...Argument Essay - Prompt 2009-A “Adversity has the effect of eliciting talents which in prosperous circumstances would have lain dormant.” -Horace Consider this quotation about adversity from the Roman poet Horace. Then write an essay that defends, challenges, or qualifies Horace's assertion about the role of adversity or political hardship, danger, misfortune, etc. plays in developing a person's character. Support your argument with appropriate evidence from your reading, observation, or experience. Molly Harris Mrs. Devost AP Language and Composition 5 February 2024 The Roman poet Horace wrote that “Adversity has the effect of eliciting talents which in prosperous circumstances would be lain dormant”. Horace’s claim is that when people face adversity and challenges, they build a better, stronger character. This claim is not limited to just daily challenges, but, in times of misfortune and hardship,...
Words: 1392 - Pages: 6
...Adversity is everywhere and occurs in everyday life. Adversity can be defined in many ways obstacles, barriers, challenges, disasters, and troubles that we have faced in our lives. And they definitely make people stronger take for example Brooke Ellison or an everyday situation such as the collapse of a relationship. Brooke Ellison was just an average girl then at the age of eleven she was hit by a car. The accident left her paralyzed from the neck down and dependent on a ventilator. This adversity did not stop her from continuing her life. She was destined for greatness and graduated from Harvard Law School. Would these talents and achievements have arisen were it not for the accident? Possibly, but Horace makes a good point when he states that adversity “has the effect of eliciting talents.” In other words, challenges bring forth talents and skills you may not have known you had. I have seen many instances where the collapse of a relationship is the beginning of something new in a person. For example, my friend had been in a relationship with this girl for almost 2 years and all of a sudden she ended it. After the relationship he picked himself up, dusted himself off, and found talents he never knew he had; went back to school and graduated with a master degree in public policy. So even thou he was in a “prosperous” situation with his girlfriend it was “dormant.” The relationship didn’t take him anywhere and the breakup helped him in the long run. It’s during these hard...
Words: 314 - Pages: 2
...Bria Bass 2 February 2016 Crystal Eaddy Ap Lang (4th) Adversity “Adversity has the effect of eliciting talents which in prosperous circumstances would have lain dormant.” What the Roman poet Horace was saying was that when there is an obstacle in our way, our true colors will radiate. I could not agree more. When we as human beings feel passionate about achieving a goal, we may learn something new of ourselves, maybe a new trait that we did not know we possessed, when we reach new heights we did not know we could push ourselves towards. To rise after failing a thousand times and then winning, that is truly overcoming adversity and achieving greatness. Everyone faces some sort of adversity throughout their lifetime. Adversities or obstacles agreeably involve weighing one’s options and then deciding what to do. The decisions we make shape who we are. So consequently adversity plays a crucial role in developing a person’s character. In Richard Rodriguez’s Hunger of Memory, Rodriguez is left feeling socially disadvantaged from his inability to speak English. He also had Mexican immigrants as a child which coupled with all his other “disadvantages” led him to be studious. He became distant from his family and chose to become a student, looking towards teachers for role models. Without this disadvantage adversity, he wouldn’t have realized his true potential as a student and writer. Those who truly experience pain and misfortune and are willing to work to improve their life...
Words: 493 - Pages: 2
...The handling of adversity dichotomy is also displayed by historical figures. One example of overcoming adversity is found in King George VI of the United Kingdom. King George was the king who was never meant to be king, that destiny always belonging to his eldest brother, Prince Edward. When Edward abdicated the throne, King George was thrust into the spotlight, a place he was never comfortable in. King George struggled with stuttering, hating to be in public eye for he could never get his words right. By the persuading of his wife, King George agrees to see a speech therapist. The therapy sessions goes poorly, as King George is convinced he is failing and will be unable to make any improvement. King George however, continues to work at it....
Words: 430 - Pages: 2
...Without a type of struggle in one person’s life, they are not actually living life. There is a strong agreement in Horace's assertion about the role of adversity playing in one’s life. Stephen Hawkings is a theoretical physicist and a cosmologist, he is also one of the most respected, but he did not earn this title overnight. Hawkings struggled for years trying to come up and get people to believe in the discoveries he found and theories created. In Truman Capote’s “In Cold Blood,” Capote narrated the story of the investigation on the murder of the Clutter family and how detectives struggle with trying to find the perpetrators, but a report helped with a break in the case and lead to a conviction. In Toni Morrison’s “Sula,”a young girl who grows into a woman has to face the hatred and distrust from the people of her own community....
Words: 485 - Pages: 2
...Writer, William Arthur Ward once said “Adversity causes some men to break; others to break records.” Horace says how adversity can reveal unknown talents in a person that prosperity can not, and is completely true. When we are presented with adversity, we are furious at the fact that we must face it. We do whatever we can to fight through it and hope that our lives will get better. Once it is gone, we are a new person, we are stronger, smarter, and changed. We are now able to face new challenges that are brought upon us in our daily lives and battle it out to become a new and better person. Whether the outcome is discovering something, inventing something, or being able to do something, we are all changed to be better at something. Through adversity, people can expose unknown passions and beliefs they did not have before. In the book Night by Elie Wiesel, he and his family are taken away from their home in Poland, and are sent to Auschwitz by the Nazis, where he is faced with extreme adversity. Once separated from his mother and sister, his only goal was to protect his dad. He witnessed countless acts of murder and didn’t understand why this was happening to him. His faith in God was lost after wondering why he would let this happen to innocent people and wouldn’t help them out of it. After the...
Words: 998 - Pages: 4
...Estrella Alvarado Period 2 11/26/12 APLAC: HORACE ESSAY The Roman poet named Horace uses a quote that is very inspiring in a way that in times of struggle something that is least expected in us comes alive. Depending on the situation, adversity will take place and for the long run develop a person’s character. Sometimes people are put in certain situations that are hard to handle and usually a certain skill/ talent will be released without them even noticing because they need that extra boost in their life. One day someone may be in danger or oneself may be in danger, the adrenaline rush you have at the moment will make you stronger and you’ll be able to defend yourself in any circumstances. Your instincts will kick in and your reactions will be faster and more precise. One day a mother left her child unattended by a park and the child decided to leave and cross the road because his ball had rolled off. A truck was coming his way but he had no idea and his mom saw this from afar and sprinted to save him. The fact that her only child was in danger made her instincts come out. Another example would be if you’re facing a death in a family you’ll have to take out strength from somewhere to be able to console the rest of your family and always be there for them. This time of misfortune calls for strength and you’re giving it although it may be hurting you as well. I believe that this makes you stronger if in the future times something similar happens and you have to go through...
Words: 538 - Pages: 3
...A Roman poet, Horace once said “Adversity has the effect of eliciting talents which in prosperous circumstances would have lain dormant.” By reading Outliers: The story of success, I agree with his statement. Malcolm Gladwell established multiple individuals who took important responsible risks and were given opportunities that lead to their success in life. Two individuals that stood out were Joe Flom and Louis Borgenicht. They came with nothing and worked their way to the top of success. Flom appears to be shaped from the experiences in his environment. Even though he had great characteristics like talent, ambition, and intelligence, it was not adequate to succeed because he was a Jew. In order to illustrate the the validity of this...
Words: 847 - Pages: 4
...A son a husband a father a writer a poet a doctor a friend his name is William Carlos Williams born September 17th 1883 in Rutherford New Jersey to parents William George and Raquel this poet's stlye "THE American Experience" which displayed working class, destruction, hid expreinces as a father husband and doctor a part of the imagism and modernism movement of his time. Childhood, teens,and college life Being raised by immigrant parents mother that was from Puerto Rico and a father that was British with the help of his grandmother and Uncle it was strongly influenced on his writing. As a teen he attended horace High School where he discovered his joy in writing soon after at the age of 19 attended the University of Pennsylvania to attend...
Words: 788 - Pages: 4
...Helen Keller's Family Helen Adams Keller was born a healthy child in Tuscumbia, Alabama, on June 27, 1880. On her father's side she was descended from Colonel Alexander Spottswood, a colonial governor of Virginia, and on her mother's side, she was related to a number of prominent New England families. Helen's father, Arthur Keller, was a captain in the Confederate army. The family lost most of its wealth during the Civil War and lived modestly. After the war, Captain Keller edited a local newspaper, the North Alabamian, and in 1885, under the Cleveland administration, he was appointed Marshal of North Alabama. When Helen Keller Met Anne Sullivan At the age of 19 months, Helen became deaf and blind as a result of an unknown illness, perhaps rubella or scarlet fever. As Helen grew from infancy into childhood, she became wild and unruly. As she so often remarked as an adult, her life changed on March 3, 1887. On that day, Anne Mansfield Sullivan came to Tuscumbia to be her teacher. Anne was a 20-year-old graduate of the Perkins School for the Blind. Compared with Helen, Anne couldn't have had a more different childhood and upbringing. The daughter of poor Irish immigrants, she entered Perkins at 14 years of age after four horrific years as a ward of the state at the Tewksbury Almshouse in Massachusetts. She was just 14 years older than her pupil Helen, and she too suffered from serious vision problems. Anne underwent many botched operations at a young age before...
Words: 2031 - Pages: 9
...can learn to check impetuosity, overcome fear with confidence, and laziness with discipline. But for rigidity of mind there is no antidote. It carries the seeds of its own destruction.” Anonymous 1. What does this mean? 2. With rigidity of mind, what happens to the team? 3. Team players who exhibit adaptability have certain characteristics: - explain -Teachable -Have emotional security -Have creativity -Service minded (put the team first) Quote 2: “Blessed are the flexible, for they shall not be bent out of shape” Michael McGriff 1. What does this mean? 2. Why is it important to be flexible? 3. How can being flexible help our chances of being successful as a team? Quote 3: “Doing nothing for others is the undoing of one’s self” Horace Mann 1. What does this mean? 2. How can we help others on the team? 3. The first key to being a team player is being willing to adapt yourself to the team, not an expectation that the team will adapt to you- explain Collaborative: Working together precedes winning together Quote 1: “To collaborative team members, completing one another is more important than competing with one another.” John Maxwell 1. What does this mean? 2. Teammates should perceive themselves as a unit working together, and they should never allow competition between teammates to get to the point where it hurts the team. – explain. 3. When something happens do you say “What’s in it for me?” or “What does this do for the team?” Where you focus your attention...
Words: 3056 - Pages: 13
...Eddie Joseph Strategic Audit on Ford Business 480 April 26th 2014 STRATEGIC AUDIT ON FORD MOTORS INC. Welcome to the presentation on Ford Motors Inc. This paper was written by Eddie E. Joseph. He is a student at National University currently working on his undergraduate degree. This BUS 480 course started on Tuesday, April 8th 2014 and will conclude on Sunday, May 4th 2014. As a senior working on a bachelor’s degree in business administration, Eddie looks forward to the challenges that he will face. Like the challenge presented in this strategic audit on Ford. This paper is broken up into segments, and organized in different sections within that segment’s topic. This paper will try to answer all questions about Ford in the most thorough way possible. Without further ado, let’s break down the current situation. I. Current Situation- Ford has been around for many years, spanning multiple countries. As a global heavy hitter, Ford has sustained a lucrative business practice in the motor industry, even outlasting the economic depression. When reviewing the present day stats, Ford will still prove to be one of the premier automotive companies in the United States and continue to expand around the world. A. Capital Structure- Ford has come a long way in recent years. After a difficult year...
Words: 2372 - Pages: 10
...When we were assigned this assignment, I wanted to pick four leaders who I wanted to learn from. I wanted to study how they became successful leaders. I wanted to enhance my abilities from what I learned from the following four leaders. The four leaders I choose: Pope Francis, Jeff Bezos, Alexander the Great and Abraham Lincoln. I choose these four because of the style of leadership I feel they are the best in: leading by an example, being a risk taker, using strategy, and never giving up (determination). Pope Francis is very effective by setting an example. He is humble. He wants to be a Pope who for the people. He is not someone who wants fluent his position which makes him a popular Pope. He would rather drive in a FIAT 500 then a limo. (What did the leader do well ) "Francis hates any members of the clergy who sit in offices and push paper," Krames says. As a bishop in Buenos Aires, Jorge Mario Bergoglio (as he was then), would dress as a plain priest and go out at night to talk with people. "When he became pope he told one of his archbishops, 'I can't do that anymore, so you're going to do it for me.' He doesn't want a pristine church, he wants a church that's going out in the streets to find people and help them." Likewise, Francis famously chose not to move into the papal apartments but to remain in a guest suite at the Vatican, "to live in community with others," according to a Vatican representative. “[1] “The reformist Pope immediately set his sights on the...
Words: 2574 - Pages: 11
...Global Business Cultural Analysis South Korea By: Erik Mays Liberty University BUSI 604 Dr. Romanoski May 9, 2014 Abstract In this research paper I will be analyzing the cultural perspectives of doing business in South Korea. In doing so, I will be answering the four major questions as it relates to the major Elements and Dimensions of culture in South Korea. Also, since the dimensions of culture in any nation are many, it is necessary to analyze each category that makes up the Dimensions of one’s culture, these categories have been in place for many years in any given country. If we simply consider the Dimensions of Culture in the United States alone, which range from Religion to our Ethical standards, it would be clear that there are many categories within each of those. Therefore, it is important to analyze each category in detail, in an attempt to determine exactly what it will take to do business in that country or any country across the globe. This research paper will attempt to identify those major elements and dimensions of culture in South Korea. Once these elements and dimensions have been identified, it would give a clearer picture on how South Koreans integrate those elements and dimensions into their everyday business. Also, when comparing South Korean and the United States culture and business, there would naturally be implications that should be considered for US businesses that want to do business in South Korea. This research will also address those...
Words: 7922 - Pages: 32
...The Elements of Style Strunk, W., Jr. and White, E.B. CONTENTS I. II. III. IV. V. VI. INTRODUCTORY.................................................................................................. 2 ELEMENTARY RULES OF USAGE..................................................................... 2 1. Form the possessive singular of nouns with 's................................................ 2 2. In a series of three or more terms with a single conjunction, use a comma after each term except the last.......................................................................... 3 3. Enclose parenthetic expressions between commas.......................................... 3 4. Place a comma before and or but introducing an independent clause.............. 4 5. Do not join independent clauses by a comma. ................................................ 5 6. Do not break sentences in two. ....................................................................... 5 7. A participial phrase at the beginning of a sentence must refer to the grammatical subject......................................................................................... 6 8. Divide words at line-ends, in accordance with their formation and pronunciation.................................................................................................. 7 a. Divide the word according to its formation: ............................................. 7 b. Divide "on the vowel:" ...................
Words: 10531 - Pages: 43