In Robert Frost's "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening," what are some of the narrator's objectives?

Probably Robert Frost's most famous poem, "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening" is famously ambiguous and hard to interpret. Though it's tough to discern whether or not the narrator has a definitive "objective," if you had to pick one, it's possible to argue that the narrator's main objective is to illustrate the conflict between the desire for rest and the need to fulfill one's commitments.

The most crucial stanza in the poem is the...

Probably Robert Frost's most famous poem, "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening" is famously ambiguous and hard to interpret. Though it's tough to discern whether or not the narrator has a definitive "objective," if you had to pick one, it's possible to argue that the narrator's main objective is to illustrate the conflict between the desire for rest and the need to fulfill one's commitments.

The most crucial stanza in the poem is the last one, which reads as follows:

The woods are lovely, dark and deep,
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep. (13-16)

In this stanza, it's clear that the narrator is attracted to the woods, but also has commitments to fulfill before he can "sleep" or rest. Many scholars argue that the woods symbolize death and mortality, and that the narrator is struggling with the desire for rest in death and the need to continue living (hence the "miles to go"). This reading is persuasive and adds many layers of depth to the poem, but it is not the only possible interpretation. In any case, it's clear that the narrator is longing for some kind of rest, and whether that's the rest found in death, or merely the rest gained by pausing and enjoying a peaceful natural scene, is somewhat moot. Overall, the narrator's objective seems to be the illustration of the tension between the desire for rest and the responsibility to fulfill one's duty. This discussion could be expanded to the tension between the desire for death and the need to keep living, but that is only one possible interpretation of a short but highly suggestive poem. 

In the Linguistics field, I need help to understand the first chapter, which is "Synonymy and Morphological Analysis," of the book entitled The...

In the first chapter of The Foundations of Linguistics Theory(edited by Nigel Love), an attempt is made to reconcile conflicting ideas of synonymy and morphological analysis. [Morphological analysis relates to meaningful elements while synonymy is a semantic sub-division relevant to lexical relations.] Based on an expanded concept of synonymity and on the introduction of synonymity statements and synonymity hypothesis, new questions arise as to the need for semantic information in defining morphological units. In...

In the first chapter of The Foundations of Linguistics Theory (edited by Nigel Love), an attempt is made to reconcile conflicting ideas of synonymy and morphological analysis. [Morphological analysis relates to meaningful elements while synonymy is a semantic sub-division relevant to lexical relations.] Based on an expanded concept of synonymity and on the introduction of synonymity statements and synonymity hypothesis, new questions arise as to the need for semantic information in defining morphological units. In turn, questions of identifying synonymous units--critically dependent upon semantic information--are complicated by the question of the relevance of that semantic information. Two questions regarding the relationship between morphological analysis and synonymity that are brought to our attention because of these complicating considerations are, as stated in Foundations of Linguistics Theory:

1. ...is it possible to make good the claim, inherent in the procedures of non-semantically based morphology, that morphological analysis does not require a concept of synonymy?
2. ...supposing this claim to be false or irrelevant, what then is the function of a concept of synonymy in relation to morphological analysis?

This is complex material and depends upon orienting your attention to the idea that descriptive linguistics often addresses languages for which morphology and synonymity are not known. As a result, answering whether or not semantic meaning is relevant to morphology and to synonymity is fundamentally critical. A further orientation of attention required is to the idea that the study of synonyms--of units of expression that have equivalent meanings--has expanded from the consideration of single words (e.g., wrong and incorrect) to the consideration of "words, bound morphs, phrases, clauses, sentences, and sequences of sentences ... as examples of synonymous expressions" (Foundations of Linguistics Theory). Consequently, questions of the relevance of semantic meaning encompass a larger scope than under the previous concept of single word-set synonymity.

What are some of the universal truths shown in Edith Wharton's Ethan Frome?

One of the universal truths in Ethan Fromeis the veracity of the saying "be careful what you wish for." Ethan wishes to remain by the side of his wife's cousin, Mattie, who he has fallen in love with, forever. At first, it seems like his desire will be thwarted, as his wife, Zeena, plans to send Mattie away. She knows Mattie and Ethan care for each other. In the end, however, Mattie and Ethan...

One of the universal truths in Ethan Frome is the veracity of the saying "be careful what you wish for." Ethan wishes to remain by the side of his wife's cousin, Mattie, who he has fallen in love with, forever. At first, it seems like his desire will be thwarted, as his wife, Zeena, plans to send Mattie away. She knows Mattie and Ethan care for each other. In the end, however, Mattie and Ethan wind up spending their lives together, but there is an ironic twist of fate because Mattie is badly injured in a sledding accident. Mattie lives with Ethan and Zeena as an invalid, so Mattie and Ethan get their wish to live together forever, but not in the way they had imagined. 

Another universal truth expressed in this novel is the power of compassion. Ethan feels loyal and caring towards his sickly wife, so he feels conflicted about leaving her. He also feels compassionate towards Mattie, who has no visible means of support. In the end, Zeena is surprisingly compassionate towards Ethan and Mattie, as she cares for them after their sledding accident. In fact, it is her compassion for them that makes her well again after many years of being an invalid. Their mutual compassion is what keeps Ethan, Mattie, and Zeena alive and together, even after enduring tragedy.

Why is Roger unable to say what he wants to say to Mrs. Jones at the end of the story in "Thank you, M’am" by Langston Hughes?

Roger is overcome with emotion at the end of “Thank you, M’am” by Langston Hughes, which leaves him unable to say more than a simple “thank you.”

Roger is a young man who is the product of his Harlem environment. There is no evidence of family support in his young life. When he attempts to snatch the purse off the shoulder of Mrs. Luella Bates Washington Jones, he is in for the lesson of a...

Roger is overcome with emotion at the end of “Thank you, M’am” by Langston Hughes, which leaves him unable to say more than a simple “thank you.”

Roger is a young man who is the product of his Harlem environment. There is no evidence of family support in his young life. When he attempts to snatch the purse off the shoulder of Mrs. Luella Bates Washington Jones, he is in for the lesson of a lifetime.

 Mrs. Jones does not report him to authorities, but instead takes him to her rooming house, where she shows him kindness and understanding. She has him wash up before they eat a meager dinner together. More importantly, she respects his circumstances and shares some of her background with him. While he is in her company, she allows him to learn how to be trustworthy.

When it is time for her to rest, she hands him the money he needs to buy the blue suede shoes that drove him to steal in the first place. Roger is unaccustomed to this type of treatment and he finds it so overwhelming that he is virtually speechless. Deep within, Roger realizes Mrs. Jones gave him much more than the money for those shoes.

What is Shelley's purpose in writing "Ozymandias"?

The purpose of a poem is to express a theme or create a mood.  In Shelley's "Ozymandias," the theme becomes clear with the last lines:

"My name is Ozymandias, king of kings: 

Look on my works, ye Mighty an despair!"

Nothing beside remains.  Round the deay

Of that colossal wreck, boundless and bare

The lone and level sands stretch far away.

Ozymandias is probably a reference to the Egyptian pharaoh Ramses II, who built impressive...

The purpose of a poem is to express a theme or create a mood.  In Shelley's "Ozymandias," the theme becomes clear with the last lines:

"My name is Ozymandias, king of kings: 

Look on my works, ye Mighty an despair!"

Nothing beside remains.  Round the deay

Of that colossal wreck, boundless and bare

The lone and level sands stretch far away.

Ozymandias is probably a reference to the Egyptian pharaoh Ramses II, who built impressive statues, pyramids, and kingdoms.  His proud boast, which is written on the ruins of a statue of him, is a vain and an empty one because nothing remains of his works.  With the exception of these broken ruins, all has disappeared into the sand.  Shelley shows us man's attempt to immortalize himself through his works.  But he shows that such attempts are futile.  Time and nature ("sand" symbolizing both) will eventually overcome all our works, no matter how great and impressive the works once were.  

Correlated with Ozymandias's attempts to make a permanent mark are the sculptor's attempts as well.  

 . . .its sculptor well those passions read

Which yet survive, stamped on these lifeless things,

The hand that mocked them, and the heart that fed . . .

The sculptor also showed skill in his works, but little of that skill remains--a "shattered visage," "trunkless legs," and "a pedestal."  Just as a king's works do not remain, an artist's works are temporary.  Both the hand of the sculptor who fashioned the original sculpture and the heart of the pharaoh which inspired it are no more.  Men and their works are mortal.  

Shelley's purpose is to remind us of this cold hard fact, and perhaps instill humility in the minds of his readers.   

The  link below contains a thorough discussion of the poem, its themes and techniques.  

How has Canada defined itself in reaction against Americanizing in its politics?

Historically, much of Canadian political identity has been shaped by its relationship with the United States, beginning with the influx of "Loyalists" to Canada after the American Revolution. Similarly, in the War of 1812, the Canadian military developed its sense of identity in opposition to the invading American forces. While the United States had expected that many Canadians would be happy to throw off what the US considered the yoke of imperialist Britain, most Canadians...

Historically, much of Canadian political identity has been shaped by its relationship with the United States, beginning with the influx of "Loyalists" to Canada after the American Revolution. Similarly, in the War of 1812, the Canadian military developed its sense of identity in opposition to the invading American forces. While the United States had expected that many Canadians would be happy to throw off what the US considered the yoke of imperialist Britain, most Canadians saw themselves as British Loyalists and the United States as the foreign invader. 

In the twentieth and twenty-first centuries, as the United States has become a world superpower in economic, military, and cultural terms, Canada has remained a vast nation with a relatively small population sharing many cultural elements and values with the United States, something that has given rise to a form of Canadian anti-Americanism manifested as a quest for identity.

First, Canada's ongoing ties with Britain serve as a form of anti-American political identity. Next, many progressive movements in Canadian politics, especially as represented by the Liberal and NDP parties, emphasize there own progressivism as overtly opposed to the "Americanizing" policies of the Conservatives. Many of the cultural policies of the government, from the funding of the CBC to the mandating of Canadian content, serve to preserve a distinct Canadian cultural identity. 

How could you find a longest rod placed in a box if the dimensions are 2×4×5?

To do this, the longest rod would be the diagonal of the box.  Now, this is different than the diagonal of one side of the box.  I am talking about the diagonal that would go through the middle of the box.  I attached an example.

To, figure this out, you would need to find the "projected diagonal" of one side.  Like in the example, how long would the diagonal be if projected to the bottom of the box, the green line?  Here, we would make a right triangle with the bottom of the box, sides of 5 and 4.  So, we could calculate the length of the green line using Pythagorean's Theorem, so the length of the green segment, g, is ` ` `g = sqrt(4^2 + 5^2) = sqrt(41)`

Then, you would do the Pythagorean Theorem again using that diagonal, the diagonal through the middle of the box, g,  and the back right side of the box.  We can find the length of the red diagonal, r, using Pythagorean's Theorem again using the green segment, g, and the side of length 2. So, `r = sqrt(g^2 + 2^2) = 3sqrt(5)`

Or, the easy way would be to use the Pythagorean Theorem for 3D, which is  `x^2 + y^2 + z^2 = d^2`  

We know x =2, y = 4, and z = 5, 2, 4, and 5.  So, plugging in those, `d = sqrt(45) = 3sqrt(5)`