Ben & Jerrys Ice Cream :: essays research papers

The Board of Directors of the Company has since 1988 formalized its basic business philosophy by adopting a three-part "mission statement" for Ben & Jerry's. The statement includes a "product mission," "to make, distribute and sell the finest quality all natural ice cream"; an "economic mission," "to operate the Company on a sound financial basis...increasing value for our shareholders and creating career opportunities and financial rewards for our employees"; and a "social mission," "to operate the Company in a way that actively recognizes the central role that business plays in the structure of society by initiating innovative ways to improve the quality of life of a broad community: local, national and international." This statement has been further simplified by the Company's statement of "Leading with Progressive Values Across our Business." "Underlying the mission of Ben & Jerry's is the determination to seek new and creative ways of addressing all three parts, while holding a deep respect for individuals inside and outside the Company and for the communities of which they are a part." Since 1988, the Company's Annual Report to Stockholders has contained a "social report" on the Company's performance during the year. The Company's social mission has always been about more than philanthropy, product donations and community relations. Ben & Jerry's has strived to integrate into its day-to-day business decisions a concern for the community and to seek ways to lead with its progressive values. The Company makes cash contributions equal to 7.5% of its pretax profits to philanthropy through The Ben & Jerry's Foundation (the "Foundation"), Community Action Teams, which are employee led groups from each of its five Vermont sites, and through corporate grants. Excluded from the 7.5% are contributions out of a portion of the proceeds of incidental operations, not directly relating to Ben & Jerry's core business of the manufacturing and selling of Ben & Jerry's frozen desserts, such as a portion of the admission fees for plant tours. Also excluded from the 7.5% are corporate sponsorships that have as one of their purposes the furtherance of Ben & Jerry's marketing goals. For 1999, the 7.5% amounted to approximately $1,120,000. The amount of the Company's cash contribution is subject to review by the Board of Directors from time to time in light of the Company's cash needs, its operating results, existing conditions in the industry and other factors deemed relevant by the Board. See "The Ben & Jerry's Foundation." In some instances where the Company pays royalties for the licensed use of a flavor name, the licensor donates all or a portion of these royalties to charitable organizations.

The Suffering of the Proud Essay -- English Literature Essays

The Suffering of the Proud Pride is a key to self-respect; however, when it goes to far, people forget that humility is a virtue too. In the play Antigone, pride plays a major role throughout, appearing as fatal flaws in both Antigone and Kreon, the main characters of Sophocles’s tragedy. For Antigone and Kreon, as soon as the stepped past the line of humility, they were doomed to fail. For example, Kreon became so proud of himself he refused to listen to others warnings and assumes the gods are on his side. â€Å"But didn’t that girl do wrong?’ ‘The whole nation denies it.’ ‘Will the nation tell me what orders I can give?† (Kreon, Haimon, Kreon 881-3) this is a perfect example, because he refuses to listen to his son, and then, when presented with the fact that the whole nation thinks he is wrong, decides that he doesn’t care what the nation thinks. Throughout the play, his advisor, Koryphaios, repeatedly gives him gentle warnings, and Kreon claims he is getting old, ignores him, or refutes him with points that only emphasize his out-of-control pride, such as, â€Å"Men our age, learn from [Haimon] (Kreon 876). He also assumes that the gods will go along with whatever he says, â€Å"can you see the gods honoring criminals? Impossible† (Kreon 364-5). This kind of attitude is something that appears in almost ever y Greek myth, the thought that the gods will side with them no matter what, and it always ends up biting them in the rear. Furthermore, Kreon holds his subjects in contempt...

The Beginnings of a National Literary Tradition Essay -- Canadian Hist

The Beginnings of a National Literary Tradition   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Canadians throughout their history have been concerned over the status of their national literature. One of the major problems facing early Canadian writers was that the language and poetic conventions that they had inherited from the Old World were inadequate for the new scenery and conditions in which they now found themselves. Writers such as Susanna Moodie, Samuel Hearne, and Oliver Goldsmith were what I would consider "Immigrant" authors. Even though they were writing in Canada about Canada their style and their audiences were primarily England and Europe. These authors wrote from an Old World perspective and therefore were not truly Canadian authors. It took a group of homespun young writers in the later part of the 19thCentury to begin to build a genuine "discipline" of Canadian literary thought. This group, affectionately known as ‘ The Confederation Poets', consisted of four main authors: Charles G.D. Roberts, Bliss Carman, Duncan Campbell Scott, and Archibald Lampman. The Poets ofConfederation "established what can legitimately be called the first distinct "school" of Canadian poetry"(17, Keith). The term ‘The Poets of Confederation' is a misnomer since not one of these poets/authors was more than ten years old when the Dominion of Canada was formed in 1867. However, all of these writers were aware of the lack of a distinctive Canadian literary tradition and they made efforts to create one for their successors. While each of these men had their own distinctive writing style they all sought to contribute and create a ‘ national' literature. According to R.E.Rashley in Poetry in Canada: The First Three Steps " there is no Canadian poetry before [The Confederation Poets] time"(98). These men were the first in a long line of authors and artists to conceive of the need for a discernible national literature. The Confederation Poets function was to "explore the new knowledge that they had acquired of themselves that had been created by the interaction of environment and people and the concept of evolutionary growth"(Rashley 98). Archibald Lampman was a key note in the beginnings of a national literary movement. Before Lampman and the other Confederation poets there seemed to be a mere repetition of European ideas in literature in Canada. Even though Lampman was influence... ...oet of Nature. Montreal: Louis Carrier and Co., 1929. Crawford, A.W. "Archibald Lampman". Critical Views on Canadian Writers:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Archibald Lampman. Ed. Michael Gnarowski. Toronto: Ryerson Press, 1970. Early, L.R. "Archibald Lampman (1861-1899)". Canadian Writers and their Works   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Vol.II. Eds. Lecker, David, & Quigley. Ontario: ECW Press, 1983. Guthrie, Norman Gregor. The Poetry Of Archibald Lampman. Toronto: The Musson Book Co., 1927. Keith, W.J. "Archibald Lampman". Profiles in Canadian Literature Vol.I. Ed. Jeffrey M. Heath. Toronto: Dundurn Press Ltd., 1980. Lampman, Archibald. The Poems of Archibald Lampman. Toronto: University of Toronto, 1974. Marshall, John. "Archibald Lampman". Critical Views on Canadian Writers:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Archibald Lampman. Ed. Michael Gnarowski. Toronto: Ryerson Press, 1970. Rashley, R.E. Poetry in Canada: The First Three Steps. Toronto: Ryerson Press, 1958. Stouck, David. Major Canadian Authors: A Critical Introduction. Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, 1984. Stringer, Arthur. "A Glance at Lampman". Critical Views on Canadian Writers:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Archibald Lampman. Ed. Michael Gnarowski. Toronto: Ryerson Press, 1970.

Complementing Texts: Homer’s The Odyssey and Dante’s Inferno Essay

Ever since human beings started telling stories for entertainment or for edification, heroes have made incredible journeys against what seem like impossible odds. In the beginning, heroes often these journeys to reach a goal, often in defiance of the gods who, for whatever reason, had imposed limits upon the main character of the story. In Homer’s story, The Odyssey, this limitation is that the gods will block his way home until he speaks to the sage Tiresias. By contrast, Dante Alighieri’s character of Dante primarily seeks to find answers to his questions; that is, knowledge, as a means to find salvation. While both heroes interact with the underworld to accomplish their aims, the stories complement each other, rather than mirror each other. In many ways, Dante’s text â€Å"corrects† the story found in Homer’s work, making it suitable for Christian audiences. Careful examination of texts reveals how some of these areas differ significantly between them. Some of these differences include the nature of the underworld itself and the hero’s interaction with it, the knowledge that Odysseus’ mother has of the living world, and the shared rule of the underworld. The Nature of the Underworld and the Heroes’ Interaction with It Like Dante’s Hell, Homer’s underworld is not a pleasant place to spend eternity. It is dark and gloomy; the inhabitants have dulled senses. The underworld into which Odysseus looks is Hades, not the Elysian Fields, where heroes were blessed with eternal happiness. Rather, the â€Å"unhappy dead† live there, cursed to bleak and boring existences for the rest of eternity. The dead who exist in Hades are those who have died unburied, like Odysseus’ friend, Elpenor, who died falling from a ladder leading from Circe’s roof, as well as Tiresias and Odysseus’ unhappy mother. And yet, misery of the inhabitants is one of several similarities between the two underworlds. One interesting difference between the Homer’s Hades and Dante’s Hell is that the stories’ heroes find their entrances in extremely different locations. Odysseus finds the entrance to Hades in a harbor at the â€Å"western edge of the world,† while Dante finds the entrance to Hell in the midst of a dark wood. While these differences might seem insignificant, they are, in truth, indicative of the different purposes behind the journeys that the heroes undertake. The harbor at the end of the world represents physical distance traveled; Odysseus is on a quest to return home to Ithaca, a goal that the gods have prevented him from attaining. It is an earthly goal, however, with measurable distances that must be traversed. While the ocean that Odysseus travels provides room for a communal journey through which he attempts to bring his crew home, Dante’s dark wood provides a far narrower field. It is restrictive and personal, perhaps driven by the solitary nature of Dante’s quest for knowledge and redemption. The distance that Dante must travel, therefore, is not one of finite measurement; rather, it exists within himself. It is a spiritual journey with no physical boundaries. Ultimately, this difference is magnified by the many levels of Hell, with its myriad levels, terraces, and malboges. In addition to the differing nature of the underworld as portrayed by each poet, the nature of the interaction that each hero has with the underworld and its inhabitants also varies. In order to interact at all with the inhabitants of the underworld, both heroes must make a rite of passage. Odysseus enters the realm of Hades by making a blood sacrifice of a ram, collecting its blood in a pit. Through this offering and by offering the appropriate supplications to the gods, Odysseus is able to call forth the souls of the dead. Being surrounded by the dead causes him to become afraid; however, he regains sufficient courage to control them and to question them. The character of Dante, however, must actually pass through the gates of Hell, ‘abandoning hope’ in order to learn what he desires. Although Odysseus is in the world of the dead, he is sure enough of himself to regain control, as opposed to Dante, who relinquishes all of his control to Virgil as then enter the underworld realm. While less â€Å"heroic† than Odysseus’ actions, this submissive behavior is actually of great importance, which again is based in the heroes’ purpose in entering the underworld. It is clear, that although both heroes must enter the realm of the underworld, each for his own purpose, Odysseus does not actually travel through Hades as Dante does through Hell. Rather, the dead approach Odysseus, coming â€Å"up in a crowd from Erebos: young men and brides, old men who had suffered much, and tender maidens to whom sorrow was a new thing; others killed in battle, warriors clad in bloodstained armor† (124) all surround his sacrificial pit in response to the ram’s blood that he has offered. This difference is also a significant one and related to the point made above it. Although Odysseus immediately appears to be the supplicant, by making the blood offering that attracts the dead, he is also in control of it. The dead must do his bidding in order to feed and give him the information that he requires. By contrast, the character of Dante physically travels into the midst of the souls of the damned. While he is under his own volition, Dante is a pilgrim, who must make an effort to gain his knowledge. He follows Virgil as Virgil leads, interacting with the souls on their own level in their own environment. This difference would also make Dante’s tale more appealing to Christian audiences. Although Odysseus’ cunning and strength were admired by the audience that lived at his time, the lesson of humility that the character of Dante both learns and teaches would be considered more acceptable to Alighieri’s audience. Although he is taking the initiative to learn on his own, like a proper pilgrim he is taking instruction from a master and listening to the moral lessons set before him. For those in the audience who recognize that he might have been contemplating suicide, Dante is also in the process of repenting. Knowledge of the Living World Odysseus seeks not merely wisdom from Tiresias, but he also seeks knowledge of his future in the living world. In truth, both Tiresias and Odysseus’ mother have clear knowledge of the living world, which they freely share with him in their turn. What is more, it is accurate knowledge, which allows him to prepare for his future, should he ever arrive at his destination. In a sense, both Tiresias and Odysseus’ mother are as living beings that have merely been transported to a new existence on an alternate plane, in that they can take initiative to see what lies ahead and then share it with him. Given that in other myths inhabitants of Hades are able to travel freely between the worlds with the gods’ permission, it seems apparent that the ancient Greeks saw the underworld as a place from which people could escape to return to the living if they had enough virtue or if they had a hero to aid them. This kind of belief is opposed to both Dante’s belief and to the belief of the Christians who formed his audience. Dante’s souls, perpetually trapped in their state of torment, must continuously atone for their actions on earth. They are surrounded by the reminders of their sins, perhaps tormented by the very things that they desired in life. At times, their appearance is dramatically altered to match their crimes. The only hope for the souls in Hell is Judgment Day, at which time they may be redeemed–or they may find themselves condemned to suffer throughout eternity. Even then, redeemed souls would not interact with the living; instead, they would pass into Heaven. Once again, the difference between the two realms and their inhabitants may be explained by virtue of the perception of the audiences for which the poets were writing. To the Greeks, life in the underworld was not necessarily a punishment. Certainly, the inhabitants of the underworld could experience punishment, even that of a perpetual nature. One good example of this kind of punishment would be Sisyphus, condemned to roll a boulder to the top of a hill for eternity, only to have it escape him and roll to the bottom again before it reaches the peak. However, the underworld is a plane of existence to which all humans will eventually travel. The underworld itself is divided into sections that provide reward or punishment or which simply continues the miserable existence that people had when on earth. This difference is, once again, quite different from the perspective of the Christian audience served by Dante, which viewed the underworld for punishment only. It is this understanding of the underworld being for punishment that would also limit the dead’s interaction with the living. Dante’s dead are unable to access the living world and, when encountering the character of Dante, are unable to learn from what he tells them. They have no minds and no insight, unlike the dead that Odysseus encounters, who know that they are suffering and why and yet are unable to interact with the world of the living in order to minimize their experiences. The Shared Rule of the Underworld In The Odyssey, both Hades and his wife, Persephone, rule the underworld. Although Hades has control over the underworld as a whole, Persephone is the Queen of the Women, with the ability to overrule even her husband in control of that group. In terms of importance, while this difference might seem trivial to some readers, it is perhaps of greatest significance of all of these points. Hades is not omnipotent, in that Persephone has equal control, if not greater control in some aspects of ruling the underworld. She strikes fear in Odysseus’ heart equal to that of her husband, in that Odysseus describes Hades as â€Å"mighty,† but Persephone as being â€Å"awful,† which would be synonymous with her being terrifying. This kind of rule would be unsurprising to the ancient Greeks, who lived in a world ruled by many gods. It also paralleled the arrangement of the gods on Mount Olympus, to a certain extent: Hades and Persephone, who ruled the world of the dead, mirrored Zeus and Hera, who ruled the world of the living. To the Christians that formed Dante’s audience, this arrangement would have been more than just a little shocking. Christians worship a single God who, while He might have different and while He may employ different helpers in the angels and the saints, has dominion over the living and the dead. As with the ancient Greek deities, God and Satan somewhat mirror each other. Despite Satan’s impressive appearance in The Inferno, however, he is as much a prisoner of Hell as its other residents. In addition, Satan does not mirror God’s power; rather, he is only capable of destruction, not creation. Conclusion In many ways, Dante’s Inferno complements and corrects Homer’s The Odyssey. Both are tales that bring a hero into contact with the underworld in order to achieve a particular goal. In the case of Odysseus, this goal is worldly and finite, while in the case of Dante, the goal is spiritual and may lead to eternal salvation. Several differences, among others, that indicate the complementary and corrective nature of Dante’s work are those of the nature of the respective underworlds and the heroes’ interaction with the inhabitants, the knowledge that the dead have of the living world, and the shared rule that Hades and Persephone have over the ancient Greek underworld. The story of heroic travels through the underworld is not a new one, neither was it new when Homer wrote The Odyssey. In the days of passing history and learning through oral means, such stories were necessary teaching tools. However, each culture imposed its morals and beliefs on this kind of tale. The different between these two stories provide an excellent example of how this cultural influence stamps this kind of heroic story with differences throughout history.

Need vs Want Essay

There are N number of products under various categories in the market. But how many of them are successful is a fact that needs to be analyzed. The customer can view only the end product. But the actual fact behind the success of the product is invisible to the customer. One of the most important factors that lead to the success of the product is Marketing. The term marketing revolves around three basic principles –â€Å"Needs, wants and demands†. It is very important to understand the difference among the three before identifying the needs and wants of our examples Mountain dew, Nike shoes and IPod. Needs: Human needs are basic requirements Human needs are the basic requirements and include food clothing and shelter. Wants: Wants are a step ahead of needs and are largely dependent on the needs of the human beings. For example, you may want chocolates but the basic need is food. Demands: A step ahead of wants is demands. When an individual wants something which is premium, but he also has the ability to buy it, then these wants are converted to demands. Having understood the difference among needs wants and demands, let us analyze the Needs versus Wants of Mountain Dew, Nike Shoes and IPod. A product becomes successful when the customer is attracted by it. The first striking feature is how the product is presented. The attractive green color label and the name of the product scores rightly. Added to it, it is marketed by famous film stars like Salman Khan and Mahesh Babu. This advertising factor alone will drive people to buy Mountain Dew. The customer’s basic need here in this context would be a drink which has good taste, which is small and affordable, which has the reasonable quality for the money that he pays. This need factor is changed to want when this product is visually appealing and instigates one to buy this product. This appeal is created by the label, logo and the advertisement as stated earlier. Branded products are the most wanted in the market at any given point in time. But one has to understand that the brand got established in the market with its quality. Nike is an example of such a top range product which has the skill to meet the customer wants and needs. The customer’s need of shoes aligns to a point where he gets the much wanted comfort. Nike will be the first choice as the name itself serves as the guarantee. There are variety of designs and features across the product balancing the comfort factor as well. They help enhance the physical strength by best enabling the body, perform its best while exercising and jogging. The world’s best athletes who represent in Olympics go for Nike. This exemplifies the quality and the comfort which fulfils the wants of the customer. Yet again Nike fulfils the customer’s needs being comfortable and affordable, wants being fashionable and varieties to choose from. The customer feels great and proud to use the product because the shoes not only reflect one’s reputation but also prove to be appealing and performing. The factors discussed for the above two products holds good for IPods as well. Apple product holds the highest brand value in the world market. The company was a pioneer in introducing a device which is small, compact and portable yet offers mobile on the go music. Music addicts’ and lovers’ needs were rightly understood and thus the product made a history in its reputation and sales. An individual who wants to stay connected to music would need a quality device which enables him or her listen to music. Besides meeting this common expectation, Apple made listening to music interesting but adding its own flavor of brand, quality, style and varieties. The product comes in so many customized fashions that everyone would have one to choose from. The wide range of products like iPod shuffle, iPod nano, iPod mini, iPod touch, iPod shuffle etc, it satisfies a wide range of customers form different categories as well. Not just the product, even the accessories are so stylish and they serve multipurpose apart from music that people would want to buy an iPod in their lifetime once. Such needs and wants of the customers made the company grow beyond just meeting the customer’s expectation and come with new features every time. All these summarize and narrow down to the fact that for a company to be successful and to survive in the market race for a longer time maintaining its reputation and quality, it has to always be able to meet the needs of the customers, which are the basic requirement of the product like purpose, quality and affordability, and wants of the customers, which would reflect their personality, style, pride and reputation. Ultimately the customer decides if he or she buys the product. In order to convince the customer buy the product, there has to be the perfect balance of the needs and wants requirements. All the three example companies have understood this basic principle and have made a perfect blend of the requirements to offer the best product to the customer. When a customer is impressed with a product, he or she establishes a bond to the company which cannot be broken than easily. Both the company and the customers are mutually benefitted by this. Company makes profit and the custom er is happy!!!

Nutrition Practices

Receiving proper nutrition to satisfy the physiological needs of man is a general knowledge that everyone is aware of. The food that we eat is necessary not only to fulfill the biological urge to satisfy hunger, but also to nurture the human body in order to withstand illnesses and diseases for a longer and healthier life.Although this is a common goal for nations, particularly of the United States, as manifested in health care services and policies granted to their citizens, other external factors seem to influence how individuals perceive nutrition. One major factor which affects the nutritional decisions and influences of individuals is their culture, for one’s racial or ethnic roots or backgrounds are attributed to nutrition practices.This fact may be observed in hundreds of individuals who belong to various racial and ethnic groups residing in the US. The evaluation or assessment of the nutrition practices undertaken by these individuals reveal that they are at high risk for experiencing health and nutritional deficiencies.For instance, the Prima Indians were found out to be at great risk for contracting diabetes primarily fueled by obesity. However, in this case, aside from the nutrition practices, the genetic make-up of this ethnic group also influences their health and wellbeing. Another case is the implication of the exclusion of milk, and other dairy products in the diet of Asian Americans and Hispanic Americans. (â€Å"Ethnic Traditions,† 2008)This is because studies have shown that these particular ethnic groups are more prone to lactose intolerance which leads them to remove dairy products from their nutrition practices or diet (â€Å"Ethnic Traditions,† 2008), consequently leading to Vitamin A, B12, D, and Calcium deficiencies (â€Å"Vitamins and Minerals,† 2008)Other health and nutritional deficiencies that are most common in the US for racial or ethnic groups include lack of Omega 3 fats, Copper, and dietary fiber. Fo r the male populations belonging to African American and American Indian ethnic groups, they are most at risk for Vitamin A deficiency.This is because it has been observed that they refuse to consume vegetables in their diet. Some vegetables that are essential parts of the American diet contain beta-carotene which is a valuable substance present in them from which Vitamin A is taken from. (â€Å"Ethnic Traditions,† 2008*)Aside from the minor influences of physical and genetic features or characters, one component of racial or ethnic culture also influences nutrition practices. Religion plays a major role in dictating what kind of diets individuals will be implementing. For instance, individuals who are Jewish refrain from eating the common types of meat such as beef and pork and prefer meat from sheep, goat, etc. instead.This religious belief has something to do with the distinction of the clean and unclean meats. Moslems on the other hand are not allowed to consume pork and alcohol. In addition, some Islamic festivals require that they practice fasting which refrain them from consuming food and drinks at a particular time during the day. This particular cultural and religious practice affects the health and wellbeing of Moslems. (â€Å"Ethnic Traditions,† 2008)From the various, but limited, examples provided in this text of the various cultural nutrition practices that racial and ethnic groups observe, the influence of such practices are perceived to be detrimental to their health and wellbeing.In addition, resolving the issue of ethnic disparities in terms of health care and nutrition is quite difficult to resolve since it would be far-fetched to reverse a culture that has long existed. Moreover, the influence of physical and genetic factors is unavoidable. The challenge presented within this text now is how cultural differences and the standards and guidelines of health and nutrition are to be reconciled in order to come up with a cohesive soc iety that is consciously aware of the need to promote health and nutrition for the betterment of human life.Referencesâ€Å"Ethnic Traditions.† (2008). Retrieved December 20, 2008, from The World’s Healthiest Foods. Website: http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=specialneed&dbid=11 â€Å"Vitamins and Minerals.† (2008). Retrieved December 20, 2008, from The Vegetarian Society of United Kingdom. Website: http://www.vegsoc.org/info/vitmineral.html   

Romantic or Classical

Matthew Arnold’s â€Å"The Function of Criticism at the Present Time† is a criticism in itself of what great literary artists could have done and what literature could have become. In depth, Arnold’s work discusses his critical and personal perspectives on the role of criticism in consequentially transforming not only literature but also the landscape of society positively and constructively as well.Furthermore, Arnold sought to strengthen his arguments on the matter and present a rebuttal of the various criticisms put forth against his ideas and points of view, and prove that criticisms are of great importance in fuelling creativity and fostering the advancement of literature. However, Arnold implicitly distinguished differences between the positive and constructive types of criticism as compared to the off-putting and unconstructive nature of some criticism.Arnold argued that â€Å"a critic may with advantage seize an occasion for trying his own conscience, an d for asking himself of what real service, at any given moment, the practice of criticism either is or may be made to his own mind and spirit, and to the minds and spirits of others. † (pp. 414) Arnold’s arguments on the ideal nature of critics formulated his perspectives on how and when criticisms may be considered valuable.Under the pretexts of Arnold’s arguments, we realize that unless criticisms are aimed towards the greater good – that is, to present censures and critiques for the purpose of fuelling creativity, fostering change and advancement, and ultimately to affect a change that would positively and constructively change the lives of man and the landscape of society – they are deemed ineffectual or inadequate. Arnold also discussed creativity under the context of developing literature.Arnold said, â€Å"It is undeniable that the exercise of a creative power, that a free creative activity, is the highest function of man; it is proved to be so by man’s finding in it his true happiness. † (pp. 414) The multifaceted structure of the human mind allows man to express creativity in so many ways and create different outcomes out of it, such as the expression of creativity through developing criticisms and then consequently formulating good literature.The excerpt from Arnold’s â€Å"Sweetness and Light,† he explored the dynamics of culture based on the motivations that constitute a part of its bases or foundations. Arnold said, â€Å"Culture is then properly described not as having its origin in curiosity, but as having its origin in the love of perfection; it is a study of perfection. It moves by the force†¦ but also of the moral and social passion for doing good. † (pp.427-248) Since Arnold has framed the origins of culture not on mere curiosity, but on man’s desire to seek and create perfection, he said that culture then serves a greater purpose to creative positive and constr uctive change, accomplish human needs, and foster the convalescence of human nature. By and large, the arguments of Arnold meet the standards and dynamics of romantic aesthetics and poetry. Based on Wellek’s discussions on the Classical and Romantic movements, classical poetry was defined as â€Å"poetry for the dead† while romantic poetry was defined as â€Å"poetry for the living.† (pp. 259) The primary difference between the Classical and Romantic movements that set the distinction between the nature of classical and romantic poetry lies in the major themes that constitute the dynamics of each style. Wellek said, â€Å"Ancient religion and the life are past and gone, and hence classical, while for instance, America, discovered in modern times, is romantic. † (pp. 260) Since Arnold’s perspectives and arguments were related to the development of the present time, the society, and expansion of human nature, his views on poetry are romantic in natur e.2. Abram’s Theories of Art Abrams’ theories on art were primarily tied to the modernist perspective of criticism. In the discussion on the â€Å"Orientation of Critical Theories,† which were attributed to art, the modernist perspective of viewing, realizing the significance, and interpreting art focused on a single perspective, and that is of the artist, and not on the many factors that exist in art’s external environment that contribute criticism and interpretations to it.The aesthetic theory, as Abrams defined, â€Å"displays its full measure of rhetoric and logomachy which seem and inseparable part of man’s discourse about all things that really matter†¦ Its aim, however, is not to establish correlations between facts which will enable us to predict the future by reference to the past, but to establish principles enabling us to justify, order, and clarify our interpretation and appraisal of the aesthetic facts themselves. † (pp.2) Abrams’ definition of the aesthetic theory of viewing art leads us to understand that interpreting and labeling meanings on pieces of art should be based on established principles of aesthetics. On the other hand, the critical theory of viewing art â€Å"has its own kind of validity†¦ Such a criterion will, of course, justify not one, but a number of valid theories, all in their several ways of self-consistent, applicable, and relatively adequate to the range of aesthetic phenomena. † (pp.3) If the aesthetic theory of poetry lies in the principles and nature of aesthetics as seen on the perspective of the artist, the critical theory of viewing art is dependent on the existence of standards and decisive factors, which literally and actually define the features that make up art and the pennants that define aesthetics. Another theory of art criticism discussed by Abrams is the view of art within four elements or coordinates – the universe, the work, the artist , and the audience.In this theory, the interpretations of art are oriented in the perspectives of one of the factors within the external environment of art. The pragmatic theory, as opposed to the aesthetic and critical theories of viewing art sees art as a vehicle for the artist’s accomplishment of a higher goal or objective. Art, in this case, becomes a tool utilized to achieve something meaningful to the artist, or even the factors that constitute art’s external environment.If the pragmatic theory sees art as an instrument to do something, the expressive theory on the other hand, sees art as a vehicle to express the artist’s thoughts and emotions. Art, in this case, is personal that results from the artist’s thoughts and emotion translated to a concrete piece of art. Another theory defined by Abrams is the objective theory of viewing art. This particular theory focuses on the facts and standards of art.The act of viewing art is by looking at the art in itself, and not considering the thoughts and perspectives contributed by the factors existing in its external environment. Art, in this case, is seen and interpreted as is. Based on the definitions of Abrams of the different theories of viewing art, Eliot’s poetry subscribes the orientation of perspectives and interpretations of art to the four factors elements of coordinates of art, specifically the perspectives and interpretations of the audience, while Hulme’s poetry subscribes to the expressive and pragmatic theories of art criticism.Eliot himself defined the views and perspectives of art as something that should be personal and experienced by the audience, that is because the audience â€Å"enjoy the poetry† and not because the audience â€Å"acquired the scholarship† to appreciate art. (Scofield, pp. 1) Hulme’s poetry, on the other hand, was defined as an instrument to express language that is real, affecting or appealing to human emotions. (Comentale & Gasiorek, pp. 98) 3. Abram’s Theories in Virginia Woolf’s â€Å"Modern Fiction†Virginia Woolf’s â€Å"Modern Fiction† is an exploration of the features of art and literature from the past until present time, which sets apart classical art and literature and the modern representations of art and literature. Woolf discussed the two arguments on the difference between the concrete art and literature materials that constitute the classical and modernist perspectives, but ultimately admired the simplicity yet timelessness of classical works on art and literature.Woolf said, that the works of classical artists or writers â€Å"certainly have a strange air of simplicity† but were representations of â€Å"accomplishments that we can scarcely refrain from whispering that the fight was not so fierce for them as for us† considering the complexity and the demands of writing in our modern world. (Woolf) Certainly, there is something a bout the features of the classical perspectives on art and literature that allow them to withstand the passage of time and modernity, that is â€Å"the flesh of their work has a living, breathing, everyday imperfection which bids us take liberties with it we choose.† (Woolf) Woolf continues to set the distinction between the classical and modern literature in order to construct the framework of the foundations of modern literature that makes it incomparable to the eminence and distinction awarded to classical arts and literature. However, Woolf ascertained one thing, and that is, the dynamics and position of modern literature is still uncertain as compared to the solid standing of classical literature.After all, Woolf said, â€Å"We only know that certain gratitudes and hostilities inspire us, that certain paths seem to lead to fertile land, others to the dust and the desert, and of this perhaps it may be worthwhile to attempt some account. † (â€Å"Modern Fictionâ₠¬ ) By this, Woolf meant that art and literature is something unprompted and natural, which are borne out of the creativity of artists or literary writers. At this point, the foundations of modern literature have been presented as something that is compliant and accommodating to the artist or literary writer.While on the other hand, classical art and literature remains as forceful and influential because it talks about the realities of life. This feature or characteristic of classical art and literature seem to blur the standing or position of modern art and literature because its dynamics cannot be contained in a single word of definition due to its compliance to various factors, and that is on the varying perspectives of modern artists and writers. Woolf said, â€Å"this may be, the problem before the novelist at present, as we suppose it to have been in the past, is to contrive means of being free to set down what he chooses.He has to have the courage to say that what interests him is not longer ‘this’ but ‘that’: out of ‘that’ alone must he construct his work. † (â€Å"Modern Fiction†) In simpler terms, the desire and inclination of modern artists and literary writers to present something that deviates from established classical arts and literature become the problems and difficulties that challenge their courage and capability to present artistic and literary works set against the backdrop of our modern world.Based on the thoughts and points of view discussed by Woolf in â€Å"Modern Fiction,† we realize that it subscribes to the expressive theory and the coordinates of art criticism, specifically on the varying perspectives of art and literature from the viewpoint of the artist, the audience, and society or the world. Woolf has comprehensively discussed how modern literature constitutes the individual and unique expression of the artist or the writer, according to his personal perspectives and interest that deviate from established standards from the classical movement.4. Modernism The emergence of modernism as a trend in arts and literature, which consequently influenced the changes in the cultural and aesthetic identities in the West, was as Lewis put it, â€Å"has been gradual and imperceptible. † (â€Å"De Descriptione Temporum†) However, as a means to discuss how the world has suddenly witnessed the inception of modernist perspectives, Lewis explored the fusion between the Medieval and Renaissance movements that have brought about changes in the culture and aesthetic identities of society as a whole.Lewis said that although the force and influence of modernism was unnoticed by many, it may be felt or realized by contrasting society’s culture and aesthetic identities with the culture and aesthetic identities of the past. Lewis continues to reiterate that the changes and transformations that we see at present time were borne out of the continuous e volution of the past. Therefore, it was safe for Lewis to say that our culture and aesthetic identities at present time were a fusion between the Medieval and Renaissance movements that evolved and continually changed through the passage of time.As Lewis said, â€Å"nothing is quite new; it was always somehow anticipated or prepared for. † (â€Å"De Descriptione Temporum†) From Lewis’ discussions, we understand that between the periods of time as defined by the author, that is in a metaphorical sense â€Å"Between Jane Austen and us, but not between her and Shakespeare, Chaucer, Alfred, Virgil, or the Pharaohs, comes the birth of the machines.† (â€Å"De Descriptione Temporum†) I believe that beyond Lewis’ thoughts and perspectives on the matter, the persistent creativity and conscious and curious nature of human beings have progressively influenced the shift in the culture and aesthetic identity in the West. In Scott’s book â€Å"Re figuring Modernism: Postmodern Feminist Readings of Woolf, West, and Barnes,† the author’s definition of modernism was similar to Lewis’ discussions on how the continuous evolution of culture and aesthetic identities through the passage of time have been the precursor to modernism.According to Scott, the inception of modernism is similar to a spider web. â€Å"The spider’s actions of repeatedly attaching, launching out into the unknown, and landing for the next anchoring point suggests agency, poly valence, and the ability to make selective use of existing structures, or to seek new ones – not all of them man-made. † (Scott, pp. xv) What Scott meant was that growth and development is a natural part of life. Man is continually learning, which consequently influences the introduction of new theories and ideas that are integrated into man’s way of life and nature.Therefore, the changes in culture and aesthetic identities are brought about the desire of man to make something more out of art and his creativity. This same inclination of human nature to change and look to transform culture and aesthetic identities have been the same reason for the formation of different periods in time, from the Medieval to the Renaissance in the West, and so on. Lewis said, â€Å"our assumption that everything is provisional and soon to be superseded, that the attainment of goods we have never yet had, rather than the defence and conservation of those we have already, is the cardinal business of life.† (â€Å"De Descriptione Temporum†) The transformation of the Old Western Culture and aesthetic identities during that period of time to modernism, may then be defined as a fusion of man’s desire to reveal or express change that is meant to overpower the existing cultural, social, and political landscape of society during that time to develop a more progressive and vanguard culture and aesthetic identity that sets itse lf as a better society than the past.Works Cited Comentale, Edward P. & Gasiorek, Andrzej. T. E. Hulme and the Question of Modernism. Ashgate Publishing, Ltd. , 2006. Lewis, C. S. â€Å"De Descriptione Temporum, an Inaugural Lecture from The Chair of Mediaeval and Renaissance Literature in Cambridge University, 1954. † In C. S. Lewis, They Asked for a Paper. London, Geoffrey Bles, 1962, pp. 9-25. Retrieved from The University of Cincinnati. 06 May 2009. Scofield, Martin. T. S. Eliot: The Poems. Cambridge University Press, 1988. Scott, Bonnie Kim. Refiguring Modernism: Postmodern Feminist Readings of Woolf, West, and Barnes. Indiana University Press, 1995. Wellek, Rene. A History of Modern Criticism 1750-1950. CUP Archive, 1981. Woolf, Virginia. (2004). Modern Fiction. Retrieved from [email  protected] 06 May 2009.