Modern F. Robert Frost - 1547 Words

David Ahlman Charles Vogel English 2520-601 Due Date: November 9th, 2015 Robert Frost: Modern Multiplicity Robert Frost is a multiple poet. –Louis Untermeyer What is customary and, therefore, stereotypical of modern artistic thought is the belief that only one central meaning can be gathered from any one reading; that these singular interpretations support, give credence and justify hegemonic forces or grand narratives in society. Defining the term â€Å"modern† in his work The Postmodern Condition: A Report on Knowledge, Jean-Francois Lyotard â€Å"designate[s]† this name and movement to â€Å"any science †¦ legitimat[ing] itself †¦ [by] making an explicit appeal to some grand narrative† (xxiii). It is thus to the disgust of postmodernists to find Robert Frost’s name, poems and poetry listed with such a narrow-minded, self-aggrandizing, so-called sophisticated group (like T.S. Eliot, Ezra Pound and Amy Lowell) since Frost was not a poet who believed science and language—nor the source of science and language—to be singular, but rather ulterior, double speaking or multiplicitous. In shor t, Frost believed duplicity or duplicitous interpretations should be drawn out of the reader with the help of the author through the medium of poetic form which, to him, paradoxically eliminates the author’s influence on the reader. A sample of Frost’s multiplicity or multiplicitous form can be extracted from the opening line of one of his last well-known poems â€Å"Directive† whose first line begins â€Å"Back outShow MoreRelatedThe Unique Influence of Robert Frosts Work894 Words   |  4 Pages Robert Frost is a very well-known poet. Many people were and still are influenced by him and his works. There were different things going on in his life that sometimes impacted his writing, but it never changed the result of his fine works. There are several things that make Frost famous and unique from others. Several people were influences in Frost’s life. His father was a journalist but died when Frost was only ten years old. His mother then took the family to Lawrence, Massachusetts whereRead MoreRobert Frost s The Gift Outright 1313 Words   |  6 PagesRobert Frost Emma Ramsey English 6th Hour December 8, 2012 â€Æ' Robert Frost According to PoetryFoundation.org, â€Å"Robert Frost holds a unique and almost isolated position in American letters.† Robert Frost is very popular for his realistic writings of rural life. He was a great poet and was honored frequently during his lifetime. Frost received four Pulitzer Prizes for Poetry and recited his poem, â€Å"The Gift Outright,† at President John F. Kennedy’s inauguration in January 1961 which got him nationalRead MoreRobert Frost Essay1396 Words   |  6 PagesRobert Frost Robert Frost is one of the few twentieth century poets to receive critical acclaim and popular acceptance (Magill 728). His simplistic style appeals to the novice and expert poetry reader alike. Robert Frosts understated emotional appeal attracts readers of all literary levels. Frost develops subtly stated emotions and a clever use of imagery in his poetry. Influences on his poetry include his family, work, and other life experiences (Oxford 267). Frost also works to developRead MoreFrostsMending Wall, By Robert Frost841 Words   |  4 PagesNew England. Frost and his neighbor met every spring to wall along their stone wall and fix any problems with it, this is the exact setting of Mending Wall (History). Frosts neighbor, like the neighbor in the poem, always believed in the same saying good fences make good neighbors. The only major difference between the poem and Frosts actual experiences is that in the poem the farmer and his neighbor had orchards, while Frost had a poultry farm (History). To this day Frost remains one ofRead MoreThe Road Not Taken By Robert Frost1477 Words   |  6 Pages Robert Frost was a poet of the 19th and 20th century and his work had a great influence on the way poets of the future would write. Frost influenced poets through his work that contained simple ideas with deeper meanings. These ideas allowed for a different view on the world. â€Å"The Road Not Taken† was written by Robert Frost in 1916. It was a literary work that displays the way in which Frost saw the world around him. His writing style allowed him to express his feelings towards his environmentRead MoreAnalysis Of The Gift Outright722 Words   |  3 PagesThe Gift Outright Robert Frost describes his love for the New England. The Gift Outright is a patriotic poem. This poem was composed in 1936 and published in 1941, a few months later the United States entered World War 2. In the poem The Gift Outright reveals his patriotic fervor and presents the history of his country since the days of colonialism. Frost uses metaphors, similes, naturalistic diction to address his love for his country and what the soldiers feel. The poem is written in iambic pentameterRead MoreEssay about The Psychology of Robert Frost’s Nature Poetry3064 Words   |  13 PagesThe Psychology of Robert Frost’s Nature Poetry Robert Frost’s nature poetry occupies a significant place in the poetic arts; however, it is likely Frost’s use of nature is the most misunderstood aspect of his poetry. While nature is always present in Frost’s writing, it is primarily used in a â€Å"pastoral sense† (Lynen 1). This makes sense as Frost did consider himself to be a shepherd. Frost uses nature as an image that he wants us to see or a metaphor that he wants us to relate to on a psychologicalRead More Arguing for Authenticity: A Comparison and Contrast of Two American Modern Poets, Robert Frost and Langston Hughes2163 Words   |  9 Pages â€Å"[F]uture commentators on American poetry and political issues will not be able to ignore the †¦ authentic voice of the region,† argues Barry Ahearn, author of the article Poetry: 1900 to the 1940s, which discusses the importance of the author writing about his or her region of choice in their poetry and how it affects their writing (Ahearn 373). Ahearn discusses writers such as Sterling A. Brown, Langston Hughes, H.D. (Hilda Doolittle), Robert Frost, Robinson Jeffers, Edna St. VincentRead MoreAleryani. Coach Will Rikard. British Literature. 25 January1836 Words   |  8 PagesAleryani Coach Will Rikard British Literature 25 January 2017 Robert Frost Inspired by many great ones before him, Robert Lee Frost reached the pinnacle of literary and poetic greatness. He lived a life full of suffering, lost most of his loved ones, and even thought of suicide at one point. He loved one woman for forty years. He suffered from depression when he recited Twilight to her and she demurred him. Robert Frost s aesthetic view on the world in his poem stopping by woods on a snowy eveningRead More An Analysis of Mending Wall Essay2101 Words   |  9 PagesAn Analysis of Mending Wall Robert Frost once said that Mending Wall was a poem that was spoiled by being applied. What did he mean by applied? Any poem is damaged by being misunderstood, but thats the risk all poems run. What Frost objects to, I think, is a reduction and distortion of the poem through practical use. When President John F. Kennedy inspected the Berlin Wall he quoted the poems first line: Something there is that doesnt love a wall. His audience knew what he meant and

The At San Jose State University Music Hall - 1073 Words

This performance was located at San Jose State University Music Hall. Most of the audience wore informal attires(dressed casually). The other audience were members from the San Jose State Symphony Orchestra, SJYCO Senior Youth Orchestra, and Ad Lib Orchestra who wore formal attires. Throughout the concert, I was somewhat a casual listener and mostly a referential listener. I was somewhat a casual listener because I didn’t know the name of the artist or piece, however, I paid attention to the music. I considered myself a referential listener because, while I was hearing the presto tempo and crescendo dynamic, I pictured Mickey Mouse running away from an evil monster. When the tempo suddenly changed from presto to adagio and the dynamic changed from crescendo to piano, I imagined a turn of events. The monster returning to its lair and the darkness fading. Flowers growing around Mickey Mouse. The sun appearing and smiling in the sky. I pictured these memories because ever since I was a kid, I’ve watched black and white Mickey Mouse cartoons with the orchestra music playing in the background. As a result, I was a referential listener. I wasn’t a perceptive listener because this event was my first musical performance I’ve ever attended and I was so into the music. The pieces played in this performance were Humoreske by Bernard Alt, Ecos Armonicos by Craig H. Russell, Concerto Grosso by Ralph Vaughan Williams, Finlandia by Jean Sibelius, Concerto for Bass Tuba by RalphShow MoreRelatedThe Importance Of Knowledge Program836 Words   |  4 PagesImproving the residence hall experience In response to a survey of residence hall students that measured outcomes of activities outside the classroom and inside residential properties, residence hall coordinators created new marketing and communication strategies. One such strategy, the Nighttime Knowledge Series, will engage students on educational topics using infographic displays at nighttime entry points, complemented by timed social media posts. Exam excellence Illinois State students exceeded nationalRead MoreThe Legacy Of The Band By Paul Reed Smith Guitar Hall Of Fame1513 Words   |  7 PagesPopular music with the strum of his Paul Reed Smith guitar. To this day, at age 67 he is still credited with being the first to create music in which â€Å"uniquely blends Latin-infused rock, jazz, blues, salsa and African rhythms.† (Biography, 1) With a net worth of over 40 million dollars he can be described with many professional titles including singer, songwriter, but most widely known as a guitarist for his band Santana. Santana, described as a Latin Rock band was formed in 1966 in San FranciscoRead MoreIt s The Community College Life For Me949 Words   |  4 PagesUpon High School graduation, all of the people you grew up with move on and go their separate ways. Some join the military, some a 4 year university, and some stay home and work. I chose a 2 year college first. I thought that this was the best fit for me due to financial st ruggles, finding a place to live, family health issues and even my own mental health issues. Even though the things you learn inside of the classroom are very important, learning that college will change you, value selfishnessRead MorePinoy Youth’s Preference for Kpop (Korean Pop) Music: How Does It Affect Their Taste for Opm (Original Pilipino Music)?4877 Words   |  20 Pages(Korean Pop) music: How does it affect their taste for OPM (Original Pilipino Music)? 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The event introduced the music and aesthetic of the hippies to a wider audience and inspired thousands of young people around the country to head to San Francisco, someRead MoreRizals Life, Za ide, Chapter 9 - 13 Summary2806 Words   |  12 Pagesof Leitmeritz tohis visitors. The Burgomaster (town mayor) was also amazed by Rizal’s  Ã¢â‚¬Å"privileged talent†. Rizal and Viola visited the historic city of Prague. They carried letters of  recommendation from Blumentritt to Dr. Wilkom, professor in University of Prague. Rizal and Viola visited the  ³Tomb of Copernicus ´ May 20 they arrived at Vienna capital of Austria-Hungary. They met Norfenfals, one of  the greatest novelist iun that time. They stayed at Hotel Metropole. They also meet two of BlumentrittRead MoreThesis: Violence and Mass Communication7788 Words   |  32 PagesBulacan State University- Laboratory High School A Thesis Proposal Presented to Ms. Marjorie Miguel College of Arts and Letters Bulacan State University In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for Communication Arts II For the Degree of Bachelor of Arts in Mass Communication Major in Broadcasting By Calara, Jerica Mae S.P. Mendoza, Justine Mary Robert A. Navalta, Erl Chak S.J. Panti, Jeaneth D.P. Villalon, Maria Neren E. March 2012 BULACAN STATE UNIVERSITYRead MoreDesign - Student Center Case Study and Analysis (Complete)5503 Words   |  23 Pages†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 33 Bubble Diagram †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 34 ------------------------------------------------- Definition A Student Center A  student activity center  (SAC) is a type of building found on  university  campuses. In the  United States, such a building is more often called a  student union,  student commons, or  student center. 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On the other hand, from his motherRead MoreThe Symphony Of The Key Of Change3582 Words   |  15 PagesChristina Cheng Professor Davidson MUSIC 89S: Composers of Influence November 12, 2014 The Symphony in the Key of Change: The Evolving Symphonic Landscape as Beethoven Influenced It The famed American pianist and composer Les Baxter once said, â€Å"Any good music must be an innovation.† Indeed, the works of Beethoven and the successors that he influenced have lived on because they possess a certain quality of enduring musical entrepreneurship. As Beethoven straddled the line between the Classical and

Lifespan Development and Personality Paper free essay sample

Development involves movement from one state to another with the element being change. From the moment we are first conceived, to the day we die, we are constantly changing and developing. Until recently psychologists associated adulthood as a long period of stability followed by a short span of unstable year’s immediately preceding death (Boyd Bee, 2006). The new view is that there are 7 stages: infancy (birth 1), early childhood (2 6), middle childhood (6 12), adolescence (12 18), early adulthood (18 40); middle adulthood (40 60); and late adulthood (60 plus). Each era has a distinct and underlying character of living and each transition causes a basic change in character of an individual’s life, such as career shifts, family. Important changes in development occur in each of these stages which are interpreted to allow an understanding of why a change is occurring. There are three domains of development which are studied in order to understand the age related changes across the lifespan: cognitive, physical and social (Carpenter Huffman, 2010). While some of the changes we undergo are as a result of chance incidents and personal choices, the majority of life changes and stages individual’s pass through are due to biological and psychological heritage. This paper will focus on the infancy stage. Physical Development The speed of physical growth is rapid in the months after birth. In the first few months after birth, infants grow rapidly, gaining nearly one ounce of weight a day and an inch in length each month. Within the space of 2 years, an infant’s body will double in height and quadruple in weight. During infancy bones and muscle also develop quickly. At birth, most bones are soft, pliable and difficult to break. The bones are too small and too flexible to allow newborns to sit up or balance themselves. Calcium and other minerals are deposited into the soft cartilage-like tissues of the young infant causing the bones to harden gradually. In addition to the hardening of bones, the number of bones increases as more develop which become closely interconnected. Muscle fibers become larger and contain less  water whilst stamina improves as the heart gets stronger and the lungs grow. Motor skills advance from simple reflexes to coordinated motor abilities, as the infant progresses from creeping to crawling to walking to running and become able to grasp objects. Neurons grow in increasingly dense connections, becoming coated with layers of myelin, and enabling faster and more efficient message transmission (Feist, 2006). These are many methods and techniques that parents or caregivers can do to stimulate the development of motor, sensory, and perceptual skills in infants. During infancy, motor skills can be developed by incorporate toys into an infant’s daily routine. Toys such as rattles, balls and blocks; anything that they can pick-up, roll, push, allow the infant to explore and figure out what he or she can do. Anything that causes the infant to move, use their hands, feet, arms or legs will aid in the infant learning how to crawl then walk. Infants develop sensory skills by focusing attention on the senses. Taste and smell improve when infants place things in their mouths or by putting things up to their nose. Touch can be developed by allowing the infant to touch an object with different textures, or varying degrees of softness or hardness. Brightly colored toys and lights can aid in visual development. Communication between the caregiver and infant help develop hearing skills as well as playing music. Interaction between a caregiver and an infant aids in the development of the infant’s perceptual skills by playing one-on-one games such as peek-a-boo or moving toys towards and away from them, making them reach for the toy. Cognitive Development Infants take an active role in their cognitive development. The dominant cognitive structures are behavioral schemes that evolve as infants begin to coordinate sensory input (seeing an object) and motor responses (touching an object). Through this integration of sensory and motor skills, the infant is able to obtain information used to construct knowledge of the world. An infant’s mode of thought is very different from that of older children as infant’s problem solving is performed through their actions rather than with their minds. During the first year, two major sensorimotor abilities develop: object permanence and object recognition. Object permanence is the realization that people and objects exist even when they cannot be seen whilst object recognition concerns the characteristics infant’s use to  identify objects such as color, texture and shape. At three months the infant begins cooing and making little sounds such as â€Å"aahh† during conversations with caregivers. By the age of seven months infants are able babble by stringing together consonant-vowel syllables such as â€Å"dadada.† Social, moral and personality development During infancy a baby’s emotional development responses become more developed changing from basic reactions to more complex, self-conscious responses both positive and negative. An infant’s independent behavior increases with parental encouragement in tasks such as feeding, dressing, and toilet training. Infants are able to respond to caregiver’s behavior and trust develops. A development of secure attachment sets stage for childs increasingly independent exploration. Early personality traits, such as introversion and extroversion, develop with infant’s possessing the ability to smile. Language is also an important development. Infants by the age of 1 month have developed different cries for different emotions and needs such as hunger, tiredness, anger and pain. Infants become increasingly aware of their surroundings, especially after 12 months of age. Infant’s gain sense of how to interpret his or her environment through sensory views such as hearing, vision, and communication. When an infant observes another child doing something, depending on the reaction the other child gets from others around him or her, the infant that is observing may try to do similar actions. The infant will then more often than not expect the same type of reaction as the other child received. For example, an infant observes his older siblings playing. He then witnesses one sibling taking a ball away from the other sibling; this then leads him to believe that it is all right for him to take things away from other people. The only way to make him understand that this is not acceptable is to make sure that his siblings are corrected for this type of action and then he too can be corrected when he does this. Theoretical perspectives The social cognitive theory explains how people obtain and maintain certain behavioral patterns (Bandura, 1997) and is perhaps the most influential theory of learning and development with the belief that direct reinforcement cannot account for all types of learning (Kowalski Westen, 2005). Both  the cognitive processing and decision-making skills of the learner are required in order to be effective. Learning as a three way interlocking relationship among the environment, personal factor, and behavior and consists of the three components influencing each other daily. Therefore, according to this theory an individual’s behavior is dynamic and a consequence of the continuous interaction between the person, past events, and the current environment. Thus, describing this learning theory as an internal process that can be affected indirectly or directly. The social learning theory is perhaps the most influential theory of learning and development. This theory explains how people obtain and maintain certain behavioral patterns, while also providing the basis for intervention strategies (Bandura, 1997). While evaluating behavioral change it depends on the factors of the environment, people and behavior. Although rooted with many of the basic concepts of the traditional learning theory, Bandura believed that direct reinforcement was unable to account for all types of learning (Kowalski Westen, 2005). Bandura’s theory added a social element to learning and behavior arguing that people can learn new information and behaviors by watching other people. Known as observational learning (or modeling), this type of learning can be used to explain a wide variety of behaviors and allows for more of an open-minded point of view as the theory bases learning behaviors on not only a cognitive level of understanding but also a social aspect and determines humans also learn through observation. The power of expectancy is also demonstrated by the fact that intermittent schedules of reinforcement produce behavior harder to extinguish than consistently reinforced behaviors (Kowalski Westen, 2005). Conclusion Virtually all aspects of parenting are linked to the development of children. Children are like sponges when it comes to learning and development in the early stages of their lives. As a parent one needs to be careful to set an example that they would want their child(ren) to follow at all times. Parents can facilitate cognitive development by providing a supportive environment, utilizing social interactions and peer teaching, and helping children see the inconsistencies in their thinking. Families impact the development of children by the way they interact with them. By reading to an unborn child, the child will recognize his or her parent’s voices at a  much earlier age and will therefore, begin talking earlier. Parents can increase a child’s socioemotional development and decrease the likelihood of attachment and separation issues depending on how they respond to their child when they do things such as leave the child with a babysitter or with another person who is not an immediate family member. Parents and older siblings who are actively who are engaged with the child will help the child develop language, social, and emotional skills that are advanced for his or her age. Responsive relationships for infants help build positive attachments that support a healthy social-emotional development with these relationships forming the foundation of mental health. The importance is that families have a direct impact on the development of infants. It can go either way depending on how they interact with the child.

The Impact of YouTube on Popular Culture free essay sample

Popular culture can be defined in various ways. Depending on one’s definition, popular culture can encompass anything from forms of dance to movies on the big screen. Regardless of one’s definition, it is clear that media has a huge role in reflecting and shaping pop culture. YouTube, a popular video hosting website, is playing an important role in defining current pop culture on a global scale. YouTubes focus has always been Broadcast Yourself (YouTube.com). In todays popular culture, broadcasting yourself has become so mainstream that those who do not post videos on the Internet are often put out of social circles. It is possible for a teenager to be shunned and rejected if he or she cannot be found on YouTube. Those that can be found on the video hosting site sometimes post videos of themselves doing extraordinary acts in an attempt to fit in with the crowd or to compete in a game of can you top this? The impact of YouTube has had both positive and negative effects on today’s popular culture. We will write a custom essay sample on The Impact of YouTube on Popular Culture or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page The popular video sharing website has played a central role in creating instant Internet celebrities, promoting musical performers, providing opportunities for political and religious speech, and creating a battleground for issues of censorship, copyright infringement, and privacy rights. All of these phenomena have been the outcome of simply giving people opportunity to post their personal creative expressions in a public forum. YouTube is an outstanding website – and piece of technology – that has radically transformed popular culture and the way we think about broadcasting our voices and our personalities to the world. YouTube has created loads of Internet celebrities, people who become famous when their videos spread like a virus, eventually being viewed by millions. For these users, Internet fame has benefited their lives in truly unexpected ways. An example would be a YouTube user and former receptionist, Brooke Brodack, who was signed by NBCs Carson Daly for an eighteen-month development contract (Hardy). Her comedy video had been viewed by over 45 million people, which led to her discovery and lucrative job offer (Hardy). Another example would be the fictional video blog of lonelygirl15, which gained great popularity and a huge fan base of subscribers. Lonelygirl15 turned out to be the creative expression of three writers. When they were finally discovered, they were offered millions to develop interactive online content (Gannes). Some Internet celebrities posted their videos on YouTube hoping to be discovered, but others like Gary Brolsma, known to many as the â€Å"numa numa guy,† were just posting for the fun of it (Feur and George). Brolsma has since become famous, and his video has become a well known piece of popular culture. Among those hoping to be discovered on YouTube, viewers will find many bands and musical groups who have uploaded music videos of their songs in hopes of building a larger fan base. Bands such as Avenge d Sevenfold have created their own channels, complete with enough songs to fill several albums. Performing artists have also been known to post entire concerts through YouTubes easy to use interface as a way to get their fans hyped for future tours or concerts. The phenomena of bands posting on YouTube is not just an American event. Many foreign music groups have also been spotted throughout YouTubes Music section. European bands such as Epica, Sonata Arctica, and the popular Gothic rock band, Nightwish, have seen their reputation spread like wildfire through YouTube. As these bands tour the globe, fans record videos at concerts, and with the power of technology, upload it directly to YouTube from their Blackberries or iPhones. The power of video sharing has revolutionized the way bands and performing artists get their products to their fans and promote themselves without the aid of recording companies. YouTube has also created an electronic town hall where people can air their opi nions on their governments, the police, or authority in general. Naturally, most of the grievances are negative, blaming the government for all of their problems. Among the negative comments, some might be legitimate because there are certain things the government does not handle well. People have every right to complain, and through YouTube they have a forum when other channels do not work. Of course, some of the complaints are not valid, or perhaps have some validity but are too overwhelming and dramatic. The media coverage of the presidential debates of the 2008 elections were fueled by videos on YouTube – a first in presidential debate history (CNN Political Ticker). While YouTube creates a space for free speech, it is still up to viewers to be thoughtful about the content of what they watch. Besides finding people debating political views, one will also find on YouTube an enormous volume of religious and anti-religious content. With a quick search, the viewer can find v ideo interpretations of the Koran, the Bible, the Torah, or the Book of Mormon. Viewers can also find religious rantings of why each of these texts are superior to the others. Atheists also promote their viewpoints on YouTube, and Christians respond in kind. It is possible to find lengthy video threads of debating videos. One can even find debates between followers of less known deities as seen in the â€Å"Flying Spaghetti Monster vs. Invisible Pink Unicorn† video. YouTube plays an active role in allowing religious people the freedom to broadcast their beliefs, and their opponents to broadcast rebuttals. Naturally, all of this free speech creates controversy. Where there is free speech, it won’t be long before there is censorship, copyright infringement, and legal battles over privacy rights. One clear example that highlights these concerns is the creation of mash-up videos. Mash-up videos are videos created by an author splicing video clips from existing sources wit h audio from other sources. For example, a Harry Potter fan might slice various clips from the many Harry Potter movies that have been released in order to create a false trailer for an upcoming movie. He or she might add cool music to the background or eye-catching titles to grab the audiences attention. He or she might also add fitting voice-overs to compliment the music playing in the background. The video author is creating a new work of art from existing resources, but the controversy comes in because the author has used someone else’s copyrighted work. YouTube has an obligation to remove videos that violate national and international copyright laws. Typically, it is the music companies that have been enforcing their copyrights, so YouTube’s response is often to mute the audio track on a mash-up video. Some cry â€Å"censorship,† but the issues are never quite that simple. Unfortunately, if one tries to use YouTube as source to learn more about what does an d what does not apply as copyright infringement, one will find videos from multiple perspectives on the issue. There aren’t many lawyers who have posted clear instructions for users on this matter. The process of censoring videos on YouTube is also highly subjective. YouTube employees may do some direct observation of user videos, but the website relies more heavily on its users to report suspicious activity. On each video page there is a red flag that displays under the video player that a viewer can click on to flag the video as inappropriate. Clicking on this link will take the viewer to a page where they can explain why they believe the video is inappropriate. The report gets sent to a customer service representative so that it can be investigated. However, if a video gets multiple reports the video may be automatically taken down without investigating the claim. There are many upset YouTube users who claim that their videos were removed even though they were not inapprop riate. These often include videos with religious or political content as well as those that are artistic mash-ups of existing materials. The videos of user complaints can also be found on YouTube. Most recently, YouTube has been policing uploads to cut down on the number of potential copyright infringements. A new uploading technology that they have put in place screens uploads and catches some copyrighted content before it is fully uploaded. When copyrighted content is detected, the upload is rejected. YouTube is applying a technology solution to a problem that was created by technology. The use of the Internet and video sharing websites like YouTube has allowed millions of people to reach larger or more targeted audiences. Some post merely to entertain, others to inform the public about a topic, some to debate critical viewpoints, and some to express their creativity in synthesizing materials to create a new work of art. This has created a number of Internet celebrities, given ba nds a place to test their popularity, allowed political supporters to promote their causes, created space for religious debate, and allowed some to discover their artistic selves. Because YouTube made it easy for people to broadcast themselves, they did. While this has sometimes led to controversy, the website continues to evolve and adapt with the culture, and YouTube is finding innovative solutions while attempting to preserve free speech. Whether one judges the impact of YouTube positively or negatively, the reality is that the video sharing website has become an influential force in today’s society and has forever transformed our options for broadcasting our voices and our personalities to the world.