Childhood Memories Essay

Childhood is the most innocent phase of man’s life. With the passage of time, it fades into adolescence and adulthood. Yet the sweet memories of childhood linger on. My childhood recollections are those of a sheltered and carefree life, nurtured with love and concern. As I was the first child in the family, everybody doted on me. My funny lisping, my innocent mischief and my inane talk-everything was a source of immense pleasure to them. There was never a word of reproach or censure against me. Once a distant uncle picked me up from my school and, without informing my parents, took me to a fair. When I returned home, it was quite late. I found everybody worried, anxious and apprehensive about my safety. A frantic search for me had already been made. My uncle was taken to task, but nobody reprimanded me. Later, it was explained to me that going out with others without the knowledge of the parents was fraught with risks. I was warned, but the warning was so affectionate, tactful and persuasive that it left a healthy impression on my mind. I was quite inquisitive by nature and pestered my parents with constant queries. They, nevertheless, listened to me patiently and tried to satisfy my curiosity. I also fondly remember my grandmother with her wrinkled face which creased into a loving smile at the very sight of me. Her amusing anecdotes always transported me into a mysterious wonderland. My thoughts abound with such sweet memories. Each recollection has nostalgic air about it. I will treasure these precious childhood memories for ever. Memories of childhood Sweet are the recollections of the childhood of a man. These fill one’s mind with joy when one looks back to the days of childhood. Every child passes its days in the midst of the affection and cares of the parents, grandfather and grand-mother and other dear relations. Cares and anxieties do not trouble the innocent mind of the child. My childhood days When I look back to the days of my early childhood, I do not remember much. Only I remember how my old grand-mother fondled me. I used to sit in the evening by her side. She would tell me fairy tales—tales of the princes and princesses and rakshasas, and stories of ghosts. I listened to them with rapt attention. These seemed to be true to me. I remember the day clearly when I first went to school. It was a new life to me, but I liked it very much. I made friends with many boys there. I went to school with them and I enjoyed these very much. My teachers loved me very much. I was never afraid of them and they never beat me. I did my lessons well every day. I was fond of story-books. I read the stories of the Ramayana and the Mahabharata. They left a deep impression on me. Sometimes tears stood in my eyes when I read about the sufferings of Seeta. My grand-mother grew very old. She died when I was nine years old. I loved her very much. Sometimes mother scolded me for doing some mischief. But my grand-mother shielded me. I was quite save there. So I felt great sorrow at her death. This is a sad recollection of my childhood. My sister is older than I by eight years. Her marriage ceremony took place when I was ten years old. It was a vary happy occasion. I absented myself from school for several days. My heart was filled with joy. On the day of the marriage our house was crowded with friends and relatives. In the evening the bridegroom and his party came. Conch shells were blowing to welcome the bridegroom. Musicians were playing on their bands. A grand feast was given to the guests. I supplied water to the guests. Of course, I ate my fill that night. Thus I spent the day in the midst of feast and merriment. Conclusion My days of childhood were really spent in happiness. There was only the sad incident of my grandmother’s death. I had no cares and anxieties. I thought of eating, reading, playing and wearing gay clothes and beautiful shoes and nothing else. Now I am a grown-up lad. I cannot now pass days so care-free as I did in the past.

Why Do We Dream?

No one knows the true answer as to why we humans dream. Probably no one ever will truly know but there are many theories concerning this topic. One theory brought about by famed psychologist Sigmund Freud is that dreams are secret wish fulfillments of the dreamer. Another is the information-processing theory. A third theory is called the activation-synthesis theory. All three are valid theories that deserved to be looked at and discussed with a little more detail. Sigmund Freud was a psychologist in the late 1800s to the mid-1900s. Much of his work is now considered to be dated and even a bit absurd but it is still studied to this day. Perhaps his most famous contribution to the world of psychology, along with being the father of psychoanalysis, was his work on the interpretation and meaning of dreams. He wrote, and in 1900 published, the book â€Å"The Interpretation of Dreams†. He himself found his book to be very important and said â€Å"[It] contains†¦ the most valuable of all the discoveries it has been my good fortune to make. Insight such as this falls to one's lot but once in a lifetime† (Cherry). His theory is that dreams are repressed, secret, often sexual, desires in the unconscious mind of the dreamer. While dreaming, these secret fears and desires make themselves known. After listening to some dreams from patients of his, Freud said â€Å"What is common in all these dreams is obvious. They completely satisfy wishes excited during the day which remain unrealized. They are simply and undisguisedly realizations of wishes† (Freud). Another theory about why humans dream is called the Information-Processing Theory. It is also known as the Off-Line Theory.

Analysis Of Elizabeth Bishops The Fish English Literature Essay

Analysis Of Elizabeth Bishops The Fish English Literature Essay â€Å"The Fish† was written by Elizabeth Bishop who lived from 1911- 1979. The title â€Å"The Fish† gives the reader an idea of what the poem will be about. You can’t tell the happenings in the poem from the title, but you can tell that it will include a fish in one way or another. The title is also very simple, and when the poem the structure used and the story itself is also simple. To keep with the free flowing feel of the poem there are no rigid rhyme schemes. The poem uses point of view to help explain the theme of the story: it is possible for a person to tell someone, or something’s, life by the way they carry themselves and the scars they have. After getting a glimpse into the fish’s life, the poem ends when the fisherman lets the fish go. The reason the fisherman let the fish go can be for several reasons. Most likely the fisherman felt that it was an honor to catch the fish and it would be dishonorable to keep a fish that the fisherman s ees as a fellow warrior in the rough waters. The fisherman’s feelings are the most evident when he thinks, â€Å"I stared and stared / and victory filled up / the little rented boat† (Bishop 66-68).The main character in this story is the fish, but the narrator is the fisherman. The whole poem is the fisherman’s actions and thoughts, therefore; there is no dialogue in the poem. The fisher’s actions show the fact that the fisher has been touched by the sight of the fish. The poem is made up of seventy- six lines. The lines are not separated into stanzas but arranged in a continuous free form. There is no discerning rhyme scheme to try and figure out, and there is no rigid structure. The poem does not have words or sounds words that continue to repeat themselves. The only thing that is continually referred to is the fish. The free form of the poem can be seen as a foreshadowing that the fisherman sets the fish free at the end of the story. There is symbolism , metaphors, and personification in the poem though. Symbolism can be found several times in the poem. For instance the rainbow that appears in the water right before the fisher lets the fish go. The rainbow can be seen as a symbol that represents the compassionate feelings that prompts the fisher to release the fish. Another time is when the fisher says that the hooks caught in the fish’s jaw are, â€Å"Like medals with their ribbons / frayed and wavering† (Bishop 61-62). We are able to determine that the fisher has begun to respect the fish and his past endeavors. A great metaphor in the story is â€Å"his brown skin hung in strips / like ancient wallpaper† The metaphor in this line refers to the skin of the fish and how it looked liked old wallpaper. The fish is being personified throughout the whole poem. When the fish is first caught it is just a fish. By the end of the poem the fish is transformed from a normal fish to a noble veteran of the waters. The fi sher stopped seeing the fish as just an animal, but the fish becomes almost human like. The fish’s personification begins when the fisherman looks into the fish’s eyes, at this moment the fisher begins to sympathize with the fish. The personification continues as the fisherman looks at the fish more. The end result is the fisher having the feeling that the fish has been through a lot and should be treated with dignity and respect.