What is meant by the quotation "what to him / Are Plato and the swing of Pleiades?" in "The Man with a Hoe" by Edwin Markham?

In this complex stanza, points are being made in reference to a Biblical allusion to Psalm 8:5: "You have made [humans] a little lower than the Angels and crowned [humans] with glory and honor" (Psalm 8:5). To describe laborers—as seen by him in the oil painting "L'homme à la houe" (1863) by Jean-François Millet—Edwin Markham enlarges the Biblical concept of "a little lower," making it a great "gulf" of separation between the laborer and the angels (seraphim). He assigns "Time's tragedy" to the laborer's "aching stoop." Dramatizing his point for the learned (non-laborers) who are reading his poem, he suggests that such stooped, lowly, "profaned and disinherited" laborers have no strength to consider the problems Plato poses or the theories he presents; they have no opportunity to unbend and turn their eyes skyward to contemplate the meaning of the movement of the starry Pleiades. 

What gulfs between him and the seraphim!
Slave of the wheel of labor, what to him
Are Plato and the swing of the Pleiades?

Markham goes on to suggest in the lines following "Pleiades" that the "dread shape" of the laborer, through whom "the suffering ages look," does not have the time, strength, or ability to contemplate the mundane, earthly pleasures of the "peaks of song, / The rift of dawn, the reddening of the rose." Markham makes the point that grueling labor reduces humans to being far lower than their God-given state, reduces them to a state that is deadened to higher thought and contemplation, to a state that is as stooped as their physical state:  

Time's tragedy is in that aching stoop;
Through this dread shape humanity betrayed,
Plundered, profaned and disinherited.

The larger point that these lines are part of, "what to him / Are Plato and the swing of the Pleiades?" is that "this dread shape humanity betrayed"—plundered of rightful thought, profaned of rightful place, disinherited of the the wonders of life—cries out in protest to the "Powers" that created life. His cries, which are silenced along with his contemplation of Plato and his wonder at how the summer and winter "swing" of the rising and setting of the Pleiades cluster, are a prophecy of retribution for those humans who lower other humans in this way: "Cries protest to the Powers that made the world, / A protest that is also prophecy."

Imagine that it is 1952. How would you write a letter to your congressman explaining why you think the Marshall Plan is a wise investment or why...

To write an effective letter, try to list the economic and political benefits of the Marshall Plan to your congressman. Above all, try to explain how his support of the Marshall Plan will cement his place in American history as a proponent of European stability and American prosperity.

This second tactic would be more of a psychological approach; you're essentially highlighting what your congressman's support will mean for his own political advancement and legacy. Never underestimate the effectiveness of such an approach!

Describe how your congressman can use his support for the Marshall Plan to invigorate his own re-election campaign. Highlight his support for the expansion of American political influence through monetary/ capital investment and how this investment protects Europe against communist hegemony (dominance or rule). Remember that, in the 1950s, public suspicion against communism was at an all-time high. Senator Joe McCarthy capitalized on national fears about communism when he asserted that communists had taken over prominent positions in the country. Read about McCarthyism and the fear of communist rule after the post-war years.

If you like, you may be able to use some of the material from the link above in your letter.

Below are some of the economic and political benefits of the Marshall Plan (ones you will want to include in your letter).

You can state that the Marshall Plan is an effective tool in the Cold War conflict between the United States and Soviet Russia. Instead of committing the blood of soldiers to physical combat, the United States will be using monetary investment to protect Europe against communist hegemony and Soviet influence.

The Marshall Plan increases European productivity by easing production gridlock and curbing inflation. This will support Europe's increasing economic independence and bolster its political and social stability. Europe will also have the resources to strengthen its military defenses against Soviet encroachment. 

You can also explain how the Marshall Plan is an effective deterrent against an extreme form of nationalism (the exact kind that fostered Nazi-fascism and subjected entire populations of Jews, Christians, gypsies, the disabled, and homosexuals to the horrors of the Holocaust during World War Two). The Marshall Plan works to promote economic prosperity within an integrated Europe.

As a supporter of the Marshall Plan, you can argue that a strong European Union may just prevent future American involvement in armed conflicts. For example, if Europe is politically and economically powerful, it will cease to look towards the Soviet model for relief. Essentially, any economic prosperity built on the principles of capitalism will prevent Europe from capitulating towards failed communist theories about economic growth.

Since you do not state how long your letter needs to be, I leave you with some good links below to peruse (in case you need more information).

2. What were the strengths and weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation?

There were strengths and weaknesses with the plan of government created by the Articles of Confederation. The Articles of Confederation did a good job in organizing western lands and in selling them. The Land Ordinance of 1785 accomplished this. The Northwest Ordinance of 1787 also established the process a territory would follow to eventually become a state. The plan of government created by the Articles of Confederation helped get the United States through the difficult...

There were strengths and weaknesses with the plan of government created by the Articles of Confederation. The Articles of Confederation did a good job in organizing western lands and in selling them. The Land Ordinance of 1785 accomplished this. The Northwest Ordinance of 1787 also established the process a territory would follow to eventually become a state. The plan of government created by the Articles of Confederation helped get the United States through the difficult early years of the United States becoming a country.

There were problems with the plan of government created by the Articles of Confederation. The federal government that was created was a weak one. It could not levy taxes or force people to join the military. As a result, the new government faced significant financial problems. It also made it difficult for the government to respond to countries, such as Spain and Great Britain, who interfered with trade and encouraged the Native Americans to attack the United States. It also was difficult to pass a law or change the Articles of Confederation. Nine states needed to vote for a proposed law, and thirteen states needed to agree to change the Articles of Confederation. Finally, since there were no courts, states had no place to resolve disputes with each other.

The plan of government created by the Articles of Confederation had strengths and weaknesses.

Why did the 13 colonies revolt?

There were several reasons why the colonists revolted against Great Britain. The three most important factors were taxes, control, and bloodshed.

TaxesThe British Parliament passed two tax laws that upset the colonists. Both the Stamp Act and the Townshend Acts violated the rights of the colonists, in their opinion. They believed that they needed to have representatives in Parliament who could speak about and vote on proposed tax laws. The colonists didn’t have representatives...

There were several reasons why the colonists revolted against Great Britain. The three most important factors were taxes, control, and bloodshed.

Taxes
The British Parliament passed two tax laws that upset the colonists. Both the Stamp Act and the Townshend Acts violated the rights of the colonists, in their opinion. They believed that they needed to have representatives in Parliament who could speak about and vote on proposed tax laws. The colonists didn’t have representatives in Parliament. As a result, the colonists believed their rights were being violated.

Control
When Parliament passed the Proclamation of 1763, the colonists weren’t allowed to go to the lands that Great Britain gained from France in the French and Indian War. The colonists weren’t happy about this. To make matters worse, the colonists had to provide housing and supplies for the British soldiers that were enforcing this unpopular law.

Bloodshed
At the Boston Massacre, five colonists were killed. For some people, this was an important turning point in the relationship with Great Britain. After the Boston Tea Party, the British passed the Intolerable Acts, which the colonists refused to obey. When the British moved their troops to Lexington and Concord in April 1775, soldiers on both sides were killed. For many people, it was only a matter of time before the colonists would declare their independence from Great Britain. With the publication of Common Sense, a pamphlet written by Thomas Paine explaining why the colonists should declare their independence from Great Britain, more people were convinced that independence was justified.

There were many reasons why the colonists rebelled against Great Britain.

In the passage given, show how Daniel Defoe does not manage to make the readers sympathize with Moll. Discuss Moll's thoughts and behavior in the...

Moll is a very straight-forward narrator. She avoids hyperbole (exaggeration) when describing scenes in her life, instead simply stating the truth of the matter. Having discovered that she is half-sister to her husband, she does not wail about the horror of the situation (it is pretty horrible!). Instead, she bluntly states that she lived a lie, in "incest and whoredom." She actually calls herself a whore. Rather than eliciting sympathy from the audience, her announcement...

Moll is a very straight-forward narrator. She avoids hyperbole (exaggeration) when describing scenes in her life, instead simply stating the truth of the matter. Having discovered that she is half-sister to her husband, she does not wail about the horror of the situation (it is pretty horrible!). Instead, she bluntly states that she lived a lie, in "incest and whoredom." She actually calls herself a whore. Rather than eliciting sympathy from the audience, her announcement is designed to either shock or create respect, for the honesty of it. She also equates her husband's bad behaviors on the same level as hers—in other words, she does not make herself a victim. Moll says: "I was as impatient of bearing his carriage, as the carriage was unreasonable and unjust." She does not ask for our pity; instead, she condemns her own behavior.

Despite her attitude, we have to see that Moll actually is a victim. As a woman, she has no freedom. She has discovered a horrible truth about her marriage—discovered, actually, that they are not legally married due to incest—and wishes to leave her husband without burdening him with that unpleasant knowledge. However, she cannot. He must approve her leaving, so she is stuck. This passage highlights Moll's strength of character and her resiliency. She is not devastated by the news, but wishes to move on with life. However, she has no actual power to do so because of the the society in which she lives.

What is Rupi Kaur’s book milk and honey about?

is Canadian poet and artist Rupi Kaur’s bestselling debut collection of poetry. The poems in milk and honeyare largely about healing from abuse, trauma, and heartbreak from the point of view of a female speaker. In the book’s first section, “The Hurting,” the speaker focuses on the sexual abuse she endured as a child. Recognizing that many other women in her family have been subjected to similar experiences, she reflects on...

is Canadian poet and artist Rupi Kaur’s bestselling debut collection of poetry. The poems in milk and honey are largely about healing from abuse, trauma, and heartbreak from the point of view of a female speaker. In the book’s first section, “The Hurting,” the speaker focuses on the sexual abuse she endured as a child. Recognizing that many other women in her family have been subjected to similar experiences, she reflects on the lasting effects this abuse has had on her life and her sense of self. In the next section, “The Loving,” the speaker focuses on her adult relationships with men, which are complicated by her history of abuse. The speaker describes falling in love with one man in particular and the healing she experiences through their relationship. The third section, “The Breaking,” recounts the speaker’s breakup with the man introduced in “The Loving.” The speaker is heartbroken in this section, but she also begins to speak out against men’s sexist treatment of women. The final section of milk and honey, “The Healing,” shows Kaur’s speaker moving on to find healing, strength, and empowerment in herself and her friendships with other women.

I have to analyse the features of this painting by William Blake; please outline what William Blake is trying to depict to the viewer, including...

The painting shown here is William Blake’s “Job Rebuked by His Friends.” It is part of a series of watercolor paintings commissioned by Thomas Butts. Blake drew the series, also known as “Butts set,” between 1805 and 1806. The series of watercolor paintings are illustrations of the biblical Book of Job. The Book of Job is part of the Old Testament. One of its major theological themes is theodicy, or the question of why a good God allows evil and suffering.

The painting under consideration here pertains to Job 12:4 (“I am as one mocked of his neighbour, who calleth upon God, and he answereth him: the just upright man is laughed to scorn”). It illustrates an instance in which Job, despairing because God has allowed Satan to take his family and possessions, is mocked by his friends Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite. They believe that Job’s suffering is the result of an unknown sin committed by Job.

The painting, for which Blake used pen and black ink, gray wash, and watercolor over traces of graphite, is rich in symbolism. The hands and fingers of his friends point at Job, who is kneeling down and looking at the heavens. Blake’s illustrations of the Book of Job often used the right arm (or hand) to symbolize good, whereas left arms or legs signify evil. The use of both left and right arms signifies the presence of both Good and Evil in the world, a fact that Job struggles to come to terms with. Similarly, the surrounding landscape combines dark elements (the mountains and clouds in the background) with lighter elements (Job’s chest, lighter areas in the sky or on his friends’ faces/dress). This, too, signifies the spiritual ambiguity, doubt, and adversity experienced by Job in that moment.