Do We Really Think By Henry Ford Essay Example For Students

Do We Really Think By Henry Ford Essay His wages barely paid for living expenses and for tools and materials for his tinkering. But his wife was cooperative and did not complain but rather, encouraged him. In November 1983, a son was born to Henry and Clara, they named him Edsel. A few weeks later, just before Christmas, Henry had completed his engine. A successful testing of the engine excited Henry and he decided to build one with two cylinders. Slightly over two and a half years later, Henry had built his first horseless carriage with four bicycle wheels and seat. His contraption would not fit out of the workshop so he simply knocked out a portion of the wall. The car tested successfully, but was very impractical as someone on a bicycle had to ride ahead to warn the people with horses as the car startled them. Henry quit his very promising job at the Edison Illuminating Company on August 15, 1989. He was to head the new Detroit Automobile Company. Instead of producing any cars though, Henry spent the money on improving his design. The experimental models that he produced cost a great deal of money and a little more than a year later, the Detroit Automobile Company had failed. To gain supporters, Henry built a racing car. If he could win a race, he could get backers and form his own company. Henry did successfully win a race in October, 1901 and acquiring backers became no longer a problem. On November, 1901, the Henry Ford Company was formed. This company fared no better than the previous. Ford still wanted to build a low-priced car that ordinary people could afford to buy and drive. Ford would not sacrifice his standards for the profit. (Much unlike his portrayal in Brave New World). Finally in June, 1903, a third company, the Ford Motor Company, was incorporated. Ford continued working on his cheap design. It was ready shortly after the new companys formation and orders came in faster than they could be filled. Ford, Charles Sorensen and a small group of dedicated engineers began working on a universal car. By October, 1908, the Model-T had been constructed. Again orders began coming in faster than they could be filled. This presented Ford with his next challenge, to increase the production rate of the automobiles. Sorensen and Ford finally came up with the assembly line idea. Rather than having the men go to the work, the work would come to the man, brought along on pulleys and chains overhead. One problem bothered Ford increasingly, however. Assembly- line work was monotonous and uninteresting. The Ford factory had a great turnover of employees, and too much time was wasted in training new men. The men were currently only being paid the minimum wage of $2 a day. Ford decided (much to his colleagues displeasure and protest) that the men would be paid $5 and that the work day would be shortened to that of an eight-hour day. Some people praised him as a great humanitarian. Others denounced Ford as a madman, a crackpot, and a villain. One may have considered Ford unjust in making his men work on the assembly line, this is not so. Ford had more than doubled the wages of his men, shortened their work day, and thereby tried to give the employees a share of the profits. Ford eventually resigned as president of his company and gave control to Edsel. Conflicts rose between Edsel and Henry. All his life, Ford had been in charge, calling the shots. Now, even though Edsel was President inname, none of the decisions went without Henrys approval. Edsel had wanted to produce a new model for several years, and finally Henry Sales soared. This was last real success that Henry Ford saw in his company. The great depression was coming, sales dropped, and labour unions formed. Originally Ford had factory police to monitor the men and keep away people related to union, but on June 18, 1941, the men went on strike and Henry was handed a union contract. It spelled out the terms on which his men would work, and even set the speed of the assembly line. Ford refused to sign. Only after his wife threatened to leave him, did Henry sign. He did not just sign, he gave them better terms. Henry felt a need to dictate. He had always been in control, and this was time was no e xception. War broke out in December, 1941. Fords factories were converted to plants that constructed war machines. Even in this time, Ford kept his love for nature and the old times. Henry constructed a museum. He even had his fathers old farmhouse rebuilt.It was in 1942 that his son Edsel died of cancer. The shock nearly killed old Henry, but ratherthan give up his hold on the Ford Motor Company, he made himself President once more. He was old now, and in 1945 he relinquished all responsibility to Edsels son, Harry II. The Ford Company took on new life under young Henry, but Ford was not around to see it. In 1947 Henry Ford fell ill and took to his bed. On April 27, alone with his wife and one servant, Henry died at age eighty-four. .ue52e8d0a10b53e9e65be92b3201bf2f0 , .ue52e8d0a10b53e9e65be92b3201bf2f0 .postImageUrl , .ue52e8d0a10b53e9e65be92b3201bf2f0 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .ue52e8d0a10b53e9e65be92b3201bf2f0 , .ue52e8d0a10b53e9e65be92b3201bf2f0:hover , .ue52e8d0a10b53e9e65be92b3201bf2f0:visited , .ue52e8d0a10b53e9e65be92b3201bf2f0:active { border:0!important; } .ue52e8d0a10b53e9e65be92b3201bf2f0 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .ue52e8d0a10b53e9e65be92b3201bf2f0 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .ue52e8d0a10b53e9e65be92b3201bf2f0:active , .ue52e8d0a10b53e9e65be92b3201bf2f0:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .ue52e8d0a10b53e9e65be92b3201bf2f0 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .ue52e8d0a10b53e9e65be92b3201bf2f0 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .ue52e8d0a10b53e9e65be92b3201bf2f0 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .ue52e8d0a10b53e9e65be92b3201bf2f0 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .ue52e8d0a10b53e9e65be92b3201bf2f0:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .ue52e8d0a10b53e9e65be92b3201bf2f0 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .ue52e8d0a10b53e9e65be92b3201bf2f0 .ue52e8d0a10b53e9e65be92b3201bf2f0-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .ue52e8d0a10b53e9e65be92b3201bf2f0:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Procrastination EssayAfter his death, a foundation was formed to administer his vastfortune. The foundation gave substantial support to various projects in the arts, in medicine and in other important areas of American life. Ford was a great man who revolutionized our world. Ford put the world on wheels, and in so doing, he made it a smaller world.

Gaucho Life Essay Research Paper Explain How free essay sample

Gaucho Life Essay, Research Paper Explain How the Social and Economic Changes Affected Gaucho Life. Due to the immense migration to Latin America, aliens introduced the gauchos to many alterations that would hold a permanent consequence. Two of the chief alterations felt by the gauchos included societal and economic restructuring. One must understand that history about the gauchos can potentially be biased. This is due to the fact that merely intelligence that is interesting is reported and merely bad intelligence is interesting. This clang of recorded history and existent history causes us to oppugn what really occurred during this clip period. The gauchos # 8217 ; lifestyle suffered greatly because of these societal and economic alterations. New establishments, values and beliefs all aided the transmutation and riddance of the gaucho. Imported values like household, faith, instruction and authorities impacted the day-to-day lives of the gaucho. Whether the gauchos # 8217 ; lives changed in a negative or positive manner, is up to you to make up ones mind. We will write a custom essay sample on Gaucho Life Essay Research Paper Explain How or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page I would state it merely continued to germinate this specific life style, all the manner out being. This acknowledged value of household affected the gaucho in the country of matrimony specifically. Previously the gauchos impregnated battalions of adult females and did non follow through with the duties included with this action. They would merely go on on with their normal lives. The importance of monogamousness by others cramped the gauchos # 8217 ; manner. Marriage did hold one positive consequence. Women # 8217 ; s worth increased in the peoples # 8217 ; eyes. Prostitution became more controversial. With faith on the rise, this act besides crossed over to the inappropriate list. The value of instruction left the gaucho in the dark. The gaucho had no formal instruction at all. Schools began educating others, but non them. This meant that the gaucho was falling on the societal ladder due to deficiency of instruction. Europeans imported this value and importance of instruction. Gauchos # 8217 ; societal lives covered many interesting countries. These traditional Acts of the Apostless decreased because of the new Torahs. Previously, gauchos would roll the pampa, continuously traveling forth to unknown finishs. This freedom became restricted with the innovation of the fencing. The fencing besides impacted other countries of the gauchos # 8217 ; lives including economically. The fencing forced the alteration from a ranching to farming. The demand for ranchers decreased, which put gauchos out of work. These fencings besides kept animate beings contained to specific grazing lands. Before this gauchos would kill rolling Equus caballuss for merriment, cowss for nutrient and teguments, and ostrich for plumes. These fencings set districts that kept the gaucho from rolling freely. Another alteration that kept the gaucho from wande pealing freely involved vagrancy Torahs. The authorities targeted to the gaucho and aimed to acquire rid of them, or at least chasten them. Gauchos now had to transport something similar to a travel license. This once more restricted their alone life style. Because the authorities viewed the gauchos as good combatants, they enlisted many to function in the armed forces. This impacted their lives socially and economically. Gauchos # 8217 ; societal lives slowed down tremendously because of the military. They had to work continuously. Economically they benefited because they no longer had to look for ways to back up their basic demands. The authorities took attention of doing them sustain life. In add-on to forced military hitch, the authorities forced gauchos to work in agribusiness and excavation in exchange for a topographic point to kip, nutrient to eat, and protection. Gauchos did non needfully desire to alter socially, nevertheless the force per unit areas of the authorities frequently times overruled their ain determinations. New engineering spurred alterations in the economic life of the gaucho. As discussed antecedently, fencings played a major function. Mechanization became really popular. Guns and motorcycles could now be purchased, and many people took advantage of these promotions. No thirster could the gaucho rob and bargain from anyone merely with a knife. Peoples now had guns as protection from stealers and brigands. This effected the gauchos # 8217 ; economic life. These are illustration of the Enlightenment epoch that promoted force and fright of alteration. Along with enlightenment and prosperity came ignorance and poorness. The rich had no ground to portion instruction with those they controlled. This educational promotion helped make a position system. The gauchos occupied the lowest measure. They lived and died hapless with non much of a opportunity for promotion. This gave the gaucho no pick but to hold with the adage, # 8220 ; if you can # 8217 ; t crush # 8217 ; em, fall in # 8217 ; em. # 8221 ; The gaucho fell victim to urbanisation with small hope for upward mobility. This spawned a motion from the pampa to the metropolis to make full employment chances. The life of the gaucho changed for good. Development and destiny worked hard plenty to force the gaucho down and finally out of being. With all of these advancement socially and economically, gauchos lost their heritage. The authorities acted in a manner they felt necessary and portrayed the gaucho in a visible radiation that led others to do negative opinions. The gaucho dissolved to a worker, they transformed from cowpuncher to citizen. Resistance could be seen through scoundrels like Poncho Villa. Unfortunately, it would take more than his rebellion to change by reversal destiny. Although in the long tally gauchos received an improved criterion of life in our eyes, they besides lost their life style they loved.

3d Glasses Essay Essays

3d Glasses Essay Essays 3d Glasses Essay Paper 3d Glasses Essay Paper Informative Speech November 15, 2011 CMM 101 E General Purpose: to inform Specific Purpose Statement: To inform my audience of two methods used for 3-D viewing. (concept) CT: There are two different methods used for 3-D viewing: anaglyphs and polarization. (chronological) Introduction: (When I was a little girl about 4 years old I had a toy that allowed me to see images in 3-D. The toy was red and looked a lot like a pair of binoculars. I could put different white circular cut outs in, each with a different set of pictures. If I clicked a little orange lever the picture would change. (Marshal Brain, founder of howstuffworks. com, which won him 4 awards including Yahoos best science and technology resource in 2004, explains how the toy I am describing and binocular vision works. The toy is called a view master or stereoscopic viewer. The view master imitates how our eyes already work, by using binocular vision. Our eyes are about 2 ? inches apart giving them slightly different views a t the same time allowing for depth perception. ) (â€Å"People only see what they are prepared to see. † , said classic American poet Ralph Waldo Emerson. Our brains and eyes are prepared to see life in 3 dimensions and pictures in 2 dimensions. We are unable to create a sense of depth perception for TV. and movies because both of our eyes are taking in the same image. (I went to see Lion King in 3-D with some friends. Katie had never seen a 3-D movie before. During the movie I saw something move out of the corner of my eye. I realized it was Katie raising her hand in front of her to touch the images. I laughed and she smiled back at me with a quick shrug of her shoulders. ) I had never really thought about how the producers created a 3-D effect before. Director James Cameron, the first director to produce two movies grossing over $ 1 billion announced, â€Å"Every cinema will be capable of showing 3D movies in the next five years. † While 3D may not yet be this exclus ive, 3-D technology has come a long way. (So how exactly do the images of Timon and Pumba singing Hakuna Mattatah seem to start dancing off the screen? ) We will be discussing two methods of 3-D viewing. First we will look at anaglyphs and then polarization. Transition: We all remember those silly cardboard glasses with one blue lens and one red one. They were used in things like comic books and found in cereal boxes. We could put them on and turn a distorted red and blue blurry image into a neat pop off the page clear picture. I. The first method used for 3-D viewing was anaglyphs. A. Anaglyphs were the earliest method of presenting theatrical 3-D. 1. In 1922 â€Å"The Power of Love† was the first 3-D movie. a. The movie used 2 camera two projector 3-D technology according to Internet Movie Database,developed by Harry K. Fairhall and Robert F. Elder at the Ambassador Hotel Theater in Los Angeles. B. Anaglyph systems do not require much specialized hardware. . According to director and writer Fred Wilder, anaglyphs take advantage of binocular viewing, by secluding each eye to take in a similar but separate image. a. Two images are shown simultaneously on one screen through separate filters. b. The images are seen through two matching filters in the lenses of the glasses. 2. Anaglyphs do not allow for full color viewing. Tr ansition:. According to Forbes and New York Times magazine writer Mary Bellis, who has been writing about inventors since 1997, the Polaroid was invented by Edwin Land in 1948, but didnt become very popular until 1965. After the golden age of 3-D in the 1950s the technology lost its appeal to viewers. People would rather see movies in color. It wasnt until the invention of the Polaroid that 3-D would be forever changed. II. The second method used for 3-D viewing is polarization. A. There are two types of polarization linear and circular, both allowing full color viewing. 1. The major feature polarization allows for is full color viewing. 2. The Oxford English dictionary defines polarization as with the use of an object, physics restrict the vibrations of a transverse wave, especially light wholly or partially to one direction. . Polarized light requires a device of some sort to block the vibrations in all directions except one. B. One type of polarization is linear. 1. Linear polarization uses differently polarized lights to create a 3-D effect, explains John Jerit, owner of American Paper Optics, a 3-D glasses manufacturer. a. Clear glasses with the similar polarization lenses are worn to filter t he opposing light sources. 2. Viewers must keep their heads level in order not to distort the image. a. Changing ones view perspective will cause channels to bleed into each other. C. A second type of polarization is circular. . Circular polarization works similarly to linear polarization. a. A major difference between the two types is the total number of images presented on the viewing screen. b. Circular polarization is the method used for RealD 3-D. Conclusion: 3-D started millions of years ago with the first humans to look around. We see life in 3-D, and now movies, television, and video games too. Now when you go to see your first or next 3-D movie you will know how images fly off the screen. However, you will probably still want to touch the objects flying at you like Katie did. Emerson, Ralph, Waldo. The Essential Writings of Ralph Waldo Emerson. Modern Library, 2000. eBook. Child, Ben. James Cameron expects 100% 3D in the next five years. the guardian. 12 April 2011: n. page. Web. 12 Nov. 2011. Jerit, John. How do linear polarized glasses work?. 3d Glasses online. Centrasource interactive agency, 2010. Web. 12 Nov 2011. LaLena, Michael. Which 3D theater to choose. DIY audio and visual. lalena network, 2011. Web. 12 Nov 2011. Brain, Marshall. How 3-D Glasses Work 18 July 2003. Web. 12 November 2011. Wilder, Fred. Anaglyph 3D know-how. stcroix studios. Fred Wilder studio, 2004. Web. 12 Nov 2011. admin, . Circular polarized 3d glasses vs. linear polorized 3D glasses. 3D cameras review. N. p. , 15 Jan 2011. Web. 12 Nov 2011. polarize. Oxford Dictionaries. April 2010. Oxford Dictionaries. April 2010. Oxford University Press. 12 November 2011 Henderson, Tom. â€Å"How do we know light behaves as a wave. †: Polarization. The Physics Classroom Tutorial. 2011. Web. 12 Nov 2011. Bellis, Mary. â€Å"Polaroid photography. Instant photography. † The New York Times Company. 2011. Web. 12 Nov 2011 â€Å"Trivia: The Power of love. † Internet Movie Database. 2011. Web. 12 Nov 2011.

American Exceptionalism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

American Exceptionalism - Essay Example The untold story of America is bit different as America was founded upon the principles of freedom. America’s tradition to build upon opportunity has been the pinnacle point that has made it exceptional over the years. Undoubtedly, it is also one of the key characteristics that has made individuals all across the world to migrate to America. A country where opportunities are prevalent and individualism is propagated is truly an element that makes this country exceptional. It is clear that USA has played a major role in many elements, both domestically and internationally that has allowed it to be an influential country. Issues such as westward expanionism, racism, reformation, industrial revolution are just few aspects that resulted because of American Exceptionalism. Hence, America continues to be exceptional because of the opportunities, firm belief in changing status quo, and diversity that it has celebrated over the centuries.One of the key reasons why America is exception al is because America is perceived as the â€Å"Golden land of opportunity,† many immigrants come to America for a better future. Without a doubt, many individuals immigrate to America because it allows them to harness their growth. The idea of obtaining their own version of American dream through â€Å"life, liberty and property† is a concept that makes America so unique. The true version of living the American dream can certainly become a reality for these individuals. Individuals are motivated to work hard for themselves to progress further in life. This mutual symbiotic relationship between the citizen and the nation itself is truly exceptional. Unlike other countries which continue to emphasize the well-being of the nation, Americans pride themselves in being â€Å"individualistic.† This theology has been the pinnacle point of what makes America truly unique and fueled westward expansion. America became the symbolism of pure individualism chasing the  "green power.† In addition, the expansionst movement also represents that of the quest for the â€Å"American Dream† that the new immigrants desired when they reached the â€Å"promise land† In essence, Looking at America back in the 1800’s, the westward expansionism was because of the young nation’s desire to expand its horizons. It was an accumulation of greed, individualistic American dreams, and a young nation’s desire to be in conquest. It was evident that this was attained within the American mentality at that time. American Exceptionalism influenced US domestic policies in many ways. First and foremost, it has made America a true super power because it has allowed America to focus within itself. Because of the US involvement in world affairs, the crackdown on terrorism has been a very provocative one1.Without the American involvement, the birth of United Nations would have never been initiated. This itself is a huge testament to how Am erican involvement has been a focal point in world affairs. The initiation of the United Nations is just one example of American influence in world affairs. The United Nations is a collaborative effort that has allowed the nations to put aside their differences and come up with a joint body of resolution. Although the United Nations was an anti-measure of American principles during the 1930’s, it showed that American mentality was flexible and circumstantial. America was ready to change its philosophy based on the circumstances it faced with. This mentality was a

External analysis for Ameresco Inc. (AMRC) Research Paper

External analysis for Ameresco Inc. (AMRC) - Research Paper Example heless, increased participation in the energy services industry has yielded increased competition between companies in the industry amid challenges presented by the external environment. The external environment has significant influence on the performance of companies through economic, technological, political-legal, and sociocultural factors. To sufficiently understand the influences of the external environment it is important to concentrate on a specific player in the industry such as Ameresco Inc. which is one of the largest energy services companies in North America. Although the economy cannot be controlled by an organization, it has great influence on the growth and development of a particular organization. This can be attributed to the impacts of economic growth, inflation, economic stability, and unemployment policies on the success of an organization (Dragnic, 2014). Ameresco’s location in North America gives it an advantage of relatively little negative influence of the economy. For example, its location in the USA is favorable to its success due the constant economic stability and growth presenting an opportunity for success. Additionally, inflation rates are relatively low thereby increasing its chances of success. However, areas with high unemployment rates offer relatively cheap labor hence increasing profit margins and vice versa. As such, the cost of labor incurred b Ameresco is relatively high although the changing times may present costs reductions based on labor importation trends. Technology plays a critical role in the de velopment of the energy savings industry. Technological advancements mainly focus on improving efficiency of energy consumption while maintaining low costs and conserving the environment. As such, the recent technological advancements pose a great opportunity for Ameresco’s success. Moreover, the political aspect heavily affects the performance of a particular industry depending on either favorable or unfavorable

Impact of Commercial Paper in the Indian Money Market

Impact of Commercial Paper in the Indian Money Market In todays competitive environment, firms find themselves in a perpetual race to acquire the cheapest source of finance to leverage their companies and gain a competitive advantage. All this is undertaken by companies to satisfy their masters – the shareholders. Finance is a very scarce commodity. A company can satisfy its funding needs generally through two sources namely, equity and debt. It is common practice to use a mix of both in the capital structure. Further the company may rely on two sources of finance – long term sources and short term sources. Long term sources of finance typically include – Shares, debentures, venture capital, public deposits, government grants, mortgage, retained profits, loans from financial institutions, loans from commercial banks etc. Whereas, short term sources of finance include – Overdraft, trade credit, factoring, cash credit, loans advances, discounting of bills, commercial paper etc. A very interesting segment of finance to note is that of money markets. It is an important component of financial markets and is a short term market with maturity period of 1 year or less. The most common instruments traded in the money markets include –treasury bills, certificates of deposits, repurchase agreements, commercial paper (CP) etc. Commercial paper is a short-term debt instrument of the money market. It is an unsecured promissory note with a fixed maturity of 7 to 365 days. It is issued at a discount and redeemed at par. The origin of commercial paper can be traced back to the late 19th century when it grew rapidly as a source of corporate financing until 1920s when it all but disappeared during the Depression. Momentum picked up after the Second World War and a notable incident in the commercial paper market was the Penn Central  [1]  failure which shook the market and temporarily halted its growth (Calomiris, Himmelberg, Wachtel, 1994). Commercial paper as a source of short term funds to Indian corporate sector was introduced from 1990 by the then government in the process of continuing reforms. The direct objective of commercial paper was to improve the short-term liquidity. That is by releasing the pressure on bank funds for medium sized borrowers and enabling companies with high credit ratings to rais e funds directly from the markets (Reddy, 1999). Commercial paper can be further categorized into financial and nonfinancial commercial paper. Nonfinancial commercial paper is issued by nonfinancial corporations, typically large industrial or service firms and utility companies. Financial paper on the other hand is issued by financial companies such as banks (Shen, 2003). From the investors point of view, commercial paper carries with it a great many advantages like low risk due to issuance by prime rated companies, limited reinvestment risk because the commercial papers are generally issued for a short time horizon thereby protecting the investor from large interest rate fluctuations. Investors are also keen on the fact that commercial paper gives higher yields when compared to other short-term investments such as treasury bills or certificate of deposits (Standard Poors, 2008). On the flip side commercial paper is not absolutely risk free, there are certain risks attached to commercial paper – credit risk in that the company may be unable to pay the investors on maturity though this is an extremely rare event, interest rate risk which arises due to the changes in the market interest rates. This risk is mitigated because most commercial papers are issued for short term and most of the investors hold onto the paper until maturity thereby they are unaffected by price movements. Rollover risk is also present because most papers are retired by the companies by making a fresh issue. This risk is also minimized by securing a bank line of credit. The major risk facing commercial paper is liquidity risk which affects the market as a whole. The whole market turns hostile, interest rates rise and the issuer becomes unable to rollover or make fresh issues (Standard Poors, 2008). To guide the investors in making rational and informed decisions, it is mandatory for the commercial paper issue to gain a credit rating from recognized agencies. Ratings give an idea as to the risk attached to the commercial paper and the overall picture of the firm. A substandard rating implies that the firm is extremely risky and there is probability that the firm may default on its payment. In U.S., the recognized credit rating agencies include Standard Poors, Moodys, Fitch, A.M. Best etc. In the commercial paper rating mechanism practiced by Standard Poors, a rating of ‘A1+ is the highest possible score meaning that the firm is creditworthy and there is no risk of default whereas a rating of ‘A3 and below notifies that the instrument is speculative or junk. In India, Credit Rating Information Services of India Ltd. (CRISIL) and Investment Information and Credit Rating Agency of India Ltd. (ICRA) are the reputed rating agencies. The other notable agencies operating in India are FITCH ratings and Credit Analysis and Research Ltd. (CARE). According to the RBI, for a commercial paper to be issued in India the company must have a minimum credit rating of P-2 as per the CRISIL rating scale or its equivalent. Rating is extremely important as the regulations laid down specify that money market funds can invest only in commercial papers having the minimum rating of P-2. Commercial paper scores over bank line of credit or short term loans in many aspects. A company that has high credit ratings enjoys many privileges – they can access lower cost commercial paper, flexible maturity periods to match their cash flow stream. Commercial paper in essence is an unsecured promissory note. Thereby, there is no lien created on its assets. Moreover, there is no limitation on the end-use of funds generated through commercial paper issue. They are traditionally favored as they are cheaper when compared to bank loan, as low as 3.5 % for three months 5.6 to 5.75 % per year. Banks cannot match this rate since their cost of funds itself works out to almost 6% (Pathak, 2009). Money market funds are the largest holders of commercial paper (Standard Poors, 2008). The other investors in commercial paper include trust funds, retirement and pension funds, insurance companies and other large firms having extra funds to invest in them. Individual investors find it difficult to deal in this market because commercial papers are usually sold in very large denominations. To overcome this, they invest in it through money market mutual funds. In India commercial banks were the subscribers of almost 80% of all commercial paper issues but that trend has been declining and as in the U.S., mutual funds are becoming the prominent investors. The recent financial crisis affected almost all the major economies around the globe. The U.S. was the epicenter of this financial earthquake. The recession had far reaching effects many companies folded, investment houses lost their prominence and were absorbed by larger entities and banks were bailed out by the government to avert an economic disaster. The commercial paper market first felt the effects of the crisis on August 2007 when the market contracted sharply as a reaction to the subprime crisis (Shrivastava, 2008). The crisis deepened during September 2008 beginning with the default of Lehman brothers. A large money market fund, the Reserve Primary Fund announced that it had suffered losses to the tune of $785 million as a result of holding Lehman Brothers commercial paper. This spread shockwaves through the entire market and investors were in a hurry to redeem their holdings. In a space of one month the total value of commercial paper outstanding reduced by 15% from $1.76 trillion to $1.43 trillion (Kacperczyk Schnabl, 2009). The Indian economy is intimately tied to the global economy; as such any fluctuations in the global market will have repercussions in the Indian financial market also. Global financial crisis manifested itself in India on January 2008 resulting in the crash of the Indian stock market caused due to the fleeing of FIIs (foreign institutional investors). The Indian commercial sector found itself in a race to acquire funds due to the drying up of several avenues of fund notably, external commercial borrowing. To counter this, bank finance in the form of investments in shares, bonds, debentures, commercial paper etc. expanded more than the previous year (Joseph, 2009). So on a contrast with the commercial paper market of America, the commercial paper market in India was on a rise during 2007. In the U.S., the Federal Reserve undertook unprecedented steps to stabilize the commercial paper market. Federal Reserve of New York introduced the Commercial Paper Funding Facility (CPFF) whereby the Federal Reserve would buy the paper directly from eligible issuers (Federal Reserve, 2008). In early January 2009 the Federal Reserve was the single largest purchaser of commercial paper and accounted to having almost 22% of the market. The facility purchases the commercial paper and holds onto it till maturity and the returns received upon maturity are utilized to pay off Federal Reserve of New York which had provided the capital to initiate the facility. At its peak the Federal Reserve held almost $357 billion worth of commercial paper, that holding was gradually reduced over the years and at the time of the withdrawal of the facility during February 2010, the amount had dwindled down to $3.94 billion (Zumbrun, 2010). In India, the commercial paper market is extremely healthy and as p er the latest outstanding figures it is 1,03,915 crores. 1.1 Aim of the project To understand the role of commercial paper in the Indian money market along with the changes in risk return and also the total outstanding during the period of financial crisis. 1.2 Need of the study India is the second fastest growing economy in the world. The policy makers aspire to attain double digit growth rate. During our review of literature we came to understand that no significant study had been undertaken to understand the effect of the financial crisis on the returns of commercial paper in India. Moreover, studies concerning commercial paper on a global level are also limited. We attempt to fill this knowledge gap. There is wide literature in the form of articles regarding the effects of the financial crisis on the American commercial paper market. We are attempting to understand if the effects of recession on the American commercial paper market have also affected its Indian counterpart. 1.3 Objectives of the study The following are some the objectives that we hope to accomplish during the course of our study. a. To understand the role of commercial paper as an instrument in Indian Money Market. b. To understand risk return movement of commercial paper in India during the financial crisis. c. Comparative analysis of risk return between American Indian commercial paper. d. Understand the changes in commercial paper outstanding of both American and Indian commercial paper market during the financial crisis. 1.4 Hypothesis There is a positive correlation between Indian U.S. discount rates. Indian U.S. commercial paper outstanding have decreased during the period of financial crisis. 1.5 Methodology The study is quantitative in nature. We will be relying exclusively on secondary sources of data, significantly the reports generated by the Reserve Bank of India. Statistical tools such as measures of central tendency, measures of variation and correlation will be used. 1.6 Limitations of the project The major problem being faced is scarce information regarding the Indian commercial paper market. Time constraint will limit the extent depth of the study. The data regarding commercial paper rates for both India and U.S. has been published only up to November 2009 at the time of study. 1.7 Chapter Plan The following is a brief summary of the chapters within the project. Chapter 1: Introduction – Provides a brief insight into the history, role and functioning of commercial paper as a money market instrument. This is followed by the aim, the need, objectives and a brief overview of the methodology followed by the limitations of the study. Chapter 2: Literature review – A broad review of literature which was deemed relevant to the study. The literature mainly comprise of empirical studies undertaken by various researchers. Chapter 3: Methodology and the methods – The data source, statistical tools are highlighted in this chapter. Chapter 4: Analysis and Interpretation of the data collected. Using the techniques mentioned in the methodology, a thorough analysis of the data is conducted. A brief interpretation is also provided. Chapter 5: Conclusion – Concludes the study with a summary of our findings. Chapter 2: Literature Review 2.1 According to Saurabh Ghosh and Narayan Chandra Pradhan (2009) The authors have tried to understand the determinants of WADR (weighted average discount rate) and how these determinants have affected their movement over the past 5 years after adjusting for seasonal fluctuation. The real and financial variables considered for the study were: Index of industrial production (IIP), Amount of CP issued, Cut-off yield 364 days, Call/Notice money, Sensex, Indian Rupees – U.S. Dollar exchange rate bank credit. A close movement and dependency was found out between WADR and the call rate the 364 day treasury bill yield. Although initially there wasnt much co-movement between WADR and the BSE Sensex, co-movements were noticeable after December 2005.The empirical results indicate that there has been an increase in the average monthly issuance, WADR and volatility of WADR over the years. However, around 80% of the commercial paper issued by companies over the last five years was from ‘Prime-rated companies. 2.2 According to Matthias Kahl, Anil Shivdasani Yihui Wang (2008) Firms access commercial paper market to enhance their financial flexibility. Firms use it to fund investment when attractive projects arise and they have insufficient internal funds. Another way in which commercial paper may be used to increase a firms financial flexibility is as bridge financing. They argue that commercial paper borrowing in positively correlated with investment expenditures and negatively correlated with cash holdings. 2.3 According to Pengjie Gao and Hayong Yun ± (2009) The collapse of Lehman brothers was followed by a virtual closing of the commercial papers market, followed by which a number of firms drew excessively on their remaining lines of credit out of fear that weakened banks would reduce their loan commitments. Aggregate commercial paper borrowing declined 15% after the collapse of Lehman brothers, but the effect was concentrated among firms with high default risk. High risk borrowers that were negatively impacted by the decline in the commercial paper market after Lehmans default substituted commercial paper with lines of credit. Low risk borrowers remained as they were. 2.4 According to Charles W. Calomiris, Charles P. Himmelberg Paul Wachtel (1994) The authors arrived at three conclusions. Firstly, there is a flight to quality during a downturn. Firms with strong balance sheets exploit this demand to reduce their cost of short-term borrowing. Secondly, firms in strong financial condition issue commercial paper during downturns in order to extend credit to other firms which may include customers of the firm. As the economy weakens, customers pay their bills more slowly and firms may extend more trade credit as a means of financing their customers short-term credit needs. There is evidence that commercial paper is used to finance trade credit. Finally, increased commercial paper issuance is used to finance inventories. Further, they established links between growth of commercial paper in relationship between the paper market and the commercial bank portfolios. At various times the growth of the commercial paper market was attributed to – (i.) Banks with weak loan demand that were searching for an alternative asset. (ii.) Regulatory constraints that made bank deposits unattractive. (iii.) Market conditions that made bank loans relatively expensive. 2.5 According to John P. Judd (1979) The researcher argues that commercial paper market has replaced the banking sector as the primary source of short-term funds for large financially sound nonfinancial firms. Banks can compete effectively only if the value of the intermediate services that they provide to the lenders/borrowers is greater than the spread between the lending and borrowing rates that they must charge to cover the costs of doing business and absorbing risk. However, it was found that the value from the intermediate services were relatively small and hence the switch over to commercial paper. 2.6 According to Pu Shen (2003) Before the current drop in commercial paper outstanding there was a past occurrence in 2002 when the market for nonfinancial paper declined rapidly. The author tries to understand the factors that led to the unusual decline. To achieve this he considered the factors that could have reduced the supply of credit as well as factors that could have reduced the demand in the commercial paper market. On the basis of this analysis, a conclusion was reached that both demand and supply contributed to the decline. Supply in this context means willingness of the investors to participate in the market. Willingness can be reduced by two factors – Actual or perceived deterioration of the creditworthiness of borrowers and general reduction in investors tolerance for risk. On the demand side, two factors reduce the need for corporations to borrow in the commercial paper market. One factor is decline in inventories which reduces companies short-term financing needs. The other factor is a switc h by firms from borrowing short-term in the commercial paper market to borrowing longer in the bond market. 2.7 According to Dan Covitz Chris Downing (2002) A model is created to explain the relationship between short term and long term yield spreads. Short term spreads cannot be explained by insolvency model because of large spread. Many a times short and long term spreads are negatively correlated. Their explanation for observed risk spreads rests on a distinction between the fixed and liquid assets of a firm. A simple model was proposed in which a firm with a low level of liquid assets may be forced to turn to outside sources of funds to meet its short-term obligations. Funds raised from outside can bring in delay in payments to creditors, which can affect the short term creditors more than long term creditors. Variety of insolvency-risk and liquidity-risk proxies were used and was found that liquidity risk help explain short-term spreads during periods of market stress, but explains very little about long-term spreads. Their empirical findings indicated that while liquidity is an important determinant, the credit risk is the dominant determinant of Commercial Paper credit spread. A literature survey regarding Asset Backed Commercial Paper (ABCP) was conducted, but was disregarded as it was not relevant to the research at hand. A working group has recommended that ABCPs be introduced to deepen the commercial paper in India. Following this the RBI issued the draft guidelines on securitization of standard assets on April 4, 2005. Chapter 3: Methodology Research basically means a quest for knowledge. The primary purpose for applied research is discovering, interpreting and the development of methods and systems for the advancement of knowledge on a wide variety of scientific matters (Wikipedia.com).In this chapter the methodology and methods to be used for analyzing the commercial paper market are briefly discussed along with the problems encountered and the steps that were taken to overcome them. 3.1 Types of Data There are broadly two types of data that are available at the disposal of a researcher. 3.1.1. Primary Data We may rely on primary data if the research calls for raw data that has been collected at the source and has not been subject to any manipulation. Primary data can be qualitative or quantitative. The core benefit of this type of data is that the researcher can exercise a high degree of control over the method and tailor the data collection methods to suit the needs of his research. 3.1.2. Secondary Data Primary data collected by one person may become the secondary data of another. Secondary data has many benefits that make it very appealing. The most obvious advantage is that the data is very economical since the cost of collecting it is usually very little when compared to primary data. It also saves the time of the researcher which would otherwise have been spent on the data collection process. Another key advantage is that in the process of searching for data relevant to the problem, the understanding of the researcher of the problem is improved and there can be changes in the idea in light of the secondary data collected (Beri, 2003). That is not to say that there are no limitations to it. The major risk undertaken by the researcher when collecting secondary data is that the accuracy of the data is compromised. Subsequent problems may be the availability, relevance and sufficiency. Our research relies on secondary data specifically the commercial paper rates published by the Reserve Bank of India and The Federal Reserve. Since these institutions are the apex central banks of India and United States of America respectively, we assume that the data provided by them is highly accurate and can be safely used in our study. Internet Research. As the name implies, it is the practice of using the World Wide Web for research purposes. After identification of our topic, we had to undertake an internet research to gain more background information about it and further our understanding of the topic. Several newspaper articles published on the internet was used to draw a rough chronology of the events in both the Indian U.S. commercial paper markets during the period of study. 3.2. Time Period The financial crisis was well underway during the early half of 2007 due to subprime mortgages default. We have divided the time period of our study into two distinct frames to analyze and draw logical conclusions. 3.2.1 First Time Period (November 2007-October 2008) We have selected November 2007 as the initiation point of the first time period our study due to the fact that the stock markets in America was in turmoil and falling rapidly. Leading up to this point there were certain major market developments, the LIBOR (London Interbank Borrowing Rate) reaches its highest level since 1998. Northern Rock collapses and receives emergency support from Bank of England. Major Banks such as UBS and Citigroup announce losses numbering in the billions due to subprime mortgage defaults. September 2008 was a very dynamic and crucial month in the context of the financial crisis. U.S. government bails out mortgage lenders Freddie Mac Fannie Mae, which hold almost half of all outstanding mortgages in the U.S. Bank of America proposes to take over Merrill Lynch for USD 50 billion. Lehman brothers files for bankruptcy making it the biggest corporate bankruptcy ($ 639 billion) in the history of U.S.A. Morgan Stanley Goldman Sachs loses their status as investment banks. They become traditional commercial banks (Mauro F. Guillà ©n, 2009). The first time period concludes on October 2008. The reason we have selected this particular month is that in the aftermath of Lehman Brothers bankruptcy, the commercial paper market contracted severely. Investors lost their confidence and companies were finding it difficult to make fresh issues of commercial paper. 3.2.2 Second Time Period (November 2008-November 2009) For companies that use commercial paper as a short-term funding mechanism, a sudden stoppage of access to the market will push them to the brink of bankruptcy. The Federal Reserve recognized this and initiated the Commercial Paper Funding Facility towards the end of October 2008. The major objective was to stabilize the commercial paper market and provide the necessary funding to the companies. Our second time period picks off from this point and continues till present. 3.3 Statistical Techniques Statistics is termed as the science of making effective use of numerical data. It deals with all aspects of it including collection, analysis and interpretation of such data collected. To facilitate our analysis, we had to rely on certain statistical tools and the software SPSS. 3.3.1 Measures of Central Tendency The most commonly used tool for understanding ‘averages is the arithmetic mean. A single value which is a representation of the entire mass of data taken into calculation. It is neither the highest nor the lowest value in the data set. It takes into account all the values in the study. It is in essence a single value around which the other variables in the study tend to cluster. The arithmetic mean is also laden with a certain disadvantage namely the tendency of the mean to get unduly affected by the presence of extreme values. 3.3.2 Measures of Variation Using mean will only supply us with a single figure representing the entire data. We cannot understand the dispersion of the values from the mean. To overcome this obstacle, we need to use a measure of variation. We have decided to study the variation utilizing the tool ‘standard deviation. Standard deviation helps us to measure the risk associated with commercial paper. Standard deviation will be equal to zero when all the numbers in the sample are very close to one another. The more dispersed they are the greater will be the standard deviation. 3.3.3 Correlation Mean and standard deviation does not allow us to compare two different variables. In such a scenario we may use correlation to understand if any relation exists between two variables. If relation is proved, correlation further helps us to judge to what degree the relation is present and the significance of it. The correlation coefficient ‘r ranges from -1.0 to +1.0. The closer ‘r is to either poles, the higher the correlation. Towards +1 indicates a positive correlation whereas closer to -1 is an indicator of negative correlation. 3.3.4 Simple Bar Diagrams/ One-dimensional Bar diagrams Simple bar diagrams are considered to be the most commonly used diagrammatic representation of data. Only the length of the bar matters, the width of a single bar is present only for drawing attention to the figures and making clear cut conclusions. We have used bar diagrams to depict the trend of commercial paper outstanding in both the Indian U.S. commercial paper markets over the period of study. 3.3.5 Times Series Graphs We have utilized time series graphs to chart the movement of risk across the time period of study. The reason for the selection of this technique is due to its usefulness in giving a quick idea about the trend of the variable over a period of time. The other added advantage is that it allows a comparison of two variables also across the time period. Chapter 4: Findings Analysis 4.1 Introduction In this chapter, we attempt to make a systematic analysis of the secondary data that we have collected from Reserve Bank of India Federal Reserve System. The raw data was transferred to Microsoft Excel software after proper scrutiny. The data was analyzed by using the statistical tools present in the Microsoft Excel SPSS programmes. As we have described earlier in the methodology, descriptive statistics like standard deviation, arithmetic mean and inferential statistics like correlation were used to analyze the data. Data presentation tools like Simple bar diagram and Time series graphs were utilized to present the data logically and in an understandable manner. The discount rates provided by RBI consisted of low high rates. The average of the discount rates was calculated to make a meaningful analysis and enable comparison with the U.S. commercial paper discount rates, since the Federal Reserve provides only a single rate. Moreover in the U.S. the commercial paper market is sub-divided into two broad strata, i.e. financial and non-financial commercial paper. Both of these were taken into account to enable the study to be more comprehensive and significant. The U.S. commercial paper outstanding amounts were converted into Indian rupees on the basis of foreign exchange rate prevalent in the time period of study. This was conducted on a month wise basis from November 2007 till November 2009. 4.2. Analysis of Data The following section contains an analysis of the data. 4.2.1 The first analysis conducted was to trace the movement of discount rate in India during the first time period. Table.1. Mean Standard Deviation of Indian Discount Rate during November 2007- October 2008 Mean 10.9242 Std. Deviation 1.70208 Interpretation 68% of the time, the average discount rate shall vary between 9.6 and 12.6. That means for nearly 8 months of the study period, the rate of return of commercial paper in India will be between 9.6 12.6 95% of the time, the discount rate shall vary between 7.5 and 14.3. The overall trend from the observed figures indicates forward direction. The cause behind this trend maybe the accelerated inflation rate. The investing communitys confidence levels are weakened, as a result the expected levels of discount rate also increases. Another reason may be that the investors are worried about the exposure of Indian banks to U.S. subprimes. For instance ICICI exposure to Citibank Asset backed securities is one important reason behind uncertainty in Indian money market segment. Graph.1. Movement of discount rate during Period 1 Interpretation Until December 2007, the discount rates did not undergo much fluctuation. From January 2008 till April 2008, the rates were subject to wide changes the average rate reached heights like 11.88 and depths of 8.73. In March, the market on expectations of a promising RBI credit policy announcement has shown an upward surge. But the RBI maintained the status quo, the bank rate, the repo rate and the reverse repo rate were unchanged. Following this the returns show a decline and thereafter it has shown a rising trend till October 2008. Corresponding to this period, the inflation rates in India had also been growing at an accelerated pace. The inflation in India during March was 5.11%, this shot up to 12.63% in August and declined to just 10.72% by October end. If the inflation rate increases, the nominal interest rates also increases, as a result commercial paper discount rate is also showing an increase. The discount rate rose to an all time high of 14.23 in October 2008.This abnormal rise in discount rates may be linked to Lehman Brothers declaring bankruptcy in U.S.A. on September 15, 2008. Because of the bankruptcy, the investors have lost their confidence on money market instruments. This event might have triggered investors in the Indian commercial paper market to seek higher discount rates on the Indian commercial paper. As a result pushing up the discount rates on commercial paper issued by the Indian corporate sector. 4.2.2 This analysis deals with the movement of discount rate in

Robert Frosts After Apple-Picking Essay -- Robert Frost Apple Picki

Robert Frost's "After Apple-Picking" In the poem â€Å"After Apple-Picking†, Robert Frost has cleverly disguised many symbols and allusions to enhance the meaning of the poem. One must understand the parallel to understand the central theme of the poem. The apple mentioned in the poem could be connected to the forbidden fruit from the Garden of Eden. It essentially is the beginning of everything earthly and heavenly, therefore repelling death. To understand the complete meaning of Frost’s poem one needs to be aware that for something to be dead, it must have once had life. Life and death are common themes in poetry, but this poem focuses on what is in between, life’s missed experiences and the regret that the speaker is left with. Regret is defined as â€Å"a feeling of disappointment or distress about something that one wishes could be different† (www.dictionary.com). While there is no doubt that the speaker in this poem has had a very productive and worthwhile life, one gets the impression that there is still an empty feeling in his life, of which he can do nothing about. In lines 3-6, he reflectively states, â€Å"And there’s a barrel that I didn’t fill beside it, and there may be two or three apples I didn’t pick upon some bough†. Here, it is necessary to expand that idea the idea of the apples as a metaphor for life, and say that they also represent missed life experiences. As the speaker looks back on his life, he sees unfinished tasks, and thus he feels regret. It is important to note though, that he accepts the fact that he can do nothing about these unfinished tasks, and he is ready to move to a new and final stage in his life as he acknowledges that he â€Å"is don e with apple-picking now† (6). The reason for the reflection is evident when the speaker says, â€Å"I cannot rub the strangeness from my sight I got from looking through a pane of glass I skimmed this morning from the drinking trough and held against the world of hoary grass† (9-10). From this it seems as though the speaker has caught a glimpse of his reflection in the drinking trough and has noticed that the reflection was or gray with age. It appears as though the speaker does not merely see himself in the water’s reflection though; he also visualizes past visions and memories from his life. Further on in the poem, the speaker says, â€Å"There were ten thousand thousand fruit to touch, Cherish in han... ... or perhaps even to the â€Å"cellar† (a metaphor for Hell). By the end of the poem, both the speaker and the reader have come to a general acceptance regarding the speaker’s looming death. It therefore comes as a bit of a shock when the speaker says, â€Å"Were he not gone, the woodchuck could say whether it’s like his long sleep, as I describe its coming on, or just some human sleep†. The metaphorical meaning of sleep in this poem has been previously established, however, a new definition surfaces as a result of this statement. Frost has just written of two different types of sleep—is it possible that he is talking about two different states of death? In searching for the significance of this statement, it is necessary to return to the apple and its representation of both life and death. The reader, as well as the speaker, is not sure if he is really dying or whether he has simply ceased feeling and experiencing life, thus causing the feelings of regret. It is interesting, though purely speculative, to note that i n the year that Frost wrote this poem, he would be turning forty years old. One must wonder whether Frost was looking back on his own life thus far with some sort of regret. Robert Frost's "After Apple-Picking" Essay -- Robert Frost Apple Picki Robert Frost's "After Apple-Picking" In the poem â€Å"After Apple-Picking†, Robert Frost has cleverly disguised many symbols and allusions to enhance the meaning of the poem. One must understand the parallel to understand the central theme of the poem. The apple mentioned in the poem could be connected to the forbidden fruit from the Garden of Eden. It essentially is the beginning of everything earthly and heavenly, therefore repelling death. To understand the complete meaning of Frost’s poem one needs to be aware that for something to be dead, it must have once had life. Life and death are common themes in poetry, but this poem focuses on what is in between, life’s missed experiences and the regret that the speaker is left with. Regret is defined as â€Å"a feeling of disappointment or distress about something that one wishes could be different† (www.dictionary.com). While there is no doubt that the speaker in this poem has had a very productive and worthwhile life, one gets the impression that there is still an empty feeling in his life, of which he can do nothing about. In lines 3-6, he reflectively states, â€Å"And there’s a barrel that I didn’t fill beside it, and there may be two or three apples I didn’t pick upon some bough†. Here, it is necessary to expand that idea the idea of the apples as a metaphor for life, and say that they also represent missed life experiences. As the speaker looks back on his life, he sees unfinished tasks, and thus he feels regret. It is important to note though, that he accepts the fact that he can do nothing about these unfinished tasks, and he is ready to move to a new and final stage in his life as he acknowledges that he â€Å"is don e with apple-picking now† (6). The reason for the reflection is evident when the speaker says, â€Å"I cannot rub the strangeness from my sight I got from looking through a pane of glass I skimmed this morning from the drinking trough and held against the world of hoary grass† (9-10). From this it seems as though the speaker has caught a glimpse of his reflection in the drinking trough and has noticed that the reflection was or gray with age. It appears as though the speaker does not merely see himself in the water’s reflection though; he also visualizes past visions and memories from his life. Further on in the poem, the speaker says, â€Å"There were ten thousand thousand fruit to touch, Cherish in han... ... or perhaps even to the â€Å"cellar† (a metaphor for Hell). By the end of the poem, both the speaker and the reader have come to a general acceptance regarding the speaker’s looming death. It therefore comes as a bit of a shock when the speaker says, â€Å"Were he not gone, the woodchuck could say whether it’s like his long sleep, as I describe its coming on, or just some human sleep†. The metaphorical meaning of sleep in this poem has been previously established, however, a new definition surfaces as a result of this statement. Frost has just written of two different types of sleep—is it possible that he is talking about two different states of death? In searching for the significance of this statement, it is necessary to return to the apple and its representation of both life and death. The reader, as well as the speaker, is not sure if he is really dying or whether he has simply ceased feeling and experiencing life, thus causing the feelings of regret. It is interesting, though purely speculative, to note that i n the year that Frost wrote this poem, he would be turning forty years old. One must wonder whether Frost was looking back on his own life thus far with some sort of regret.