Here's something I wrote while deeply bored some time ago. As you can imagine, I'm still desperately bored - too bored even to blog propely, though I've started posting again over at CTS. I had a volume of Hardy and a cup of tea to hand when I wrote it.
The first type of simile simply tries to invoke some genuine quality of a real object through reference to another object. The relevant cliché is “as hot as an oven”. With these “concrete” similes, the danger for the writer is that cliché is difficult to avoid; exaggeration also creeps up on you. But the possibility is always there for a simple simile of this type to contain other, hidden meanings or connotations. Take this example from Thomas Hardy’s poem ‘The Clock Winder’: “It is as dark as a cave”. Nothing too complicated there, the image is clear, the reference, obvious. But think for a while on the nature of caves. Claustrophobic, tapering into ancient rocks, the home of unknown streams, stalactites and stalagmites, the origins of human civilisation, hidden realms. The darkness of the very ordinary night Hardy is explaining now takes on a more psychological aspect. The depth of similes such as these is, of course, entirely up to the writer. But writers and students should be encouraged to think very carefully about the objects they choose to place into their similes.
The second type does the same thing, but invokes non-existent objects that people are nonetheless familiar with. For example: “Quick feet as light/As the feet of a sprite” from the poem ‘Signs and Tokens’. It is easy to see the reference, even though there are (as far as we know) no such things as sprites. The word “sprite” itself has become almost a metaphor for quickness and lightness. With this kind of simile a writer can convey some sense of numinosity or give an ethereal atmosphere to a scene or idea. A clichéd example of this type would be something like, “She looked like an angel”. A better one would be this, from Hardy’s poem ‘Apostrophe to an Old Psalm Tune’, “..sweet as angels’ laughters”.
The third type of simile intends to reference the object or quality only vaguely or slightly to anything, and is instead a satire, or a play with language for its own sake. This is exceptionally difficult to write appropriately. Most usually it is done to make the reader question the writing process and think about the difficulty of communication. It is mainly associated with modernist and post-modernist writing. An example would be “The years were like the cries of children”, in which a sense of fear is invoked, but otherwise the similarities are slight or non-existent.
These types of simile can also be adapted, extended or cut. Often a writer will slide the usual expressions into “hot like an oven” or “oven-hot” or “with the heat of an oven” or some other phrase. To avoid cliché and extend the image – though this has to be done with caution – a writer might take a simile like “she looked like an angel” and change it to “she looked like an angel, full of its sadness for humankind” – the idea being to give the object of reference more detail in order to make the image more complex. In the following quotation Hardy doubles his simile to give it more shades of meaning:
From tides the lofty coastlands screen
Come smitings like the slam of doors
Or hammerings on hollow floors
(from ‘The Wind’s Prophecy’)
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Eye know you got a bad tattoo
This gem was sent to me by a reader. Thanks! I love the "painterly" style.
If anyone knows what's going on here, please let me know!
And this one... yeesh! It has everything! Spraypaint, tears, a rose, eyes... I wonder what the sad story behind it is.
Clinton: Russia sees Iran threat
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has told the BBC that Russia now recognises the threat posed by Iran.
Wrapping up a European tour in Moscow, Mrs Clinton said Russian leaders had in private said they were ready to act if Tehran did not meet its obligations.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Tuesday that sanction threats against Iran were counter-productive.
Iran denies Western allegations it is trying to build the bomb under cover of a civilian nuclear energy programme.
Mrs Clinton told the BBC on Wednesday that Russia in the past six months had "moved tremendously" to acknowledge the threat of Iran's programme.
She said Russian officials, in private talks, had recognised the need to act if diplomacy failed.
"We are in total agreement on all of that," Mrs Clinton told the BBC.
"And we are also in agreement that if our diplomatic engagement is not successful then we have to look at other measures to take, including sanctions to try to pressure the Iranians."
As a permanent UN Security Council member, Russia would need to back any fresh sanctions against Iran.
Iran agreed at a meeting in Geneva at the start of this month to allow UN inspectors into a previously undisclosed nuclear site near its holy city of Qom, and to send low-enriched uranium abroad for enrichment to a higher level.
Mrs Clinton acknowledged to the BBC that Tehran had bought itself more time with this move.
But she said Tehran had also made commitments which the Russians and the Chinese now expected them to fulfil.
Putin absent
The US secretary of state could not meet Russia's key decision-maker, Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, as he was visiting China.
Later, she headed for Kazan, the capital of the religiously and ethnically diverse region of Tatarstan, east of Moscow.
Her five-day European trip has included stops in Zurich, London and Belfast.
Earlier, Mrs Clinton urged Russia to respect human rights and democracy.
She was pressed by reporters on the failure of the Russian authorities to find the killer of journalist Anna Politkovskaya, and on the imprisonment of ex-tycoon Mikhail Khodorkovsky.
"I think we want the government to stand up and say this is wrong," she told Moscow radio station Echo.
US President Barack Obama, who met Mr Medvedev in July, has pledged to reset relations with Russia.
A month ago, following the revelations about Iran's second uranium enrichment facility at Qom, the Russian president said his government might ultimately accept further sanctions as inevitable.
Mr Obama, for his part, has met a key Russian demand to scrap plans to deploy interceptor missiles in Poland and a radar station in the Czech Republic as part of a US missile defence system in Europe.
The US administration insisted it did not expect concessions in return.
But US officials have called on Russia to support, or at least not oppose, the idea of the UN Security Council imposing tougher sanctions on Iran if it fails to live up to its international obligations.
The council wants Iran to end uranium enrichment and has approved three rounds of sanctions - including bans on Iran's arms exports and all trade in nuclear material.
SOURCE : BBC
Wrapping up a European tour in Moscow, Mrs Clinton said Russian leaders had in private said they were ready to act if Tehran did not meet its obligations.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Tuesday that sanction threats against Iran were counter-productive.
Iran denies Western allegations it is trying to build the bomb under cover of a civilian nuclear energy programme.
Mrs Clinton told the BBC on Wednesday that Russia in the past six months had "moved tremendously" to acknowledge the threat of Iran's programme.
She said Russian officials, in private talks, had recognised the need to act if diplomacy failed.
"We are in total agreement on all of that," Mrs Clinton told the BBC.
"And we are also in agreement that if our diplomatic engagement is not successful then we have to look at other measures to take, including sanctions to try to pressure the Iranians."
As a permanent UN Security Council member, Russia would need to back any fresh sanctions against Iran.
Iran agreed at a meeting in Geneva at the start of this month to allow UN inspectors into a previously undisclosed nuclear site near its holy city of Qom, and to send low-enriched uranium abroad for enrichment to a higher level.
Mrs Clinton acknowledged to the BBC that Tehran had bought itself more time with this move.
But she said Tehran had also made commitments which the Russians and the Chinese now expected them to fulfil.
Putin absent
The US secretary of state could not meet Russia's key decision-maker, Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, as he was visiting China.
Later, she headed for Kazan, the capital of the religiously and ethnically diverse region of Tatarstan, east of Moscow.
Her five-day European trip has included stops in Zurich, London and Belfast.
Earlier, Mrs Clinton urged Russia to respect human rights and democracy.
She was pressed by reporters on the failure of the Russian authorities to find the killer of journalist Anna Politkovskaya, and on the imprisonment of ex-tycoon Mikhail Khodorkovsky.
"I think we want the government to stand up and say this is wrong," she told Moscow radio station Echo.
US President Barack Obama, who met Mr Medvedev in July, has pledged to reset relations with Russia.
A month ago, following the revelations about Iran's second uranium enrichment facility at Qom, the Russian president said his government might ultimately accept further sanctions as inevitable.
Mr Obama, for his part, has met a key Russian demand to scrap plans to deploy interceptor missiles in Poland and a radar station in the Czech Republic as part of a US missile defence system in Europe.
The US administration insisted it did not expect concessions in return.
But US officials have called on Russia to support, or at least not oppose, the idea of the UN Security Council imposing tougher sanctions on Iran if it fails to live up to its international obligations.
The council wants Iran to end uranium enrichment and has approved three rounds of sanctions - including bans on Iran's arms exports and all trade in nuclear material.
SOURCE : BBC
UK sends 500 more to Afghanistan
They will be sent as long as they have the necessary equipment, if other Nato allies boost their troop numbers and more Afghan soldiers are trained.
He earlier paid tribute to each of the 37 British service personnel killed in Afghanistan since the end of July, among the 221 who have died since 2001.
There are currently about 9,000 UK troops stationed in Afghanistan.
There are also 150 reserve troops in the country which the Ministry of Defence said would be available for further temporary deployments.
'Solemn moment'
Mr Brown devoted two minutes at the start of prime minister's questions to reading out the names of all those who had died in Afghanistan since Parliament rose for the summer recess.
Describing it as a "solemn moment" for Parliament and the country, he said their sacrifices would not be forgotten.
While nothing could "erase the pain" of bereaved families, Mr Brown added that they could be proud of the actions of their loved ones and know that their "influence" would live on.
In a statement later, Mr Brown said he was prepared, in principle, to send an extra 500 troops to Helmand Province in southern Afghanistan - where Nato troops are fighting fierce battles with the Taliban - in response to military advice.
Mr Brown said the troop reinforcements - which would increase overall UK troop numbers to 9,500 - were conditional on three factors.
The prime minister said he needed to be sure the troops had the equipment and training necessary to perform the tasks asked of them.
He said two additional Merlin helicopters would be sent to Helmand in the near future and that more armoured vehicles and other specialist equipment would be provided to counter the threat of roadside bombs.
He also insisted Nato countries must bear their "fair share" of the mission by sending more troops of their own and the Afghan government had to be prepared to substantially increase their own troop presence in Helmand.
'Safer Britain'
Only if he received such guarantees, Mr Brown said, would he be able to "justify" sending more troops.
However, Mr Brown defended the UK's continued presence in Afghanistan, saying a "safer Afghanistan was a safer Britain".
"When the safety of our country is at stake, we cannot and we will not walk away," he said. "We have the right strategy and we will see it through."
Conservative leader David Cameron and Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg also paid tribute to those who had lost their lives.
However, they later raised issues with the prime minister about aspects of the Afghan war and support for British soldiers.
Mr Cameron said the military covenant with British troops needed to be "fundamentally re-examined" with more resources provided for helping badly injured troops with their rehabilitation.
He also said it was "totally unacceptable" some troops were not properly prepared for going to Afghanistan, mentioning the case of a Territorial Army soldier he said had told him he was not getting full training or pay.
Mr Brown said he was "determined" to ensure the armed forces received all the support they deserved and said he was confident that troops in Afghanistan were "properly resourced".
Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg welcomed the supply of more helicopters but said there must be be a "radical" change of strategy in Afghanistan with more emphasis on political reconciliation.
The UK has the second-largest contingent after the US.
The BBC's defence correspondent Caroline Wyatt said: "The prime minister will want assurances from military chiefs that the extra troops will be properly equipped.
"He'll also expect Britain's Nato partners to follow suit by offering more forces themselves."
Nato defence ministers are likely to discuss troop reinforcements at an informal meeting in Slovakia next week.
US President Barack Obama is currently considering a request by General Stanley McChrystal, the commander of international forces in Afghanistan, for up to 40,000 more international troops.
British forces have been in Afghanistan since October 2001, with more than two-thirds stationed in Helmand.
Military commanders have said extra troops are needed to build on the progress of this summer's Operation Panther's Claw, in which UK forces helped to expel insurgents from key areas but sustained heavy casualties in the process.
The question of troop numbers in Afghanistan has become highly politicised in recent months.
The ex-head of the Army, Sir Richard Dannatt, has claimed that No 10 turned down a request to send up to 2,000 more troops earlier this year - a suggestion Downing Street has denied.
Former defence secretary John Hutton said on Wednesday that it would have been "helpful" to have sent the extra troops six months ago.
Gordon Brown says the UK will send 500 more forces personnel to Afghanistan - but only if key conditions are met.
Over 40 countries contribute forces to the international mission in Afghanistan. Isaf has full details of current contributing nations.
SOURCE : BBC
He earlier paid tribute to each of the 37 British service personnel killed in Afghanistan since the end of July, among the 221 who have died since 2001.
There are currently about 9,000 UK troops stationed in Afghanistan.
There are also 150 reserve troops in the country which the Ministry of Defence said would be available for further temporary deployments.
'Solemn moment'
Mr Brown devoted two minutes at the start of prime minister's questions to reading out the names of all those who had died in Afghanistan since Parliament rose for the summer recess.
Describing it as a "solemn moment" for Parliament and the country, he said their sacrifices would not be forgotten.
While nothing could "erase the pain" of bereaved families, Mr Brown added that they could be proud of the actions of their loved ones and know that their "influence" would live on.
In a statement later, Mr Brown said he was prepared, in principle, to send an extra 500 troops to Helmand Province in southern Afghanistan - where Nato troops are fighting fierce battles with the Taliban - in response to military advice.
Mr Brown said the troop reinforcements - which would increase overall UK troop numbers to 9,500 - were conditional on three factors.
The prime minister said he needed to be sure the troops had the equipment and training necessary to perform the tasks asked of them.
He said two additional Merlin helicopters would be sent to Helmand in the near future and that more armoured vehicles and other specialist equipment would be provided to counter the threat of roadside bombs.
He also insisted Nato countries must bear their "fair share" of the mission by sending more troops of their own and the Afghan government had to be prepared to substantially increase their own troop presence in Helmand.
'Safer Britain'
Only if he received such guarantees, Mr Brown said, would he be able to "justify" sending more troops.
However, Mr Brown defended the UK's continued presence in Afghanistan, saying a "safer Afghanistan was a safer Britain".
"When the safety of our country is at stake, we cannot and we will not walk away," he said. "We have the right strategy and we will see it through."
Conservative leader David Cameron and Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg also paid tribute to those who had lost their lives.
However, they later raised issues with the prime minister about aspects of the Afghan war and support for British soldiers.
Mr Cameron said the military covenant with British troops needed to be "fundamentally re-examined" with more resources provided for helping badly injured troops with their rehabilitation.
He also said it was "totally unacceptable" some troops were not properly prepared for going to Afghanistan, mentioning the case of a Territorial Army soldier he said had told him he was not getting full training or pay.
Mr Brown said he was "determined" to ensure the armed forces received all the support they deserved and said he was confident that troops in Afghanistan were "properly resourced".
Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg welcomed the supply of more helicopters but said there must be be a "radical" change of strategy in Afghanistan with more emphasis on political reconciliation.
The UK has the second-largest contingent after the US.
The BBC's defence correspondent Caroline Wyatt said: "The prime minister will want assurances from military chiefs that the extra troops will be properly equipped.
"He'll also expect Britain's Nato partners to follow suit by offering more forces themselves."
Nato defence ministers are likely to discuss troop reinforcements at an informal meeting in Slovakia next week.
US President Barack Obama is currently considering a request by General Stanley McChrystal, the commander of international forces in Afghanistan, for up to 40,000 more international troops.
British forces have been in Afghanistan since October 2001, with more than two-thirds stationed in Helmand.
Military commanders have said extra troops are needed to build on the progress of this summer's Operation Panther's Claw, in which UK forces helped to expel insurgents from key areas but sustained heavy casualties in the process.
The question of troop numbers in Afghanistan has become highly politicised in recent months.
The ex-head of the Army, Sir Richard Dannatt, has claimed that No 10 turned down a request to send up to 2,000 more troops earlier this year - a suggestion Downing Street has denied.
Former defence secretary John Hutton said on Wednesday that it would have been "helpful" to have sent the extra troops six months ago.
Gordon Brown says the UK will send 500 more forces personnel to Afghanistan - but only if key conditions are met.
Over 40 countries contribute forces to the international mission in Afghanistan. Isaf has full details of current contributing nations.
SOURCE : BBC
Hot air balloon catches fire - four Dutch dead
Four Dutch tourists have been killed in a ballooning accident near the city of Yangshuo in South China. A fifth Dutch sightseer, the Chinese pilot and his assistant escaped with minor injuries.
Radio Netherlands Worldwide interviewed Ronald van der Weerd, a Dutchman who works in a local hotel. He has spoken to the Dutch survivor of the accident and has read the statement he made to the police.
Balloon trips are a popular tourist activity in the Guangxi region. Newsline’s Johan van Slooten spoke to Paulien Leisink, Dutch owner of the Giggling Tree hostel in the region. She says this is the first time there has been a serious accident like this. In the past, a few tourists have suffered minor injuries due to rough landings, but she says this is not unusual in the sport of hot air ballooning.
Hotel worker Ronald van der Weerd also confirms that in the eight years he has been going to the area he has never heard of a serious accident. “I always feel safe in the balloons,” he adds.
However, Paulien Leisink says that following the fatal accident, all the local balloon tour operators have cancelled their trips. She expects their trade will be badly affected. “I don’t know if they will ever be allowed to go up into the air.”
Listen to the Newsline interview:
You are missing some Flash content that should appear here! Perhaps your browser cannot display it, or maybe it did not initialize correctly.
Mr Van der Weerd reports that a group of tourists had gone on a sight-seeing trip in three hot air balloons. The balloon involved in the accident was making a normal, controlled landing on a small hill.
“Then things went slightly wrong,” says Mr Van der Weerd. “The basket fell over, which in itself is not very unusual, but somehow or other the burner didn’t go out and something caught fire. The pilot caught fire, and fell out of the balloon along with the assistant and one of the passengers.” As a result, the lightened balloon flew up in the air again
Fire
What exactly followed remains unclear, says Mr Van der Weerd. Eyewitnesses at a distance say the basket caught fire - contrary to earlier police reports, the witnesses say there was no explosion. The remaining four passengers jumped out of the basket. None of them survived the fall. The three who fell out of the balloon on the ground escaped with only scratches or minor burns.
The group on the balloon trip were on a holiday organised by travel company Djoser. The identities of the four people who died - two couples in their fifties - have not yet been released.
The accident took place close to a city popular with tourists, Yangshuo in the region of Guangxi. The area is renowned for its spectacular landscape, and attracts many backpackers. There are daily sightseeing balloon trips for tourists, and in fine weather dozens of balloons take to the air.
The Dutch embassy has sent a team from a nearby consulate to Yangshuo. They will provide assistance to the Dutch survivors and bereaved relatives.
SOURCE : RNW
Radio Netherlands Worldwide interviewed Ronald van der Weerd, a Dutchman who works in a local hotel. He has spoken to the Dutch survivor of the accident and has read the statement he made to the police.
Balloon trips are a popular tourist activity in the Guangxi region. Newsline’s Johan van Slooten spoke to Paulien Leisink, Dutch owner of the Giggling Tree hostel in the region. She says this is the first time there has been a serious accident like this. In the past, a few tourists have suffered minor injuries due to rough landings, but she says this is not unusual in the sport of hot air ballooning.
Hotel worker Ronald van der Weerd also confirms that in the eight years he has been going to the area he has never heard of a serious accident. “I always feel safe in the balloons,” he adds.
However, Paulien Leisink says that following the fatal accident, all the local balloon tour operators have cancelled their trips. She expects their trade will be badly affected. “I don’t know if they will ever be allowed to go up into the air.”
Listen to the Newsline interview:
You are missing some Flash content that should appear here! Perhaps your browser cannot display it, or maybe it did not initialize correctly.
Mr Van der Weerd reports that a group of tourists had gone on a sight-seeing trip in three hot air balloons. The balloon involved in the accident was making a normal, controlled landing on a small hill.
“Then things went slightly wrong,” says Mr Van der Weerd. “The basket fell over, which in itself is not very unusual, but somehow or other the burner didn’t go out and something caught fire. The pilot caught fire, and fell out of the balloon along with the assistant and one of the passengers.” As a result, the lightened balloon flew up in the air again
Fire
What exactly followed remains unclear, says Mr Van der Weerd. Eyewitnesses at a distance say the basket caught fire - contrary to earlier police reports, the witnesses say there was no explosion. The remaining four passengers jumped out of the basket. None of them survived the fall. The three who fell out of the balloon on the ground escaped with only scratches or minor burns.
The group on the balloon trip were on a holiday organised by travel company Djoser. The identities of the four people who died - two couples in their fifties - have not yet been released.
The accident took place close to a city popular with tourists, Yangshuo in the region of Guangxi. The area is renowned for its spectacular landscape, and attracts many backpackers. There are daily sightseeing balloon trips for tourists, and in fine weather dozens of balloons take to the air.
The Dutch embassy has sent a team from a nearby consulate to Yangshuo. They will provide assistance to the Dutch survivors and bereaved relatives.
SOURCE : RNW
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