all casualties and give emergency aid ?Assess each casualty to determine treatment priorities, and treat those with life-threatening conditions first. Get help ?Quickly ensure that any necessary specialist has been summoned and is on the way QUALITIES OF A GOOD FIRST AIDER †¢Be resourc eful at all times. †¢Be sympathetic and empathetic to your casualty. †¢Be smart and confident. †¢Be observant. †¢Be bold. †¢Be gentle SCOPE OF FIRST AID This is the systematic way of administering first aid;- DIAGNOSIS:- †¢History Signs †¢Symptoms CARE:- This should be given in order of priority i. e. breathing, bleeding, burns and broken bones Transportation- Arrange to convey the casualty without delay to his home, suitable shelter, hospital and or summon a doctor in any serious case. EMERGENCY RESPONSE This is another procedure taken to ensure that appropriate first aid and safety is observed while assisting a casualty. When to use it depends on the situation you find yourself. D – Danger. R – Response (A. V. P. U. i. e. Alert, voice, pain, unresponsive). A – Airway. B –Breathing (L. L. F i. e. ook, listen and feel). C -circulation THE RESUSCITATION SEQUENCE To assess and treat a casualty who has collapse use the resu scitation techniques, obtained on the following pages. If breathing and pulse return at any points place the casualty in a recovery position. The resuscitation sequence Check response ? Open airway and check breathing ? Breathe for the casualty ? Assess for circulation ? commence CPR. CHECKING RESPONSE On discovering a casualty, you should first establish whether the casualty is conscious or unconscious. Ask a simple question such as ‘’hello can you hear me’’. ’What has happened to you’’. or give a command such as’’ open your eyes’’. Speak loudly and clearly, close to the casualty’s ear. OPEN THE AIRWAY An unconscious casualty’s airway may become narrowed or blocked. This makes breathing difficult and noisy or completely impossible. The main reason for this is that muscular control in the throat is lost, which allows the tongue to fall back and block the airway. Lifting the chin and tilting the head back lifts the tongue away from the entrance to the air passage, allowing the casualty to breathe. To open the airway – Place two fingers under the point of the casualty’s chin lift the jaw. At the same time, place your other hand on the casualty’s forehead and gently tilt the head well back. CHECKING BREATHING ?Kneel besides the casualty and put your face close to his mouth. ?Look, listen and feel for breathing. ?Look along the chest to see if the chest rises and falls, indicating breathing. ?Listen for sounds of breathing. ?Feel for breath on your cheek. ?Do these checks for up to ten seconds before deciding that breathing is absent. BREATHE FOR THE CASUALTY )Look into the mouth and remove any obvious obstruction including broken or displaced dentures from the mouth. Leave well fitted dentures in place. 2)Open the airway by tilting the head and using two fingers to lift the chin. 3)Close the casualty’s nose by pinching it with your index finger and thumbs. Take a full breathe and place your lips around his mouth, making a good seal. 4)Blow into your casualty’s mouth until you see the chest rise. Take about two seconds for full inflation. 5)Remove your lips and allow the chest to fall fully, which takes about four seconds. Repeat this once and then assess for signs of circulation. If pulse is absent and there are no sign of recovery such as any movement, swallowing, coughing or breathing, begin cardio pulmonary resuscitation. If breathing returns, place the casualty in the recovery position. ASSESSING FOR CIRCULATION Check the pulse for up to ten seconds, during which, look for other signs of recovery such as movement, breathing, swallowing and coughing. If you cannot find the pulse or there are no other signs of circulation, Begin chest compressions immediately. CARDIOPULMONARY RESUSCITATION (CPR) If there is no pulse, this means that the heart has stopped beating and you will have to provide an artificial circulation by means of chest compression. To be of any use, this process must always be combined with artificial ventilation. This procedure is known as Cardio-Pulmonary Resuscitation or CPR for short. If both you and your helper have been trained to administer C. P. R, you can do so together. GIVING CHEST COMPRESSIONS ?Kneel beside the casualty locate one of his lowermost ribs with the index and middle finger. Slide your finger along the ribs to the point where lowermost ribs meet at the breast bone. Place the heel of your other hand on the breast bone and slide it down until it reaches your index finger. This is the point at which you should apply pressure. ?Place the heel of your first hand on top of the other hand and inter lock your fingers. ?Leaning well over the casualty with your arms straight, press vertically down and depress the breast bone approximately 4-5cm, r elease the pressure without removing your hands. Compress the chest 30 times aiming for a rate of about 100 compressions per minute. Then give two artificial ventilations. Continue this cycle of alternating 30 chest compressions with two breaths of artificial ventilation until help arrives. CPR FOR A CHILD AND A BABY The same resuscitation sequence is applicable for a child but alternate five chest compressions with one breath of artificial ventilation. For one minute before calling an ambulance. Position your hand as you would for an adult but use heel of one hand only. For a baby under one year, place the tip of finger on the lower breast bone. Do this five times at a rate of 100 per minute Give one full breath of artificial ventilation, by breathing into the baby’s mouth and nose. How to cite First Aid, Papers

War Photography Carol Ann Duffy free essay sample

War Photographer Commentary Carol Ann Duffy’s poem ‘War Photographer’ published in 1985, explores the two contrasting worlds in which a war photographer lives in: the warzones of Belfast, Beirut and Phnom Penh and his calm home town in Rural England. This poem was based on Duffy’s numerous conservations with Don McCullin, an internationally known British photojournalist who specialised in war photography and urban poverty also known as the ‘the underside of society’. By sharing his experiences, Duffy evokes both disturbing and conflicting feelings for the reader. Today I intend to discuss how she achieves this through the use of literary techniques like imagery, symbolism and metaphors, the reoccurring themes of death and the effects of war, the tone and the structure of the poem. Duffy uses techniques like metaphors, symbolism and imagery. These techniques are very effective as they create a clear vision of what the speaker is both doing and reflecting on in the poem. We will write a custom essay sample on War Photography Carol Ann Duffy or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page For example in stanza one, â€Å"with spools of suffering set out in ordered rows† creates an image of the graves or coffins of the dead soldiers. However the ‘spools of suffering’ also acts as a metaphor demonstrating the effects of war. This is because ‘spools’ often relates to happy memories but in this poem Duffy uses it to convey sad and distressing memories. In the next line Duffy uses symbolism, â€Å"only light is red†, with the ‘red’ symbolising blood and the use of ‘only’ suggesting that he is deeply scared by what he has witnessed. Through these techniques, Duffy has clearly portrayed the photographer’s memories, disturbing the reader as well as emphasising the themes of death and the effects of warfare. The main themes in this poem are death and the effects of war as they appear in every stanza. Duffy uses these themes to make the reader question who is really inhumane; the photographer or the audience. She uses ambiguous lines like in stanza three, â€Å"a half ghost. /He remembers the cries†. This line emphasises these themes of death and the effects of war, as it suggests that the photographer is deeply distressed as it highlights the inner battle he encounters when developing the photos. The use of the word ‘ghost’ also holds a double meaning, suggesting a faint image or dead man. The theme of the effects of war is also highlighted in lines three to five of stanza two, â€Å"Home again/ to ordinary pain which simple weather dispel, /to fields which don’t explode beneath the feet†. These lines emphasis the theme as it conveys the photographer’s struggles to adapt back into his normal life in Rural England. These reoccurring themes create a depressing tone, making the reader sympathetic but only for a short time. â€Å"The reader’s eyeballs prick† in stanza four, shows the short lived sympathy and reflects how the public feel when they see these images in the Sunday paper as for a while they are reminded of their neighbours suffering but by lunchtime they have forgotten what they had learnt. ‘War Photographer’ was constructed using a modern structure of 4 stanzas of sestets (6 lines). Within in each stanza there are two pairs of rhyming couplets, line 2, 3 and 5, 6. These rhyming couplets like â€Å"then†, â€Å"again† and â€Å"must, â€Å"dust†; engages the reader and also make it easy to read/follow. Duffy also divides the stanzas into different scenes or memories of the photographer’s life and job, for example in stanza one he is reflecting on the war zone whilst in stanza two in three he is developing the photos or ‘doing his job’. These different stanzas give the reader more insight into his world as a war photographer. In conclusion War Photographer evokes both disturbing and conflicting feelings for the reader, which Duffy achieves through the use of literary techniques like imagery, symbolism and metaphors, the reoccurring themes of death and the effects of war and the tone and structure of the poem. Bibliography