Definition and Discussion of Lexical-Function Grammar

In linguistics, lexical-functional grammar is a model of grammar that provides a framework for examining both morphological structures and syntactic structures. Also known as  psychologically realistic grammar. David W. Carroll notes that the major significance of lexical-functional grammar is the shunting of most of the explanatory burden onto the lexicon and away from transformational rules (Psychology of Language, 2008). The first collection of papers on the theory of lexical-functional grammar (LFG)--Joan Bresnans The Mental Representation of Grammatical Relations--was published in 1982. In the years since, notes Mary Dalrymple, the growing body of work within the LFG framework has shown the advantages of an explicitly formulated, non-transformational approach to syntax, and the influence of this theory has been extensive (Formal Issues in Lexical-Functional Grammar). Examples and Observations In LFG, the structure of a sentence consists of two distinct formal objects: C[onstituent]-structure of the familiar kind plus a functional structure (or F-structure) which displays certain additional kinds of information. Most important in the F-structure is the labeling of grammatical relations like subject and object (these are called grammatical functions in LFG).The first part of the name reflects the fact that a great deal of work is done by the lexical entries, the dictionary part of the framework. Lexical entries are usually rich and elaborate, and each one inflected from a lexical item (such as write, writes, wrote, written and writing) has its own lexical entry. Lexical entries are responsible for dealing with many relations and processes handled by different machinery in other frameworks; an example is the voice contrast between actives and passives.(Robert Lawrence Trask and Peter Stockwell, Language and Linguistics: The Key Concepts, 2nd ed. Routledge, 2007)Different Kin ds of StructuresA natural language utterance is rich in structures of different kinds: sounds form recurring patterns and morphemes, words form phrases, grammatical functions emerge from morphological and phrasal structure, and patterns of phrases evoke a complex meaning. These structures are distinct but related; each structure contributes to and constrains the structure of other kinds of information. Linear precedence and phrasal organization are related both to the morphological structure of words and to the functional organization of sentences. And the functional structure of a sentence--relations like subject-of, object-of, modifier-of, and so on--is crucial to determining what the sentence means.Isolating and defining these structures and the relations between them is a central task of linguistics. . . .Lexical Functional Grammar recognizes two different kinds of syntactic structures: the outer, visible hierarchical organization of words into phrases, and the inner, more abstr act hierarchical organization of grammatical functions into complex functional structures. Languages vary greatly in the phrasal organization they allow, and in the order and means by which grammatical functions are realized. Word order may be more or less constrained, or almost completely free. In contrast the more abstract functional organization of languages varies comparatively little: languages with widely divergent phrasal organization nevertheless exhibit subject, object, and modifier properties that have been well-studied by traditional grammarians for centuries.(Mary Dalrymple, John Lamping, Fernando Pereira, and Vijay Saraswat, Overview and Introduction. Semantics and Syntax in Lexical Functional Grammar: The Resource Logic Approach, ed. by Mary Dalrymple. The MIT Press, 1999)C(onstituent)-Structure and F(unctional) StructureLFG contains multiple parallel structures each modeling a different aspect of linguistic structure. The main syntactic structures are (c)onstituent-st ructure and f(unctional) structure . . .C-structure models the surface syntactic form of language: it is here that surface precedence and dominance relations are encoded. C-structures are phrase-structure trees, characterized by a particular form of X theory . . . designed to accommodate the large amount of phrase structure variation found cross-linguistically, from the relatively strict configurationality of languages like English to the more radically non-configurational languages of Australia. . .C-structures are always base-generated; there is no movement. . . . [T]he effect of movement is achieved by the fact that different c-structure positions can be mapped into the same f-structure via unification.The level of f-structure models grammatical relations. Unlike c-structures, which are phrase structure keys, f-structures are attribute-value matrices. F-structure attributes may be grammatical functions (e.g. SUBJ, OBJ, COMP, also nonargument functions TOP(IC), FOC(US)), tense/asp ect/mood categories (e.g. TENSE), functional nominal categories (e.g. CASE, NUM, GEND), or the predicate (semantic) attribute PRED. . . . The contents of f-structure come from the lexical items of the sentences themselves, or annotations on the nodes of the c-structure linking pieces of c-structure to parts of the f-structure.(Rachel Nordlinger and Joan Bresnan, Lexical-Functional Grammar: Interactions Between Morphology and Syntax. Non-Transformational Syntax: Formal and Explicit Models of Grammar, ed. by Robert D. Borsley and Kersti Bà ¶rjars. Blackwell, 2011) Alternate Spellings: Lexical-Functional Grammar (capitalized)

Definition and Discussion of Lexical-Function Grammar

In linguistics, lexical-functional grammar is a model of grammar that provides a framework for examining both morphological structures and syntactic structures. Also known as  psychologically realistic grammar. David W. Carroll notes that the major significance of lexical-functional grammar is the shunting of most of the explanatory burden onto the lexicon and away from transformational rules (Psychology of Language, 2008). The first collection of papers on the theory of lexical-functional grammar (LFG)--Joan Bresnans The Mental Representation of Grammatical Relations--was published in 1982. In the years since, notes Mary Dalrymple, the growing body of work within the LFG framework has shown the advantages of an explicitly formulated, non-transformational approach to syntax, and the influence of this theory has been extensive (Formal Issues in Lexical-Functional Grammar). Examples and Observations In LFG, the structure of a sentence consists of two distinct formal objects: C[onstituent]-structure of the familiar kind plus a functional structure (or F-structure) which displays certain additional kinds of information. Most important in the F-structure is the labeling of grammatical relations like subject and object (these are called grammatical functions in LFG).The first part of the name reflects the fact that a great deal of work is done by the lexical entries, the dictionary part of the framework. Lexical entries are usually rich and elaborate, and each one inflected from a lexical item (such as write, writes, wrote, written and writing) has its own lexical entry. Lexical entries are responsible for dealing with many relations and processes handled by different machinery in other frameworks; an example is the voice contrast between actives and passives.(Robert Lawrence Trask and Peter Stockwell, Language and Linguistics: The Key Concepts, 2nd ed. Routledge, 2007)Different Kin ds of StructuresA natural language utterance is rich in structures of different kinds: sounds form recurring patterns and morphemes, words form phrases, grammatical functions emerge from morphological and phrasal structure, and patterns of phrases evoke a complex meaning. These structures are distinct but related; each structure contributes to and constrains the structure of other kinds of information. Linear precedence and phrasal organization are related both to the morphological structure of words and to the functional organization of sentences. And the functional structure of a sentence--relations like subject-of, object-of, modifier-of, and so on--is crucial to determining what the sentence means.Isolating and defining these structures and the relations between them is a central task of linguistics. . . .Lexical Functional Grammar recognizes two different kinds of syntactic structures: the outer, visible hierarchical organization of words into phrases, and the inner, more abstr act hierarchical organization of grammatical functions into complex functional structures. Languages vary greatly in the phrasal organization they allow, and in the order and means by which grammatical functions are realized. Word order may be more or less constrained, or almost completely free. In contrast the more abstract functional organization of languages varies comparatively little: languages with widely divergent phrasal organization nevertheless exhibit subject, object, and modifier properties that have been well-studied by traditional grammarians for centuries.(Mary Dalrymple, John Lamping, Fernando Pereira, and Vijay Saraswat, Overview and Introduction. Semantics and Syntax in Lexical Functional Grammar: The Resource Logic Approach, ed. by Mary Dalrymple. The MIT Press, 1999)C(onstituent)-Structure and F(unctional) StructureLFG contains multiple parallel structures each modeling a different aspect of linguistic structure. The main syntactic structures are (c)onstituent-st ructure and f(unctional) structure . . .C-structure models the surface syntactic form of language: it is here that surface precedence and dominance relations are encoded. C-structures are phrase-structure trees, characterized by a particular form of X theory . . . designed to accommodate the large amount of phrase structure variation found cross-linguistically, from the relatively strict configurationality of languages like English to the more radically non-configurational languages of Australia. . .C-structures are always base-generated; there is no movement. . . . [T]he effect of movement is achieved by the fact that different c-structure positions can be mapped into the same f-structure via unification.The level of f-structure models grammatical relations. Unlike c-structures, which are phrase structure keys, f-structures are attribute-value matrices. F-structure attributes may be grammatical functions (e.g. SUBJ, OBJ, COMP, also nonargument functions TOP(IC), FOC(US)), tense/asp ect/mood categories (e.g. TENSE), functional nominal categories (e.g. CASE, NUM, GEND), or the predicate (semantic) attribute PRED. . . . The contents of f-structure come from the lexical items of the sentences themselves, or annotations on the nodes of the c-structure linking pieces of c-structure to parts of the f-structure.(Rachel Nordlinger and Joan Bresnan, Lexical-Functional Grammar: Interactions Between Morphology and Syntax. Non-Transformational Syntax: Formal and Explicit Models of Grammar, ed. by Robert D. Borsley and Kersti Bà ¶rjars. Blackwell, 2011) Alternate Spellings: Lexical-Functional Grammar (capitalized)

Definition and Discussion of Lexical-Function Grammar

In linguistics, lexical-functional grammar is a model of grammar that provides a framework for examining both morphological structures and syntactic structures. Also known as  psychologically realistic grammar. David W. Carroll notes that the major significance of lexical-functional grammar is the shunting of most of the explanatory burden onto the lexicon and away from transformational rules (Psychology of Language, 2008). The first collection of papers on the theory of lexical-functional grammar (LFG)--Joan Bresnans The Mental Representation of Grammatical Relations--was published in 1982. In the years since, notes Mary Dalrymple, the growing body of work within the LFG framework has shown the advantages of an explicitly formulated, non-transformational approach to syntax, and the influence of this theory has been extensive (Formal Issues in Lexical-Functional Grammar). Examples and Observations In LFG, the structure of a sentence consists of two distinct formal objects: C[onstituent]-structure of the familiar kind plus a functional structure (or F-structure) which displays certain additional kinds of information. Most important in the F-structure is the labeling of grammatical relations like subject and object (these are called grammatical functions in LFG).The first part of the name reflects the fact that a great deal of work is done by the lexical entries, the dictionary part of the framework. Lexical entries are usually rich and elaborate, and each one inflected from a lexical item (such as write, writes, wrote, written and writing) has its own lexical entry. Lexical entries are responsible for dealing with many relations and processes handled by different machinery in other frameworks; an example is the voice contrast between actives and passives.(Robert Lawrence Trask and Peter Stockwell, Language and Linguistics: The Key Concepts, 2nd ed. Routledge, 2007)Different Kin ds of StructuresA natural language utterance is rich in structures of different kinds: sounds form recurring patterns and morphemes, words form phrases, grammatical functions emerge from morphological and phrasal structure, and patterns of phrases evoke a complex meaning. These structures are distinct but related; each structure contributes to and constrains the structure of other kinds of information. Linear precedence and phrasal organization are related both to the morphological structure of words and to the functional organization of sentences. And the functional structure of a sentence--relations like subject-of, object-of, modifier-of, and so on--is crucial to determining what the sentence means.Isolating and defining these structures and the relations between them is a central task of linguistics. . . .Lexical Functional Grammar recognizes two different kinds of syntactic structures: the outer, visible hierarchical organization of words into phrases, and the inner, more abstr act hierarchical organization of grammatical functions into complex functional structures. Languages vary greatly in the phrasal organization they allow, and in the order and means by which grammatical functions are realized. Word order may be more or less constrained, or almost completely free. In contrast the more abstract functional organization of languages varies comparatively little: languages with widely divergent phrasal organization nevertheless exhibit subject, object, and modifier properties that have been well-studied by traditional grammarians for centuries.(Mary Dalrymple, John Lamping, Fernando Pereira, and Vijay Saraswat, Overview and Introduction. Semantics and Syntax in Lexical Functional Grammar: The Resource Logic Approach, ed. by Mary Dalrymple. The MIT Press, 1999)C(onstituent)-Structure and F(unctional) StructureLFG contains multiple parallel structures each modeling a different aspect of linguistic structure. The main syntactic structures are (c)onstituent-st ructure and f(unctional) structure . . .C-structure models the surface syntactic form of language: it is here that surface precedence and dominance relations are encoded. C-structures are phrase-structure trees, characterized by a particular form of X theory . . . designed to accommodate the large amount of phrase structure variation found cross-linguistically, from the relatively strict configurationality of languages like English to the more radically non-configurational languages of Australia. . .C-structures are always base-generated; there is no movement. . . . [T]he effect of movement is achieved by the fact that different c-structure positions can be mapped into the same f-structure via unification.The level of f-structure models grammatical relations. Unlike c-structures, which are phrase structure keys, f-structures are attribute-value matrices. F-structure attributes may be grammatical functions (e.g. SUBJ, OBJ, COMP, also nonargument functions TOP(IC), FOC(US)), tense/asp ect/mood categories (e.g. TENSE), functional nominal categories (e.g. CASE, NUM, GEND), or the predicate (semantic) attribute PRED. . . . The contents of f-structure come from the lexical items of the sentences themselves, or annotations on the nodes of the c-structure linking pieces of c-structure to parts of the f-structure.(Rachel Nordlinger and Joan Bresnan, Lexical-Functional Grammar: Interactions Between Morphology and Syntax. Non-Transformational Syntax: Formal and Explicit Models of Grammar, ed. by Robert D. Borsley and Kersti Bà ¶rjars. Blackwell, 2011) Alternate Spellings: Lexical-Functional Grammar (capitalized)

Araby Short Story and Brown Imperturbable Faces - 4962 Words

CONTENTS Page Thesis Statement and Outline 02 I. The Domination of Darkness 03 Ä Ã¡ »â€" Kim Ngà ¢n 03-05 Trá º §n Thá »â€¹ Thu Hiá » n 05-06 II. The Indifference Attitude 07 Là ¢m Thá »â€¹ PhÆ °Ã† ¡ng Nga 07-08 Ä Ãƒ  o Ngá » c à nh 08-10 III. The Bare Surroundings Together With the Empty and Slow Train 11 Ä Ã¡ »â€" Thá »â€¹ Há º ±ng 11-13 IV. The Unilateral Love 14 Trá º §n Ä Ã¡ » ©c Minh 14-15 Nguyá »â€¦n Kiá » u Trang 15-16 Appendix: Araby by James Joyce Thesis statement: The short story Araby by James Joyce (1882-1941) depicts a picture which extends to us a profound impression about a gloomy, lukewarm stagnant and sultry life of Dubliners in 1890s. OUTLINE I. The domination of darkness throughout the story†¦show more content†¦The domination of darkness was emphasized by the image of pale light in this paragraph. When the night fell, streetlights were but â€Å"feeble lanterns† (18) in the somberness of the â€Å"dark muddy lanes†(20). The light from the kitchen windows only filled the street when boys returned; however, the boy chose to hide in the shadow. This action made the darkness again cover all the light which had just appeared in a short time. In the blind and dark surroundings like this, only the boys’ games and shouts â€Å"echoed the silent street† (19) and made the story have some breaks , but the boys must still play in â€Å"dark muddy lanes†(20), in â€Å"dark dripping gardens† (21) near â€Å"dark odorous stables† (22) and â€Å"ashpits† (22). The boys’ life was the same as what it was suggested in the first paragraph. They could not go anyw here except this stagnant city. Scanning through the story, the readers could easily see that all the scenes in this story often happened in the dark setting. Joyce used such setting to express his intention when he wrote the stories â€Å"Dubliners†. He wanted to â€Å"write a chapter in the moral history† of his country and he chose Dublin city for the scene â€Å"because that city seemed to me the centre of paralysis†(The Archetypal Myth of the Quest in J. Joyces Araby written by Mahmood Azizi, para. 4, line 6). Actually, choosing the gloomy setting to be the home of the young boy, Joyce made the boy’s life particularly and the Dubliners’ livesShow MoreRelatedAnalysis Of The Story Araby 896 Words   |  4 PagesIn the short story Araby, we are shown a young boy’s first encounter with love and what he will do for this girl. To help represent the protagonist’s emotions and the way he views the world around him, Joyce uses color. The use and absence of color in the story helps the reader identify what the boy finds important in his life. This is done by using dark and sombre as adjectives and also not using color. Except, when Mangan’s sister (protagonist’s crush) is being described in the story. This whenRead MoreAraby: an Outline Commentary1533 Words   |  7 PagesAraby: An Outline Commentary ‘The Sisters’ and ‘An Encounter’ are about the same length. ‘Araby’ is roughly a hundred lines shorter than these. There is a progression in the three stories. The boy in ‘The Sisters’ is a passive witness, limited in his capacity to act by the weight of the adults about him. The boy of ‘An Encounter’ rebels against this oppression but his reward is the menace of a bizarre and abnormal adult. The boy in ‘Araby’ strives both to act and to realize an actual affectiveRead MoreUnique Writing Styles Illuminated Through an Unrequited Love Story887 Words   |  4 PagesEvery author has his or her own distinctive manner of writing. In the two short stories, â€Å"Araby† by James Joyce and â€Å"Interpreter of Maladies† by Jhumpa Lahiri, unique writing styles are showcased while relaying similar story lines. Both stories tell the narrative of men who fall for a woman and through a series of hopeful i nterpretations of interactions with the woman; they end up disappointed and alone. Although both stories have parallel themes of unrequited love, the way in which the authors useRead MoreJames Joyce - Araby Essay1136 Words   |  5 PagesJoyce’s story â€Å"Araby† Many times in life, people set unrealistic expectations for themselves or for other people. This is not a very wise thing to do because people often feel disappointed and embarrassed for getting their hopes up so high. One good example of this is the narrator in the short story â€Å"Araby† by James Joyce. In his brief but complex story James Joyce concentrates on character rather than on plot to reveal the ironies within self-deception. On its simplest level, Araby is a storyRead MoreJames Joyce s Araby And The Dead1176 Words   |  5 PagesJoyce’s short stories â€Å"Araby† and â€Å"The Dead† both depict self-discovery as being defined by moments of epiphany. Both portray characters who experience similar emotions and who, at the ends of the stories, confront similarly harsh realities of self-discovery. In each of these stories, Joyce builds up to the moment of epiphany through a careful structure of events and emotions that leads both protagonists to a redefining moment of self-discovery. The main characters in both these stories are youngRead MoreAraby, By James Joyce1013 Words   |  5 PagesJames Joyce’s short fiction, â€Å"Araby†, speaks of the loss of innocence when one enters adulthood. The narrator of â€Å"Araby† reflects back to his childhood and the defining moment when he reached clarity on the world he stood before. The young boy, living in a world lifeless and religious influence, becomes consumed with the lust of a neighbouring girl. The girl, Mangan, is symbolically the narrator’s childhood obsession with growing up. As she resembles the desire to become an adult, the Araby is the enchantedRead MoreThemes in James Joyces Araby Essay667 Words   |  3 Pagesthe story of, Araby James Joyce concentrated on three main themes that will explain the purpose of the narrative. The story unfolded on North Richmond Street, which is a street composed of two rows of houses, in a desolated neighborhood. Despite the dreary surroundin gs of dark muddy lanes and ash pits the boy tried to find evidence of love and beauty in his surroundings. Throughout the story, the boy went through a variety of changes that will pose as different themes of the story includingRead MoreEssay on James Joyces Araby - The Symbol of the Church in Araby1199 Words   |  5 PagesJames Joyces Dubliners - The Symbol of the Church in Araby Joyces short story Araby is filled with symbolic images of a church. It opens and closes with strong symbols, and in the body of the story, the images are shaped by the young), Irish narrators impressions of the effect the Church of Ireland has upon the people of Ire-land. The boy is fiercely determined to invest in someone within this Church the holiness he feels should be the natural state of all within it, but a successionRead More James Joyces Araby - The Lonely Quest in Araby Essay1302 Words   |  6 PagesThe Lonely Quest in Araby  Ã‚        Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Universality of experience makes James Joyces Araby interesting, readers respond instinctively to an experience that could have been their own. It is part of the instinctual nature of man to long for what he feels is the lost spirituality of his world. In all ages man has believed that it is possible to search for and find a talisman, which, if brought back, will return this lost spirituality. The development of theme in Araby resembles the myth ofRead MoreEssay on James Joyces Araby - Setting in Araby1597 Words   |  7 PagesSetting in James Joyces Araby  Ã‚   In the opening paragraphs of James Joyces short story, Araby, the setting takes center stage to the narrator. Joyce tends carefully to the exquisite detail of personifying his setting, so that the narrators emotions may be enhanced. To create a genuine sense of mood, and reality, Joyce uses many techniques such as first person narration, style of prose, imagery, and most of all setting. The setting of a short story is vital to the development of character

The Differences in Views About Human Nature free essay sample

He believes that â€Å"Individual effort was needed to cultivate oneself, but one’s natural tendencies were good to begin with. In this way, Mencius has integrated elements of Taoism into his theory. Basically, people are born well with good intentions, but they must work to maintain their good nature. Mencius says, â€Å"Every person has a heart-mind which feels for others† . He applies this to a famous example – if one witnessed a child falling into a well, it is not possible to not feel anything. Every person has the heart-mind that would be shocked and sympathetic, which may become the motivation to act and save the child. It would not be for the sake on being on good terms with the child’s parents, or be praised by the neighbors . However, if one listens to their senses of desire, â€Å"I don’t want to be involved† or â€Å"If I try to save the child, I might injure myself in the process†, then they would stop themselves from helping. We will write a custom essay sample on The Differences in Views About Human Nature or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page It is important to point out that Mencius did not mention anything about how ones responding â€Å"act†, and that it is having the â€Å"feeling† that counts. On the other hand, Xunzi believed that human nature is bad. Nobody is born with principles accustomed in their nature. For that reason, people must be educated and cultivated in ethics to become good. Human nature is evil, and goodness is caused by intentional activity. â€Å"A person is born with feelings of envy and hate. If he gives way to them, they will lead him to violence and crime, and any sense of loyalty and good faith will be abandoned. † However, he also believed that, although human nature is bad, people still have the capacity to becoming good. For example, a great leader like Martin Luther King was born no differently from Adolf Hitler. They both inherited the same nature at birth. Applying Xunzi’s theory, the differences would be that one practiced benevolence and righteousness, as well as followed the proper rules and standards, and one (Hitler) obviously did not. This also suggests that these elements are principles that have to be known first before being put into practice. It is about the environment that one is brought up with that influences the way one acts. If you do not know a man, look at his friends; if you do not know a ruler, look at his attendants. Environment is the important thing! Environment is the important thing! As for the basis for ruling a country, I would personally choose Mencius’s assertion of human nature is good. For example, if the leader of America thought about Iraq in Xunzi’s perspective, that human nature is bad, they would be on guard and suspicious of the motives of the Iraqi people. This leads to the feeling of unease and both sides are tensed. The inability to trust will result to both countries expecting the worst, and therefore making the situation more aggravated and war will be more likely to break out. While, by thinking in Mencius’s perspective, America would only assume the good in Iraqi people, and that there can be a solution made through a mutual understanding through trust, decency and self-actualization. No more nuclear weapons will be produced and less conflicts will happen, which leads to less innocent people dying. It is better to assume that people are born good, so it is easier to feel security and trust each other. 100% Mencius for everyone is the perfect recipe to WORLD PEACE. That’s right.

Life In Dithyrambic Chorus Essays - Ancient Greek Theatre, Dionysia

Life In Dithyrambic Chorus Upon the setting sun I, Hecubus, fondly recall the days of pride and honor I felt in my tribe, as a member of a dramatic, dithyrambic chorus. Acting was not simply my occupation, but a lifestyle highly revered and respected by my fellow Athenian citizens. We entertained, taught moral lessons of the past, illustrated human flaw, but most importantly, we gave the audience a release. During the time I preformed with my chorus, drama was closely tied to the polis, joining the people, the government, and the Gods through public festivals. I felt immense pride to have played and active role in the community bond that was created. The most important of these festivals was, and remains, the City Dionysia. The exhausting four-day competition was held every spring, in honor of the god Dionysos (Amos and Lang 129). The festival opened with a formal and elaborate processional, where I and my chorus of fifty men would perform ceremonial dances at numerous alters, and ended with sacrifices of wine and sweet meat at the sacred precinct of Dionysus. This was a most glorious event surrounded in the beauty and rebirth of the land! A statue of Dionysos, guided by the intense glow of torchlight, was then carried into the theatre and a reenactment of Dionysos' initial entry into Athens was preformed. This statue was a constant presence in the theatre. City Dionysia was highly attended and drew visitors and men of political power from all of Greece. The crowd was not afraid to get into the performances...many times they would cheer and boo, and occasionally throw things at us. Three of the four days were reserved for tragedies, and the fourth day was for satyr and comedies (Cameron and Gillespie 74). Between the great plays, the dithyrambic contests would be held, where the choruses, including my dynamic troupe, would battle each other for the prize. Wine was abundant, and the all day plays and hard stone benches seemed to effect men's attitudes. Many times I found myself trying to sing passages over the liveliness of the audience, but it was because of this festival that I became commonly known in Athens. The origin of theatre dates back to religious choral dances that were preformed in simple grain threshing circles. One member of the chorus recited his verse or monologue with the other chorus members (Amos and Lang 130). These primitive religious choruses resembled the organization of the tragic chorus found in the festival. The tragic chorus served as a main part of the tragedies, but were not central. Through lyrical chant they served to move plot along, or recount the action in the performance. These thirteen men shared the orchestra with the three actors. The tragic chorus's main form of expression was dance and song, accompanied by a flute-player (Amos and Lang 130). The dithyrambic choruses, which I was a member of, worked as a dramatic team and was the only action on stage (http://www.cs.utk.edu/~mclennan/OM/BA/PT/BA/JO-CD.html). Unlike the organization of the tragic choruses, we were not limited by any genre of theatre and could participate in the dark tragedies, as well as comedies if needed. But primarily, always arranged in a circle, our impressive dance entertained between contests at the festivals (Cameron and Gillespie 85). We were fifty men strong and competed specifically for the dithyrambic chorus. Five Greek tribes consisted of choruses of men; the other five were primarily made up of boys. Not only did we have to be tribal members, but also citizens by birth. During the time that we trained or preformed, all dithyrambic chorus members were exempt from military service. A typical training session would last about eleven months, consisting of vocal, strength, and gesture training (Cameron and Gillespie 73). The vocal training was the most intense exercise, and would leave my voice harsh, and rough. The intent was to articulate and pronounce everything perfectly, be it in song or slow verse. Voice and diction were the most important aspects to the choral odes, and our training consisted of many hours in full costume to perfect the art. Many days I thought that the military service would have been easier! Gestures were expected to be very rigid and distinct, but most importantly they had to be large. During performance we were required to be in top physical shape due to the stamina required to beat the intense heat and dry air. For all performers, not just chorus members, costume limited our tools of expression to voice and gesture. No women were allowed

Analyzing Eye of the Tiger essays

Analyzing Eye of the Tiger essays Poets and song writers use different literary elements to embellish different aspects of the poem. Some use the elements to make the reader look at certain parts of the poem differently and others may use them to give a poem feeling. In Eye of the Tiger, Jim Petik uses imagery to compare the struggle of person to that of a tiger and also repetition to let the reader know that a person should never give up on their dreams. The song is written in ballad form, which also enhances the main idea of not giving up by showing the reader that dreams do come true. In the third stanza, Petik uses imagery to make the reader envision a tiger hunting its prey. The first two lines of the stanza Petik writes, Face to face, out in the heat. Hangin tough, stayin hungry. He is comparing the hardship of a person trying to reach his goals to that of a tiger hunting for food. In the last two lines of the stanza it says, Still we take to the streets, for the kill with the skill to survive. In those two lines, Petik combines the two different worlds using the word street referencing the person, and kill referencing the tiger. Eye of the Tiger is meant to be a motivating song; hence, Petik repeats certain lines making sure that, whoever the reader might be, they will have the strongest lines implanted into their mind. He repeats the refrain three different times throughout the song and the most important line in the refrain is, Its the eye of the tiger. The eye of the tiger is the look in someones eyes when they feel like theyre unstoppable. Petik repeats that same line four more times at the end of the song which gives the reader a lasting impression that he or she has the eye of the tiger. He also repeats the phrase risin up once at the beginning of the song, and then ag...