What are the similarities between the poet Robert Frost and his poem "The Road Not Taken"?

At least three similarities are apparent between the poet Robert Frost and the speaker in "The Road Not Taken": (1) leaving Vermont to go to England in search of a publisher for his poetry (having left farming only because of his grief over the death of his daughter at his farm in Derry); (2) choosing between two things, farming and poetry, perceived at one time as equally common and at another as unequally so; (3) choosing poetry made all the difference for Frost, for poetry allowed him to tame his mind and emotions.

The poem starts with the line "Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,...." Frost came to two roads diverging when, needing to make a living for his family and to leave his grief over Elinor's infant death behind him, he chose to seriously pursue a career as a poet, taking his family from rural woodland Vermont to England.

Stanza three ends with, "the passing there / Had worn them really about the same," (he says this despite the "undergrowth" at the bend of the path he did not choose). From his troubled circumstance in 1912, staying as a farmer or leaving as a poet may have presented equal perspectives to him; although "undergrowth" suggests a preference for the "grassy" way he did choose, which was England and an English publisher and audience. As an aside, one reason he opted for England was that he met with criticism from American academia because he wrote in traditional meter and rhyme instead of abandoning it for modernist poetic style.

The famous ending of this poem--published in 1916 in the collection Mountain Interval before Frost had won his first Pulitzer in 1924--says, "I took the one less traveled by, / And that has made all the difference." For Frost, his choice of taking the road of poetry did make all the difference because, as biographer Jay Parini said, his poetry, with its highly developed structure, allowed him to keep his demons of depression and self-doubt in check. It is at this point, the point of hindsight, that he confesses that the road he chose was indeed "one less traveled by."

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

What similes does Romeo use to convey Juliet's beauty?

A simile is a comparison of two unlike things using the words like or as. The comparison tends to enhance the qualities of one of those things. Immediately after seeing Juliet at Capulet's party in Act I, Scene 5, Romeo compares her beauty (it is definitely her looks he is speaking of here because he has yet to meet her) to a precious jewel:

It seems she hangs upon the cheek of nightAs a...

A simile is a comparison of two unlike things using the words like or as. The comparison tends to enhance the qualities of one of those things. Immediately after seeing Juliet at Capulet's party in Act I, Scene 5, Romeo compares her beauty (it is definitely her looks he is speaking of here because he has yet to meet her) to a precious jewel:

It seems she hangs upon the cheek of night
As a rich jewel in an Ethiop’s ear

This comparison needs a bit of explanation because one might not understand what Romeo is speaking of. It was probably common in Renaissance Italy for men from Ethiopia to act as traders and to visit Italian cities. Romeo may have seen just such a man, or maybe read about them. These Ethiopians were often wealthy and would have adorned themselves in elaborate jewelry such as diamonds, emeralds or rubies.

Later, in Act II, Scene 2, Romeo once again uses a simile to describe Juliet. Here he may also be speaking of her personality and not just her beauty because he has spoken to her briefly in the waning moments of Capulet's party. He compares her to an angel coming down from heaven as a messenger to bring happiness and light to Romeo's life (which, by his own admittance, had been darkened by his unrequited love for Rosaline):

O, speak again, bright angel, for thou art
As glorious to this night, being o’er my head,
As is a wingèd messenger of heaven

This comparison to a "bright angel" is very in much in keeping with Shakespeare's recurring motif of light and dark which pervades the tragedy.

What are the main motifs or themes in Coming Through Slaughter by Ondaatje? What was Ondaatje's purpose in writing from such confusing viewpoints?

Motifs and Themes

The main motifs and themes in Coming Through Slaughterby author Michael Ondaatje include the senses, creativity, sanity, and self-destruction. As an artist, Bolden sees the world in shades of color, in sounds and smells. The story's early setting is a pleasant sensory contrast to the horrors Bolden experiences in the underbelly of the New Orleans Red-Light District. Creativity is a theme that runs throughout Bolden's story as a musician and an...

Motifs and Themes

The main motifs and themes in Coming Through Slaughter by author Michael Ondaatje include the senses, creativity, sanity, and self-destruction. As an artist, Bolden sees the world in shades of color, in sounds and smells. The story's early setting is a pleasant sensory contrast to the horrors Bolden experiences in the underbelly of the New Orleans Red-Light District. Creativity is a theme that runs throughout Bolden's story as a musician and an artist, and it is creativity that leads him into madness.

When Bolden finally returns and joins a jazz band for one last performance, he reaches the peak of his musical career. In his mind, that performance is the culmination of all he has worked for and he will never get better than he is in that moment. He sees a strange girl who somehow anticipates his improvisations through her dance and Ondaatje suggests that this experience is what pushed him beyond the limits of his sanity. In this sense, creativity is both Bolden's reason for existing and the vehicle of his self-destruction.

Structure and Points of View

While confusing at times, the shifting points of view used throughout Coming Through Slaughter serve the purpose of introducing elements of the story through different perspectives. There are many events in the story after Bolden's disappearance that must be told through Webb's perspective. This enhances the suspense in the story, which is, at its core, a mystery. The early part of the story is told through Bolden's point of view in order to set up his character and introduce ideas and facts the reader can use to explain his disappearance through the detective's eyes. When Bolden finally returns, the reader is left to wonder what happened to him to cause such a significant behavioral change. Without the shifting perspectives, Bolden's story would lack such suspense and mystery.

The shifting viewpoints also mirror Bolden's descent into insanity. As the story progresses, his thoughts become more disorganized. Fragmented sentences such as "swimming toward the sound of madness" echo this theme on a smaller scale.

Compare Snowball and Napoleon's techniques for gathering support.

In Animal Farm, Snowball and Napoleon have very different ways of gathering support from the other animals and this is most evident in Chapter Five during the debates over the windmill. Snowball, for example, gathers support by appealing directly to the other animals. He makes rousing speeches in which he emphasises the potential benefits of having the windmill, particularly as a labour-saving device. We see this in Snowball's "passionate appeal" on the day of...

In Animal Farm, Snowball and Napoleon have very different ways of gathering support from the other animals and this is most evident in Chapter Five during the debates over the windmill. Snowball, for example, gathers support by appealing directly to the other animals. He makes rousing speeches in which he emphasises the potential benefits of having the windmill, particularly as a labour-saving device. We see this in Snowball's "passionate appeal" on the day of the vote:

In glowing sentences he painted a picture of Animal Farm as it might be when sordid labour was lifted from the animals’ backs. His imagination had now run far beyond chaff-cutters and turnip-slicers.

Napoleon, on the other hand, does not try to win over the other animals through public speeches or by appealing to their imagination. In contrast, Napoleon focuses his efforts on "canvassing support for himself" rather than arguing about the windmill. In fact, he seems "almost indifferent" on the day of the vote and he only acts (by setting his dogs on Snowball) when he realises that Snowball's speech has won over the animals. Napoleon, therefore, has no interest in gathering support because he knows that he can use violence to seize power.  

How has Martin Luther affected us today?

There are several ways in which Martin Luther affected religion and culture. Perhaps the most important is that Luther started the Protestant Reformation, a movement that ended the monolithic power of the Roman Catholic Church in the Latin West. All Protestant churches across the world owe a tremendous debt to Luther for their very existence.

There are some key theological points emphasized by Luther that have had significant cultural impact. The first is what is...

There are several ways in which Martin Luther affected religion and culture. Perhaps the most important is that Luther started the Protestant Reformation, a movement that ended the monolithic power of the Roman Catholic Church in the Latin West. All Protestant churches across the world owe a tremendous debt to Luther for their very existence.

There are some key theological points emphasized by Luther that have had significant cultural impact. The first is what is known as the "sola scriptura" doctrine, that Scripture alone is necessary for salvation. What this leads to is a reduction in power of the clergy. Although the sacraments of baptism and Eucharist remain important for Protestants, salvation in Luther's formula is through faith and by grace. Under this, the clergy become ministers, helping their flocks, rather than intermediaries between God and man. This reduces the power of the Church as an institution. Luther also rejected the notion of the Papacy as having unique authority throughout Christendom. 

The importance of Scripture for Luther meant making the Bible available to the laity in the vernacular. This was one significant factor in the rise of literacy rates in Protestant countries.

What are some of the products that come from crude oil?

Crude oil is composed of many different kinds of hydrocarbons, and can be broken down or refined to produce a wide spectrum of things. 

The main product of petroleum is gasoline. This is used to fuel engines, and is a volatile mixture of lighter petrochemicals.

The second most common product of crude oil is diesel. Diesel is similar to gasoline, but is heavier and less volatile than it's fuel cousin. Diesel is also used to...

Crude oil is composed of many different kinds of hydrocarbons, and can be broken down or refined to produce a wide spectrum of things. 

The main product of petroleum is gasoline. This is used to fuel engines, and is a volatile mixture of lighter petrochemicals.

The second most common product of crude oil is diesel. Diesel is similar to gasoline, but is heavier and less volatile than it's fuel cousin. Diesel is also used to run engines, but can only be used in special engines designed with the lower volatility in mind.

A significant portion of crude oil is used to make jet fuel, which is similar to diesel in composition but contains a different concentration of sulfur and has different lubrication properties. Neither diesel nor jet fuel will catch fire in the presence of an open flame, but both still contain lots of energy.

Some oil is used to make heating oils for lamps and burners, and is similar to diesel.

Crude oil can be used to make lubrication oils, which do not burn easily and can maintain lubrication at extremely high temperatures. These oils are used in engines, mechanized parts, windmills, and any other type of joint or hinge.

Gas products, such as propane and butane, are extremely volatile and burn easily. These are used in lighters, heaters, grills, and stoves.

Solvents are made with crude oil, and work very well on organic material like rubber and plastic.

Rubbers and plastics are made with crude oil or components of crude oil.

A vast portion of crude oil is used to generate electricity, particularly the liquid fuels and gasses like gasoline, diesel, and propane.

Would it be still appropriate, today, to call the the Republican Party the party of Lincoln, considering Lincoln's viewpoint on slavery and civil...

In my view, this question is less of a historical question and more of a political statement. When people ask if the GOP today is still the “party of Lincoln,” what they are really trying to do is to argue modern-day Republicans are anti-black, while Lincoln was pro-black. This is, in my view, unhistorical. 

The reason for this is that the issues facing Lincoln are nothing like the issues surrounding race today. In Lincoln’s day,...

In my view, this question is less of a historical question and more of a political statement. When people ask if the GOP today is still the “party of Lincoln,” what they are really trying to do is to argue modern-day Republicans are anti-black, while Lincoln was pro-black. This is, in my view, unhistorical. 

The reason for this is that the issues facing Lincoln are nothing like the issues surrounding race today. In Lincoln’s day, the main racial issue was slavery, not civil rights. Of course, Lincoln was strongly opposed to slavery. He was not a fan of what we would call civil rights today. He did not believe blacks and whites were equal, and he did not believe that they could live together as equals. As he said in one of his famous debates with Stephen Douglas,

I am not, nor ever have been, in favor of bringing about in any way the social and political equality of the white and black races.

Because Lincoln believed these things, it is really not historically correct to say Lincoln would have held the same beliefs on civil rights that Democrats do today. Lincoln’s own beliefs would be completely anathema to both Republicans and the Democrats today. Of course, if Lincoln were alive today, he might have different views, but we can only speculate on what those views would be.

The Republican Party today does not hold all the stances Abraham Lincoln did, just as the Democratic Party does not believe, for example, in everything Woodrow Wilson believed in. As issues change, parties change. That is natural. We cannot logically argue the Republican Party has abandoned Lincoln’s ideas on race because Lincoln did not have to have opinions on issues like affirmative action, welfare, or Black Lives Matter, topics at the heart of conversations about race today.