The Romantic Movement Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Romantic Movement - Essay Example The lofty ideals of democracy asserted the value of individuals, regardless of class, and education. Of course, these values primarily applied to white males. In fact, tensions were building which cried out for creative release. Inequality, not equality was the rule for many, especially women and slaves. The clash of these realities with the idealistic rhetoric led writers to take extremes, championing individualism yet also seeing the darker sides of a fragmenting society (Woodlief). This is the important background within which all of the following writers worked. These writers made a lasting impact that we should all be grateful for. In the course of this essay I will briefly describe each of the following famous writers. Longfellow was one of the most famous poets of his age. He came to represent what was best about New England romanticism. One of Longfellow's main talents was romanticizing the past. He was very knowledgeable about American history and wrote poems that brought th e Revolution to life. Poems about people like Paul Revere and the poor Acadian girl Evangeline quickly became famous. He showed people the past in a way they had never seen it before, even if it was sometimes a bit sentimental. His work reached a large audience in his day. Like many Romantics, he recognized his calling from an early age, writing to his father as a boy: â€Å"I will not disguise it in the least... the fact is, I most eagerly aspire after future eminence in literature, my whole soul burns most ardently after it, and every earthly thought centres in it... I am almost confident in believing, that if I can ever rise in the world it must be by the exercise of my talents in the wide field of literature† (Arvin, 13). Bryant had a very long career, but much of his work was derivative of European writers. Unlike Whitman, who was wholly original and American, much of Bryant's work has not lasted as it was not much better than some of the minor British poets of the perio d. He did however, have a fan in Edgar Allen Poe, who once wrote of his work: â€Å"The rhythmical flow, here, is even voluptuous—nothing could be more melodious. The intense melancholy which seems to well up, perforce, to the surface of all the poet's cheerful sayings about his grave, we find thrilling us to the soul—while there is the truest poetic elevation in the thrill... the impression left is one of a pleasurable sadness† (Sova, 37). Harriet Beecher Stowe was one of the most popular and best selling authors of her day. She made her name with a singular novel—Uncle Tom's Cabin—which has been considered one of the most influential books ever written. In keeping with Enlightenment ideals, which were very prominent at the time, Stowe took on the issue of slavery, presenting a fully formed and human African American man as her novel's main character. She drew many of her ideas from things she had observed first hand in the America of the day. Dou glass was one of the first African American men of letters. He was an excellent chronicler of black life in America and became a prominent figure in the fight against slavery. He travelled the country giving speeches and explaining how all people should be equal, as one of the most prominent orators of his age (Gatewood). One element of romanticism especially espoused by him was to end corrupt hierarchies. He believed that by nature all people were

Changing an Outdated Policy Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Changing an Outdated Policy - Assignment Example This policy stipulates that the tutor must be present during the actual class lesions .The tutor is required to teach, make presentations in class and to evaluate the students. The evaluation is always in either in the form of short questions answered within the class. This policy enables the tutor to get direct feedback from the students on whether the topic or the lecture has been understood. The students are also able to seek clarifications of unclear points. The policy makes the classroom teaching more interactive. The student gets the chance to reason out points among themselves in class. The interactions make learning more fun and interesting. Though this policy has its own advantages, it also has some disadvantages. It has low differentiation level. That is, it does not allow students to move at their own paces. It has lower student attendance and engagement. Once a student misses a lesson, catching up will be difficult hence reduced engagement in the class activities. The stu dent and the tutor will not be about the same topics. The current method that needs to be introduced by educators to make learning more productive is the flipped classroom. ... The flipped classroom has a lot of advantages over the traditional teaching method. It allows for greater differentiation since the students are able to move at their own paces. Improved student attendance and engagement since when the teacher will be present in class, he or she will be dealing with the assignments where everyone is required to participate. It facilitates more proactive interactions between the teachers and the students. This is because both the parties will be engaged in problem solving. The flipped classroom is student centered, more economical on the part of the administrators since it allows them to hire fewer teachers since the teachers do not spend a lot of time in class. Changing the Policy The first , ISLLC standard for school leaders states that a school administrator is an educational leader who promotes the success of all students by facilitating the development , articulation , implementation and stewardship of a vision of learning that is shared and supp orted by the school community. This means that a school administrator should always strive to bring changes that will improve the performance of the students. This includes updating of the out of date policies. The policy that the teacher or the tutor must be present during lesions is out of date and should be replaced by flipping classroom where the teacher’s presentations are recorded on video and the tutor only discusses the assignments the student in class. The selected policy to update or change will benefit the school in many ways. Firstly, it’s economical since the school will not be required to hire more teachers since the teachers will not be required to spend a lot of time in class. Secondly, the policy change will help to improve the grades in the