My Last Duchess Analysis

Robert Browning loosely based his poem ‘My Last Duchess' on the story of Duke Alfonso and the Duchess Lucrezia de' Medici, who lived in the 16th century. The Duke is the narrator in this poem, and he talks of his last Duchess' portrait, which in turn slowly reveals his arrogant and selfish nature as her reminisces about her. When you first start reading the poem, you can see that the Duke thinks the Duchess is very beautiful- â€Å"paint could not hope to reproduce†.She was also kind-hearted and easy to please, but as you read on you realise the Duke thinks of these qualities as ‘faults' because she doesn't reserve her attention for him; he believes he is better than everyone else due to his rank and power. He misinterprets the fact that everyone is fond of her and accuses the Duchess for having multiple affairs when actually she was just responding with her natural kindness. This shows that the Duke was very selfish, and you could say he only liked the Duchess bec ause of her beauty.The Duke Alfonso and Lucrezia de' Medici were only married for two years before Lucrezia died under suspicious circumstances. Many say the Duke poisoned her, which shows how the Duke was only in love with her looks and how selfish he was. In the poem the Duchess' death is caused by the Duke, as shown in the line â€Å"[He} gave commands; Then all smiles stopped together†. Her death was caused when the Duke realised he couldn't control her; she still had her faults and the Duke hated them.Even after death he tries to control her by trapping her in a painting, where the â€Å"spot of joy† on her cheek is frozen in time, leaving the Duchess constantly smiling at those who look at her, if the Duke allows. Even though it is the Duke narrating the poem and he is the one complaining about the way the Duchess acted, it is not him that you pity- it's the Duchess who you empathise with for having such a horrible husband.

The First Snowfall

The first snowfall always seems so magical to me. My first glimpse of glittering, white snowflakes brings an external burst of joy. Each tiny snowflake, from a distance, looks exactly the same. But up close, I am able to see each unique pattern these small wonders possess. They shimmer and reflect like tiny little diamonds underneath the glow of the street lamps. Floating ever so gently, down to the not-so-bare ground, a gentle breeze sends the snowflakes into a swirling dance before they resume their journey to the earth. In the distance, I can hear the shrieks and laughter of small children as they relish in pure and innocent wonder, the joys of the first snowfall. I can only imagine them grabbing up handfuls of paper-light snow and throwing it into the air, sticking their warm little tongues out to catch the frostiness of the flakes. I glance to the left of me and notice a cat huddled in the corner of a dimly lit doorway covered in a thin blanket of crystal snow, shivering miserably and letting out pathetic meows as he waits to be let into the warmth of his home. There is a cold kiss of wind against my flushed, red cheeks. And that chilly breeze sends a rushing sound through my bare, cherry-coloured ears. Tiny droplets of water, just moments ago were snowflakes, form on the base of my dark, auburn hair. I exhale sharply and watch as a brief mist forms from my warm breath, mixing with the frigid air. I hear the unmistakable piercing crunch of snow, as my boot hits the blanketed pavement. It is almost impossible to walk silently in the snow. I thoroughly enjoy the first snowfall. I stand outside and marvel at its beauty, as the earth is covered in the brightest, white blanket my eyes have ever perceived. I enjoy kicking up the lightness of the snow before it becomes heavy and hard with the burden of perpetual snowfall. I stand there and let the tiny, diamond like flakes cover me for just a moment, because I know that soon this mesmerizing snowfall will soon transform into a bitter, long, bone-chilling winter.

Self-Motivation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Self-Motivation - Essay Example Muhammad. In addition, the need to attain attention from other people also made him work harder. Lastly his envy towards other people who were able to communicate efficiently e.g. Bimbi made him yearn to reach that level. This made him look for different sources that could help him become fluent both in writing and communicating (Munisamy, 2005, p. 43). In reaction to his desires, he decided to use a dictionary in order to study the meaning of different words. This was together with tablets and pencils to write down words that he learnt. As a result, his writing speed improved and he started understanding some few words an aspect that motivated him more. Learning to use dictionary also broadened his knowledge as he came to realize that different people that belong to various races exist. This was in addition to different places of the world. Also, he was able to read books and understand the meaning of the sentences unlike previously when he could not comprehend anything. This experience improved his urge to learn more therefore, reducing his free time that he previously used in planning criminal activity that led him to prison. Instead, he used this time reading books. The experience of this person is a good lesson that what once desires can be achieved if the person devotes his effort towards achieving it. In addition, one should not be frustrated when he is unable to achieve it easily. Instead, he/she should use the frustrations as an encouragement to work harder as the results are fruitful. In addition, one should relate with the right people who can help either with material or psychological help as people with a negative attitude can reduce the motivation level. Having hailed from Uzbekistan I had a rough time communicating with my friends in United States who were fluent in English. Some of them jeered at me while other encouraged me to learn English. At first, it was hard for me to understand

International human resource management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

International human resource management - Essay Example Social architecture is defined as a new organizational change management. The use of effective recognition program can help to reinforce the essential values of the company to life. The prime purpose of the project is to provide in-depth knowledge on one of the key duties of Human Resource Managementwhich is to build and create social architecture in multinational firms. The application of decentralization can redistribute people, power and functions from a chief authority. The development of social architecture enables to motivate each individual within an organization. The conscious design of an environment within the organization can modify human behavior to achieve certain goals (Tripples, 1996, p.2). In the modern era of globalization, it has become a pivotal objective of multinational firms to avoid pitfalls in a global workforce. It is vital for organization to build and design effective social architecture to foster a culture that can help to avoid pitfalls and develop successful strategy deployment (Soliman, 2009, p.17). Monetary, non-monetary incentives and employee appraisal can motivate employee for better job performance. According to Nora McKenzie and Andrew Ballentine, non-monetary incentives include promise of opportunity and flexible work schedule. Cash bonus, profit sharing and stock options are the monetary incentives (Jones, 1999, p.8). According to Abraham Maslow, the hierarchy of needs is a theory of human motivation. The approach of human resource management is to create an effective work environment can benefit multinational firms to make full use of the human resources.A motivating workplace environment can create a sense of excitement and enthusiasm among the employees. According to Karen Evans, the development of workplace environment can change the disposition of employees (Dunning, 2009, p.12). The application of decentralization can create better efficiency and

Spyware and Adware Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Spyware and Adware - Essay Example They can enter the computer through ports or by downloading freeware software or any game from the internet (Michael 2010). For the safe working of the computer it is very necessary that the computer has some antidotes for such malicious soft wares and viruses. Because these malwares and viruses are very harmful for your computer as it can completely make your computer useless. Many anti-spyware soft wares, antivirus soft wares, firewalls are easily available on the market. But here a question arise, which software to choose for the better and complete protection of the computer? The two most commonly available soft wares are antivirus software and firewall. Firewall is software that runs on your computer and provides you with first hand protection. It controls and manages all the network traffic and clearly monitors which data is to be forwarded and which not. This action will be performed according to a set of predefined instructions. A firewall will stop all internet traffic from unauthorized sources; it will even block your internet connection first and will allow access to only a limited number of trusted sites. However, slips can occur at a port and then your computer will be at a risk if you do not have any further protection on your computer (Elizabeth 2010). On the other hand antivirus software is software that scans the computer for any viruses, hackers or malicious soft wares such as Trojans and worms and removes it from the computer. It will alert you if you are downloading any free ware software, games, songs or videos or opening a website containing a virus. It will tell you to immediately terminate your activity and will then run a check and remove the virus (Gordano 2012). A firewall can only protect you from hackers and some malicious soft wares or any other internet traffic entering from the port. However it will not be able to protect your computer if any malware manages to enter the computer or any virus enters the computer through downloade d software or game. An antivirus is very necessary for your computer so that it can scan through your hard disk and computer and detect any malware and virus. A malware or a virus can enter your computer through a USB or a CD; it can enter the computer through a downloaded software or game as well. If the virus enters this way a firewall alone cannot manage to remove the virus or malware. However, the antivirus software can alone manage to remove the viruses and malicious software no matter by what means the virus or the malware enters the computer. However, for the complete protection of your computer it is recommended that you have both firewall as well as antivirus software (www.antivirusfirewallsoftware.org 2007) Task2 For people who are new to using computer, they are generally unaware of the different soft wares and facilities that are available for the protection and increased efficiency of the computer. A new comer is also unaware of the threats to which a computer is liable and the extent to which a computer can suffer due to a virus or a malware. He can use a computer without installing any protection software and can cause the computer to hang or even the computer can get into a condition in which it becomes completely useless. Therefore it is necessary that when you are new to using a computer you get help and guidelines from an expert or at least the one who has been using a computer from a quite a lot of time about all the needs of a computer, the threats that a computer can face and the various solutions

How useful is a sociological approach to understanding the importance Essay

How useful is a sociological approach to understanding the importance of consumption in modern society - Essay Example In neither of its point could modern societies do exclusive of its members create things to be obsessive, and members of both societies do, obviously, consume. The consumer of a modern society is a significantly different from the consumer of any other society thus far. The diversity is one of precedence, a shift of accent that makes a massive difference to almost every aspect of society, culture, and person life. The divergence are so profound and that they validate words of our society as a society of detach and different kind - a consumer society. To increase their capacity for consumption, consumers are never left to rest. They are constantly exposed to new temptations to keep them in the state of suspicion and steady dissatisfaction. Advertising commanding them to shift attention needs to confirm the suspicion while offering a way of satisfaction. It is often said that the consumer market seduces its customers. But in order to do so, it needs customers who want to be seduced. In a properly working consumer society, consumers seek actively to be seduced. They live from attraction to attraction, from temptation to temptation--each attraction and each temptation being somewhat different and perhaps stronger than the previous. When we call todays society a consumer society, we have in mind something more than the trivial meaning that all members of that society are consumers. What we have in mind is that ours is a "consumer society" in the similarly fundamental sense in which the society of our predecessors used to be a "producer society." (Murphy , 2000, 636) That older type of modern society once engaged its members primarily as producers and soldiers; society shaped its members by dictating the need to play those two roles, and the norm that society held up to its members was the ability and the willingness to play them. In todays society there is little need for numerous industrial labourers or conscripted armies, but rather, as a whole we are seen as

Intermediate Accounting 2 answeres Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Intermediate Accounting 2 answeres - Essay Example (Maxwel, 2010) The lease receivable will be revealed as an asset on the balance sheet, and the interest revenue is recognized over the term of the lease, as paid. Normally, the company will record its sale on its books, removing the asset from its books and replacing it with a receivable from the lease. During the lease term, the lessor receives interest income. The cash inflow equals the lease payments and the cash outflow is equal to the book value of the asset. (Paul, 2007) Legally, the lease expenses are usually treated as operating expense and the operating lease is not revealed as part of the capital of the firm. When a lease is classified as a sales type lease, the present value of the lease expenses is treated as debt, and interest is imputed on this amount and shown as part of the income statement. Changing from operating leases to sales type leases increases the debt shown on the balance sheet significantly. (Paul, 2007).It is therefore wise for the company to use operating lease since there would be no increase in debt. The operating lease payments in future years, which are revealed in the footnotes to the financial statements for US firms, should be discounted back at a rate that should reflect their status as unsecured and fairly risky debt. As an approximation, using the firm’s current pre-tax cost of debt as the discount rate yields a good estimate of the value of operating leases. Note that capital leases are accounted for similarly in financial statements, but the significant difference is that the present value of capital lease payments is computed using the cost of debt at the time of the capital lease commitment, and is not adjusted as market rates change. Using straight line method Depreciation = (Cost - Residual value) / Useful life/salvage value. Suppose the cost of airplane is p, then the salvage value of x and y under 15 and 25 years

Homeland Security Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 2

Homeland Security - Essay Example This department is a single, unified, and integrated cabinet-level agency tasked with no other job than just to protect American citizens from air, land, sea, and even cyberspace attacks. The vulnerabilities of the American national security system have hopefully been addressed but no one can say for sure it will be able to prevent future attempts from determined terrorists who obviously will always try to find ways to carry out their attacks successfully at chosen targets. In this paper will be discussed the laws creating the DHS and their operationalization to strategy. The law that served as basis for Department of Homeland Security is the USA Patriot Act (2001), a bill passed by the Congress of the United States of America and was signed into law on October 26, 2001 by former President George W. Bush that took effect on February 01, 2002. This act is actually an acronym, which stands for Uniting and Strengthening America (USA) while Patriot stands for Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism. This law has many pertinent provisions designed to fight terrorism of all kinds. The USA Patriot Act provides among other things, the provisions of surveillance and in detection techniques already in use against organized criminal organizations and drug trafficking to be employed in an expanded list of crimes primarily that of domestic or international terrorism such as allowing federal agents to discreetly follow and monitor expert terrorists trained in an art of evasion against detection, conduct silent investigations without tipping off these terrorists, and authority to ask for sensitive financial records and documents through proper court order such as purchase orders in hardware store, fertilizer or chemical outlets, and banks for money laundering. The Patriot Act likewise improved information sharing among various agencies so these can better able â€Å"to connect the dots† in intelligence gathering efforts, it updated

HIPPA and Technology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

HIPPA and Technology - Essay Example iii. â€Å"Technologies that address the needs of children and other vulnerable populations.† HIPAA allows for technology that will address the needs of vulnerable people; iPhones and iPads may help to reach them since they may find it hard to reach various health institutions. The new changes in HIPAA regulations state that the sale of protected health information must not involve a disclosure of protected health information. An entity may not reveal protected health information unless the law compels the release of information or when required by the Secretary. The article â€Å"How might the iPad change healthcare† notes that the iPad will bring a revolution in the health care sector since sharing of health related information will be very easy. The article â€Å"Identification of iPhone and iPad Applications for Obstetrics and Gynecology Providers† believes that it may be very hard to design gadgets that will address issues that pertain to obstetrics and gynecology. Breach Notifications: Formerly, notifications were needed when a data breach posed any harm. Today, it is required to inform the Department of Health and Human Services once unsecured data is breached. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights (2006). HIPAA Administrative Simplification. Retrieved on May 26, 2015 from

Causes Animal Extinction Essay Example for Free

Causes Animal Extinction Essay Choose one of the following topics and write a 3-paragraph essay consisting of an Introductory Paragraph, ONE Supporting Paragraph and a Concluding Paragraph. Requirements: 1) Your introductory paragraph should not exceed 150 words, the body paragraph should not exceed 200 words, and the concluding paragraph should not exceed 150 words. 2) Your thesis statement should consist of at least 3 subdivisions and choose only ONE subdivision to develop your supporting paragraph. 3) Type your essay using Arial font, 12 pt., and spaced at 1.5 between lines. Remember to include page numbers. 4) You MUST cite works from experts. Include at least TWO (2) specific supporting details of different types (e.g. quotations or paraphrase/ statistics/ examples from various sources / references / online journals). Citation and referencing should be using the APA format. 5) Essays that are submitted after the deadline will be penalized 2 points per day unless you have prior approval/extension date, or a good and confirmable reason. If you need an extension, see your instructor. Extensions are at his/her discretion. TOPIC 1 Many foreign students are interested in studying in Malaysia for many reasons. However, some of these students do not turn up at their colleges after successfully obtaining their student visa. In some cases, those absentees were caught being involved in vice activities such as prostitution and drug dealing. Suggest some methods that can be implemented by the government and education institutions to stop foreign students from misusing their student VISA. TOPIC 2 Every 4-5 years, Malaysia undergoes the election process by which the citizens select the people to lead the government. However, many of the younger generation do not feel the need to participate in the voting process. Suggest the ways to encourage youths to register as voters. TOPIC 3 It is easy for people to forget that when they travel alone, whether via public transportation or on their own, they are actually exposed to many dangerous situations, such as crime. Hence, it is vital for all to have some basic safety guidelines to avoid or protect oneself from danger. Suggest the precautions that a person can take while travelling alone.

Customer Care At Sheraton Hotel Kampala Tourism Essay

Customer Care At Sheraton Hotel Kampala Tourism Essay INTRODUCTION Kampala Sheraton Hotel is an international hotel in Kampala, Uganda. It is situated on Ternan Avenue in the central division of Kampala. Sheraton Hotel Kampala is part of the Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide Incorporation. Sheraton is located at the heart of Kampala. Sheraton Kampala serves the needs of upscale business and leisure travelers worldwide. For over 75 years this full-service, iconic brand has welcomed guests, becoming a trusted friend to travelers and one of the worlds most recognized hotel brands. It has also stepped into major international markets all over the world. What is customer care? The customer care operates in markets whose tastes change as times change. The hospitality industry is greatly affected by these changes and this means that the customer care has to change accordingly. Customer care services at Sheraton Hotel Kampala include reliable services, security, parking space, front desk services, upscale frontiers, attractiveness, beauty, speed that comes with service delivery, attention to customers, anticipation of customer needs, honesty and a decent attitude towards customers. These services are intended to make customers comfortable, create memories they can ponder about, create satisfaction that will cause them to pay for the services and thereby retain the customers. Every business hopes to create and serve but the challenge is actually meeting the motive. Sheraton Hotel has also provided quality services for its customer base. The hotel has a customer care service policy which caters for customer activities. These policies include exclusive accommodation, efficient and timely delivery of services, hotel guides, security, customer attention, parking space, 24hour front desk services, and anticipation of customer services. Despite Sheraton Kampalas efforts to provide the best services to its customers, the hotel has competitors in the hotel industry like Serena. Unfortunately, the company can barely do much in creating a new market. This is due to the average to low standards of living of people in Uganda. PROCEDURE The target study population was the customers and staff of Sheraton Kampala. The study involved 75 respondents, 50 of which were customers of the hotel and 25 were part of the staff at Sheraton Kampala. Non statistical methods were used for example the nature of field respondents and other field situations. A descriptive study was undertaken in order to determine the characteristics of interest at Sheraton Kampala. The qualitative and quantitative data acquired from both primary and secondary sources was analyzed. The study was majorly based on customers views, opinions and preferences in order to make judgments, conclusions and recommendations. The primary sources of information were acquired from the staff and the customers of the hotel. The secondary information was acquired from Internet, newspapers, journals, sales report and invoices. Questionnaires were given out to the customers in order to seek their opinions, views and preferences. Observation of the customers was conducted in order to verify that the customers actions were a lot like their views. MAIN RESULTS AND FINDINGS These are the finding concerning the demographic characteristics of employees at the Sheraton Kampala. There were more female employee respondents than male respondents. This precisely means that females are more attractive in the hotel service industry because of they are presumed to be better at customer care in comparison with males. From the above illustration, most of the workers are aged between 30 and 39 followed by 20-29, then 40-45 and lastly 50 and above. From the results above, all the employees are educated and have the capability to respond to the questionnaires given out. The hotel customer care service recruits people who are old and mature of which most are married. The only explicable reason for the outlook of the results is mainly because Christianity dominates as a religion in Uganda. This means that conclusions can be based on the views of the employees for they have gained a sizeable amount of work experience. These are findings concerning the customer care strategies employed by Sheraton Kampala. 44% of the employees agreed that tour guides and other services are the best strategies employed by the hotel. 28% of the employees recommended training of the employees. 20% and 8% of the employees suggested that motivation of the employees and after sales services would be a great strategies. This is so because this would attract customers which in turn brings about customer retention and increased sales. 28% of the customers agreed that they work hand in hand with the top management in order to improve customer care for the purposes of customer satisfaction. This is more or less induction training of the employees. 44% of the employees were not sure about if the top management works hand in hand. One can then conclude that the activities ensure quality of customer care and customer satisfaction. 56% of the customers acknowledge that for customer care services to be successful, the customers needs should be at heart in order to achieve customer satisfaction while the others are not sure or carry a different opinion. These are findings concerning customer care services. A TABLE SHOWING THE RATING OF ASPECTS OF CUSTOMER CARE AT SHERATON KAMPALA. Rating Clean Friendly Helpful Efficient Polite and courteous % % % % % Good 60 32 68 60 90 Fair 40 68 28 24 10 Poor 0 0 4 16 0 On critical analysis of the above findings, one can rate the customer care services at Sheraton Kampala as generally good. A TABLE SHOWING THE RATING OF CUSTOMER CARE SERVICES AT SHERATON KAMPALA. Rating Parking space Security Front Desk Service Hotel guides Customer attention % % % % % Good 90 86 88 36 92 Fair 10 14 12 40 8 Poor 0 0 0 24 0 Regarding the above results, it is no wonder why people go to Sheraton Kampala. This is because of their good services despite some flaws faced in some areas especially with the hotel guides. Most of the customers appreciated the services that were offered so the services at Sheraton Kampala are creditable. ANALYSIS AND DISCUSSION. SWOT analysis is a form of strategic analysis that identifies and analyses the main internal strengths and weaknesses and external opportunities and threats that will influence future direction and success of the business. Strengths Weaknesses Internal Location of the business Recruitment of unskilled workers that require training. Strong brand reputation Poor services offered by hotel guides Good customer care policy Few services offered to customers Fair management efficiency High prices charged for quality services. Focus on customer satisfaction Opportunities Threats External Undifferentiated products and services in relation to competitors like Serena A new competitor i.e. Serena Hotel A new international market Price wars with competitors Taxation is increased on the services. CONCULUSION From the findings, it can be deduced that Sheraton Hotel Kampala has a good performance level especially towards employees. Some of their substantial customer care services include training of employees on customer service handling, complaint handling, seeking customer attention, avenues of customers complaints, transport services and replacement. Employee motivation has been a stimulant to the growing number of customers at Sheraton Kampala. However, training and motivation should be enforced in order to maximize the customer care delivery. From the research findings, the customer care services are generally good as acknowledged by hotel customers. However Sheraton hasnt created an interface for customers complaints that can air out their views on the services provided. It is also important to note that a significant relationship between customer care delivery and customer satisfaction exists. The two variables are directly proportional to each other. The better the customer care delivery, the improved satisfaction of the customer and vice versa. RECOMMENDATIONS The hotel should arrange and present streamlined hotel guides who are more knowledgeable about the hotel. When a few of the hotel guides were asked about the hotel, they were only conversant with the dining and resting rooms avenues. This is a limitation to Sheraton Kampala. The complaints of the customers should be highly regarded. A customer complaint desk should be established. The hotel will then be more open to external ideas if they handle the ideas. As the core focus of Sheraton Kampala is the customer satisfaction. The management of the hotel should involve the customers while designing the customer care policies. The employees of Sheraton should be involved in the designing of the customer care policies as their creativity will be tapped and more ideas will be sprought up. AREAS OF FURTHER RESEARCH. Research should be carried out on the employee performance and customer satisfaction. Research should be carried out on the impact of customer care services on sales volume. Research should be carried out comparing customer care services of other hotels.