Strategic development of UK retailer Marks and Spencer

Strategic development of UK retailer Marks and Spencer Marks Spencer are one of the UKs largest retailers, with over 21 million people visiting M S stores every week. M S offer stylish, high quality, great value clothing and home products and also excellent quality foods, responsibly sourced from around 2,000 suppliers worldwide. M S employ more than 75,000 people in the UK and outside the UK and have over 700 UK stores, plus and growing international business. M S are the ideal provider of women wear and lingerie in the UK, and are also rapidly raising market share in menswear, kids wear and home, due in part to MS growing online business. Overall, M S clothing and home ware sales account for 49% of our business. The other 51% of M S business is in food, where M S retail everything from fresh produce and groceries, to partly-prepared meals and ready meals. M S also recognized for their green identification as a result of their five-year eco plan, Plan A, which will see M S, with other things, become carbon neutral and also sending no waste to landfill by 2012. Companys Brief History With more than 120 years of heritage, Marks Spencer is one of the well recognized British retailers. The M S has more than 500 stores within the UK and has more than 75,000 employers across the UK. M S also operates in the International Market, where it has a developing business in some places as far as Hong Kong. In recent years, the UKs retailing industry has been characterised by forceful competition. Consumers are more conscious of where and how they feel like to shop. They also know what kind of shopping understanding they require. This has made it much more complicated for retailers to carry on. Corporate Strategic Development History The original firm was a chain of PENNY BAZAARS, founded by Thomas Spencer and Michael Marks. It became a household name thanks to the efforts of Simon Marks and his friend Israel Seiff. M S has branches in approximately 28 countries all over the world. They mostly exist in British Societies and Eastern Europe but this effort to get bigger into Western Europe and in the United States go failed because of their high prices and also of their basic British Vision of the company. M S also was particularly unsuccessful in France and even they were forced to close their stores in France because of the legislation which the French Government set in place to protect their labour force. In 1960s Marks and Spencer opened first store in Central Asia in Kabul, Afghanistan. This store was closed after some time because atmosphere of the city turned usual. In the middle of 1990s MS first ever TV commercial of clothing were broadcast. In 20th Century MS became well reputed in market, when they make a policy of selling only British made goods, mostly focusing on quality than the price to encourage tradition. Introduction of their new clothing range in 2001 named Per Una designed by George Davies accompanied by a reshaping of their underlying business model their profits increased very sharply and MS improved a lot of its market share. Also change in their traditional policies including accepting credit card transactions and opening MS stores on Sundays put stars on their reputation in market. Group Structure Financial Performance Grassroots organisations seem to work well with in a flat structure organisation as freely as likely of Board of Directors and Management. Flat Structure does not mean the elimination of individual responsibilities; even flatness means the end of people with dominant authority over other individuals job. National people groups must avoid the ordinary mistake of including small numbers of people heavily. They should try hard to engage large numbers of individuals lightly. Flat organisations, which highlight parallel connections, seem to be the best thing for linking large numbers of individuals lightly. Regular Based Meetings A circular Dividing everyday Jobs and responsibilities Staff Training Staff Members Gathering A forecast Processing Working interaction with power players and resource companies. Power players are people with the capability or skills to make job done: politicians, owners of key businesses, media, government departments, heads of organization, landlords. The groups performance of the team members for they year 2009 ended at March 31 was very unsatisfactory. The return on equity percentage and the income per share were nil as the organisation revenue was only  £1.3m in this year. The dividend cover was also nil because of the same cause. The company paid all its revenue to the shareholders because the dividend cover was very low last year. Because of this, company had to cut-down the dividend approximately from 12.4p to 8.0p. Company planned for the same dividend even though the company had about zero profit. The set reports outcome of three operational divisions: UK Retail Distribution International Retail Market Financial Resource Division UK Retail Distribution The UK Retail distribution, the biggest of the operating distributions, is itself sub-division into seven business units, each indicating a defined quarter of merchandise: Womens Wear, Mens Wear, Childrens Wear Lingerie, Beauty, Home, Foods. The First Six business units such as Womens, Mens and Childrens Wear, Lingerie, Beauty and Home are known as General and footage is in between these six units depending on demand and seasonal factors. The liberty is located due to the biggest single business unit that is Food and is relatively unbendable. Final Financial report in the UK retail defines a drop down in Sales and Operating Profit. Sales And Operating Profit In The End Of Financial Years Sales Operating profit____  ­Ã‚ ­ 2001 2000 2001 2000  £m  £m  £m  £m Group Total 8085.7 8185.5 468.0 542.0 UK Retail 6300.9 6582.7 364.8 445.1 International Continental Europe 288.0 299.3 (55.0) (40.5) European Franchise Businesses 264.3 264.3 25.6 20.7 Brooks Brothers 445.1 395.5 22.2 8.9 Kings Super Markets 317.1 273.7 21.9 12.1 East 119.1 105.2 7.3 (4.2) International Retail Market The International Market of retail Business mainly consists of three broad geographic areas: Europe excluding UK North America East The International Retail Market results consist of those M S franchise businesses which operated 125 franchise stores in 26 countries. The European International Retail Market can be divided into the following: Continental Europe Republic of Ireland European Franchise Businesses The group running two businesses in North America that are: Brooks Brothers Kings Super Markets In March 2001 Kings Super Markets and Brook Brothers operate in 27 and 221 stores respectively. In the end, in Far East the group deals with in 10 stores in Hong Kong. In this year, approximately every company did good business in this division comparatively to last year, with the exemption of Europes M S stores which increased their losses. Financial Resources Division One of the important Commitments of M S in the integrated planning cycle is The Financial Resources Commitment. This commitment describes a number of Financial Resources Division Initiatives: Integrated Planning Cycle Commitment Improving Management of Resources Implementing Improving our Internal Control Environment Enhance Transparency MS is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index. After fostering significant growth in recent years, mid-2008 saw share prices plunge to well under half their value of twelve months before, as MS struggled to cope with more conservative shoppers in the credit crunch. Until 1999 MSs financial year ended on 31 March. Since then, the company has changed to reporting for 52 or 53 week periods, ending on variable dates. Year ended Turnover ( £ M) Profit before tax ( £ M) Net profit ( £ M) Basic esp. (p) 28 March 2009 9,062.1 706.2 506.8 32.3 29 March 2008 9,022.0 1,129.1 821.0 49.2 31 March 2007 8,588.1 936.7 659.9 39.1 1 April 2006 7,797.7 745.7 520.6 36.4 2 April 2005 7,490.5 505.1 355.0 29.1 3 April 2004 8,301.5 781.6 452.3 24.2 29 March 2003 8,019.1 677.5 480.5 20.7 30 March 2002 8,135.4 335.9 153.0 5.4 31 March 2001 8,075.7 145.5 2.8 0.0 1 April 2000 8,195.5 417.5 258.7 9.0 31 March 1999 8,224.0 546.1 372.1 13.0 31 March 1998 8,243.3 1,155.0 815.9 28.6 31 March 1997 7,841.9 1,129.1 746.6 26.7 31 March 1996 7,233.7 965.8 652.6 455.8 Strategy Analysis Collectively, the Board Team Members are responsible for the bright and excellence future of the company. In the course of the Chief Executive, the Board delegate to management on the whole performance of the company through building long-term management potential, setting clear goals of the company and ensuring that the business is supervised in conformity according to business values. Marks Spencer Board Structure: COMPANYS CHAIRMAN Chief Executive Executive Director On-Executive Director On-Executive Director On-Executive Director On-Executive Director Competitive Strategy Environment M S operates in a competitive atmosphere. Its competitors are more customers based and more in tune with the needs and the requirements of the customers. Such as on cloths sector, NEXT Debenhams have exploited the requirement for young people and in food sector Tesco and Sainsbury have expands its ranges of ready cooked meals. In UK there are no exit or entry barriers but the market is mature and therefore there is no bounces for a new company or a company from abroadto come and compete in these markets. In contrast M S experienced Exit barriers when under the France law they were not permitted to close their France Stores and make their employees redundant with just a weeks notice. (Ralph, 1996; anon, 2004) New Group Strategy and Structure Subsequently a wide-ranging and comprehensive strategic review of its business, the Board of M S practiced significant changes to the Group strategy and structure in March, 2001. The main basics of this new plan are: Focus on UK Retail Market M S will sell only own brand products so it can guarantee customers the excellent quality, great value and good services. Main theme of the plan is the delivery of considerable improvements in product availability, product value and product appeal thereby regaining the relationships with core customers of M S. Clothing Recovery Plan M S has plans to rebuild the confidence of its customers in the quality And fit of its clothing. It will sharpen pricing by rebalancing the price structure, expansion in the range of entry-price products and also well communicating this to customers. Expansion Food, Home and Beauty Products MS Foods continues to execute well and has rebuild customers trust for providing good quality and convenience. The business is a platform for future expansion and the Company is considering opportunities to get bigger through new locations and business channels. The Home business is increasing strongly, with home furniture and gifts the best growing product areas. Beauty, although relatively small, is also growing rapidly. These two areas offer promising opportunities for progress and will be expanded. Store Renewal Programme M S will go faster the rollout of the successful elements of its new idea format under a plan to renovate more stores sooner and at lower cost. Closer To The Customer As a company we should be in touch with our customers all the time in order to develop an awareness of what our customers think about the company, how they perceive the company and what they expect from the company. This awareness in turn enables us to constantly strive to meet our customers demands and also secure an organizations long-term survival and profitability In order to be more customers based, some of M S stores in big cities will be opened 24 hours a day. On other hand, 125 stores in the UK will be modernised to create a easy-to-shop environment and more attractive for customers. Corporate-Level Strategy (BCG matrix) BCG Matrix is used to conceive the balance of the portfolio of the businesses in terms of relationship between market share and market growth. It is a company in a market that has slow growth and its market share is continuously shrinking. The industry in which M S operates is mature and market is likely to be stable so it is more difficult to gain market share. Its assumed that M S is a decline phase organisation (Stockport,2000). PESTEL And SWOT Analysis Political, Economic, Social, Technology, Environmental and Legal (PESTEL-Analysis) Political Long term decisions are based on stable political surrounding. UK is also a member of European Union, as a result of which the government has to operate to live up to the standards of European Unions structure, hence, ensuring M S a greater scope of economic executions . The open transfer of goods products is another advantage of European Union making the sales operations of M S easier in European counties as there are no barriers to trade to aggravate its sales revenues. Economic British pound is still stronger as compared to the Euro which is why foreign investments for M S are relatively cheaper but expensive for the other foreign organizations willing to initiate in the UK. This is also a reason that several countries are not willing to trade. Social Presently, the population in UK is 61.11 million which after 15 years from today is expected to reach to 65 million. This brings in good news to M S Company as many more customers will be added to its current list, however the population is ageing. (True Knowledge) Secondly there is a dramatic change in the social structure. Medical services progress awareness of living increases life expectancy. Sex educations development increase in the number of professional or working women has led to a decrease in the rate of Birth which are the factors that have been accounting for falling revenues for an experienced company such as M S. Technological New Medias reception an age old internet bring in an evaluated potential opportunity to M S to grow its profits. Some U.S. based organizations are offering online orders where in people can mention their demands preferences which are sent to the production facilities after 2 or 3 working days customers receive their orders. This was simply another example of possibilities by the use of which firms can actually respond to the ever changing preferences in new era. Environmental Products produced by supplier has affect on the atmosphere on how these produce is used and disposed by customers. Merchandisers use a vast range of raw materials to manufacture their products. Because of this, it is critical to handle the usage of these materials with sensitivity and pay proper regard to how they have an effect on natural habitats and bio-diversity. Legal This is related to the legal environment in which firms work. In past years in the UK there have been a lot considerable legal changes that have affected firms behaviour such as M S. SWOT-Analysis Strengths The Brand of M S is an asset to it in terms of Quality, Style Value for money. The reason for its success and excellent reputation is that M S sell only own brand products. M S identify the changes in customer preferences behaviour under extensive market overview as they are one of the largest retailers in the UK. The self production labelling enables M S to frequently adapt to the unpredictable market conditions which in turn also allows it to save time. Time saving Adaptability is really necessary for a firm to succeed in such fast moving market where time plays a key role. Weaknesses The incomplete product range of M S, unfortunately, sometimes affects its regular customers who then happen to purchase from its competitors. An example of that would be that M S doesnt sell sportswear which consequently forces its customers to buy them from those who sell them. This adds to the disadvantage of M S. An added disadvantage could be mentioned as an example i.e. A customer interested to buy M S sportswear ( if they had it ) might have been interested in buying some gift at the same time because of the presence of sufficient variety, which could have made it extra revenues . However as they dont have sportswear, they are losing on a good opportunity for revenue. Opportunities In order to make profit, M S consider social rethinking as majority of people are getting conscious for natures significance nowadays. TO aim for Long Term success, M S could earn a reputation as a socially conscious firm by producing with the use of environment friendly raw materials natural fibres. The key to success is uniqueness or individuality. According to the recent researches people are on an average are getting heavier taller. What now can convince people to realize the presence of mind of M S is its Adaptability. Threats The big supermarkets or Discounters, despite of not being present in the same market are potential threat to M S as they sell similar products. These products are offered by them for short duration i.e. at a really cheap price for a couple of weeks. Many people advertently buy these low priced products instead of going for a good quality. This strategy of Hit Run adversely affects the businesses of companies like M S. Michael Porter Five Forces Model Porters five forces is a framework for the industry analysis and business strategy development developed by Michael E. Porter of Harvard Business School in 1979. It draws upon Industrial Organization (IO) economics to derive five forces that determine the competitive intensity and therefore attractiveness of a market. Attractiveness in this context refers to the overall industry profitability. An unattractive industry is one in which the combination of these five forces acts to drive down overall profitability. A very unattractive industry would be one approaching pure competition, in which available profits for all firms are driven down to zero. Three of Porters five forces refer to competition from external sources. The remainder are internal threats. It is useful to use Porters five forces in conjunction with SWOT analysis (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats). Threat of New Entrants Entering into a New Market needs huge finances to purchase necessary raw machineries, develop new products , hire staves , selling-rooms to build an organized systematic network . Organisations such as Jhon Lewis, Tesco Sainsbury can very easily enter into new markets as the monetary risk for banks are very elevated to assist smaller firms also that they do not have the potential to respond to the defensive attacks of existing firms. Brand Loyalty is no more a threat to new firms, presently, thus making it a threat to M S. Customers use advanced technology to evaluate compare several offers during a short span of time are willing to purchase the cheapest possible product. These Generation X or technology savvy people have been a huge segment targeted by M S, which can be alarming for it. Threat of Substitutes Product substitution Replacement of Firm need to be distinguished while discussing substitution. The decision of a customer to purchase an item then a change in his decision to have another is referred to as Substitution of Product, i.e. A customer might probably buy a jumper if he merely does not like the design of a M S jacket. However, this had no impact to the revenue of M S. Substitution of M S for its competitor is referred to as company replacement. In the example mentioned previously the customer would have bought a new jacket from the competitors of M S. Now this affects the firm revenues. The Bargaining power of the buyers There are several factors on which the power of buyer depends. Unlimited demand is met by countless suppliers in the U.K Retail market. Therefore if the customers are not satisfied they can switch from one company to the other. Because of advanced technical knowledge their age group, the segments of people targeted by M S have adequate earning power. To specify changing demand buyer trends their pattern of spending should be carefully analysed. The customers of M S are mainly based in Britain. If M S turns unsuccessful in the British Market, it cannot compensate it by the revenues in the other markets Marks Spencers Geographical Revenue Region Revenue United Kingdom $ 1,488.6 m Rest of Europe $ 29.6 m North America $ 0.0 Australia $ 4.8 m Middle East $ 8.8 m Asia $ 3.1 m TOTAL $ 1534.9 m Bargaining power of Suppliers Labour costs are high for UK in comparison with that in Eastern Europe, Asia North Africa which is why that several firms have decided to outsource. Therefore there is a pressure on M S to produce high quality products without cutting its costs, however getting the production outsourced can be of great help as cheap labour can be appointed. . Competitive Rivalry An increasing number of foreign retail chains zero in on UK as a starting point to make it big in Europe. Example Giordano , a Hong Kong based clothing retailer is very successful plans to open operate stores in UK for its European expansion . Marks Spencer has been facing the counter-attack by Tesco Sainsbury in the recent past. Debenhams Marks Spencer have spent a lot of money for the development of their online operations. Every possible measure to earn profits should be seemed in an Industry as this where so many firms produce the name products are only identified by their marked labels. Future   Strategic Direction As mentioned earlier we know that M S has a very wide market especially in the UK. It has been successful since decades. The only weakness it has is lack of variety of product offerings in its current market. Using Product Development as its strategic choice will enable M S to produce additional products to cover a wider segment from its existing market. As M S is reputed Brand, the additional products like sportswear will be equally popular. Acceptability or the outcomes of Product Development strategy is another aspect that needs to be measured. If M S adopts the strategy of Product development it will be avoiding the risk of losing its market share . This will increase the value of shareholders assets. Feasibility, now we need to evaluate the relativity of Product Development strategy with the organizational capabilities its resources. Using its present capabilities all M S is supposed to do is to increase its line of products from its production houses. Current capabilities resources will serve he purpose. For future, the aforementioned strategic choice has to be evaluated analysed in terms of suitability, acceptability feasibility. Suitability specifies whether or not the strategy of product development will suffice M S strategic situation. M S being an experienced player can easily access the broad market overview and adapt to the changes in consumer behaviour preferences. This can be a method to add to the benefits of M S in the short long run. To cut costs M S can rely more more steps towards outsourcing its production in underdeveloped or developing Nations without compromising on the Quality of its products. Online participation of M S on a large scale will add advantage to it over its competitors as a huge segment of customers served by M S is technology savvy. The promotion of Quality of M S through Internet can make a difference when it comes to saving its revenues being lost to the mail discounters or cheap supermarket clothing. UKs membership in the European Union is an advantage to M S as it provides an easy format of operation for European companies.

The Language of Male Supremacy in She and The Sign of Four Essay

The Language of Male Supremacy in She and The Sign of Four These days we have to be extremely careful when we write or speak.   In fact, at times it seems as if we must communicate as if tip toeing through a veritable minefield of the dangerous misinterpretations of our words.   Since many words and phrases can be construed or misconstrued as offensive, there is a heightened sensitivity to the use of language.   This is not necessarily a bad thing.   We certainly need to live in world where all people are treated with dignity and respect, and our use of language should reflect this ideal.   Most of us would not intentionally offend a person from a different race, culture, or creed, but the problem today is that there is such a subsurface tension that rage occasionally erupts over anything that even remotely resembles the offensive.   Where does this social extremism that condemns even ambiguous statements come from?   Things were not always this way.   If we were to look deeper into the history of the English language, we would typically find outlandish words and phrases that debased women and members of other cultures.   These expressions may not necessarily have been malicious in spirit in all instances, but they were certainly demeaning and ranged from the subtle to the intentional.   Certainly, some of the phrases that were commonly printed then would be socially unacceptable to print today.   For example, any representative sample of late Victorian literature will reveal misogynistic and racist remarks by contemporary standards. In fairness to the Victorians, the world was going through a rapid state of change then, and England was leading the way.   Part of the motivation behind the imperialistic ende... ...winism dramatically changed the way many people thought then, our modern ideas of cultural diversity and gender egalitarianism have changed the way many people think today.   Our modern language clearly reflects this change.   We have come a long way in disregarding boldly offensive descriptions, to questioning the propriety of statements such as "You people."   Some people have eager ears that are always ready to latch onto the next faux pas and have clenched fists that are ready to gaff their next victim.   Therefore, a masked tension remains, but on a lighter note, the positive force that guides our present evolving world in which we are conscientiously laboring to temper our language with human dignity balances this tension.   Yet, our language can only be truly dignified to the degree to which it preserves the dignity of all of whom it dares to describe.

Clinical Practice Essay -- Health Care

This assignment will underline three key skills learnt during clinical practice; weight monitoring, blood pressure and bed baths. Reflection is a key aspect within nursing. It allows the individual to look back on previous events and analyse the positives and negatives which occurred in a particular situation. Reflection is used to encourage the development in learning and gaining a more in depth understanding in practice (Beener et al.1996).There are many reflective models available including Gibbs (1988). Gibbs(1988) reflective cycle will be used as the framework upon which these three skills to be reflected as this cycle requires a description of the event, the feelings experienced at the time and evaluation of the account which is followed by an analysis, conclusion and action plan. I will discuss how the skills were attained, and any future learning development needs I may need, backed up by literature and research available. In line with NMC (2008) confidentiality requirement, clients will be referred as A, B or C where appropriate. Description During my second week of placement I was asked by my mentor to carry out a weight observation on a six week old baby. Prior to this I had observed my mentor perform this clinical procedure a number of times while I assisted her. However on this occasion I was able to complete this skill by myself with the supervision of my mentor. Firstly I greeted the parents of baby A and advised them to undress him as I calculated his age and set up the equipment needed, I cleaned the weighing scale using disinfectant wipes and placed a paper towel on the surface to prevent baby A from feeling cold. I then switched on the weighing scales and called the parents over with baby A. I laid baby A ge... ...ouraged frequently. I now believe I have gained a better insight into my own strengths and weaknesses and can now take time to in improving them as a means to grow and evolve in my professionalism, to act on a patient’s welfare and safety in order to secure a good reputation (Thompson et al, 2006) Action plan In order to advance in practice I feel I need to develop my communication skills. This can be achieved through in depth research; using the aid of reading and advice from other health professionals into the different types of communication for instance body language, formal, verbal and non-verbal communication as well as looking into different ways of using these methods to the best of my ability, guaranteeing a high standard of patient care. This will equally help me and patients to establish a better relationship and improve the care that is given.

Political Correctness In The Classroom Essay -- essays research papers

Political Correctness In The Classroom Schools in Canada have recently become the battleground for the fight over how much political correctness should be allowed to infiltrate grade school classrooms. One can take two sides when dealing with such issues as violent toys, â€Å"good clean fun†, the benefits and disadvantages of political correctness. There is much controversy about violent toys which are far from being considered politically correct. The toys that enter many grade school classrooms throughout the country may also seem offensive to people who try to be as politically correct as possible. I can remember an incident involving myself, a water gun and a teacher back in grade four. What had happened was that I pondered onto school grounds with a tiny plastic watergun. As I proceeded down the hallway a teacher took notice of my â€Å"water-squirting† device. She approached me and ceased the toy from my hands . Many elementary school educators believe that violent toys can lead, and often do lead to violence if the children are allowed to play with the toys in an unsupervised environment.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Something that used to be considered good clean fun has become a constant frustration to teachers and parents everywhere. Many educators on recess duty who have observed children at play have come to believe that rough play which might look innocent can and often does lead to real violence. The goodness of teaching political correctness in the classroom is its ...

AP Literature and Composition level Essay

 ¡Cruza la frontera ya!There is a serious circumstance that is troubling America: the inability of we Americans to accept our Hispanic counterparts. This is no forgivable matter; it is surrounding our country. Sure they â€Å"illegally† cross the border but is there really a difference between the America-Mexico border and the Texas-New Mexico border? I didn’t think so. These citizens who come to America benefit us in so ways; many of which we have never even began to consider. When our Hispanic friends enter the United States they bring with them a whole new culture. These contacts to Hispanic history teach us Spanish. I plan on getting a minor degree in Spanish when I go to college but at this rate I will know the language before I even graduate high school. Not only are we exposed to Spanish but also Hispanic foods. Where would the country, and especially Roanoke Rapids, be without Mexican food? Think people. Chimichangas are the fuels to our minds and they give the sewage companies business. All those clogged septic tanks. The food, which Hispanic Americans bring to this country, creates jobs and by the way this economy is going we are going to need as many jobs as possible. While we are speaking of jobs, let us address the role of Hispanics in the workplace. The entire reason that they cross the border is to pursue a better life. So let them. Allow these border hoppers to take your job or even give them a job. If you own a farm, migrant workers are the new slaves. They are cheap laborers but be sure to buy them as soon as you seem them because they will be gone in a split second. Even if they cannot become a farmhand they can have our jobs. If all of our jobs are taken then we can all sit at home for the rest of our lives, be placed on welfare or unemployment, smoke the tobacco that they plucked for our cigarettes, and live off of the corn that was picked last month from Farmer Joe’s field. Doesn’t that sound like an amazing life? They can even do our handy work. If you need a new coffee table do not go to Sears and spend $50 on a new table let the Hispanic man across the street build you one; he’ll do if for free. Even if you haven’t cleaned your house in five months, ask the Hispanic lady who lives on the corner to clean it. She won’t charge a fee either. As long as you do not inform the government about the illegal status of your  Hispanic neighbors they will perform any household task that you ask for them to do. It is by far the fairest exchange that happens in the United States. Another exchange happens on every street corner in the part of town you are scared to visit. These immigrants deal the drugs that our young adults would be dealing. Let them sell the drugs instead of our youth, this keeps the American children innocent of drug dealing matters. With our kids getting arrested in fifth grade for bringing marijuana to school, we need some other culture to take over. The charges for dealing drugs are much higher than what we would receive for taking the drugs. Smuggling has always been seen as a problem, but why? They are bringing more drugs for us to use. Without Hispanic drug smugglers the drug count in the United States would be half as small. Consent to their American livelihoods so that our children are safe, from being arrested. Let us look at the other silly â€Å"laws† that are broken by the â€Å"illegals.† Many of our migrants choose to acquire fake Social Security cards. These cards will permit them to receive the same benefits that we are allotted to when we retire. Hey, if we live at home on welfare for the rest of our lives they can receive the Social Security that will deplete in a few years anyway. Their increasing number will probably cause it to drain much sooner at any rate. Driving without a license is also a problem many conservative Americans face with immigration. I cannot see why. The immigrants are so careful not to wreck because they can’t be seen without a green card or they will get deported. So naturally, they would be some of the safest drivers in the US of A. Get close to their bumpers and trail behind them. But don’t follow them into the bad part of town; you might get confused for a dealer. The presence of these immigrants and their drugs will benefit the government officials. Many more police jobs will be created in order to keep up with the constantly growing migrant number. Police will patrol nightly searching for Hispanic people who are jumping fences; this is considered to be a sign of a true border crosser. Many Americans should feel safer because there will be nightly patrols and true criminals would be caught in the process. By this point I hope you understand how important Hispanic immigrants are to our American existence. We rely on them for much more than you realize. They also save us from many hassles. Soon police will begin to over look all immigrants and so should you. Allow them to take our jobs, plow our fields, sell our drugs, and even deplete our Social Security. The country will be nothing but immigrants and the few true born Americans that are left standing will become the minority. These Hispanic crossers will make Americans feel much safer. Our real criminals are caught and our children are saved from dealing drugs. All this is caused by a few Mexican men who decided to try to cross the America-Mexico border. Their success allowed many other Hispanics to flee to the United States in order to save Americans from ourselves. We should be so grateful of the many sacrifices which Hispanics allow us to create to give them our â€Å"American Dream†

Saturday at the Canal anaylsis

Saturday at the Canal is not a cut ND dry poem where you know exactly what it is about, it is a poem that lets us use our imagination. The poem starts out with a heart-wrenching statement â€Å"l was hoping to be happy by seventeen†. Within the first eight words of this poem, we the readers are already drawn in. We want to know why a seventeen year old is not happy at such an important point in his life. We begin to think of possible situations where a seventeen year old wouldn't be happy with life; bullying, heart break. Or maybe even death.We have to continue to read In order to understand why this teenager is having such a radar time. Sotto peaks everyone's curiosity by Implying that this teenager has never been happy In his entire life. He relies on our nosiness to ensure that we will continue to read. The character in this poem goes on to tell us reasons for his unhappiness by beginning with school. They talk about how school was â€Å"a sharp checkmate in the roll bookà ¢â‚¬  implying that school was more like a chore. Once they checked one thing off the list, another one was right there to follow.Sotto helps us see the type of teenager the character is. He brings us back into a school hallway where we hear the tuba sound for the sports pep rally. Once everyone leaves for the rally, the only people left in the hallway are the burnouts and loners. The ones with â€Å"poor grades† and â€Å"unwashed hair†, the ones similar to our character. It Is Saturday now and the character and his friend decide to go watch the water at the canal. They don't talk much but they do walk around â€Å"hurling large rocks at the dusty ground. † Our mall character tells us that they both felt awful about a postcard from San Francisco.It was their dream to get there by any means necessary, to â€Å"hitchhike under the last migrating birds† was even an option for them. This line shows how desperate they were to move forward with their lives. F or these friends, the most fun they have on a Saturday is walking by a canal throwing rocks. They wanted to move to the big city where there were big opportunities. Moving to San Francisco for these two would mean they could escape their hum- drum lives. They wanted be able to learn guitar from people who knew more than three chords.They wanted to become the rock stars they have always dreamed of. They were good kids because they didn't want to become the typical rock stars that sit around smoking and drinking. They Just wanted to be rock stars that get up on stage with their long hair and rock out with their guitars. After they are done fantasizing, reality sets back In. They realize they are still stuck in this little Podunk town of theirs. They dream about the idea of leaving but then the water â€Å"white-tipped but dark underneath, racing out of town. This line shows owe much they new the water in the canal and how they wish they could race out of town as easily as it does. Th roughout the poem you get the feeling, that ever since the boys were young they wanted to become rock stars. Unfortunately, something was always holding them back from pursuing their dreams. They originally hoped that by seventeen they would be in San Francisco rocking out but when they got to that age they slowly started to realize they were never going to fulfill that dream. Now they Just go back to the canal and watch, with new and Jealously, as the water runs out of town.

Explore the Way Poets Portray Love in La Belle Dam Sans Merci with Reference to 5 Other Poems

Core Texts: La Belle Dame Sans Merci. A Ballard – John Keats Sonnet 116 – William Shakespeare My Last Duchess-Ferrara – Robert Browning Illumination Texts: Sonnet 18 – William Shakespeare Valentine – Carol Ann Duffy Porphyria’s Lover – Robert Browning In the above poems love is presented in 3 very different ways, twisted and false love, typically romantic forbidden love, and unchanging love. Twisted and controlling love is a theme that can be seen in some of Robert Browning’s poetry. My Last Duchess† is a dramatic monologue written in 1842 by Robert Browning. It is written in 28 rhyming couplets, with iambic pentameter, which dominates the poem. The conversational flow of the poem is created by making caesura and enjabment. The enjambed lines may indicate control that the speaker is exerting on the conversation and give the feeling that the speaker is rushing through parts of the poem, possibly smimming over the parts the show him in a unflattering light.When the Duke speaks of the death of his wife, for example, the lines running over suggest that he is nervous about the subject and is nervous of whether he is revealing too much about his envolvement and the caesuras also suggest to the reader that he is hiding something or that he is pausing to carefully think about his phrasing. However, perhaps on reflection, he then boast of his envolvement in line 45 – ‘i gave commands’ possibly showing his character as fake and mysterious, untrustworthy.We know that the Duchess died suspiciously and that the Duke is in the process of looking for a new wife, and suggesting he disposed of his old one. He is speaking to a messenger about a painting of his now deceased Duchess. The Duke, of course, is casting himself in a favorable light and is presenting his best side. He wants to make it look as if his wife was cheating on him and was unfaithful to him, showing he is not trust worthy. He is v ery controlling, and could not control her and her smiles or looks – line 24 – ‘too soon made glad, too easily impressed’.This smile was what the Duke likes the most about the painting of the Duchess–he feels that the painter accurately captured the smile and the ? ‘spot of joy’ in the Duchess. Now that the Duke owns this painting and has placed it behind a curtain, he can at last control who is graced with her smile. ?  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   When the Duchess was alive, the Duke could not control her smile and love for life and he considered her unfaithful. Other aspects of the Duke that remain unclear include his true character and his true feelings for the Duchess, whether he really ever loved her or not, remain unknown.As mentioned, he is presenting his best side, but through his speech the reader sees how he is very jealous and controlling, which leads one to believe that he may have many dishonorable qualities. With such a negative descri ption of the Duchess, suggesting she was unfaithful and lacking in refinement, it raises questions about the Duke’s true feelings for the Duchess. This is where the idea of twisted and false love. We question whether the Duke ever loved the Duchess or whether she was just another object for him to control and toy with for his own personal enjoyment and not becasue of true love for his wife.This twisted and somewhat controlling love can be seen in another of Browning’s poems. In both Porphyria's Lover and My Last Duchess, Browning describes a man who responds to the affection of a woman by controlling and ultimately killing her. Each monologue offers the speakers' reasons for his actions towards the desired woman from subject to his object. For example, we have already seen in My Last Duchess, the Duke may have murdered his wife out of jealousy, but decides to keeps a portrait of her behind a curtain so none can look upon her smile without his permission.Similarly in Po rphyria's Lover, the man wishes to preserve a single perfect moment between himself and Porphyria and so he kills his lover and sits all night embracing her carefully arranged body, as to enjoy the control he used to preserve the moment. In Porphyria’s Lover the man seems to become convinced that Porphyria wanted to be murdered, and claims â€Å"No pain felt she† while being strangled, adding, as if to reassure himself â€Å"I am quite sure she felt no pain. † Sonnet 116 portrays a stark contrast to the twisted and controlling love of My Last Duchess.The main theme of this poem is unchanging love, that love can weather any storm and overcome adversity. The sonnet comprises of 3 quatrains with a new thought at the start of it, with a couplet at the end. each idea in a quatrian is linked, with the help of the steady ABAB rhythm, however it is kept fresh and light with the inclusion of halft rhymes. Sonnet 116 is about love in its most ideal form. It is praising th e glories of lovers who have entered into a relationship based on trust and the understanding that trials and tribulations are a part of relationship.The first four lines reveal the poet's pleasure in love that is constant and strong, and will not â€Å"alter when it alteration finds. † It describes love as it ‘looks on tempest and is never shaken’ meaning that no matter what life presents, love can and does remain strong. it enstills a hope in love and relationships. The poet goes onto proclaim that true love is indeed an â€Å"ever-fix'd mark† which will survive any crisis. Through to line 10 we see the poet explain the physical changes that can occur suring relationships, but reassures that ageing, death and physical appearance will not phase death, descrbing love as a ‘bending sickle’.The remaining lines of the third quatrain (9-12), reaffirm the perfect nature of love that is unshakeable throughout time and will remain so â€Å"ev'n to t he edge of doom†, ie death. It also points out that those who find true love, don’t realise how much enrichment. The poet reminds us that love’s ‘worth [is] unknown’, meaning that love can give you strength you never had or knew existed. In the final couplet, the poet declares that, if he is mistaken about the constant, unmovable nature of true love, then he must take back all his writings on love.Moreover, he adds that, if he has in fact judged love inappropriately, no man has ever really loved, in the ideal sense that the poet professes and that his words are untruthful. This sonnet does not use as much romantic and poetic language as some of his othger sonnets, for example Sonnet 18. The reason for this, is to symbolise the reality of a relationship. sometimes it isnt always chocolates, roses and romantic poems. Often true love and real relationships has ups and downs, but one resounding idea is that features in this sonnet is that true love isnâ €™t easy, but ‘alters when alteration finds’ and ‘is ever fixed’.Valentine by Carol Ann Duffy, like Sonnet 116, is a poem that portrays love in its rawest form, without the extraneous poetic gestures of love, and instead focusing on a realistic view of love and its hinderances. In the poem Duffy suggests these normal, cliched gestures of love are meaningless and instead gives her lover an onion instead of a rose – ‘I give you an onion'. Duffy looks at the ways an onion is suitable for showing love. She tells her lover what an onion will do for him and uses the onion as symbol. The onion could represent patience, discovery and tears.The onion represents the tough side of love and the truth about love. The demure and almost humble description of the onions outer skin described as ‘ the moon wrapped in brown paper’ evokes the idea that love may seem boring when you first experience it, but if you take the time to look beneath the so calle dboring exterior, there is a inner beaty and radiance. This is realised with the word ‘light’, referrin to moon light. The imagery used in this poem is poetic, yet still holds true to the style of Sonnet 116, ie realism. The moon, may promise light – but doesn’t always deliver.Duffy appears to be warning of trusting too much in the promises of romantic partners. ‘The careful undressing of love’ may reveal a person’s true character and motives under the veneer of romantic vows, again critising the cliche romantic type. ?The poet goes on to cleverly create an image of tear-filled eyes – ‘It will blind you with tears like a lover. It will make your reflection a wobbling photo of grief. ’ Here she refers to the stinging, burning properties of onions, using a technique which causes readers to try and visualise seeing through tear-filled eyes by the use of language such as ‘blind,’ ‘tears,â€⠄¢ ‘reflection’ and ‘wobbling. These words all evoke memories of trying to view images through tears. She likens stinging hurts caused by insensitive loves and the blurred vision and sore eyes caused by crying and emotional pain to those created by an onion. La Belle Dame Sans Merci. A Ballard is portyas perhaps the most classically romantic type of love. Often passionate, poetic and short lived, this type of love is well represented in this poem, although it does have many interpretations. The style and language of the poem is very romantic, while theme can be interpretted as forbidden love.In the poem a young knight meets a beautiful woman, who is so described as ‘ a faeries child’. This description immediately gives us the impression that this young woman is not of the mortal world. There are many stories surrounding relationships between mortals and immortals, and they are often thought to be forbidden. The barrier between these two worlds often l eads to unhappiness as the immortality of one partner creates problems in the relationship in many myths for example Persephone and Hades.The first glimpse we get that the relationship between the knight and the fairy may be forbidden is when the poet says ‘she wept and sighed full sore’ – line 30. It is possible that the fairy is weeping as she knows the realtionship is doomed from the start, that the couple cannot stay together, as the crossover between mortal and imortal world is precluded. She may be powerless to stop the fate of the knight, and is feeling guilty for what she imposed on the knight.As the fairy is unable to help him escape his fate, she tries to comfort him as best she can, – line 33- ‘and there she lulled me to sleep’. As he sleeps the knight is shown the fate of a man like him, one who has had this fate placed upon him. he is not quite sure if it is a dream, or if he has entered his fate, shown by the constant switching o f scenery, from lakeside to hillside -lines 40-44. This dream like state relays back to the romantic love and the idea of dreams, beautiful fairies and other worlds were all romantic ideas, common at the time.This romantic, poet desciption of the knights lover, scenery and dreams are not dissimilar to one of the most famous sonnets. In Sonnet 18 the poet begins by asking whether he should compare â€Å"thee† to a summer day. He says that his beloved is more lovely and more even-tempered. He carries on, saying that everything beautiful eventually fades by chance or by nature’s inevitable changes. Coming back to the beloved he writes about, though, he argues that his or her summer won’t fade nor will his or her beauty fade away.Moreover, death will never be able to take the beloved and concludes that as long as humans exist and can see, the poem will live on, allowing the beloved to keep living as well. This poem is has the classic romantic and poetic language, th e best instance being the comparison of the subjects beauty to the transient beauty of nature, as the lady in La Belle Dame Sans Merci, is described in realtion to nature. However the poet goes on to argue that the subjects beauty is the opposite to natures, as summer can be too hot and short etc – ‘summer’s lease hath all too short a date’.