Purpose and Importance of Business Communication

B USINESS C OMMUNICATION : A N I NTRODUCTION 1. 1 I NTRODUCTION 1. 2 R OLE OF C OMMUNICATION IN B USINESS 1. 3 D EFINITIONS OF C OMMUNICATION 1. 4 P URPOSE OF C OMMUNICATION 1. 5 T HE C OMMUNICATION S ITUATION 1. 6 T HE C OMMUNICATION P ROCESS/C YCLE 1. 1 INTRODUCTION The word â€Å"communication† got from the Latin word ‘communicare’ that way to confer, to take an interest, to share or to make normal. It is a procedure of trade of realities, thoughts, assessments and as an implies that individual or association share importance and comprehension with one another.In different words, it is a transmission and connecting the realities, thoughts, conclusion, feeling and mentalities. It is the capacity of humanity to impart across hindrances and past limits that has guided the advancement of humankind. It is the capacity of encouraging rapid and powerful correspondence around the globe that has contracted the world and made ‘globalization’ a reality. Corre spondence had an imperative task to carry out in guaranteeing that individuals having a place with a specific nation or a culture or semantic gathering collaborate with and identify with individuals having a place with different nations or culture or phonetic group.Communication adds importance to human life. It assists with building relationship and encourages love and comprehension. It improves our insight into the universe and makes living advantageous. 1. 2 ROLE OF COMMUNICATION IN BUSINESS The term business correspondence is utilized for all messages that we send and get for legitimate reason like maintaining a business, dealing with an association, leading the proper issues of a deliberate association, etc. Business correspondence is set apart by custom as against individual and social communication.The accomplishment of any business to an enormous degree relies upon proficient and successful correspondence. It happens among business elements, in market and commercial centers, inside associations and between different gathering of representatives, proprietors and workers, purchasers and merchants, specialist co-ops and clients, deals people and prospects and furthermore between individuals inside the association and the press 2/Business Communication  ¦  ¦Ã¢ ¦  ¦  ¦Ã¢ ¦  ¦ people. All such correspondence impacts business. Finished with care, such correspondence can advance business interests.Otherwise, it will depict the association in poor light and may unfavorably influence the business intrigue. Correspondence is the existence blood of any association and its primary reason for existing is to impact change to impact activity. In any association the fundamental issue is of keeping up viable correspondence process. The administration issue by and large outcomes in poor correspondence. Genuine missteps are made on the grounds that requests are misconstrued. The fundamental issue in correspondence is that the significance which is really compreh ended may not be what the other planned to send.It must be understood that the speaker and the audience are two separate people having their own constraints and number of things may happen to contort the message that go between them. At the point when individuals inside the association speak with one another, it is inner correspondence. They accomplish so to fill in as a group and understand the shared objectives. It could be authentic or informal. Methods of inside correspondence incorporate up close and personal and composed correspondence. Updates, reports, office request, round, fax, video conferencing, meeting and so forth re the instances of inside correspondence. At the point when individuals in the association speak with anybody outside the association it is called outer correspondence. These individuals might be customers or clients, sellers or wholesalers, media, government, overall population and so forth are the instances of outside correspondence. †¢ Communication is the existence blood of the business. No business can create without compelling correspondence framework. †¢ Communication is the mortar that holds an association together, whatever its business or its size. †¢When individuals inside the association speak with one another, it is inner communi-cation and when individuals in the association speak with anybody outside the association it is called outer correspondence. †¢ Ability to function admirably in groups, to deal with your subordinates and your relationship with seniors, clients and partners relies upon your correspondence expertise. Show : 1. 3 DEFINITIONS OF Communication might be characterized as trade of suspected or data between at least two people to achieve shared understanding and wanted action.It is the data trade by words or images. It is the trading of realities, thoughts and perspectives which achieve normality of intrigue, reason and endeavors. American Management Association characterizes, ‘Co mmunication is any conduct that outcomes in a trade of meaning’. Subside Little characterizes correspondence as, ‘Communication is the procedure by which data is transmitted among people and additionally associations with the goal that an understanding reaction result’. Newman and Summer Jr. express that, ‘Communication is a trade of realities, thoughts, feelings or feelings by at least two persons’.According to Keith Davis , ‘The procedure of passing the data and comprehension starting with one individual then onto the next. It is basically a scaffold of significance between the individuals. By utilizing the scaffold an individual can securely over the waterway of misunderstanding’.  ¦  ¦Ã¢ ¦  ¦  ¦Ã¢ ¦  ¦ Business Communication : An Introduction/3 Louis A. Allen characterizes, ‘Communication is the aggregate of the considerable number of things that an individual does, when he needs to make a comprehension in the brain o f another. It includes a precise and persistent procedure of telling, tuning in and understanding’.Therefore, the fundamental reason for correspondence is to advise, or to bring around in a specific way of view or to evoke activity. 1. 4 PURPOSE OF COMMUNICATION 1. For guidance: The informational capacity unvarying and significantly manages the telling nature. It is pretty much of mandate nature. Under this, the communicator transmits with fundamental mandates and direction to the following level, to empower them to achieve his specific undertakings. In this, directions fundamentally stream from top to the lower level. 2. For reconciliation: It is solidified capacity under which combination of exercises is endeavoured.The mix capacity of correspondence for the most part includes to realize between relationship among the different elements of the business association. It helps in the unification of various administration capacities. 3. For data: The reasons or capacity of corr espondence in an association is to illuminate the individual or gathering about the specific assignment or organization arrangements and methodology and so forth. Top administration illuminates strategies to the lower level through the center level. Thusly, the lower level advises the top level the response through the center level.Information can stream vertically, on a level plane and corner to corner over the association. Getting educated or advise others is the fundamental reason for correspondence. 4. For assessment: Examination of exercises to shape a thought or judgment of the value of undertaking is accomplished through correspondence. Correspondence is an apparatus to assess the individual or group, their commitment to the association. Assessing one’s own sources of info or other’s yields or some ideological plan requests a satisfactory and powerful correspondence process. 5. For direction:Communication is important to give headings by the top administration o r supervisor to the lower level. Representative can perform better when he is coordinated by his senior. Coordinating others might be imparted either orally or recorded as a hard copy. A request might be basic request, demand request or suggested request. 6. For educating: The significance of individual wellbeing at work has been extraordinarily perceived. A total correspondence process is required to instruct and teach laborers about close to home wellbeing on the employments. This correspondence causes the laborers to deflect mishaps, chance and so on and stay away from cost, methods and so forth. 7. For influencing:A complete correspondence process is important in impacting others or being affected. The individual having the capacity to impact others can without much of a stretch convince others. It suggests the arrangement of criticism which tells the impact of correspondence. 8. For picture constructing: A business endeavor can't separate from the remainder of the general publi c. There is interrelationship and reliance between the general public and an undertaking working in the general public. Altruism and certainty are essentially made among general society. It very well may be finished by the correspondence with the various media, which needs to extend the picture of th Reason and Importance of Business Communication B USINESS C OMMUNICATION : A N I NTRODUCTION 1. 1 I NTRODUCTION 1. 2 R OLE OF C OMMUNICATION IN B USINESS 1. 3 D EFINITIONS OF C OMMUNICATION 1. 4 P URPOSE OF C OMMUNICATION 1. 5 T HE C OMMUNICATION S ITUATION 1. 6 T HE C OMMUNICATION P ROCESS/C YCLE 1. 1 INTRODUCTION The word â€Å"communication† got from the Latin word ‘communicare’ that way to grant, to take an interest, to share or to make normal. It is a procedure of trade of realities, thoughts, conclusions and as an implies that individual or association share significance and comprehension with one another.In different words, it is a transmission and connecting the realities, thoughts, assessment, feeling and perspectives. It is the capacity of humankind to impart across hindrances and past limits that has guided the advancement of humanity. It is the capacity of cultivating fast and powerful correspondence around the globe that has contracted the world and made ‘globalization’ a reality. Corr espondence had an essential task to carry out in guaranteeing that individuals having a place with a specific nation or a culture or phonetic gathering collaborate with and identify with individuals having a place with other countrie

Loyalty Card Proposal free essay sample

Because of the expansion in rivalry in the Retail Industry, we should force another advertising technique to hold our present clients. Our fundamental technique is to make a prize program for clients through XM Plus Card Rewards Program. Accomplishing the above will permit us to hold our present clients by spurring them to every now and again purchase from Xpress Mart. I. Presentation Modern showcasing rotates around the Customer. It is an old and at this point all around acknowledged idea that the Customer is the King. As of late, the opposition for clients has driven numerous organizations in the retail business to execute a client rewards program and give noteworthy motivators that convey esteem well past remuneration focuses. Xpress Mart can keep moving towards its vision to turn into the most prevailing player in the retail business by actualizing a client rewards program through contribution reliability cards to clients of Xpress Mart. Accordingly the conventional methodology of making one-time deals is being supplanted with making long haul pledge to the client and it very well may be conceivable through the XM Plus Card. We will compose a custom article test on Dedication Card Proposal or on the other hand any comparable point explicitly for you Don't WasteYour Time Recruit WRITER Just 13.90/page . 1 Purpose The motivation behind this proposition is to catch an expanding portion of new clients while holding current clients through the client reward program, the XM Plus Card. 1. 2 Benefits Increasing deals by inspiring clients to as often as possible buy from Xpress Mart and bringing down publicizing costs since the XM Plus Card will likewise be utilized as the company’s promoting material to pull in new clients. 2. 0 Proposal Loyal clients not just give a strong base to the organization; they speak to development potential as well. A preparing expense of P100 will be charged. Focuses earned via cardholders who don't restore inside one month from the expiry date will be relinquished. Any XM Plus Card that is torpid for a time of three back to back years will be dropped and every single amassed point in the card will be relinquished. 2. 1. 3 Card Replacements To supplant an inadequate card, give up the card at any XM Customer Service Counter and complete the application structure. Imperfect cards will be substituted for nothing. To supplant a lost card, present a legitimate ID at any XM Customer Service Counter and complete the application structure. A handling charge of P100. 0 will be charged. Substitution of cards harmed because of the cardholders misusing will likewise be charged a P100. 00 substitution expense. Amassed Points in lost cards will be moved to the new card. 2. 1. 4 Earning and Redeeming of Points XM Plus Card holders are qualified for gain 1 Point for each Php100. 00 worth of procurement in any XM Branch across the country. Buys under Php100. 00, will even now get comparing portion of a point. Card holders will have the option to see the quantity of focuses in their cards each time they shop utilizing XM Plus Card or by heading off to any XM Customer Service Counter. The focuses earned for the present exchange just as the quantity of focuses will be shown at the base of the exchange receipt. The standard estimation of 1 Point is Php1. 00 and is legitimate for a long time. For the reclamation of XM Plus Card Points, those focuses reflected in XM Electronic Records will be regarded right and XM has the selective option to decide the accessible measure of focuses to be granted to or recovered by the Member. Focuses recovered may never again be changed, renounced or dropped. 2. 2 Management Section The entire activities strategy will be clarified in this area.

hubraum

hubraum In Berlin, we meet Peter Borchers who founded and heads the Deutsche Telekom Incubator hub:raum.Peter describes the business model behind hub:raum, which divided into an incubator and accelerator programs. Peter also talk about how it can help young entrepreneurs grow their company to the next level and he shares his valuable advice.The transcript of the interview is below.Martin: Hi, today we are in Berlin at Hub:raum, the Telekom accelerator and incubator. Peter, who are you and what do you do?Peter: Hi Martin. Im founder and head of Hub:raum. Hub:raum is the incubator/accelerator of Deutsche Telekom so were supporting start ups in the early, seed stage, helping them by funding them and advising them, helping them to build their product and their company.Martin: And what did you do before you started this Hub:raum?Peter: Quite some varieties in my career. So, already during and because of my studies I started to build the company. It was before the internet age, so therefore it was nt directly related with the Internet. It was kind of an advertising agency. I then started out at the consulting firm and then went in 97 into the sphere of internet. So I started as a product manager for very early, internet products back then and actually that was at Deutsche Telekom as well, but I left the company again after two and a half years or so to build my own startup, which was called Everseven, together with three friends. So, that was a marketplace for freelancers, basically, for the communications and media industry. Actually, we went bust like the bubble did back then, so through some consulting jobs and without having it planned I came back to Deutsche Telekom actually, and worked in our headquarters at corporate strategy. So one of my projects was what later became entertain our TV product, so I did the initial strategy product for that. I then built up a daughter company for Deutsche Telekom, also in the innovation sphere, which was called Telekom Innovations Gmb H. So were building products outside headquarters, also it was located here in Berlin, dedicated GmbH so a little bit also outside the structures of a typical corporate. Products like fussball.de, for example, came out of that, or three-minutes short film Portal, very early short film Portal and also it was called Twister, a very early second screen product so that was between 2006 and 2008 or so. And then, when T-ano GmbH, as it was called, to shorten the name a little bit, when we migrated back into the corporation, so back at the Deutsche Telekom AG, I was kind of well I mean I still got my money but I didnt have a structured job anymore so I thought about what to do with my time, also thought about potentially leaving the company but then thought that basically what Ive learnt during my professional life so far so being an entrepreneur on one hand side being in a large corporation on the other hand side so I thought there must be a way to kind of pragmatically connect those two worlds and create something that helps both worlds equally. And is what eventually came after another two and a half years at Hub:raum.Martin: And can you tell us about the Hub:raum business model? I know there is an accelerator and you have an incubator, can you tell us a little bit more about that?Peter: Our main activity is the incubator. The incubator means that teams that become part of it get basic four things: #1, funding, up to 300.000 Euros; #2: a place to work so behind us here you see, youve just seen our co-working space; then #3: we have a big network of advisors, of mentors from the startup scene, but also experts from Deutsche Telekom, domain experts like security space or so; and last not least, its a pragmatic way for startups to connect with a large corporation and also profit from the strengths of a large corporation like the reach, for example.Martin: And how can I as an entrepreneur gain reach through Telekom?Peter: Well, I mean, there are several ways because t he product portfolio of Telekom is so huge so I mean theres lots of ways to interact with the corporation like DT. But one is, for example, T-systems we have. T-systems is the unit of Deutsche Telekom that serves the 400 biggest customers like very big global corporations or governments, or so. So their sales force are always happy to take some of the products for startups with them when approaching their clients and basically, well yeah, make it potentially more interesting also for the clients to get introduced to new products, also trying to bundle their existing products with our product, so thats one way. But there is also problems like the pop-ups program at T-mobile. So, every month theres approximately 10 apps, mobile apps that get featured within the T-Mobile network, so thats another example. But it can also be, I mean, like with one of our start ups Q-learning that Telekom just becomes a customer and buys the product.Martin: Ok, I understood from this B2C side that its to p apps and B2B is T-systems. In terms of this B2B side when I have built a product, some kind of subscription model that could target other Fortune 500 companies and who do I need to convince at Telekom so they will implement my product and sell it to their clients?Peter: Well, first of all, you should convince the Hub:raum team and get accepted into the program and then actually what were doing is we are really trying to help the company, the start up, to find their way because it would be so incredibly difficult for a start up to actually find their way through the big jungle that every large corporation is. So, we have in place a handful of what we call cumulationship managers and they are really helping the startup to get access to the right person at the right time and also try to kind of facilitate the whole process.Martin: And you talked about this incubator model. How do you help your companies or portfolio companies for raising additional money once they leave your program ?Peter: So, after typically 9-12 months they need additional money and there are several ways. I mean, that could be a follow on investment by T-Venture, for example, so Deutsche Telekom had, for more than decade, we have dedicated venture funds so this is way number one. Way number two would be to get money from another external investor, like I typical VC, and we have quite a broad network of VC so we try to introduce our startups early on to them, we also have a yearly portfolio day that helps introduce our startups, so we are really trying to help get the follow-up on financing as smoothly as possible.Martin: And in terms of your accelerator, how does it work?Peter: So, the accelerator basically is kind of the little sister or little brother of the incubator. Its basically the same but its shorter and its without money but also without equity. So its basically a no-strings-attached program for the startups and they also get access to our co-working space, they get access to our network of mentors, of experts and also access to Deutsche Telekom.Martin: So, they also get the same access to T-systems, for example? Great, okay.Martin: We always try to teach first-time entrepreneurs not to make as much mistakes as they may be doing, and what have been the major learning for you? When starting your own company and when seeing other entrepreneurs failing and succeeding?Peter: Well, I mean, theres an infinite area of things an entrepreneur should think of, but maybe to name a few. I think first of all its super important with whom youre working. So, with whom youre working on one hand side as advisors and as an investors, but also your own team. So you should really focus on getting the best people and getting the best team to work because this is the basis for everything else. Then, I would say another important aspect is, and this also has kind of changed you to the lean startup movement, that, as a startup, I would always try to start building something, start getting something to work, get it in front of customers, get their feedback and then get moving like that. And also, I would only approach a VC or an incubator after having done at least a few steps. I mean, we also have accepted ideas on paper, but its far easier to get the idea over to, for example, the investor, if there is already something in place, like a prototype or so. What else? I mean, actually, one thing might not be typical learning, but in inside that I get, and that is interesting because, when startups approach us, they are so convinced about the product and they know their product so well that often times, and thats really strange, they just forget to really explain what their product is. So theyre coming in, telling everything about their marketing strategy, about their internationalization plans, everything, everything. But they forget to tell in a few sentences, sometimes they are because I didnt ask them, sometimes they are not even able to really condense it an d just say in one or two sentences what their product is. And this is something I was really, I mean, I was in the beginning, I was kind of shocked but now I see its often, and its really strange. I think thats the thing that is typical potentially to first-time founders, they wont do it second time, I assume, also, when telling them they kind ofMartin: You can change quite fast, yeah?Peter: Its no problem, I mean, they know their product, but they just, often times they just forget to really tell it and to have one or two sentence kind of elevator pitch thing in mind, every entrepreneur should have something like that in mind.Martin: Ok. Peter, thank you very much for your time.

Driving While Black, Abbreviated As Dwb, Is A Phrase

Driving while black, abbreviated as DWB, is a phrase in American English that refers to the racial profiling of African American drivers. The phrase implies that a motorist might be pulled over by a police officer, questioned, and searched, simply because of a racial bias.Racism and Racial profiling is everywhere in homes, Religion, and even states like Mississippi, Alabama, Texas, Tennessee, Louisiana, and Illinois. Imagine you re an African American male or female driving down a street minding your own business then suddenly you re stopped for the car you re driving and or the color of your skin.Racial profiling — as well as profiling based on religion, ethnicity and national origin — continues to plague our nation despite the†¦show more content†¦Due to racial profiling we regard terrorists as any type of brown male. It is the society we live in and hence we have no choice to deal with it. What exactly does the term racial profiling meaning? One could say that it is the consideration of race in criminal investigations. â€Å"For example, the popular term â€Å"DWB†, means that black people are more scrutinized and thought of when driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs (Geek). It is also a state of imagery that comes to mind when thinking of a crime; one tends to think of African Americans as the cause of most crimes. everywhere. As a nation we grow up watching television shows and movies that instigate people of another race are bad or tend to get into more trouble. Whether it is an African- American man who is completing a drug deal in the newest blockbuster flick, or a Muslim plotting another terror attack on the latest action television episode. Of course I do not agree with the actions taken by the individuals who took thousands of lives in the horrible act of terror in New York City on September 11, 2001. These events shook our nation to the core and instilled fear in many; nobody will forget where they were the day the twin towers fell and innocent people lost their lives. Even though it was a dark day in America it does not give us permission to treat everyone who is of Muslim descent, or any race for that matter like a criminal. We are all human beings

Why Everybody Is Talking About Grapes of Wrath Essay Topics...The Simple Truth Revealed

Why Everybody Is Talking About Grapes of Wrath Essay Topics...The Simple Truth Revealed Take a look at our Grapes of Wrath essayto find more on the subject of interrelation. They, in this novel are very metaphorical. The Grapes of Wrath is genuinely a timeless classic. In the long run, the reaction The Grapes of Wrathevokes will be contingent on the mood and mentality of the person reader. The Debate Over Grapes of Wrath Essay Topics The cost of an essay rides on the quantity of effort the writer has to exert. The essay isn't the simplest task to master. While writing an essay on this novel, you will start to understand it better, polish your capacity to analyze a part of literature, and structure your thoughts. You must be proficient in the topic, have an overall idea about the chosen issue and can get the best arguments to demonstrate your thesis. Still, every one of them would show up in the overall list. We come to understand that this exact same precise theme was po rtrayed in another work, and in this instance, the Bible. Tom Joad is a really complicated single, who's a huge plus and at the exact clip, a tremendous load. Answers may change in length. Who Else Wants to Learn About Grapes of Wrath Essay Topics? Everybody can agree that reading is a significant component in creating a thriving life. Steinbeck often stresses the significance of individuals working with each other to reach a frequent objective. Nevertheless, I walked into Interstellar with a specific amount of cautious optimism. Definitions of Grapes of Wrath Essay Topics Rich and wealthy class representatives were simply misusing the ability of the regional authorities to be able to guard their own interest and boost the possible profits. They work hard on the land but don't have the fields because of their social status. For the decrease class to be successful, they need to unite and keep striving for a future that may someday develop into an American Dream. Students l ead busy lives and frequently forget about a coming deadline. Grapes of Wrath Essay Topics Features Actually, rat turds would have been much superior than the horror which I discovered. In general, the usage of dialogue helps Steinbeck create the notion that family comes above every things. When you read fiction, you're studying the world through somebody else's eyes. You might have liked the book for a story, even though it is definitely depressing. The dialogue in the movie is not anything more than a run of expositional monologues developed to spell out the meandering plot. And this isn't the close of the story yet. On account of the destitute trip involved with getting to California, the Wrath facet of the title is also accurate. Dreams could possibly be shattered in California. And who knows why Dr. Mann would like to kill people by way of soliloquy. Close to the conclusion of the novel, the Joads begin to understand they are members of a bigger family. The theme is just one of man verses a hostile atmosphere. Family can also incorporate individuals who are deemed close buddies. For instance, the Joad family starts to break up because they lose hope and quit based on one another. Therefore, the state government has the substantial undertaking of formu lating and executing measures to utilise the regional resources to create jobs and offer employment. This is particularly crucial for Democrats since they are notoriously unreliable voters. Since the story is long and morose, it is crucial to think of essay questions that could engage students and let them relate to the story. You should have your reasons, and our primary concern is that you wind up getting a great grade. This will allow you to establish uniform criteria for grading essays even though students could possibly be writing about various facets of the material. Students ought to have a complete comprehension of the unit material so as to answer these questions. So far as the students are involved, writing a research paper is among the toughest and frustrating undertaking in their opinion. Therefore, many students and employees decide to obtain inexpensive essay rather than writing it themselves.

Last Sacrifice Chapter Twelve Free Essays

string(28) " area she was last seen in\." DIMITRI AND I BOTH FROZE as the shock of that name hit us. Sydney, glancing between our faces, gave us a dry smile. â€Å"I take it you know who that is?’ â€Å"Of course,’ I exclaimed. We will write a custom essay sample on Last Sacrifice Chapter Twelve or any similar topic only for you Order Now â€Å"She was my teacher. She went crazy and turned Strigoi.’ Sydney nodded. â€Å"I know.’ My eyes widened further. â€Å"Shes not †¦ she’s not the one who had an affair with Lissa’s dad, is she?’ Oh dear God. That would be one of the most unexpected developments in the rollercoaster that was my life. I couldn’t even begin to process the effects of that. â€Å"Not likely,’ she said. â€Å"The account was opened several years before she was added as the beneficiary–which was right when she turned eighteen. So, if we’re assuming the account was created around the time the baby was born, then she would have been way too young. Sonya’s probably a relative.’ My earlier astonishment was giving way to excitement, and I could see the same thing happening to Dimitri. â€Å"You must have records about her family,’ he said. â€Å"Or if not, some Moroi probably does. Who’s close to Sonya? Does she have a sister?’ Sydney shook her head. â€Å"No. That’d be an obvious choice, though. Unfortunately, she has other family–tons of it. Her parents both came from giant families, so she has lots of cousins. Even some of her aunts are the right age.’ â€Å"We can look them up, right?’ I asked. A thrill of anticipation was running through me. I honestly hadn’t expected this much information. True, it was small, but it was something. If Sonya Karp was related to Eric’s mistress, that had to be something we could track. â€Å"There’s a lot of them.’ Sydney shrugged. â€Å"I mean, yeah, we could. It’d take a long time to find everyone’s life history, and even then–especially if this was covered up enough–we’d have a hard time finding out if any of them is the woman we’re looking for. Or even if any of them know who she is.’ Dimitri’s voice was low and thoughtful when he spoke. â€Å"One person knows who Jane Doe is.’ Sydney and I both looked at him expectantly. â€Å"Sonya Karp,’ he replied. I threw up my hands. â€Å"Yeah, but we can’t talk to her. She’s a lost cause. Mikhail Tanner spent over a year hunting her and couldn’t find her. If he can’t, then we’re not going to be able to.’ Dimitri turned away from me and stared out the window. His brown eyes filled with sorrow, his thoughts momentarily far away from us. I didn’t entirely understand what was happening, but that peaceful moment in the library–where Dimitri had smiled and shared in the daydream of an ordinary life–had vanished. And not just the moment. That Dimitri had vanished. He was back in his fierce mode, carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders again. At last, he sighed and looked back at me. â€Å"That’s because Mikhail didn’t have the right connections.’ â€Å"Mikhail was her boyfriend,’ I pointed out. â€Å"He had more connections than anyone else.’ Dimitri didn’t acknowledge my comment. Instead, he grew pensive again. I could see turmoil behind his eyes, some inner war. At last, it must have been decided. â€Å"Does your phone have reception out here?’ he asked her. She nodded, reaching into her purse and handing him her phone. He held it a moment, looking like it caused him total agony to touch it. At last, with another sigh, he stood up and headed for the door. Sydney and I exchanged questioning looks and then both followed him. She lagged behind me, having to toss cash on the table and grab her laptop. I emerged outside just as Dimitri finished dialing a number and put the phone to his ear. Sydney joined us, and a moment later, the person on the other end of the line must have answered. â€Å"Boris?’ asked Dimitri. That was all I understood because the rest was a string of rapid Russian. A strange sensation spread over me as he spoke. I was confused, lost because of the language †¦ but there was more than that. I felt chilled. My pulse raced with fear. That voice †¦ I knew that voice. It was his voice and yet not his voice. It was the voice of my nightmares, a voice of coldness and cruelty. Dimitri was playing Strigoi. Well, â€Å"playing’ was really too gentle of a word. Pretending was a better way to describe it. Whatever it was, it was pretty damned convincing. Beside me, Sydney frowned, but I didn’t think she was experiencing what I was. She had never known him as Strigoi. She didn’t have those horrible memories. His change in demeanor had to be obvious, but as I glanced at her face, I realized she was focused on following the conversation. I’d forgotten she knew Russian. â€Å"What’s he saying?’ I whispered. Her frowned deepened, either from the conversation or me distracting her. â€Å"He †¦ he sounds like he’s talking to someone he hasn’t spoken to in a while. Dimitri’s accusing this person of slacking off while he’s been away.’ She fell silent, continuing her own mental translation. At one point, Dimitri’s voice rose in anger, and both Sydney and I flinched. I turned to her questioningly. â€Å"He’s mad about having his authority questioned. I can’t tell, but now †¦ it sounds like the other person’s groveling.’ I wanted to know every word, but it had to be hard for her to translate to me and listen at the same time. Dimitri’s voice returned to normal levels–though still filled with that terrible menace–and among the flurry of words, I heard â€Å"Sonya Karp’ and â€Å"Montana.’ â€Å"He’s asking about Ms. Kar–Sonya?’ I murmured. She hadn’t been my teacher for a long time. I might as well call her Sonya now. â€Å"Yeah,’ said Sydney, eyes still on Dimitri. â€Å"He’s asking–er, telling–this person to locate someone else and see if he can find Sonya. This person †¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ She paused to listen again. â€Å"This person he’s asking about sounds like he knows a lot of people in the area she was last seen in. You read "Last Sacrifice Chapter Twelve" in category "Essay examples"’ I knew â€Å"people’ in this context meant â€Å"Strigoi.’ Dimitri had risen quickly in their ranks, asserting his will and power over others. Most Strigoi operated solo, rarely working in groups, but even the lone ones recognized threats and more dominant Strigoi. Dimitri was working his contacts, just as he’d said earlier. If any Strigoi had heard about his transformation–and believed it–they wouldn’t have been able to pass the news quickly, not with their disorganization. As it was, Dimitri was already having to play leapfrog to find sources who knew other sources who might know Sonya’s location. Dimitri grew loud and angry again, his voice becoming–if possible–more sinister. I suddenly felt trapped, and even Sydney looked scared now. She swallowed. â€Å"He’s telling this guy that if he doesn’t get answers by tomorrow night, Dimitri’s going to find him and rip him apart and †¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ Sydney didn’t bother finishing. Her eyes were wide. â€Å"Use your imagination. It’s pretty terrible.’ I decided then that I was kind of glad I hadn’t heard all of the conversation in English. When Dimitri finished the call and returned Sydney’s phone, that mask of malice melted from his face. Once again, he was my Dimitri, Dimitri the dhampir. Dejection and despair radiated off him, and he slumped against the cafe’s wall, staring upward into the sky. I knew what he was doing. He was trying to calm himself, seize control of the emotions that had to be warring within him. He’d just done something that might give us clues we needed †¦ but it had been at a terrible cost to himself. My fingers twitched. I wanted to put a comforting arm around him or at least pat his shoulder so he’d know he wasn’t alone. But, I held back, suspecting he wouldn’t like it. At last, he turned his gaze back to us. He’d regained his control–at least on the outside. â€Å"I’ve sent someone to ask about her,’ he said wearily. â€Å"It might not work out. Strigoi are hardly the type to keep a database. But they do occasionally keep an eye on one another, if only for their own self-preservation. We’ll find out soon if there are any hits.’ â€Å"I †¦ wow. Thank you,’I said, fumbling at the words. I knew he needed no thanks, but it felt necessary to me. He nodded. â€Å"We should get back to the Keepers †¦ unless you think this is a safe place to stay?’ â€Å"I’d rather stay off civilized radar,’ said Sydney, moving toward the truck. â€Å"Besides, I want my car keys back.’ The ride back felt ten times longer. Dimitri’s mood filled up the whole cabin, almost suffocating us with its despair. Even Sydney could feel it. She’d let him drive again, and I couldn’t decide if that was a good or bad thing. Would the road distract him from his Strigoi torment? Or would his agony distract him from the road and put us off in a ditch? Fortunately, we made it back safe and sound and found two of the Keepers waiting for us in the lot, a Moroi woman and a human guy who both looked fierce. I still couldn’t shake the strangeness of both races being battle-ready. I wondered if these two were a couple. Back in the camp, we found the communal bonfire ablaze and people sitting out around it, some eating and some just socializing. I’d learned at breakfast that the fire was always there for those who wanted to bond but that plenty of families kept to their own households as well. We went back to Raymond’s house, but only Sarah and Joshua were there. She was cleaning up dishes, and he sat restlessly in a chair. As soon as he caught sight of me at the door, he sprang up, radiant smile on high-beam again. â€Å"Rose! You’re back. We were starting to worry †¦ I mean, not that anything had happened to you–not with your skills–but that maybe you’d just left us.’ â€Å"Not without our car,’ said Sydney, placing the truck keys on the table. The CR-Vs were sitting there already, and relief flooded her face as she snatched them up. Sarah offered us leftovers, which we declined, having stocked up on snack food at Rubysville’s gas station. â€Å"Well,’ she said, â€Å"if you’re not going to eat, you might as well join the others out at the fire. Jess McHale might sing tonight if they can get her to drink enough, and drunk or sober, that woman has the finest voice I’ve ever heard.’ I briefly met Dimitri and Sydney’s eyes. I admit, I was a little curious to see how this wilderness group partied it up, even though moonshine and folk songs weren’t really my first choice of entertainment. Dimitri still wore that haunted look from the phone call. I had a suspicion he would have been content to isolate himself in our room, but when Sydney said she’d go to the fire, his response came automatically: â€Å"I’ll go too.’ I knew instantly what he was doing. His Strigoi days tormented him. Talking to Strigoi tormented him. And maybe–no, certainly–he wanted to hide away and try to block it all out, but he was Dimitri. Dimitri protected those who needed it, and even if listening to fireside songs wasn’t exactly life-threatening, it was still a semi-dangerous situation for a civilian like Sydney. He couldn’t allow that. Plus, he knew Sydney would feel safer with both of us nearby. I started to say I’d join them, but Joshua spoke before I could. â€Å"Do you still want to see my cave? There’s a little light left outside. You’ll get a better view that way than if we have to use a torch.’ I’d forgotten about my last conversation with Joshua and started to decline his offer. But then, something flashed in Dimitri’s eyes, something disapproving. So. He didn’t want me going off with some young, good-looking guy. Was it legitimate concern about the Keepers? Was it jealousy? No, surely not the latter. We’d established–many, many times–that Dimitri wanted no romantic connection with me. He’d even stood up for Adrian earlier. Was this some kind of ex-boyfriend thing? Back in Rubysville, I’d believed Dimitri and I could be friends, but that wouldn’t happen if he thought he could control me and my love life. I’d known girls with exes like that. I wouldn’t be one. I could hang out with whomever I wanted. â€Å"Sure,’ I said. Dimitri’s expression darkened. â€Å"I’d love to.’ Joshua and I headed off, leaving the others behind. I knew part of my decision was to prove my independence. Dimitri had said we were equals, yet he’d made an awful lot of decisions in this escape plan without me. It was nice to feel like I had the upper hand for a change, and besides, I liked Joshua and was kind of curious to learn more about how his people lived. I don’t think Sydney wanted me to leave, but Dimitri would look after her. As Joshua and I walked, we passed plenty of Keepers out and about. Just like earlier, I received a fair amount of stares. Rather than lead us down the road to where his father lived, Joshua took me around the small mountain. It was still good-sized, but after living near the Rockies, everything in the Appalachians seemed â€Å"small’ to me. I guess I was a mountain snob. Still, the mountain extended quite a ways, and we moved farther and farther from the Keepers’ main settlement. The forest grew thicker, the light growing scarce as the sun finally began sinking into the horizon. â€Å"I’m kind of on the outskirts,’ Joshua said apologetically. â€Å"We keep growing and growing, and there’s not much room in the town’s center.’ I thought â€Å"town’ was an optimistic term but didn’t say so. Yeah. I was definitely a snob. â€Å"But the caves keep going, so there’s still space.’ â€Å"Are they natural?’ I asked. â€Å"Some are. Some are abandoned mining caves.’ â€Å"It’s pretty out here,’ I said. I liked all the deciduous trees. I might be homesick for Montana, but the wide leaves here were a neat contrast to pine needles. â€Å"And hey, at least you get lots of privacy, right?’ â€Å"True.’ He smiled. â€Å"I figured you’d think it was †¦ I don’t know. Too rustic. Or savage. You probably think we all are.’ His observation startled me. Most of the Keepers had been so fiercely defensive of their way of life that I hadn’t thought anyone would even think an outsider would question it–or that any Keeper would care if we did. â€Å"It’s just different,’ I said diplomatically. â€Å"A lot different from what I’m used to.’ I felt a flash of homesickness for all the people and places I was now cut off from. Lissa. Adrian. Our other friends. Court. St. Vladimir’s. I shook the feeling off quickly. I had no time to mope and could at least check on Lissa later. â€Å"I’ve been to human towns,’ continued Joshua. â€Å"And other places the Tainted live. I can see why you’d like them.’ He turned a bit sheepish. â€Å"I wouldn’t mind electricity.’ â€Å"Why don’t you guys use it?’ â€Å"We would if we could. We’re just too far out, and no one really knows we’re here anyway. The lily-people say it’s better for hiding us.’ It hadn’t occurred to me that they simply endured these conditions because they were forced to in order to conceal themselves. I wondered how many of their choices came from clinging to the so-called old ways †¦ and how much was influenced by the Alchemists. â€Å"Here we are,’ said Joshua, pulling me from my musings. He gestured to a dark hole at ground level. The opening was big enough for an adult to enter. â€Å"Nice,’ I said. I’d noticed earlier that some of the caves were set higher into the mountains and had watched their residents either climb the rock bare-handed or use homemade ladders. An easy-access doorway seemed luxurious. Joshua looked surprised at my praise. â€Å"Really?’ â€Å"Really.’ We’d ended up losing too much daylight. He paused to light a torch, and then I followed him inside. We had to duck a little at first, but as we went deeper into the cave, the ceiling slowly expanded and opened up into a wide, rounded space. The floor was hard-packed dirt, the stone walls rough and jagged. This was a natural cave, but I could pick out the efforts made to civilize it. The floor had been cleaned and leveled, and I saw some stones and rocks in a corner that looked like they’d been gathered up to clear space. A couple pieces of furniture had already been moved in: a narrow wooden chair and a mattress that looked like it could barely hold one person. â€Å"You probably think it’s small,’ said Joshua. It was true, but it was actually bigger than my dorm room at St. Vladimir’s. â€Å"Well †¦ yeah, but I mean, how old are you?’ â€Å"Eighteen.’ â€Å"Same as me,’ I said. This seemed to make him pretty happy. â€Å"Having your own, um, cave at eighteen is pretty cool.’ It would have been cooler still with electricity, Internet, and plumbing, but there was no need to bring that up. His blue eyes practically shone. I couldn’t help but notice what a pretty contrast they made against his tanned skin. I dismissed the thought immediately. I wasn’t here for a boyfriend. But apparently, I was the only one who believed that. Joshua suddenly took a step forward. â€Å"You can stay if you want,’ he said. â€Å"The other Tainted would never find you here. We could get married, and then when we had kids, we could build a loft like my parents’ and–‘ The word married had me moving toward the entrance as shocked and panicked as I would be by a Strigoi attack. Except, I usually had fair warning before those. â€Å"Whoa, whoa, slow down.’ No. I hadn’t seen a proposal coming. â€Å"We just met!’ Thankfully, he didn’t come closer. â€Å"I know, but sometimes that’s how it is.’ â€Å"What, marriages between people who hardly know each other?’ I asked incredulously. â€Å"Sure. Happens all the time. And seriously, just in this short of time, I already know I like you. You’re amazing. You’re beautiful and obviously a good fighter. And the way you carry yourself †¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ He shook his head, awe on his face. â€Å"I’ve never seen anything like it.’ I wished he wasn’t so cute and nice. Having creepy guys profess their adoration was a lot easier to deal with than one you liked. I remembered Sydney saying I was a hot commodity here. Scorching was more like it, apparently. â€Å"Joshua, I really like you, but,’ I added hastily, seeing hope fill his features, â€Å"I’m too young to get married.’ He frowned. â€Å"Didn’t you say you were eighteen?’ Okay. Age was probably not a good argument around here. I’d seen how young people had kids back in Dimitri’s home-town. In a place like this, they probably had child marriages. I tried another angle. â€Å"I don’t even know if I want to get married.’ This didn’t faze him. He nodded in understanding. â€Å"That’s smart. We could live together first, see how we get along.’ His serious expression turned back into a smile. â€Å"But I’m pretty easygoing. I’d let you win every argument.’ I couldn’t help it. I laughed. â€Å"Well, then, I’m going to have to win this one and tell you I’m just not ready for †¦ any of it. Besides, I’m already involved with someone.’ â€Å"Dimitri?’ â€Å"No. Another guy. He’s back at the Tainted Court.’ I couldn’t even believe I was saying that. Joshua frowned. â€Å"Why isn’t he here protecting you then?’ â€Å"Because †¦ that’s not how he is. And I can take care of myself.’ I’d never liked the assumption that I needed rescuing. â€Å"And look, even if he wasn’t in the picture, I’m leaving soon anyway. It would never work out between you and me.’ â€Å"I understand.’ Joshua looked disappointed but seemed to be taking the rejection okay. â€Å"Maybe when you’ve got everything sorted out, you’ll come back.’ I started to tell him not to wait for me and that he should just marry someone else (despite how ridiculous it was at his age), but then I realized that was a pointless comment. In Joshua’s fantasies, he could probably marry someone else now and then add me on to his harem later, like Sarah and Paulette. So, I just simply said, â€Å"Maybe.’ Groping for a change in subject, I searched for anything to distract us. My eyes fell on the chair and a leafy pattern carved into it. â€Å"That’s really neat.’ â€Å"Thanks,’ he said, walking over. To my relief, he didn’t pursue the earlier topic. He ran his hand lovingly over the ornately carved wood. The design looked like braided leaves. â€Å"I did it myself.’ â€Å"Really?’ I asked in true surprise. â€Å"That †¦ that’s amazing.’ â€Å"If you like it †¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ His hand moved, and I feared there was a kiss or embrace coming. Instead, he reached into his shirt pocket and produced a finely carved wooden bracelet. It was a simple, sinuous design, the true marvel being how narrow and delicate it was to all be one piece. The wood had been polished to brilliance. â€Å"Here.’ He handed me the bracelet. â€Å"This is for me?’ I ran my finger along the smooth edge. â€Å"If you want it. I made it while you were out today. So you’ll remember me after you leave.’ I hesitated, wondering if accepting this would be encouraging him. No, I decided. I’d made my views on teenage marriage clear, and anyway, he looked so nervous, I couldn’t stand the thought of hurting his feelings. I slipped it onto my wrist. â€Å"Of course I’ll remember. Thank you.’ From the happy look on his face, taking the bracelet made up for my earlier refusal. He showed me a few more details around the cave and then followed my suggestion to join the others at the fire. We could hear the music echoing through the trees long before we made it back, and while it was hardly my style, there was something warm and friendly about this community’s way of life. I’d never been to summer camp, but I imagined this was what it’d be like. Sydney and Dimitri sat near the group’s edge. They were quiet and watchful, but everyone else sang, clapped, and talked. Again, I was stunned at how easily dhampirs, humans, and Moroi could all be involved with one another. Mixed couples were everywhere, and one–a human and Moroi–were openly making out. Every so often, when he kissed her neck, he’d also bite and take some blood. I had to glance away. I turned back toward my friends. Sydney noticed me and looked relieved. Dimitri’s expression was unreadable. Like always, the others’ eyes followed my movement, and to my surprise, I saw open jealousy on some of the guys’ faces. I hoped they didn’t think Joshua and I had been off getting naked in the cave. That was hardly the reputation I wanted to leave behind. â€Å"I have to talk to Sydney,’ I told him over the noise. I decided it’d be best to keep my distance before any rumors started, and truthfully, Sydney looked like she wanted me by her side. Joshua nodded, and I turned away. I’d taken two steps when a fist suddenly came right toward my face. I’d had no defenses up and just barely had the presence of mind to turn my head and catch the blow on my cheek, rather than end up with a broken nose. After the initial surprise, all my training kicked in. I quickly sidestepped out of the line of attack and put my body into a fighter’s stance. The music and singing stopped, and I turned to face my attacker. Angeline. She stood in a way similar to my own, fists clenched and eyes completely honed in on me. â€Å"Okay,’ she said. â€Å"It’s time to find out how tough you really are.’ What it was time for was someone–say, like, a parent–to come and drag her off and punish her for punching guests. Amazingly, no one moved or tried to stop her. No–that wasn’t quite true. One person stood up. Dimitri had sprung to action the instant he saw me in danger. I expected him to come pull Angeline away, but a group of Keepers hastily moved to his side, saying something to him that I couldn’t hear. They didn’t try to physically restrain him, but whatever they said, it kept him where he stood. I would have demanded to know what they’d told him, but Angeline was coming at me again. It looked like I was on my own. Angeline was short, even for a dhampir, but her whole body was packed with strength. She was pretty fast too, though not fast enough to get that second hit in on me. I neatly dodged it and kept my distance, not wanting to go on the offensive with this girl. She could probably do a fair amount of damage in a fight, but there was a sloppy– no, more like rough–edge to it. She was a scrapper, someone who’d done a lot of brawling but without any formal training. â€Å"Are you insane?’ I exclaimed, moving out of the way of another assault. â€Å"Stop this. I don’t want to hurt you.’ â€Å"Sure,’ she said. â€Å"That’s what you want everyone to think, right? If you don’t actually have to fight, then they’ll all go on believing those marks are real.’ â€Å"They are real!’ The insinuation that I’d faked my tattoos sparked my temper, but I refused to get drawn into this ridiculous scuffle. â€Å"Prove it,’ she said, coming at me again. â€Å"Prove you’re who you say you are.’ It was like a dance, keeping away from her. I could have done it all night, and a few dismayed cries from the crowd demanded we â€Å"get on with it.’ â€Å"I don’t have to prove anything,’ I told her. â€Å"It’s a lie then.’ Her breathing was heavy now. She was working a lot harder than me. â€Å"Everything you Tainted do is a lie.’ â€Å"Not true,’ I said. Why was Dimitri letting this go on? Out of the corner of my eye, I caught sight of him, and so help me, he was smiling. Meanwhile, Angeline was still continuing her tirade as she tried to hit me. â€Å"You all lie. You’re all weak. Especially your â€Å"royals.’ They’re the worst of all.’ â€Å"You don’t know them at all. You don’t know anything about them.’ She might be able to carry on a conversation, but I could see her growing increasingly frustrated. If not for the fact I was pretty sure she’d hit me in the back, I would have taken the noble approach and simply walked away. â€Å"I know enough,’ she said. â€Å"I know they’re selfish and spoiled and don’t do anything for themselves. They don’t care about anyone else. They’re all the same.’ I actually agreed with Angeline about some royals but didn’t like the generalization. â€Å"Don’t talk about things you don’t understand,’ I snapped. â€Å"They’re not all like that.’ â€Å"They are,’ she said, pleased to see me angry. â€Å"I wish they were all dead.’ It was hardly enough to push me into offense mode, but the comment did cloud my thoughts enough that I let her get through my guard, just a little. I never would have let that happen with a Strigoi, but I’d underestimated this wild girl. Her leg snaked out just enough to hit my knee, and it was like tossing a spark into gasoline. Everything exploded. With that hit, I stumbled slightly, and she pushed her advantage. My battle instincts took over, and I had no choice but to strike back before she could hit me. People began cheering now that the fight was â€Å"really going.’ I was on offense, trying to subdue her, meaning the physical contact had jumped up exponentially. I was still better than her, no doubt, but in trying to get to her, I put myself in her range. She landed a few blows on me, nothing serious, before I was able to tackle her to the ground. I expected that to be the end, but she pushed back against me before I could fully restrain her. We rolled over, and she tried to take the dominant position. I couldn’t allow that and managed a punch on the side of her face that was a lot harder than the earlier one. I thought that would be the end of the fight. My hit had knocked her off me, and I started to stand, but then that little bitch grabbed my hair and jerked me back down. I twisted out of her hold–though I’m pretty sure she took some hair away with her–and this time managed to fully pin her, throwing all my weight and strength into it as I pressed down. I knew it had to be painful but didn’t really care. She’d started it. Besides, this skirmish had gone beyond defense. Pulling someone’s hair was just playing dirty. Angeline made a few more attempts to break away, but when it became clear she couldn’t, those around us began whistling and cheering. A few moments later, that dark and furious look vanished from Angeline’s face, replaced by resignation. I eyed her warily, not about to let down my guard. â€Å"Fine,’ she said. â€Å"I guess it’s okay. Go ahead.’ â€Å"Huh? What’s okay?’ I demanded. â€Å"It’s okay if you marry my brother.’ How to cite Last Sacrifice Chapter Twelve, Essay examples

Discuss any link between the poetry of Donne and Milton Essay Example

Discuss any link between the poetry of Donne and Milton Paper Much poetry from the 16th and 17th Centuries, was based around religion, addressing God, and asking for His help and advice. Two such examples of the authors who wrote this poetry are John Donne and John Milton. Both these men were highly religious people, and used their poetry to question and criticise God, as is shown in the two poems that I have studied below. In Johns Donnes poem, Holy Sonnet 14, Donne is demanding Gods help. He uses violent masculine imagery as well as passive feminine imagery to make these demands. Donne also uses metaphors and paradoxes in order to show his need for God in his life. In the first six lines of Holy Sonnet 14, Donne uses a metaphor with which his life is a usurped town. He says in the first line, batter my heart, three personed god. Here, Donne demands that God break into his town and allow the people to follow. In line two he starts to complain about how little God has done in pushing his way through the gates of his town. He tells God to oerthrow me demanding that God overthrow his town (soul) and take it over. We will write a custom essay sample on Discuss any link between the poetry of Donne and Milton specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Discuss any link between the poetry of Donne and Milton specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Discuss any link between the poetry of Donne and Milton specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer The fourth line begins with Donne showing how Gods power could break into the town and make it new. He uses powerful verbs such as break, blow, burn when describing Gods powerful means. Then in lines five and six, Donne proclaims to God that he wants to let God into his heart but that he has failed in doing so. Although Donne takes responsibility for his failure in letting God in, he criticises gods viceroy (reasoning). In line seven, Donne shifts his feelings of self-remorse and turns them into criticisms of reason. He begins this shift by starting the sentence with reason. Reason not only signifies a shift in his tone and feeling, but it also represents Gods viceroy, his representative, within Donnes soul. The second part of this poem begins Donnes second metaphor. In this part of the poem Donne demands things of God that would be more like characteristics of things that are against what God stands for. In line nine, Donne proclaims his love to God and he tells God he wants to be loved back. But in line ten he says he is betrothed unto your enemy. Here, betrothed is inferring his relationship is so close to the enemy that it can be compared to marriage. Donne has become so close to Gods enemy that he feels helpless against him. In the next two lines Donne pleas for Gods help. Donnes plea for help is reflected in action phrases such as divorce me, break that knot again. He also pleads for action, saying ravish me and enthrall me. Donne is telling God, paradoxically, that he will never be pure or virginal unless God rapes him and will never be free unless God enslaves him. A paradox Donne uses is how he asks God to take over his body. He uses sexual images as if he was a female. Sexual imaginary is best shown in his final line, Nor ever chaste, except you ravish me. Being ravished or chaste is most commonly associated with women. He is saying in order for him to be virginal again, he must be raped and enslaved by God, becoming no longer pure. But when done by God, it will return him back to a virginal state. Another interesting paradox is why he uses the word reason when referring to Gods viceroy. Traditionally the word reason has been used to try and contradict religious influences. This may imply along with the poems mixed syntax Donnes confused state of mind when writing this poem. These types of things may also imply his insecurity with his faith in God. It seems as if he is using this poem to cry out for help from God. Donne uses metaphors and paradoxes in this poem to aid the reader in visualising God taking over Donnes body and spirit. His first metaphor compares his life with an usurped town. He uses a towns physical imagery in order to give an animated description of God usurping his soul. In the second half of the poem, Donne uses God and his enemy as the second metaphor. Here, God has to play the roles of his enemy in order to take over Donnes heart. Miltons Sonnet 19, When I Consider How My Light is Spent, shows a religious doubt within the author regarding his relationship to God. This doubt, possibly caused by the narrators recent loss of sight, stems from his confusion over what God wants him to do. Ultimately, there is no easy solution to the authors problem of religious, and Milton suggests that any clearness and happiness to be found can be had only with patience. The structure of the sonnet, which is Petrachian in style, is a conversation with God in the form of a question and an answer. It is divided into an octet which shows the reader the problem and leads to the question, and into a sestet which offers a sort of answer to the problem. The use of the word fondly in Line 7, which translates to foolishly in new English, shows that the author has doubt as to whether questioning God was the right thing for him to, and shows concern that he has made his relationship with God even more tenable. We are shown at the start of the poem, that since his blindness became apparent, Miltons talent has become ineffectual, and he has a feeling of not being able to serve his God in the ways that he has done before. We are not told exactly what Miltons line of work, or talent was, but it is clear that his life is feeling dark and empty while he is unable to perform his previously usual tasks, which is obviously making him feel like he is worthless in Gods eyes. We presume that the reply comes from a source of God, either being directly from Him, or indirectly via a messenger or angel. In reply to Miltons question as to whether a man has to be a hard worker to gain the respect of God, God says that it is not the hard-working man that comes off best, but the loyal, and believing one. The loss of light in this poem can be literal (physical blindness) or figurative (his understanding crippled, leading to a mind full of doubts). Milton doesnt understand how God can afflict him with this illness, and yet still expect him to perform his usual duties to him There is a Biblical reference within the poem to a parable in the gospel of Matthew, in which one mans talent is taken away from him, and he is left in darkness, and yet another man has five different talents Milton, as a religious man, would more than likely been aware of this story, and be worried that he had offended God in such a way that he has replayed it upon him. Ultimately, I dont think Milton is criticising God for withdrawing his sight, but is more concerned as to what he has done to deserve it, and has a worry as to how he can continue to serve God without the use of his sight. To conclude, both the poems are very emotionally and religiously charged, both asking for answers from God, and asking for some form of help. Both men seem to be in a state of religious confusion, not sure which way to turn next within their lives, nor how to regain the loyalty to God that they think they have lost. As religion is no longer as prominent in society as it was in the 16th/17th Century, the poems are not as easily related to a modern audience, and it is more difficult to understand the importance that religion had within the lives of everyday people.