Benchmarking and Lean Six Sigma to Facilitate Change

Question: Write an essay that demonstrates how both Benchmarking and Lean Six Sigma can be used by organisations to facilitate change in their business processes to enhance and sustain their competitive advantage. Answer: Introduction Quality is a measure of excellence that conforms to requirements and free from defects in a service or product and which meets the standards for a customer. Benchmarking is a method to compare the key metrics of the day to day operation with other companies in the same industry (Marksberry, 2011). This helps the companies to identify how they are performing, how they can improve their processes and systems and in turn become more competitive. Benching marking is a method to understand how to get the best performance in an organization, by the competitor or a different business and information obtained in this process, is used to identify the gaps in the operations of the business. Six Sigma and Benchmarking currently is the practical and cost-effective way to bring in the industry best practices to the company (Ray Das, 2010). Lean Six Sigma and Benchmarking The concept of Six Sigma started in the company Motorola and they are the pioneers in introducing Six Sigma Quality program. Lean Six Sigma is an approach followed by the management for problem-solving and to improve and streamline the processes using different combinations (Angelis Fernandes, 2012). Eliminating redundant and repetitive processes or tasks from operations along the value stream, where tasks can be automated, which requires less space and capital, cost effective and fewer defects is lean methodology. Following this approach, the management information system (MIS) becomes simple and more accurate (S. Reosekar D. Pohekar, 2014). It is a continuous process improvement system which is used in service and manufacturing industry. It is about creating the maximum value for the client using the minimal resources and time. Six Sigma is an approach, developed by Bill Smith an engineer at Motorola in the year 1986 which uses certain tools and techniques to eliminate the defect s from a data-focused approach which drives standard deviation between the mean and nearest specification limit. Simply put Six Sigma concept tries to accomplish zero defects with 3.4 defects in a million occurrences (M., 2015). Together the lean and Six Sigma methodology is a powerful and proven method for business process improvements and increasing the efficiency. The key factors on which the Lean Six Sigma works is customer focus, the value stream mapping ( understanding the flow of the process and how the work gets completed), management and improving the processes and ensuring the smooth process flow. Removing the redundant steps which do not add value to the operation, use the facts to reduce deviation and involve the right skilled people to complete the job and keep improving. Lean Six Sigma is a five-step process to improve the business or operations efficiency and they are DMAIC- Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, and Control (South, 2005). Define is to find the objective of the improvement and what is the problem statement. Measure is to streamline the process and to find the capability in improving the system. Analyze the data with tools and other specifications and find the root cause of the var iations and Improve and implement the process by working on the defects analyzed by eliminating them. The last step is Controlling the process improvements for better performance (Franchetti Yanik, 2011). Benchmarking is a method to find a measure, a benchmark and it is not a simple process or tool. It is important to have a thorough understanding of the processes, systems and operations of an organisation before using the benchmarking tool. The organisations have strict policies around the information to be procured and whom the practitioners can get in touch with, to get the information. Benchmarking is not about making inquiries to other organisations or documenting their processes and systems. A business should not limit its range in its own industry. It focuses on the industry best practices and works on continuous improvements, knowledge sharing, and information, strives to maintain a cut-throat competition and keeps on adapting to new changes based on the customer choices. It focuses on immaterial actions, inefficient actions and gap activities to accomplish business goals (Raharjo, Hin Chai, Xie, Brombacher, 2010). Business process changes that can be achieved by deploying the Lean Six Sigma techniques are enhancing quality and cost cut back, trim down the inefficiencies in the transactional exercise (Ray and John, 2011). Using this methodology, break the complex process and redesign into simpler processes with negligible variance and waste (Goh, 2014). This process change brings improvement in the client loyalty. The employees learn a new expertise, Lean Six Sigma, which would improve their job performance, with the application of these skills. Many Australian companies have deployed Lean Six Sigma in their operations and moved to another process like sales and production and other areas of the business (Moriarty, 2011). Application of Benchmarking enhances anybusiness processby exploiting industry best practices and then simply measuring the top performance and best practices bring the best results (Delpachitra, 2008). Organisations which have deployed the Benchmarking have increased opportunities tactically, operationally and economically. The Hackett Group is one of the top practitioners of Benchmarking tool and provides this service to various organisations. The companies need, to be honest enough to believe that another company in the same industry is doing better and they need to outdo, using the benchmarking tools (Presley and Meade, 2010). Motorola on applying the Lean Six Sigma principle became a successful organisation with a greater market share of its cell phone brand. The business didnt take any external assistance, but implemented the logic of Lean Six Sigma in their manufacturing process which removed the defects and adapted this process in all other departments and they continuously improved their processes, and sustained and controlled them on a day to day basis (Mandal, 2012). This process helped Motorola save seventeen billion dollars from 1986 to 2008 and Six Sigma became their trademark. It became an exemplary organisation inspiring many other companies to follow the same path. Samsung Electronics Co. is using the Lean Six Sigma tool to enhance its productivity, approaches its products, processes and development of human resources in an innovative way for efficiency and excellence. Since 1971 Samsung is using quality tools and techniques like Total Quality Management, Enterprise Resource Management and finally upgraded to Lean Six Sigma to improve its market position. The Six Sigma projects done by Samsung reduced their defects by 50% from 1999 to 2001. Without Lean Six Sigma there is no improvement and quality, and Samsung endorses this thought. All business examples, manufacturing, services, call centres, software is applicants for Lean Six Sigma (Mo Yang et al., 2007). The hospitality industry irrespective of its size has to be efficient by keeping the costs low, have a competent management and deliver quality services in the constantly changing economy (Kumar Sharma, 2012). Six Sigma and Lean are the proven principles implemented by the industries, example, General Electric, Starwood Hotels and Caesars Entertainment and Lockheed Martin, which have produced an incredible turnaround without compromising on the quality of services and products (Gray Anantatmula, 2009). Lean and Six Sigma methods have been used in the manufacturing industries which gives an impression that it would be not effective in the service industry. In the following part of this paper, the discussion would be on the Lean Six Sigma and Benchmarking principles that can be applied in the hospitality industry and discuss the methods to improve the efficiency of LOT1, Sydney. It is a three level venture that has re-energized the dining and socialising experience in Sydney, Austral ia. It boasts of its full three levels of Italian cuisine, LOT1 combines conventional Italian with a tapas style of dining so that their guests can taste everything on their menu. The principles of lean and Six Sigma have not been much into practice in the hotel industry. Here in this paper, we will see how to use the principles of Lean Six Sigma to make LOT1.1 Sydney cost efficient and profitable and best in class for quality service and defect free. The first step to achieving this would be to identify the problem and define the problem statement, issues in taking orders. Some of the common problems faced are customer service and management. Taking up the orders and overseeing them well is very critical and LOT1 should analyze this puzzle of its day to day operation. Some of the questions which it can think or ask to identify the issues would be, how many customers does LOT1 have on a daily basis and on weekends or holidays, keeping a track of the regular menus ordered and menus w hich are not so popular and if they can be taken off the list (Gupta, Acharya, Patwardhan, 2012) . What are the most lucrative menus and what are the costs and time were taken to make and the profit margin from that menu? Is there a budget for the labour charges and a benchmark when compared to other hotels and restaurants? To check for losses arising from the inventory and sales targets and whether LOT1 is meeting them or not. Some other points to consider are the customer service and thats the key to having happy and recurring customers. We need to ask whether LOT1 is handling its customers efficiently, is there a proper communication in addressing the needs and wants of the customers, understanding their dining experience, were the customers greeted well when they came in and when they left. Collate information on the USP of LOT1, the skills of the staff, good marketing through social media, friends, and other modes of marketing have been engaged or not. Once the issues and the cracks have been identified, then the next step would be to measure the gaps and defects. LOT1 is facing issues in taking orders. A sample data should be collected for a period, which is the core element of Six Sigma. Data should contain the orders details, the correctness of the orders taken and if there are any customizations in order, and if handled well, time is taken to deliver the order (lead time) and customer feedback need to be documented. The data gathered needs to be analyzed and Six Sigma relies on statistical analysis. Usually, the restaurant and hotel owners feel that they dont connect to these services and fear the key performance indicators(KPI), however, the data collected over a stipulated period of time gives a meaningful insight into the gaps and the performance issues (Garza-Reyes, 2015). Now LOT1 can work on the gaps identified and analyzed in their process, right from greeting the customer at the door, their orders, lead time taken to deliver order and custome r delight until the customer has left the place. A value stream map would be useful here to find out the redundant and non-value adding steps and developing a To-be process where the gaps in the performance have been handled. The next step for LOT1 is to improve the process of taking the orders, customer service management and communication by the developing an organization chart and hierarchy and implementing the improvements. Finally, it is the responsibility of the management and the staff to keep the improvements controlled and monitoring them continuously accomplish the goal of the defect free customer service, ordering and aim to get the customer delight. Leadership must devise a plan to overcome management that has been unenthusiastic to buy in Lean Six Sigma logic and perhaps engage new staff in the infrastructure. For the failures or accomplishments that have occurred, management will work out a plan to sustain the achievements and to improve the failures (Worley Doolen, 2 015). Conclusion With the implementation of Lean Six Sigma by Motorola in 1986, there has been a revolutionary change in the thinking on the business whether manufacturing or service are handled with high-quality controls in place and ensure the organisations take pre-emptive methods to prevent or minimize the errors. Adopting the Lean Six Sigma methodology has its set of advantages, which lays stress on measurable goals and implementation of those projects which would produce remarkable results (Salah, Rahim, Carretero, 2010). Six Sigma uses scientific techniques and accurate tools like Minitab and involves everyone in the business, leadership, and the different levels of management. The 5S of Lean-Sort, Straighten, Shine, Standardize and Sustain have proven benefits on an organisation who have implemented them as it gives the organisations a clear picture what needs to be used and what needs to be eliminated (Ray Das, 2010). The Lean 5S are the essential A value stream map would be helpful here t o find out the wasteful and non-value adding steps and developing a To-be process where the gaps in the performance have been handled basics for a business to measure and drive for Kaizen which means to aim for continuous improvements and change for better. The principles of Lean and Six Sigma and Benchmarking training should be imbibed by all in the organization so that every person contributes to the high quality of service and products delivered and sustain the change and improvements incessantly (M.S. Campos, 2013). References Angelis, J. and Fernandes, B. (2012). Innovative lean: work practices and product and process improvements.Lean Six Sigma Journal, 3(1), pp.74-84. Delpachitra, S. (2008). Activity based costing and process benchmarking.Benchmarking: An International Journal, 15(2), pp.137-147. Franchetti, M. and Yanik, M. (2011). Continuous improvement and value stream analysis through the lean DMAIC Six Sigma approach: a manufacturing case study from Ohio, USA.IJSSCA, 6(4), p.278. Garza-Reyes, J. (2015). Green lean and the need for Six Sigma.Lean Six Sigma Journal, 6(3), pp.226-248. Goh, T. (2014). Some Practical Issues in the Application of Lean Six Sigma to Service Systems.Nang Yan Business Journal, 1(1). Gray, J. and Anantatmula, V. (2009). Managing Six Sigma projects through the integration of Six Sigma and project management processes.IJSSCA, 5(2), p.127. Gupta, V., Acharya, P. and Patwardhan, M. (2012). Monitoring quality goals through lean Six Sigma insures competitiveness.Int J Productivity Perf Mgmt, 61(2), pp.194-203. Kumar, A. and Sharma, N. (2012). Six Sigma DMAIC Methodology: A Powerful Tool for Improving Business Operations.AMR, 488-489, pp.1147-1150. M., V. (2015). Corporate perspectives: commonalities and differences between Six Sigma and Lean.Lean Six Sigma Journal, 6(3), pp.281-288. M.S. Campos, L. (2013). Lean manufacturing and Six Sigma based on Brazilian model PNQ.Lean Six Sigma Journal, 4(4), pp.355-369. Mandal, P. (2012). Improving process improvement: executing the analyze and improve phases of DMAIC better.Lean Six Sigma Journal, 3(3), pp.231-250. Marksberry, P. (2011). The Toyota Way a quantitative approach.Lean Six Sigma Journal, 2(2), pp.132-150. Mo Yang, H., Seok Choi, B., Jin Park, H., Soo Suh, M. and Chae, B. (2007). Supply chain management six sigma: a management innovation methodology at the Samsung Group.Supply Chain Management: An International Journal, 12(2), pp.88-95. Moriarty, J. (2011). A theory of benchmarking.Benchmarking: An International Journal, 18(4), pp.588-611. Presley, A. and Meade, L. (2010). Benchmarking for sustainability: an application to the sustainable construction industry.Benchmarking: An International Journal, 17(3), pp.435-451. Raharjo, H., Hin Chai, K., Xie, M. and Brombacher, A. (2010). Dynamic benchmarking methodology for quality function deployment.Benchmarking: An International Journal, 17(1), pp.27-43. Ray, S. and Das, P. (2010). Six Sigma project selection methodology.Lean Six Sigma Journal, 1(4), pp.293-309. Ray, S. and John, B. (2011). Lean Six Sigma application in business process outsourced organization.Lean Six Sigma Journal, 2(4), pp.371-380. Reosekar, R. and D. Pohekar, S. (2014). Six Sigma methodology: a structured review.Lean Six Sigma Journal, 5(4), pp.392-422. Salah, S., Rahim, A. and Carretero, J. (2010). The integration of Six Sigma and lean management.Lean Six Sigma Journal, 1(3), pp.249-274. South, S. (2005). Achieving Breakthrough Improvements With the Application of Lean Six Sigma Tools and Principles Within Process Excellence.Lab Med, 36(4), pp.240-242. Worley, J. and Doolen, T. (2015). Organizational structure, employee problem solving, and lean implementation.Lean Six Sigma Journal, 6(1), pp.39-58.

Things Fall Apart Reaction Paper free essay sample

They came on the decision of killing him and Okonkwo joined in killing him due to his fear of becoming weak. But then, guilt haunts Okonkwo throughout the story. b. ) Nwoye is Okonkwo’s eldest son. He is not on good terms with his father and seemed to lose respect on him especially at the moment when Ikemefuna was killed. On the other hand, Okonkwo sees Nwoye as a disappointment. This is because of Okonkwo sees his father in him. In the latter part when Okonkwo was exiled for seven years, he was converted into Christian and had his new Christian name: Isaac. c. Ekwefi is Okonkwo’s second wife. She sees Okonkwo as someone who is so masculine especially when he beat Amalinze the Cat. We can also see that there is this love involved in their relationship since it was stated in the first part of the story that she ran away from her husband to be with Okonkwo. We will write a custom essay sample on Things Fall Apart Reaction Paper or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Though not stated in the book, she is Okonkwo’s favorite wife. She is someone who is not just beautiful but also bold and strong. He is closer to Ekwefi than her other wives. Ekwefi cares so much about her daughter. When Ezinma has iba, she woke Okonkwo up without hesitation by pounding his door. Also, when Okonkwo is leaving Mbanta, she was put in charge of preparing cassava for the final feast. d. ) Ezinma is Okonkwo’s eldest daughter. She thinks of his father as someone who is respected by everyone. She looks up to his father. She understands his father more than her siblings do. She is Okonkwo’s favorite. Okonkwo enjoys her wrongdoings in terms of given gender roles and he sometimes wishes that she was just a boy. She grew up and became the village beauty like her mother. She came back with her father after their exile in Umuofia and married there. . ) Obierika is Okonkwo’s best friend. He thinks of Okonkwo as a successful man. Okonkwo thinks of him as a dependable best friend. In the end, he accused the District Commissioner responsible for Okonkwo’s death. 2. ) Protagonist is the main or principal character in a story. The protagonist in this story is Okonkwo. This is evident since the story circulates on his life – his rise to positio n and wealth, the way he condemn and hate his father, his fall into exile, until his suicide. 3. ) The religion of Okonkwo’s tribe and the Christianity that Mr. Brown brings both believe in gods. But then, Umuofia’s religion believes in ancestral spirits and chi (personal deity) while Christianity believes in one God, who is the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End. A proof that Umuofia believes in deity gods is when they said that A man could not rise beyond the destiny of his chi. â€Å"(Chapter 14, page 131) Also, another proof of the comparison between Christianity and the religion of Umuofia is the conversation of Mr. Brown and Akunna, when they both explained their religion to each other. Mr. Brown said that they (The Ibo people) worship carved woods and it is wrong. Akunna said that they acknowledge a creator God or Supreme Being, but they call him Chukwu because â€Å"He made the entire world and the other gods. † (Chapter 21, page 179) and the carved woods they worship are: †The tree from which it came was made by Chukwu, as indeed all the minor gods were† (Chapter 21, page 179). 4. ) Ibo Terms An example is the practice where they bring and leave those people infected with â€Å"the swelling† into the woods until they pass away. Even if it was a severe custom, it was necessary as for their opinion. Christian terms An example was when they rescue of the new-born twin babies from the forbidden forest. The Ibo tribe thinks that having a new-born twin babies is an evil sign and a curse for the women to have twin babies so they just let them die in the forest. This tradition came out to be very cruel to the missionaries. So, they showed readiness to go against Ibo tribe’s tradition for the babies’ life sake. 5. ) They maintain the belief that the egwugwu are gods when they are clearly masked humans because these are the symbol of the culture and independence of their tribe. Once the egwugwu loose power in the community, the clan’s culture and independence will also be lost. 6. ) It came from the Old Testament story of Abraham and his son, Isaac (Genesis 22: 1-13) in the Bible. The story is that God ordered the first patriarch Abraham to sacrifice his young son Isaac, but then when he saw him about to do it, told him to stop and sacrifice a nearby ram instead. The idea is that Abrahams  faith  was only being tested; but to prove himself a religious man he had to be ready to kill his first-born. Nwoye’s conversion to Christianity is revealed as an act of upheaval against his father, so there could be a sense that he is declining to be sacrificed or to follow his father. 7. ) For me, Okonkwo values his feeling of success and importance more than the rules of his village. Some evidences are: he violated the rule on the Week of Peace by beating his wife, he unintentionally killed Ezedu’s son, and he committed suicide. 8. ) If a member in our family had Okonkwo’s personality, he would be living a miserable life. He would be living in a place filled with people who got the same personality as he have because living in the city with the usual people is going to be a problem for them. For a living, maybe he would have a work that has got to do with perfecting things and a work which does not require him to mingle with a lot of people because that will be a great problem to them. He will have perfecting things and stuffs, reading books on his own, studying, and sharing serious or sometimes deadly stories even to children as for his hobbies. I also think that he will have an unhappy family. A family who’s having a hard time doing and acting naturally for someone in their family seeks and only accepts perfection, a family who cannot express their feelings since someone in the family thinks that open communication is not a need, and a family who cannot express their feeling to one another since someone in the family thinks that this is only for weak people even if it is not. 9. ) The proverb means the child, no matter how he tries, will still have a part if his personality alike from one of his parents. The more he declines and the more he tries to change and control it so much to the extent that he almost doesn’t care on how the other people around him feels, then he is more likely to become worse than what is expected. Yes, this proverb describes Okonkwo well. He condemned his father so much. He hated everything that reminds him about his father’s â€Å"weakness† so he did everything – he does not control his anger, he does not show his appreciation, love, and care to his family, and a lot more – that he can for him not to be like his father. But then, he ended up becoming a worse failure and weaker than his father when he committed suicide. 10. ) The title â€Å"Things Fall Apart† is significant for it foreshadows the disaster that will portray in the novel. It gives us a hint that the story will not give us a happy ending so we should not expect for one. It somehow gives us the idea that something, maybe the tribe or Okonkwo’s family, will fall apart, into pieces.

The Role of the Supreme Court, Government, Economics, and Protests in the Civil Rights Movement

The Role of the Supreme Court, Government, Economics, and Protests in the Civil Rights Movement There were four different elements that contributed to the success of the Civil Rights Movement: the Supreme Court, the Government, the economic situation of the time, and the protests of the movement. The role, which the Supreme Court's played in the success of the civil rights movement, was essentially one of neutrality. The Supreme Court ordered the segregation of schools and other public facilities, known as the policy of separate but equal. But the Supreme Court, also, declared the separate but equal laws unconstitutional and ordered desegregation. The different parts of the United States government played different roles. John F Kennedy and the executive branch helped to protect the nonviolent protesters from violent acts against them as well as issuing executive orders, such as banning employment discrimination. Congress helped by passing laws in favor of the black, such as the Civil Rights Act of 1964, one of the great victories in the Civil Rights movement.Civil Rights Act o f 1964The economics of the day placed many blacks in ghettos in the north, this situation allowed them to organize themselves to protest segregation. The protests of the movement showed the country how the black were treated and that all they wanted was to be treated fairly, the protests also allowed them to make themselves a nuisance for the police and government to deal with.The Supreme Court made some of the major decisions that instituted segregation in the late 1800s and some of the major decisions that brought about integration in the 1950s. In 1896, with the court case of Plessy v Ferguson the Supreme court decided to segregate "intrastate railcars" between white and black (Constitutional). "This decision legitimized the segregation of American society under the 'Separate but Equal' doctrine" (Constitutional). Then in 1954 with the court case of Brown v Board of...

Quotation Analysis Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Quotation Analysis - Assignment Example Therefore, competitive professionals that include artists and athletes are needed to endure pressure and pain to attain professional excellence. It expresses the belief that for one to develop solid large muscles they need to train and constantly suffer sore muscles. This idiom has also been used in the field of education to encourage the poorly performing students to press on and work harder despite the challenges they face. It is through hard work that they will be assured of better results (Wimmer, 96). Therefore, the phrase â€Å"No pain, No gain† means that God rewards those who work hard. In life nothing comes the easy way instead one has to work for it. If anyone desires to be successful and enjoy a brighter future, he must be ready to endure the challenges and problems that come along the way. For example, in education if a student desires to have good results and better grades he or she must be ready to sacrifice so many things, put in more time and work extra

Basel Accord Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Basel Accord - Essay Example The paper tells that the Basel Committee on Bank Supervision (BCBS) was originally established in the 1970s to tackle the new challenges of banking across international boundaries. It became apparent that the failings and collapse of one country's banks was now being felt in other countries all over the world. It was obvious that intervention and prevention was necessary. In the 1980s, the United States Congress, pushed domestic regulatory agencies to set and enforce standards, including a fixed proportion of capital a bank must hold, or capital adequacy. This is how the Basel Accords began. The accords have been adapted and expanded in attempts to meet needs and to speak to aspects that previous version of the accords may not have addressed sufficiently. In order to understand the Basel Accords better it is useful to review them individually in order to better compare and contrast the variations. The BCBS determined that bank capital would be organized into 2 separate tiers. Tier 1f ocuses on the higher-quality capital, those that represents items of the lowest priority of repayment and easiest to absorb when lost. Most of Tier 1 involves â€Å"core† capital, or common equity, which arises from actual ownership in the bank, like common stock, undivided profits, and surplus monies. Tier 2, also called supplementary capital, include certain reserves, and term debt. The capital under Tier 2 can be divided into 2 more sublevels; the upper focuses on maintaining characteristics of being continuous, like preferred capital, and equity. The lower level, is the least costly for banks to issue because it pertains to debts with a time of maturity of at least 10 years.(Eubanks, 2010) Basel I was the first attempt made to establish a standard of regulating international banking and it came under a great deal of criticism. Opponents felt that the Basel I Accord approach to â€Å"risk-weighing assets.† They claimed that this system is too broad and lacks the fin ite specialization to address all of the unique risks that apply to the differing assets held by the bank. As a response the BCBS released a revision to the accord called the â€Å"International Convergence of Capital Measurement and Capital Standards: Revised Framework,† which is, also, known as Basel II.(Larson, 2011) Basel II Basel II differs from Basel I in a distinct way. It introduced a section of â€Å"Pillars,† which intended to rectify the capital adequacy issues with Basel I. Pillar 1, specifically, deals with the procedures of calculating the required capital within banking organizations. This accord will determine risk potential based upon the totality of their credit risk, market risks, and operational risks. Pillar 2, ideally, was placed to increase, both, accountability and transparency with the banking system. Pillar 3 works to require banking institutions to disclose risk exposures, allowing for better assessment of the needed safety to help create a

Poetry Analysis Essay Example for Free

Poetry Analysis Essay Poems are written by many different people, in many different forms. People have written poems about almost everything you could imagine. There is poetry written about everyday experiences, and the most exaggerated imaginations. Death is a form of poetry that I find very intriguing. Mostly because of the little we know about what happens after death. There is no answer to this question only speculation on what each individual believes happens beyond life. This is where poets use their imaginations to entertain us with what they see as life after death. This subject can have no limit because there is no way to prove or disprove any of their thoughts. Everyone thinks about death at one point it is an inevitable part of life. One we all have to deal with at one or more times in our lives, poetry can give us different perspectives of such subjects that are not always easy to deal with. I have chosen Emily Dickenson’s â€Å"because I could not stop for death†, and John Updikes â€Å"Dog’s Death† to analyze. Both of these poems are about death but they are also very different and are told from a different point of view. Emily Dickenson is well known for her poems about death. During the course of her career she has entertained her readers with a very unique view about death. Though each poem about death she writes has a different perspective, a different points of view or meaning, making them very interesting to read. Emily Dickenson’s poem â€Å"Because I could not stop for death† is not in the traditional rhyme scheme that is usually associated with poems. This poem is written in iambic meter in quadrants, meaning that each stanza is made up of 10 syllables. This particular type of â€Å"rhyme† is supposed to be subtle. The first time I read this poem I had a hard time understanding what I was reading. The poem is written in a unique way that I did not recognize. I had to read the poem several times and write myself some notes before I could piece it all together. From what I gathered the narrator of this poem is speaking to us from beyond the grave. The Narrator is â€Å"to busy to stop for death, so death would stop for her†. I felt like in this poem gave death a different persona than we usually see. Death in this poem is kind of courteous when he was alone with her on the carriage leading her to her final resting place. Death also takes time for her by putting away her â€Å"labor and leisure†. Though the description of death were daunting and descriptive of what I would expect death to look like. This poem is a personal journey that she is taking when she realizes that she is dead and watching her own life pass her by on her way to her final resting place. She is pretty calm about the events that are taking place, hinting that either she has been dead for a while or she was aware that death was near. Emily Dickenson is narrating this story as the dead through the course of her life. â€Å"Dog’s Death† by John Updike is another poem about death written in a very different point of view. This poem was written in a narrative point of view, which I think was a good fit for the poem. Typically narrative would be told as a story but it works well for this poem. Though both poems are told by the narrator in â€Å"dogs’ death† there is a show of emotion that is not seen in Emily Dickenson’s poem. Speaker reveals a lot about the nature of the situation by simple terms. He mentions his children, and his wife. These terms make it easy for us to piece together the situation. These clues tell us that the writer is an older male; he is a husband and a father. John Updike uses terms like â€Å"surrounded by love† which gives the reader a way to relate. John’s poem was very cleverly written. John Updike wrote this poem with a limited amount of rhyme scheme but it is still very easy to follow. This poem caught my attention first because I am a dog lover and I can relate to the story teller. I think that this would be true for many of its readers. The images of the narrator holding the puppy, and petting its fur, on the way to the vet show that the narrator is loving and compassionate. These actions are very powerful images that almost anyone can relate to. The words of this poem were easily translated into emotion then easily stored into the memory of the reader. The narrator tells a story about a family with a new puppy, and the family’s feelings surrounding the tragic event that just happened to their dog. In the beginning of the poem the narrator begins by letting the reader know some of the specifics about the story. He tells us about the use of newspaper for training the dog, symbolizing that the dog is still a puppy. He tells of the family including a wife and children which gives depth to the loss of â€Å"family† member. There is also a little insight of what had happened to the dog in the very beginning when He says â€Å"she must have been kicked unseen or brushed by a car†. Then in the second stanza he states that the autopsy later revealed that she had a ruptured liver. This poem does not follow a traditional rhyme scheme just like Emily Dickenson’s poem. Poems are sometimes distinguished by their rhyme scheme, and Emily Dickenson’s poem is a good example of how poetry can work even without a rhyme scheme. John’s poem follows a rhyme scheme but only in certain parts of the poem. Both of these poems are told with a beginning, middle, and end. Though, the perspective of these stories, are completely different. These are two poems about death that could not be any further apart. Emily Dickenson’s poem is told from the afterlife watching her life pass her by as she passes into eternity. This story is not particularly sad and I don’t think it was meant to be. This story is told about a person who lived their life and was accepting that it is time to move on. Though this story is about death it is not meant to be sad or invoke those types of feelings. In John Updikes â€Å"Dogs Death† this poem is meant to be sad. This poem shows a connection with a family member. This family spent time training this puppy, and had developed a connection with the puppy. Both narrators in both poems use very powerful images to tell the story. The reader develops the story even more by telling of the children. This story is also more recent of a poem. In Emily Dickenson’s poem they talk about a carriage, and in John Updikes poem they drive in a car to the vet. They are both written in stanzas using Quadrants. In the end I would have to say that Emily Dickenson’s poem is more sophisticated. I think that her poem shows more creativity and has a very unique point of view. I think that this poem does a very good job at making the reader think about what the narrator is trying to say. On the other side I think that John Updikes poem is one that can relate to the masses. John Updike chose to write about something that all of us can read and relate to. I like this type of poem because it evokes emotion from you as you read. Both of these poems are about death but they are written in two completely different ways, telling two completely different stories, and that is what is great about poetry. References: http://www. gradesaver. com/emily-dickinsons-collected-poems/study-guide/section1/ http://www. shmoop. com/because-i-could-not-stop-for-death/analysis. htmlhttp://www. goodreads. com/topic/show/73624-nov-8-dog-s-death-john-updike http://www. online-literature. com/dickinson/

Environmental Racism :: essays research papers fc

Environmental Racism To begin with, a definition of environmental justice is necessary. This may be accomplished quite well by using à ´The Principles of Environmental Justiceà ¶. They contain 17 principles à ´drafted and adoptedà ¶ in Washington, D.C. on the 24th through the 27th of October 1991by delegates to the First National People of Color Environmental Leadership Summit. 1) Environmental Justice affirms the sacredness of Mother Earth, ecological unity and the interdependence of all species, and the right to be free from ecological destruction. 2) Environmental Justice demands that public policy be based on mutual respect and justice for all peoples, free from any form of discrimination or bias. 3) Environmental Justice mandates the right to ethical, balanced and responsible uses of land and renewable resources in the interest of a sustainable planet for humans and other living things. 4) Environmental Justice calls for universal protection from nuclear testing, extraction, production and disp osal of toxic/hazardous wastes and poisons and nuclear testing that threaten the fundamental right to clean air, land, water, and food. 5) Environmental Justice affirms the fundamental right to political, economic, cultural and environmental self-determination of all peoples. 6) Environmental Justice demands the cessation of the production of all toxins, hazardous wastes, and radioactive materials, and that all past and current producers be held strictly accountable to the people for detoxification and the containment at the point of production. 7) Environmental Justice demands the right to participate as equal partners at every level of decision-making, including needs assessment, planning, implementation, enforcement and evaluation. 8) Environmental Justice affirms the right of all workers to a safe and healthy work environment without being forced to choose between an unsafe livelihood and unemployment. It also affirms the right of those who work at home to be free from environme ntal hazards. 9) Environmental Justice protects the right of victims of environmental injustice to receive full compensation and reparations for damages as well as quality health care. 10) Environmental Justice considers governmental acts of environmental injustice a violation of international law, the Universal Declaration On Human Rights, and the United Nations Convention on Genocide. 11) Environmental Justice must recognize a special legal and natural relationship of Native Peoples to the U.S. government through treaties, agreements, compacts, and covenants affirming sovereignty and self-determination. 12) Environmental Justice affirms the need for urban and rural ecological policies to clean up and rebuild our cities and rural areas in balance with nature, honoring the cultural integrity of all our communities, and provided fair access for all to the full range of resources.