Bolsheviks and Revolution Essay Example for Free

Bolsheviks and Revolution Essay It is time to take action. Let go of the old ways and embrace a new one that promises betterment for yourselves, and especially a brighter future for your children. Let us abandon centuries of being poor, illiterate, and subjects to the select few. Our ancestors have quietly, and perhaps, gladly accepted the Tsar and the so-called nobilitys orders, demands, and humiliations. Perhaps they were glad, and perhaps they were not. They may have secretly wanted something different for us, their children. But without anyone leading them, they kept their secrets in their hearts. Now is the time to realize our forebears dream of a free people in a free nation. A nation where the masses needs are heard and taken cared of. We are all tired from the promises of liberation that some groups have postulated but never made true. To take up force is regrettably necessary to dislodge the wealthy, fat and richly-dressed nobility. They have an over-abundance of land that provides them with large incomes. They have excess food on their table that they never knew what being hungry means. They have armies and soldiers that fight for them during war. Their children will grow up with no fear of the future for their wealth and their status would speak wonders for them. Did you not wonder how its like to have even a portion of what they have? Wouldnt you like to prepare even the simplest food to calm your childrens hunger so that they may sleep the night full, instead of choosing to sleep in order to forget hunger? Our children deserve to eat and be clothed with warm clothes during the bitter winter months. We all deserve better than what the royals and the autocrats deem to bestow on us depending on what they think our worth. We are people like they are. They shouldnt have more of whats their due while we get little of whats rightfully ours. 2 Wouldnt you want to till your own land and enjoy your own produce instead of tilling a land and giving the produce to your rulers? The peasants sweat and work each day to make the lands productive. And what do you get in exchange? You pay outrageous rents to people who never had their nails dirtied. These landlords never knew the kind of labor that each one of you has to go through everyday in order to feed your families. Yet when harvest comes, they get the lions share of the income, while youre left with barely enough to last you till the next harvest. Many of our youths wont even have the chance to become farmers. Theyd be forced t wander and become laborers in somebody elses land. Are we to continue catering to the very few who are in power? I say no. Let us be one and take control of our future. Wouldnt you want to stop this war with the Germans in order for us to get on with our lives without fear of getting attacked? Let us stop fighting useless wars that cause famine in our lands. Let us call our soldiers home to help us attain a new government a government that is for the people. A government where each one of us share equally in the bounty of our lands. The government should be for us, common people. The nobles and the royals are but a few in this vast nation. It is us who make this nation function. We toil, we labor, we die so that a few elite could continue with their dinners and banquets and extravagance. I say, we must put a stop to this folly. For it is folly to submit and choose a greatly flawed system. It is folly to continue in this dismal state when there is a way to improve our lot. Let us make Russia a land of the people. Let us all be called Bolsheviks, for the name would be remembered in a distant future as the people who brought change in a country that has the potential to become great. We must change; and change requires no other way but to take up arms and fight. Fight, if we must. Fight the dictators of the land and drive them away from their throne. We have to unite and act. Food, land and peace. These, my friends, are our rightful due.

Postmodernism and the commodification of art :: essays research papers

Postmodern Methodology is Hypocrisy   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   â€Å"What is striking is precisely the degree of consensus in postmodernist discourse that there is no longer any possibility of consensus, the authoritative announcements of the disappearance of final authority and the promotion and recirculation of a total and comprehensive narrative of a cultural condition in which totality in no longer thinkable.† So there is a consensus that there is no consensus, an authority saying there is no final authority and a totalizing narrative that totality no longer exists. These three ideas could lead one to believe that postmodernism is hypocrisy. In a way, it has to be hypocritical. If a definition of postmodernism is the erosion of the six pillars of modernity but those six pillars still exist regardless of postmodernism that how does postmodernism exist? Postmodernism seems to have two completely separate trains of thought. The first train of thought is the idea of paralogy and disrupting the hegemony . The second train of thought is the idea of commodification. The two seem to have nothing to do with each other. On one hand, one could think that postmodernism is a good thing because it frees people’s thought processes. Postmodernism is the destruction of hegemony, opening up plurality, diversity, and heterogeneity. On the other hand, it commodifies culture and feeds into capitalism†¦though back over in the first hand it seems to be against capitalism because capitalism is hegemony. Why does postmodern thought try to disrupt the modern capitalist hegemony that it is also feeding into? Postmodernists can claim to argue against everything modern, but where does that actually get them? They use the claim that there are no patterns or archetypes as a paradigm for postmodernism, therefore defeating the purpose. Postmodernism seems to be a push for Lyotard’s idea of paralogy. We’ll define paralogy as â€Å"faulty or deliberately contradictory reasoning, designed to shift and transform the structures of reason itself.† It seems that postmodernists are argumentative to modernists in hopes of changing reality and power structures, but appear to create a new just as static reality and power structure in their places. This new reality becomes hegemony, becomes modern. So do postmodernists need to evolve to stay ahead of the ever-changing modernism that they help create? Is the purpose of postmodernism only to engage modernism in some sort of power struggle? This is, of course, only my own speculation. Culture is Commodified After an arduous analysis of the reading, class notes and discussions, the author of this paper has come up with the following summary: All the forces of media and cultural production are interrelated.

The Lost Symbol Chapter 129-131

CHAPTER 129 Robert Langdon stood mesmerized at the glass portal, absorbing the power of the landscape below him. Having ascended unknowingly hundreds of feet into the air, he was now admiring one of the most spectacular vistas he had ever seen. The shining dome of the U.S. Capitol rose like a mountain at the east end of the National Mall. On either side of the building, two parallel lines of light stretched toward him . . . the illuminated facades of the Smithsonian museums . . . beacons of art, history, science, culture. Langdon now realized to his astonishment that much of what Peter had declared to be true . . . was in fact true. There is indeed a winding staircase . . . descending hundreds of feet beneath a massive stone. The huge capstone of this obelisk sat directly over his head, and Langdon now recalled a forgotten bit of trivia that seemed to have eerie relevance: the capstone of the Washington Monument weighed precisely thirty-three hundred pounds. Again, the number 33. More startling, however, was the knowledge that this capstone's ultimate peak, the zenith of this obelisk, was crowned by a tiny, polished tip of aluminum–a metal as precious as gold in its day. The shining apex of the Washington Monument was only about a foot tall, the same size as the Masonic Pyramid. Incredibly, this small metal pyramid bore a famous engraving–Laus Deo– and Langdon suddenly understood. This is the true message of the base of the stone pyramid. The seven symbols are a transliteration! The simplest of ciphers. The symbols are letters. The stonemason's square–L The element gold–AU The Greek Sigma–S The Greek Delta–D Alchemical mercury–E The Ouroboros–O â€Å"Laus Deo,† Langdon whispered. The well-known Latin phrase–meaning â€Å"praise God†Ã¢â‚¬â€œwas inscribed on the tip of the Washington Monument in script letters only one inch tall. On full display . . . and yet invisible to all. Laus Deo. â€Å"Praise God,† Peter said behind him, flipping on the soft lighting in the chamber. â€Å"The Masonic Pyramid's final code.† Langdon turned. His friend was grinning broadly, and Langdon recalled that Peter had actually spoken the words â€Å"praise God† earlier inside the Masonic library. And I still missed it. Langdon felt a chill to realize how apt it was that the legendary Masonic Pyramid had guided him here . . . to America's great obelisk–the symbol of ancient mystical wisdom–rising toward the heavens at the heart of a nation. In a state of wonder, Langdon began moving counterclockwise around the perimeter of the tiny square room, arriving now at another viewing window. North. Through this northward-facing window, Langdon gazed down at the familiar silhouette of the White House directly in front of him. He raised his eyes to the horizon, where the straight line of Sixteenth Street ran due north toward the House of the Temple. I am due south of Heredom. He continued around the perimeter to the next window. Looking west, Langdon's eyes traced the long rectangle of the reflecting pool to the Lincoln Memorial, its classical Greek architecture inspired by the Parthenon in Athens, Temple to Athena–goddess of heroic undertakings. Annuit coeptis, Langdon thought. God favors our undertaking. Continuing to the final window, Langdon gazed southward across the dark waters of the Tidal Basin, where the Jefferson Memorial shone brightly in the night. The gently sloping cupola, Langdon knew, was modeled after the Pantheon, the original home to the great Roman gods of mythology. Having looked in all four directions, Langdon now thought about the aerial photos he had seen of the National Mall–her four arms outstretched from the Washington Monument toward the cardinal points of the compass. I am standing at the crossroads of America. Langdon continued back around to where Peter was standing. His mentor was beaming. â€Å"Well, Robert, this is it. The Lost Word. This is where it's buried. The Masonic Pyramid led us here.† Langdon did a double take. He had all but forgotten about the Lost Word. â€Å"Robert, I know of nobody more trustworthy than you. And after a night like tonight, I believe you deserve to know what this is all about. As promised in legend, the Lost Word is indeed buried at the bottom of a winding staircase.† He motioned to the mouth of the monument's long stairwell. Langdon had finally started to get his feet back under him, but now he was puzzled. Peter quickly reached into his pocket and pulled out a small object. â€Å"Do you remember this?† Langdon took the cube-shaped box that Peter had entrusted to him long ago. â€Å"Yes . . . but I'm afraid I didn't do a very good job of protecting it.† Solomon chuckled. â€Å"Perhaps the time had come for it to see the light of day.† Langdon eyed the stone cube, wondering why Peter had just handed it to him. â€Å"What does this look like to you?† Peter asked. Langdon eyed the 1514 and recalled his first impression when Katherine had unwrapped the package. â€Å"A cornerstone.† â€Å"Exactly,† Peter replied. â€Å"Now, there are a few things you might not know about cornerstones. First, the concept of laying a cornerstone comes from the Old Testament.† Langdon nodded. â€Å"The Book of Psalms.† â€Å"Correct. And a true cornerstone is always buried beneath the ground–symbolizing the building's initial step upward out of the earth toward the heavenly light.† Langdon glanced out at the Capitol, recalling that its cornerstone was buried so deep in the foundation that, to this day, excavations had been unable to find it. â€Å"And finally,† Solomon said, â€Å"like the stone box in your hand, many cornerstones are little vaults . . . and have hollow cavities so that they can hold buried treasures . . . talismans, if you will– symbols of hope for the future of the building about to be erected.† Langdon was well aware of this tradition, too. Even today, Masons laid cornerstones in which they sealed meaningful objects–time capsules, photos, proclamations, even the ashes of important people. â€Å"My purpose in telling you this,† Solomon said, glancing over at the stairwell, â€Å"should be clear.† â€Å"You think the Lost Word is buried in the cornerstone of the Washington Monument?† â€Å"I don't think, Robert. I know. The Lost Word was buried in the cornerstone of this monument on July 4, 1848, in a full Masonic ritual.† Langdon stared at him. â€Å"Our Masonic forefathers buried a word?!† Peter nodded. â€Å"They did indeed. They understood the true power of what they were burying.† All night, Langdon had been trying to wrap his mind around sprawling, ethereal concepts . . . the Ancient Mysteries, the Lost Word, the Secrets of the Ages. He wanted something solid, and despite Peter's claims that the key to it all was buried in a cornerstone 555 feet beneath him, Langdon was having a hard time accepting it. People study the mysteries for entire lifetimes and are still unable to access the power allegedly hidden there. Langdon flashed on Durer's Melencolia I–the image of the dejected Adept, surrounded by the tools of his failed efforts to unveil the mystical secrets of alchemy. If the secrets can actually be unlocked, they will not be found in one place! Any answer, Langdon had always believed, was spread across the world in thousands of volumes . . . encoded into writings of Pythagoras, Hermes, Heraclitus, Paracelsus, and hundreds of others. The answer was found in dusty, forgotten tomes on alchemy, mysticism, magic, and philosophy. The answer was hidden in the ancient library of Alexandria, the clay tablets of Sumer, and the hieroglyphs of Egypt. â€Å"Peter, I'm sorry,† Langdon said quietly, shaking his head. â€Å"To understand the Ancient Mysteries is a lifelong process. I can't imagine how the key could possibly rest within a single word.† Peter placed a hand on Langdon's shoulder. â€Å"Robert, the Lost Word is not a `word.'† He gave a sage smile. â€Å"We only call it the `Word' because that's what the ancients called it . . . in the beginning.† CHAPTER 130 In the beginning was the Word. Dean Galloway knelt at the Great Crossing of the National Cathedral and prayed for America. He prayed that his beloved country would soon come to grasp the true power of the Word–the recorded collection of the written wisdom of all the ancient masters–the spiritual truths taught by the great sages. History had blessed mankind with the wisest of teachers, profoundly enlightened souls whose understanding of the spiritual and mental mysteries exceeded all understanding. The precious words of these Adepts–Buddha, Jesus, Muhammad, Zoroaster, and countless others–had been transmitted through history in the oldest and most precious of vessels. Books. Every culture on earth had its own sacred book–its own Word–each one different and yet each one the same. For Christians, the Word was the Bible, for Muslims the Koran, for Jews the Torah, for Hindus the Vedas, and on and on it went. The Word shall light the way. For America's Masonic forefathers, the Word had been the Bible. And yet few people in history have understood its true message. Tonight, as Galloway knelt alone within the great cathedral, he placed his hands upon the Word–a well-worn copy of his own Masonic Bible. This treasured book, like all Masonic Bibles, contained the Old Testament, the New Testament, and a treasure trove of Masonic philosophical writings. Although Galloway's eyes could no longer read the text, he knew the preface by heart. Its glorious message had been read by millions of his brethren in countless languages around the world. The text read: TIME IS A RIVER . . . AND BOOKS ARE BOATS. MANY VOLUMES START DOWN THAT STREAM, ONLY TO BE WRECKED AND LOST BEYOND RECALL IN ITS SANDS. ONLY A FEW, A VERY FEW, ENDURE THE TESTINGS OF TIME AND LIVE TO BLESS THE AGES FOLLOWING. There is a reason these volumes survived, while others vanished. As a scholar of faith, Dean Galloway had always found it astonishing that the ancient spiritual texts–the most studied books on earth–were, in fact, the least understood. Concealed within those pages, there hides a wondrous secret. One day soon the light would dawn, and mankind would finally begin to grasp the simple, transformative truth of the ancient teachings . . . and take a quantum leap forward in understanding his own magnificent nature. CHAPTER 131 The winding staircase that descends the spine of the Washington Monument consists of 896 stone steps that spiral around an open elevator shaft. Langdon and Solomon were making their way down, Langdon still grappling with the startling fact that Peter had shared with him only moments ago: Robert, buried within the hollow cornerstone of this monument, our forefathers placed a single copy of the Word–the Bible–which waits in darkness at the foot of this staircase. As they descended, Peter suddenly stopped on a landing and swung his flashlight beam to illuminate a large stone medallion embedded in the wall. What in the world?! Langdon jumped when he saw the carving. The medallion depicted a frightening cloaked figure holding a scythe and kneeling beside an hourglass. The figure's arm was raised, and his index finger was extended, pointing directly at a large open Bible, as if to say: â€Å"The answer is in there!† Langdon stared at the carving and then turned to Peter. His mentor's eyes shone with mystery. â€Å"I'd like you to consider something, Robert.† His voice echoed down the empty stairwell. â€Å"Why do you think the Bible has survived thousands of years of tumultuous history? Why is it still here? Is it because its stories are such compelling reading? Of course not . . . but there is a reason. There is a reason Christian monks spend lifetimes attempting to decipher the Bible. There is a reason that Jewish mystics and Kabbalists pore over the Old Testament. And that reason, Robert, is that there exist powerful secrets hidden in the pages of this ancient book . . . a vast collection of untapped wisdom waiting to be unveiled.† Langdon was no stranger to the theory that the Scriptures contained a hidden layer of meaning, a concealed message that was veiled in allegory, symbolism, and parable. â€Å"The prophets warn us,† Peter continued, â€Å"that the language used to share their secret mysteries is a cryptic one. The Gospel of Mark tells us, `Unto you is given to know the mystery . . . but it will be told in parable.' Proverbs cautions that the sayings of the wise are `riddles,' while Corinthians talks of `hidden wisdom.' The Gospel of John forewarns: `I will speak to you in parable . . . and use dark sayings.' â€Å" Dark sayings, Langdon mused, knowing this strange phrase made numerous odd appearances in Proverbs as well as in Psalm 78. I will open my mouth in a parable and utter dark sayings of old. The concept of a â€Å"dark saying,† Langdon had learned, did not mean that the saying was â€Å"evil† but rather that its true meaning was shadowed or obscured from the light. â€Å"And if you have any doubts,† Peter added, â€Å"Corinthians overtly tells us that the parables have two layers of meaning: `milk for babes and meat for men'–where the milk is a watered-down reading for infantile minds, and the meat is the true message, accessible only to mature minds.† Peter raised the flashlight, again illuminating the carving of the cloaked figure pointing intently at the Bible. â€Å"I know you are a skeptic, Robert, but consider this. If the Bible does not contain hidden meaning, then why have so many of history's finest minds–including brilliant scientists at the Royal Society–become so obsessed with studying it? Sir Isaac Newton wrote more than a million words attempting to decipher the true meaning of the Scripture, including a 1704 manuscript that claimed he had extracted hidden scientific information from the Bible!† Langdon knew this was true. â€Å"And Sir Francis Bacon,† Peter continued, â€Å"the luminary hired by King James to literally create the authorized King James Bible, became so utterly convinced that the Bible contained cryptic meaning that he wrote in his own codes, which are still studied today! Of course, as you know, Bacon was a Rosicrucian and penned The Wisdom of the Ancients.† Peter smiled. â€Å"Even the iconoclastic poet William Blake hinted that we should read between the lines.† Langdon was familiar with the verse: BOTH READ THE BIBLE DAY AND NIGHT, BUT THOU READ BLACK WHERE I READ WHITE. â€Å"And it wasn't just the European luminaries,† Peter continued, descending faster now. â€Å"It was here, Robert, at the very core of this young American nation, that our brightest forefathers–John Adams, Ben Franklin, Thomas Paine–all warned of the profound dangers of interpreting the Bible literally. In fact, Thomas Jefferson was so convinced the Bible's true message was hidden that he literally cut up the pages and reedited the book, attempting, in his words, `to do away with the artificial scaffolding and restore the genuine doctrines.' â€Å" Langdon was well aware of this strange fact. The Jeffersonian Bible was still in print today and included many of his controversial revisions, among them the removal of the virgin birth and the resurrection. Incredibly, the Jeffersonian Bible had been presented to every incoming member of Congress during the first half of the nineteenth century. â€Å"Peter, you know I find this topic fascinating, and I can understand that it might be tempting for bright minds to imagine the Scriptures contain hidden meaning, but it makes no logical sense to me. Any skilled professor will tell you that teaching is never done in code.† â€Å"I'm sorry?† â€Å"Teachers teach, Peter. We speak openly. Why would the prophets–the greatest teachers in history–obscure their language? If they hoped to change the world, why would they speak in code? Why not speak plainly so the world could understand?† Peter glanced back over his shoulder as he descended, looking surprised by the question. â€Å"Robert, the Bible does not talk openly for the same reason the Ancient Mystery Schools were kept hidden . . . for the same reason the neophytes had to be initiated before learning the secret teachings of the ages . . . for the same reason the scientists in the Invisible College refused to share their knowledge with others. This information is powerful, Robert. The Ancient Mysteries cannot be shouted from the rooftops. The mysteries are a flaming torch, which, in the hands of a master, can light the way, but which, in the hands of a madman, can scorch the earth.† Langdon stopped short. What is he saying? â€Å"Peter, I'm talking about the Bible. Why are you talking about the Ancient Mysteries?† Peter turned. â€Å"Robert, don't you see? The Ancient Mysteries and the Bible are the same thing.† Langdon stared in bewilderment. Peter was silent for several seconds, waiting for the concept to soak in. â€Å"The Bible is one of the books through which the mysteries have been passed down through history. Its pages are desperately trying to tell us the secret. Don't you understand? The `dark sayings' in the Bible are the whispers of the ancients, quietly sharing with us all of their secret wisdom.† Langdon said nothing. The Ancient Mysteries, as he understood them, were a kind of instruction manual for harnessing the latent power of the human mind . . . a recipe for personal apotheosis. He had never been able to accept the power of the mysteries, and certainly the notion that the Bible was somehow hiding a key to these mysteries was an impossible stretch. â€Å"Peter, the Bible and the Ancient Mysteries are total opposites. The mysteries are all about the god within you . . . man as god. The Bible is all about the God above you . . . and man as a powerless sinner.† â€Å"Yes! Exactly! You've put your finger on the precise problem! The moment mankind separated himself from God, the true meaning of the Word was lost. The voices of the ancient masters have now been drowned out, lost in the chaotic din of self-proclaimed practitioners shouting that they alone understand the Word . . . that the Word is written in their language and none other.† Peter continued down the stairs. â€Å"Robert, you and I both know that the ancients would be horrified if they saw how their teachings have been perverted . . . how religion has established itself as a tollbooth to heaven . . . how warriors march into battle believing God favors their cause. We've lost the Word, and yet its true meaning is still within reach, right before our eyes. It exists in all the enduring texts, from the Bible to the Bhagavad Gita to the Koran and beyond. All of these texts are revered upon the altars of Freemasonry because Masons understand what the world seems to have forgotten . . . that each of these texts, in its own way, is quietly whispering the exact same message.† Peter's voice welled with emotion. † `Know ye not that ye are gods?'† Langdon was struck by the way this famous ancient saying kept surfacing tonight. He had reflected on it while talking to Galloway and also at the Capitol Building while trying to explain The Apotheosis of Washington. Peter lowered his voice to a whisper. â€Å"The Buddha said, `You are God yourself.' Jesus taught that `the kingdom of God is within you' and even promised us, `The works I do, you can do . . . and greater.' Even the first antipope–Hippolytus of Rome–quoted the same message, first uttered by the gnostic teacher Monoimus: `Abandon the search for God . . . instead, take yourself as the starting place.' † Langdon flashed on the House of the Temple, where the Masonic Tyler's chair bore two words of guidance carved across its back: KNOW THYSELF. â€Å"A wise man once told me,† Peter said, his voice faint now, â€Å"the only difference between you and God is that you have forgotten you are divine.† â€Å"Peter, I hear you–I do. And I'd love to believe we are gods, but I see no gods walking our earth. I see no superhumans.You can point to the alleged miracles of the Bible, or any other religious text, but they are nothing but old stories fabricated by man and then exaggerated over time.† â€Å"Perhaps,† Peter said. â€Å"Or perhaps we simply need our science to catch up with the wisdom of the ancients.† He paused. â€Å"Funny thing is . . . I believe Katherine's research may be poised to do just that.† Langdon suddenly remembered that Katherine had dashed off from the House of the Temple earlier. â€Å"Hey, where did she go, anyway?† â€Å"She'll be here shortly,† Peter said, grinning. â€Å"She went to confirm a wonderful bit of good fortune.† Outside, at the base of the monument, Peter Solomon felt invigorated as he inhaled the cold night air. He watched in amusement as Langdon stared intently at the ground, scratching his head and looking around at the foot of the obelisk. â€Å"Professor,† Peter joked, â€Å"the cornerstone that contains the Bible is underground. You can't actually access the book, but I assure you it's there.† â€Å"I believe you,† Langdon said, appearing lost in thought. â€Å"It's just . . . I noticed something.† Langdon stepped back now and surveyed the giant plaza on which the Washington Monument stood. The circular concourse was made entirely of white stone . . . except for two decorative courses of dark stone, which formed two concentric circles around the monument. â€Å"A circle within a circle,† Langdon said. â€Å"I never realized the Washington Monument stands at the center of a circle within a circle.† Peter had to laugh. He misses nothing. â€Å"Yes, the great circumpunct . . . the universal symbol for God . . . at the crossroads of America.† He gave a coy shrug. â€Å"I'm sure it's just a coincidence.† Langdon seemed far off, gazing skyward now, his eyes ascending the illuminated spire, which shone stark white against the black winter sky. Peter sensed Langdon was beginning to see this creation for what it truly was . . . a silent reminder of ancient wisdom . . . an icon of enlightened man at the heart of a great nation. Even though Peter could not see the tiny aluminum tip at the top, he knew it was there, man's enlightened mind straining toward heaven. Laus Deo. â€Å"Peter?† Langdon approached, looking like a man who'd endured some kind of mystical initiation. â€Å"I almost forgot,† he said, reaching into his pocket and producing Peter's gold Masonic ring. â€Å"I've been wanting to return this to you all night.† â€Å"Thank you, Robert.† Peter held out his left hand and took the ring, admiring it. â€Å"You know, all the secrecy and mystery surrounding this ring and the Masonic Pyramid . . . it had an enormous effect on my life. When I was a young man, the pyramid was given to me with the promise that it hid mystical secrets. Its mere existence made me believe there were great mysteries in the world. It piqued my curiosity, fueled my sense of wonder, and inspired me to open my mind to the Ancient Mysteries.† He smiled quietly and slipped the ring into his pocket. â€Å"I now realize that the Masonic Pyramid's true purpose was not to reveal the answers, but rather to inspire a fascination with them.† The two men stood in silence for a long while at the foot of the monument. When Langdon finally spoke, his tone was serious. â€Å"I need to ask you a favor, Peter . . . as a friend.† â€Å"Of course. Anything.† Langdon made his request . . . firmly. Solomon nodded, knowing he was right. â€Å"I will.† â€Å"Right away,† Langdon added, motioning to the waiting Escalade. â€Å"Okay . . . but one caveat.† Langdon rolled his eyes, chuckling. â€Å"Somehow you always get the last word.† â€Å"Yes, and there is one final thing I want you and Katherine to see.† â€Å"At this hour?† Langdon checked his watch. Solomon smiled warmly at his old friend. â€Å"It is Washington's most spectacular treasure . . . and something very, very few people have ever seen.†

William Blake The Tyger - 900 Words

Ferociously Created (Favorite Poem Written by William Blake: The Tyger) Poetry often has a way of speaking to certain people. Maybe not everyone can connect to every poem, but more so a specific poem. Maybe they can relate something that happened to them in their life that is similar to that in the poetry. Many times that is the case, sometimes others just simply like poems as well. They hear the words that it is saying and get exactly what it is trying to say and it speaks to them. This is a great way to connect to the poem, by just simply liking it in general. William Blake is known as one of the greatest poets of all times. The reason being for this is that he had to sets of poetry; one titled Songs of Innocence, and the other titled Songs of Experience. By the names of the title you can give an educated guess that they are all opposites, but probably related in some way. His titles in one of the sets will have a contrary in the other set. It always changes in the way that he is saying something, basically contradicting it. He has some very popular po etry within all of these works, they are widely known. In the set of poetry in Songs of Innocence my favorite poem is The Tyger because I like what he portrays, how he puts it forth, and the contradiction it has with The Lamb. My first reasoning for liking The Tyger the most is the message portrayed is very hard hitting. As the story is being read you can immediately pick up on what he is trying to say. When he is sayingShow MoreRelatedThe Tyger By William Blake Essay969 Words   |  4 PagesThe Tyger is a six-stanza poem written by an American poet, William Blake. This poem has many interpretation, in a way you could say it is a biblical as well as a symbolic poem, as ‘The Tyger’ is actually the contrast to one of Blake s other poem, The Lamb, both poems are from the book of â€Å"Songs of Innocence and Experience†. If you are familiar with the Christian Bible, it states â€Å"Jesus is the Lamb of God.† The Tyger is comprised of unanswered questions as t o who could have created a terrifyingRead MoreThe Tyger By William Blake1168 Words   |  5 Pagesto question their God and the way the world is. William Blake’s compilation of poems called the Songs of Innocence and Experience questions the good and evil in the daily lives of human beings. This collection of poems includes The Tyger, a partnered poem in the series with The Lamb. Blake offers a new way of interpreting God through His creations in The Tyger. Blake demonstrates the fierceness of the tyger’s creator throughout the poem. The tyger is viewed as a vicious creature that people viewRead MoreThe Tyger By William Blake1290 Words   |  6 Pageswould place their trust in the blacksmith to forge high quality armour and weapons. The blacksmith was held in high regard for a lower-class citizen, and became a sort of anomaly in the hierarchy of a kingdom. William Blake evokes the image of a blacksmith as creator in his poem â€Å"The Tyger† to comment on the social and political situations of the times. He chooses a rough, rude and labour-driven artist as a way of rejecting the aesthetic features of art for more practical, albeit destructive formsRead MoreThe poem The Tyger by William Blake877 Words   |  3 PagesThese wise words of King James verse (1:5) of the bible portrays an underlying message that although we should follow in God’s path, we are not expected to follow blindly. Likewise, in the poem â€Å"The Tyger† by William Blake, it’s theme is a reflection of what this quote implies. Throughout this poem, Blake explores the possibility of questioning God while using the structure of the poem, as well as the irony of God’s character, and several sound devices in hopes of communicating a message, that to questionRead MoreThe Lamb And The Tyger By William Blake1330 Words   |  6 PagesWilliam Blake is an English poet, painter, and printmaker from the eighteenth century. With his unique way with word s and mastery craftsmanship, he created an illustration collection of poems called Songs of Innocence and Experience in 1789. His most famous poems from Songs of Innocence and Experience are â€Å"The Lamb and The Tyger†. These poems use animals to attest to God’s role as the Creator, yet they possess contrasting tones and language of the speaker and present conflicting views of God’s powerRead MoreWilliam Blake s The Tyger1132 Words   |  5 PagesWilliam Blake’s â€Å"The Tyger† and Tragedies William Blake wrote a set of poems in his collection Songs of Innocence and Songs of Experience. Some of the poems in each collection were meant to be read together to show the difference between innocence and experience. Many people question why Blake wrote a two part series to his poems and what they could actually mean. Two specific poems, â€Å"The Lamb† and â€Å"The Tyger,† were meant to be read together. â€Å"The Lamb† is a part of Blake’s Songs of Innocence andRead MoreThe Lamb And The Tyger By William Blake996 Words   |  4 Pagescreated, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible† (Colossians 1:16). William Blake wrote poems about this very subject. In his twin poems, â€Å"The Lamb† and â€Å"The Tyger†, Blake uses different literary techniques such as sound, imagery and symbolism to echo the common theme of creation along with how it is viewed differently. William Blake’s use of sound in his poems, â€Å"The Lamb† and â€Å"The Tyger†, enhance the central idea of creation and the question of how one God can create such differentRead MoreSymbolism In The Tyger By William Blake901 Words   |  4 Pagespower must be brought into question. William Blake’s poem â€Å"The Tyger† accurately portrays this reality and brings this thinking of God into the light with his poem. In â€Å"The Tyger†, William Blake uses rhyme scheme, figurative language, and symbolism to convey the question of why God would allow for there to be evil, and create evil Himself. Blake’s use of rhyme scheme throughout the poem adds a rhythm and set pattern in the poem. For example, in â€Å"The Tyger†, Blake uses the rhyme scheme AABB throughoutRead MoreThe Tyger And The Lamb By William Blake991 Words   |  4 Pagesand event that has ever existed may have had bad effects in one situation, but good effects for another situation. And every human, by extension, has aspects about them that can be viewed as both good and evil. In his poems, â€Å"The Tyger† and, â€Å"The Lamb†, author William Blake explores the ideas of duality, and how each thing must have an equal opposite. He uses both these poems to further ruminate on this dichotomy and brings up many questions in the context of religion. He seeks to point out that inRead MoreThe Lamb and The Tyger by William Blake Essay1758 Words   |  8 Pages William Blake, a unique poet of the literary canon, is one of the most critiqued poets of all time. Having a rather unique stylistic approach to topics, especially religion, Blake seems to contradict himself in his own writing and, therefore, sparks questions in the readers’ minds on specific subjects. Two of his poems in particular have been widely critiqued and viewed in various lights. â€Å"The Tyger,† written in 1774, and â€Å"The Lamb,† written five years later in 1789, are considered companion poems