The Clever Apprentice

Shakespeare’s Sonnets: Time and Decay

Eventually, time and decay effect everything. Shakespeare uses this theme in many of his sonnets. The sonnets give no hint of an afterlife and express that nothing survives time. Shakespeare used numerous methods to depict this theme including personification, metaphors and similes. Even though Shakespeare says that time destroys everything, he also addresses how to “defeat” time to a degree. One way to “defeat” time is to marry and have children. A person’s offspring will in some measure carry him or her on throughout time. Shakespeare also believed that poetry is immortal and those who are featured in them will be also. He offers this immortality to his friend and the dark lady. This paper will examine the theme of time and decay in sonnets 15, 18, and 73.

In sonnet 15, Shakespeare writes about the changes that people go through and maturity. In it the sonnet states that perfection only lasts for a little time. He writes, “When I consider every thing that grows holds in perfection but a little moment…” (lines 1 -2). He compares men to plants and says that they display themselves at the height of their perfection and then are slowly forgotten. In other words life is like a flower that blooms. It bursts out with beauty and then time and decay cause it to slowly wither away to old age and death. In the last couplet of the sonnet, Shakespeare gives his friend a way to win the war with time and decay and implant his beauty again. The way offers this is to be featured in his poetry. What better way to “live on” then to be read about for centuries?

The cycle of the year is used to describe life in sonnet 18. Spring equals youth, summer equals maturity and perfection, fall equals middle age and winter equals old age. Shakespeare writes “Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day? Thou art more lovely and more temperate…And summer’s lease hath all too short a date…” (lines 1,2 and 4). He is saying to his friend that he is in the height of his perfection right now, but it will not last for very long. Again towards the end of the sonnet he tells him that he shall conquer time and decay by being immortal in his poetry “But thy eternal summer shall not fade…When in eternal lines to time thou grow’st” (lines 9 and 12).

Sonnet 73 is a little different because Shakespeare is making a plea to the dark lady because their love is dying. The whole sonnet has indications of fall such as “That time of year thou mayst in me behold when yellow leaves, or none, or few, do hang…” (lines 1 and 2). This is making use of the cycle of the year again and he is expressing that he is in middle age and soon approaching twilight or death

“In me thou seest the twilight of such a day

As after sunset fadeth in the west;

Which by and by black night doth take away,

Death’s second self that seals up all in rest.” (Lines 5-8)

He is saying that he is past his moment of perfection and that death will come soon. Time and decay have started to affect him. In the last couplet of the sonnet he states that the dark lady should value him more because he won’t be here for long, instead of forgetting him because he is no longer in his moment of perfection.

Shakespeare used the theme of time and decay frequently in his sonnets. He states that everything has a brief moment of perfection, which is it’s maturity, and then slowly withers and dies away. He uses many different ways to get this point across including the comparison of life to a year and a day. Shakespeare also tells of how time and decay might be “defeated”. He gives this “immortality to his friend and the dark lady through the written word.

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Just about everyone knows what his or her birthstone is.
Why is that? Because people still enjoy the folklore associated with the tradition of the birthstone. They like believing that wearing a birthstone brings them good luck and protects them.

Early civilization as far back as the Assyrians (1400 BC) invested rare and beautiful gemstones with magical properties. Some minerals were thought to contain a force or possess certain values and powers. For instance, amethyst was said to prevent intoxication.

Tradition associates a gem with each sign of the zodiac based on a color system. Color was thought to unleash the power attributed to the stone.

In time, birthstones became associated with calendar months rather than the zodiac. And people began to select birthstones in colors other than the original.

The Roman, Arabic, Jewish, Polish, Russian and Italian lists were all different.

The following list of birthstones, which is the one commonly used today, was adopted in 1912 by the American National Association of Jewelers, which later evolved into the Jewelers of America.

January — Garnet
February — Amethyst
March — Aquamarine
April — Diamond
May — Emerald
June — Moonstone
July — Ruby
August — Peridot
September — Sapphire
October — Opal or Tourmaline
November — Yellow Topaz or Citrine
December — Sky Blue Turquoise or Blue Topaz

Julie Lee is a web designer and founder of Julie’s Jewelry Design, LLC. Julie’s Jewels is a Texas based retail jewelry company specializing in high quality, affordable jewelry pieces created to be treasured for a lifetime.

Dei Decumani "Bed & Breakfast derives from 2 Apartments in an ancient palace of the XVIII C. located in via Duomo, the real core of historical centre.
Furnished in modern style with vanguard elements full of leading colours but always with great sobriety, the Structure offers a warm and welcoming atmosphere, guaranteeing a pleasant stay and finest balance quality price.

At only 10 meters from Via Tribunali the road of Decumano Maggiore that together with the Decumano Superiore and Inferiore, constitutes the original nucleus of the Greek Neapolis.
The Structure’s name was given to reconfirm the essential value of these three very important arteries of highest historical interest, also for the presence in this area of the main churches of the city, such as Basilicas of San Lorenzo and San Domenico Maggiore, the Sansevero Chapel with the Sammartino’ sculptural work "Veiled Christ", the church of San Paolo and the picture gallery Pio Monte della Misericordia with the Caravaggio’s marvellous painting "Seven acts of Mercy ", Duomo with the Museum of the Treasure of San Gennaro, Naples Basement and the Conservatory of San Pietro a Maiella. An essential route on foot, very interesting and indispensable for the tourist who wants to experience the ancient and mysterious spirit of the city.

Position and main distances
In the Historical Centre, at only 100 Mt. from the famous Duomo of St. Gennaro.
The central Railway Station with the Circumvesuviana for Pompeii and Sorrento, in Piazza Garibaldi, at 1 Km.
Highways with the Ring road only 1 Km.
The Underground (station Piazza Cavour) at 400 Mt.
The Harbour Molo Beverello with hydrofoils and ferries for the islands only 1 Km.
Capodichino Airport 4 Km.

Services and Rooms
Private baths (with shower)
Air conditioning
TV
Reception- Desk 24 hours
Breakfast served in room
Luggage deposit
Private garage

Quality at a cheap price in Naples? Book online and save your money: browse our list of Naples cheap hotels, or compare price for Naples hotels, or make a reservation for a tour in Naples

The Kindergarten Graduation Packages are the ones that are very much important in giving a child the much-needed motivation. The small children like the rewards and enjoy happy moments more than the adults enjoy; they also have the happy moments of the childhood for a long time. It is best if we make them feel the ecstasy in studying. The preschool graduation package offers the best thing to your child as they make him happy by proclaiming him to be an achiever with all add-ons like preschool cap and gown.

Make your child Happy!

The kids should love their studies and at any point of time, should not feel that the studies are parts of boredom. To instill this frame of mindset in the early age, one has to make the child feel happy about the studies. Any child is happy when he is given praises and offered a high-dignified position, treating him like an achiever. This is what the preschool graduation package offers. The blend of happiness and satisfaction that the child would experience cannot be obtained again. These are once in a lifetime events and such occasions are to be made most use of.

The Graduation Packages

The Kindergarten Graduation Packages offer the preschool caps and gowns and other additions like parchments, medallions etc. Imagine the happiness that will be experienced by the kid when he is offered new attire that is so special looking, and all of them around him are just mesmerized at seeing him. This is the occasion, which will motivate the kid. He thinks that the studies he has done are important and are brings him the much-needed attention.

The other thing that is important about the packages is that the gowns, caps, medallions are all just indicators of achievement for us, but for the children they are their achievements. They would like to have them forever. Such a thing actually is no bad thing, as the child will remember the day when he was the center of attraction and will be motivated to be so by studying still better in the schools. More often, we see some kids refusing to go to school simply because they hate the school atmosphere.

If you have just done the right thing in making the kid feel happy at school by recognizing his miniscule achievements and motivate him to continue the better habits of his, then no child would hate the school, instead would long for going to school. In addition, the most effective tool for doing this is Kindergarten Graduation Package

Leo
Some tragic news hits you hard and makes you re-evaluate your entire life. Use this opportunity to think long and hard about the direction you are taking. It’s also a great excuse to spend a small fortune on getting absolutely slaughtered down the pub using the old ‘drowning your sorrows’ chestnut. Out of all bad there comes some good eh?

Virgo
A really dull month for you Virgoans, or whatever you’re called. With little money, your friends all away on holiday and no Countdown on the telly anymore, why don’t you turn your boredom into something constructive and……I dunno……invent a new board game or something. What do you mean it’s a rubbish suggestion? I’m doing my best to help! I’m just an astrologer - I’m not Jim’ll bloody Fix It you know!!

Libra
Something will happen with something. For even more information on what the coming month has in store for you, why not phone my new premium rate telephone number at the bottom of the page! (Calls charged at just £3.50 per minute)

Scorpio
Isn’t the famine in Africa terrible? All those poor little kids with flies all over them wearing the clothes that we wore back in the 80s. It’s time to do something about it. Why not arrange a concert in a London Park, invite the world’s top musical acts, screen the whole event on worldwide TV and maybe do the same in other major countries around the world? Either that or go through your wardrobe pulling out the stuff you wouldn’t be seen dead in and take it down to Oxfam.

Sagittarius
Some unexpected news will put you in a situation where you have to make a major decision. Take your time and do what I do - think, ‘what would Brian McFadden do?’ Try and imagine yourself in Brian’s position under the same circumstances. How would he handle it? What would he be thinking? Just keep Brian in your heart and mind and you’ll come out of this ok.

Capricorn
A chance meeting with an old flame brings all those old feelings flooding back and before you know it, the pair of you will be at it like Jude Law with his child care staff. Just remember though that Jude is rich and attractive - you are neither and when your partner finds out what you’ve been up to, you’ll be single and penniless for ever. So make the most of your chance encounter and phone my new premium rate ‘How To Have Mind Blowing Sex’ advice line at the bottom of the page. (Calls charged at just £3.50 per minute)

Aquarius
The coming month sees the start of the new football season. My charts indicate that some Aquarians can’t wait for it whilst some can. They also indicate that it’ll be a good season for Arsenal, Chelsea or Manchester United or maybe Liverpool and that the Spice Girls may or may not get back together. Get yourself down to the bookies now!!

Pisces
You have to start cutting people a bit of slack. You have very high standards and expectancy levels and people are sometimes going to fall a little short. You have to bear this in mind - particularly when watching the new Ricky Gervais comedy series. It was never gonna be as good as the Office was it? Although it’s still quite funny isn’t it? What about the bit in the first episode with the bloke with the big shoe? Ha! Never gonna win a Golden Globe though is it?

Aries
Just like the animal of your star sign, the ram, it’s the time of the year when you may well be pondering getting a hair cut. With all the Aries in the country rushing out to get their hair cut at the same time, no wonder they call it ‘barber queue season’. Geddit? Ha! I’m bloody wasted here!

Taurus
For the last 3 months, your life has found new meaning. You’ve had something to do every night and you’ve got to know lots of new people. For the first time in memory, you’ve not been lonely. Your previously sad and pathetic existence has had a purpose. All that though is about to come to a grinding halt at the end of August. To help cope with this earth shattering trauma, why not phone my new premium rate ‘How To Cope When Big Brother Ends’ helpline listed at the bottom of the page. (Calls charged at just £3.50 per minute)

Gemini
The star sign Gemini is named after Terry Nutkins’ seal that used to appear on Animal Magic back in the 1980s. And just like the pop singer Seal, your career could disappear into oblivion this month if you don’t watch your back at work. Someone is out to get you. For Seal, it was Robbie Williams who came along, took over the charts and wrecked his career. So just watch out. He might seem like a cheeky chappy from Port Vale with some big tattoos, but he’s out to get ya! Robbie that is- not Terry Nutkins. Although apparently Terry does have a big tatoo saying “Club The Seal” on his midriff.

Cancer
I think there’s something wrong with these bloody star charts. That forecast I’ve done for Gemini is just total and utter blimmin’ nonsense. But it can’t be my charts. They’ve never been wrong yet. It must be…..the stars themselves! Oh my god! I don’t like the way they’re aligning. Something terrible is going to happen! Don’t go out this month! Not just you Cancerons….or whatever you’re called. Everyone! Stay in doors and keep them locked. The last time the stars were aligned like this The Krankies had their own prime time TV show and Les Dennis was considered one of the best up and coming comedy talents in the country! Noooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Your stars are available via http://www.24-7london.co.uk. They are written by a variety of people under the guise of ‘Septic Peg’. 24-7 London is an online entertainment guide to London, England with a sense of humour.

One month after being cleared of sex assault charges, Michael Jackson’s latest album, The Essential Michael Jackson, has flopped. In the first week of its release only 8000 copies were sold. At this pace it will take nearly one hundred years to equal his most popular album, Thriller, which has sold 40 million copies. Jackson may have been cleared of all charges, but his fans aren’t buying his product. Is this a portent of things to come? Let’s look at some of the reasons why Michael Jackson may be long “past peak” when it comes to entertaining in the US.

The Michael Jackson Trial got the attention of Americans in the first half of 2005 as the drama was played out nightly on cable news shows. Indeed, it seemed as if CNN and Fox News were battling to be the first one to bring the latest and greatest information to viewers. Finally, in June, the verdict was in: not guilty. The Jackson legal team breathed a sigh of relief and pundits predicted that Jackson would recover over the next year.

So, why has The Essential Michael Jackson flopped? Certainly it isn’t because of the quality of the songs which include Jackson 5 favorites: “Rockin’ Robin”, “Ben”, and “ABC” as well as “The Girl is Mine” recorded with Paul McCartney and and “I Just Can’t Stop Loving You” with Seidah Garrett. True, it does not contain new material, but the song list should be popular enough to grab the attention of Jackson devotees. It hasn’t. More than likely there are other reasons why it is a slow seller including:

1. The Trial. Jackson may have been cleared of all charges, but this is the second time he has been raked through the coals over alleged behavior. Whether you believe him to be guilty or not, all the publicity did nothing but hurt Jackson. Additionally, the trial just got over…why didn’t record producers wait six months or more to release this album? Oh yeah, someone has to pay his legal bills!

2. Changing Tastes. American music tastes change quickly. What was acceptable a few years ago is not necessarily acceptable today. In Europe, Jackson’s music is still widely accepted. Hmmm… me thinks that Germany or France may put up with him.

3. The Weird Factor. Okay, I have to mention it. Jackson just looks weird. Compared to when he was a kid and also a young adult, Jackson looks nothing like he used to look. Is he white? Is he black? Is he male? Is he female? These are some of the questions asked by fans and followers. Weirdness sells…to a point. Track the career of Boy George for comparison purposes.

Personally, I think Jackson was guilty of at least some of the charges and I believe that many fans think the same way. You can be a very good singer, but after awhile fans will tire of all the negative attention and go elsewhere. Witness O.J. Simpon’s life post trial and you can expect Jackson to have a similar fate.

Unless, of course, Michael Jackson moves to Europe.

Matt writes on a variety of topics as well as designs and manages web sites. Please visit The Article Writer to preview his portfolio.

Chamonix village is a stunning place with the towering Mont Blanc and jagged glaciers. Everyone like to go parapenting or from time to time eating out. I sometimes catch a plane from Alexander City and stay at a Chamonix self catered chalet during my holiday.

My friends and I used to visited Sheraton Ontario Airport Hotel but it rarely lived up to its its advert: One mile from the Ontario airport, the Sheraton is in the heart of the Inland Empire, close to the most popular shopping and tourist attractions. Hotel facilities include the Orchid Grill and Lounge, an outdoor pool, and fitness center. Services include a concierge, free parking, and complimentary airport shuttle. The hotel is 35 miles from Knott’s Berry Farm and 40 miles from Disneyland.

On the other hand in Chamonix Haute Savoie France the catered chalet is always excellent. Moreover dining out in our groups favorite cafe, Capital Express, munching pineapple supreme pound cake is a real treat. Chamonix is a large enough village to guarantee that there is lots of things for the snowboarder to do. With a beauty salon and a plethora of night-clubs, Chamonix offers a combination of skiing, alpine charm and shopping which not many French ski resorts can match.

King Ludwig II of Bavaria, named after his grandfather, was born in Nymphenburg Castle outside Munich on August 25, 1845 and was the eldest son of King Maximillian II and Queen Marie. As a boy, Ludwig’s favourite time of the year were the summer holidays spent at the Royal Castle Hohenschwangau which his father restored between 1832 and 1836.

In 1858, at the age of thirteen, Ludwig was introduced to Wagner’s opera - Lohengrin, the story of which centres around the heroic medieval Swan-knight Lohengrin, by his governess. The young Ludwig instantly fell in love with its concept and it was the begining of a life long love with all of Wagner’s works. It was not long before he was acquiring and reading every book written by Wagner. On February 2nd, 1861, Ludwig attended his first Wagner opera - Lohengrin, the Knight of the Swan which left a lasting impression on the young Prince.

In March of 1864, his father died at the age of 53 and Ludwig, at the age of eighteen, became King Ludwig II. With in days of coming to the throne a young and impressionable King ordered his officials to seek out Wagner and bring him back to Munich, taking it upon himself to become Wagner’s patron. He settled his debts, and set him up comfortably in an Italianate-style villa.

Munich society began to grow weary of Wagner’s arrogance and were also increasingly jealous of his hold over their young King. Eighteen months after his arrival, Wagner left Munich for Switzerland and Ludwig fled to Hohenschwangau. The one person that brought joy into his life had been taken from him.

In 1866 war broke out between Austria and Prussia in what became known as the Seven Weeks War. Because of her strong links with Austria, Bavaria was drawn into the conflict on the Austrian side. In a secret treaty King Ludwig II placed the Bavarian army at the disposal of the Prussian General Staff.

Ludwig was to marry in August of 1867 but he was unhappy with the relationship so changed the date to October 12th, which incidentally was the date that both his grandfather and father married. Ludwig was very unsettled at the prospect of marrying and as such voiced his apprehension to his Court Secretary, confessing that he would rather drown himself than marry. He wrote to Wagner “Oh, if only I could be carried on a magic carpet to you . . . at dear, peaceful Tribschen (Lucerne, Switzerland.) - Even for an hour or two.

In November, King Ludwig II broke of his engagement fleeing to his beloved Alps. He wrote to Wagner from Hohenschwangau on 21 November, 1867; “I write these lines sitting in my cosy gothic bow-window, by the light of my lonely lamp, while outside the blizzard rages. It is so peaceful here; this silence is stimulating, whereas in the clamour of the world I feel absolutely miserable. “Thank God I am alone at last. My mother is far away, as is my former bride, who would have made me unspeakably unhappy. Before me stands a bust of the one, true Friend whom I shall love until death. . . If only I had the opportunity to die for you.”

It was at this point that Ludwig began to plan and build his castles. The task of being king was becoming a heavy burden. He had at the age of only 20, sent thousands of his countrymen to fight in the Seven Weeks War. Two years after his failed romance, Ludwig again had to send his countries men into battle. This time it was against the French in what became the Franco-Prussian War. From then on Ludwig withdrew into himself and into a world of make-believe. The plans for both Neuschwanstein and Linderhof originated from this time in his life (1869).

Ludwig was a changed person. He went from a slender youth to a huge man in just a few years, spending all his time in the mountains at Hohenschwangau and Linderhof as well as his small mock-Gothic castle at Berg, beside Lake Starnberg. He refused any contact with his ministerial staff and sought only the companionship of the mountain people. The only time King Ludwig II ventured out of the mountains and into Munich was at the annual investiture and banquet given in the Residenz for the Knights of the Order of St. George, Bavaria’s highest Order of Chivalry which Ludwig was the Grand Master.

Shortly after Prussia’s victory in the Franco-Prussian War, Bismark sought Ludwig’s approval for Bavaria to enter a unified German Empire with Prussia as leader. After several days, Ludwig succumbed and wrote a letter inviting Wilhelm II to become Emperor of a united Germany. King Ludwig II handed over his beloved Bavaria, becoming a lonely figurehead in a constitutional monarchy. Life had dealt Ludwig blow after blow and it was these events that were the root of his seclusion and alleged “madness”. With his world falling apart around him King Ludwig II withdrew from it into a world of his own making.

I hope you have enjoyed reading about King Ludwig II.

In my next article will learn about the life of Queen Mary I of England or as she was nicknamed “Bloody Mary”.

Until then,

Best wishes and have a great day

Stuart Bazga

A Guide to Castles of Europe

A Guide to Castles of Europe was born from childhood dreams and aspirations. It is my hope to educate and stimulate you into exploring these castles for yourselves.

ARTHUR KOESTLER:

Humanitarian, historian and scientist are just a few of the labels associated with this most excellent man of letters. Here is a quote from his book The Act of Creation.

“The oldest and most fundamental of all tricks is to disguise people in costumes and to put them on a stage with masks or paint on their faces; the audience is thereby given the impression that the events represented are happening here and now, regardless of how distant they really are in space and time. The effect of this procedure is to induce a lively bisociated condition in the minds of the audience. The spectator knows, in one compartment of his mind, that the people on the stage are actors, whose names are familiar to him; and he knows that they are “acting” for the express purpose of creating an illusion in him, the spectator. Yet in another compartment of his mind he experiences fear, hope, pity, accompanied by palpitations, arrested breathing, or tears — all induced by events which he knows to be pure make-believe. It is indeed a remarkable phenomenon that a grown-up person, knowing all the time that he faces a screen onto which shadows are projected by a machine, and knowing furthermore quite well what is going to happen at the end–for instance, that the police will arrive just in the nick of time to save the hero– should nevertheless go through agonies of suspense, and display the corresponding bodily symptoms. It is even more remarkable that this capacity for living in two universes at once, one real, one imaginary, should be accepted without wonder as a commonplace.” (3)

Author who hopes he will be regarded alongside Koestler someday.

Though the Property Index is only a rather young firm, (they were established only in March of 2007), they have advanced to expert status very quickly. On closer look, they’re a extraordinarily easy-going firm entirely concentrated on servicing every customer who is designing to rent real estate assets just about anywhere. What they avow to do is assist you discover exactly what’s called for very swiftly plus, of course, without pain.

Property is available for the asking in a wide selection of areas across the globe now, probably the elite area being estate for sale in Spain. It’s easy as pie to write up the fun realty available for sale in Spain, one argument for picking real property here being a combination of the houses and apartments available and the phenomenal opportunity to live surrounded by such a pulsating, eager and bouncy population.

It is one of the truly fashionable countries now, and with the beauty and wonderful sunshine surrounding you, how can you go wrong? Property in Spain is very rich in history, culture and art, this area of the world has long been home to a number of sophisticated nations.

Some 30 years back you would find merely a trickle of Englishmen looking for realty in Spain. Ask any one person who has chosen to remove to Spain and they’ll be sure to confirm this. Many would will see it as a craze and others will see it as a as something approaching an infatuation… Shoppers intent on relocating here range from young urban professionals looking for some new challenge to senior citizens meaning to slow down and enjoy themselves.

Note that you may have to wrestle with a few hitches when buying realty overseas — you’ll have to cover 100s of procedures be it when working out a plan, calling in or signing the documents. If you only miss but a single minor action this is certain to initiate insurmountable hitches plus, of course, even more important, loss in financial terms.

Naturally, as is to be presumed with this trendy region, realty might well be expensive in this destination which is basically a result of the top market demand. However, the homebuyer is indeed spoiled in a place full of happy geography and scenery. It’s really got the whole enchilada a patron could really hanker for, and plenty more.

Property Index are specialists for property in Spain, view the site to see the different properties.