Comment on the structure of the poem "On His Blindness."

Milton's poem "On His Blindness" was first published in 1673, twenty-one years after the poet lost his sight completely. The poem is written as a Petrarchan sonnet, which means that a problem is posed in the first eight lines, or octet, and a solution is proposed in the final six lines, or sestet.
The problem posed in the octet is that the speaker fears that he will not be able to serve God now that he has lost his sight. He needs his sight to be a writer, and to praise God through his writing. The speaker asks himself, "Doth God exact day-labour, light denied?" In other words, the speaker worries that God will demand, or exact work from him that he is no longer able to produce because he is now "light denied."
In the octet, the speaker offers his own solution to the problem when he reminds himself that God is pleased not necessarily by the works of man, but rather by those "who best bear (their) mild yoke." In other words, God is pleased when people bear their burdens with grace and patience, "who only stand and wait." The speaker is thus satisfied, at the end of the poem, that he serves God well simply by bearing his blindness with grace and patience.

What kind of look does Nick think Tom gave him?

Breathing Underwater by Alex Flinn is a Young Adult novel that examines the main character the abusive relationships the main character, Nick, has with his father and with his girlfriend, Caitlin. At the beginning of the novel, Caitlin takes Nick to court for slapping her. Nick claims that it was just a slap and that he didn't hurt her, but as the story continues, the reader finds out just how abusive Nick was.
Nick's best friend Tom, who got Caitlin and Nick together in the first place, takes Caitlin's side and, for most of the novel, refuses to talk to him. In their first meeting at school after the court case, Nick says Tom sees him, and, "for a second, I think he'll smile, say hello, like maybe things will go back to normal." Instead, though, Tom puts his arm around Caitlin and tells her that he won't let Nick hurt her.
In the second meeting, Nick says Tom stares at him in Spanish class. Nick is looking at some old pictures of him and Tom on holiday and passes them onto Tom. At the end of the class, however, Tom gives them back to Nick. Nick says, "But I think I see something in his face . . . Like maybe he's sorry we're not still friends?"
At the end of the book, Tom finally forgives Nick after Caitlin tells him how abusive Nick's father is to him. Tom asks Nick why he didn't tell him earlier, and Nick infers that Tom is some kind of snob: "Tom looks at me like I loogeyed in his face." Eventually they make up, and by the end of the novel, they are best friends again.

Discuss the most important works by Ernst Theodor Wilhelm Hoffman.

German Romantic author, composer, music critic, and artist Ernst Theodor Wilhelm Hoffman (E. T. A. Hoffman) lived from 1776 to 1822. Recognized as a pioneer of the fantasy genre with a predilection for the macabre, Hoffman’s literary influence has been far-reaching and has left its mark on such literary giants as Poe, Dickens, and Baudelaire. Along with the German Romantics of his era, Hoffman believed that Rationalism put the imagination under threat—and his writing delves deeply into the wanderings of the imagination. But Hoffman’s important works are not limited to literature. He is also recognized for his musical compositions and works for the stage.
In terms of literature, some of his most famous writings include The Nutcracker and the Mouse King, a novella on which Tchaikovsky’s ballet The Nutcracker was based. His novella The Golden Pot: A Modern Fairytale is regarded by scholars as perhaps his finest tale and one of the masterpieces of Romantic literature. “The Sandman” is a very influential science-fiction short story and one of the first in its genre.
Tchaikovsky’s ballet The Nutcracker is based on a retelling of Hoffman’s original story by Alexandre Dumas. Dumas lightened up what was a much darker tale. In Hoffman’s original version, the protagonist, a girl named Marie, decides to remain in her fantasy world and is thus liberated from the constraints of the real world.
The Golden Pot: A Modern Fairytale is the third volume in Hoffman’s anthology Fantasy Pieces in the Manner of Callot (Callot was an artist who created etchings in the Baroque style). The Golden Pot follows the extraordinary and enchanted adventures of an awkward student, Anselmus, in Dresden. Hoffman wrote this remarkable story as a mental escape from the terrible conditions of Dresden while he lived there, at a time when the battles between Napoleon and the Allies (Prussia, Austria, and Russia) left their scars on the city.
Hoffman’s short story “The Sandman” is the first in a book of stories entitled The Night Pieces. Told through a series of letters, the story takes a traditional character from folklore, the Sandman, and creates a frightening and psychologically dark twist so original and notable that Freud famously referred to it in one of his lectures.

How did French and Indian War lead to the American Revolution?

The French and Indian War was largely caused by competing claims over land in North America between the French and English, as well as the encroachment of English settlers into the area that is now Ohio. This encroachment led to French expeditions to reassert control.
France attacked first and the colonies responded, ultimately requiring England to intervene with additional soldiers and supplies. The war itself nearly doubled the English national debt and left England looking for ways to increase revenue. It sought to do this through additional taxes on the American colonies, which proved to be unpopular and led to some unrest. England's response was to send in troops to reassert control, but this move gave more traction to the revolutionaries and ultimately led to the Revolutionary War.

What do you think it means to have a family-centered approach where teachers “use the strengths of parents to help educate their children”?

The family-centered approach to education involves the active involvement of parents in the child’s educational process and learning. In fact, parents and teachers are considered equal partners in the process. The educator’s input is respected, but the educator relies on family involvement to gain an understanding of the child’s family relationships and routines. Then, the educator can use approaches to learning that are specifically suited to the child, based on his or her family dynamics and previous learning experiences.
Proponents of the family-centered approach to learning consider parents the experts in their children’s lives. Thus, they believe that parents are in the best position to make decisions about their children’s learning. Understandably, the amount of participation a family chooses to give or is able to give varies considerably. Thus, family-centered education is highly flexible. When carried out effectively, it provides an individualized and more integrated learning experience for the child, as it capitalizes on a family’s strengths and promotes continuity between family and school life.

Do you believe Coates's statement in Between the World and Me about learning the language? Why or why not?

Between the World and Me was written by Ta-Nehisi Coates. Street smarts are a very valuable quality, and while growing up in Baltimore as a young man, Coates rightfully learned the language that he needed to learn to survive in his environment. His language allowed him to have a shot to avoid being targeted by cops and drug dealers, and it also allowed him to feel a little less vulnerable to the elements, even though it masked his true sense of vulnerability. So learning the language of the mean streets of the city seems to be very useful for a black youth who is developing his own identity while struggling to survive.
Coates couldn't speak their violent language initially, which revealed his weakness openly, and he therefore couldn't effectively defend himself against attacks. When Coates was in school one time, a kid pulled out his gun on Coates, put it back in his pocket, and then showed it to Coates again to scare him. That experience alone taught Coates to try to be tough, as well as the importance of learning the language. And learning that language of toughness seems beneficial for someone who is trying to grow up in Baltimore as a black youth.

Explain the role of knights in medieval society.

Knights were part of the second estate, the members of the noble class who owned land and were welcome and sometimes required in courts. Since they owned land there was a certain power behind them, and of course, they were the warriors who fought in wars. For a man to become a knight he would have needed to have some wealth already; knights had to acquire their armor, horses, and weapons themselves, and poor-quality armor, weapons, or animals could have easily meant their lives. Medieval times had a fairly cut-and-dry society: the first estate consisted of clergymen like priests, the second estate consisted of the landowners and nobles, and the third estate essentially ensured the first two estates were well cared for. Knights had peasants of the third estate to work on their land. Although this arrangement did leave a certain obligation for the knights to protect and care for the people working on their land, knights are said to have exploited peasants for their labor, rent, agricultural products, and other necessities.
Ultimately, each estate or class had its own very clear and known part to play to keep society in order and functioning like a well-oiled machine. As warriors with noble titles, knights were part of the second estate.