An admiration of ‘Children’ by Vicki Feaver
(819 words)
In this essay, I will explore how effectively Vicki Feaver, a female poet, conveys the influence of not only a mother but potentially all mothers. The poem presents the relationship between a loving parent and her child, exploring a mother’s desire to provide her child with an upbringing filled with love, care and ambition.
The first two tercets convey the image of a woman who, whether through careless accident or careful planning, believes that her child has been brought into this world to be loved. Feaver uses the pronoun ‘we’ to encompass mothers collectively, while also making the experience feel personal and intimate. The mother is present ‘where they began’, suggesting that the bond between mother and child begins from the moment of birth. The description of the children as ‘red mewling strangers’ acknowledges the unfamiliarity of a newborn while also conveying the child’s vulnerable appearance and persistent crying. Feaver develops this idea further with the phrase ‘they tear our threshold’, suggesting that the arrival of a child dramatically changes the mother’s life. The verb ‘tear’ conveys the magnitude and intensity of the disruption caused by a newborn. However, Feaver balances this sense of disruption with the tenderness of ‘immediately we love them’. The adverb ‘immediately’ emphasises how quickly and instinctively a mother’s love develops, presenting motherhood as a powerful and unconditional emotion.
The next three tercets explore the mother’s love as the child begins to grow. Feaver refers to other people commenting on the newborn, which conveys the genuine pride a mother may feel: ‘we smile and blush’. The verbs ‘smile’ and ‘blush’ suggest happiness, affection and perhaps even embarrassment at the attention given to the child. However, motherhood is not presented as entirely joyful, as the mother must also respond to the baby’s ‘cries’. Despite this, the child’s pain becomes the mother’s pain, demonstrating the depth of parental sympathy and compassion. The child’s emotions appear to become the mother’s emotions, suggesting that the mother becomes almost entirely responsive to the needs of her child. This is also demonstrated through the phrase ‘and hold them tightly’, which conveys both physical affection and emotional protection. The mother’s attachment becomes so strong that she experiences the child as ‘a lost part of ourselves’. This could suggest that having a child allows the mother to rediscover a powerful and innocent form of love that she may have lost during her own life. The phrase also implies that the child becomes an important part of the mother’s identity, reinforcing the strength of their emotional connection.
In the final five tercets, Feaver reflects on the mother’s influence while also encouraging her to consider her own life. The arrival of a new life creates the possibility that the child may achieve more than the mother herself. This is evident in the mother’s desire to give her child ‘all the things we never had’. The phrase suggests that the mother is conscious of the disappointments and limitations in her own life and wants to prevent her child from experiencing the same difficulties. She recognises the potential pitfalls of life and attempts to protect her child from them, shown through the image of walking ‘in front of them with warning flags’. The metaphor of ‘warning flags’ suggests that the mother wants to identify dangers before the child encounters them, demonstrating her protective nature.
Feaver also explores the mother’s regrets through the statement ‘we who have failed to be authors of our lives write theirs’. The metaphor of being ‘authors’ suggests that people should have control over the direction of their own lives. However, the mothers feel that they have ‘failed’ to achieve this, so they attempt to shape and influence their children’s lives instead. This reveals both the love and potential limitations of parental influence. In wanting ‘to make heroes of them’, mothers are not content simply to protect their children; they also want them to achieve greatness and fulfil the ambitions that they themselves may not have achieved. The final image of mothers who ‘wait and watch like gardeners for flowers’ presents motherhood as patient and nurturing. The metaphor of ‘gardeners’ suggests that mothers provide care and support while waiting for their children to develop and flourish. Like flowers, the children have the potential to grow into something beautiful and admired.
Overall, Feaver’s poem portrays many powerful ideas about a mother’s influence over her child. From the moment of birth, a mother’s love affects the way she views herself, her child and the future. The poem suggests that mothers influence their children in subtle but meaningful ways, wanting to protect them from their own mistakes while also encouraging them to achieve their ambitions. Ultimately, Feaver presents motherhood as a relationship characterised by unconditional love, protection, sacrifice and hope. The mother’s desire for her child to have the best possible life demonstrates the enduring love and affection that can exist between a mother and her child.
Henri Cartier Bresson – a master of snapshot photography
(1208 Words)
Henri Cartier-Bresson: The Decisive Moment in Two Photographs
Henri Cartier-Bresson’s photographs are widely regarded as masterpieces of street and snapshot photography. When viewing his portfolio, two works in particular captured my attention and imagination: The Var Department, Hyères, taken in France in 1932, and Behind the Gare Saint-Lazare, taken in Paris in the same year. This essay explores how these two classic photographs demonstrate Cartier-Bresson’s exceptional ability to capture movement and human activity at precisely the right moment. Although, at first glance, both photographs appear relatively simple because of their black-and-white presentation, closer examination reveals a sophisticated understanding of composition, geometry, movement, and human experience.
To begin with, Behind the Gare Saint-Lazare is particularly striking to me because of its multidimensional composition. The photograph immediately draws attention to the reflections of the figure, the railings, and the surrounding architecture in the water. These reflections introduce an almost ethereal quality that contrasts with the otherwise bleak and industrial character of the scene. The wrought-iron fencing, station building, workers, and scattered debris collectively establish an environment associated with urban industry and construction. Rather than presenting an idealised vision of Paris, Cartier-Bresson depicts a less glamorous and more ordinary aspect of the city.
As a photographer, Cartier-Bresson appears to capture life as an ongoing journey, and Behind the Gare Saint-Lazare exemplifies this idea particularly effectively. The central figure appears to be a man travelling to work, captured in the act of jumping across a large area of water, presumably left behind after heavy rain. Cartier-Bresson’s timing is remarkable: the slight blur of the figure prevents the viewer from becoming preoccupied with his facial expression and instead emphasises the movement of his body through the frame. His positioning creates a sense of suspension, as though the man is temporarily hovering above the water. At the same time, the ripples spreading across the surface reinforce the impression of movement. There is also an element of uncertainty, as it appears unlikely that the man will complete his leap without getting wet.
The photograph can therefore be interpreted as offering a distinctly working-class perspective of Paris. Instead of focusing on the city’s celebrated architecture and monuments, Cartier-Bresson presents an industrious and somewhat austere environment in which ordinary people negotiate the practical difficulties of everyday life. The bleakness of the setting contributes to the photograph’s sense of authenticity. Rather than appearing staged or idealised, the image presents an apparently spontaneous moment of everyday existence.
The Var Department, Hyères offers a very different composition, yet it similarly demonstrates Cartier-Bresson’s interest in movement and geometric form. The photograph contains a complex arrangement of lines and shapes that converge across the image. The contours and direction of the staircase lead the eye along several different paths, creating a composition that initially appears confusing but becomes increasingly coherent upon closer examination. These geometric qualities contribute a surreal dimension to the photograph. The unusual spatial relationships can even be compared to the work of M. C. Escher, particularly his exploration of impossible or seemingly infinite architectural spaces in works such as Relativity.
The square stonework of the wall introduces another geometric element, contrasting with the curved road that moves through the composition. The road itself appears to slope away from the viewer, creating a further sense of depth and movement. Within this otherwise static architectural environment, the cyclist becomes particularly significant. Although the photograph is frozen in time, the cyclist appears to be moving rapidly through the frame, creating a powerful contrast between stillness and motion.
The cyclist can therefore be interpreted as representing the continuous movement of human life. Cartier-Bresson frequently incorporated people into his compositions in ways that prevented the environment from becoming merely architectural or decorative. In The Var Department, Hyères, the cyclist introduces a human trajectory into an otherwise quiet landscape. His movement suggests that he is travelling towards another destination or experience, thereby giving the photograph a narrative quality. The image also evokes the wider cultural association between cycling and France, particularly the Tour de France. The contrast between the tranquillity of small French towns and the speed of cyclists passing through them provides an interesting parallel to the photograph’s own combination of stillness and movement.
Although both photographs are strictly monochromatic, I was particularly struck by their apparent range of “colours.” Cartier-Bresson uses an extensive tonal range of blacks, whites, and greys to create depth and visual contrast. These variations in tone give the photographs considerable strength and contribute to their timeless quality. The absence of colour does not diminish the visual richness of the images; instead, it encourages the viewer to focus more closely on form, texture, light, shadow, and composition.
Another important characteristic of both photographs is Cartier-Bresson’s treatment of his central figures. The people within the images are sufficiently blurred or integrated into the surrounding composition that they do not completely dominate the photographs. Nevertheless, they remain essential to their meaning. Their movements provide the images with energy and transform what might otherwise be static architectural or environmental studies into observations of human experience.
This is particularly important in relation to Cartier-Bresson’s concept of the “decisive moment.” In both photographs, the timing of the exposure appears fundamental to their effectiveness. In Behind the Gare Saint-Lazare, the photograph depends upon the precise instant at which the man is suspended above the water. A fraction of a second earlier or later would have produced an entirely different composition and potentially diminished the visual tension of the image. Similarly, in The Var Department, Hyères, the cyclist’s position within the complex geometric structure of the scene creates a moment that could not easily be replicated. Cartier-Bresson’s skill lies not simply in photographing a subject, but in recognising the precise moment when the relationships between subject, environment, movement, and composition become most compelling.
Human interest is therefore central to both photographs. The man attempting to leap across the water and the cyclist travelling through the French landscape represent different aspects of human endeavour. Both figures are engaged in movement towards somewhere else, whether that destination is a workplace, an appointment, or simply another stage of their journey. In this sense, Cartier-Bresson transforms ordinary moments into observations about the human condition.
The two photographs also present contrasting aspects of everyday life. The Var Department, Hyères possesses a quieter and more rural atmosphere, with its stone buildings and relatively empty streets creating an impression of stillness. By contrast, Behind the Gare Saint-Lazare presents Paris as an industrious and active urban environment populated by workers and characterised by construction and urban infrastructure. Despite these differences, both photographs share an underlying interest in ordinary people and their relationship with the spaces they inhabit.
In conclusion, these two photographs demonstrate Cartier-Bresson’s remarkable ability to capture an exact moment while simultaneously communicating movement, atmosphere, geometry, and human experience. His use of monochrome tones, reflections, spatial relationships, and carefully timed exposure transforms seemingly ordinary situations into compelling photographic compositions. The more closely I examine these photographs, the more possibilities for interpretation emerge. Their significance lies not only in their technical mastery, but also in their ability to provoke thought, emotion, and admiration. Cartier-Bresson succeeds in transforming fleeting moments of everyday life into images that remain visually and emotionally powerful decades after they were captured.
What is Language? – We are all insiders
(387 Words)
Language is a fundamental aspect of human communication, and as speakers, we are all insiders to the language or languages we use. Consequently, for many purposes, we may take the concept of language for granted. However, closer examination reveals considerable variation within what is commonly understood as a single language. For example, although English is spoken across the world, the English used in Glasgow differs significantly from varieties spoken in other contexts, such as Jamaica. Therefore, there is no single, uniform form of spoken or written ‘English’; rather, there are numerous varieties, often referred to collectively as ‘Englishes’.
This variation raises important questions about how languages should be defined and distinguished from one another. As Hermann Paul (1880) observed, “We must, in reality, distinguish as many languages as there are individuals.” This statement highlights the extent to which individual speakers develop distinctive linguistic patterns and illustrates the difficulty of establishing clear boundaries between different languages and varieties.
Linguists are frequently asked how many languages exist worldwide. Estimates generally place the number at approximately 5,000 to 6,000, although the precise figure is difficult to determine. This difficulty arises partly because definitions of what constitutes a ‘language’ can vary between countries, cultures, and linguistic communities. Consequently, the distinction between a language and a dialect is not always straightforward.
The relationship between language and social and political factors is captured by Max Weinreich’s well-known observation from 1945: “A language is a dialect with an army and a navy.” This statement suggests that the distinction between a language and a dialect may be influenced not only by linguistic differences but also by political, cultural, and social considerations. In this sense, it may be more productive not to focus excessively on rigid definitions, but instead to recognise that both ‘language’ and ‘dialect’ are terms used to describe forms of speech that are perceived as distinct.
Ultimately, linguistic variation exists at both the individual and societal levels. Every speaker uses language in a somewhat unique way, meaning that it could be argued that every individual possesses their own linguistic system. Nevertheless, the differences between individual speakers are generally limited enough to allow effective communication. Language can therefore be understood as a shared and flexible system of sounds, words, and structures that enables members of a linguistic community to communicate and understand one another.
Language Morphs – transfer and language change
As the echoes of ‘Gladly the Cross I’d Bear’ reverberate around the church, there sits a little girl with a questionable face thinking who is ‘Gladly’ and why sing about the unfortunate bear being cross-eyed.
So, here lies transfer and language change. For example, ‘nickname’ started off as ekename; eke being ‘also’. Through time and the use of ‘an ekename’ people began to interpret the n in an as the first letter; hence a nickname. Even Santa Claus began life differently as a Dutch word Sant Heer Niclaes. St Nicholas was shortened to Santerclaes and reinterpreted. English is full of words that are not descended in ‘pure’ state from older equivalents. So, be careful when you tell people to ‘Shaddap’ or ‘Caditout’. Reference: The Power of Babel by John McWhorter
Calm Panic Campaign Promise By Alan Ginsberg
(596 words)
2022 is only days away, a time for celebration and cheer, though are we avoiding looking at the environmental damage caused by the progress we have made in such time? The need for more, the taking without giving back. Alan Ginsberg’s poem “Calm Panic Campaign Promise” is a few thoughts on the, sometimes, careless way problems are ignored.
Many of Ginsberg’s poems show his honest opinion on world issues and “Calm Panic Campaign Promise” is no exception. It is a poem designed to make everybody sit up and notice. The opening lines using, “end of millennium” and “earth decay” are major themes. It makes the reader realise that the millennium was a big turning point, a time to look back at what has been done. This leads directly onto earth’s ongoing decay emphasising that through all achievements the earth has been abused for it. I think these contrasting ideas can make the reader think of how people overspend and overuse during Christmas still ignoring their carbon footprint and another year to reach their own sustainability ambitions. With all the happiness of these festive celebrations, there is the global dilemma of earth’s decay. Could some of their actions be put to different causes?
Alan Ginsberg uses the line, “we’re the great beast” to reinforce the point that man’s behaviour has caused the earth’s decay. This is shown further in, “fire water air tainted” to which thoughts can be turned to such problems as car fumes and plastic use. These truths are of a list that could go on and on. The poem is only on the fourth line but is already very thought-provoking using this to show that everyone can be guilty of ignorance.
Instead of using facts to get his point across, Ginsberg uses the simile of the diseased body to put his points in a way to which every person can relate. This is shown in the line, “like watching gum disease and not brushing your teeth”. This is further shown in, “getting heart failure, no rest much stress”. This makes the reader think in general terms and the use of the words, “disease” and “stress” make them realise that to overcome those problems they have to put some effort in to stop it. If they do not, it could get worse. This is what it meant in, “poor circulation, smoke more”, emphasising the denial of many people.
Denial is used twice in the poem with the lines, “denial in Government” and “need President who’ll reverse the denial”. This brings to mind how even hierarchy is guilty of the decay if not more than the citizens of each country. The thought that their knowledge will help us, as Ginsberg puts it, to “restore nature’s balance”.
However, we need more to restore this balance. We need to “calm panic”. Ginsberg sees the panic at the conditions of the earth filling the “dark bed of thoughts of the people who feel unable to do anything to stop it”. While we panic, we are unable to consider how we might take action so we deny that there is a problem. Ginsberg seems to believe that a president could see the situation and lead action to remove this.
Like many of the people Ginsberg writes of, I might have dark night thoughts on rare occasions and recognise that progress has had huge environmental costs. However, while I would join into schemes designed to avoid environmental damage, I might sometimes forget or want to enjoy driving my car and spending money. Most of the time everyday living fills the thoughts.
“Calm Panic Campaign Promise” (from 1992, from Cosmopolitan Greetings)
End of Millennium
Earth’s decay –
Fire Air Water tainted
We’re the Great Beast –
Dark bed thoughts
Can’t do anything to stop it
Denial in Government, in Newspapers of Record –
Like watching gum disease and not brushing teeth
Getting heart failure, no rest much stress
Putting salt on your greasy pork
Putting sugar in coffee you’ve diabetic
Dysesthesia on foot soles
Poor circulation smoke more cigarettes
Kick your son under the table have another beer
Need President who’ll reverse the denial –
The Calm Panic Party
to restore nature’s balance
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