Coleridge: Early Visions :: Richard Holmes Biography Essays

Coleridge: Early Visions Richard Holmes' intent in his biography on Coleridge is apparent from the opening pages. In fact, even his title implies his purpose of showing Coleridge as a visionary hero. In his preface Holmes clearly spells out his plan for achieving this purpose. He explains that much of the previous work done on Coleridge has focused on the more negative aspects of his life--his "opium addiction, his plagiarisms, his fecklessness in marriage, his political 'apostasy', his sexual fantasies, [and] his radiations of mystic humbug" (xv). Holmes sets out to write a different type of biography; his attempt examines Coleridge's "entire life in a broad and sympathetic manner" and reconciles his faults with the "extraordinary man" and the "extraordinary mind" (xv). In the process he hopes to show that Coleridge's visionary genius alone makes him "worth rediscovering" (xv). In this first volume of a planned two part biography, Holmes traces Coleridge's life up to the year 1804. Throughout his work he co nsistently emphasizes the spirit, energy, and unrelenting power of imagination that made Coleridge unique. He examines the highs and lows of his life and leaves his reader with both a vivid image of Coleridge, the man, and a number of questions and possibilities to ponder. Holmes' structure and style are essential to his success at bringing Coleridge alive for his reader. His biography follows a traditional narrative structure, and his language is direct and unpretentious. This style brings a novelistic quality to the biography; it reads quickly and enjoyably. Holmes encourages his reader to forget all that he has heard about Coleridge in the past and discover him again as a fresh character in Holmes' story. Holmes moves quickly through the early part of Coleridge's life, stopping along the way to focus on specific instances which exemplify Coleridge's early intellectual and imaginative powers or which later influence aspects of his life or literary work. Holmes discusses Coleridge's enormous appetite for reading and the early age at which it began; he focuses on a specific night Coleridge nearly froze to death along the River Otter; and he examines the emotional and practical consequences of the death of Coleridge's father. Holmes repeatedly returns t o these moments throughout the biography as they become relevant. In chapter four, with his discussion of Coleridge's friendship with Robert Southey and their plans for their utopian Pantisocratcy, Holmes makes a transition from Coleridge's youth to his adult literary life.

Problem of Teenage Pregnancy

Over the past few years teenage pregnancy rates have grown substantially. More than one million teenagers will become pregnant this year in Canada, and the number is growing. Many socioeconomic factors influence pregnancy rates, such as; different races, different religions, financial status, education and family background. Another influence is the sexual education children are receiving or not receiving at school and at home. While the problem of teenage pregnancy is acknowledged, solutions are coming slowly. Some parents feel that pregnancy is a result of the lack of sex education courses taught in schools, while others feel that these courses end up encouraging teenagers to become sexually active. Studies have been done to find out just how important sex education courses are, and what effect they have on pregnancy rates. â€Å"The amount of sex education they receive is not as important a factor, according to a new study. † (Fewer girls get pregnant when involved in community, E8) Toronto Sun, 1998) Other sources say: Sex education courses, advocated to prevent teen pregnancy but denounced as encouraged sexual interest, appear to have little or no effect on teens† sexual activity. Such courses also have no noticeable effect on contraceptive use and pregnancy rates among teenagers. It was found that while students do learn about sex and contraception, they do not appear to alter their behavior. † (Okie, 1996) The courses that are offered in schools have proven not to have any influence on the teenage pregnancy rates. The reason for this may be that the courses are just not being taught effectively or are targeting the wrong age group: ‘Two major goals of the school sex education programs are to reduce the incidence of unwarranted pregnancy as well as the rates of AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases. However, to be effective, programs must begin early. If we wait until an age when most adolescents are sexually active, we might have to combat an acquired behavioral pattern of ineffective STD/pregnancy prevention behavior. Some statistics found that in the 1984 survey of school superintendents found that children do not all seem to know what we expect them to know. It was found that 50% of schools offered a family life education program. Whereas 87% of urban districts had a program, only 25% of rural districts had a program. Canadian school children ages 9, 12 and 15 showed a considerable lack of sexual education. Only 35% of grade 7 students knew that is was possible for a girl to get pregnant between the ages of 12 and 15. Most thought pregnancy could not occur until after age 16. (Herold, 1997) Through many studies it has been proven that sex education in schools has little or no noticeable effect on the teen pregnancy rate. The conclusion has been made that the rate of teenage pregnancy is rising, but there is no solution in sight. Many thought having sex education in the schools would reduce the rate but statistics have suggested that they will not. There have been suggestions of other ways of reducing the high rates. â€Å"Sexual counseling and access to prevention† (Beard, 1992) could be tried. In the mid-1970†³s the â€Å"Ontario government started to provide universal access to publicly funded family planning and sex education. † (Beard, 1992) If these were used in combination with school sexuality education it has been predicted that a decrease in the pregnancy rate would occur. â€Å"Changes in the social climate†, (MacDonald, 1996), which teenagers have been exposed to have been linked with rising adolescent pregnancy rates. These forces must be understood if we are to avoid to obvious pitfalls, draw successfully on our traditional social and cultural strengths, and design effective models of prevention.

Differences Between Après vs. Derrière and Avant vs. Devant

Aprà ¨s and Avant convey a notion of time or space. Aprà ¨s refers to doing something after while Avant refers to doing something before. Je le retrouve aprà ¨s/avant le dà ©jeunerIll meet up with him after/before lunch Aprà ¨s/avant le bois, il y a un cheminAfter/before the wood, there is a path Derriere and Devant convey a notion of precise space. Derrier refers to being behind something, or someone and Devant refers to being in front of something or someone. La petite fille est cachà ©e derrià ¨re larbreThe young girl is hidden behind the tree Pour la photo, comme tu es plus petite, va devant Camille.For the picture, since you are smaller, go in front of Camille.   Derrià ¨re le bois, il y a un cheminBehind the wood, there is a path Aprà ¨s and Derrià ¨re Are Not Interchangeable So, what is the difference between the two sentences aprà ¨s le bois, il y a un chemin and derrià ¨re le bois, il y a un chemin? They both give a piece of space-related information, but one is more precise, just like in English. Same exact logic applies to avant versus devant. Aprà ¨s Que Indicative / Avant Que Subjunctive A common mistake is Aprà ¨s que plus a subjunctive. Its a very common mistake, even among French people, because honestly, the indicative sounds terrible there. Avant que is followed by the subjunctive  because we dont yet know if the action is going to become a reality. With Aprà ¨s que, the action has taken place already: there is no doubt left, hence no need for the subjunctive. Aprà ¨s que subjunctive sounds so bad to a French ear that we will do our best to use a noun instead of a verb after. You can use the same trick with avant que et avoid using a subjunctive. Je dois commencer aprà ¨s quil part. (or aprà ¨s son dà ©part)I must start after he leaves (or after his departure). Je dois commencer avant quil parte (or avant son dà ©part).I must start before he leaves (or before his departure) By the way, even if we use le derrià ¨re in French (although this is extremely polite, just like saying the behind in English), French people use the preposition derrià ¨re without thinking about it at all. Just like in English you use behind without thinking about that part of the anatomy.