Edgar Allan Poe A Signature Writing Style - Free Essay Example

When discussing the origins of Americas most famous genres, the birth of detective fiction is stated to be one of the most prevalent. While discussing the origins of this prolific genre, some historical names tend to come to mind. Names like Edgar Allan Poe and Agatha Christie usually fill readers minds. E.F. Bleiler states that , The modern detective story begins with Edgar Allan Poe (3). His influence on other writers, and distinct techniques made him, and his pieces like The Raven and The Cask of Amontillado, ones to be admired for centuries to come. As Poe rose to fame in the literary world, his childhood played an interesting role in his adult life. Only one year after Poe was born, he was left by his father. His mother died only one year after that leaving Edgar an orphan in Richmond, Virginia (Heller 2). These hardships can explain why Poe tended to write in the dark style and tone he did. Throughout Edgar Allan Poes short life, some signature writing techniques have intertwined with his dark demeanor, creating eerie and unsettling stories that are enjoyed by people of all backgrounds. His works have been so successful that some have called him, The Father of Detective Fiction. As Poe wrote his gut-wrenching masterpieces, he managed to inadvertently create techniques and improv[e] on such elements as he borrowed, but with his remarkable structural sense worked out a viable form that served as a model for thousands of successors (Bleiler 2). With these elements, he derived many distinctive and important terms involved in detective fiction. E.F. Bleiler states again , Poe added at least seven new elements of overwhelming importance. These are the stooge narrator, the eccentric detective, the complete outsider as detective, the armchair detective, reader participation in a puzzle, ratiocination or precise analytical reasoning, and a calculus of probabilities as a tool for cutting through conflicting evidence (3). All of these innovative and unique terms play in unison throughout Poes pieces, giving the reader new perspectives and points of view. By simply generating new writing perspectives and logical thinking techniques, Poes structured writing style is mirrored by new artists each and every day. Some notable elements discussed by E.F. are the creation of the eccentric narrator, precise analytical reasoning and the armchair detective.These three elements are most important because they are used most abundantly. The eccentric narrator is derived from the idea that the narrator telling the story is unique or unconventional in some sort of way. This is seen all throughout Poes pieces, like how odd the encounters with the narrator are in The Cask of Amontillado and The Tell-Tale Heart. While discussing The Tell-Tale Heart, precise analytical reasoning can be seen in reverse as the main character contemplates what he has done, and eventually confesses to murdering someone and hiding his remains under the floorboards. Although some of the main characters reasoning was insane, he still used precise analytical reasoning to come to his final conclusion within the story. In summation, this means Poe used a logical writing style to describe the plot and what the narrator was portraying to the reader. The armchair detective is a narrator who examines a mystery, but not in a direct way. Information is either gathered by another character, newspaper, or some other visual format. In The Raven, information is gathered by a raven and conveyed to the lonely lover. This example shows the portrayal of information indirectly through non-human interaction. Another example would be a detective looking at documents or records and coming to a conclusion based solely off of written information and no physical contact. While dark tones and unsettling moods could ultimately sum up Edgar Allan Poes writing, his connection of style to both setting and character creation/description is what truly makes him stand out from other detective fiction writers of his time like Agatha Christie. Poe uses the setting and characters as tools to help solidify his storyline and parallel the main focus of the piece. For example, in The Tell-Tale Heart, the fact that such a horrific thing like a dead body is under such an unstable thing like a floorboard, it shows the connection that the narrators mind is unstable like a loose floorboard, and there is evil and insanity within him. Bomarito writes, Aside from a common theoretical basis, there is a psychological intensity that is characteristic of Poes writings, especially the tales of horror that comprise his best and best-known works (2). In Poes most famous works, the setting is almost always in parallel to the mood and or tone of the story. In The Cask of Amontilla do, the dark nature of the nderground tombs directly related to the dark undertones of the storyline. Bomarito continues, These stories†which include The Black Cat (1843) The Cask of Amontillado (1846) and The Tell-Tale Heart (1843) (2) are some of Poes best-known works. Another example of Edgar Allan Poes dark tone in relation to the main character(s) is the constant recurrence of insanity. In The Raven, the narrator is visited by a raven who eventually drives him mad as he mourns the loss of his lover. The main character in The Tell-Tale Heart also seems to lose grip of his sanity as he claims he hears the heartbeat of the man he killed underneath the floorboards. The constant recurrence of insanity and darkness mixed with alcohol and a rough childhood made a rough life for Poe. Regardless of the odds against him, Poe is considered to be the Father of Detective Fiction by many acclaimed critics. Gerald Strauss writes, Poes The murders in the rue morguewhich takes place in Paris, as do his other mystery storiesis the seminal work from which all subsequent detective fiction descends (1). No matter what source you acquire information from, Edgar Allan Poe is sure to be listed as one of the most influential detective fiction novelists ever. Heller adds, Poes achievements may be measured in terms of what he has contributed to literature and of how his work influenced later culture (1). James Werner also states, the birth of the modern crime-mystery-detective story can be traced back to the 1841 publication of the short story Murders in the Rue Morgue (2). By simply affecting as many people as he did and does respectively, Edgar Allan Poe is without question considered the father of detective fiction. Having a generational impact is truly something to be admired. By going out and taking risks, he paved the way for younger authors to go out, be bold, and write about how they feel. Influence paired with his elements of importance convey his importance to the genre of detective fiction. As Poes life came to a deteriorating end, his grip on the detective fiction genre will forever hold tight. One can argue that it wasnt Poe who mended detective fiction, but it was the people of the time. In contrast to the pure detective story, which is written and read in most Western countries, the hardboiled detective novel is distinctly and exclusively an American form (Schopen 3). Poe also could potentially be writing stories of a dark style because he enjoys it, not because of his rough past. Although this is playing the devils advocate, it is highly likely that Poes childhood led to problems he had in his adult life. The culture of the early 1800s is crucial when talking about Poes parents as well. Both of his parents were actors when actors were not considered cool (1). His lack of parenting and constant overseeing changes until Allan (his guardian) came, made his life unique, which then translated into his writing style. Poes use of techniques is not specifically designed ju st for detective fiction, but for any writing style as a whole. This is another reason that describes why Poes grip is still firm and forever will be in the detective fiction community. James Werner writes again, [Poe] have entertained countless young readers in the past 150 years, and attracted enormous critical attention (2). Edgar Allan Poe has shaped detective writing for future generations to come. His influence and intellect were so prevalent that he is admired to this day as students all over the nation, and world, read his pieces.

Vision, Mission and Value Statement at North Central University - 1650 Words

Vision, Mission and Value Statement at North Central University (Case Study Sample) Content: Develop a personal credo that reflects on the importance of North Central Universitys vision, mission and value statement in meeting both its present needs and future aspirations.First Name, (Middle Name Initials), Last NameNorth Central UniversityA vision statement is an expression of managements plans for the future of an entity, business or otherwise (Ehmke, Dobbins, Gray, Boehlje and Miller, 2010). In others words, a vision statement provides direction and motivation to the people involved by presenting a future view of what an organization hopes to become, and the target it aims to reach (Concertaction Estrie, 2013). Originally, the vision statement was modeled as just a compelling description of the functions of an organization, borrowing largely from the strategic plans of the organization (McNamara, 2008). Today, the vision statement goes beyond a persuasive outfit to encompass the idealistic and realistic activities that an organization aspires to accomplis h. An effective mission statement, on the other hand, identifies the essential elements of the current business (Ehmke et al. 2010). It describes the overall purpose of the organization (McNamara, 2008). According to Concertaction Estrie (2013), the mission statement is a short text that sets out the fundamental objectives and purpose of an organization, i.e. what is does and how it goes about it.In light of the above, the central thesis of this paper is to reflect on the importance of the North Central University (NCU) vision, mission, and value statement, and how the students, faculty and staff at the institution should strive to meet the expectations of these statements. This paper will also take into consideration what action individuals at NCU should take to remain ethical in their unique roles. Borrowing from NCUs vision, mission, and value statement, as possible aids to conduct, this paper will, as a summary, outline the effectiveness of a personal credo in a workplace set ting. To accomplish this, this paper will take into consideration the importance of ethical behaviour and how one can implement it through a personal credo: borrowing from personal experience and the wisdom of the vision, mission, and value statements at NCU. One of the most important elements of a successful journey is that it begins and ends with a good idea. This is true whether the journey involves the construction of a multi-million urban project, starting a small business, completing a course at the university, etc. Practically all endeavors begin and end with a good idea. In business, these ideas are captured in the vision and mission statements. These statements outline the underlying purpose for which the entity exists. They sum up fundamental ideas behind the conception and perpetuation (Ehmke et al. 2010). While there are many different approaches and styles for developing vision and mission, the concept is not new (Papulova, 2014). It can be traced as far back as anc ient Greece where it was widely applied. It centered on Platos view which claims that our thoughts are guided by our desire, mainly derived from our expectations. Today, the development of vision and mission is part of strategic management process that builds on four basic elements: strategy formulation, environmental scanning, strategy implementation and evaluation and control (Papulova, 2014). The vision and mission provide long-term orientation and direction for the people involved.At North Central University (NCU), the vision is to be a global leader in providing unprecedented access to U.S regionally accredited higher education. This statement, which is future oriented, is a description of what NCU hopes to accomplish in the future. At the same time, it details the reason for its existence. The mission of NCU is: To educate professionals throughout the world and provide an accessible opportunity to earn a U.S regionally accredited degree; to mentors students one-on-one wit h highly credentialised facilty via advanced delivery modalities; to commit to helping students achieve academically and become valuable contributors to their communities. The mission, in comparison to the vision, is more specific in that it establishes the guidelines of how the institution fulfills its vision. The mission statement also takes into consideration the target audience whom it wishes to address. In the case of NCU, the mission addresses various stakeholders, like staff, students, community and the academic fraternity. The mission of NCU is an important part of its strategic plans because it defines the space in which the strategy is created. Unlike the vision, which indicates the direction which the institution aims to go, the mission defines the space in within which it will operate (Papulova 2014 and Ehmke et al. 2010). Organizations, just like individuals, need a purpose, in the form of a mission, to shape their purpose and direction. NCUs mission is not only a source of direction for its employees and students but a list of fundamental principles to operate by. More importantly, the mission provides a means through which the institution communicates its plans to the outside world. The value statements at NCU hold all its members in the institution to the highest standards of professional and academic conduct and the rules and regulations of U.S higher educationInnovation: we envision new and innovative education delivery systems, and support proven concepts of teaching and learning. We encourage our community to seek solutions to educational challenges that will improve the quality of our programs.Diversity: We value diversity of though and action as a strength that allows our community to transcend organizational and geographical boundaries. We expect member of our community to treat people with respect and dignityExcellence: our community is committed to excellence in academics and service. We values leadership and strive for contin uous improvement in everything we do. We define and measure outcomes and take action to ensure that our communitys passion for excellence is never compromised.Accountability: We are deeply committed to holding each member of the university responsible too their scholarly and professional work. We expect financial responsibility in the actions of our students and university team. While not all organizations have vision, mission and value statements, it does not imply that they are unclear of their goals. However, the advantages of the production of well written vision, mission and value statements far outweigh the traditional method of broad goals, mainly because an institution benefits from concise answers to many questions about its operations. In addition, most institutions comprise of more than one person. The vision and mission statements become a communication tool for the management team as well the other members. Research has proven that the production of such statement also improves the communication with other businesses. Moreover, the vision and mission statements provide direction and motivation in recognition of the gaps that exists between where an organization is now and where it wants to be in the future. These statements provide a collective responsibility in carrying the dream of where the organization want to be. They not only capture the imagination of the organization but provide a focus for efforts. During the strategic planning process, NCU carefully considered the characteristics of the university that could help answer many questions required to develop a basis for leading the institution into the future. Consequently, its statements include the three most important elements: a core ideology, an envisioned future, and recognition of services to stakeholders (Ehmke et al. 2010). The statements or a reason for being have clearly and concisely described what NCU will be like if it achieves its most important goals, as well as, r ecognized how the institution serves its stakeholders. The core ideology contains a statement about the institutions values describing what the students will be like it they achieve the most important goals. The final part of the vision statement recognizes how the courses offered serve the students, the administration and the community. The vision statement is timeless. It provides guidance in the decision making process in the future. It provides guidance when unanticipated problems and opportunities present themselves in the future (Papulova, 2014).The development of a personal cre... Vision, Mission and Value Statement at North Central University - 1650 Words Vision, Mission and Value Statement at North Central University (Case Study Sample) Content: Develop a personal credo that reflects on the importance of North Central Universitys vision, mission and value statement in meeting both its present needs and future aspirations.First Name, (Middle Name Initials), Last NameNorth Central UniversityA vision statement is an expression of managements plans for the future of an entity, business or otherwise (Ehmke, Dobbins, Gray, Boehlje and Miller, 2010). In others words, a vision statement provides direction and motivation to the people involved by presenting a future view of what an organization hopes to become, and the target it aims to reach (Concertaction Estrie, 2013). Originally, the vision statement was modeled as just a compelling description of the functions of an organization, borrowing largely from the strategic plans of the organization (McNamara, 2008). Today, the vision statement goes beyond a persuasive outfit to encompass the idealistic and realistic activities that an organization aspires to accomplis h. An effective mission statement, on the other hand, identifies the essential elements of the current business (Ehmke et al. 2010). It describes the overall purpose of the organization (McNamara, 2008). According to Concertaction Estrie (2013), the mission statement is a short text that sets out the fundamental objectives and purpose of an organization, i.e. what is does and how it goes about it.In light of the above, the central thesis of this paper is to reflect on the importance of the North Central University (NCU) vision, mission, and value statement, and how the students, faculty and staff at the institution should strive to meet the expectations of these statements. This paper will also take into consideration what action individuals at NCU should take to remain ethical in their unique roles. Borrowing from NCUs vision, mission, and value statement, as possible aids to conduct, this paper will, as a summary, outline the effectiveness of a personal credo in a workplace set ting. To accomplish this, this paper will take into consideration the importance of ethical behaviour and how one can implement it through a personal credo: borrowing from personal experience and the wisdom of the vision, mission, and value statements at NCU. One of the most important elements of a successful journey is that it begins and ends with a good idea. This is true whether the journey involves the construction of a multi-million urban project, starting a small business, completing a course at the university, etc. Practically all endeavors begin and end with a good idea. In business, these ideas are captured in the vision and mission statements. These statements outline the underlying purpose for which the entity exists. They sum up fundamental ideas behind the conception and perpetuation (Ehmke et al. 2010). While there are many different approaches and styles for developing vision and mission, the concept is not new (Papulova, 2014). It can be traced as far back as anc ient Greece where it was widely applied. It centered on Platos view which claims that our thoughts are guided by our desire, mainly derived from our expectations. Today, the development of vision and mission is part of strategic management process that builds on four basic elements: strategy formulation, environmental scanning, strategy implementation and evaluation and control (Papulova, 2014). The vision and mission provide long-term orientation and direction for the people involved.At North Central University (NCU), the vision is to be a global leader in providing unprecedented access to U.S regionally accredited higher education. This statement, which is future oriented, is a description of what NCU hopes to accomplish in the future. At the same time, it details the reason for its existence. The mission of NCU is: To educate professionals throughout the world and provide an accessible opportunity to earn a U.S regionally accredited degree; to mentors students one-on-one wit h highly credentialised facilty via advanced delivery modalities; to commit to helping students achieve academically and become valuable contributors to their communities. The mission, in comparison to the vision, is more specific in that it establishes the guidelines of how the institution fulfills its vision. The mission statement also takes into consideration the target audience whom it wishes to address. In the case of NCU, the mission addresses various stakeholders, like staff, students, community and the academic fraternity. The mission of NCU is an important part of its strategic plans because it defines the space in which the strategy is created. Unlike the vision, which indicates the direction which the institution aims to go, the mission defines the space in within which it will operate (Papulova 2014 and Ehmke et al. 2010). Organizations, just like individuals, need a purpose, in the form of a mission, to shape their purpose and direction. NCUs mission is not only a source of direction for its employees and students but a list of fundamental principles to operate by. More importantly, the mission provides a means through which the institution communicates its plans to the outside world. The value statements at NCU hold all its members in the institution to the highest standards of professional and academic conduct and the rules and regulations of U.S higher educationInnovation: we envision new and innovative education delivery systems, and support proven concepts of teaching and learning. We encourage our community to seek solutions to educational challenges that will improve the quality of our programs.Diversity: We value diversity of though and action as a strength that allows our community to transcend organizational and geographical boundaries. We expect member of our community to treat people with respect and dignityExcellence: our community is committed to excellence in academics and service. We values leadership and strive for contin uous improvement in everything we do. We define and measure outcomes and take action to ensure that our communitys passion for excellence is never compromised.Accountability: We are deeply committed to holding each member of the university responsible too their scholarly and professional work. We expect financial responsibility in the actions of our students and university team. While not all organizations have vision, mission and value statements, it does not imply that they are unclear of their goals. However, the advantages of the production of well written vision, mission and value statements far outweigh the traditional method of broad goals, mainly because an institution benefits from concise answers to many questions about its operations. In addition, most institutions comprise of more than one person. The vision and mission statements become a communication tool for the management team as well the other members. Research has proven that the production of such statement also improves the communication with other businesses. Moreover, the vision and mission statements provide direction and motivation in recognition of the gaps that exists between where an organization is now and where it wants to be in the future. These statements provide a collective responsibility in carrying the dream of where the organization want to be. They not only capture the imagination of the organization but provide a focus for efforts. During the strategic planning process, NCU carefully considered the characteristics of the university that could help answer many questions required to develop a basis for leading the institution into the future. Consequently, its statements include the three most important elements: a core ideology, an envisioned future, and recognition of services to stakeholders (Ehmke et al. 2010). The statements or a reason for being have clearly and concisely described what NCU will be like if it achieves its most important goals, as well as, r ecognized how the institution serves its stakeholders. The core ideology contains a statement about the institutions values describing what the students will be like it they achieve the most important goals. The final part of the vision statement recognizes how the courses offered serve the students, the administration and the community. The vision statement is timeless. It provides guidance in the decision making process in the future. It provides guidance when unanticipated problems and opportunities present themselves in the future (Papulova, 2014).The development of a personal cre...