Understanding Leadership free essay sample

There are a number of different factors that will determine your choice of Leadership style. To choose the most effective approach for you, you must consider: Your natural style or preferred style (This is determined by your own personality) Your level of responsibility (You may face different types of decisions) The Task at hand (Is it a routine task or something new and creative) Assessment of situation Timescales (When should the task be completed) The skill levels and experience of your team The personality of the team/individual members. The organisational environment (Is the organisation stable or changing) The Hersey-Blanchard Situational Leadership Theory identifies four different leadership styles. These different styles can be drawn upon depending on the situation. The theory states that instead of using just one style, successful leaders should change their leadership styles based on the task, situation and readiness of the group. Situational Leadership Google Images Hersey and Blanchard four main Leadership Styles Telling/Directing (S1) – Leaders tell their people what to do and how to do it. We will write a custom essay sample on Understanding Leadership or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Positives: Precise Instructions and deadlines, closely monitors progress Negatives: Staff may feel their opinions are not valued, Motivational problems Selling/Coaching (S2) – Leaders provide information and direction, but theres more communication with followers. Leaders sell their message to get people on board. Positives: Improve staff performance, builds confidence Negatives: Time investment listening and advising, Participating/Supporting (S3) – Leaders focus more on the relationship and less on direction. The leader works with the team, and shares decision-making responsibilities. Positives: Staff encouraged to take ownership of the task Negatives: Delegating (S4) – Leaders pass most of the responsibility onto the follower or group. The leaders still monitor progress, but theyre less involved in decisions. Positives: Empowering staff to act and make decisions, Negatives: Potential to be viewed as favouritism, As you can see, styles S1 and S2 are focused on getting the task done. Styles S3 and S4 are more concerned with developing team members abilities to work independently. According to Hersey and Blanchard, knowing when to use each style is largely dependent on the readiness of the person or group youre leading. They also break readiness down into four different levels. (See Appendix 1) Using this theory, leaders can place more or less emphasis on the task, and more or less emphasis on the relationships with the people they are leading, depending on whats needed to get the job done successfully. (http://www. mindtools. com/pages/article/newLDR_44. htm) 02/02/14 Leadership styles or behaviours are likely to have a positive or negative effect on individual and group behaviour In my role I manage a team of 11 people there are a number of strong personalities within the team. They all have varying degrees of knowledge and experience in their respective roles which affects their individual skill levels. No one style of management is good or bad, a management style can be a good or poor fit depending on the situation. This is why I find the Situational Leadership approach the most effective and try to change instinctively between the four styles according to the people and type of work I am dealing with at the time. It is essential to be adaptable as there are positives and negatives to the different styles if used in the wrong situation. However I think my natural style is a mixture of Selling and Supporting . Examples of when I have used these different styles are below: Selling: My team have a number of targets that have to be met. Some of the staff are consistently below their targets for various reasons such as heavy workload, organisational skills, prioritising etc. In this situation I will talk to them one to one explaining their targets and why they have to be met outlining the benefits to the team and company. I also encourage their input, listening to their ideas of how they can improve and develop. Supporting: A very experienced member of my team told me that they were struggling with their workload. That it had become too much and they could no longer cope. I sat down with the person and listened to what work they had outstanding and how things had become too much. After talking it became clear that it was due to a lack of motivation and organisation that things had built up, resulting in a lack of confidence to get back on track. I knew this person had the knowledge and skills to complete the work so I gave praise for previous work they had done well to increase confidence. I then gave guidance and support of how to organise their remaining workload. This resulted in the member of staff feeling a lot more confident and motivated to complete the outstanding tasks. I also use Telling and Delegating depending on the situation or task at hand. For instance I would use Telling if a member of staff is unable or unwilling to complete a task. I would use Delegating if the member of staff is capable and motivated resulting in my trust to complete the task. Its a managers responsibility to be a chameleon by changing their style to suit the situation. This way you will maximize the productivity and engagement of the whole team. My own leadership behaviours and potential in the context of a particular leadership model and own organisation’s working practices and culture, using feedback from others The Johari Window is a useful tool for helping build self awareness and gain an understanding of how others perceive you. To help form a judgement of my own leadership behaviours I asked 14 members of my team to complete a Johari Window handout consisting of 56 adjectives and asked them to circle 5 words they felt best described me. I also completed my own handout to compare against my colleagues. The completed forms (See Appendix 2) This is my Johari Window Known to Others Blind Spots Unknown to us Known To others able, accepting, adaptable, calm, cheerful, clever, dignified, friendly, independent, knowledgeable, logical, modest, observant, organised, patient, relaxed, responsive, self-assertive, sensible, sympathetic, witty Public Knowledge Known to us known to others caring confident dependable helpful trustworthy. Unknowable Unknown to us Unknown to others  bold, brave, complex, energetic, extroverted, giving, happy, idealistic, ingenious, intelligent, introverted, kind, loving, mature, nervous, powerful, proud, quiet, reflective, religious, searching, self-conscious, sentimental, shy, silly, spontaneous, tense, warm, wise Private Knowledge Known to us Unknown to others Unknown to Others I found the results of the Johari window exercise very interesting. The 5 words I had chosen to best describe myself were all picked by at least one of my colleagues and therefore placed in the Public Knowledge section. The words that were chosen the most (Public Knowledge) confident x 8, helpful x 7, (Blind Spots) friendly x 6, knowledgeable x 4, adabtable x 4, calm x 4, logical x 4, relaxed x 4. I have a good relationship with my team that has been built through good communication and being open about my thoughts/feelings. I think this has helped to gain a trust and understating which is reflected in the results of the Johari Window. I will continue to seek feedback from my team to help reduce my Blind area and increase my Open area. Also looking at my personality and leadership behaviours I completed the Myers Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) questionnaire and during the Understanding Leadership Course we looked at the results. My type indicator is below; Google Images The management style of the ESFJ is softly authoritarian and decisive. As a manager, the ESFJ expects everyone to follow the rules and procedures without question. Hierarchy is respected. They are congenial, helpful, considerate and thoughtful and wish to please. They focus on harmony and mutual support and achieving results through teamwork and a sense of mutual belonging. There are some similarities in the results of the MBTI and the results of the Johari Window. Both exercises show strong personality traits of being Helpful, caring, considerate and thoughtful. Appropriate actions to enhance own leadership behaviour in the context of the particular leadership model My preferred style of leadership is Hersey-Blanchard Situational Leadership. This model requires a leader to be capable of adapting or changing leadership behaviour and using different styles of leadership depending on Competence Confidence and commitment Ability Willingness Hersey and Blanchard further described these ‘Situations’ requiring a high or low leadership emphasis on the Task and the Relationship. This is not always easy and to be a successful leader in this model you must know your own strengths and weaknesses as well as those of the team. To grow as a person and get the best out of others, I must not only capitalize on my strengths, but also face my weaknesses and deal with them. That means taking a hard look at my personality type’s potential problem areas. I studied my Myers Briggs Type Indicator ESFJ to see if there are any common weakness’s of this personality type that I can relate to me. These are some examples; May be prone to struggle with insecurity stemming from their strong desire to be liked Strongly dislikes criticism and conflict – can be overly sensitive Tendency to dislike change May react too quickly and too emotionally in a situation better dealt with in a more pragmatic fashion To improve my self awareness I revisited my Johari Window results, in particular my Blind Spots. Gaining feedback and learning from your blind spots can help you see strengths that you may not know you posses or discover ways in which you are hard on yourself when other people are not. For example I never knew my team see me as clever, knowledgeable, logical and dignified. This knowledge has given me renewed confidence in my ability as a Manager. Using this information in conjunction with Kolbs Learning cycle (See Apendix 3) I can improve on my weaknesses and build on my leadership skills. Improving these skills will help to maximize the productivity and engagement of the whole team. Kolbs Learning Cycle Google Images Appendix 1 Hersey and Blanchard Readiness Levels According to Hersey and Blanchard, knowing when to use each style is largely dependent on the readiness of the person or group youre leading. They break readiness down into four different levels: R1 – People at this level of readiness are at the bottom level of the scale. They lack the knowledge, skills, or confidence to work on their own, and they often need to be pushed to take the task on. R2 – at this level, followers might be willing to work on the task, but they still dont have the skills to complete it successfully. R3 – Here, followers are ready and willing to help with the task. They have more skills than the R2 group, but theyre still not confident in their abilities. R4 – These followers are able to work on their own. They have high confidence and strong skills, and theyre committed to the task. The Hersey-Blanchard model maps each leadership style to each readiness level, as shown below. (http://www. mindtools. com/pages/article/newLDR_44. htm) 02/02/14 Appendix 2 Johari Window Questionnaires Appendix 3 Kolbs Learning Cycle Stage 1 Concrete Experience: Kolbs cycle starts with a concrete experience. In other words it begins with doing something in which the individual, team or organisation are assigned a task. Key to learning therefore is active involvement. In Kolbs model one cannot learn by simply watching or reading about it, to learn effectively the individual, team or organisation must actually do. Stage 2 Reflective Observation: The second stage in the cycle is that of reflective observation. This means taking time-out from doing and stepping back from the task and reviewing what has been done and experienced. At this stage lots of questions are asked and communication channels are opened to others members of the team. Vocabulary is very important and is needed to verbalize and discuss with others. Stage 3 Abstract Conceptualisation: Abstract Conceptualisation is the process of making sense of what has happened and involves interpreting the events and understanding the relationships between them. At this stage the learner makes comparisons between what they have done, reflect upon and what they already know. They may draw upon theory from textbooks for framing and explaining events, models they are familiar with, ideas from colleagues, previous observations, or any other knowledge that they have developed. Stage 4 Active Experimentation: The final stage of the learning cycle is when the learner considers how they are going to put what the have learnt into practice. Planning enables taking the new understanding and translates it into predictions as to what will happen next or what actions should be taken to refine or revise the way a task is to be handled. For learning to be useful most people need to place it in a context that is relevant to them. If one cannot see how the learning is useful to ones life then it is likely to be forgotten very quickly.

Free Essays on Impact Of Technology In Education And Training

Impact of Technology in Education and Training To grasp the impact that technology is creating in education and training, society must consider how technology has revolutionized America’s culture. In barely five years, electronic technology has dramatically penetrated into every area of society. All of society can reflected on how some aspect of the new information age is changing their job, family life, community, or patterns of commerce. As the nation enter into the new millennium, the most fundamental shift will reflect a redefinition of training itself. To retain key talent, remain competitive, and ensure long-term profitability, organizations are making dramatic changes in the way they develop the knowable and skills of their workforce. Training as something provided for employees will be replaced by learning that employees initiate themselves. Training, when available, will be replaced by learning when needed. Training for the masses will be replaced by highly customized, just-for-me learning. It is abundantly clear that the Information Technology (IT) industry’s employment needs and its impact on the American economy necessitate a more basic understanding of the IT workforce and its future role. According to the U. S. Department of Labor, IT is the fastest growing industry in the economy. The IT workforce current percentage totals, 2.5 million and will continue to grow seven to ten percent annually. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) forecasts that employment in the IT service segment of the industry alone will nearly double by the year 2005, from its current figure of 1.1 million (Garger, 2000, p. 35-6). As a result, our industry is facing a national labor shortage of historic proportions and IT companies cannot find enough workers with the requisite skills. This serious growing shortage of skilled information technology workers throughout the United States is severely affecting the competitiveness of the i... Free Essays on Impact Of Technology In Education And Training Free Essays on Impact Of Technology In Education And Training Impact of Technology in Education and Training To grasp the impact that technology is creating in education and training, society must consider how technology has revolutionized America’s culture. In barely five years, electronic technology has dramatically penetrated into every area of society. All of society can reflected on how some aspect of the new information age is changing their job, family life, community, or patterns of commerce. As the nation enter into the new millennium, the most fundamental shift will reflect a redefinition of training itself. To retain key talent, remain competitive, and ensure long-term profitability, organizations are making dramatic changes in the way they develop the knowable and skills of their workforce. Training as something provided for employees will be replaced by learning that employees initiate themselves. Training, when available, will be replaced by learning when needed. Training for the masses will be replaced by highly customized, just-for-me learning. It is abundantly clear that the Information Technology (IT) industry’s employment needs and its impact on the American economy necessitate a more basic understanding of the IT workforce and its future role. According to the U. S. Department of Labor, IT is the fastest growing industry in the economy. The IT workforce current percentage totals, 2.5 million and will continue to grow seven to ten percent annually. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) forecasts that employment in the IT service segment of the industry alone will nearly double by the year 2005, from its current figure of 1.1 million (Garger, 2000, p. 35-6). As a result, our industry is facing a national labor shortage of historic proportions and IT companies cannot find enough workers with the requisite skills. This serious growing shortage of skilled information technology workers throughout the United States is severely affecting the competitiveness of the i...

Critique Article writing Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Critique writing - Article Example ciates the significance of addressing the research question by deriving the importance of measuring and enhancing patient satisfaction in evaluating adequacy of treatment. Indeed, the study reckons that understanding the patients perception will help the nurses to meet analgesic goals (Bozimowski, 2012). The study notes the motivators of the research question by highlighting the significance of adequate patient teaching in enhancing patient satisfaction and perception. The research study notes the research gaps in previous studies that addressed the same topic by stating the failure of utilizing simplified tool to assess patients satisfaction. The study defines the most effective methods of addressing the research question in a clear, accurate, and simplified manner. The research study depicted a significant level of coherence and congruence by relating the most relevant qualitative factors and variables to address the research problem. Indeed, the study seeks to establish the congruence between nurses perceptions of their patients satisfaction with pain management and patients self-report (Bozimowski, 2012). It also establishes the correspondence between patients level of satisfaction, type of therapy used, and adequacy of teaching related to their pain management plan (Bozimowski, 2012). The data collection method and the research population were equally relevant to the study. However, the mixing of the evaluative study of the variables and the pilot study was seemingly confusing since one would struggle to establish the actual results. Indeed, the use of a simple survey to measure satisfaction demeaned the value of the research problem. The analysis of the collected data was reliable and the results correlated with the study by addressing the research question. In criticizing the nursing article, â€Å"Pain neurophysiology education for the management of individuals with chronic low back pain: A systematic review and meta-analysis† by Clarke et al. (2011), I

Business law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Business law - Essay Example However, the Council may not be held liable for the losses of 50,000 pounds that Burton is trying to claim in the form of lost profits. The original neighbor principle mandating a general duty of care towards others on the basis of owing consideration to one’s neighbor, was set out in the case of Donaghue v Stevenson.1 This was later refined in the case of Caparo v Dickman2 where the scope of the duty of care was refined on the basis of three principles: (a) was there a relationship of sufficient proximity between the plaintiff and the defendant? (b) Was the damage caused to the plaintiff reasonably foreseeable? (c) Is it just and reasonable to impose a duty of care? This may be applied in the case of both Abi and Burton, who have suffered damages in the form of repairs needed for their homes, with Abi also sustaining injuries. Abi is a local resident of the area and Burton’s is a local business, therefore the Council is responsible for ensuring their safety by maintaining the flood barrier. Secondly, the damage caused is likely to be held to be reasonably foreseeable because Hanby Borough Council is responsible for maintaining flood defenses along the river and were told to improve the defenses. Since a flood had occurred before, it is reasonable to assume that such damages occurring in the future would have been a foreseeable event and therefore the Council may be held to be negligent in failing to complete repairs quickly. Lastly, the Court may indeed deem it just and reasonable to impose a duty of care in this case, since the negligence of the Council has resulted in damages caused to the premises of both Abi and Burton, as well as fu rther injuries to Abi while she was being rescued which required hospitalization. The underlying core for the establishment of the principles wherein negligence has been held to be legally liable under the principles spelt out in the cases above, is the sentiment of moral wrong doing for which the offender is to be held

Consider how Shakespeare presents madness Essay Example for Free

Consider how Shakespeare presents madness Essay Consider how Shakespeare presents madness in the play and explain whether you think it does illustrate how, something is rotten in the state of Denmark. One of the main themes in Hamlet is that of madness. Shakespeare conveys madness through not only Hamlet but through other characters as well, such as Ophelia, to covey that that the state of Denmark is rotten. At the beginning of the play, the first thing introduced are the night watchmen seeing the ghost. This is at the beginning because it is the first event in the chain that eventually leads to Hamlet seeking revenge for his fathers death. Although he was upset by his fathers death and his mothers oerhasty marriage, it was the revelation that his father was murdered that he thinks that he must take revenge. When Horatio first speaks to the ghost he recognises that it is unnatural for it to be there; What art thou that unsurpst this time of night, illustrating that he feels that the ghost has wrongfully seized the night. The atmosphere is unsettling and the ghosts unnatural appearance is a sign of the bad things going on in Denmark, especially the court; This bodes some strange eruption to our state. During the times that the play was written, unusual things that happened were seen as a sign that something was not right in the courts; Something is rotten in the state of Denmark. This could be referring either to the whole of Denmark, or just the courts. It is after Hamlet sees the ghost that he decides that he will pretend to be mad; put an antic disposition on, but he does not want his friends to tell anyone what they have seen or that he is feigning madness; Never make known what you have seen tonight, as he believes that this way he can find means to exact his revenge on Claudius for killing his father; And thy commandment all alone shall live within the book and volume of my brain, meaning that all he shall have in his thoughts is how the ghost of his father told him to exact revenge on Claudius. This is the first step in the theme of madness for the play. Although Hamlet clearly says that he will be putting on his madness, it is uncertain whether actually he does go mad during the play, as illustrated in his outbursts towards his mother and Ophelia, and the murder of Polonius. There is much deception during the play, such as Claudius trying to gloss over the fact that he knows that his marriage to Gertrude could be seen as incest by the Church and that Hamlet should have been the rightful heir to the throne; Yet so far hath discretion fought with nature that we with wisest sorrow think on him together with remembrance of ourselves. He says that he is mourning and feels that mourning is appropriate for the old king, but he must think of himself, perhaps hinting at the fact that the death was convenient for him and he has had enough of mourning. This is characteristic of him throughout the play as all he has done and will do is for his own self interest, as when Hamlet asks if he can leave the castle, Claudius refuses, saying; And we beseech you, bend you to remain here in the cheer and comfort of our eye. He appears to be asking him to stay for his comfort, but he actually wants to keep an eye on him because he knows that he is still a threat to him and the throne. He at first seemed to want Hamlet to become like a son to him, but that changes as soon as he realises he could be a threat to him. He also continually uses the words we, our and us to establish himself as the husband of Gertrude and the King of Denmark. Polonius comments; with pious action we do sugar oer the devil himself. To which Claudius replies as an aside; The harlots cheek, beautied with plastering art, is not more ugly to the thing that helps it than is my deed to my most painted word. Claudius admits that he is covering up the truth, continuing the theme of deception, adding to the audiences awareness of the rottenness of Denmark. As there becomes more deception and secrecy throughout the play, it seems that the imagery in the language reflects the deception, and images of disease are used; For the sun breed maggots in a dead dog, being a good kissing carrion. This could be language to refer to how that state of Denmark is rotting, but also Hamlets language seems to reflect his turmoil as he tried to decide what to do about Claudius, and as he gets more frustrated with himself he becomes more abusive towards his mother and Ophelia; You are keen my lord, you are keen. It would cost you a groaning to take off mine edge. He is taunting Ophelia using double meaning. Hamlet is very good at creating double meanings, like when he says to Claudius; I am to much ithsun, which he says as if he is in too much sunshine but also he is saying that he feels too much like Claudiuss son. Later in the play the text says; It will but skin and film the ulcerous place, whiles rank corruption, mining all within, infects unseen. He is saying that corruption, like infection starts within, and the corruption of Denmark will begin with the court. This also links in with madness because madness also starts from within within the mind, and perhaps it is saying that just one unstable mind could bring down all the state. Another way that Shakespeare presents madness in the play is through Ophelia. She goes mad after Hamlet kills her father, but also because of the way Hamlet treated her cruelly. He said to her that he loved her, and there were some hints that he had been intimate with her, but he treats her badly and even tells her that he does not love her. She has been a victim of a corrupt society from Hamlet leaving her and from her father, such as using her as a pawn to spy on Hamlet. After she has become mad, she sings many songs. The first one that she sings is, How should I you true love know. This song could be her recalling the death of her father; He is dead and gone lady, he is dead and gone. This is the first thing that comes into her mind to sing about, so it must be the thing that is foremost in her mind. It could also be that she is recalling how Hamlet is now lost to her, and she is still looking for her true love, because it seems obvious that she has not found him yet. However, the rest of the songs seem to be about Hamlet, as they are about lost love and some of them imply that Ophelia had been sexually intimate with Hamlet; Quoth she, before you tumbled me you promised me to wed. It seems that both her father and Hamlet are responsible for Ophelias madness, and this is reiterated by what Ophelia sings about. Ophelia was controlled all the men in her life, and this was customary for the time, but it seems that they took too much of a hold on her, with none of them considering her feelings, for her father told her to no longer speak to Hamlet as it could affect his career, Laertes also told her to stay away from Hamlet and Hamlet was cruel to her. She also says, after her first song; They say the owl was a bakers daughter. This could just be nonsense, but it could also be referring to her father, saying that once she was the daughter of a man in the court, but now she is just the daughter of a dead old man. Polonius did help the corruption in Denmark, such as spying and trying to make sure his own career was safe, and because of him Ophelia is mad. Hamlet also said that he loved Ophelia, and whereas before he was tender, due to the corruption around him and his succumbing to it, he was a factor in Ophelias madness, which eventually led to her suicide. By the actions of people around her, Ophelia is tainted by the corruptness around, as Hamlet says in the beginning of the play says that she is pure, but later on says she is wanton like all women, and tells her; to a nunnery go. This could be to send her to be protected, or it could be a sarcastic remark telling her to go to a brothel.

Animal Farm, by George Orwell :: Animal Farm Essays

Hypocrisy on Animal Farm   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In George Orwell’s novel Animal Farm, the animals possess many traits that humans portray such as emotion and physical qualities and activities. The novel withholds many examples of hypocrisy among the animals. These acts of hypocrisy originate from the animals hatred for the humans, which eventually transforms them into humans in an animal form and the major downfall of Animal Farm. These acts of hypocrisy are primarily summoned by the pigs in many different fashions including the higher equality, the ban on human characteristics and activity and the basis of â€Å"four legs good, two legs bad†. The higher equality of certain animals was a major contribution to the general act of hypocrisy that takes place on Animal Farm. During the beginning of the novel, all the animals are equal and happy, but once the pigs gain total control, they decide to change the rules. : â€Å"All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others.†(90). This is hypocritical due to the sudden change of the animal’s views. During the beginning of the novel, all the animals are equal and agree upon equality as a group. After a while, the pigs begin creating rules that help to provide and advantage themselves. After the pigs make this statement, the other animals begin to see that Napoleon and his committee are very similar to their previous owner, Mr. Jones. While the pigs are living the simple life of relaxation, the other animals are doing slave labour to ensure that humans do not regain control of Animal Farm and ensuring that they don’t not lose control of their o wn lives. Another ac of hypocrisy located in the novel, deals with the ban on human appearances and human activity. During one of the first meetings after the rebellion, the animals make the rules clear and state that they will apply it to every animal on the farm. : â€Å"No animal must ever live in a house, or sleep in a bed, or wear clothes, or drink alcohol, or smoke tobacco, or touch money, or engage in trade.†(6). Despite the rules agreed upon by the animals at the starting of the novel, the pigs decide to become more like the humans and gain complete control over Animal Farm. Things at first seem pretty reasonable, like the learning to read and write, but when the pigs begin wearing clothes and compromising with the neighbouring farm owners, the animals become suspicious of their motives.

Arrival of the Bee Box by Sylvia Plath Essay

Plath’s arrival of the Bee Box is a poem which depicts a box containing bees. In regards to this theme, it is not the only poem that Plath has approached bees as she wrote The Beekeeper’s Daughter. Additionally this poem can also be seen as a classical allusion to Pandora’s box as it concerns a feared object, which may cause destruction if opened. At first this box is looked upon with distrust, and possibly fear, as there is a lack of control of the contents of this box. However the speaker gradually rears itself to gain control or at least power in regards to the box and feels more confident about approaching it. Initially there is a sense of uncertainty about the nature of the box. It is first said to be a â€Å"clean wood box/square as a chair and almost too heavy to lift† (1-2). This is a clear and objective description of the box however a contradicting depiction of the box follows: it is said to be the â€Å"coffin of a midget/or a square baby† (3-4). These are images of distortion with references to death, which can leave a somewhat disturbing image of the box. This misshape is also found on the final line of the introductory stanza as Plath describes it as having â€Å"not such a din in it† (5), yet in the midst of claiming silence Plath introduces an assonance(â€Å"in†) giving the sentence an acoustic trait. This sense of uncertainty is quickly replaced by fear as Plath now becomes concerned with the box’s basic attributes, such as it being â€Å"locked† and â€Å"dangerous† (6). As such it allows her to introduce the theme of control; the speaker has indeed â€Å"ordered this† (1) box yet the box, once delivered, is considered unapproachable and to be a burden (â€Å"I have to live with it overnight† -7). As such the lack of control becomes clear and it may even be said that it is the box that has started taking ownership of the speaker. And this ownership is in the form of fascination, the speaker cannot stop from exploring the box (â€Å"There are no windows, so I can’t see what is in there† -9) despite the reasons not to do so. Overwhelmed by fascination, the speaker â€Å"puts her eye to the grid†(11). This reveals a box with reminiscent themes of African slavery. For example the speaker has â€Å"the swarmy feeling of African hands† (13). In addition to this there are references to slave trade (â€Å"shrunk for export†-14) and the theme of dislike of captivity is conveyed by placing the consonance of an â€Å"ll† sound in the last line: â€Å"black on black, angrily clambering†. This resonates the bees (and the slaves) want to escape their prison. Later on we also find this same assonance associated to unpleasant noise (â€Å"It is the noise that appalls me most of all,/The unintelligible syllables.†17-18). Also the use of assonance (â€Å"dark, dark†-12; â€Å"black on black†-15) achieves a similar effect and sustains this unease. The reference of slavery may be related to the Civil Rights movement in America in the 1960’s and it would be Plath’s way of conveying the cries for equality. Most important however are the threatening nature of these complaints which draw back into the theme of control and underline that the speaker still does not feel safe in regards to the box and its contents, especially as the content is alive and fervent. The speaker then ponders as to how to let the bees escape (16). However such a choice is not made as the threat of the bees build up. Firstly a buzzing sibilance,†It is the noise that appals me most of all† (17), echoes the presence of the bees but it also provokes confusion, destabilizing the speaker who becomes confused in regards to what the bees are trying to communicate with him (â€Å"The unintelligible syllables†-18). This lack of understanding can be understood as the bees are now even more threatening, they are now a â€Å"Roman mob† (19), a symbol of rebellion. In spite of the individual bee being harmless, it is the bee’s nature as a swarm that impresses the speaker: â€Å"Small, taken one by one, but my god, together!†(20). The next stanza provides the first hints that the speaker is finally in control of the situation. Firstly, the speaker â€Å"lay[s his] ear to furious Latin† conveying the need to understand the bees, something not previously achieved. But to be properly able to understand them, the speaker discards all the Roman associations, which could be a symbol of power over the speaker. This is done by declaring â€Å"I am not a Caesar† (22). However this statement is ambiguous in the sense that it contains a paradox as the speaker both mentions power, when the need for power is obvious, and yet denies wanting or having it. Regardless of this, the speaker does finally gain power over the bees. Such is achieved by the speaker announcing that â€Å"I have simply ordered a box of maniacs.†(23). Not only does the speaker finally settle as to what the box is (having previously been uncertain about it), but the concept of power grasp resonates by the use of â€Å"simply†, allowing to set aside any previous problems about this box and imposing the speakers interpretation on it. This leads to multiple statements about what the speaker can do with this newly realized power such as: â€Å"They can be sent back./They can die†(24-25). This leads to the culmination of this stanza with triumphant, yet dispassionate, assertion â€Å"I am the owner† (25). This statement chimes throughout this stanza due to the anaphora of â€Å"I† serving as a reminder of who is now in charge. Additionally the short and concise sentences present throughout this stanza act as orders, another way of displaying authority. This newly gained authority is enjoyed as the speaker now settles and starts musing about the bees:†I wonder how hungry they are† (26). Again we find an anaphora, but this time it is â€Å"I wonder† (26-27), which is one of the first clear clues for choice as they introduce hypothetical statements which rely on will to be realised. Following this Plath makes another of her classical allusions, this one being the Greek myth of Daphne. This allusion is done to represent the extent to which the speaker, relishing the newly unveiled power, is now dreaming about what could be achieved with the bees, as now an extra touch of magical realism is added to the poem. In this trail of thoughts, the speaker refers to the ability to transform into a blond tree, the colour of honey, so as to appease the bees. The speaker also hopes to be ignored by the bees, dressed in a â€Å"moon suit and a funeral veil† (32). In this statement we can interpret the moon suit to be the usual beekeeper’s suit, but more importantly the moon suit gives an imposing, and possibly bizarre, image of the speaker. Additionally we find again a reference to death sustaining the dark aspect of the poem. The specific reference to a funeral may imply that the speaker is now mourning over the chase for power with the bees. Irrespective of this, the speaker ceases day-dreaming and instead rationalizes that â€Å"I am no source of honey/So why should they turn on me?† (33-34). This provides a justification for setting the bees free without the fear of being attacked. In doing so the reader claims to be â€Å"sweet God†(35), which links back to the references of â€Å"I am not a Caesar†(22). Indeed both these statements refer to power, but both also display a nuance in regards to the kin d of power that should be gained; there is an attempt at the distinction between a tyrant and the image of a kind and respected leader, â€Å"The box is only temporary† (36). Such ends the poem. One of its first roles is to create a couplet with the â€Å"free â€Å"of the previous line. However this conclusive line also serves as a way of declaring that perhaps choice is finally in the speaker’s hands. However the statement does not give the speaker the choice not to open up the box, which is after all what the bees and later on the speaker want. As such Plath ends the poem ambiguously by not being clear as to whether or not there has been a definite success. Throughout this poem, Plath has dealt with the struggle for control with the bees. At first she panics but then manages to calm down and make a rational decision about what should be done. Panics and confusion are often caused by the bee’s buzzing which may allow us to suggest that she uses bees as a metaphor for scary thoughts, a kind of paranoia. Indeed the buzzing sound that reverbs would be an easy way to drive someone mad and thus paranoia is a good candidate for this metaphor. In fact, the bees having been ordered by the speaker, presumably Plath, we can say that Plath is dealing with a personal dilemma. This would be reminiscent of Plath’s life by 1960, wherein she had multiple cases of trauma and was in a state of mental decline. It can then be concluded that Arrival of the Bee Box is indeed confessional poetry.