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Success is counted sweetest
By those who ne'er succeed.
To comprehend a nectar
Requires sorest need.
Not one of all the purple host
Who took the flag to-day
Can tell the definition,
So clear, of victory,
As he, defeated, dying,
On whose forbidden ear
The distant strains of triumph
Break, agonized and ...more
It was a very long time ago. The year was 1866. Strange things were happening in the seas all around the world. Ships were sinking one after the other. Some of these ships disappeared without a trace. Shipowners, captains and anyone who worked aboard ships became very scared. They feared that their ships might be ...more
As Retold by Patrick Carpen
There was once a beautiful princess who lived with her father the King and mother the queen in a beautiful kingdom. Her hair was as black as ebony, her lips as red as crimson and her skin as white as snow. For this she was called “Snow White”.
Sadly, when the girl ...more
Alibaba lived a long time ago in the country of Afghanistan. He was very religious, strong and hardworking. His wife, Hannah, was also a lovely person. She cared for many children whose parents were not well. She also cared for the elderly people of the village. Alibaba and Hannah did many things that were pleasing ...more
As Retold by Patrick Carpen
A very very long time ago there lived a beautiful princess with her mother and father. Unfortunately, the girl's mother died and the king, feeling very lonely, remarried.
The new queen had two daughters of her own from a previous marriage, about the same age as the King's daughter, and they all moved into ...more
Once long ago, in a far-away land, lived a very rich and powerful king. His name was Midas. King Midas ruled his people well and his fame spread to all lands. Hearing of the king's power and wisdom, a powerful magician came to visit him one day. The magician was so impressed with King Midas, that ...more
I mentioned in some of my other articles on the parts of speech that we should never brand a word with a part of speech name until we see how it is used in a context. A word is given a part of speech name according to its use in a sentence.
Here's a good example ...more
Many people wonder "does advertisement really work, and how effective is it?"
Advertisement is powerful; that's a fact - Patrick Carpen.
Advertisement gleans it power from several facts of life:
People have so much on their mind, that they often forget things. A good advertisement reminds people that they need something and urges them to get it ...more
I mentioned in some other articles on the parts of speech that it is never wise to brand any word with a "universal" part of speech. We only brand a word with a part of speech based on its use in a sentence. For example, in the sentence below, the word "house" is used in ...more
You learn in basic English that there are eight parts of speech:
The Noun
The Verb
The Pronoun
The Adverb
The Adjective
The Preposition
The Conjunction
The Interjection
But in advanced English, things get a bit more complicated. Welcome the "pronominal adjective".
We know that a pronoun stands in place of a noun, and an adjective modifies a noun. Sometimes a word does both: it ...more
It was a cool summer night in Los Angeles as I lay in my bed, staring out of my window at the "twinkling stars above". I wondered what mystery they hold. I had learned in science class that all those stars are actually suns, much bigger than our sun, and that each one has its ...more
In teaching short stories to students of English, I often use the theme of aliens. Why? Because its a popular subject, and one that is perhaps on the mind of almost all humans.
Do aliens exist? After all, those countless stars out there are supposed to be suns, each with planets revolving around them. And with ...more
The noun is a naming word. Because there are so many things and ideas to be named in our existence, there are many kinds of nouns. We have proper nouns and common nouns. Then we have concrete nouns and abstract nouns. And the list goes on.
The two broadest categories of nouns, however, are the "concrete" ...more
The adverb, like the adjective, is a modifier.
The adverb modifies a verb, adjective, or another adverb in a sentence. When a word is used to modify a verb, adjective or another adverb, it is called an adverb.
So what exactly does the word “modify” mean? The word “modify”, as used in this sense, means to “add ...more
The adjective is a modifier. The adjective modifies a noun in a sentence. When a word is used to modify a noun, it is called an adjective.
So what exactly does the word "modify" mean? The word "modify", as used in this sense, means to "add to the meaning of".
So the adjective adds to the meaning ...more
I've watched the movie, The Terminator, several times since I was a kid, and I never get tired of it. It's packed with top notch action, catch phrases, suspense and thrills, that is sure to blow you away.
Sure, the plot kind of confuses you. Two cyborgs are sent back in time with two conflicting missions: ...more
Vocabulary by Patrick Carpen covers the following:
Vocabulary Articles
Prefixes
Suffixes
Root Words
Words that Confuse
Vocabulary Builder Exercises
and ...more
Often, two words will sound and spell very similar to each other. However, their meanings will be distinct. These are words that confuse.
In this lesson we will study some, but not all, of the commonly confused words. Because there are many more such words in the English Language, it is your duty as a student ...more
Photo by pixel0908
Chris De Burgh may be considered a wartime singer. He lived through the second world war and many of his songs are pervaded by the theme of war. One such is "Say Goodbye to it All", in which he portrays the experiences of a soldier escaping the horrors of war to ...more
General articles related to the topics of entertainment and celebrities by Patrick Carpen.
Chris De Burgh: A Tribute to a Great Singer
Beliebers and ...more
Emily Elizabeth Dickinson, one of America's greatest poet, was born in the State of Massachusetts on December 10, 1830. She died on May 15, 1886 at the age of 55 years.
Dickinson wrote some of the world's greatest and most treasured poems and I will be featuring some of them here for you to savour.
Have fun ...more
Emily Elizabeth Dickinson, one of America's greatest poet, was born in the State of Massachusetts on December 10, 1830. She died on May 15, 1886 at the age of 55 years.
Dickinson wrote some of the world's greatest and most treasured poems and I will be featuring some of them here for you to savour.
Have fun ...more
As you may or may not have heard, Patrick Carpen is one of the greatest poets of all time. Some of his biggest hits include the lyrical poem "Night Fire" and "The Call of Spring".
But it doesn't stop there. His love poem, "The Right Words" will literally take your breath away.
His religious poems "The Love ...more
As you may or may not have heard, Patrick Carpen is one of the greatest poets of all time. Some of his biggest hits include the lyrical poem "Night Fire" and "The Call of Spring".
But it doesn't stop there. His love poem, "The Right Words" will literally take your breath away.
His religious poems "The Love ...more
Articles I write about people, places, ideas and things while I'm traveling. Have fun reading, enjoying and learning.
Ghost Stories from the Rupununi Savannahs of Guyana.
In Brazil, the Ice Cream is ...more
Inspirational articles written by Patrick Carpen. Have fun reading and be inspired.
A beautiful picture...a touching story.
A correction worth a million dollars.
A song that inspired me.
An inspirational story.
Don't give up.
Focus forward.
Go after your dreams - boys and girls.
Patience pays off.
The homeless ...more
General articles by Patrick Carpen on the subject of religion, such as:
Atheist accepts Christ during argument.
How did God come about?
The chicken and the egg: A case for creation.
The Skeptic's Annotated Stupidity.
They shouldn't have to ask for it.
Those who trample on God's ...more
Here you will find all skills and DIY (do it yourself) "how to" tutorials.
Whether it's for fun, recreation, business, career, self improvement, money making, you'll get all the training you need on hot topics that require practical skills, including:
How to build a Nikola Tesla Power Generator
How to build an aviary.
How to convert your car to ...more
Do you want to learn how to build model trains and railroads? And why? Is it for fun? Recreation? Or a hobby of yours?
Or do you just want to make the kids happy?
How good are you at building model trains and railroads?
What if someone were to explain everything to you in a simple step-by-step way ...more