Case Study Union and Auto Parts Essay - 3080 Words

Negotiation Case Study The purpose of this problem is to familiarize students with the negotiation of a labor contract. The problem is strictly a hypothetical one and does not pertain to any actually management or union. It is designed to test in a practical way the student’s understanding of the issues of collective bargaining studied during the semester and the strategy of the bargaining process. The following constitutes the case on which demands will be based and which provides the framework for the negotiations. Read it very carefully to size up the situation. Base your demands only on the facts given here. Representatives of the Auto Products Corporation of Indianapolis, Indiana, and Local 5000, United Metal Workers of†¦show more content†¦Of the 1,409 bargaining unit employees, there are 175 skilled maintenance employees (electricians, plumbers, carpenters, mechanics, and tool and die makers), and their average hourly earnings are $16.05. The existing contract contains an escalator (COLA) clause providing for the adjustment of wages in accordance with changes in the consumer price index. There is no â€Å"cap† on the amount of the increase. It provides for a $.03 increase in wages for each 0.4-point increase in the CPI. The escalator arrangement is reviewed on a semiannual basis. The current hourly rates include the increases generated from the escalator clause and the annual improvement factor. During the term of the 3-year contract, workers received a $.75 increase in wages including a $.40 from the operation of the escalator clause and $.30 from the operation of the annual improvement factor (a $.15 increase on the anniversary date of the contract in each of the past 2 years). The Little Rock plant was built 5 years ago. It started with a modest-sized labor force, but during the past 3 years the southern plant has expanded sharply, and it now employs about 1,500 production and maintenance workers. Efforts to organize the southern plant have so far been unsuccessful. The union lost an NLRB election last year by 300 votes. Of the 1,500 employees, 1,300 cast ballots, with 800 voting against the union and 500 voting for it. The average wage in the Little Rock plant isShow MoreRelatedCameron Auto Parts966 Words   |  4 PagesCAMERON AUTO PARTS âÅ"“ Case Analysis: Cameron Auto Parts was founded in 1965, as consumer’s they haver three biggest car manufacturers. Cameron Auto Parts began having crisis in 2000 due two major problems: the first is about the drop in sales that were stopped at $ 48 million and in 2001 dropped to $ 18 million, and the second one is because the entry of Japanese competition to the market. Because of these losses Alex was in need for modernization, for this I borrowed $ 10 million. In 2001 AlexRead MoreCameron Auto Parts979 Words   |  4 PagesCAMERON AUTO PARTS âÅ"“ Case Analysis: Cameron Auto Parts was founded in 1965, as consumer’s they haver three biggest car manufacturers. Cameron Auto Parts began having crisis in 2000 due two major problems: the first is about the drop in sales that were stopped at $ 48 million and in 2001 dropped to $ 18 million, and the second one is because the entry of Japanese competition to the market. Because of these losses Alex was in need for modernization, for this I borrowed $ 10 million. In 2001Read MoreThe United State And European Union1575 Words   |  7 Pages The merger which is proposed by the United State (US) and European Union (EU) in 2000 would have joined together two of the three greatest railroads in the West and made the greatest railroad in the country. According to Kwoka and White,2 the joined together railroad would have 35,000 miles of track and $9.5 billion in earnings. United State (US) urged the Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC) – which transformed into the Surface Transportation Board (STB) in 2003 – to support the merger, declaringRead MoreAnalysis Of Engstrom Auto Mirror Plant Essay1278 Words   |  6 Pagesrelated issues (Lorenzi and Riley, 2003). As a rule the hidden reason for these issues inside the association is absence of open stream of data or notwithstanding utilizing incorrectly hierarchical structure. From the contextual investigation of Engstrom Auto Mirror Plant, there are a few authoritative issues that are cle ar and have come about into hierarchical clash. These issues present themselves nearly in all associations. It is accordingly imperative for the administration of any association to guaranteeRead MoreTata Fiat1340 Words   |  6 PagesTata Motors and the Fiat Auto: Joining Forces Tata Motors (TM) and Fiat Auto S.p.A (Fiat) are large auto manufacturers. It is described as the transformation of TM from a commercial vehicle manufacturing company to a leading passenger car company in India, and its forays into global markets. The case details the growth of Fiat, the problems the company faced, and the strategies it adopted to tackle these problems. It discusses the alliance between the two companies, and the benefits and costs fromRead MoreHrm Labor Relations Paper2219 Words   |  9 PagesThis is the case with these four companies. Acme Auto Parts, The Zinnia, School District 273 and Woodville Healthcare are all relatively small companies that seem to be compensating their employees properly. However, there have been talks about unionizing. There are even petitions being signed. As an HR manager, these matters need to be handled appropriately and carefully. Acme Auto Parts is a small nonunion auto parts manufacturer. Recently, employees have been mentioning the United Auto Workers (UAW)Read MoreEssay about Porters 5 Analysis Auto Industry in 20091244 Words   |  5 PagesIntroduction The case on the global automobile industry demonstrated by lowering cost through innovative production without sacrificing quality is the defining characteristic in a successful company. I found this case interesting because it characterized a successful automobile producer as one that will cut cost in an innovative approach to deal with a market that is constantly changing. The innovation in producing automobiles started with Ford through mass production and continued all the way toRead MoreHyundai Case Study8390 Words   |  34 PagesAsia Paciï ¬ c Business Review Vol. 12, No. 2, 131–147, April 2006 Globalization and Employment Relations in the Korean Auto Industry: The Case of the Hyundai Motor Company in Korea, Canada and India RUSSELL D. LANSBURY*, SEUNG-HO KWON** CHUNGSOK SUH†  *University of Sydney, **School of International Business, University of New South Wales, †  University of New South Wales ABSTRACT Examination is made of the complex interactions between globalization and employment relations as reï ¬â€šectedRead MoreLabor And Management Of The Industrial Society Essay1563 Words   |  7 PagesABSTRACT: Labour and management compose an important and integral part of our industrial society. These groups work as pair of opposites and their divergent interests clash at some point or the other. Despite all the emphasis laid by social scientists on the common goal and the virtues of industrial harmony, conflict has become an inherent feature of modern system of production. The problems of industrial conflict are not new. The past has witnessed many intense and sometimes violent disputes. TheseRead MoreAmerican Social Classes by Vance Packer809 Words   |  3 Pagesdescribed by luxuriousness in much of American culture, offering ascent to elevated amounts of utilization and a blast in populace. Underneath this boundless success, in any case, lay developing destitution for a few Americans, and the hole between the rich and poor broadened. I enjoyed this book because it was an excellent study. One of the strengths of American Social Classes in 1950’s is that it’s a time capsule within itself. While reading this novel I realized that our society today is similar

The Federal Budget Process Essay - 2864 Words

Running head: The Federal Budget Process The Federal Budget Process Abstract This report focuses on the federal budget process of the United States of America. The annual federal budget begins with a detailed proposal from the President in February. The budget request is developed by the President’s Office of Management and Budget (OMB). Next, Congress creates a blueprint called a budget resolution that sets limits on how much each committee can spend (or reduce revenues) over the course of the year. The terms of the budget resolution are then enforced against individual appropriations, entitlement bills, and tax bills on the House and Senate floors. In addition, Congress sometimes uses a special procedure called†¦show more content†¦Second, the president uses the budget request to lay out his relative priorities for federal programs (Myers, et al, 1989; Policy Basics, 2011). â€Å"The President’s budget is very specific, and recommends funding levels for individual federal programs or small groups of programs called â€Å"budget a ccounts.† The budget typically sketches out fiscal policy and budget priorities not only for the year but for the next five years or more. It is also accompanied by historical tables that set our past budget figures† (Policy Basics, 2011 Para 4). The third role that the President’s budget plays is that it can be used to alert Congress of what spending and tax policy changes the President recommends. It is not necessary for the President to propose legislative changes for those parts of the budget that are governed by permanent law if he feels none are needed (Policy Basics, 2011). Majority of the federal tax code is set in permanent law, and will not expire. Similarly, more than one-half of federal spending – including the three largest entitlement programs (Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security) – is also permanently enacted. Interest paid on the national debt is also paid automatically, with no need for specific legislation. (There is, however, aShow MoreRelatedBalancing The Federal Budget Process2282 Words   |  10 PagesProject Joint Paper: Balancing the Federal Budget Luis A. Santiago-Gaetan, Abby Baumann, and Erin Kirchner University of Massachusetts-Amherst Introduction This is Red Team’s joint paper on balancing the budget of the government of the United States of America. Red Team’s (from here on we/our) position regarding balancing the budget and reducing the federal deficit varies slightly. In many ways some team members believe that the federal budget is much like any other budget, with a set amount of moneyRead MoreBalancing The Federal Budget Process2278 Words   |  10 PagesBalancing the Federal Budget Luis A. Santiago-Gaetan, Abby Baumann, and Erin Kirchner University of Massachusetts-Amherst Introduction This is Red Team’s joint paper on balancing the budget of the government of the United States of America. Red Team’s (from here on we/our) position regarding balancing the budget and reducing the federal deficit varies slightly. In many ways some team members believe that the federal budget is much like any other budget, with a set amount of money coming in, a setRead MoreThe Evolution of the Federal Budget Process989 Words   |  4 PagesFederal spending is necessary for the economy and is essential to the accomplishment of national goals and advancement. This is why a budget is needed, however, there is no actual process mentioned in the Constitution that explains how Congress should do this. The Constitution states: No Money shall be drawn from the Treasury, but in Consequence of Appropriations made by Law; and a regular Statement and Account of Receipts and Expenditures of all public Money shall be published from time to timeRead MoreThe Federal Government Budget Process1761 Words   |  8 Pagesto the budget and how they decide what to spend things on. Some people just tend to look at a country and see a huge amount of debt and just assume that the country isn’t doing well. When people look at the United States of America they see a country that is a world power. People see a country that overcame many conflicts and is still trying to develop further, as much as possible. A country that has a lot of opportunities. But those opportunities would be in place if there wasn’t a process for theRead MoreFiscal Year 2012 Essay766 Words   |  4 PagesIn 2011, the House of Representatives clashed with President Barack Obama over the federal budget for Fiscal Year 2012. While Obama opted for a budget that reduced deficits through careful spending cuts and increased tax revenue, House Republicans Eric Cantor and Paul Ryan, along with eighty-seven new House Republicans, hoped to pass a budget that was more fiscally conservative. Ryan’s budget plan, The Path to Prosperity, cut $6 trillion in spending by repealing Obamacare and aided the wealthy byRead MoreFederal Governments Difficulty in Adopting a Budget711 Words   |  3 PagesOver the past few years the federal government has experienced considerable difficulty in adopting a budget. Instead of agreeing to a budget that allows for the orderly operation of the governments various agencies and determines the nations annual spending and revenue priorities, legislative and executive branches have been embroiled in acrimonious debate that has largely broken down along political lines. The presence budgetary process was originally created in 1974 (Keith, 1997) and there haveRead MoreEssay On The Federal Budget856 Words   |  4 Pagesconcern than the federal budget. As tax payers, the American people always wishes to know where their tax dollars are going. The problem is that very few people actually know who sets the federal budget, and how much power this branch of government really has. The governmental branch that controls the federal budget is the legislative branch, also known as Congress. An instance when Congress really stretched its muscles in terms of the federal budget was the Congressional Budget and Impoundment ControlRead MoreMany People Create A Budget That Allows Them To Follow1275 Words   |  6 PagesMany people create a budget that allows them to follow the guidelines of things that need funding or to be paid. It does not matter whether it is a bill or a company, the budget allots the money for a documented need. Per U.S. Department of Education (2011), a budget sets forth priorities and levels of spending, ways of financing the spending, and a plan for managing the funds. Special education directors must be able to explain this process to fulfill the necessity of the budget within the schoolsRead MoreThe Government And The Federal Government867 Words   |  4 PagesThe Federal Government is the body of government that implements and administers pu blic policy. The Federal Government Government execute all political powers. Moreover, the Federal Government according to, (Benz, 2003) is defined as â€Å"a system that divides up powers between a strong National Government and smaller local government.† In addition, (Benz, 2003) also states that the Federal Government are best used in large countries where there exists a diverse group of people with diverse needs butRead MoreThe National Government Of A Country Essay1622 Words   |  7 PagesThe National Government of a country consists of various characteristics, procedures, positions, and beliefs, that create a great comparison to such traits of a complex business. Whether it s developing a nation s annual budget, analyzing deficits or surpluses, accumulating government liabilities, or outsourcing to investors, the governments of all dominate nations have and will continue to run like any other successful business. In the case of a country, the economic, societal, fore ign, military

African American art Free Essays

NNamdi Collection of African- American Art is composed of musical art, literary works and other artistic works that expressed African American ideas for freedom. To speak of African American evoked many negative ideas during the human rights activism against slavery. Such ideas as post colonialism, transnational, ethnicity, race and racism, Black Nationalism and many other terms emerged during this period. We will write a custom essay sample on African American art or any similar topic only for you Order Now According to Tololyan, 1996, the African Diaspora, as African Americans were referred to, became the paradigmatic case towards the end of the 20th century. The continued experience of the racial experience became crucial in the emergence of transnational identities of the African Americans due to their background as sons and daughters of slaves. The emergence of music as an art of expressing grievances by the African Americans in the 20th century has a relationship with the emergence of African American sensibilities. An essay, Travelling Music and musicians, the author explores the globalization of African Americans plights using music with special; focus on the exchange between African America, Europe, and the Black combined in the opposition to racial subjugation. The racial tribulations faced by the blacks brought the idea of unified black musical ethos. This consequently brought the forging of collective identity through opposition to common enemy. This brought out the ease with which the complexities of the African Americans dissolved into a binary opposition between Blacks and whites. According to Faye Harrison (1998: 617), the construct has become nearly impossible to uproot, even though currently there is an increasing multicolored and multicultural society where racial barriers are continuously sealed with interracial marriage. The contest is still on the whiteness or blackness of an individual. Faye continue to state that the unending structural quality of racism with its set of economic political, ideological as well as color hierarchies continuously places blacks at the bottom of the ladder and this consequently is the cause of ultimate contest that reinforces the tendency of binarism. Claims of ‘Africanness’ as idealized and articulated through music is more or less similar to the nationalists’ assertions of an opposite political valence in the 20th century (Potter 1998). According to Pamela Potter, German sense of superiority in music was principally used to uphold the racial superiority ideologies. According to her study, she revealed that claims of music’s attachments to the collective attachments to people’s characters ca never be separated from the political and historical use to which such claims are upheld. African America’s literature is celebrated musically, spiritually, and emotionally as a sign of remembrance to the past role of art in the common struggle against social in justice. It is also important to remember that German National Socialists in the early 20th century too claimed to be musical people, considering their passionate depth and spiritual transcendence through the work of art (Potter 1998: 200-234). Potter clarifies that this should not be used to suggest that African Americans assertions of the centrality of the music can be equated to those of National Socialists, but should be used to underscore the importance of placing the spiritual and emotional dimensions in the context of solid historical as well as social practice. This article therefore links music, cultural identities, historical and political forces, and globalized economies in the 20th century with crucial and larger projects of analyzing the African American musical sensibilities. This rejects the idea of static African American essence of favoring more continuous redefined and negotiated sense of culture that springs up from generation to generation in response larger majority white race. Black Atlantic- Paul Gilroy (1993) In his book, critical Atlantic, Paul Gilroy is critical of the debate on the African American cultural studies and arguing for the centrality of the music for the construction and maintenance of the interethnic identities. Gilroy’s arguments centers on the multiplicity of the cultural flow between the African Americans, Caribbean, Britons, and North Americans. In his work, ships were chosen because of their symbolic middle age passage to invoke and provide his visual image for the transatlantic interaction. However, his continued work dwells in music is significant in making his point. He identifies three principles that regard relationship between race and culture. These three principle positions are: ethnic absolutism, anti-essentialism, and anti-antiessentialism. In his description of positions of black music, he believes that the music is divided between those who see the music as a source of political charge towards enhancing the blackness identity and those who would dispute the existence of such a unifying factor in any political environment. According to his views, anti-essentialism is a social constructionist and ideological view of race that is often ‘insufficiently alive to the lingering power of specifically racialised forms of power and subordination’ (Gilroy 1998: 32). Gilroy expresses his displeasure by describing it as tantamount to forsaking the mass of black people in the societal system of governance. He elaborates his ideology by stating that he takes an exception to the idea that racial identity is simply an ideological effect. For Gilroy, even though he is against the idea of essentialism, race is not an imagined community, something that can be deconstructed so as to neutralize the importance of black homology. The ability of music to link several expressive styles like language, dance and clothing as well as presenting idealized ethical and social sensibilities is central in the symbolic presentation of African American settings. In understanding the spiritual and ethical aspect of the Jazz performance, the combination requires several combination of voice, the ability to play with multiple musical parameters during performance and well as understanding the cultural foundation of the music. This gives the ethical goal of the music that it eventually makes sense such that a particular group of people can identify with. Gilroy argues that this deep sense of belonging is not an escape but deep involvement of the art of music for the African Americans. This provides means of cultural integration with coping strategies for racism. In his book, ‘’Communities Style’’, Veit Erlmann analyses the song ‘The Lion Sleep Tonight’. This song was done by South African Zulu migrant workers lead by Solomon Linda and was recorded at various diasporic locations. Here Erlmann is specifically interested in the way this music was altered as it was revived and re interpreted by a succession of groups like the Weavers in 1952 and the Tokens in 1961. These two groups were all American groups. Other versions came from the collaborations between Ladysmith Black Mambazo and the Mint Juleps in 1990. On all these versions of the song, at stake here was the construction of the African American identity through music. Erlmann described this as ‘Endotropic performance’ to emphasize the interracial construction of identity through similar styles. These forms of identities have emerged under this increasingly globalized social life. He describes this scenario as strange because a persons understanding of him or herself in the social world is no longer coinciding with the widely dispersed locations. Jerome Harris n his essay, ‘Jazz on the Global Stage’ , Jerome Harris provides an insiders analysis of the globalization of Jazz, based on his professional involvement for more than twenty years as a guitarist and bassist on a research he together with promoters, editors, journalists, other musicians and managers. He calls his work‘Ecology of jazz’. This is a web of interrelations between art makers, art users and mediators. Harris provides a very rich portrait of jazz in terms of performance and reception, especially in Europe (Bob Thompson, 1962:221). More importantly is his approach to jazz music as a tool of identity and aesthetic. He asks two main questions, who owns jazz? And what is the appropriate aesthetic for the jazz music. He tries to delineate the tension between African Americans sense of ownership of the music and the increasing participation of the non African Americans both as musicians and consumers. According to his views, he suggests that the reason why many African Americans have believed that they own the origin and aesthetic value of jazz is because of the collective loss of identity that was threatening to dismantle the cohesive black communities in the post-civil rights era. This belief wa also held by many non-African Americans. In his views, Harris identifies two basic principle of coping with the dilemmas of who owns jazz. He chooses the classic dichotomies of tradition/innovation and mainstream/avant-garde. Both sides of his debate is respecting tradition and putting emphases on innovation. While other artists work tend to ward off the outside influence on the jazz music, some emphasizes the importance of accepting the necessary changes that may come with globalization of jazz music as a sign of identity by a particular group of people in their own way (Charles W, 1945: 33). At the end, Harris concludes that the globalization and the hybridization of jazz music pose a painful experience of identity as well as cultural ownership for African Americans. At the same time, he sees it as offering new interesting possibilities when players interact with the rest of the world’s music. Conclusion From the three works of art discussed above on the music as a sign of identity, it is clear that both artists agree that music has been the defining link for cultural identities. In some of the African Americans views on the ownership and identity of the music, it has been grossly affected by the modernization and the globalization of the world where the different aspects of arts have been diluted. This is the conflict between tradition and modernity which has been said to be dominating the debates. In Europe the, the visual art seems to dominate the tribal art category where the sculpture was used to express the feelings of particular social response in the art scene (Alma Thomas et al 1973: 123) These arts explore the popular feelings of the people and to some extent the other group of people does not understand the con text of the grievances when responding to such complains. This was the dilemma of the music as an art in the early years of social uprising in the American society. Here western critics mostly devoted most of their attention to their culture and ways of thinking giving little attention to the expressions of these arts. The American cultural studies has shown emergence of arguments about the centrality of the music for the construction and maintenance of the interethnic identities. Such arguments centers on the multiplicity of the cultural flow between the African Americans, Caribbean, Britons, and North Americans. In most of this art work, ships were chosen due to their symbolic middle age passage to invoke and provide the visual image for the transatlantic interaction. However, most of the works of different artists continued to dwell in passing the message of discomfort. This identifies different principles that regard and guide relationship between different races and culture. Bibliography Tololyan S, 1996: The African Diaspora-An African American perspective, Chicago, Chicago University Press Gilroy P, 1998: critical Atlantic-Movement of art, Martin Puryear, Lever Veit Erlmann, 1993: Communities Style, an art of expression, New York, Captive printers Faye Harrison, 1998: The slum Gardens, Gift of the Sandra and Charles Gilman, Jr. Foundation in memory of Dorothea L. Leonhard Alma Thomas et al, 1973: Red Rose Cantata, Denver, Colorado, acrylic on canvas Charles W, 1945: Mother and Awaiting His Return, New York, Gift of Jacob Kainen How to cite African American art, Papers

Discuss Ways in Which Edward Thomas Presents Memory in ‘Aspens’ free essay sample

Empty as sky, with every other sound No ceasing, calls there ghosts from their abode† Discuss ways in which Thomas presents memory in ‘Aspens’. In your answer, explore the effects of language, imagery and verse form, and consider how this poem relates to other poems by Thomas that you have studied. Memory is presented as either a way of life or a community of change, as demonstrated in ‘Aspens’, ‘Old Man’, ‘Aldestrop’. He does this through the variety of techniques such as change in form, use of imagery and alternations in the tone of each poem to explore memory. As well as this, Thomas explicates the devastation of emptiness due to the consequence of war, which is portrayed through the use of soft consonantal sounds or the use of sibilance to carry the silence through the poem as it does in the places described in each poem. Quatrain A, B, A, B combined with the iambic pentameter shows regularity in the stresses of the beat, which reflects the motion of the Aspens as they sway consistently in the breeze. We will write a custom essay sample on Discuss Ways in Which Edward Thomas Presents Memory in ‘Aspens’ or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Alternatively, the regularity in the rhythm could reflect the beat of the hammer of the Blacksmith’s, as mentioned in the second stanza to emphasise how the vignette was once active, busy and lively. This is also seen in the sonnet by Robert Frost, Acquainted with the Night, where iambic pentameter could have been used to reflect the constant depressive state the poet experienced at the time. This contrasts with another of Thomas’ poems, ‘Tears’, where his thoughts are disjointed and disorganised as he tries to recollect his memories. Thus the use of free verse and an 18 line stanza, unbroken, is appropriate as it reflects how he struggles to remember. Despite this, the whole stanza is in iambic pentameter but Thomas has used this technique in order to reflect what is going on in his memory. For example, the last 6 lines of the stanza regulate, as all are of the same length, which expresses the formality of the soldiers marching and their systematic organisation. In comparison, ‘Old Man’ has an irregular structure and this use of free verse conveys Thomas’ uncertainty in dealing with the subject of memory. It would be deemed applicable to say that the struggle to reminisce is present in ‘Aldestrop’ as Thomas uses the hyphen at the end of the first line to show the pause in his recollection, as seen similarly and previously in the first line of ‘Tears’ as the use of two hyphens portrays Thomas’ thought process. The theme of emptiness is seen throughout Thomas’ poems. The wartime poet writes of his memory of livelihood and activity in villages, such as the one described in ‘Aspens’, and then how it begins to disappear as a result of war. This is shown as the village is left with a ‘lightless pane and footless road’ causing the village to appear as ‘empty as sky’ and this simile gives a sense of vastness of the effects of the war, emphasising on the emptiness in the poem. Further, the mention of the ‘cross-roads to a ghostly room’ explicates that the village is so empty that it is leading nowhere. This metaphor is ironic as cross-roads are suggestively open gateways and a sense of choice in direction. However this connotation is altered as Thomas uses the metaphor ‘ghostly room’, to portray the vacant village and this is supported by the cross-roads as they lead to emptiness and isolation. This is also seen in ‘Old Man’ as the paradox ‘only an avenue, dark, nameless, without end’ gives a sense of no lead despite the fact that an avenue should lead somewhere. It is clear here that Thomas’ state of depression is reflected in this last line as the imagery conjures connotations of death, gloom and finality. The emptiness is also portrayed in ‘Aspens’ as Thomas describes the ‘ghosts from their abode’, which suggests he is referring to the ghostly memories of the village, comparing them to how things have changed. We also see emptiness in ‘Aldestrop’ as Thomas explains how the unexpected stop is ‘bare’. The reason for this could be because the train was not due to stop at Aldestrop; on the other hand it could indicate the effects of wartime, particularly desolation. Loss of memory is seen in many of Thomas’ poems through different ways. Edna Longley, critic, points out that the part of the mind that remembers is the same part of the mind that generates poetry- the subconscious and comments that in ‘Old Man’ ‘perhaps / thinking perhaps of nothing’ is a rhetorically cunning line break. The verb ‘think’ is central to the poem as is the verb ‘remember’. Particularly in ‘Old Man’ Thomas uses the metaphor ‘I have mislaid the key’ to present his attempt of recollecting his first memory of the plant, Lads-Love. He portrays this as tantalising as he can ‘think of nothing’ when sniffing the herb, which suggests he finds loss of memory as frustrating. This is shown from the anaphora of ‘no’ at the end of the poem as it rightly expresses that the more he tries to remember the less likely the memory will reappear, which further shows his frustration of struggling to regain his memory. Despite this, Thomas makes it clear that the memory brings him sentimentality and this is clearly important to him. He shows that although the smell of the bush is ‘bitter’ he admires the plant because it brings back memories of his daughter. In comparison, Thomas also mentions that names are important in ‘Aldestrop’ as ‘I remember Aldestrop -/ The name’ suggests that the name brings every detail for him. A sense of change in community is seen in various poems by Thomas, due to the effects of war. Most specifically, ‘Aspens’ shows clearly how vibrant and animated the village was once before through the onomatopoeic sounds ‘clink, the hum, the roar’ as they reflect the vivacity that was once present before the war. This is contrasted as the silence is emphasised through the dominance of sibilance through ‘a silent smithy’ and ‘a silent inn’, which emphasises the hollow atmosphere. The silence is further shown by the sibilance in the penultimate line ‘ceaselessly, unreasonably grieves’, which allows the silence of the trees to continue through to the end of the poem. A sense of change is also seen in ‘Aldestrop’ as Thomas uses the metaphor of ‘all the birds’ to represent the people of England as they suffer from the effects of the war as a whole. The fact that Thomas mentions countryside towns such as Oxfordshire and Gloucestershire shows how much Thomas values traditional English scenery and therefore shows his devastation of the effects of war. Thomas uses lots of different techniques in order to portray memory through a communal change, emptiness and as a way of life. Through his language, structure and symbolism within his poems, the reader is able to understand Thomas’ thoughts about memory (those being that it is frustrating to have ‘mislaid the key’ and how memories can change over time) and relate their own experiences with Thomas’ due to his profound and truthful portrayal of memory.