A Synthesis of the Themes in Selected Poems about War Essay

A Synthesis of the Themes in Selected Poems about War - Essay Example These poems argue that wars are honorable because of the courage they involve, but they are still immoral because soldiers and their enemies are treated as mere pawns, dehumanized because of their mission to strike and kill without compunction, and stripped of their rights to autonomy, survival, and a good life with their families. To be a soldier is a noble calling because to live by its principles is an honorable thing. The basic principles of war, based on these poems, are courage, commitment, and selflessness. Lovelace may be referring to Lucasta as a woman whom the soldier loves, or all his loved ones in general. He explains to her the reasons of going to war, despite having the option of staying in the blissful arms of his beloved. The â€Å"Nunnery† means that the place of his beloved is pure and good, but it is not a man’s place (Lovelace 1.2). The â€Å"Arms† of war are more suited to a real man, where war is seen as a testing ground for manhood: â€Å" To War and Arms I flee† (Lovelace 1.4). The speaker agrees that war is another mistress; it takes so much time, attention, and resources: â€Å"True, a new Mistress now I chase† (Lovelace 2.1). ... The â€Å"stronger Faith† signifies that war is a holy quest. The decision to go to the war is an honorable responsibility. It means that honor in war is about protecting one’s country, something that can be done only out of the purest of intentions, the purest of love: â€Å"Yet this inconstancy is such/As you too shall adore† (Lovelace 3.1-2). Soon, Lucasta will realize what he means. He depicts that Lucasta is then fortunate, for in honoring the war, he honors her even more: â€Å"I could not love thee, Dear, so much,/Loved I not Honour more† (Lovelace 3.3-4). The greatest love comes from loving the society as a whole, not just one’s mistress or family, for in protecting their societies, they are protecting their families too. Another poem agrees that being a soldier is an honorable calling because of the courage, dedication, and selflessness it requires. Lord Alfred Tennyson, in â€Å"The Charge of the Light Brigade,† refers to an actual battle, where the English Light Brigade charged to a suicidal mission in the Crimean War. The tone of the poem honors the soldiers, but the feelings of exhaustion and resentment are present. In the first stanza, Tennyson says: â€Å"Half a league, half a league,/Half a league onward† (1.1-2). He repeats the phrase â€Å"half a league† three times in a row, suggesting tiredness. Soldiers get weary from their missions, but they must never falter, as if they are not supposed to feel tired at all. Tennyson does not mince words, when he introduces the fate of these soldiers: â€Å"All in the valley of Death/Rode the six hundred/ â€Å"Forward, the Light Brigade!/Charge for the guns!† he said (Tennyson 1.3-6). He knows that these soldiers are doomed because they will be charging for the guns. The soldiers

Reflective Cycle by Gibbs Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

Reflective Cycle by Gibbs - Essay Example Scott and Ely (2008) suggest that the purpose of reflection in nursing practice is to develop awareness of how and what can be learned from new experiences. One of the models of reflection will provide the framework for this essay. There are several models of reflection but the reflective model I have chosen is Gibbs Reflective Cycle (Gibbs 1988), with which I am familiar and I find it to be the most clear and concise than the other choices. The Gibbs Reflective Cycle (Gibbs 1988) will be applied throughout the essay to facilitate analytic thought and to assist in evaluating and relating theory to practice where possible. I have chosen to reflect on violence and aggression towards nurses in relation to patients with mental health and alcohol dependence issues. I will attempt to explore the elements that trigger violence and aggression. Besides, I will also dwell on the strategies that nurses may adopt in response to violence and aggression. This reflection will also include literature search and its detailed discussion. According to Jasper (2003), the Gibbs Reflective Cycle consists of the following stages: description, feelings, evaluat ion, analysis, conclusion and an action plan (Gibbs 1988). Therefore, I will begin with the first stage of Gibbs (1988) Reflective Cycle which necessitates a description of events. A pseudonym will be used to maintain anonymity and confidentiality as laid out by the Nursing and Midwifery Council (2010) in their standards of conduct for nursing students. The event occurred whilst I was undertaking a practice placement in the Accident and Emergency Department, where there was a high turnover of emergency patients. Miss March was a 42 years old patient, and suffering from depression and alcohol dependence and was prescribed medication for her depression. She was admitted to the department following an incident at home in which she had taken too many of her prescription drugs whilst under the influence of alcohol. I had not met or had any interaction with Miss March as I had been assigned to another area of the department for the morning. Miss March had already been stabilised in the resuscitation room and was just arriving in the area I was wo rking in. I noted that she was confused and she appeared to be drowsy. My mentor told me that Miss March, while being moved, had an episode of urinary incontinence and asked if I would wash and change the patient. My mentor also asked to me to deal with this without delay as during assessment there were small areas of red, chafed skin found around Miss March’s vaginal area. Therefore, her skin integrity was already compromised. Before going ahead, I took a few minutes to read Miss March’s nursing notes and found a history of verbal challenging behaviour but no indication of any physical violence. Having collected the necessary equipment I made my way to Miss March’s cubicle to assist her in washing and changing. Miss March was sitting on the edge of the bed and I explained the reason for my visit. I continued to talk to her as I positioned everything to assist her but she did not respond in any way. Just as I lifted the wet sheet from the top of the bed to put i t in the clear bag I had brought with me, Miss March yelled abuses at me then raised her arm to hit me. I attempted to reassure her