How Much is That Kidney in the Window by Bruce Gottliebs Essay

How Much is That Kidney in the Window by Bruce Gottliebs - Essay Example This paper illustrates that Gottlieb was able to provide sufficient evidence that the loss of one kidney does not pose as much health danger as it is being made out to be; recipients of donated kidneys do not really care whether it was sold or given as long as it extends the life of one’s loved one; it would actually be more economical both for the government and all people concerned if kidneys were sold; and, the feared slippery slope disaster that some people for see will not happen in this case because the act of selling kidneys is neither inevitable nor unconscious. Gottlieb first points out that statistics do not support the common notion that the loss of one kidney may lead to a significantly less healthy life for the organ donor. This fact is actually supported by accounts from the website of the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDKD), which mentions that people are still able to live a normal life even with one kidney as many people a ctually donate their kidney to friends or family members. Next, he points out that friends and family members of a person who needs a kidney transplant do not really care much about how the organ was acquired, as long as it is able to save their loved one’s life. And indeed, their perspective on the issue is the most important one to be considered. Surely, family members themselves would give up their own organ for their loved one if and when needed. Unfortunately, the twisted irony of genetic lottery sometimes disqualifies a person’s closest kins and thus leaves the family with a great sense of helplessness. Gottlieb then proceeds to discuss the economic benefits behind the act of kidney selling (Gottlieb). At first glance, it may seem insensitive to discuss the selling of body parts as part of an economic activity but the cold hard facts indicate that such a flow of reasoning cannot be simply ignored. Some researchers have gone to the extent of actually quantifying t he economic benefits presented by organ-selling (Kolnsberg). However, with the way things are going in the current economic climate, people are still going to end up dead with two kidneys intact if they are not able to put food on the table. Such a view is supported by Malek, who points out that kidney selling is one’s personal decision and so people should not be prevented from doing something that may be profitable for them, as it is their basic right to a better means of living (Malek). Finally, Gottlieb contradicts the unfounded fear of the slippery-slope phenomenon in the case of kidney-selling (Gottlieb). He stresses that since the act of kidney selling is not inevitable, nor is it unconscious, there is no reason to fear that such a practice will be abused. In fact, this further strengthens the reasons behind specifically legalizing kidney-selling and banning the selling of other body organs that are much more needed to enjoy normal living by a human person. Without suc h legislation, the act of kidney-selling will remain a dangerous trade and will pose greater danger in people’s lives. As one can see, Gottlieb was able to solidly structure his thoughts and ideas in supporting the stand to legalize the selling of kidneys. By presenting a valid and logical flow of arguments and by stressing that the loss of one kidney does not pose as much health danger as it is being made out to be, recipients of

Describe the history of building construction changes in the context Research Paper

Describe the history of building construction changes in the context of fire safety and prevention. What are examples of major c - Research Paper Example It is important that the fire safety professionals and the fire fighters of today continue to look back on these horrifying tragedies and remember what valuable lessons were learned from these fires, and also remember at what cost those lessons came. The deadliest fire in Chicago history occurred in the Iroquois theater, on December 30, 1903. The reportedly fireproof building had been open a mere five weeks before the scenery caught fire on a reflector. An attempt to bring down the fire safety door, a stage curtain made of asbestos, failed, and the panicked cast fled out the back. The draft from the stage door caused an explosion of flames on the stage that immediately combusted much of the seating area. In the ensuing rush to the exits, 602 people were killed, many of them from being crushed against locked exit doors or exit doors that opened to the inside of the theater (Eastland Memorial Society, n.d.) As a result of the theater fire, Chicago mayor Harrison closed over one hundred and seventy theaters, dance halls, churches, and other large gathering spaces for re-inspection for compliance with building codes. Many of the fire codes had been ignored in the construction of the Iroquois Theater due to bribes given to local governmental officials. Mayor Harrison was determined that this practice would not be allowed to continue. New laws and codes were passed that required marked fire exits, clear exit paths, and doors that opened outward instead of into the line of travel. Additionally, any new theaters had to be equipped with a steel fire curtain for the stage to prevent failure of the type that occurred with the asbestos curtain at the Iroquois Theater (Eastland Memorial Society, n.d.) Another Chicago tragedy was the school fire at Our Lady of Angels on December 1, 1958. The building had a brick exterior and completely wooden interior, and a roof that had been waxed with petroleum-based products. The building had only one fire exit, which to be reached requi red traveling through the main corridor, negating its purpose. The fire alarms were mounted deliberately out of reach of the children in the building to prevent mischief and, regardless, were not designed to alert the fire department when activated. The fire started in the basement dumpster, allegedly by a ten year old student at the school, then ignited a nearby staircase. The combustion of the stairwell released gases, heat, smoke, and flames onto the second floor, as the second floor exit to the stairwells lacked a fire door, unlike the first floor exits to the same staircases. Many of the children were killed by jumping or falling out the second-story windows after the center corridor filled with flames and the escape route was blocked. The final death toll was ninety-two children and three teaching nuns (Morgan, n.d.). Disturbingly, the building had passed a fire safety inspection just a few weeks before the incident. It had met all fire codes at the time of its construction, a nd Chicago fire code did not require that existing structures retrofit equipment to meet newer standards. As a result of the disaster, fire codes affecting schools were changed across the country to make schools safer, including such reforms as exterior fire escapes and fire alarms that rang in local fire departments (Morgan, 2001). Another

Explore the ways in which Isobel Dixon and Mervyn Morris express their personal feelings in their poetry

Explore the ways in which Isobel Dixon and Mervyn Morris express their personal feelings in their poetry Explore the ways in which Isobel Dixon and Mervyn Morris express their personal feelings in their poetry Little Boy Crying by Mervyn Morris and Plenty by Isobel Dixon both explore the vivid childhood memories and experiences of the poets. In Little Boy Crying, a father deals with the troubles of raising a and disciplining a child; whereas in Plenty, Dixon describes her youth when she and her sisters could not afford the things they so greedily stole behind their mothers back; finally comparing it to her prosperous present. I will explore how the poets use imagery and language, voice and tone, and structure and form to create effects and convey their experiences. Little Boy Crying is based on a fathers true story revealing the how he once treated his son. It depicts the themes of sadness, remorse, and love. Morris describes his battle with fighting the regret he feels for slapping his son because he loves him so much, longs to lift you, curb your sadness. This is perhaps to depict the contrast between the two emotions and the danger of what happens when they collide. At first, the reader empathizes with the boy, however, as the poem progresses and the fathers situation is understood, the reader begins to empathize for him as well. Plenty, is based on Dixons chaotic youth with her sisters. It explores the themes of chaos, restriction, and realization. Dixon writes about her memories of the past, often referring to her mothers anger over the chaos she and her sisters create by ignoring the mothers restrictions, her lips anchored down not knowing then it was a clasp to keep us all from chaos. This shows that as you get older, you realize the importance of order and begin appreciating your parents hard labor. Mervyn Morris use of powerful language helps the reader relate to the situation described. The title, Little Boy Crying, already provokes a sad image of what is forthcoming in the poem, creating an instantaneous dramatic effect on the reader. In the first stanza, Morris expresses the changes which his son undertook since the slap, mouth contorting, laughter metamorphosed, and frame so recently relaxed now tight. The word metamorphosed, exemplifies the rapidity of the change of the boys facial expression, creating a more powerful image of the emotions the boy is feeling. These changes quickly introduce the reader to the circumstances. Powerful imagery of water is seen in the phrase swimming tears, splashing your bare feet, where sibilance and personification of the tears have been used to invoke a more dramatic sense of the boys misery. The phrase quick slap stuck, creates a more sped up and violent interpretation of the happenings; and the use of onomatopoeia in slap, creates a more graphic scene. Overall in the first stanza of Little Boy Crying, many sad and angry words are used to create a depressed mood: Howls, frame tight, frustration, swimming tears, and guilt or sorrow. Such powerful phrases are used to invoke a more immediate effect of grief and a relation to the situation by the reader. The reader becomes more compassionate and understanding of the characters. In the second stanza the father imagines himself in the sons position, alluding to the fairytale Jack and the Bean stalk, evoking powerful imagery of hatred as well, The ogre, grim giant, colossal cruel, Chopped clean the tree [the fathers] scrambling down. The use of alliteration of g in grim giant and c in colossal cruel, places emphasis on the phrases to describe the pure hatred the father thinks the boy must feel against him, signifying that he knows he is being mean and understands his decisions were harsh. The reference to a well-known fairytale increases the readers ability to relate to the situation and creates a more vivid scenario. In the third stanza, the line You cannot understand, not yet demonstrates that the child does not acknowledge the fact that his father is teaching him a lesson. The father seems very guilt struck and at fault that he had to take such measures to teach a lesson, The hurt your easy tears can scald him with. The boy does not realize the pain his display of sadness causes his father, who obviously takes no pleasure in making his son cry. The father seems to regret his actions however stays firm to teach the lesson, Longs to lift you, curb your sadness. The alliteration of l emphasizes the longing however the father stays strong to ensure his son is raised with the correct values. The last stanza implies the little boy has been playing in the rain, you must not make a plaything of the rain. This line has several meanings such as the immorality of trying to get sympathy by crying. On another level, it could be the father instructing himself to take his lessons more seriously and his need stay firm to show discipline. Isobel Dixon also uses powerful imagery and language to convey her messages. The title itself contrasts with nearly the entirety of the poem as poverty has placed them far away from Plenty. Isobel Dixon creates an intense mood using vivid description early on in the poem. In the first stanza the reader is introduced to Dixons memory of an enamel tub, age-stained and pocked upon its griffin claws, never full. Such an image conveys the impression that that the family cannot afford proper equipment such as a bathtub and is unable to fill it with water as it is too costly and in short supply. Water is recognized as a representation of their deprivation from basic necessities in the ongoing expanse of drought where dams leaked dry and windmills stalled. The alliteration of d in the phrase drought where dams leaked dry, enhances the effectiveness of the image created by making them more prominent in the description. The stalled windmills are subsequently compared with the mothers smile, Like mommys smile. This infers that her smile has stalled. Dixon uses metaphors to describe her mothers frown, a clasp to keep us all from chaos. The metaphor is used to create a more vivid image of the mothers efforts to keep the family together. Additionally, the onomatopoeia of the word clasp creates a more powerful picture. Many cases of sibilance are found in the phrase she saw it always, snapping locks and straps, the spilling: sums and worries, shopping lists The ongoing repetition of the consonant s creates an almost explosive ringing. The poet uses contradictory phrases to exaggerate their meaning in the oxymoron, each month was weeks too long. A month is always an exact number of weeks long; however Dixon implies that they never had enough money to cover an entire months worth of spending. In the penultimate stanza, when describing the present, Dixon uses enjambment in the line waters plentiful, to excess, almost, here./ This creates a slower progression in the poem and exemplifies how she is disregarding all her previous worries about taking another precious of water. Little Boy Crying, is written from the voice of the father; however it changes perspective several times. In the first stanza, the father is observing the reaction of his son. In the second stanza, the father attempts to view the situation from his sons point of view. In the third stanza a third-person view responds to the happenings, explaining the fathers feelings. In contrast, Plenty, is written entirely from Dixons point of view. She writes in a voice which seems apologetic because of all the disorder she now recognizes she caused, not knowing then, and we thought her mean. Later, she compares it to the present, where bubbles lap my chin. Even though she is grateful for the present luxury in her life, she misses her childhood, miss my scattered sisters. In Little Boy Crying, Morris uses long sentences with small amounts of punctuation to create tension and make the reader keep reading. The first stanza is composed of seven lines, however only one sentence. The stanza length is a little beyond average, and the last stanza ends abruptly as it consists only of one line. Ending a poem with one line creates force and stress to the line, making the reader consider it more. The use of enjambment establishes a greater emphasis on the word previous to it, such as howls, frustration, and tears. This is done to put pressure on specific words, empowering their meaning and adding importance to their effect. They become more noticeable than the rest of the words In Plenty, Dixon uses normal length sentences and stanzas, which contradicts the chaos depicted in the poem. She does not use very much enjambment, creating an ongoing flow of reading. Her use of punctuation varies greatly as in the fourth stanza; three full-stops are used. On the other hand, in the fifth and sixth stanzas, altogether only one full-stop is used. This creates tension when its needed and adds a story-like effect. Little Boy Crying, by Mervyn Morris and Plenty, by Isobel Dixon both delve into the moving childhood experiences they have. In Little Boy Crying, a father resists the urge to apologize to his son for disciplining him; whereas in Plenty, Dixon describes her chaotic youth with her sisters; finally comparing it to her present. Little Boy Crying explores the themes of sadness, discipline, and regret. Plenty, explores the themes of chaos, restriction, and realization. Both poems have their underlying messages such as in plenty, where patience helps us all deal with many of lifes everyday problems. In Little Boy Crying, one learns the difficulty of punishing a child even though it is for the greater good of them.

The Science Of Superstitions :: essays research papers

<a href="http://www.geocities.com/vaksam/">Sam Vaknin's Psychology, Philosophy, Economics and Foreign Affairs Web Sites The debate between realism and anti-realism is, at least, a century old. Does Science describe the real world – or are its theories true only within a certain conceptual framework? Is science only instrumental or empirically adequate or is there more to it than that? Jose Ortega y Gasset said (in an unrelated exchange) that all ideas stem from pre-rational beliefs. William James concurred by saying that accepting a truth often requires an act of will which goes beyond facts and into the realm of feelings. Maybe so, but is there is little doubt today that beliefs are somehow involved in the formation of many scientific ideas, if not of the very endeavour of Science. After all, Science is a human activity and humans always believe that things exist (=are true) or could be true. A distinction is traditionally made between believing in something’s existence, truth, value of appropriateness (this is the way that it ought to be) – and believing that something. The latter is a propositional attitude: we think that something, we wish that something, we feel that something and we believe that something. Believing in A and believing that A - are different. It is reasonable to assume that belief is a limited affair. Few of us would tend to believe in contradictions and falsehoods. Catholic theologians talk about explicit belief (in something which is known to the believer to be true) versus implicit one (in the known consequences of something whose truth cannot be known). Truly, we believe in the probability of something (we, thus, express an opinion) – or in its certain existence (truth). All humans believe in the existence of connections or relationships between things. This is not something which can be proven or proven false (to use Popper’s test). That things consistently follow each other does not prove they are related in any objective, â€Å"real†, manner – except in our minds. This belief in some order (if we define order as permanent relations between separate physical or abstract entities) permeates both Science and Superstition. They both believe that there must be – and is – a connection between things out there. Science limits itself and believes that only certain entities inter-relate within well defined conceptual frames (called theories). Not everything has the potential to connect to everything else. Entities are discriminated, differentiated, classified and assimilated in worldviews in accordance with the types of connections that they forge with each other.

Bussiness Proposal

Describe how the current market conditions will affect the planning or operating decisions involving the product. Market Structure The market structure in this instance could fall into one of two types, oligopoly or monopoly (McConnell, Bruce, & Flynn, 2009). The rationale behind oligopoly is that several large retailers currently provide this service and control the availability, use, and other aspects of the programs (McConnell, Bruce, & Flynn, 2009). The rationale behind monopoly is that the program is limited to each organization (McConnell, Bruce, & Flynn, 2009).For example the program used at my organization is call the Shop Your Way Rewards program, it is only available at Smart and Sears, it cannot be used at other retailers and is exclusively controlled by Sears Holding Inc. Ultimately The market structure is a combination of a monopoly and oligopoly. Price Elasticity of Demand Price elasticity of demand has little effect on this product as the product is a free program prov ided by the organization. Despite this fact price elasticity does have an effect on the use of the program in that the customers can earn points on purchases and in turn spend those points on other researched.In this instance, as prices rise or fall within the store the use of the product increases or decreases as a result. If for instance a products price rises at the store level, the number of points earned during purchases using the product increases as well. Likewise as the prices increase it requires customers to have more points available to make purchases. Though the rewards card is a free program an increase in product prices would translate to an increase in demand for the rewards card.In looking at the determinants of price elasticity of demand, substitutability is first. The only way to substitute this product would be to shop at a competitor using the rewards program there such as a Kroger Plus card. Another substitute would be to use coupons instead of the card; however enhance them. The next determinant is proportion of income, again this would tie into the selling price of products and how the rewards program would offset any increases in price therefore increasing the amount of funds available to purchase products.Next is the luxury versus necessity determinant, the rewards card applies to both and is neutral in this area as it can be used for either luxuries or necessities. The last determinant is time, as more consumers become familiar with this product the demand will increase as the benefits are realized. Profit-Maximizing Quantity This program essentially gives the customer a percentage of his or her purchase price back in the form of points that can be redeemed during a transaction Just like cash.The program also generates coupons based on purchase levels and membership levels for additional dollars or percentages off purchases. Through data analysis, the company has determined that customers enrolled in the program average three addition al shopping trips per onto than non-members, the data also reveals that members purchase on average $13 more per transaction than non-members. Points are earned one point at a time based on one percent of every $1 . An example of this would be a purchase of $100 would translate to gaining 10 points.Every 10 points equal one penny, 1,000 points equals $1, 10,000 points equals $10, and so forth. By increasing the frequency of customers return trips along with the average dollar amount of those purchases the company is essentially paying for the program by enrolling new members. As membership increases so do sales and in turn profits. Price and Non-price Strategies Because the program is free, no price is placed upon the product. A non-price strategy is currently underway in which the benefits of membership are expressed by checkout operators during the customer checkout experience.The company has also set enrollment and usage goals for each location within the company as well. Through the increase in verbal communication with every customer the company will realize the goals set and will be able to increase the goals as they are met. Production Costs The production costs associated with this product are the production of plastic cards for consumers to carry for purposes of using the program and redeeming points. This has been reduced over the last year and a half of the programs existence by encouraging customers to use their mobile phone number to access the account.The company also has an internally produced website specific to the program that allows customers to update information and review purchases and current point amounts. This required only a small outlay in web design as the hardware and software was already in place to support the aerogram. The company also is reducing costs on receipts as part of the program is to allow customers to receive electronic receipts via e-mail instead of printed paper receipts. The costs of the program also include the po ints issued to customers. These costs are offset by the increases in purchases.The following is a hypothetical cost break started the program by mass producing credit card-sized plastic rewards cards along with multicolumn, trip-fold brochures. The company's initial investment was $1 million for the printing, distribution, and advertisement of this program. The initial program an for 12 months prior to the first cost reduction initiative. The program had recurring costs of $100,000 per month to continue production and distribution of materials. This initiative was to eliminate the plastic card and eliminate the need for informational brochures.This was accomplished through the use of customer phone numbers and email addresses as identifiers instead of physical cards. The next reduction was made through the implementation of a website where the information regarding the product could be accessed by customers. This resulted in a net reduction of costs by $75,000 per month. The costs a ssociated with points accumulated and spent by customers is variable and changes month to month, the amount has been steadily increasing since the program's inception and will continue to do so.To curb expenses associated with this part of the program the suggestion is to limit the number of points that can be redeemed in any transaction as well as place an expiration date on accumulated points. This will prevent customers from saving up a large number of points and eroding profit margin. Current Global Economic Conditions and the Local Macro Economy The current global economic conditions eave led to increases production costs of products sold by Smart and Sears as a result these increased costs have been passed on to consumers in the form of price increases on the products.The rewards program will offer consumers a way to offset these increased costs by earning rewards points that will allow them to reduce the total amount of their purchase. The program will also issue member-only coupons to these consumers which will further reduce his or her costs. By doing this the company will see an increase in brand loyalty and revenues. Recent economic trends in the United States include new growth in the housing market, as consumers arches homes and contractors build new homes the demand for products offered by both Smart and Sears will increase and as a result the demand for the rewards program will increase as well.The company is seeking a 75% penetration rate across all avenues of the business, including brick and mortar stores and online outlets. Local Economies Current Stage in the Business Cycle The local economy is currently in an expansion period as businesses are slowly starting to rebound from the recession. This is evident by the increase in home sales and the resulting increase in mortgage rates, along with the decrease in unemployment. As a result the demand for the product will increase as people begin to have more disposable income and seek out purchase s for both luxury items, such as televisions and necessity items such as food.The product uniquely will set Smart and Sears apart from the competition in fighting for this increase in disposable income by allowing customers to access a virtually limitless amount of products through Internet shopping sites and affiliate marketplaces set up on those sites. The current market conditions for Smart and Sears are still in a period of struggle as individuals are still recovering from the recession. As individuals recover the company must fight to regain market share from new competitors such as Dollar General, Family Dollar, and Dollar Tree.These three companies capitalized on the recession by offering low price products that undercut many big box retailers such as Smart, Target, and Wall-Mart. As the economy recovers it will be important for Smart and Sears to pursue actively the consumers lost to these competitors and a way to do that is with the rewards program. Conclusion The program p rovides a unique experience for customers as the points are redeemable on virtually any product carried either in tore or online.The program also generates sales and profit with a low amount of investment from the company. Customers will have generated roughly three to four times the amount of profit needed to cover the issuance of the points to each customer. Management should have a solid understanding of how effective and beneficial this program is and how the continued success of the program directly translates to the success of each business unit. Reference McConnell, C. R. , Bruce, S. L. , & Flynn, S. M. (2009). Economics. Unknown, NY: McGraw-Hill Company.

In “Tree At My Window” by Robert Frost Essay

In â€Å"Tree At My Window,† Robert Frost addresses a tree growing outside of his bedroom window with these words: â€Å"But tree†¦You have seen me when I slept, †¦ I was taken and swept / And all but lost. / That day she put our heads together, / Fate had her imagination about her, / Your head so much concerned with outer, / Mine with inner, weather.† In these lines Frost conveys several emotions and themes that infiltrate many of his works. These common themes include darkness, nighttime, isolation, inner turmoil and the premonition of death. It is through these recurring images that we are able to glimpse into Robert Frost’s life, and see how greatly his life effected his poetry. Robert Frost endured many emotional hardships in his life. Some of the most significant and tragic, are the many deaths in his immediate family. By the time Frost was 27, he had lost both of his parents, his son Elliott, as well as his grandfather, the man who had served as a surrogate father to him after the death of his own father when he was only 11. By the time Frost was 62, he was forced to commit his sister Jeanie to a mental hospital. He had also lost three more of his seven children (one to a miscarriage), as well as his wife Elinor, the love of his life. Five years later, his son Carol committed suicide. â€Å"Spring Pools† is a reflection on Frost’s inner emotions in dealing with the deaths of his children. The â€Å"pools, that though in forests, still reflect / The total sky almost without defect,† are his children. He speaks of their innocence, and the fact that they are too young to know the imperfections of the world, too young to be jaded, or even scared of their forthcoming death. The poem is entitled â€Å"Spring Pools,† however; it does not give an illusion of Spring in the traditional senses of newness, rejuvenation, joy & rebirth. Rather the term â€Å"spring† is used in the title in much the same way as the term â€Å"Spring lamb,† an animal whose only purpose behind being born is to be slaughtered at the end of the season. The trees and roots are symbolic of both death and God. He implores the â€Å"trees that have it in their pent-up buds / to darken nature† to â€Å"think  twice before they use their powers / To blot out and sweep away / These flowery waters.† He is literally begging God to reconsider when bringing death upon his children, yet he knows that he is not the force controlling the situation. He knows that his children â€Å"will like the flowers beside them soon be gone.† The fresh pools, â€Å"from snow that melted only yesterday,† are spoke of with a touch of nostalgic innocence. Frost puts both himself and Elinor, in the poem as, â€Å"a flower beside [the pools].† In referring to the â€Å"pools† as â€Å"flowery waters,† he is not only showing the parental bond between the â€Å"pools† and the â€Å"flower[s] beside them,† but also intensifying the image that the â€Å"pools† are soft, young and innocent. He speaks of their premature death, â€Å"not out by any brook or river, / But up by roots to bring dark foliage on† with deep-rooted feelings of loss brought on by his own personal tragedy. â€Å"Spring Pools† contains within its lines the themes of darkness, sadness, and inevitable death. It shows Frost’s struggle to control occurrences in his life that are virtually insuperable. At the end of the poem, he slowly comes to terms with the uncertainty of life, and he begins to resolve his feelings of contempt for the collective world. Frost is rarely satisfied or resolved with his choices, however he is accepting of his future uncertainties. At the end of most of Frost’s poems, he has generally resolved or come to terms with his emotional and mental turmoil. Many of his works share these same inner conflicts, such as his poem â€Å"The Road Not Taken.† Frost uses â€Å"The Road Not Taken† as poem as a metaphor for the mass amount of travelling that he was doing in the period of his life in which it was written. Between 1909-1915, Frost and his family relocated their home twelve times. They lived in several places on America’s East Coast, including New Hampshire, Massachusetts, and the Virginia-North Carolina border, as well as England, Gloucestershire, and then back to New York. It was during this time of transporting his family back to America that Frost wrote â€Å"The Road Not Taken.† In â€Å"The Road Not Taken,† Frost speaks of â€Å"Two roads†¦in a yellow wood† and  the decision that he must make in choosing one path over the other. He â€Å"looked down one as far as I could / To where it bent in the undergrowth†¦Then took the other, as just as fair,† and scrutinized its possibilities and potential in comparison to the first road. He eventually comes to a decision, deciding to â€Å"[keep] the first for another day! / Yet knowing how way leads on to way, / I doubted if I should ever come back.† But is he satisfied with his decision? Of course not! â€Å"I shall be telling this with a sigh / Somewhere ages and ages hence: / Two roads diverged in a wood and I – / I took the one less traveled by, / And that has made all the difference.† He is not satisfied with his decision, as is made apparent when he says that he will be â€Å"telling this with a sigh† somewhere in the future. However, one does not have to be satisfied with their decision to accept it. Choosing the â€Å"road less traveled by† â€Å"has made all the difference† in his life, but Frost does not specify that his choice was the one that produced the best possible outcomes in his life. Many of Frost’s poems concern his future and making decisions that will effect the rest of his life. The poem â€Å"An Old Man’s Night† was first published at the same time as â€Å"The Road Not Taken.† It was a time of great unsettlement, both mentally and physically for Frost. Frost was travelling from one city to another trying to establish his roots. His poetry was being received quite well, but his personal life was in a disheveled state. Elinor was becoming ill due to a weak heart and she suffered a miscarriage. Frost feared for her life, as well as fearing the loneliness that seemed to be inevitably looming in his future. He had suffered quite a substantial amount of grief and heartache, and he was terrified of the thought of getting old by himself. He had been known to hear voices in his head as a child, however, Frost remained adamant that these voices had disappeared when he entered adulthood. Most critics, however, agree that Frost refused to admit that the voices still occupied his mind in order to avoid ridicule or institutionalization. The old man in â€Å"An Old Man’s Winter Night,† can be construed to be Frost himself when he states ambiguously, â€Å"All out of doors looked darkly in at him / Through the ‘thin frost’.† The man is old and alone, not able to  remember his reasoning and decisions. He goes into his cellar, but â€Å"what kept him from remembering what it was / that brought him to the creaking room was age. / He stood with barrels round him – at a loss.† The stillness of the house is obvious in the amplification of common noises. He â€Å"scared the cellar under him / In clomping in here†¦and scared the outer night / Which has its sounds, familiar, like the roar / Of trees, and crack of branches, common things. / But nothing so like beating on a box.† Frost feels that without anyone around him in his life, his life would become insignificant, a â€Å"light he [would be] to no one but himself.† He identifies with the darkness, calling the moon â€Å"as better than the sun in any case / For such a charge.† He is able however, to find peace and sleep in the darkness that envelops him. â€Å"The log that shifted with a jolt / Once in the stove disturbed him and he shifted, / And eased his heavy breathing, but still slept.† Although he is not content, he is beginning to accept that this may be a potential outcome of his life. The final lines convey his fear of the future when he says, â€Å"One aged man – one man – can’t keep a house†¦or if he can†¦It’s thus he does it of a winter night.† The darkness and mystery that couple with nighttime are key players in many of Frost’s metaphors. He often uses a winter night as his setting, and most commonly, the speaker is either travelling or walking out in the cold. Frost himself was rumored to be afraid of the dark, but he was also known for taking long walks in the dark. This was a straightforward way of confronting his fears by staring the darkness in the face and standing up to the nighttime that terrified him. After years of this practice, Frost found himself not only comfortable and at ease in the darkness, but he found also that the nighttime was where he became the most content and free from anxiety. Frost was a very contemplative man, and he used his work to convey his inner thoughts and fears. In â€Å"Good Hours,† Robert Frost writes about a late evening walk down a winter lane. The rhyme scheme of this poem is a simple A, A, B, B pattern and is broken down into four stanzas of four lines each. The speaker walks in pensive silence, having â€Å"no one at all with whom to talk.† As he walks down  the winter lane, he personifies the inanimate objects that surround him, and gives light and life to the surroundings that fill the bleak night. The main unification in this poem comes from the recurring themes of darkness, amplification of sound and stillness, and the speaker’s inescapable loneliness. The speaker is feeling isolation from the world around him, and he cannot escape that feeling no matter how hard he tries to disillusion himself that his life follows the same course as the lives of the people that he sees in the cottage windows. The night is lonely and the speaker tells of â€Å"cottages in a row / Up to their shining eyes in snow.† How can a cottage have eyes, the organs of vision, if it does not possess the sense of sight? But to the speaker, the cottages are enormously alive, and the windows are the eyes from which he can see into the cottage’s soul. Eyes themselves do not literally â€Å"shine,† but in this instance, it is literally true to say that the eyes of the cottage were â€Å"shining† from the light within. The inside of the cottages are full of people performing various activities, and although the speaker is not included in the actions of their lives, he feels as though he is a part of it all, â€Å"I thought I had the folk within: / I had the sound of a violin.† The speaker catches a â€Å"glimpse† from behind a veil of â€Å"curtain laces† â€Å"youthful forms and youthful faces.† (This too, can be construed as an image of his children, partially veiled by a shroud of death). He allows himself to become an integral part of the background scenery to such an extent that it satisfies him and keeps his mind occupied. Notice that he never once mentions the bitter cold that should accompany a snowy winter evening. Although he has no human companion with him, the speaker has â€Å"such company outward bound,† that he continues to walk deep into the night until â€Å"there were no cottages found.† He has been in such deep thought that he has not realized that he has reached the end of the town. He turns and realizing that he has been out such a long time and that it is getting very late, â€Å"I saw no window but that was black,† he heads back toward his home. He crosses  the â€Å"slumbering village street† with his â€Å"creaking feet,† a paradox since the street cannot actually rest or sleep because it is not living. An inanimate object does not need sleep or rest, however, when he â€Å"disturbs† the street’s â€Å"slumber,† he feels it is â€Å"like profanation.† He is disrespecting the street and putting it to an improper use at this time of night, â€Å"at ten o’clock of a winter eve,† when everything else in t he town is at rest and still. The street is empty except for one last wanderer still traversing down a lonely lane. Frost deals with recurring themes of darkness, loneliness, death, and uncertainty. Through these themes, Frost reveals himself in candid form. He was a natural born worrier who often got nervous stomachaches. These occurrences became so frequent that eventually they drove him to quit school for several years. He had fears of abandonment in his childhood, which lead to feelings of isolation in adulthood. Both of these projections can be seen in lines from â€Å"Desert Places.† â€Å"I am too absent-spirited to count; / The loneliness includes me unawares.† Frost writes, â€Å"They cannot scare me with their empty spaces / between stars†¦I have it in me so much nearer home / To scare myself with my own desert places.† By making the parallel between Frost’s life and his poetry, we are able to clearly see how his life experiences shaped his poetry. These experiences gave birth to some of his greatest works, and from these works we see the man behind the poetry. We see a man who dealt with more heartbreak, hardships and sorrow than most should have to endure. We see a man who put more effort and soul into his work, than many will ever attempt. And we see a man whose works have inspired many, and will continue to do so for generations to come.