T. S. Eliot

T.S. Eliot was a major modernist poet and critic, widely regarded as one of the most important literary figures of the 20th century. Born in St. Louis, Missouri, he moved to England in 1914 and spent most of his adult life there, becoming a British citizen in 1927.

Eliot's early poetry was heavily influenced by the symbolism and imagism movements, and he was also deeply influenced by his study of philosophy and Eastern religion. In 1915, he published his first major poem, "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock," which is now widely regarded as a masterpiece of modernist literature. In 1922, he published "The Waste Land," a complex and highly allusive work that became one of the most important and widely studied poems of the 20th century.

In the years that followed, Eliot continued to write poetry, but also became an important literary critic and editor. He worked for several years as an editor at the publishing firm Faber and Faber, where he was instrumental in promoting the work of other important modernist writers, including W.H. Auden, Ezra Pound, and James Joyce.

In 1930, Eliot converted to Anglicanism and began to explore religious themes in his poetry. This culminated in the publication of "Four Quartets" between 1935 and 1942, a series of four long poems that are now considered some of his most important works. These poems explore themes of time, memory, and spirituality, and are noted for their intricate structure and rich use of language.

"Journey of the Magi," published in 1927, is another well-known poem by Eliot. It is a dramatic monologue in which one of the Magi who visited the infant Jesus describes his journey and reflects on its meaning. The poem is notable for its use of imagery and its exploration of themes of spiritual transformation.

Throughout his career, Eliot was deeply interested in the relationship between literature and society, and he was a vocal critic of what he saw as the decline of traditional values and the rise of mass culture. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1948, and continued to write and publish poetry and criticism until his death in 1965. Today, he is widely regarded as one of the most important and influential poets of the 20th century.

 

Marilyn Monroe

Hollywood icon Marilyn Monroe was married three times. Her first husband was James Dougherty, a 21-year-old neighbor whom she married in 1942 when she was just 16. The couple divorced in 1946, after which she married her second husband, baseball legend Joe DiMaggio. The couple had a tumultuous marriage and divorced nine months later. Monroe’s longest marriage was to her third husband, playwright Arthur Miller. Although the couple remained married for five years, the union was troubled, and they divorced in 1961. Monroe described her three failed marriages as a "three-ring circus." 

Rhubarb

Rhubarb isn't just colorful and tart, it can also be noisy. If you were standing in an almost pitch-black room surrounded by rhubarb, you should not be alarmed if you heard sounds. Unlike many other vegetables, rhubarb grows faster when grown in the dark. This type of rhubarb, known as forced rhubarb, grows at such an alarming rate—as much as an inch per day—that it produces an audible sound. As the stalks burst out of their initial buds and get bigger, the stalks brush against one another and create squeaking, crackling, and popping sounds. 

Metronome

A metronome is a device that produces a regular, steady pulse or beat at a fixed tempo, typically used in music to help musicians maintain a consistent rhythm. The tempo is set by adjusting the number of beats per minute (BPM), which can range from very slow (20 BPM or less) to very fast (200 BPM or more). Metronomes are commonly used during music practice and performance, particularly by pianists, drummers, and other musicians who require precise timing and rhythmic accuracy.

The origins of the metronome can be traced back to the early 19th century, when the German inventor Johann Nepomuk Maelzel developed the first mechanical metronome. Maelzel's metronome consisted of a pendulum that swung back and forth, with an adjustable weight that could be moved to adjust the tempo. This early version of the metronome was popularized by the composer Ludwig van Beethoven, who used it to help his students maintain a consistent tempo while playing his music.

Over time, the metronome evolved into a more sophisticated and versatile device, with electronic metronomes becoming the norm in the 20th century. Modern metronomes can be powered by batteries or electricity, and often include additional features such as volume control, rhythmic subdivisions, and visual displays that show the tempo.

While metronomes are primarily associated with music, they are also used in other professions and fields. For example, athletes may use a metronome to help improve their timing and coordination, particularly in sports such as running, swimming, or rowing. Speech therapists may also use a metronome to help patients with speech disorders develop a regular speaking rhythm. In addition, some medical professionals use metronomes to help regulate the heart rate of patients during cardiac procedures.
 

Roger Waters

 In 1965, Roger Waters co-founded the progressive rock band Pink Floyd. Waters initially served as the bassist, but following the departure of singer-songwriter Syd Barrett in 1968, he also became their lyricist, co-lead vocalist, and conceptual leader. The band achieved international success with the albums The Dark Side of the Moon (1973), Wish You Were Here (1975), Animals (1977), The Wall (1979), and The Final Cut (1983). By the early 1980s, Pink Floyd had become one of the most commercially successful groups in popular music.