Year 12 IB Extended Essays 2017

International Baccalaureate Diploma Program

EXTENDED ESSAYS - 2017

Please ... Feel free to browse and read through the full extended essays of our 2017 Year 12 IB Diploma students.

1. Rosie Bensley - subject: English A Literature 2. Taylor Davies - subject: Business Management 3. Megan Gerber - subject: History 4. Xenavee Goldsmith - subject: English A Literature 5. Rosalie Goulding - subject: English A Literature 6. David McGovern - subject: Philosophy 7. Cameron Moffat - subject: History 8. Aarsh Nagpal - subject: English A Literature 9. Sinead Neary - subject: English A Literature 10.Mayla Singh - subject: Philosophy 11. Jana Zielinski - subject: Music

© International Baccalaureate Organization 2012.

International Baccalaureate Diploma Program

THE EXTENDED ESSAY

The International Baccalaureate® (IB) Diploma Programme (DP) is an assessed programme for students aged 16 to 19. It is respected by leading universities across the globe. Somerset offers the IBDP as an alernative to the Queensland Certificate of Education in Years 11 and 12. Through the DP, we aim to develop students who: - have excellent breadth and depth of knowledge - flourish physically, intellectually, emotionally & ethically - study at least two languages - excel in traditional academic subjects - explore the nature of knowledge through the programme’s unique theory of knowledge course.

THE IB DIPLOMA PROGRAMME CURRICULUM The DP curriculum is made up of six subject groups and the DP core, comprising theory of knowledge (TOK), creativity, activity, service (CAS) and the extended essay. Through the DP core, students reflect on the nature of knowledge, complete independent research and undertake a project that often involves community service.

WHAT IS THE EXTENDED ESSAY?

The extended essay is an independent, self- directed piece of research, finishing with a 4,000-word paper.

THE EXTENDED ESSAY PROVIDES:

One component of the International Baccalaureate® (IB) Diploma Programme (DP) core, the extended essay is mandatory for all students.

Practical preparation for undergraduate research an opportunity for students to investigate a topic of special interest to them, which is also related to one of the student's six DP subjects. Through the research process for the extended essay, students develop skills in: - formulating an appropriate research question - engaging in a personal exploration of the topic - communicating ideas - developing an argument.

Participation in this process develops the capacity to analyse, synthesize and evaluate knowledge.

© International Baccalaureate Organization 2012.

Rosie Bensley

The Unique and Inescapable Quality of ‘Spontaneous Delight’ InThe Poetry of E.E. Cummings and Its Role in The Revelation of The ‘Human Spirit’

How effectively does e.e. cummings represent spontaneous delight and its capacity to reveal the youthful vivacity of the human spirit in his poetry?

Extended Essay for English A Literature: Category 1 Session Number: 0011 61- 0004 Word Count: 3999

Abstract

The research question that I am investigating is ‘How effectively does e.e. cummings

represent spontaneous delight and its capacity to reveal the youthful vivacity of the

human spirit in his poetry?’ The methodology of my research involved critical analysis of

numerous poems spanning cummings’ career and personal reflection on recurring themes and

ideas. It was evident me that his poems contain an undercurrent of hope and a tangible mood

of spontaneous delight. I selected a range of poems that embodied cummings’ youthful spirit

most effectively. I assessed and deconstructed the poems and correlated them into key ideas

that symbolized the foundation of cummings’ youthful spirit. These key ideas are linked in an

intimate way to the ‘spontaneous delight of the youthful spirit’, with these being: The irony of

youth; The importance of being young at heart; Spring as a metaphor for growth; Childhood

and new beginnings; and The Primacy of youthful passion over reason. I also researched

extensively into e.e. cummings’ influences and background, as socio-cultural context is de

rigueur in revealing a deeper understanding of the purpose of his poetry.

It is clear that the spontaneous delight of the youthful spirit that cummings’ works exudes

represents a summary of the key ideas investigated. Cummings explores life through his

ubiquitous acknowledgement of the primacy of youthful passion over logic and reason.

Cummings’ lexicon and register reflect the disregard he harbours for traditionalism and is

symbolic of youthful indifference. The liberating use of experimental grammar and nonsensical

phrases complement this disregard but also serve as a metaphor for e.e. cummings’

unconventional views. My final conclusion is that, through the use of unique phrasing and a

tangible passion for life, cummings infuses his poetry with a sense of spontaneous delight and

through it reveals the youthful vivacity of the human spirit in his poetry

Word Count: 300

Table of Contents

Abstract ......................................................................................................................................2

Introduction................................................................................................................................3

The Irony of Youth ....................................................................................................................7

The Importance of Being Young at Heart................................................................................10

Spring as a Reference to Growth, Childhood and New Beginnings........................................12

Youthful Passion Over Reason ................................................................................................15

Conclusion ...............................................................................................................................18

Bibliography ............................................................................................................................19

Appendices...............................................................................................................................20

Notes

1. In the following essay I will spell e.e. cummings in lower case, in the way in which he preferred.

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Introduction

The research question I will be investigating is “How effectively does e.e. cummings represent

spontaneous delight and its capacity to reveal the youthful vivacity of the human spirit in his

poetry?”. One of e.e. cummings’ most notable and inspiring quotes is “Once we believe in

ourselves, we can risk curiosity, wonder, spontaneous delight, or any experience that reveals

the human spirit”. This quote captures the passion and deep appreciation for life and the human

spirit evident in cummings’ works. Essentially, cummings is an adult attempting to capture the

transient feeling of being young – the raging passion for life, infectious optimism and an

undefinable mystique that makes youth so unique. He explores the irony of youth and the

paradox of human life, the importance of being young at heart, the revitalizing power of new

beginnings and the new generation; through symbols like spring and childhood and the primacy

of youthful passion over reason. These elements culminate in a mood of spontaneous delight

that underpins all of e.e. cummings’ poetry and captures the youthful vivacity of the human

spirit.

As an ambulance officer in 1917 during the First World War, cummings was witness to the

unspeakable brutality of the ‘Great War’ and the widespread loss of spirituality and belief in

human decency, that would soon follow (Poetry Foundation 2017, p2). The world that emerged

in the aftermath of World War 1 was cruel and unfamiliar – the Western world hardened by

the knowledge of the inhumanity of people. Cummings was a member of the generation that

“returned from World War I ready to demolish Victorian illusions and experiment with all

kinds of liberation, sexual and social as well as literary.” (Kirsch 2005, p.2) The birth of

Modernism was then inextricably bound to the shock and pessimism that emerged from the

war; a reminder that the world, as broken as it seemed, was still beautiful. As one of the most

influential poets of the modernist era (Kirsch 2005, p.1), cummings deals with this paradox by

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visualizing a world that is beautiful because it isn’t conventionally sensible. Instead of trying

so hard to understand the world, he suggests that instead, one should marvel at its beauty as if

one was still young. The structure and technique of his poems reflect this essential hopefulness,

youthful vivacity and spontaneity. His use of idiosyncratic techniques paradoxically, both

conceal and clarify the meaning of his poetry – the more one attempts to ‘pin it down’, the less

one is able to grasp it. This technique only magnifies the idea that the youthful spirit that he

captures cannot be put into words and can only be conveyed through feeling. Thus, more often

than not, the meaning in cummings’ poetry resides in the sound, form and holistic sense of the

poem.

The spontaneous delight and youthful spirit of cummings’ poetry can be categorized into four

key ideas. These ideas culminate to form the elusive spirit that cummings’ poetry exudes. The

Irony of Youth provides the foundation for many of cummings’ poems. In first analyzing this,

it is obvious that cummings treasures youth as a thing of transient beauty and reverence. It

allows him to capture the bittersweet paradox of life that is bound to haunt us all – the idea that

as we grow older, we forget how to live. To enhance this, cummings introduces the importance

of being Young at Heart. This infers a suggestion as to how one can hold on to the eternal

optimism and spontaneous delight evident in youth; even in old age. Furthermore, cummings

accentuates the idea of Youthful Passion over Reason. Reason that develops as one grows older

can often hinder the ability to act purely out of passion. To deepen the understanding of the

youthful spirit embodied in cummings’ poetry, the Symbol of Spring as a reference to growth,

childhood and new beginnings is also investigated. These four elements culminate to create the

spontaneous delight and youthful spirit that e.e. cummings conveys so poignantly in his verse.

In addition, e.e. cummings’ poetry is an expression of self belief that opens the locked door to

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a world of ‘curiosity, wonder and spontaneous delight’ which all go to ‘reveal the youthful

vivacity of the human spirit’.

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The Irony of Youth In many of his works, e.e. cummings addresses the bittersweet irony and elusive beauty of what

it is to be young – the paradox that is our lives. T.S. Eliot, another influential poet of the

modernist era, captured this paradox perfectly in his poem Little Gidding . Eliot writes that “We

shall not cease from exploration/ And the end of all our exploring/ Will be to arrive where we

started / And know the place for the first time” (Eliot, 1942) . It would seem that, at first, we

live so completely in our youth, we are not jaded by a world capable of cruelty. As we age, we

forget how to live without worry or care. On a personal level, an interpretation that resonates

with me is that at the conclusion of one’s life, on reflection, one often finds that the best way

to live is to live as if you are young , that is, treasuring a sense of spontaneous delight and a

youthful spirit. Paradoxically however, there is no life left to live. Cummings addresses this

irony in both anyone lived in a pretty how town 1 and old age sticks 2 , communicating his ideas

through unconventional and unique imagery.

Cummings describes the paradoxical journey of youth in anyone lived in a pretty how town 1 ,

using imagery that defies the laws of grammar, yet somehow seems to connect to the reader on

a more profound level. Cummings alludes to the idea that youth seem to know something adults

don’t. “Children guess” at the meaning of life, coming far closer to being truly happy. Unlike

adults, they do not overthink and they are unafraid to simply live. Children are destined,

however, to lose this intuition as they grow older, an idea which cummings phrases in an

idiosyncratic but powerful and poignant way. The phrase “down they forgot as up they grew”

does not obey the laws of grammar, yet it seems to make perfect sense; with grammar here

serving as a metaphor for the hidebound and sometimes senseless conventions of life itself.

Traditional grammar and phrasing would not be able to capture the sense of these lines. This

rejection of technical correctness in favour of lyrical and individualistic phrasing is

synonymous with cummings’ works. The phrase suggests that every child is bound to leave

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their innocence behind, just as they abandon their childish ideals. The powerful imagery of a

child forgetting more as he gets taller embodies the movement away from the ultimate truth as

time passes. The passing of time in the poem is represented through the repetition of “autumn

winter spring summer”, placed in differing orders. No matter what one does, time is destined

to pass. Youth is intrinsically transient, just like the seasons that cummings lists. This idea is

reminiscent of Robert Frosts’ Nothing Gold Can Stay (1923). Cummings again addresses how

“children are apt to forget to remember”, employing his signature individualistic phrasing and

juxtaposition. The phrase appears nonsensical but once it is allowed to permeate one’s mind,

the meaning is clear. We are so quick to forget what we value as children, yet when we finally

reach adulthood, we long for the immediacy and innocence of our youth.

old age sticks 2 delves deeper into the youthful eagerness to grow up as represented in anyone

lived in a pretty how town 1 and explores the eternal connection between youth and old age. The

poem begins by stating that “old age sticks/up Keep/ Off/ signs)”, representing older

generations as traditionalist and rigid. Cummings personifies both youth and old age, which

serves to further connect the reader to the concepts by giving them human characteristics

stereotypical to the old and young. Old age doesn’t want youth trespassing on their territory,

for if the young grow old, old age has nowhere to go to but to death. Cummings utilises

punctuation to create meaning, enclosing old age’s actions in brackets, representing restriction

and conservatism. Youth’s actions are outside of the brackets, representing liberation and

rebellion. This forces the reader to focus on the poem as a whole; the macrocosm, rather than

the individual lines, the microcosm. This, itself, is a metaphor for how one should live their

life – not obsessing over the inconsequential events but, instead, observing the bigger picture.

“youth yanks [old age’s signs]/ down(” just as fast as they are put up, accentuating youth’s

refusal to abide by their rules, bringing to mind youthful passion and recklessness. The uptight

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representation of old age is propounded in the incorporation of words like “scolds”,

“Forbidden”, “Stop, “Mustn’t” and “Don’t”. Cummings only uses capitalization when

describing old age, again promulgating the rigid and traditionalist representation. In the final

stanza, the paradoxical truth is revealed - not matter what old age does, “youth goes/ right on/

gr/ owing old”. The separation of “gr/owing old” suggests that youth is somehow indebted to

old age for trying to prevent the inevitable. Older generations beg for youth to slow down, but

it is the nature of the young to ignore warnings and charge towards adulthood, until they

themselves, become old age. Despite older generation’s best efforts to warn them, young people

must experience the process of life for themselves. This concept can be linked to the ideas in

Emily Dickenson’s poem Success is counted sweetest, where she introduces the concept that

to feel real appreciation, one must first be deprived. Dickenson writes that “To comprehend a

nectar/ Requires sorest need” (Dickenson, 1878) . In the same sense, young people must

experience life in order to learn – there are no warnings and advice that older generations can

give that will ever match the knowledge that comes from this experience. In this sense, old age

and youth are forever intertwined.

The focus on the irony of youth and the inevitable paradox of aging lends itself perfectly to the

search for a solution – staying young at heart. This involves retaining the youthful spirit and

spontaneous delight that is so evident in youth and entwining it into one’s outlook on life.

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The Importance of Being Young at Heart

The importance of being young at heart is a recurring idea in many of e.e. cummings’ works.

It comes as a solution to the paradox of life and irony of youth. Cumming’ personal approach

to this paradox is brought to life in poems such as You shall above all things 3 , dive for dreams 4

and I will wade out 5 . Shrouded in his signature insightful obscurity, cummings urges readers

to hold on to the eternal optimism and appreciation for the world so unique to youth.

In one of cummings’ seminal works, you shall above all things 3 , he nominate being “glad and

young” as essentials one should strive for. The poem is styled as a string of advice to the reader,

delivered in second person. Cummings elucidates the importance of being young at heart by

stating that “if you’re young; whatever life you wear/ it will become you”. For those who are

young, every path is open; opportunity is boundless. Utilising antimetabole, cummings

reverses the phrase to become “if you are glad/ whatever’s living will yourself become,”

suggesting that happiness awakens you to the beauty of the surrounding world and the power

of influence. Perhaps one of cummings’ most memorable lines is delivered at the close of the

poem, where the narration undergoes a sudden change from second to first person. This final

line, “I’d rather learn from one bird how to sing/ than teach ten thousand stars how not to

dance” is an analogical delivery of cummings’ personal understanding of how one should live.

This outlook embodies a youthful spirit, suggesting that one should be accepting and ready to

learn about the surrounding world instead of rebelling against its beauty. It also infers an

affirming and positive outlook rather than a pessimistic, negating attitude. This outlook

embodies the youthful spirit and the ability to see beauty and wonder in the world, just as it is.

Similarly, e.e. cummings’ aptly titled poem dive for dreams 4 urges readers to cling to the

youthful fire and passion that drives the young. dive for dreams 4 is a prime example of the

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underlying hope that shines through all of his works. Again, cummings uses second person

narration to address the reader directly and relay his advice on a personal level. He captures

the fire and stubbornness of youth, urging readers to trust themselves and their heart, even if

“the seas catch fire” or the “stars walk backward”. This willfulness brings to mind the idealism

of a teenager who has the world at their feet. References to nature are dispersed all throughout

cummings’ poetry with energy filled references to ‘seas’, ‘fire’, ‘stars’ and ‘wind’, comparing

the energy of nature to the passion for life evident in youth.

i will wade out 5 employs a similar passionate tone created in both dive for dreams 4 and you

shall above all things 3 . It focuses on how one should capture their passion and youthful energy

and use it to live an abundant life. i will wade out 5 delves into awakening, life and drive. The

rhythmic flow and active language used, causes the poem to pulsate with life and breath. This

evokes feelings in readers rather than an urge to rationalize and understand. These feelings can

be linked to the spontaneous delight evident in youth as they observe the world. The

incorporation of active verbs like “steep[ing]”, “burning”, “wad[ing]”, “tak[ing]”, and

“dash[ing]” captures the idealistic passion for life that cummings advocates, painting a picture

of boundless energy. It also creates a song-like rhythm that engages the reader, a technique

cummings is said to have learnt from the poetry of the Romantic Poet, William Blake.

Like in dive for dreams 4 , i will wade out 5 contains prominent references to the power of nature.

It is used as a metaphor for growth, youth and hope and can be aligned with the spontaneous

delight that embodies the spirit of youth.

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Spring as a Reference to Growth, Childhood and New Beginnings

Many of cummings’ works are very closely tied to nature. Spring is a significant focus of many

of his poems and he often presents Spring as a symbol of new beginnings, childhood and hope.

It is a season of unparalleled growth that is treated so reverently by cummings that it is almost

divine. The title of his poem ‘ spring omnipotent goddess Thou’ optimizes his reverent view of

the season. The representation of Spring can be aligned with the wonder associated with the

spontaneous delight of youth.

in Just- 6 captures both the innocence of childhood and links back to the irony of youth

discussed previously, all through the assertions of Spring. The bubbling atmosphere of

childhood is achieved through childish jargon and poetic technique. Cummings invents words

to describe Spring, like “mud-luscious” and “puddle-wonderful”, suggesting that to a child

everything is wondrous – even such things as mud and puddles. This ever-appreciative outlook,

he suggests, should be retained to preserve one’s youth. The utilisation of word fusion and

irregular spacing, for example in line 5, “whistles far and wee”, simulates the child-

like excitement and energy of children. Cummings plays with spacing by placing Spring on a

new line every time it is mentioned - “in Just/ Spring” and “it’s/ spring”, serving to disrupt the

reading and forcing the reader to acknowledge its importance. Cummings also delves into the

inevitable change that children will undergo through the symbolic character of “the

balloonman”. On first introduction, he is depicted as “little” and “lame”, projecting a harmless

image. Upon his return in the poem, the balloonman is decribed as “goatfooted” and “Man” is

capitalised. He is now a symbol of adulthood, puberty and sexual awakening. This can be

linked back to the irony and transient nature of youth. The descriptor, “goat-footed” is a

reference to the Satyr Pan (Landles 2014, p.2) – the god of sexuality who is meant to spark

sexual change in children during Spring. Each word is also placed on a separate line, reading

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“the/ goat-footed/ balloonMan”, further emphasising the underlying symbolism of the

character by breaking the reading. Although in many pieces of literature, Pan is represented as

a lecherous creature, cummings chooses the much gentler symbol of a balloonman (Landles

2014, p.2). The balloons he distributes can suggest the end of childhood – albeit a positive

reference that celebrates this change rather than mourning it. The balloon suggests that

adulthood is a gift that one carries and the fact that it is given to the child implies that the

remnants of childlike ideals are retained even when transitioning into adulthood. Through the

representation of Spring, growth and innocence, cummings is then able to highlight the effect

of childlike innocence on one’s perspective of the world.

Cummings is able to capture the feeling of youthful ambition during Spring in when faces

called flowers float out of the ground 7 . Spring is an unmatched time of rejuvenation that

celebrates life and potential – the emphasis on life in - “alive; we’re alive, dear:it’s (kiss me

now)spring!” directly ties together Spring and a passion for life. The conviction and repetition

cements the idea that Spring is a time of growth, just like youth, where possibilities are endless.

The poem is non-linear and breaks thoughts mid-line with interjectory parenthesis, reminiscent

of our minds jumping around with thought – a technique he learnt from James Joyce’s Ulysses;

where Joyce presents a stream of consciousness similar to the workings of the mind.

Cummings’ signature disregard for technical correctness in favor of lyrical phrasing is

embodied in the lines “breathing is wishing and wishing is having” “and having is giving and

giving is living.” The use of assonance and repetition gives the lines a living energy that

captures the essence of Spring. In Spring, the embodiment of youthful spirit, breathing is not

just living. It is wishing and having and giving all rolled into one, as in Spring, you appreciate

every single breath you take. Cummings even delves into the depth of life in Spring, from the

“heart of the sky” to the “mind of the sea”. The heart and mind are the spiritual and emotional

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centres of our body – the places where we find the potential for passion and growth. The

culmination of passion, life and ambition borne of Spring is the embodiment of a youthful

spirit. This youthful spirit that exudes from cummings’ poetry urges readers to disregard their

reason and instead, follow their emotions.

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Youthful Passion Over Reason

e.e. cummings was heavily influenced by the Romantic period and the literary works that were

borne of it. By definition, Romanticism emphasized the importance of the creative spirit over

strict adherence to literary rules and traditional procedure, utilizing free imagination as a

gateway to transcendent experience and spiritual awakening (Encyclopædia Britannica 2016,

p.1). It is clear in his poetry that Cummings values romantic ideals and the primacy of faith,

intuition and emotion over reason. Just as he emphasises the importance of being young at

heart, cummings advocates embracing youthful passion over reason. Youth stereotypically,

trust their hearts, and act impulsively. Cummings advocates fighting against the rules and

regulations placed on us by society. As one gets older and begins to trust one’s reason over

passion, the resultant self-doubt can stop one from taking chances in their life. This inhibiting

self-doubt may reflect the irony of youth and paradoxical nature of our lives, as the solution

seems to be retaining youthful passion. This idea is shared in Shakespeare’s Hamlet (his fourth

soliloquy) where he comments on the ability of thought to paralyse action. He laments that

“enterprises of great pith and moment” are “sicklied o'er with the pale cast of thought,”

suggesting that too much reason can subvert significant enterprises.

Cummings presents this disregard for reason and appreciation of passion in since feeling is

first 8 through imagery that appeals to the readers very core. The title puts instinctual feeling

over secondary reason, urging readers to be young at heart and embrace the youthful spirit that

desires to just act. There is no point paying “attention to the syntax of things”, for rules and

reason will never be able to “kiss you”; they will not satisfy the emotion your body is made to

feel. The reality of the world lies within us and not within the rules we make for ourselves.

When things like “Spring [are] in the world”, there is nothing to do but embrace the growth

and beauty that surrounds one. The personification of the narrator’s blood suggests that feeling

15

and passion are so intrinsic to our nature that even our body approves and it becomes obvious

that “kisses are a better fate than wisdom”. Similarities can be drawn to anyone lived in a pretty

how town 1 , in which adults are swept away by overthinking and forget how to experience life

as it should be. The finality of the concluding lines promotes an air of candor, as if the narrator

has come to a final conclusion – “life’s not a paragraph/ and death i think is no parenthesis”,

hence his rejection of traditional syntax. The use of contractions and the interjection of “i think”

adds to the informality, supporting the disregard for tradition. As one tries harder to structure

their life, they stray further from the ultimate truth – that life is not a thing of structure, but a

tangled mess of feelings and emotions. No matter how hard one tries, life cannot be captured

in words on a page. Youth is the closest we come to understanding that the key to life is not to

understand but to accept.

Like many of cummings’ other works, since feeling is first 8 harbors its message within its

technique. The poem follows no clear structure, with complete disregard for capitalization and

correct sentence structure, serving as a metaphor for the rebellion against reason in favor of

emotion. Parallels can be drawn to TS Eliot’s The Waste Land , where cummings is said to have

drawn inspiration. Like The Waste Land , the free form and messy structure creates a metaphor

for life in the post World War One world. There is a sense of irony present in since feeling is

first 8 , as cummings seems to acknowledge that not even he can capture the youthful passion

for life for which one should strive. The acknowledgment that “death… is no parenthesis” is

perhaps a reference to the inadequacy of his own writing, strewn with parenthesis, at capturing

the full extent of life. It seems cummings also believes that the most important things in life

cannot be conveyed through written text. There is evidence in all his works of the value of

youthful passion over reason within his nonsensical structure and word choice. Although the

phrases are not technically correct, they appeal to one’s emotions instead of intellect. In anyone

16

lived in a pretty how town 1 , the phrase “down they forgot as up they grew” appeals to the

reader’s imagination, conjuring images that resonate emotionally. His ideas lie in the feeling

that each line creates and the images that they conjure – not in the meaning of the individual

words themselves. This appreciation for feeling and emotion over traditionalism and reason

embodies the youthful spirit and spontaneous delight that cummings weaves throughout his

poetry.

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Conclusion

The passion, hope and deep appreciation for life in e.e. cummings’ poetry embody a youthful

spirit and a sense of spontaneous delight. Cummings’ investigative exploration into the irony

of youth and the transient nature of childhood, emphasizes the paradoxical nature of ageing

and urges readers to experience the joie de vivre of the immediate present. In other words,

cummings wants people to live as though young and retain one’s fiery passion and unrelenting

optimism. The spirit of youth within cummings’ poetry extends to representations of

revitalization and new beginnings through symbols like Spring and childhood. In every poem,

cummings values youthful passion and intuition over logical reason. This ubiquitous idea

brings to life cummings’ youthful spirit and passionate vivacity with resounding force. His

very register reflects a disregard for traditionalist technique in favor of embracing a youthful

expression of feeling and a sense of spontaneous delight. The synthesis of these elements,

combined with cummings’ unique style and refreshing phrasing, forms the youthful and child-

like spirit for which e.e. cummings is renowned, as well as the uplifting sense of hope and

spontaneous delight that underpin his poetry.

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Bibliography

Anon. 2016, Romanticism , Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., Accessed 20 th May 2017, < https://www.britannica.com/art/Romanticism >

Dickenson, E. 1878, Success is counted sweetest , A Masque of Poets. Print.

Eloit, T.S. 1942, Little Gidding , Four Quartets. Print.

Frost, R. 1923, Nothing Gold Can Stay, The Poetry of Robert Frost. Print.

Kirsch, A. 2005, The Rebellion of E.E. Cummings , Harvard Magazine, Accessed May 1 2017, < http://harvardmagazine.com/2005/03/the-rebellion-of-ee-cumm.html >

Landles, E. 2014, An Analysis of Two Poems by E.E. Cummings--An Essay by Iain Landles, Modern American Poetry, Accessed April 30 2017, < http://www.english.illinois.edu/maps/poets/a_f/cummings/landles10.html > Poetry Foundation, 2017, E. E. Cummings , Poetry Foundation, Accessed April 14 2017, < https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems-and-poets/poets/detail/e-e-cummings >

Shakespeare, W., Thompson, A., & Taylor, N. 2006. Hamlet . London, Arden Shakespeare. Print.

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Appendices

1.

anyone lived in a pretty how town (with up so floating many bells down) spring summer autumn winter he sang his didn’t he danced his did. Women and men(both little and small) cared for anyone not at all they sowed their isn’t they reaped their same sun moon stars rain children guessed(but only a few and down they forgot as up they grew autumn winter spring summer) that noone loved him more by more someones married their everyones laughed their cryings and did their dance (sleep wake hope and then)they said their nevers they slept their dream stars rain sun moon (and only the snow can begin to explain how children are apt to forget to remember with up so floating many bells down) one day anyone died i guess (and noone stooped to kiss his face) busy folk buried them side by side little by little and was by was when by now and tree by leaf she laughed his joy she cried his grief bird by snow and stir by still anyone’s any was all to her

all by all and deep by deep and more by more they dream their sleep

noone and anyone earth by april wish by spirit and if by yes.

Women and men(both dong and ding) summer autumn winter spring reaped their sowing and went their came sun moon stars rain

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2.

old age sticks up Keep Off signs)& youth yanks them down(old age cries No

Tres)&(pas) youth laughs (sing old age scolds Forbid den Stop Must n't Don't &)youth goes right on gr owing old

21

3.

you shall above all things be glad and young For if you’re young,whatever life you wear

it will become you;and if you are glad whatever’s living will yourself become. Girlboys may nothing more than boygirls need: i can entirely her only love

whose any mystery makes every man’s flesh put space on;and his mind take off time

that you should ever think,may god forbid and (in his mercy) your true lover spare: for that way knowledge lies,the foetal grave called progress,and negation’s dead undoom.

I’d rather learn from one bird how to sing than teach ten thousand stars how not to dance

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4.

dive for dreams or a slogan may topple you (trees are their roots and wind is wind) trust your heart if the seas catch fire (and live by love though the stars walk backward)

honour the past but welcome the future (and dance your death away at this wedding)

never mind a world with its villains or heroes (for god likes girls and tomorrow and the earth)

23

5.

i will wade out

till my thighs are steeped in burning flowers

I will take the sun in my mouth and leap into the ripe air Alive

with closed eyes

to dash against darkness

in the sleeping curves of my body

Shall enter fingers of smooth mastery with chasteness of sea-girls

Will i complete the mystery of my flesh

I will rise

After a thousand years

lipping flowers

And set my teeth in the silver of the moon

24

6.

in Just- spring when the world is mud-

luscious the little lame balloonman

whistles far and wee

and eddieandbill come running from marbles and piracies and it's spring

when the world is puddle-wonderful

the queer old balloonman whistles far and wee and bettyandisbel come dancing

from hop-scotch and jump-rope and

it's spring and

the

goat-footed

balloonMan whistles far and wee

25

7.

when faces called flowers float out of the ground and breathing is wishing and wishing is having– but keeping is downward and doubting and never – it's april(yes,april;my darling)it's spring! yes the pretty birds frolic as spry as can fly yes the little fish gambol as glad as can be (yes the mountains are dancing together) when every leaf opens without any sound and wishing is having and having is giving– but keeping is doting and nothing and nonsense – alive;we're alive,dear:it's(kiss me now)spring! now the pretty birds hover so she and so he now the little fish quiver so you and so i now the mountains are dancing, the mountains) when more than was lost has been found has been found and having is giving and giving is living– but keeping is darkness and winter and cringing – it's Spring(all our night becomes day)o,it's spring! all the pretty birds dive to the heart of the sky all the little fish climb through the mind of the sea all the mountains are dancing;are dancing)

26

8.

since feeling is first who pays any attention to the syntax of things will never wholly kiss you; wholly to be a fool while Spring is in the world

my blood approves and kisses are a better fate than wisdom lady i swear by all flowers. Don’t cry —the best gesture of my brain is less than your eyelids’ flutter which says

we are for each other: then laugh, leaning back in my arms for life’s not a paragraph

and death i think is no parenthesis

27

Taylor Davies

IB Extended Essay

Business and Management

To what extent did store expansion and poor inventory management contribute to the decline of Dick Smith?

Personal Code: gjy653

Word Count: 3997

1

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to provide a conclusion as “ to what extent did store expansion and

poor inventory management contribute to the decline of Dick Smith?” This research question

will be based off the subject Business and Management. In order to achieve this I will use the

following sources and methods to answer the research question:

-

McGrathNicol Dick Smith Report.

- News articles. For example, Channel News and News.com.au.

- Business related articles from valid sources such as, Investopedia, Smart Company and

smh.

- I will also use the company’s website as a primary source of identifying the company’s

background information

From the use of these different sources I came to a conclusion that store expansion and poor

inventory management was a large contribution to the collapse of Dick Smith due to the over

expenditure and borrowings from banks to fund the installment of retail stores which led to an

increase of $70m in debt. Furthermore, the company held stock worth circa $316m, which a

large percentage of it was made redundant due to being out of date technology and unsalable.

This issue led to stock write downs and clearance sales which in turn created a loss of cash

inflow and profit. From this, Dick Smith was financially unstable and major suppliers such as

Apple restricted them from purchasing products due to insufficient funds and large money

already owed from prior trade. Furthermore, banks disallowed further loans which were needed

to pay for ongoing costs such as lease liabilities and already existent loans from the initial

investment in retail store establishment. Consequently, it can be noted that the plan of store

expansion and poor inventory management was a large factor that triggered the decline and

overall collapse of Dick Smith.

2

B USINESS AND M ANAGEMENT .....................................................................................................1

ABSTRACT ................................................................................................................................2

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ........................................................................................................4

RESEARCH QUESTION ...........................................................................................................5

INTRODUCTION ......................................................................................................................5

ANALYSIS AND DISCUSSION .................................................................................................6

CURRENT AND ACID RATIO ANALYSIS ............................................................................ 10 J UNE 2013 – P RE -E XPANSION .................................................................................................... 10 J UNE 2015 – D URING E XPANSION .............................................................................................. 11

ANALYSIS OF CURRENT AND ACID RATIO’S ................................................................... 12

CORRELATION BETWEEN NUMBER OF STORES AND INVENTORY BALANCE ......... 13 G ROWTH IN S TORE N ETWORK 2013 – 2016 | M C G RATH N ICOL .................................................. 13 G RAPH 1: I NVENTORY B ALANCE 2013 – 2016 | M C G RATH N ICOL ............................................... 13 A NALYSIS OF C ORRELATION BETWEEN N UMBER OF S TORES AND I NVENTORY B ALANCE .......... 13 WHAT WE CAN LEARN FROM THE COLLAPSE OF DICK SMITH ................................. 14 I NVENTORY M ANAGEMENT IS E SSENTIAL ................................................................................. 14 P RIVATE E QUITY F LOATS A RE N OT A LWAYS W HAT T HEY S EEM .............................................. 14 I NVESTMENT IN F ADING S YSTEMS W ILL U LTIMATELY L EAD TO F AILURE ................................ 15 T HE I MPORTANCE OF D UE D ILIGENCE U PON I NVESTING .......................................................... 15

CONCLUSION ......................................................................................................................... 16

REFERENCES ......................................................................................................................... 17

APPENDIX ............................................................................................................................... 18

3

Acknowledgements

I would like to acknowledge the following people for their assistance in supplying information

and aid in this report:

- Dick Smith Group – Use of website provided valuable primary research to this report

and established a firm background on the company

- Mr. S. Moore – Business Department/Teacher, helped in offering advice and assistance

in the format of this report

- McGrathNicol Report – This report providing excellent secondary/primary research

from the directors and administrators of the Dick Smith Group.

4

Research Question

To what extent did store expansion and poor inventory management contribute to the decline of Dick Smith?

Introduction

The Dick Smith Group is an online and fixed retail store that sells electronics throughout

Australia and New Zealand. The company Dick Smith was founded in 1968 and began as a car

radio instalment business, "Alongside the car radio business, Dick opened ‘Dick Smith

Wholesale' which was built to be a playground for electronics hobbyists like Dick himself and

sold a huge array of electronics components to professionals and weekend hobbyists alike"

(Dicksmith.com.au, 2017). From the 80's forward the company began to grow and had sold

60% of the company's working share to Woolworths Limited. Two years later the other 40%

was sold to Woolworths and the founder was no longer involved. January 4th, 2016, Dick

Smith collapses into voluntary administration, and finally, on May 3rd all store locations had

been closed

This company, prior to the collapse, operated from over 390 fixed locations and employed in

excess of 3,000 people. The retail operations of Dick Smith Electronics were largely based out

of high flowing shopping centres such as Hornsby Shopping Centre in Sydney which

Woolworths saw as their main “powerhouse” of sales (ConnectedAustralia, 2009). From this

the factor of high rent and further increases in store acquisition each year caused a high cost

for the company. Furthermore, the locations of Dick Smith stores in Australia were generally

within 100km of the coast and situated in medium to highly populated cities such as

Rockhampton and Sydney. Dick Smith also ran 75 stores out of its 390 in New Zealand which

had the same procedure as the Australian market where they were placed in high flowing

shopping centres in medium to highly populated towns and cities. Moreover, inventory

management within the tech industry is very important as stock needs to be replaced often due

to updated products being available. The fact that Dick Smith had a huge amount of old stock

created issues as they were not able to sell the products unless they ran at a loss, thus creating

negative cash flow in the company which led to the inability to pay costs associated with the

added number of stores. From this it is noticeable to see that store location and inventory

management had a large contribution to the collapse of the Dick Smith Group.

5

Analysis and Discussion

Dick Smith’s profit and loss sheet shows an obvious increase in revenues from the years 2013

to 2015 with a growth of circa $92m from the FY2014 to FY2015 (McGrathNicol). This shows

that Dick Smith was growing at a rate of 7.5%, far exceeding the average inflation rate seen

during these years of circa 1.5% and the average property rental rate of 4% per year. Thus,

showing great revenue growth which would prove beneficial in order to increase share prices

and allow them to invest in the expansion program the group was preparing for through the

years 2013-2015. However, the problematic rate of increase in occupancy and rental expenses

increased by $47m from FY13 to FY15 which is due to the massive increase in store numbers

(News.com.au, 2016). The introduction of new stores is a direct factor to the increase in

marketing that can be seen in FY14 (McGrathNicol) which was needed to create interest in the

new stores.

Furthermore, administration costs increased due to the number of stores thus leading to a lower

net profit which dove down to a mere $19.8m. “DSG’s management accounts to December

2015 indicate considerable losses for the six months to 31 December 2015 of $116.7 million”

(McGrathNicol). It can be noted that due to the extravagant increase in foundation of new

stores around Australia the Dick Smith Group suffered a large loss of cash available which

reduced their ability to stay financially viable. This suggests that the increased acquisition of

store locations led to Dick Smiths incompetence to continue trade due to its inability to

successfully fund the large increases in expenses caused by store increases.

Furthermore, the Balance Sheet outlined by the Dick Smith Group saw an increase of $55.2

million in total liabilities which relates back to the increased number of stores due to the need

to acquire extra stock to keep up with orders (Figure 2). For example, the inventories rose from

$170.8 million in June 2013 to $293 million in June of 2015 which is an immediate suggestion

that the increase in store locations had a direct effect on the financial stability of the Dick Smith

Group leading to its eventual collapse. Trade and other payables also increased by around $75.1

million from FY13 as stated in the findings as higher credit was needed from suppliers to pay

for the rapidly increasing inventory needed to supply the extra stores.

The risk of finance issues due to location is immediate as increased borrowing was needed in

order to cater for the capital costs of new stores around the country including the new increase

6