Delphi Technique of Forecasting Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Delphi Technique of Forecasting - Case Study Example There after results are tabulated and issues raised are identified one by one. This step helps the planner to carefully study the various important issues to be addressed in the next round. It needs to be mentioned here that it is the same questionnaire that is given to all the experts in the panel. These days the questionnaire is sent through mail. Now we come to the second round where the planar tries to hold a meeting with all the experts together and the results of the questionnaire are then return the experts. There are issues where experts agree where as there are some other issues on which they disagree. It is carefully noted by the planner and a general consensus is reached. Finally we come to the third round where the various factors are reevaluated by everyone together and the issues are carefully discussed. In this particular Delphi method group judgments are more important than individual judgments. Information processing. The experts collect the answers in the form of questionnaires and comments. The panel head controls the exchange of ideas among the experts by processing the data and deleting the unnecessary content. Usually the experts engage in disagreements during the panel discussion and hence it has negative effect. Anonymity of participants. ... Regular Feedback: The experts give comments on their own forecasts and it is very much valued by the planner. Anonymity of participants. There is complete anonymity of the participants because the nature of the experts might vary and during the discussion they may try to bully others or some not voice their opinion due to fear of opposition. Role of the facilitator. The role of the facilitator is very important during the discussion among the experts. He interprets the various view points raised by the participants and comes to a conclusion. Uses of Delphi Method in forecasting The Delphi method is very useful in the field of science & technology. Since my organization is into a broadband connection it is particularly very helpful in analyzing the market. The researcher of my organization through his questionnaire has tries to find out the demand of various broadband connection plans across the length and breadth of the country since India has a huge market which needs to be covered by the internet network the feedback given by the participants becomes very valuable to the company. The feedback highlighted various issues on which the experts agreed i.e. the example the different broadband scheme to suit everybody's budget. But they disagreed as to the pricing of the various connection plans. But however a general consensus was reached in the final round and the outcome was positive. The Delphi method however has its drawbacks and may not be always as accurate as it states but the method is not at fault rather the reporting or the interpretation of the feedback taken from the participants may not necessarily give us the true picture as to the future predictions. The

Marketing Myopia and article critiques Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Marketing Myopia and article critiques - Essay Example Levitt spoke of the ‘Error of Analysis’ whereby, the company defines its scope inaccurately and is unable to grow because it has restricted itself. Companies tend to stop growing, not because of fall in demand or increased competition, but because they were mismanaged and failed to realize their own potential and the opportunities that would have come with it had they managed themselves properly and expanded their horizons, instead of having a very myopic view about their business. He gives the example of the railway, which has steadily declined over the years as other vehicles become mainstream transport. This failure is not because the demand for rail travel declined, it is because they had a â€Å"product-oriented instead of customer-oriented† approach (Levitt, 1960). In the same vein, the TV business is bigger than the film business ever was, just because Hollywood restricted itself to movies by categorizing itself as being in the film business and not the ent ertainment business and massively restricting its horizons. To explain the reverse side of the argument, TV is a success story because it has not restricted itself to one category. ... Levitt talks of the ‘Shadow of Obsolescence’ whereby companies stop growing once their products lose the sparkle, this often happens when a specific feature of their product that was supposed to have been bringing in the demand, becomes outdated and easily substituted by competition with time. He gives the example of the dry cleaning industry. Once thriving because it provided an effective way to clean wool garments, the industry is now dwindling as synthetic fibers replace wool, ones which are easier to clean and the dry cleaning industry becomes obsolete due to innovative products such as automatic washing machines. Another mistake is the ‘Population Myth’ whereby companies assume that a growing population is synonymous with a growing market demand and the ‘Idea of Indispensability’ whereby companies think they are safe from competition because their product is irreplaceable. This lulls them into a false sense of security and they end up funct ioning under a complacent strategy. An example of this scenario is the petroleum industry; due to its elaborate success throughout its history the petroleum industry has become complacent in its strategy and assumes safely that as long as the world’s population keeps growing, its customer base will forever increase. Complacency however, makes the industry myopic to the fact that many people are now becoming environment conscious and are interested in adopting alternative forms of energy that do not pollute, unlike petroleum products. Another mistake is due to ‘Production Pressures’, since companies are so engrossed in meeting production quota deadlines they lose focus of their

Industry Forces and the Generic Strategies

Industry Forces and the Generic Strategies Chapter 2 2.0 Literature Review In this chapter, the author will review the literature concerning Michael Porters Five Competitive Industry Forces and the Generic Strategies. This study centres on the housing industry and draws parallels to studies done by others. The author will critically evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of the model. 2.1 Background Numerous studies have been done around the world to develop and market housing projects suitable for different demographic segments. The studies on the Sri Lankan housing market are mostly policy papers/reports, leaving a void in regard to studies pertaining to market strategies and competition. Countries like Singapore and Malaysia have well structured strategies resulting in a vibrant housing market available to all this research will focus on drawing parallels on this subject. (Jones Lang LaSalle, Research Report). The California State has used Porters Five Forces Model to understand the industrys attractiveness and competitiveness. The main trend seems to be the increasing rivalry among firms and the consolidation of capital in the industry (William, Mack, 2005). The author intends to draw parallels to the Sri Lankan context. The literature on gaining competitive advantage at business unit level has been growing over the years and the author has attempted to relate academic theory and the tools and concepts of Porters Five Competitive Forces and the Generic Strategies to finding a winning market strategy for the housing industry in Sri Lanka. Although in the international arena the above models have been used extensively in research on housing industry, no such work exists on Sri Lanka. 2.3 Michael Porters Five Forces Model The Five Competitive Forces and the Generic Strategies model was developed by Michael E. Porter in his book ‘Competitive Strategy: Techniques for Analyzing Industries and Competitors in 1980. Since then it has become an important tool for analyzing an organizations structure and strategic processes. Porters models are based on the need for a corporate strategy to meet the opportunities and threats in the organizations external environment. Competitive strategy should be based on an understanding of industry structures and the way they change (Porter, 1980). The ultimate aim of a competitive strategy is to enable a business to defend against competitive forces or in the alternative influence such forces in its favour. The key is to go below the surface and analyse the resources of each competitor. Analysis of such underlying forces will show the critical strength of firms and clarify areas that yield greater profits and highlight areas that show promise of either opportunities or threats (Porter, 1980). As explained in Figure 3, Porter has identified five competitive forces that shape every industry and market, which determine the intensity of competition and the profitability and attractiveness of an industry (Porter, Michael. E, 1979: 137- 145). The author will use the model to deal with the issues below to develop a winning market strategy for the housing business in Sri Lanka. (i) The need to evaluate the suppliers to understand bargaining power and supplier/seller collaboration. (ii) The need to study the pressures of buyers bargaining power and buyer/seller collaboration. (iii) The need to consider the threat of new entrants and the possibilities of new players entering the market. (iv) The awareness of the threat of substitutes and attention to attempts by outsiders to win buyers over to their respective products. (v) Investigating the competitiveness within the industry to keep abreast of market position, increased sales and market share, to have a competitive edge over rivals. A classic example of competitive rivalry is the battle between Coca Cola and Pepsi (Draft, 1988: 251). To understand the strengths and weakness of the model each of these industry forces must be evaluated. 2.3.1 Bargaining Power of Suppliers Supplier bargaining power is likely to be high when the market is dominated by a few large suppliers, when there are no substitutes for their product, the suppliers and customers are fragmented and customer bargaining power is low and switching costs from one supplier to another are high (Porter, 1980). The supplier integrating forward to obtain higher prices and margins is a possibility. This threat is especially high when, the buying industry has a higher profitability than the supplying industry, forward integration provides economies of scale for the supplier, the buying industry hinders the supplying industry in their development, for example, reluctance to accept new releases of products and the buying industry has low barriers of entry. In such situations, the buying industry often experiences high pressure on margins from their suppliers. The relationship to powerful suppliers can potentially reduce strategic options for the organization. 2.3.2 Bargaining Power of Customers Similarly, the bargaining power of customers determines how much customers can impose pressure on margins and volumes. Customers bargaining power is likely to be high when they buy large volumes and there is a concentration of buyers, the supplying industry comprises a large number of small operators, the supplying industry operates with high fixed costs, the product is undifferentiated and can be replaced by substitutes, switching to an alternative product is relatively simple and is not costly, customers have low margins and are price sensitive, customers could produce the product themselves, the product is not of strategic importance to the customer, the customer knows about production costs and the possibility of the customer integrating backwards. 2.3.3 Threat of New Entrants When the competition in an industry is high it is easier for other companies to enter the industry. In such situations, new entrants could change major determinants of the market environment (e.g. market shares, prices, customer loyalty) at any time. There is always a latent pressure for reaction and adjustment for existing players. The threat of new entrants will depend on the extent to which there are barriers to entry. These are typically economies of scale, high initial investments and fixed costs. Cost advantages of existing players are usually due to the experience curve effects of operation with fully depreciated assets, brand loyalty of customers, protected intellectual property like patents, licenses etc., scarcity of important resources, e.g. qualified expert staff, access to raw materials controlled by existing players, distribution channels are controlled by existing players existing players have close customer relations, e.g. from long-term service contracts and the high switching costs for customers, legislation and government action. 2.3.4 Threat of Substitutes Threats from substitutes exists if there are alternative products with lower prices and better performance parameters which can potentially attract a significant proportion of the market, thus reducing potential sales volume for existing players. This category also relates to complementary products. Similar to the threat of new entrants, the threat of substitutes is determined by factors like brand loyalty of customers, close customer relationships, switching costs for customers, the relative price for performance of substitutes and the current trends. 2.3.5 Competitive Rivalry between Existing Players This force describes the intensity of competition between existing players in an industry. High competitive pressure, results in pressure on prices, margins and hence on profitability of every single player. Competition between existing players is likely to be high when, there are many players of about the same size with similar strategies, there is not much differentiation between players and their products resulting in high price competition, market growth rate of a player is possible only at the expense of a competitor and the barriers for exit are high. 2.4 Five Forces Analysis The Five Forces Analysis can provide valuable information for three aspects of corporate planning described below. 2.4.1 Statistic Analysis The Five Forces Analysis enables determining the attractiveness of an industry. It provides insights on profitability. Thus, it supports decisions about entry to or exit from an industry or a market segment. Moreover, the model can be used to compare the impact of competitive forces on ones own organization against that on competitors. Competitors may have different options to react to changes in competitive forces from their different resources and competencies. This may influence the structure of the whole industry. 2.4.2 Dynamical Analysis In combination with a PEST Analysis, which reveals drivers for change in an industry, Five Forces Analysis can reveal insights into the potential future attractiveness of the industry. Expected political, economical, socio-demographical and technological changes can influence the five competitive forces and thus have impact on industry structures. 2.4.3 Analysis of Options With the knowledge about intensity and power of competitive forces, organizations can develop options to influence them in a way that improves their own competitiveness. The result could be a new strategic direction, for example, a new positioning and differentiation for competitive products and strategic partnerships. Thus, the model allows a systematic and structured analysis of market structure and competitive situation and can be applied to particular companies, market segments, industries or regions. 2.4.4 Influence of Five Forces After the analysis of current and potential future state of the five competitive forces, managers can search for options to influence these forces in their organizations interest. Although industry-specific business models will limit options, ones own strategy can change the impact of competitive forces on the organization. The objective is to reduce the power of competitive forces. 2.5 Michael Porters Generic Strategies Model According to Michael Porter a companys strengths ultimately fall into one of two headings; cost advantage and differentiation. Applying these strengths in a broad or narrow scope can result in effective cost leadership, differentiation and focus (Porter Michael. E, 1980: 35-40). Each of these strategies runs its own risk. In reference to a low cost strategy, other companies too may lower their costs to be competitive. In the case of differentiation too, competitors may change customer profiles to latch onto the market segment. With regard to the focus strategy, competitors may try to make changes to the target segment to attract a greater market. (Thompson Arthur. A., Strickland A. J., Gamble John. E. and Jain Arun. K., 2009: 115 138). In this study the focus group is the middle income market segment. Competitive strategies focus on ways in which a company can achieve the most advantageous position (Pearson, 1999). Therefore high profitability can be achieved through achieving the lowest costs or the highest prices vis-Ã  -vis the competition, called ‘cost leadership by Porter and ‘differentiation, is the way in which companies can earn a price premium (Porter, 1980). As explained in Figure 4, there are three generic strategies available to companies to attain competitive advantage, namely overall cost leadership, differentiation and focus (Porter, 1980). These three strategies require a total commitment and organizational arrangements which could be diluted if there is more than one primary target. The basic generic strategy is to outperform competitions, which means a firm could earn high returns. Success of one of the generic strategies will help a firm obtain a just return (Porter, 1980). Companies can achieve competitive advantage essentially by differentiating their products and services from those of competitors and through low costs. Firms can target their products by a broad target, thereby covering most of the marketplace, or they can focus on a narrow target in the market (Lynch, 2003). Each competitive strategy will be evaluated to understand the strengths and weakness of the model. 2.5.1 Cost Leadership Companies using cost leadership strategy attempt to become the lowest-cost producers in an industry. Lowest costs would earn the highest profits where competing products are essentially undifferentiated and sell at a standard market price. In certain instances, the company can charge an average price while following low cost leadership strategy and reinvest the extra profits into the business. Companies like Ryan Air and Easy Jet and ASDA and Tesco adopt a cost leadership strategy (Lynch, 2003). 2.5.2 Differentiation Porter (1980) argues that companies employing differentiation strategy will incur extra costs . These costs may include high advertising to promote a differentiated brand image for the product, which is both a cost and an investment. McDonalds for example is differentiated by its very brand name and brand images of Big Mac and Ronald McDonald. While differentiation has many advantages some problematic areas include the difficulty in ascertaining whether the extra costs entailed in differentiation can actually be recovered from the customer through premium pricing. Moreover, successful differentiation strategy of a firm may attract competitors to enter the companys market segment and copy the differentiated product (Lynch, 2003). 2.5.3 Focus Porter initially presented focus as one of the three generic strategies, but later identified focus as a moderator of the two strategies. Companies employ this strategy by focusing on areas with the least amount of competition (Pearson, 1999). This strategy can be applied by focusing on a specific niche in the market and offering specialised products, hence the name ‘niche strategy (Lynch, 2003). This strategy provides companies the possibility to charge a premium price for superior quality, known as ‘differentiation focus or by offering a low price product to a small and specialised group of buyers, termed ‘cost focus. Ferrari and Rolls-Royce are classic examples of niche players. Both have a niche of premium products available at a premium price. 2.6 Analysis of Porters Generic Strategies Firms can choose from one of the three generic strategies to compete in the marketplace, regardless of the context of industry (Porter, 1980). Kay (1993) and Miller (1992) have cited empirical examples of successful companies like Toyota and Benetton, which have adopted more than one generic strategy. Both these companies used generic strategies of differentiation and low cost simultaneously, which led to their success. Companies that are successful at making use of the cost leadership strategy are often positioned to capitalize on a value proposition which emerges from their low cost emphasis, like the classic success story of Tesco in the UK. Interestingly, an emphasis on cost leadership in this sense can act as a form of differentiation. Successful implementation of a cost leadership strategy would benefit from process engineering skills, products designed for ease of manufacture, access to inexpensive capital, tight cost control and incentives based largely on quantitative targets. McDonalds for example, achieves low costs through standardised products and centralised buying of supplies, etc. Unlike cost leadership strategy, there is empirical evidence to support the differentiation strategy (Pearson, 1999). Hall (1980) investigated sixty-four American companies and the findings of the study revealed that companies following a differentiation strategy had superior performance compared to those companies that were not following the same. The focal point for the company pursuing a differentiation strategy should be the customer, and not per se the competitors. Note that for a differentiation strategy to be successful, the point of differentiation perceived by customers as valuable should coincide with the distinctive competence of the company (Pearson, 1999). For example, Orange succeeded by providing the most basic requirements for mobile phone communication, bettered the competition and created a differentiation in the minds of the consumers. (Barwise et al, 2004). Notably, only a number of small and medium sized companies use the niche strategy (Lynch, 2003). Application of Porters generic strategies to the Portuguese Crystal Glass, the Mould and Porcelain showed that organizations following differentiation strategy tended to achieve higher performance relative to organizations which did not show the presence of a non-classical differentiation based on a time based tendency. (Strategic Orientations of Manufacturing Organisations in the European Market: Evidence from Portugal; Available Online). Notably, most successful firms exhibit one or more forms of differentiation, along with forms that are directly associated with cost leadership and focus orientation. This is one of the grey areas in the analysis of generic strategies that reality can be different and more subtle than the stark contrasts that are highlighted by Porter (1980). Kim et al (2004) have argued that Porters generic strategies of differentiation and cost leadership will be applicable to e-business firms in a broad sense, while the focus/niche strategy will not be as viable for e-business firms, compared to their traditional counterparts. 2.7 Exploration of information for Porters Generic Strategies Analysis The information necessary for conducting the generic strategies analysis can be found in company and competitor websites. Annual reports of companies can be used to analyse the relationships between costs and profitability and how a particular strategy is affecting the firms overall performance. Marketing communication tools used by the company and competitors may also reflect the generic strategies. Advertisements can be a useful source of information to analyse the strategy that is being pursued by the company, and how that differs from that of the competition. Journal articles, trade publications and reputable magazine articles are useful sources of information to analyse industry trends, customer preferences in a given market and the strategies that are being pursued by the companies in a particular industry. 2.8 Relationship between Porters Generic Strategies Analysis and the Five Forces Model The three generic strategies suggested by Porter (1980, 1985) can be effectively utilised to defend against competition in the business environment. The industry forces take the form of competitive rivalry, barriers to entry, threat of substitutes, buyer power and supplier power, explained below (Lynch, 2003). 2.8.1 Competitive Rivalry If the competition in the industry is fierce, the advantage of a cost leadership strategy would be that competitiveness in price. However, cost leadership strategy is not the most desirable, as competitors may put intense price pressures, forcing all players to reduce their prices drastically. Differentiation may be a better strategy as loyal customers may stay with the company. It would also be hard for competitors to cope with specialised needs of customers who are part of a niche segment in the market. 2.8.2 Barriers to Entry A company employing any one of the three strategies would find it easy to create barriers for new entrants. The learning curve of cost leaders in an industry, along with the economies of scale through experience curve effects, would often make it impossible for potential entrants to compete on price, as the more mature firm can further lower prices without comprising its profitability. High customer loyalty towards a companys brands, which is true for the differentiation strategy, can play a vital role in discouraging potential entrants. Customers often choose to be with a niche player because of a certain core competence that only that particular player is providing in the market. Also companies that make use of the focus strategy over time often develop a thorough understanding of their customers needs, which is a very difficult task for a potential entrant. In this way, focus can act as an entry barrier too. 2.8.3 Threat of substitutes It is the differentiation and differentiation-focused strategies that effectively reduce the threat of substitutes. Threat of substitutes is reduced in case of the differentiation strategy due to customer loyalty to the unique aspects of a particular product or service, which no substitute product can offer in the customers mind. In case of the later strategy, the very nature of the companys products and core competence of the firm reduce the threat of substitutes. 2.8.4 Buyer Power The power of buyers changes in accordance with the three generic strategies. Cost leaders have the unique ability to offer lower price options to large and powerful buyers. However, the scenario differs for companies making use of the differentiation and focus strategies. Buyers in case of these two strategies would have less power as there are few alternatives available to them. 2.8.5 Supplier Power Suppliers can exercise their power primarily in case of differentiation and focus/niche strategies. Companies making use of these strategies have the ability to pass the price increases of suppliers to their final customers, through the premium pricing strategy. 2.9 Strengths and Weaknesses of Porters Models Porters model of Five Competitive Forces allows a systematic and structured analysis of market structure and competitive situation. The model can be applied to particular companies, market segments, industries or regions. The strength of competitive forces determines the inflow of investment and drives the returns to free market levels. The five competitive forces such as entry, threat of substitutes, bargaining power of buyers, bargaining power of suppliers and intense competition among rivals reflecting that competition in industry goes beyond established players. Porter identified that these five competitive forces shapes every industry and every market. These forces determine the intensity of competition and hence the profitability and attractiveness of an industry. The objective of corporate strategy should be to modify these competitive forces in a way that improves the position of the organization. Porters model supports analysis of the driving forces in an industry. Based on the information derived from the Five Forces Analysis, management can decide how to influence or to exploit particular characteristics of their industry. Therefore, it is necessary to determine the scope of the market to be analyzed in a first step. Following, all relevant forces for this market are identified and analyzed. Hence, it is not necessary to analyze all elements of all competitive forces with the same depth. The Five Forces Model is based on microeconomics. It takes into account supply and demand, complementary products and substitutes, the relationship between volume of production and cost of production and market structures like monopoly, oligopoly or perfect competition. After the analysis of current and potential future state of the five competitive forces, managers can search for options to influence these forces in their organizations interest. Although industry-specific business models will limit options, the own strategy can change the impact of competitive forces on the organization. The objective is to reduce the power of competitive forces. The model is based on the idea of competition. It assumes that companies try to achieve competitive advantages over other players in the markets as well as over suppliers or customers. With this focus, it dos not really take into consideration strategies like strategic alliances, electronic linking of information systems of all companies along a value chain, virtual enterprise-networks or others. As for the limitations part, nothing in this world is in itself PERFECT, so is this five forces model. Sometimes, it is better if some new player enter the market. It gives way to fresh thinking and catches the attention of the customers, in addition to benefits like infrastructure development. Again, it is better if a decent number of substitutes are valuable in the market, as it makes one think how to better his product and win the hearts of the clients. In reference to the generic strategies it became clear over time that in reality there were some shades of grey in the distinction between differentiation and cost, compared to the black and white that is projected in theory. It is very difficult for most companies to completely ignore cost, no matter how different their product offering is. Similarly, most companies will not admit that their product is essentially the same as that of others (Macmillan et al, 2000). It is important for analysts to bear in mind that Porters generic strategies should be considered as a part of a broader strategic analysis. The generic strategies only provide a good starting point for exploring the concepts of cost leadership and differentiation and may not provide relevant strategic routes in the case of fast growing markets (Lynch, 2003). It is important to conduct other analyses like PESTEL analysis to analyse how the generic strategy being employed by a company should change in accordance with external factors. Other useful analyses would include SWOT analysis of the key success factors etc.

Macbeth - Noble Soldier to Bloody Tyrant Essay -- Macbeth essays

Macbeth - Noble Soldier to Bloody Tyrant    The purpose of tragedy is to arouse in the audience emotions of fear or pity, and to produce a catharsis-a relieving cleansing-of these emotions. Macbeth is the most horrific of Shakespeare's tragedies because the protagonist commits such bloodthirsty acts. Apart from on the battlefield, however, this brutality is not evident when we first meet the hero.   General Macbeth is a man of military and political importance, the heroic Thane of Glamis and potential heir to the throne of Scotland.   By the end of the play he is an entirely different person than he was in the beginning. In the beginning he is a heroic, decent, and noble soldier, but by the end of the play he is a bloody tyrant.    A key ingredient in such a genre is the tragic flaw, an idea that goes back to an influential work of literary criticism called Poetics, by Aristotle.   Aristotle said that the tragic hero should be someone of rank or importance with a tragic flaw, who suffers a "reversal of intention" that eventually leads to his or her death.  Ã‚  Ã‚   Aristotle also said that in the process, the tragic hero should experience recognition of this failure and that by the end of the work our moral sense should be satisfied that right or justice has prevailed.  Ã‚  Ã‚   The tragic flaw is some weakness in character that is responsible for action or inaction on the part of the tragic hero and leads to the reversal of the hero's original intention.   Therefore, the reversal of intention is the turning point in the tragic hero's life when he or she experiences something that causes the tide to turn and previous success to turn to failure.   [The fourth soliloquy prepares us for the r eversal, and the climactic... ...ere is room for debate about his courage and nobility, and whether or not we feel any pity or compassion for him. Our feelings at the end constitute the expected catharsis.    Works Cited and Consulted: Greenblatt, Stephen. "Introduction to Macbeth." The Norton Shakespeare. New York: Norton, 1997. 2555-63. Hawkins, Michael. "History, politics, and Macbeth." Focus on Macbeth. Ed. John Russell Brown. London: Routledge, 1982. 155-88. Kermode, Frank. "Introduction to Macbeth." The Riverside Shakespeare. Boston: Houghton, 1974. 1307-11. Shakespeare, William.   Tragedy of Macbeth . Ed. Barbara Mowat and Paul  Ã‚   Warstine. New York: Washington Press, 1992.  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Notes: 1 Roman Polanski changes the ending in his film, when he has Donalbain visit the witches to determine his own fate as the brother of the new King Malcolm.   

Extended commentary of ‘The Convergence of the Twain’ by Thomas Hardy Essay

On the Title: Hardy uses two interesting words: ‘convergence’ and ‘twain’. A convergence is a meeting of two paths, or entities – in this case, a collision! ‘Twain’ is an archaic word for ‘two’, i.e.; both the ‘Titanic’ and the iceberg. Such a title immediately positions the reader to the direction in which the poem will go. Hardy is not, as many elegiac poems of the day were, preparing to mourn the loss of the ship and the lives upon it but rather proceeding to examine the philosophical nature of the collision; perhaps it was fated? The other current use of â€Å"twain† was in the pseudonym â€Å"Mark Twain,† made famous by the publication – initially in England – of â€Å"The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn† in 1886. Clems adopted the nom de plume to suggest â€Å"uncomfortable waters† or â€Å"tight navigation,† since two fathoms (â€Å"twain,† the sounding of a Mississippi deck-hand measuring the depth beneath the keel) would be dangerous for a steamboat. Background Information: The ocean liner ‘RMS Titanic’ famously sank, at two o’clock in the morning, upon the 15th April 1912. The disaster claimed 1,502 lives. Hardy was asked to write a poem to be read at a charity concert to raise funds in aid of the tragedy disaster fund. It was first published as part of the souvenir program for that event. Overall Structure: Hardy writes eleven regular triplet stanzas, with an AAA rhyme scheme throughout. The use of triplets allows for a more thorough exploration of ideas in each stanza; unified by the use of the rhyme scheme. Perhaps he also does this to create the effect of inevitability, for the rhymed words form their own â€Å"paths coincident† that lead to a preset conclusion – the reader knows, that is, with which sound each stanza will end after he or she has only read the first line of that stanza. However, that knowledge only appears are having read the first few stanzas or so, echoing the idea that knowledge of those coincident paths of which the poem speaks is not always immediately discernible. Themes: The Vanity of Man, The Relationship between Man and Nature, Fate, Classical Entities. Difficult Language Notes: â€Å"The Immanent Will† – a force of fate. â€Å"Salamandrine† – associated with the salamander (a mythical creature) The poem runs in straight sets but I wish to divide in two for ease of analysis. ‘Part I’ exists from Stanzas I to VI, whilst ‘Part II’ takes the form of Stanzas VII to XII. Part I Notes: First Stanza Notes: Hardy introduces his poem in medias res – the ship has been sunk and lies silently at the bottom of the ocean. He creates a calm effect over his poem through the consonance of the ‘s’ sounds: â€Å"In a solitude of the sea Deep from human vanity, And the Pride of Life that planned her, stilly couches she.† Particular elements of diction are worthy of note: * â€Å"Deep from human vanity† – this line points to the emerging theme of man’s failed vanity, in creating such a grand object to rule over the natural world, only to have Nature smite it. The phrase â€Å"Pride of Life† accentuates this principle. Note how Hardy uses capital letters to make otherwise simple abstract nouns definitive. Although this is pre-emptive, I will now examine the theme of vaingloriousness (and point out notable pieces of evidence throughout the remainder of the poem) which Hardy presents. He uses irony to evoke the ridiculousness of man’s plans. In stanzas I through to V, he juxtaposes images of the ships opulence, such as its â€Å"mirrors meant / To glass the opulent† and the ship’s â€Å"gilded gear† with images of the â€Å"cold currents†, â€Å"sea-worms† and â€Å"moon-eyed fishes† that now flow, crawl and swim through those former interiors. This creates a tangible image of the human vanity referred to in this first stanza; what people design for greatness ultimately ends up in a place of abasement. * â€Å"Stilly† is a highly unusual adverb. Hardy uses it to create a sense of ‘peace’. This is furthered by â€Å"solitude† and â€Å"couches†. ‘Couches’ suggests restfulness, or an equanimity. S.L.S considers an image of a ‘death bed’ upon the sea floor. Second Stanza Notes: Hardy focuses upon images of death and change in this stanza: â€Å"Steel chambers, late the pyres Of her salamandrine fires Cold currents third, and turn to tidal rhythmic lyres.† The furnaces of the ship, which contained the â€Å"salamandrine fires† of her engines (a form of LIFE), now have â€Å"Cold currents thrid† (note the a contrast in temperature – and consequently, a contrast in living state) running through them. ‘Thrid’ itself is another reference to the title, as an archaic word for ‘two’. Where there was once heat and life driving the engines of the ship, there is now coldness and death. A further juxtaposition within this second stanza is the use of the word â€Å"pyre†, as it connotes funerals and death, while the use of â€Å"salamandrine† insinuates a certain tenacity for life (as salamanders were said to live through fires) that could be associated with the ‘Unsinkable Ship’ idea – there was a theory prior to the sinking, now tragically ironic, that the Titanic was unable to sink. Yet, for all of the tragic (or formerly energetic, given the nature of fire) nature of the ship, Hardy once again returns to ideas of peace and harmony. â€Å"Rhythmic tidal lyres† are reminiscent of the classical entities – such as Apollo’s lyre and his place in Arcadia – and consequently calming images. The distinct iambic meter in this phrase aids the calming lilt of the lines. Hardy presents the Titanic’s corpse in a peaceful light, however chilling and panicked her death. Third and Fourth Stanza Notes: I have above described the idea of vanity. I will pick out key phrases from these stanzas which support this idea – their key point is to achieve the above: * â€Å"mirrors meant to glass the opulent† CONTRASTED TO â€Å"grotesque, slimed, dumb, indifferent† sea worms. Note the cruelty and emphasis on â€Å"indifferent†. * â€Å"Jewels in joy designed† CONTRASTED TO â€Å"lie lightless, all their sparkles bleared and black and blind† Note the use of polysyndeton. * â€Å"gilded gear†. Note alliteration. Fifth and Sixth Stanzas: Thus far Hardy has thoroughly examined the idea of vanity and the sunken ship itself. At stanza VI, Hardy changes his focus to the process by which the ship sank, in reference to Hardy’s ‘question’ formulated in stanza V. V â€Å"Dim moon-eyed fishes near Gaze at the gilded gear And query: ‘What does this vaingloriousness down here? VI Well: while was fashioning This creature of cleaving wing, The Immanent Will that stirs and urges everything† It is obvious that Hardy engineers the explanation of the collision as a response to the â€Å"fishes’† question – although one would initially expect the final line of stanza V to be rhetorical. Before diverging upon the analysis of Hardy’s response, note some key elements of this stanza: * â€Å"moon-eyed† (white and dull) contrasts with the shiny, golden nature of the â€Å"gilded†. This accentuates the differences between the metallic (man-made) ship and the natural world. Also note the alliteration used in this line. Question why? * In an final assault on the vanitas vanitatum, observe that Hardy utilises anthropomorphisation to allow even the fish to question Man’s will in creating such ‘vaingloriousness’ – a Natural force (perhaps a personification of Nature itself?) labels the ship a vanity. What consequence does this have? This query, although appearing rhetorical, is answered by Hardy. Denoted by the use of ‘Well’, he switches to a colloquial register – this again adds to the sense of a Volta at stanza VI. Also note the sudden introduction of prominent enjambment at the end of the poem. The sense of stanza VI rolls into the VIIth, in direct opposition to the previous use of ‘poetic closure’ to end all previous stanzas – Hardy normally uses a form of punctuation. Now it’s gone. Apart from being a ‘change’ in its innate self, the enjambment aids in increasing the pace of the poem. This is highly significant. Seeing as, from this point forth, Hardy creates a ‘convergence of the twain’ within the poem itself – i.e.: he brings the two entities together (I will later explore this process in detail) from obscurity to the point of their collision – then increasing the pace at which the two entities move (which is obviously determined by the pace of the poem) must bring them together faster. This adds to the sense of movement, of fast movement and of dramatic effect. Well done, Mr. Hardy. Note some language details: â€Å"Creature of cleaving wing† is a very interesting phrase. â€Å"Cleaving† has multiple meanings, all of which are appropriate to Hardy’s imagery. Primarily, he may be imagining the ship as it ‘cleaves’ through the water, as all good ships should do. Remember, in its day the Titanic was the fastest liner afloat. â€Å"The cleaving wing† may therefore be the iron bow of the boat. Notice how Hardy is utilising additional anthropomorphisation, in referring to the ship as both a â€Å"creature† and one with â€Å"wing[s]†. The iceberg, however, remains inanimate. I doubt that there are any really deliberate poetic techniques to be synthesized from this but perhaps Hardy encourages a larger empathic response from the animate ship than from the inanimate iceberg? However, we must also acknowledge the metallic â€Å"knife-like† associations with ‘cleaving’ – like ‘cleaver’. This has a highly inanimate connotation. [Another weak point, acknowledged.] There also exists an archaic definition in the verb ‘to cleave’ – as in a Biblical usage – meaning ‘to join in matrimony’. This is of enormous interest. Hardy later plays a great deal upon the idea of the twain being marital (and even sexual) mates. Throughout the poem he refers to them with terms connotating a â€Å"confirmed relationship†. We may be â€Å"reading into† the phrase a little too deeply but it is a comment worthy of note. Perhaps Hardy is using the archaic definition of the verb to further advance his marital imagery? He is certainly no stranger to using such odd vocabulary; observe â€Å"The Darkling Thrush†! Finally, I wish to examine ‘The Immanent Will’. â€Å"Immanent† is not an archaic spelling of â€Å"imminent† – do not get confused in terms of these different words! â€Å"The Immanent Will† is somewhat comparable, in terms of a philosophical idea, to the Christian concept of the â€Å"Holy Spirit† or â€Å"Holy Ghost†. It is a spiritual, but existent, entity within every object which determines its fate or actions. Christianity has branches – notably in Catholicism – which believe in a pre-determined plan, of God’s design. In other words, we are all on a plan set out by God. The Holy Spirit helps us to achieve what God wishes; it provides inner strength and resolve. Hardy did not have an easy relationship with religion; born a Christian, he went through multiple tumultuous periods of atheistic belief. That’s probably why he hasn’t gone and just written; â€Å"God, or some deified entity, has allowed and planned for the demise of this here ship. And that’s why the iceberg, which could have been anywhere in a 3,000 mile radius of the vast Atlantic Ocean, just so happened to strike the ship. Deal with it.† So, instead, he has substituted a strictly non-religious term to his idea of Fate. Indeed, he later refers to the Classical ‘Fate’ entities to again replace any otherwise religious terminology. Remember also that Hardy is not aiming to criticise Christianity in a poem intended to raise money for the victims’ families. Thus, clear religious controversy was not a good idea. Stanzas VIII and IX Notes: â€Å"And as the smart ship grew In stature, grace and hue, In shadowy silent distance grew the iceberg too. Alien they seemed to be: No mortal eye could see The intimate welding of the later history,† Again, Hardy invites further comparison through the use of juxtaposition; he now places the two entities in a relative time scale. The use of the word ‘as’ creates this effect, as it brings almost a simile-esque comparative sense to the stanzas. We must focus on the idea of the twain ‘growing’ – as that is the image which Hardy evokes – and the way in which both are joint in the use of the same verb. The obvious mental image is one of a familial relationship; they grow simultaneously but are fatally unaware of each other. Indeed, the distance between them is made explicitly clear and further emphasized by the alliteration used with â€Å"shadowy† and â€Å"silent†. Observe, in the phrase â€Å"In stature, grace and hue†, Hardy returns to the original theme of the ship’s grandeur. He appears, in this occurrence, to be rather more commending (or perhaps simply more mournful) of the ship and its purpose. Stanza IX further dwells upon the notion of fate. Indeed, Hardy utilises some more imagery worthy of note, full of oxymorons. â€Å"The intimate welding of the later history† It takes little to see that this further advances the ideas of both the twain’s ‘marital intimacy’, of the metal-related imagery associated with the ship, but also, in the final few words, the idea of Fate. If one can know, in the present, the details of the future’s past – in other words, the near future – then surely one is saying in an oddly convoluted way that a certain action is destined to soon take place? It’s an oxymoronic (â€Å"later history† is oxymoronic in my book!) way of saying the same as before; the twain are destined to collide. Stanzas X and XI Notes: â€Å"Or sign that they were bent By paths coincident On being anon twin halves of one august event, Till the Spinner of the Years Said ‘Now!’ And each one hears, And consummation comes, and jars two hemispheres. Very little needs to be said about the action in these stanza. The Twain collide, bringing together the long wait in both metaphorical and poetic terms. Hardy’s precise choice of words and imagery is somewhat more interesting, however. For example: * â€Å"Paths coincident† does not point to a coincidence, as one might initially assume, but rather to a â€Å"co-incident† (i.e. â€Å"together†) act. The Twain are, on reflection, on a course which emulates two graphical lines, in the way that they bisect. Does this then also reflect a sense of Fated entity? Graphical lines do not change, thus their ‘collision’ is determined and sealed. * â€Å"Twin halves of one august event† reminds the reader of the action and precise existence of the collision. In the end, the act was a very physical, not philosophical one. Hardy acknowledges this, but attempts to draw out the unified nature of the Twain, in the intrinsic act of their collision. Note that the usual use of â€Å"august† to mean â€Å"awe inspiring or admiration; majestic† is not intended by Hardy here in a positive way. He merely wishes to express wonder at the grand, if tragic, culmination of two great forces. And yes, it is rather melodramatic. * Hardy at lasts then returns to his Fated theme with the phrase â€Å"The Spinner of the Years†. Reminiscent of the Classical Greek Moirai or the Roman Parcae (three old hags who would run, spin and cut the threads of life), Hardy refers to the middle of the three – the Spinner. Spinning a mortal thread has always occupied a position in mythology. Hardy utilises it to draw out a sense of fate. Fate itself conducts the affair, it seems, given that the Twain act upon the word â€Å"Now!† to converge. * Emerson Brown, scholar of medieval literature, pointed out that the poem is 33 lines long, whilst line 33 echoes the 33-year-old Christ’s last words: â€Å"consummatum est.† In any case, when â€Å"consummation comes†, Thomas Hardy sends 1,500 souls to the bottom with an obscene pun. To â€Å"come† has borne a sexual connotation since the 17th century, at least, while consummation traditionally means the fulfilment of the marriage contract by intercourse. The image of the ‘Titanic’ and the iceberg copulating is hard to take seriously – therefore we must question whether Hardy truly intends it. Nevertheless, it advances the idea of the twain existing in a marital bond. Note the sudden use of speech, in the present tense. Very dramatic. Brings the Twain together in Time for the last time!

Ernest Hemingway Fifty Grand Essay Essay

This short story is one of the stories in Men Without Women, written by Ernest Hemingway, an American writer. I started to love every Hemingway’s short story since I reached this semester especially this short story, which is tells about boxing that is one of my favorite sport. I think Hemingway was a man’s man. He wrote everything covered both things that happened in World War I and World War II, he had deep-sea stories, he liked to tell about himself, every journey he had done and using I which is refered to his main character of his stories that could make people who never read his stories would think that I, refered to Hemingway itself. He removes himself from the role of narrator. The stories are almost wholly composed of dialogue. One must engage him or herself in the narratives and ignite his or her imagination to understand the emotional core of each of these stories. Hemingway expects us to. Back to the topic, I am going to give a short review first about this story before I work on my paper. This short story tells us about an aging-boxing champ named Jack Brennan who did his last fight against Jim Walcott, a fresh-young boxer. Jack trained by Jerry Doyle, the narrator itself, and also the only closest friend that Jack had. Jack suffered a great insomnia, how he missed his wife and decided this fight against Jim Walcott will be the last fight for him. Jack knew he can’t stand against Walcott because he is too old to beat a young boxer like Walcott. But the only problem which took my attention starts from here when Jack’s manager, John and a couple of friends with him (we finally knew that both strangers are Morgan and Steinfelt), visited him at Hogan’s health ranch but Jack wasn’t there. He was in his room. Then Jerry, John and his friends went to Jack’s room. They knocked the door but there was not an answer from Jack. So John turned the handle and went in to the room with others. After they met each other and some dialogue between them, John asked Jerry to Jerry to find Hogan because they want to see him but Jack forbade him to go. But Jerry did not listen to Jack. When Jerry left the room, I think there is  important part which is missing. If we go further of this short story we can find a moment when Jack got drunk and told Jerry that he bet $50,000 against himself and tried to lose intentionally against Walcott. Yes, he tried to lose intentionally in his last fight. It was so irrational. I think we, as readers, have missed the important part of this short or probably the narrator deliberately omit that part, the reason why Jack changed his mind. I do not think that he was too old to keep his bet as the only reason why. I am sure there must be something when Jerry left the Jack’s room between Jack, John, Jack’s manager and his friends in there. John and his friends must have said something to Jack and made him change his mind even bet against himself. I try to find out what happened out there on internet. I try to find the missing puzzle in this short story but I get nothing. If we think that Jack was too old to beat Walcott, a fresh-young boxer, why he didn’t decide not to fight from beginning? Why he told Jerry to put a bet on Walcott after he met John and his friends? I used to think that because he never slept at night, how he missed his wife so much and he was getting tired with all of these things then he told his problems to John and his friends that he would make an easy last fight. But no, that is irrational reason if you read the whole story. You will find that Jack stays until final round. That is not make a sense if he would intentionally to lose the game. And why he put so many punches on Walcott and made him bleeding bad and suffered all the time if Jack wanted to lose the game? The fight itself went very tight. Jack controlled the beginning of the game. Then he became slower since the seventh round. Walcott took over the whole game while Jack tried to block every punch from Walcott. Sounds strange enough to me why did he keep the game on? He could say give up, though. I think Jack pride at stake here. He must decide what is more important, lose his bet or his belt. Maybe that is the reason why he survived so far. Altough we know, in the end Jack made a foul to Walcott and is disqualified. From this quote (which was Jack said): â€Å"I think I can last. I don’t want this bohunk to stop me.† He must be thinking about something just to finish this fight before the game ends. No matter how. I think Jack thought so. And take a look at this quote: â€Å"He (means Jack) certainly did used to make the fellows he fought hate boxing. That was why he hated Richie Lewis so. He never got Richie’s goat. Richie Lewis always had about three new dirty things Jack could not do. Jack was as safe as a church all the time he was in there, as long as he was strong.† I will underlined this statement: â€Å"Richie Lewis always had about three new dirty things Jack could not do. That was why he hated him so much.† And if we go back to the game between Jack and Walcott. I think he had prepared well for this â€Å"dirty thing† before the gong of the last round rang. He had prepared to do something bad to finish this fight because he told Jerry and John that he knew he could not stand any longer in this match. And perhaps he had made a decision or had knew the good answer about what he had to choose between his belt or his bet. So that was why he made a foul to Walcott and is disqualified. That is the only thing I though t why Jack keep fighting instead quit before the fight begins. Perhaps he wanted to show a great last fight to the world before he retired. But if he thought so, the foul that he made to Walcott was made people want to slap on his face and turned him as mediocre boxer because of it. So what was he thought? This is so interesting. This thing will be another problem to solve. If the narrator deliberately omit that part or did not want to tell what makes Jack bet against himself, the most understanding thing is because the narrator wants to show us that this short story that he narrate based on what he saw, heard and has happened is the truth. He did not need to tell us the things that he did not know. He would not tell lies. So at that stage when the narrator left the Jack’s room then tried to find where Hogan was, he really did not what happened in there. And we, as readers, did not for sure what happened in there because he did not tell us. And it makes a lot of interpretation. What did they do? Perhaps John, Jack’s manager, or his friends came to Hogan’s ranch to persuade Jack to lose intentionally and offered him some money then Jack accepted because he knew from the first even if he tries his best he still can not beat Walcott, a younger and strong boxer. If yes, that was why he made a foul to Walcott. The only question why did he keep the game on? Why did he stand until final round? Why he did not he do that dirty thing from the start? What if Steinfelt and Morgan conspire with John bribe to Jack to fix the fight? I think that is the characteristic of Ernest Hemingway’s short stories. That is why he likes  to put I as the first person perspective in some of his stories to engage us as readers to feel what the narrator feels, to see what the narrator sees, makes us like we were there. I think Fifty Grand is narrated by what might be called a highly colloquialized narrator. The use of a highly colloquialized narrator in Fifty Grand has several effects on the story. For one thing, as the reader grows accustomed to Jerry Doyle’s manner of speaking, he became more fully involved than he might be otherwise in the world in which Jerry lives. Jerry Doyle seems knowledgeable about prize fighting not only because he works as a trainer, but because his way of speaking causes him to sound the way a man who knows about boxing ought to sound. The choice of Jerry Doyle as the witness narrator for Fifty Grand is useful in ways unrelated to the trainer’s manner of speaking. For one thing, Jerry’s narrating allows the reader to be a man on the inside. Much of the effect of this story results from the fact that the reader receives a ‘behind-the-scenes view of the stinginess, the domestication, and the overall unferociousness of a man the public believes is a brutal and hardened fighter. The importance of the reader’s proximity to the action of Fifty Grand is particularly evident on the night of the big fight. When Jack Brennan climbs up to get in the ring, Jerry describes how Walcott comes over and pushes the rope down for Jack to go through : â€Å"So you’re going to be one of these popular champions,† Jack says to him. â€Å"Take your goddam hand off my shoulder.† â€Å"Be yourself,† Walcott says. This is all great for the crowd. How gentlemanly the boys are before the fight. How they wish each other luck. The reader’s enjoyment of this scene results in large measure from his knowledge that he has information about what is going on which the rest of the spectators at the fight do not have. The moment of Jack Brennan’s realization that he must lose the fight works much the same way. What appears to the audience a vicious low blow that was a foul is understood by Jerry, and thus by the reader, as the desperate action of a threatened bread-winner. Although Jerry Doyle’s manner of speaking and his special  involvement in what is going on cause the reader to be interested in him as a character, Jack Brennan consistently remains the story’s central concern. The way in which Jerry is developed, in fact, helps to maintain the story’s focus on the Irish boxer. For one thing, Jerry Doyle, as the narrator, did not tell the reader much about his own thoughts and emotions. Generally, his reactions to the things that he sees are simple and obvious and in no way attract the reader’s attention. Jerry’s personal comments nearly always support rather than modify the picture of events which his narration sets up. For example, when Jerry says that Jack is sore, he does so just after the reader has seen Jack’s anger for himself. The reader’s primary focus on Jack Brennan is also maintained by the story’s creation of a special kind of presentness, a presentness which results from what can be thought of as a double disappearance of the story’s narrator. In the first place, Jerry Doyle is invisible as a narrator in the act of telling a story. Nothing in the story suggests that Jerry is reminiscing about events from a point in time after Jack’s fight with Walcott. On the contrary, the events of the story seem to be related without the intervention of a narrating present. A second kind of disappearance results from the fact that during the acting present when Jerry is in conversation with other characters, he frequently ceases to be distinguishable even as the overall observer of events. In the following conversation, for example, it is impossible for the reader to tell that one of the speakers is narrating the story: â€Å"You know,† he (refered to Jack) says, â€Å"you ain’t got any idea how I miss the wife.† â€Å"Sure.†Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"You ain’t got any idea. You can’t have an idea what it’s like† â€Å"It ought to be better out in the country than in the town.† â€Å"With me now,† Jack said, â€Å"it don’t make any difference where I am. You can’t have any idea what it’s like.† â€Å"Have another drink.† â€Å"Am I getting soused? Do I talk funny?† â€Å"You’re coming on all right.† â€Å"You can’t have any idea what it’s like. They ain’t anybody can have an idea what it’s like.† The use of the present tense at the beginning of the exchange does suggest that an involved narrator is telling the story, but the present tense is used so frequently during conversations in Fifty Grand that it ceases to be particularly noticeable. During longer exchanges the narrator identifies his words with â€Å"I said,† but he rarely elaborates on this identification and as a result, the â€Å"I† fails to actract attention any more than â€Å"he† would. When the narrator â€Å"disappears† from large portions of a story or a novel, as is the case in Fifty Grand, the overall result is the creation of a narrative which is both involved and dramatic. In general, those effects which are achieved by means of narrative perspective result from the types of inter-relationships which are created between narrators and the reader and between narrators and the events he narrate. The relationship between the narrator of story a story and the situations he presents to us, the readers, can be of a great many kinds. In Fifty Grand, Hemingway renders the narrator, which is Jerry Doyle, almost invisible, enabling us, the reader, to look through the narrating present and focus our attention directly on the events of the narrator’s story. The position of the narrator itself is primarily important as frame for the presentation of character other than himself.

Spanish Verbs Oír and Escuchar

Spanish Verbs Oà ­r and Escuchar The differences between oà ­r and escuchar are essentially the same as the differences between to hear and to listen to. While there is some overlap in how the verbs are used, oà ­r generally refers to the simple act of hearing, and escuchar involves the listeners response to what is heard. Using Or Some typical uses of oà ­r as referring to the sensory act of hearing: No puedo oà ­r a nadie con mi nuevo telà ©fono. (I cant hear anybody with my brand-new telephone.)Cuando era pequeà ±a oà ­ la expresià ³n muchas veces. (When I was little I heard the expression often.) ¿Dà ³nde has estado encerrado si no has oà ­do estas canciones? (Where have you been penned up if you havent heard these songs?)Finalmente, oiremos el Concierto para piano no. 21 en do mayor. (Finally, we will hear the Concerto for Piano No. 21 in C Major.) It is common to use oà ­r when referring to activities such as listening to the radio or attending a concert, although escuchar can also be used: Yo oà ­a la radio antes de irme a la cama. (I was listening to the radio before going to bed.)Compramos boletos y fuimos a oà ­r un concierto de jazz. (We bought tickets and went to a jazz concert.) The imperative forms oye, oiga, oà ­d (rare in Latin America), and oigan are sometimes used to call attention to what youre saying. Translations vary with the context. Pues oye  ¿que quieres que te diga? (Well then, what do you want me to tell you?)Oiga, creo no es una buena idea. (Hey, I dont think its a good idea.) Using Escuchar Like listen, escuchar carries the idea of paying attention or of heeding advice. Note that escuchar is not typically followed by a preposition in the way that listen is nearly always followed by to. The exception is that when listening to a person the personal a is used. Escucharon el ruido de un avià ³n. (They heard the noise of an airplane.)Mis padres escuchaban mucho a Gipsy Kings. (My parents listened a lot to the Gipsy Kings.)Debes escuchar a tus clientes con ms atencià ³n. (You should listen more attentively to your customers.)Todos escuchamos el consejo que le da a Miguel. (We all listened to the advice that he gave to Miguel.)Te recomiendo que te escuches la entrevista completa. (I recommend that you listen to the complete interview.)Escuchà © a mi profesora de yoga y entendà ­ lo que me querà ­a decir. (I listened to my yoga professor and understood what she wanted to tell me.) The reflexive form, escuchar, is often used to indicate that something was or is heard. La voz del hombre se escuchaba ms fuerte y clara. (The voice of the man was heard loud and clear.)Ahora Spotify te dir quà © mà ºsica se escucha en otros paà ­ses. (Now Spotify will tell you what music is heard in other countries.) There are a few situations in which either oà ­r or escuchar can be used with little difference in meaning. Primarily, either can be used when hearing or listening to requests: Oyà ³/escuchà ³ las sà ºplicas de su amigo. (She heard/listened to the pleas of her friend.) Related Words Nouns related to oà ­r include el oà ­do, the sense of hearing, and la oà ­da, the act of hearing. Oà ­ble is an adjective meaning audible. In some regions, un escucho is a secret conveyed by a whisper, while escuchà ³n is an adjective referring to someone who is overly curious about what other people are saying. Conjugation The conjugation of oà ­r is highly irregular in spelling and pronunciation. Escuchar is conjugated regularly, following the pattern of hablar and other regular -ar verbs. Etymology Oà ­r comes from the Latin audire and is related to words such as oyez (a word used in courts to gain attention), audio and audience. It may be distantly related to hear, possibly coming from same Indo-European root. Escuchar comes from the Latin verb auscultare. It is related to the English verb to auscultate, a medical term for using a stethoscope to listen to the internal sounds of the body.