Silent Ears, Silent Heart free essay sample

Silent Ears, Silent Heart I thought that Silent Ears, Silent Heart was an excellent book. It really gave you a full prospective of what a family and a person has to go through living a life without being able to hear sound it also helps you realize what someone has to go through that can’t hear what is going on around them. The book starts off with a couple named the Clines there’s Mr. Cline who is Jack who runs his own multimillion dollar business in a glass production. His dream is to have his son at his side and follow in his footsteps and run the family business someday. Then there’s Mrs. Cline who is Margret who is a stay at home wife that is waiting the arrival of their child. The book starts off with them being a typical couple awaiting the arrival of their first new born child, going back and forth to the hospital thinking that it’s time for the arrival of their son. We will write a custom essay sample on Silent Ears, Silent Heart or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page When the day finally arrives the Clines have a healthy baby boy named Christopher. The only thing that they don’t know and won’t know for the next two years is that their son is not going to be able to hear anything; this is because Christopher was born permanently deaf. They find out latter on that he has lost the neurosensory witch is lost in the inner ear. Which ended up being because his mother was exposed to the German measles which his mother got from a baby earlier when she was carrying, which left Christopher with no chance of hearing at all. The way his mother found out, that Christopher was deaf was, one day she was getting ready for a big dinner, her husband had a business man coming over to possibly sign him to a big business deal. As she was washing the dishes she knocked over a bunch of the pots and pans thinking that it was going to upset he son she went to run over to make sure he was ok but when she looked over at him she saw that he didn’t flinch at all he just kept playing with his toys. So she made a lot of noise and even hit a couple pots together but still nothing that’s when she realized something was wrong. When her husband got home she told her husband what had happened and that she thinks their son is deaf. He was in complete denial. For some reason he thought that if his son cannot hear that makes him stupid and a retard. Witch I found appalling. That a father could say such a thing about his own son just because he was different and could possibly have a disability. Throughout most of the book his father has a hard time excepting that his son has a problem. At one part he practically disowns his whole family. His business was having a big corporate business and his wife and son were there and one of the employees were explaining to someone else how his son was deaf and that his son is probably not going to be able to take over the family business, Mr. Clines pulls the man to the side and tells him as far as the business people know he has no family, no wife and no son which how could a father say that. The first time where I was able to see the father actually care is when his wife gets a letter in the mail asking them to register their son into a special needs program to try and get him ready for kindergarten since he will not be able to progress as quickly as the other children in class. But his mom had a very hard time letting go of her baby bay. He still was only 3 years old but that’s when he needed to start learning how to communicate so that he can be ready for kindergarten. Mr. Clines signs the paper right away but his wife is still having a hard time excepting sending her son to school so early when she could keep trying to teach him at school. But one day when she is over at a neighbor house and Christopher gets very upset and is not able to tell his mother what is wrong. This is the moment she realizes that she needs to be able to communicate with her son. That is when she decides to sign the papers to send him to a school to teach him how to communicate with others. Then when Christopher was twelve new neighbors had moved in next store they had a daughter named Nicole. They were about the same age and had made a connection very quickly that they knew they were going to be best of friends. Nicole was a very shy girl and didn’t really know how to respond to Christopher’s disability yet. She had learned a little bit of sign language in school but was still too shy to try and use it with Christopher so she just avoided eye contact and stayed quiet. After a few weeks Nicole brought Christopher over to her tree house as they were up in the tree house Nicole started to fingerspell words to him, he was shocked he didn’t know how to react so he just didn’t do anything. After a while she just gave up and it was time for dinner so she left. The next day he meat back up with her and tried to redeem himself after acting weird the day before they started to communicate more and Christopher started to show her how to sine different words without finger spelling. This brought them to be even closer friends not knowing that it was the beginning of a very long relationship. Many many years later, Nicole and Christopher got married. Christopher took over the family business and brought it out of the verge of bankruptcy all on his own. Building the business up even better than before, Christopher always tried to talk to his father about the business but his farther still never really had faith in him that he could do anything since he was deaf. After a few years Jack and Margret decided to make a surprise visit to see Christopher and Nicole on there arrival they found that the business was doing better than ever and it was all because of Christopher. Jack not being able to believe that his deaf son could do such an accomplishment stuck his nose in too much. When Christopher and Nicole went to go visit her parents in Washington DC Jack decided to look at all the bank records and found out how his son was able to get the business out of bankrupted when Christopher found this out he was furies. He and his father got into a huge argument after their argument Christopher got into a huge accident at the factory and was badly hurt. He went through a long surgery but in the end wasn’t able to make it out. This is what it took for Jack to actually realize what he has missed in his son’s life and how much he had neglected him and that his son’s hearing disability didn’t hold him back from anything and that it didn’t make him any different than anyone else. Jack decides he is not going to make the same mistake in his new born grandson and learned how to do sigh language and takes part in his life. I really enjoyed this book it really gave you a full prospective of what someone has to go through that cant not hear what is going on around them it also shows that even thought someone can’t hear it doesn’t make them any different and it doesn’t hold them back from anything it might make things harder for them to do but in the end there no different than anyone else.

How to Earn an Online Degree by Examination

How to Earn an Online Degree by Examination Several websites have popped up recently claiming that students can earn a degree by taking tests or get their bachelors  degree in less than a year. Is the information theyre selling a scam? Not necessarily.It is true that experienced students and good test-takers may be able to earn legitimate online degrees quickly and primarily through test-taking. However, it isnt easy and its not always the most fulfilling way to experience college. This information isnt a secret and you shouldnt feel obliged to take out your credit card for details that are publicly available from the colleges themselves. Heres what you need to know: How Can I Earn a Degree by Examination? In order to test your way to a degree, you cant just sign up for any program. When planning your next steps, you will need to be particularly cautious to avoid diploma mills with unethical practices - even listing a diploma mill degree on your resume is a crime in some states. There are several regionally accredited online colleges that are competency-based and offer flexible ways for students to earn credit. By enrolling in one of these legitimate online colleges, you may be able to earn the majority of your credits by proving your knowledge through taking tests rather than completing coursework. Why Should I Earn a Degree by Examination? Testing out of college is probably a better choice for experienced adult learners rather than incoming freshmen. It might be right for you if you have a lot of knowledge but are being held back in your career due to the lack of a degree. If you are coming right out of high school, this course may be particularly challenging as the tests tend to be difficult and do require a substantial amount of studying for students that are new to a topic. What Are the Drawbacks? Earning an online degree by taking tests has some major drawbacks. In particular, students miss out on what some consider are the most important aspects of the college experience. When you take a test instead of a class, you miss out on interacting with a professor, networking with your peers, and learning as a part of a community. Additionally, the required tests are challenging and the unstructured nature of studying alone can lead many students to simply give up. In order to be successful with this approach, students need to be particularly driven and disciplined. What Kinds of Tests Can I Take? The tests that you take will depend on your colleges requirements. You may end up taking university tests monitored online, university tests monitored at a designated testing location (such as a local library), or external tests. External tests such as the College-Level Exam Program (CLEP) can help you bypass courses in specialized subjects such as U.S. History, Marketing, or College Algebra. These tests can be taken with proctored supervision at a variety of locations. What Kinds of Colleges Accept Test Scores? Keep in mind that many earn a degree fast and test out of college advertisements are scams. When choosing to earn a degree primarily through examination, it is essential that you enroll in a legitimate, accredited online college. The widest form of accreditation is regional accreditation. Accreditation from the Distance Education Training Council (DETC) is also gaining traction. Regionally accredited programs that are well-known for awarding credit by exam include: Thomas Edison State College, Excelsior College, Charter Oak State College, and Western Governors University. Are Degrees-By-Examination Considered Legitimate? If you choose an accredited online college, your degree should be considered legitimate by employers and other educational institutions. There should be no difference between the degree you earn through proving your knowledge through test taking and the degree another online student earns through coursework.

Pipeline Should not be built Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words - 1

Pipeline Should not be built - Essay Example emission, such as emission of carbon dioxide gas, and notes that these effects could have effects on whether the Keystone XL pipeline is constructed or not. It offers a basis for opposing the pipeline building by identifying harm that the pipeline can cause on the environment through increasing greenhouse gas emission. The article explains potential effects of Keystone XL construction on the environment and also extends to other scopes of the construction such as review of the project, process of presidential approval, objective of the construction, transportation of oil in the nation, and alternatives to pipeline. Its identified risks of the pipeline construction explains possible adverse effects of the construction and adds to the opposing views. The author explains safety of the proposed pipeline construction and assumes the position that approval of pipeline will not have adverse effects on people. it offers direct support to the construction. The author reports on and analyzes data opinions on presidential approval application for construction of the CanadaPipeline. It however assumes a neutral approach and allows for critical analysis of popularity and associated risks of the proposed pipeline. TransCanada Pipeline is a system of pipelines that facilitate transportation of gas in Canada. The pipeline system is specially designed to withstand pressure and has as thick as diameters of more than one peters. The system is widely spread through Canada and the organization that manages the pipeline, TransCanada Corp, has applied for permit to extend its system of pipelines into the United States. The application is currently waiting for the presidential approval after which operations can commence after two years. The decision on whether to approve the pipeline corporation or not has been a subject of speculation with some opinions supporting its approval while others have disapproved of it. This paper argues that he pipeline corporation should not be approved

Total Quality Management Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Total Quality Management - Article Example The first approach conceptualizes TQM as a limited set of technical tools(such as statistical process control and Pareto analysis) while the second approach views TQM as part of broader changes to human resource (HR) practices. Soft TQM corresponds to human factors like commitment, team work and so on which contributes to organisational performance. It plays dual roles. One is to create an environment where seamless diffusion and implementation of hard TQM can take place, and the other is to directly affect organisation's performance in the same way that traditional human resource management (HRM) practices impact organizations. (Ahire et al. 1996). Hard TQM tools tend to be more profound in companies that adopt strategies to increase stakeholder commitment and incorporate the views of employees in decision making processes. It views the organization on the whole as a system. It can be concluded that soft TQM will affect elements of hard TQM, in addition to having a direct impact on performance. In this study Organisational performance is expressed using seven variables used by (Samson and Terziovski, 1999) amongst six variables of soft TQM used by (Dow et al. 1999) and the four elements of hard TQM adopted by (Power et al, 2001). 1. ... 1. Direct effect of soft TQM on organisation's performance: Three (executive commitment, open organization and employee empowerment) of 12 soft TQM factors correlate to corporate performance (Powel, 1995). Again 3 (workforce commitment, shared vision and customer locus) of 9 factors influence corporate performance (Dow et, 1999). 2. Indirect effect of soft TQM on organisation's performance: Here soft TQM influences hard TQM for performance. A blend is required as attention to process, product and information technology may yield quality improvements, but ultimately it is 'people that make quality happen' (Bowen, 1992). Executives appear to understand that employee motivation, education and corporate culture all have an important role to play in efforts to improve quality, even if they are uncertain about how HR-based quality improvements can be implemented in practice (Bowen & Hart). 3. Direct effect of Hard TQM on corporate performance: Hard TQM contemplates in stressing continuous improvement and treat organization as total systems (Sitkin et al, 1994). For instance, product and process benchmarking has resulted in optimal product design and process cost reduction at companies such as Ford, Motorola, Xerox and General Motors (Main and Templin, 1992). Brief Description of areas investigated: A total of 3000 Australian manufacturing sites were surveyed of which 962 sites responded, yielding a response rate of 32 percent. A telephone survey of 108 non-respondents was conducted after the main survey, and no evidence of non-response bias was found (AMC, 1994). Since the survey instrument consisted of a large number of questions (a total of 260), the results of the survey were also tested for respondent fatigue. It was found that the

Scrutinize the Qatar Architects Ethical and Professional Code of Assignment - 1

Scrutinize the Qatar Architects Ethical and Professional Code of Conduct, Analyze and structure its components in canons, ethical standards (ES) and rules, according to the AIA and RIBA codes - Assignment Example The second part analyses and relates the AIA codes and then the RIBA codes to that of Qatar Architects’ ethical standards and professional codes are essential since they work towards aligning themselves with the AIA’s Ethics Code on Human Rights: This is through prohibiting design of execution and spaces, torture, inhuman treatment, and degrading treatment of architects. All registered architects must try to promote excellence in architecture through their work and encourage others too. They must also carry out their duties to the best of their ability and to the satisfaction of clients and have proper regard for the interests of all consumers. The code of conduct expects architects to conduct themselves with integrity and honesty. This is in line with RIBA codes of integrity. This makes them to honor architecture as a unique profession. They must not act in manners that will make put their profession into dispute. They must therefore, work with fairness and integrity. The Qatari architects’ code of conduct explains that architects (registered), do not have interest in personal or financial in connection with businesses that may turn out to be inconsistent with obligations of professional conduct and standards. The code also calls for architects to rely on performance, ability, and experience as the basis of advancement in business, and shall not criticize maliciously how other architects work. Finally, it states that an architect shall be disqualified to serve as director or partner of any practice of architecture proffering service to the public when he becomes a bankrupt or his application is not discharged or has his application rejected by the registration board of architects. The first standard in architecture is about integrity and honesty, where architects are at all times expected to act with honesty and integrity and avoid situations or actions inconsistent with professional obligations. Secondly, they need

Chinese Perception of Global Order

Chinese Perception of Global Order Chinese perception of global order and the position of China throughout history Introduction It is obvious that in the last few decades the People’s Republic of China is on the rise, both in economic and political terms. What remains unclear is how the increase in the Chinese domination will affect the global order. Three important questions arise from this uncertainty: will China be a US competitor? Can it propose a viable alternative to the existing order? How do past experiences shape the current approach of China to global order? The essay will rather focus not on how the world views China, but rather mostly how the Chinese themselves (first of all the elites and the scholars) view the role of their country in the past and present. At the beginning, just to underline the paramount importance of China to world economy and politics, a certain amount of data will be given. China is the first country in the world in terms of population (1,35 bln), third is GDP (12,61 trln in power purchasing power parity), second in exports (1.971 trln USD), third in import (1,53 trln), first in foreign exchange (3.3 trln USD), first in energy production and consumption, second in oil imports. Its military budget is second biggest (16 bln USD) (CIA World Factbook). China is one of the five permanent members of the Security Council. Despite showing almost incredible economic growth, China is not a part of classical Western civilization and the capitalist core. Becoming in many ways a modern capitalist economy, being at the heart of world industrial production, its political views on the international arena and its place in it may not fully fall in line with the Western vision of China. To try to answer the set above questions, it is necessary to go back in history and see what the Chinese perception was, how and why it was transforming. Historical perceptions During the Quing dynasty, that ruled in China since the 17th century until 1912, we can speak of a honor-based system in approach to international (regional) relations. The Emperor and the elites maintained regional order through the formal recognition of superiority of the Chinese nation by the tributary states, thus providing stability and self-respect for the Chinese people. This system was broken by the intervention of the Western states in the 19th century: military defeats and national humiliation through unequal treaties made elites to seek for a way of adapting to the new reality. One approach was to study the international laws through the legal framework to be able to defend the country, exploiting the opportunities the system gave, that is mastering the western knowledge. The second approach lied in the so called Self-Strengthening movement, aimed at using technological modernization to strengthen China, without substantial modernization of the system itself. These develop ments, however, finished with the downfall of the Quing dynasty. The dynasty itself would later be seen as incapable to defend Chinese interests, responsible for humiliation. The Republican leader Sun Jatsen proposed a new concept instead, that was based on ethnocentric honor. He put a lot of efforts into reversing the unequal treaties to which China was bound. And indeed those treaties were revoked, but rather because of the political situation of the time. China remained politically and militarily frail, it had to rely on other states, and thus it was not fully sovereign, which was clearly shown during conflicts with Japan. Even more, it was perhaps of the fact that Japan – the aggressor was defeated that China would gradually rise to prominence in the region. The beginning of the communist era brought yet another shift in Chinese inner perception and approach towards foreign policy. First, those were the communist ideas on the new society (social justice) in China. From th ese ideas the foreign policy strongly depended. Later on, Chinese communist leader Mao Zedong came with the concept of the three worlds. The concept divided the countries into three categories: First World (superpowers: the USA and USSR), Second World: allies of the superpowers (most of the European countries), and the Third World (non-aligned movement states). Mao’s idea was that China could become the leader of the Third World and thus reassert itself as a great power. Still, China at the time lucked economic instruments and military power to assert its dominance even at the regional level. Ultimately, the idea that non-aligned movement would serve for the shift of the international relations, and China would be at the core of this process, did not prove. With Mao’s death, the Chinese elites took a more firm, cautious stance on the international arena, focusing more on reforming the country and going in line with the great powers. Still, the time of the Cold War infl uenced Chinese foreign policy, with political elites having to chose with which superpower to ally. First it was the alliance with Moscow and from 1972 – closer relations with the USA. It as well kept a positive image for the developing world. With the end of the Cold War there has been expressed an opinion that the global domination of the USA should be limited and that the international order should be democratized, there appeared a debate among the scholars whether a unipolar or multipolar world is appropriate. Globalisation was seen as a process beneficial for the USA, in which China had to find its place. To sum up the past experiences and the way it shapes the current approach of China to global order, it can be said that the past times are seen as a period of humiliation and injustice, especially up until the communist times. Subsequently, in the nineteenth and early twentieth century, China perceived itself to be a victim in an unjust world of aggressive, powerful Western states. Contemporary Chinese perceptions of a just international order have been formed by such past experiences and contain a strong element of restitution. Its justice claims start with the Chinese state itself rather than with the needs of a broader global community, focusing on the internal damage. Its activity on the international arena can be explained by the need to return the prestige and honour that was presumably lost in the early 20-ies. Economic factors determining current perception of global order Modern Chinese perspectives on the global order and China’s role in it is a matter of debates between the political elites, as well as economic managers and scholars. Increased by the Chinese paramount economic importance and growing military power, as well as participation in the work of a number of regional and international organizations (WTO, UN and Security Council, Shanghai Cooperation Organization) there are several viable strategies present. What must be taken into account is that Chinese view and strategy is strongly intertwined with the country’s foreign economic policy. There can defined five major principles, characterizing Chinese economy and demanding adherence to them. First, is keeping open world markets for its exports, more than half of which are produced by factories that are wholly or partly owned by foreigners. The second principle is about securing access to international supplies of energy resources and natural resources, which serve a determining factor to the Chinese industrial development. The third principle demands China is to insulate its economy and national wealth from potentially destabilizing international risks. The fourth principle demands that new technologies are acquired, together with knowhow and skills. The fifth principle presupposes promotion of global expansion of Chinese own industries through foreign investment (de Jonquieres, 2011). One of the possible dangers to the development of the Chinese national economy is the fact that it strongly relies on the energy imports. Moreover, as most of the markets for extracting resources are occupied. The data proposes that the Chinese export 4.754 million bbl/day (2010 est.), making them second largest importer of crude oil in the world. It is fourth in the world in importing refined petroleum products: 1.571 million bbl/day (2011 est.). As well, China imports natural gas: 42.5 billion cu m (2012 est.), making them 13 largest importer. Chinese often have to focus on those not so favorable, for some reason abandoned by the West. As a big market player, furthermore, China cannot switch out of investments rapidly without risking substantial losses on them – and consequent fierce criticism from nationalistic sections of public opinion and the Communist party that view the reserves as precious patrimony. In search of an escape route and, in particular, of ways of reducing dependence on the US dollar, China is taking steps to promote international use of the renminbi. They include agreements with selected partners to use the currency to finance bilateral trade (chiefly China’s imports), the launch of an offshore ‘dim sum’ bond market in Hong Kong, and authorisation of limited purchases of domestic Chinese bonds by Japanese investors. Yet, estimated two-thirds of the foreign exchange reserves are held in USD-denominated assets while about a quarter of the reserves are in Euro. This amount was partially formed as a reward for economic success first of all export earning and capital inflows, but at the same time because f skewed social policies through the excess of domestic savings over investment. Generally, they do not contribute to national prosperity. And the issue of investing abroad is under question, partially because China wanted to invest in euro, while the eurozone is still getting out of crisis, partially because China is still too much dependent on the US dollar. As well, the measures to make renminbi convertible brought only to partial advancements. This shows how China may be vulnerable as it increases at the margin of those available markets. Chinese financial system remains underdeveloped. Both external economic factors and social domestic, urge Chinese policymakers for precaution when acting on the international arena. In this way, China remains strongly dependent on the international markets and cannot allow itself grave confrontation with the main trading partners and at the same t ime adhere to the current policy in international relation. Political factors determining current perception of global order. Aside from economic necessity, changes in the Chinese foreign policy there can be traced through bilateral and multilateral acts, as well as inner reforms. Thus, in 1996 there was adopted a new security concept, that surpassed the Cold War thinking and called for a new mentality. Later on, China provided economic assistance to countries affect whose economy was damaged by the Asian financial crisis of 1997-1999. On overall, there is a strong incentive for regional integration (ASEAN plus Three cooperation, the signing of the â€Å"Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea signed in 2002, treaty of Amity and Cooperation, signed in 2003). On the regional level, China aims to be on leading positions, which cannot be done without the agreement with the other countries in the region. One direction of cooperation at which China aims is naval: partner relations with the other states would spur Chinese ambitions and capacity of becoming a great naval power. Another strate gic Chinese partner in the region is Russia. A large part of Russia-Chinese cooperation is arranged through Shanghai Cooperation Organization. This cooperation is as well ambiguous as Russian leadership is aware of the Chinese economic expansion and the demographic shift in the Russian Far East. Thus, the idea of Chinese to establish a free trade zone among the member states of the SCO has not received further development. Yet, military cooperation of the countries is increasing. Official declarations of the Chinese politicians stress the necessity for promotion of peace and development, the need for multipolarization. Some scholars argue that this approach through the regional cooperation and cooperation with great powers (USA, EU, Russia, Japan) on the one hand, and increasing the role of the international organizations (first of all the UNO) is the actual Chinese strategy on the international arena. Such a strategy presupposes democratization of the international relations, furth er support of the concept of the sovereignty of the states. Ideally, the strategy of transcending would lead to slow but secure increase in Chinese importance and multipolar world. Chinese relations with the world hegemony – the USA, is a separate issue. Ever since the Cold War partner relations with China in political sphere slowly drifted from partnership to competition. Yet, political leaders of the USA varied in their opinion on Chinese-American relations. Those relations are at times worsened by several issue, which prove to retain constant character: Taiwan issue, relation s with Iran, devaluation of renminbi, protectionist measures of the Chinese government, violation of human rights in China with special attention to Tibet. Despite the enormous growth in trade and economic cooperation in the last decades, the USA leadership often shifts attention to military-political cooperation and confrontation. China, remaining the greatest developing country, while the USA is the main developed country, has the USA- Chinese relations as the primary focus, and its external policy in various issues is dependent on these relations. Scholars propose three main p ossibilities for further development of China-US relations: long-term accommodation, which presupposes gradual shift of balance between the two great states; long-term cooperation, that presupposes further mutually beneficial partnership without significant shift in the roles; and possible conflict, based on the supposition that the USA will never tolerate China as the second world hegemon. So far, whichever strategy is to take place, China accepts the unipolarity in the international relations. But this may not remain a status quo. Despite the often bright statements announced by the Chinese official, the current approach to global politics is centered around a strategy of bandwagoning and transcending. This means that first China adopts to the US leadership and serves as a partner in various spheres, while the second stage presupposes a peaceful and gradual transition to a more democratic (balanced) world order, with more active participation of the other powers and international organizations. Chinese concept of a new order includes promotion and defense of state sovereignty, support of the role of the UN. On the other hand, constant comparison of the position of China and the USA may not draw a full picture. The Chinese leadership itself emphasized the importance of developing stronger economic and political links with other countries, thus, so as not to remain â€Å"trapped† and tied mostly in their relations with the USA. The ever increasing role of China on the international arena make the other players to study more attentively the Chinese ideas and approach to the global order. And though the Chinese economic policies may go in line with the development of modern economic system, political suggestions may reveal a different picture, that in part center around Chinese history (especially of the last two centuries) and the ideas of retribution for national humiliation, demand for justice and equality, honorable place of China on the international arena, multilateralism; and Chinese internal policy. Although, as this essay suggests, there is no single approach to the global order and the future of the international relations proposed by the Chinese political elites and scholars, certainly whichever this approach be, it will to a large extent shape world politics in the next decades.

Critical Appreciation of Audens Funeral Blues :: essays research papers

Although it is not seen at first, Funeral blues can be portrayed and understood in many different ways. Auden could be writing about the death of a public figure, as he writes about 'white necks of the public doves' and the 'traffic policemen'. Another interpretation is that Auden wrote this poem about his loss of faith in God. This would explain the use of a capital H is ?He Is Dead?. A reference to God could also be found in the line 'my Sunday rest' (Sunday being the Sabbath day). Although these ideas could be equally argued, I still believe that Auden wrote this poem while mourning the loss of his lover. It carries a sad and heartbreaking tone that puts Auden as the speaker. Being a homosexual would explain why the subject of his poem is a man. The title of the poem includes the word ?funeral?, immediately indicating death or loss. In the first stanza Auden makes use of works like stop, cut, prevent and silence ? these words all signify ending. ?Stop all the clocks, cut off the telephones?, this describes how Auden wanted to be excluded from the world while he was mourning his loss. ?Let aeroplanes circle moaning overhead / Scribbling on the sky the message He Is Dead?. Auden uses personification in these first two lines of the second stanza by giving the aeroplanes human characteristics to inform everyone that ?He Is Dead?. This man meant so much to Auden that he wanted his death to be recognized and written in the sky for all to see. In the third stanza, Auden writes: 'He was my North, my South, my East and West'. This man was everything to Auden, he was Auden's world. It is written in the third stanza: ?I thought love would last for ever: I was wrong?. This demonstrates that even though love is meant to last forever, it can only be carried to the grave and no farther.