Epic, Really Epic

Epic, Really Epic Epic, Really Epic Epic, Really Epic By Maeve Maddox The word epic is used so sloppily these days that a modern day polar explorer referring to the harrowing and courageous exploits of Sir Ernest Shackleton’s Trans-Antarctic expedition felt that modification was needed: â€Å"It [Shackleton’s crossing] was epic, really epic† Really in this quotation is not being used as an intensifier; it means â€Å"truly.† It’s not a throwaway epic, but a genuine epic meaning â€Å"like something only a hero could accomplish.† The word epic derives from a Greek word meaning â€Å"word, narrative, or song.† In a literary context, an epic is a grand narrative like the Iliad that recounts the courageous and danger-fraught adventures of a hero of the stature of Achilles, Gilgamesh, or Beowulf. Scholars distinguish between â€Å"folk epics† and â€Å"literary epics.† Many of the frequently cited literary epics originated as folk epics, that is, traditional stories passed down through an oral tradition. Of the frequently cited world literary epics listed below, only the Aeneid, written by Virgil to celebrate the founding of Rome and the family of the Emperor Augustus, does not descend from an oral tradition: Before Common Era The Epic of Gilgamesh (Akkadian c1200 BCE) Iliad (Greek c 800 BCE) Odyssey (Greek c 800 BCE) Mahabharata (Sanskrit c 800 BCE) The Bhagavad Gita (Sanskrit c 400 BCE) Common Era The Aeneid (Latin c 20 BCE) Beowulf (English c 900 CE) Chanson de Roland (French c 1000 CE) Tain Bo Cuailnge (Irish c 1100 CE) The Nibelungenlied (German c 1200 CE) The Poetic Edda (Norse c 1200 CE) Some definitions would restrict epic to mean only works written in verse, but in terms of epic heroes and adventure, such modern works as Tolkien’s Ring trilogy and its many spin-offs continue the tradition. Because epics are long, the adjective epic can refer to size or dimensions, as in â€Å"epic proportions.† More often, epic describes an achievement requiring great courage and the strength to overcome physical hardship, as in this reference to Lewis and Clark: After the expedition recuperated, they entrusted their horses to the Nez Perce and set off in cottonwood canoes for their epic journey to the Pacific Ocean. Like the formerly meaningful adjective awesome, epic has dwindled in common speech to mean hardly anything: This is No ordinary epic blog. It’s a really epically epic blog. How Long Should It Take To Write An Epic Post? James Murphy on new Arcade Fire album: ‘Its really epic’ Songs that start slow but then get really epic Related Post: †Jane Austen Did Not Write Epics† Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Inquire vs EnquireLoan, Lend, Loaned, LentAffect vs. Effect

Why We Shouldnt Advertise for Alcohol essays

Why We Shouldnt Advertise for Alcohol essays The topic I chose for my persuasive essay is: should we keep drinking commercials on TV? In my opinion we shouldnt. The companies that make and sell alcoholic beverages advertise their products on the TV and radio, in newspapers and magazines, and on billboards. These pictures show men and women having fun and relaxing with friends while drinking. These advertisements tell viewers that if they want to have fun and be seen as handsome or pretty, they should drink alcohol. The advertisers want to send the message that alcohol is more than just a drink; it is a reward that people give to themselves and friends. They should take the alcohol commercials off of TV, and out of magazines, etc. for a number of reasons. Most all kids watch TV. Not all channels now have alcohol commercials on them, but the ones that do, underage young women and men watch. So the names and looks are exposed to under the age of 21 young adults. So why do we need to keep alcohol commercials on TV, on the radio and in ads? We all know it exists, we know the names, so why do we continue to advertise them? They took away cigarette commercials and most statistics show that alcohol kills an equal numbers of deaths as cigarettes do. I went through some magazines and there were alcohol and cigarette ads in everyone except magazines containing the word teen or something that had to do with home and garden. The alcohol and cigarette ads were in car magazines, sport magazines, and just typical fashion magazines. Even if its not ads...its something about alcohol. Some teenagers have their celebrity idols, but some of them are big drinkers or even alcoholics themselves. And in the magazines they talk about how they are. The magazines dont say its bad, but they also dont say its good. Like Ben Affleck, and Matthew Perry, they both were alcoholics not too long ago. Drew Berrymore got addicted ...

M_Q_2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

M_Q_2 - Essay Example The culture of an organization shows the way the employees deal and interact with each other while performing their job related tasks. I believe that the culture of an organization develops with time when the employees, managers, and all governing bodies of an organization work with full commitment shaping a positive organizational culture. In my view, the culture of an organization really improves the performance and productivity of an organization. A strong organizational culture unites the employees and motivates them to work efficiently and professionally towards their goals. Organizational culture includes such elements, which play a vital role in making a company reach desired sets of goals and objectives in an effective way. Some of the most influencing tasks, which organizational culture performs, include determining the organization’s effectiveness and capacity, putting energy and momentum in the employees in order to ensure organization’s success, injecting se nse of responsibility in the employees, and making the employees work efficiently towards achievement of desired goals and objectives. These were some of those roles, which culture plays in making an organization achieve desired goals and objective effectively and efficiently. Answer: No: 2 Culture of an organization is one of the main drivers of organizational performance and it can definitely be used to increase performance. Daniels A. and Daniels J. found that managers need to evaluate performances of the employees and the organizations in order to implement positive changes. It depends on the managers of an organization to motivate and encourage employees to work with full dedication and commitment. The dedication and commitment shown by the employees of a company towards their job responsibilities shape the culture of the company. If the employees carry out their job related tasks efficiently, it creates an enthusiastic and motivated culture of the organization, which positivel y affects the new employees who come and join the company. From here, the transition process starts where impact of employees’ performance on the culture of an organization shifts towards impact of organizational culture on the performance of new employees. Once the employees succeed in shaping a work-oriented culture in an organization, it plays a considerable role in motivating new employees to work hard for the company. A new employee is not very much aware of the culture of the company where he/she gets a job. When that employee starts working for the company, he/she observes the overall workplace culture of the company and shapes his/her job behavior according to that culture. If a company will have work-oriented culture enriched with the elements of motivation, innovation, and workplace ethics, it will make a positive impact on the new employees and will make them work hard to achieve the company’s goals and objectives. Therefore, we can say that strong culture o f an organization not only increases employees’ productivity but also increases the overall organizational performance. Answer: No: 3 As a senior leader, I will like to change the culture of the organization by integrating the elements of hard work, commitment, dedication, and enthusiasm in the existing culture of the organization. I believe that when employees feel like owning the company, they work with more commitment in order to make their company reach heights of success in any specific market. If a company injects the sense of