5 Tips About Writing with Rhythm

5 Tips About Writing with Rhythm 5 Tips About Writing with Rhythm 5 Tips About Writing with Rhythm By Mark Nichol Think of all the things you do each day, including mundane tasks like getting dressed, cooking meals, and speaking to other people. They all involve patterns or random sequences of ebb and flow: rhythm. Writing is like that, too. Just as with any other activity, rhythm in writing can occur automatically, but it’s improved by conscious attention. Here are five tips for enhancing your writing by attending to rhythm. 1. Alternate Sentence Length Vary the word count for your sentences not mathematically, not analytically, but naturally, organically. Introduce a comical character with a statement that resembles a clumsy person stumbling down a stairway then bring the headlong descent to a sudden stop with a concise comment. Describe a tortuous bureaucratic procedure with a run-on-and-on sentence, and then figuratively snap your fingers at it with a brusque reaction. For inspiration, listen to a musical composition, noting the variety of measures. Do the same with recordings of speeches or comedy routines, and with scenes from films or television programs (fact and fiction alike) and, of course, with fiction and nonfiction writing. 2. Relocate Words and Phrases English is a flexible language. Exploit that fact. Though parts of speech have set interrelationships, the relative positions of words representing the categories are negotiable. Shift words and phrases around until the parts of a sentence seem to fall into their preordained places. How? Read your writing aloud, of course. Note, too, that writers are inclined to introduce the most important element of a sentence at the beginning; the key component should be provided early on, right? Wrong. Where does the punchline go in a joke? Correction: When you tell a joke, where’s the punchline? (Doesn’t that revision read more smoothly?) 3. Embrace Sentence Fragments The law against incomplete sentences was repealed a long time ago. A very long time ago. As a matter of fact, there never was such a regulation, except in the hidebound handbooks of grim grammarians. No kidding. People speak in sentence fragments and incomplete sentences all the time, and although writing, except for the most informal prose, should reflect a more carefully constructed communication, in all but the most formal writing, judiciously employ truncated statements. Over and out. 4. Match Rhythm to Mood Let the length and rhythm of a sentence match the mood you wish to impart. A description of a beautiful landscape or an account of a rapturous experience should cascade like a rippling waterfall or undulate with the peaks of valleys of sensual imagery. Longer sentences punctuated with alliteration and assonance and laced with metaphors evoking physical sensations will help readers immerse themselves in the places and events you describe. Conversely, the sentence structure describing a sequence of events in a thriller or a passage detailing an exciting incident is probably most effective in brief bursts of short, simple words. 5. Apply Tension and Release Many musical compositions are paced on the principle of building up to peaks of stress or emotion and a counterpointing relief from that ascent. Writing benefits from the same approach to carrying the reader along on waves of tension and release. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Fiction Writing category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:100 Exquisite AdjectivesGrammar Quiz #21: Restrictive and Nonrestrictive Clauses20 Classic Novels You Can Read in One Sitting

Battle of Saylers Creek in the Civil War

Battle of Saylers Creek in the Civil War Battle of Saylers Creek: Conflict Date: The Battle of Saylers Creek (Sailors Creek) was fought April 6, 1865, during the American Civil War (1861-1865). Armies Commanders Union Major General Philip H. Sheridanapprox. 16,000 men Confederate Lieutenant General Richard EwellLieutenant General Richard Andersonapprox. 11,500 Battle of Saylers Creek - Background: In the wake of the Confederate defeat at Five Forks on April 1, 1865, General Robert E. Lee was driven out of Petersburg by Lieutenant General Ulysses S. Grant. Also forced to abandon Richmond, Lees army began retreating west with the ultimate goal of re-supplying and moving south into North Carolina to join with General Joseph Johnston. Marching through the night of April 2/3 in several columns, the Confederates intended to rendezvous at Amelia Court House where supplies and rations were expected. As Grant was forced to pause to occupy Petersburg and Richmond, Lee was able to put some space between the armies. Arriving at Amelia on April 4, Lee found trains loaded with munitions but none with food. Forced to pause, Lee sent out forage parties, asked the local populace for aid, and ordered food sent east from Danville along the railroad. Having secured Richmond and Petersburg, Grant tasked Major General Philip Sheridan with leading the pursuit of Lee. Moving west, Sheridans Cavalry Corps and attached infantry fought several rearguard actions with the Confederates and rode ahead in an effort to cut the railroad in front of Lee. Learning that Lee was concentrating at Amelia, he began moving his men towards the town. Having lost his lead on Grants men and believing his delay to be fatal, Lee departed Amelia on April 5 despite securing little food for his men. Retreating west along the railroad towards Jetersville, he soon found that Sheridans men had arrived there first. Stunned as this development precluded a direct march to North Carolina, Lee elected not to attack due to the late hour and instead conducted a night march to the north around the Union left with the goal of reaching Farmville where he believed supplies to be waiting. This movement was spotted around dawn and Union troops resumed their pursuit (Map). Battle of Saylers Creek - Setting the Stage: Pushing west, the Confederate column was led by Lieutenant General James Longstreets combined First and Third Corps, followed by Lieutenant General Richard Andersons small corps, and then Lieutenant General Richard Ewells Reserve Corps which possessed the armys wagon train. Major General John B. Gordons Second Corps acted as the rear guard. Harassed by Sheridans troopers, they were also closely followed by Major General Andrew Humphreys II Corps and Major General Horatio Wrights VI Corps. As the day progressed a gap opened between Longstreet and Anderson which was exploited by the Union cavalry. Correctly guessing that future attacks were likely, Ewell sent the wagon train along a more northern route west. It was followed by Gordon who was under pressure from Humphreys approaching troops. Crossing Little Saylers Creek, Ewell assumed a defensive position along a ridge west of the creek. Blocked by Sheridans cavalry, which was approaching from the south, Anderson was forced to deploy southwest of Ewell. In a dangerous position, the two Confederate commands were nearly back-to-back. Building up strength opposite Ewell, Sheridan and Wright opened fire with 20 guns around 5:15 PM. Battle of Saylers Creek - The Cavalry Strikes: Lacking guns of his own, Ewell was forced to endure this bombardment until Wrights troops started advancing around 6:00 PM. During this time, Major General Wesley Merritt began a series of probing attacks against Andersons position. After several small-scale advances were turned back, Sheridan and Merritt increased the pressure. Advancing with three cavalry divisions armed with Spencer carbines, Merritts men succeeded in engaging Andersons line in close combat and overwhelming his left flank. As Andersons left disintegrated, his line collapsed and his men fled the field. Battle of Saylers Creek - The Hillsman Farm: Unaware that his line of retreat was being cut by Merritt, Ewell prepared to engage Wrights advancing VI Corps. Moving forward from their position near the Hillsman Farm, the Union infantry struggled across rain-swollen Little Saylers Creek before reforming and attacking. In the course of the advance, the Union center outdistanced the units on its flanks and took the brunt of the Confederate fire. Wavering, it was driven back by a small Confederate force led by Major Robert Stiles. This pursuit was halted by the Union artillery (Map). Battle of Saylers Creek - Lockett Farm: Reforming, VI Corps again advanced and succeeded in overlapping the flanks of Ewells line. In bitter fighting, Wrights troops succeeded in collapsing Ewells line capturing around 3,400 men and routing the rest. Among the prisoners were six Confederate generals including Ewell. As Union troops were achieving victory near the Hillman Farm, Humphreys II Corps closed on Gordon and the Confederate wagon train a few miles north near the Lockett Farm. Assuming a position along the eastern rim of a small valley, Gordon sought cover the wagons as they crossed the Double Bridges over Saylers Creek at the valley floor. Unable to handle the heavy traffic, the bridges caused a bottleneck leading to the wagons stacking up in the valley. Arriving on the scene, Major General Andrew A.  Humphreys II Corps deployed and began attacking around dusk. Steadily driving Gordons men back, the Union infantry took the ridge and the fighting continued among the wagons. Under heavy pressure and with Union troops working around his left flank, Gordon retreated to the west side of the valley having lost around 1,700 captured and 200 wagons. As dark descended, the fighting petered out and Gordon began retreating west towards High Bridge (Map). Battle of Saylers Creek - Aftermath: While Union casualties for the Battle of Saylers Creek numbered around 1,150, the Confederate forces engaged lost around 7,700 killed, wounded, and captured. Effectively the death knell of the Army of Northern Virginia, Confederate losses at Saylers Creek represented approximately a quarter of Lees remaining strength. Riding out from Rices Depot, Lee saw the survivors of Ewells and Andersons corps streaming west and exclaimed, My God, has the army dissolved? Consolidating his men at Farmville early on April 7, Lee was able to partially re-provision his men before being forced out by early afternoon. Pushed west and eventually cornered at Appomattox Court House, Lee surrendered his army on April 9.

Common Sense Notions of Political Action and Power Essay

Common Sense Notions of Political Action and Power - Essay Example g whether it be on certain issues or the election of a representative, starting a petition on a certain issue, sending a message through social media, or participating in a committee. Therefore, taking these definitions and examples into account it would be safe for us to assume that there are two groups of people involved in the political action process. The first group is the one that is seeking to send out a message and the second group is the one who will receive the message. In fact, according to Micheal Kaulbars (2009), a trained research biologist who is very active on environmental and social justice issues, the standard model of political struggle includes two groups; the activists and the target. In this model he describes the activists as the group of people who use protests, petitions, hunger strikes, and other forms of campaigning techniques to directly influence their target’s behavior. The target in response to these actions creates counter groups and media camp aigns to influence the activist’s behavior. Kaulbars (2009) criticizes this model of political action as being ‘too’ simplified. In fact, this standard model is a perfect description of the â€Å"common sense† notions surrounding political action. According to him, this model is unsuccessful at explaining political action because the activists described rarely have enough power to make a difference. Hence, now that we know a little more about political action we must analyze what part it may play in the running of an organization? In fact in order to understand an organization we must look at it as a political system (Management Consulting Courses, n.d). To elaborate on this further we must redefine politics in relation to an organization. In an organization, politics are a means to recognize and reconcile conflicting interests between individuals. This makes sense as organizations; especially large ones are made up of a number of very diverse individuals which will no doubt translate into diversity in interests and agendas. Hence, it is safe to say that organizations create an environment that is perfect for political action. In fact, according to Ammeter et al., (2002), there are three basic levels of political action in organizations; individual, coalition and network. At the individual level leaders try to influence individuals in the organization through one-on-one relationships. Furthermore, at the coalition level, coalitions are formed by leaders through convincing peers, subordinates and other members in the organization to join a force in order to pursue common interests. Lastly, in the network level, individuals and groups are tied together into an interconnected system. Therefore, we may look at the networking level as a result of the individual and the coalition level. First individuals are influenced which leads to the formation of groups eventually leading to the formation of a network. To elaborate further on political action