Francesco Petrarch Essay -- essays research papers

	Francesco Petrarch, was a man held in high regards of his peers. The life in which Petrarch lived, was certainly not one of which many people could have had dealt with. A life of solitude, misplaced love and, family misfortune that was endured. But, through hard workand perseverance, loyalty to the churches which lead to good connections, he was regarded as one of the most influential persons and authors of his time. 	Petrarch was not a man with greatest of family lives. Born in Arezzo in 1304, to a family that had just been exiled from Florence, his family had to move to Incisa, Tuscany. Petrarch spent most of his childhood in Incisa. From then on, his father pushed him into the path of law. His brother, Gheredo, the most stable family figure in his life, later became a monk and throughout his life stayed in contact with Francesco. Petrarch had another brother, who died at a very young age. His mother died when he was 15 years old, which was consequently when some of his earliest works have been recorded. At the age of 22, Francesco's father passed away, which caused Francesco to attain a career. Giovanni, his son, was born illegitimately in 1337. The relationship between the two was disappointment to Francesco. He describes him as: "Intelligent, perhaps even exceptionally intelligent, but he hates books" He let Giovanni live with him till he could no longer stand the sight of him and sent him to live in Avignon, at the age of 20. It wasn't until just before Giovanni's death, of the Black Plague, did they start to write each other. Just before his sons death, Petrarch's friends though of Giovanni as a good person and wrote Petrarch about this. He never saw his son before his death but in his mind knew that he had started to get his life back together. He also had a daughter, Francesca, she gave birth to Petrarch's grandchildren one of which died during the Plague. This was of great disheartenment of Petrarch. 	Much to Petrarch's dismay he studied law at the University of Bologna and he earned his degree. Beyond the levels of his peers at an early age it was obvious the intellectual presents he had. Moving from school to school he realized that his true interests were in the ancient authors, not the law. He sought out and recovered manuscripts' Cicero, Virgil, amongst others. When his Petrarch's father found these manu... ... earth', it is this quote that shows how much he loved Laura, even though she did not return this love. 	Francesco Petrarch, was regarded amongst his peers and superiors as a powerful man. After having been sent on many missions of peace by the Archbishop. The King of France and, the Emperor of Italy trying to persuade Petrarch to join them. In his writings, Emperor, Kings wanted copies of his books, friends and other great authors desired to own and read these books as well. A man that could write about feeling he had even though they were not respected. Having gone through death and disappointment within his family. It is only fitting that a man who over came all of these obstacles, be considered one of the greatest Italian of his time. 	Bibliograghy 1. Bishop, Morris Letters of Petrarch (Indiana 1966). 2. Dobson, Susana Life of Petrarch (London 1805). 3. Einsenbichler K., Iannucci A. Petrarch's Triumphs (Toronto 1990). 4.Wilkins, E. H. Life of Petrarch (Chicago 1961). 5.Wilkins, E.H. Petrarch's Eight Years in Milan: 1353-1361 (Cambridge 1958). 6. Wilkins, E. H. Petrarch's Later Years (Cambridge 1959). 7. Wilkins, E. H. Triumphs of Petrarch (Chicago 1962)

Analysis of Ahab Moby Dick Essay

1. Dictator: Melville describes Ahab as a dictator. He, as the captain, is the most respectful figure in the Pequod. Some critics say that the novel is a metaphor from the world. Everyone depends of one person. It is a political point of view. The Pequod is seen as a small world. He is a â€Å"grand, ungodly, god-like† man. Ahab is ungodly in that he refuses to submit to any higher power. He does not worship or even acknowledge the superiority of forces beyond himself. Ahab is god-like in that he is larger than life. 2. Obsession: Ahab considers Moby Dick the embodiment of evil in the world, and he pursues the White Whale monomaniacally because he believes it his inescapable fate to destroy this evil. He is obsessed with revenge. Moby Dick dominates the personality of Ahab. He gradually goes crazier and crazier, eventually blaming Moby Dick for everything bad that has ever happened to any human being ever since the beginning of time. Melville describes Ahab as a â€Å"monomaniac,† an interesting word because it suggests two things: first, that Ahab’s insanity focuses itself obsessively on a single thing (Moby Dick), and second, that he’s only insane when it comes to that one thing – he can be rational about just about everyone else. 3. Suffering: Ahab believes that his suffering stems from the White Whale known as Moby Dick. . He lost more than leg the first time he fought against Moby Dick: he lost his pride, his free will, and his very being. His sole purpose after this encounter was to kill Moby-Dick, all else was cast aside. His wife, home, friends, and family do not even cross his mind. Ahab basically spends his life alone in the sea. He feels in home when he is in the ocean. He is always looking for Moby Dick, looking along. He has not friends; he is a romantic hero. Ahab is not a happy human being, he is like heroes of Shakespearean tragedy. He is suffering for the pain he has inside from the beginning to the end of the novel. Close to the end of the novel Melville makes a reflection about Ahab’s life, trying to humanize him. He is lamenting everything on his life.

What Is a Leprechaun

A leprechaun is a mythological figure, a type of fairy originating from 8th century Irish folklore. Contemporary leprechauns are depicted as men, small in stature and wearing a green coat, a top hat, and buckled shoes. They are known to be solitary creatures, dedicating themselves to shoemaking. They are notoriously lucky, able to grant wishes and give away treasure, but they are also known to be mischievous creatures. Key Takeaways Leprechauns are a type of fairy originating from 8th century Irish folklore.  A modern leprechaun is depicted as a small, red-bearded man, wearing a top hat, buckled shoes, and a green coat, though older impressions feature a red coat and pointed hat.  Known to be solitary cobblers, leprechauns do not like being disturbed, and they often play tricks on anyone who stumbles upon them.   Ancient cultures across the world, including in Ireland, Greece, Iceland, the Philippines, Hawai’i, Indonesia, and North American indigenous tribes, feature stories about little people, often of supernatural nature, known for luck and trickery. Leprechauns are the Irish rendering of these people, originating from tales of the Aos Sà ­, a group of mythical beings that are said to reside in a parallel universe, occasionally making contact with human beings with mixed results.   What Is a Leprechaun? Leprechauns are a type of fairy found in Irish folklore, most often recognized by their iconic pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. According to legend, leprechauns are solitary creatures that spend their time making and mending shoes. Occasionally, a human will come across a leprechaun, either on purpose or accidentally, and attempt to capture him. If he proves successful, the leprechaun will either grant three wishes or bestow a pot of treasure in exchange for his freedom. Leprechauns are clever, however, and they often distract their capturer long enough to escape, creating havoc before disappearing. The first leprechauns were portrayed as short, elderly men that could be found in tree hollows and rabbit holes in rural places. A leprechaun would wear a red coat, as red was the symbolic color of fairies, with a pointed hat and a leather apron. He would often have glasses perched on his nose and a pipe in his mouth, though this depiction varied slightly between stories. In 1825, the Irish historian Thomas Crofton Croker published a collection of Irish folktales describing the leprechaun as a bearded cobbler with buckles on his shoes and a tendency toward trickery, and this imagery has remained almost unchanged since then, though in the 20th century his costuming in popular culture changed from red to green. According to folklore, the tell-tale sign that a leprechaun is nearby is the tapping sound of a hammer striking nails into leather, like a cobbler making shoes, accompanied by whimsical, often cheerful whistling. History and Origins Though they don’t appear in early Irish or Celtic mythology, leprechauns are considered to be members of a group of magical creatures called the Aos Sà ­, descendent from the mythical deities of Ireland, the Tuathe Dà © Dannan. Also known as the Sidhe (pronounced sith), the Aos Sà ­ are more contemporary fairies and supernatural mythical creatures, including leprechauns, changelings, and the Banshee, that were found in Irish mythology and folklore beginning around the 8th century. Leprechauns first appeared in the written record in the medieval story, Echtra Fergus mac Là ©ti (Adventure of Fergus, son of Là ©ti) in which a man falls asleep on a beach and wakes to find himself being dragged into the sea by three leprechauns. This story derives from the 8th century idea of Là º Chorpain, meaning small body, or water fairies. Other sources indicate that the word â€Å"leprechaun† comes from the Irish â€Å"leath bhrà ³gan,† meaning shoemaker, the profession of these Irish fairies. Leprechauns in Popular Culture   Leprechauns in the United States are most commonly associated with St. Patrick’s Day celebrations. In recent years, families with young children have been crafting leprechaun traps, intended to capture the tricksters and find their pots of gold. More than 10% of Americans—about 32.3 million people—claim Irish heritage, so it is not surprising that the leprechaun is such a prolific figure in contemporary American culture, appearing as sports mascots, breakfast cereal icons, and movie characters throughout the 20th and 21st centuries.   University of Notre Dame: In 1960, a leprechaun became the mascot for the Fighting Irish, replacing a series of Irish terriers.  Boston Celtics: Lucky the Leprechaun has been the mascot of the Celtics since the teams formation in 1946, owing, in part, to the city’s large Irish population.  Hornswoggle: In 2007, actor and WWE wrestler Mark Postl debuted as Hornswoggle the leprechaun.Lucky Charms Breakfast Cereal: Lucky the Leprechaun was launched by General Mills in 1964.  The Luck of the Irish: This Disney movie about an adolescent fated to transform into a leprechaun was released in 2001.  Darby O’Hill and the Little People: This 1959 film about a man who accidentally slips into a world of little people was also created by Disney. Donohue Syndrome   Donohue syndrome is sometimes called leprechaunism, though the term is widely considered to be offensive and inappropriate. It is a genetic mutation that affects the function of insulin receptors during growth and development of the embryo. Infants with Donohue Syndrome are smaller during intrauterine growth and development, and those born with the disorder experience failure to thrive, or the inability to gain weight and develop at the anticipated rate. Notable physical characteristics of Donohue Syndrome include large eyes, wide noses, upturned nostrils, low-set ears, and thick lips. The disease is extremely rare and most often fatal, though some people with Donohue syndrome are known to have lived for more than a decade. Sources   Croker, Thomas Crofton. Fairy Legends and Traditions of the South of Ireland. Murray (U. A.), 1825.Donohue, W.L. et al. â€Å"Leprechaunism.† The Journal of Pediatrics vol. 45,5 (1954): 505-519.  Elsas, L J et al. â€Å"Leprechaunism: an inherited defect in a high-affinity insulin receptor.† American journal of human genetics vol. 37,1 (1985): 73-88.Joyce, P. W. A Social History of Ancient Ireland. Longmans, 1920.Koch, John Thomas. Celtic Culture: A Historical Encyclopedia. ABC-CLIO, 2006.Negra, Diane. The Irish in Us: Irishness, Performativity, and Popular Culture. Duke University Press, 2006.Wilde, Lady Francesca Speranza. Ancient Legends, Mystic Charms, and Superstitions of Ireland: with Sketches of the Irish Past. Ticknor and Co., 1887.Winberry, John J. â€Å"The Elusive Elf: Some Thoughts on the Nature and Origin of the Irish Leprechaun.† Folklore, vol. 87, no. 1, 1976, pp. 63–75.