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Analysis of Robert Frost’s November

By NASRULLAH MAMBROL on February 22, 2021 • ( 0 )

November  (1942)

We saw leaves go to glory, Then almost migratory Go part way down the lane, And then to end the story Get beaten down and pasted In one wild day of rain. We heard ” ‘Tis Over” roaring. A year of leaves was wasted….. By denying and ignoring The waste of nations warring.

“November” was first published in The Old Farmer’s Almanac 1939 as “October” and was later published as “November” in A Witness Tree, after it was realized that A Boy’s Will included a poem titled “October.” The manuscript title was “In Praise of Waste,” but it also held several other titles, including “For the Fall of Nineteen Thirty Eight” and “Lines Written Last Autumn” (Cramer, 139).

Autumn is a season Frost wrote about frequently. October and November are transitional months, and since Frost was very much concerned with the transition from fall to winter, the two months tend to figure prominently in several of his poems about nature.

Robert Frost/ Dmitri Kessel

The poem has a subtext of war. The leaves become a metaphor for the soldiers who, too, initially leave on what seems to be the way “to glory” but often make it only partway down the lane to war, before being brought down in a rain of bullets. “’Tis over” can refer to a season, but it is also what is said when a war or battle has ended. We save and keep leaves in books, as we save and keep mementos of loved ones. We boast of what we can save and keep safe, but we neglect to pay due attention to what we waste and what is lost through our wasting. We lose pleasure in weeping. We also, on a far more cataclysmic level, waste human life and nations entire, by “denying and ignoring” their warring.

Frost moves from something as ordinary and easily accepted as the leaves falling from the trees in autumn to what we have come to treat as inevitable—war. But war is something brought about by people, not by seasons, and it is a waste that we could avoid. We cannot keep the seasons from destroying the leaves. Pleasure weeping is an oxymoron that ruefully describes humankind’s inclination to war.

Mark Richardson finds that “November” and “The Lost Follower” illustrate Frost’s point in the introduction to King Jasper that poetry should confine itself to “melancholy” (159). He also interprets the last seven lines of the poem to suggest that “nothing we ‘keep’ is ever really preserved, no matter what our efforts, from the inexorable tendency toward decay symbolized by the season of fall” (159). Tyler Hoffman writes that the “accretion of syntactic parallels symbolizes the fact that every new day will bring with it mounting destruction” (81).

November symbolizes not only the end of a season but a “denying and ignoring” of what is to come, even when its coming is within the sphere of human control.

FURTHER READING Cramer, Jeffrey S. Robert Frost among His Poems: A Literary Companion to the Poet’s Own Biographical Contexts and Associations. Jefferson, N.C.: MacFarland, 1996. Hoffman, Tyler. Robert Frost and the Politics of Poetry. Hanover, N.H.: Middlebury College Press, 2001. Monteiro, George. “A Pre-publication Version of Robert Frost’s ‘November,’ ” Robert Frost Review (Fall 1991): 5–6. Richardson, Mark. The Ordeal of Robert Frost: The Poet and His Poetics. Chicago, Ill.: University of Illinois Press, 1997, 159–160.

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The Month of November 2023: Holidays, Fun Facts, Folklore

Everything You Need to Know About November!

What’s happening in November? Here at the Almanac, we think of November as the month of food, when the best of cooks can shine, and the best of eaters will surely get their fill ahead of winter. Here’s what November brings—from weather forecasts to folklore!

And the dead leaves lie huddled and still, No longer blown hither and thither; The last lone aster is gone; The flowers of the witch-hazel wither … –Robert Frost (1874-1963)

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November, the 11th month of the year, has 30 days and marks the beginning of the winter holiday season for most folks, even if the winter solstice doesn’t occur until late December.

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November Calendar

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“Just for Fun” Dates in November

November is Banana Pudding Lovers Month—who knew? Here are some more wacky celebrations to look forward to:

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November Moon &  Astronomy

The Full Beaver Moon

November’s full Moon is traditionally called the Beaver Moon . Why this name? In the Colonial Era, this was the month to set one’s beaver traps before the swamps froze and beavers retired to their lodges, to ensure a supply of warm winter furs.

In 2023, November’s full Moon occurs on Monday, November 27. Read our  November Moon  page for more information!

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According to weather folklore, a heavy November snow will last until April.

See our predictions for November  and check out our 2024 Winter Forecast !

November Weather Folklore

• If there’s ice in November that will bear a duck, There’ll be nothing after but sludge and muck .
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Consult our collection of Thanksgiving recipes —from the big bird to stuffing to deserving side dishes to desserts!

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Use small stakes or markers where you’ve planted bulbs or late-starting plants in the perennial garden to avoid disturbing them when you begin spring soil preparation.

Check trees around your house for weak branches that should be removed by you now, rather than by snow and ice later.

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November Zodiac

November’s Zodiac Signs are:

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What do you love about the month of November? Tell us in the comments below!

Catherine Boeckmann

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Wow amazing

I look forward to this site each day; love the information.

I love this site. I love the free newsletter too! Thank you! You are awesome!

what does the color of caterpillars have to do with the winter weather? any comments on salt? effects on salt during cold weather? moisture? wives tails? ;}

As to the color of caterpillars, you might be interested in the folklore of the woolly worm, whose brown and black bands are said to predict the coming winter’s severity: http://www.almanac.com/content/woolly-bear-caterpillars-and-weather-prediction

As to salt, weather lore says that it increases in weight before a shower. There is also a similar excerpt in an old weather lore book that says: “A farmer’s wife says when her cheese salt is soft, it will rain; when getting dry, fair weather may be expected.”

Hope this helps!

Which days in November, December or January are best for shoulder surgery?

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Moving house during a waning moon is said to be good luck.

If I weaned my foal on November 16th how long should I wait to turn her out into the pasture freely with her mom.. Assuming that I do not want her to feed off her mom.. I was planning on waiting 30 days but was seeing if there was a magic date and time! Thank you in advance!

What are the best days in November to paint so that it will stay?

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My November Guest

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My sorrow, when she’s here with me,      Thinks these dark days of autumn rain Are beautiful as days can be; She loves the bare, the withered tree;      She walks the sodden pasture lane.

Her pleasure will not let me stay.      She talks and I am fain to list: She’s glad the birds are gone away, She’s glad her simple worsted grey      Is silver now with clinging mist.

The desolate, deserted trees,      The faded earth, the heavy sky, The beauties she so truly sees, She thinks I have no eye for these,      And vexes me for reason why.

Not yesterday I learned to know      The love of bare November days Before the coming of the snow, But it were vain to tell her so,      And they are better for her praise.

This poem is in the public domain.

More by this poet

A line-storm song.

The line-storm clouds fly tattered and swift,    The road is forlorn all day,  Where a myriad snowy quartz stones lift,    And the hoof-prints vanish away.  The roadside flowers, too wet for the bee,   Expend their bloom in vain.  Come over the hills and far with me,    And be my love in the rain. 

Not to Keep

They sent him back to her. The letter came Saying... and she could have him. And before She could be sure there was no hidden ill Under the formal writing, he was in her sight— Living.— They gave him back to her alive— How else? They are not known to send the dead— And not disfigured visibly. His face?—

A Time to Talk

When a friend calls to me from the road And slows his horse to a meaning walk, I don’t stand still and look around On all the hills I haven’t hoed, And shout from where I am, What is it? No, not as there is a time to talk. I thrust my hoe in the mellow ground, Blade-end up and five feet tall,

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You are here, día de los muertos : two days in november, manuel f. medrano october 2015.

Beginning November 1, thousands of people throughout the Americas will participate in Day of the Dead (Día de los Muertos) celebrations. Manuel F. Medrano, professor of history at The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley and Humanities Texas board member, explores the many marvelous and macabre ways in which the living honor the dead at this special time of year. A multimedia presentation of this essay is made available online by the Los del Valle Oral History Project .

Through the morning mist, they come to my grave—my friends, my family, those who remember me, those who respect me. They build an altar and fill it with gifts, food, and memories. They decorate my resting place with beautiful cempasúchitl (marigolds). They celebrate me like I celebrated my family before. It is our tradition; it is what we believe connects those who are here with those who are gone.

I live where the dusk meets the dawn and the heavens meet the underworld. Crossbones and skulls surround me as life and afterlife become one. I am the ghost of the departed, and I come to visit those who will die. My roots are in two worlds and in two cultures. Pagans have praised me, popes have proclaimed me, and shamans have exalted me; few have forgotten me. I am incomparable; I am inevitable; I am inescapable; I am the Day of the Dead.

There are those who believe that the fall reunites the living and the dead. It has always been that way. Many years ago in the Old World, as October ended, the Celtic Festival of Samhain marked the beginning of the barren time, a time of gloom. As the nights outlived the days, the ghosts of the dead were said to haunt the living. In Europe, I was Christianized as All Souls Day to remember the faithful. 1

Octavio Paz, the great Mexican writer, once wrote that the Mexican knows death and does not fear it. Paz writes that the Mexican "jokes about it, caresses it; it is one of [their] favorite toys and most steadfast love." 2

In the New World, my Maya, Toltec, Purépecha, and Aztec traditions have survived nearly three millennia. In their pantheons and rituals, death held a significant place. At times, the skulls of their dead ancestors were publicly displayed, symbolizing the duality of death and rebirth "as life and death were believed to exist in dynamic and complementary opposition." 3

One Aztec muerto tradition included a month-long August celebration presided over by the goddess Mictecacihuatl, the Lady of the Dead. It included the practice of making bread in the shape of a person, possibly the origin of today's pan de muerto . The Aztecs also considered it a blessing to die in battle, by human sacrifice, or when giving birth because these assured the victims a desirable destination in the afterlife.

In Mexico, the Day of the Dead is observed by a variety of regional customs fused together by timeless commonalities. These include visits to family cemeteries, preparation of favorite foods for the dead, offerings on commemorative altars, and, at times, fireworks. Mixquic, once a farming island in the Aztec capital of Tenochtitlán, has retained a rural village ambiance and its indigenous roots. The area takes on a busy and festive air in the final days of October as merchants set up street stands to sell their wares for me. In the cemetery, family burial plots are carefully cleaned and decorated with my favorite earthly delights. Relatives gather at family tombs to mourn the loss of loved ones with la Llorada (the weeping). Later, when darkness arrives, the glow of thousands of candles ( la Alumbrada ) illuminates the way. At midnight, my soul returns to my other world with the mournful tolling of bells and is remembered with a recitation of the Rosary. 4

The souls of my children are believed to return on November 1, with my adult spirits following on November 2. Plans for the festival are made throughout the year, including gathering items to be offered to the dead. Wealthier families build altars in their homes, but most simply visit the cemeteries where their loved ones are buried and decorate their graves with ofrendas or offerings. These include wreaths of orange marigolds referred to as Flor de Muerto in Spanish and zempoalxochitl in Nahuatl. They are thought to attract the souls of the dead toward their offerings. Toys are brought for dead children ( los angelitos or little angels) and bottles of tequila, mescal, pulque, or atole (corn gruel) for adults.

On my grave, families place trinkets and my favorite candies such as dulce de calabaza (pumpkin candy) and leche quemada (scorched milk). Sometimes mariachis are brought to perform my favorite songs. Ofrendas are also put in homes, usually with foods such as sugar skulls and platters of rice, beans, or chicken in mole sauce. The ofrendas are left in the homes as a welcoming gesture for me. Because some people believe that my spirit devours the spirit of the food, the hosts eat the food from the ofrendas , thinking it lacks nutritional value. Pillows and blankets are left out so that I can rest after a long journey.

Altars usually have the Christian cross, statues or images of the Blessed Virgin, or photographs of me. My family spends time around the altar telling stories of those that are gone. In Mizquic and Pátzcuaro, families spend all night beside the graves of their relatives. 5

From mid-October through the first week of November, markets and shops all over Mexico are filled with special items for me. These include a variety of skeletons and other macabre toys, intricate tissue paper cutouts called papel picado , and elaborate wreaths and crosses decorated with paper or silk flowers. Among the edible delicacies offered are skulls called calacas (colloquial term for skeleton). Coffins are made from sugar, chocolate, or amaranth seeds. Sugary sweet rolls called pan de muerto come in various sizes, topped with bits of dough shaped like bones; in some regions, unadorned dark breads are molded into human figures called ánimas (souls).

Burning copal (incense) and the light of numerous candles are intended to help my spirit find its way home and provide it with an enticing respite and adequate sustenance for the journey. Frequently, they leave a washbasin and clean hand towel for me to freshen up before the feast. The offering includes my favorite meal and also a pack of cigarettes for my after-dinner enjoyment.

At the local cemetery, relatives prepare each gravesite. They cut weeds, give tombs a fresh coat of paint, and make needed repairs. The graves are then decorated according to local custom. The tomb may be simply adorned with a cross of marigold petals or elaborately covered with colorful coronas (wreaths) and fresh or artificial floral arrangements. In many regions, children's graves are adorned with brightly colored paper streamers or other festive adornments. Booming fireworks announce the commencement of an open-air memorial mass, the occasion's most solemn moment.

Calaveras , mischievous epitaphs of friends in poetic form, are written about me. In the late seventeenth century, a newspaper published a poem narrating a dream at a cemetery in the future where all people were dead and tombstones were read. Newspapers still dedicate Calaveras cartoons to public figures.

In Patzcuaro, Michoacán, godparents, in the first year following a child's death, set a table with sweets, fruits, pan de muerto , a cross, a Rosary, and candles in the home of the parents. This is done to celebrate the child's life and in respect and appreciation for the parents. In the town plaza or garden, there is dancing with colorful costumes, which include skull-shaped masks or devil masks. At midnight on November 2, people light candles and ride boats called Mariposas over to the island of Cuiseo—in the middle of the lake, where there is a cemetery—to honor and celebrate the dead there. 6

One of my most unforgettable characters is la Catrina , also known as la Flaca, la Huesuda, la Pelona —elegant, thin, bony, and bald. She is not a model of fashion; she is not a trendy woman, yet she exists throughout Mexican society. La Catrina appears in figurines, paintings, and paper cutouts. She is the grand lady of death and makes no bones about it.

The Mexican American borderlands culture has continued its medieval homage to death and combined it with pre-Columbian motifs. From it has emerged an awareness of the brevity of life and an emphasis on a respect for the dead. In the American Southwest, as well as other places in the country, I am celebrated in public schools and on college campuses, at mercados , and at cultural and art museums. Both Latino and non-Latino students organize festivals for me every year at such universities as the University of Pennsylvania, Yale, and the University of California. In San Antonio, the Market Square is adorned with various altars and many muertos figurines. In the Rio Grande Valley, observances are made at local cemeteries, cultural centers, museums, and colleges. My tradition has traveled north and enriched those it has touched.

I have been paganized, Christianized, eulogized, syncretized, politicized, and commercialized, yet seldom minimized because I am what you will become, and you respect that reality. After all this time, the autumn moon still tells my story and beckons you to tell yours. Wait for me; welcome me; remember me; laugh with me; celebrate me; believe in me.

So, every year for two days in November, the living meet the dead to celebrate their love, their lives, and their legacy. It is a reunion that transcends our time on earth and beyond. You remember the dead, knowing that one day, you, too, will be remembered. Those who believe in the duality that bridges the flesh and the spirit know that they are part of a continuous cycle of life and death, separated by a single heartbeat.

1 Mile Kearney and Manuel Medrano. Medieval Culture and the Mexican American Borderlands (College Station: Texas A&M Press, 2001), 107.

2 Octavio Paz. The Labyrinth of Solitude (New York: Grove Press, 1961), 57.

3 Mary Miller and Karl Taufe. T he Gods and Symbols of Ancient Mexico and The Maya (London: Thames and Hudson, 1997), 74.

4 Miller and Taufe, 74

5 Mary J. Andrade. Day of the Dead: A Passion for Life (San Jose, CA: La Oferta Publishing Company, 2007), 66.

6 Andrade, 66.

El Día de los Muertos: Dos Días de Noviembre

A través de la neblina, caminan éllos hacia mi tumba; mis amigos, mis familiares, aquéllos que me recuerdan, aquéllos que me respetan. Me construyen un altar, y lo llenan de regalos, de comida y de recuerdos, y decoran mi última morada con la bella cempasúchil. Me celebran como yo también celebré a mi familia años atrás. Es nuestra tradición; es lo que creemos que conecta a quienes están aquí con quienes se han ido.

Vivo donde el anochecer se encuentra con el amanecer, donde los cielos se encuentran con el inframundo. Me rodean las calaveras y los huesos cruzados mientras que la vida y el más allá se convierten en uno. Soy el fantasma de los difuntos, y vengo a visitar a aquéllos que morirán. Mis raíces se encuentran en dos mundos y en dos culturas. Los paganos me han alabado, y los papas me han aclamado; los chamanes me han exaltado, pero pocos me han olvidado. Soy incomparable; soy inevitable; soy inescapable; soy el Día de los Muertos.

Hay quienes creen que el otoño reúne a los vivos con los muertos. Siempre ha sido así. Hace muchos años en el Viejo Mundo hacia el final de octubre, el Festival céltico de Samhain indicaba el inicio de una temporada estéril, una temporada de melancolía. Mientras las noches sobrevivían los días, se contaba que los fantasmas de los difuntos vagaban entre los vivos. En Europa, me bautizaron el Día de las Santas Ánimas para recordar a los creyentes.

El célebre escritor mexicano, Octavio Paz, dijo en una ocasión que el mexicano conoce la muerte y no la teme. De hecho, "se burla de ella, la acaricia; es uno de sus juguetes preferidos y su amor más estable".

En el Nuevo Mundo, mis tradiciones maya, tolteca, purépecha y azteca han sobrevivido casi tres milenios. En sus panteones y sus rituales, la muerte ocupaba un lugar significativo. A veces se exhibían las calaveras de sus ancestros, simbolizando la dualidad de la muerte y el renacimiento "ya que se creía que la vida y la muerte existían en una dinámica y complementaria oposición".

Una tradición azteca de la muerte incluía una celebración durante todo el mes de agosto presidida por la diosa Mictecacihuatl, la Dama de la Muerte. Se caracterizaba por la práctica de hacer un pan en la forma de la persona difunta, lo cual posiblemente podría ser el origen del actual pan de muerto. Los aztecas también consideraban el fallecer en el momento del parto, en una batalla o como víctima del sacrificio humano una bendición, ya que estos actos le aseguraban a la víctima un destino deseable en el más allá.

En México se celebra el Día de los Muertos a través de una variedad de costumbres regionales fusionadas por semejanzas infinitas. Éstas incluyen cementerios familiares, la preparación del alimento preferido del difunto, ofrendas en altares conmemorativos y, a veces, fuegos artificiales. Mixquic, anteriormente una isla agrícola en la capital azteca de Tenochtitlán, ha mantenido su ambiente rural y sus raíces indígenas. El área asume un ambiente ajetreado y festivo a fines de octubre cuando los comerciantes arreglan sus puestos en las calles para vender sus mercancías en honor a mí. En el camposanto, cuidadosamente se limpian y se decoran las parcelas familiares con mis delicias favoritas terrenales. A las dos de la tarde del día primero de noviembre, se juntan los parientes alrededor de cada tumba para lamentar la pérdida de su ser querido con un llanto. Luego, al anochecer, el brillo de miles de velas (la Alumbrada) ilumina el camino. A medianoche, mi alma retorna al otro mundo con el doblar de las campanas, y es recordado con la recitación del rosario.

Se cree que las almas de mis hijos vuelven el día primero de noviembre, y que mis espíritus adultos siguen el día dos. Los preparativos para el festival se llevan a cabo a través del año con la colección de artículos para las ofrendas a los difuntos. Las familias más adineradas construyen altares en sus propias casas, pero la mayoría visita los panteones donde yacen sus seres queridos y decora sus sepulcros con ofrendas. Éstas incluyen coronas hechas con las cempasúchil anaranjadas, conocidas como la Flor de Muerto en español, y zempoalxochitl en náhuatl. Supuestamente éstas atraen a las almas de los difuntos hacia sus ofrendas. A los niños difuntos, los angelitos, se les traen juguetes, mientras a los adultos les brindan botellas de tequila, mescal, pulque o atole.

En mi propio sepulcro, mis familiares colocarán chucherías y algunos de mis dulces favoritos, como el de calabaza y el de leche quemada. A veces me traen mariachis quienes tocan mis canciones preferidas. También se colocan en casa muchas de las ofrendas que incluyen el dulce de calabaza, el pan de muerto, las calaveras de azúcar, además de platones de arroz, frijoles y pollo en mole. Se dejan estas ofrendas a la entrada del hogar con motivo de darme la bienvenida. Ya que muchos creen que mi espíritu se come el espíritu de la comida, los anfitriones comparten las ofrendas que supuestamente carecen de valor nutritivo. Cerca del altar se colocan almohadas y cobijas para que yo pueda descansar después de un largo viaje.

En los altares también vemos la cruz cristiana, estatuas o imágenes de la Santísima Virgen o fotos mías. Mi familia se reúne alrededor del altar y comparte cuentos sobre los difuntos. En Mizquic y Pátzcuaro, las familias permanecen toda la noche vigilando el sepulcro de sus parientes.

Desde mediados de octubre hasta la primera semana de noviembre, las tiendas y los mercados de México se encuentran repletos de artículos especiales dedicados a mí. Éstos incluyen una variedad de esqueletos y otros juguetes macabros, papel picado y un surtido de coronas y cruces decoradas con flores de seda o de papel. Entre las delicias comestibles se encuentran calaveras, llamadas calacas, y ataúdes hechos de azúcar, chocolate o de semillas de amaranto. Además, hay pan de muerto de diferentes tamaños adornados con pedacitos de masa en forma de huesos; en algunas regiones, hay pan moreno, sin adorno y moldeado en figuras humanas, llamadas ánimas.

El copal ardiente, o incienso, y la luz de miles de velas ayudan a mi alma a encontrar su hogar, y le proveen de un descanso tentador además del alimento adecuado para el viaje. A menudo me dejan una cuenca y una toalla para lavarme y refrescarme antes del banquete. La ofrenda incluye mi platillo favorito y una cajetilla para disfrutar un cigarrillo después de la cena.

En el panteón local, los parientes preparan cada sepulcro. Cortan el césped y arrancan las hierbas, le dan una mano de pintura al sepulcro y le hacen las reparaciones necesarias. Luego se adornan los sepulcros según la costumbre local. Las decoraciones varían entre una sencilla cruz adornada con los pétalos del cempasúchil y adornos elaborados con floridas coronas o arreglos de flores naturales o artificiales. En muchas regiones se decoran los sepulcros de los niños con listones pintorescos u otros adornos festivos. Retumbantes fuegos artificiales dan inicio al momento más solemne, la celebración de la Santa Misa al aire libre.

En nombre mío se escriben "calaveras", versitos burladores que simulan epitafios de amigos. A fines del siglo diecisiete se publicó en el periódico un poema que narraba un sueño en un panteón del futuro en el cual se leían las lápidas de todos los difuntos. Aún ahorra los periódicos les dedican las calaveras a varias figuras públicas.

En Pátzcuaro, Michoacán, en el primer aniversario de la muerte de un niño, sus padrinos ponen la mesa en casa de los padres del difunto, y la adornan con dulces, frutas, pan de muerto, una cruz, un rosario y velas. De esta manera se celebra la vida del niño y se les muestra respeto y aprecio a sus padres. Además, hay bailes de disfraz en la plaza o el zócalo del pueblo donde se ven máscaras que representan calaveras o diablos. A medianoche del día dos de noviembre, con velas encendidas, el pueblo sale en botes llamados Mariposas a la isla de Cuiseo, hacia un panteón en el centro del lago donde alaban y honran a los difuntos.

Uno de mis personajes más inolvidables es La Catrina, conocida también como la Flaca, la Huesuda, la Pelona Elegante. Flaca, huesuda y calva, La Catrina no es figura de la moda. Sin embargo, existe a lo largo de la sociedad Méxicana. Hay estatuillas, pinturas y muñecas de papel de esta mujer. Es la gran dama de la muerte, y se vanagloria de ello.

La cultura fronteriza mexicoamericana perpetúa el homenaje medieval a la muerte y lo combina con temas precolombinos. De allí han surgido la conciencia de la brevedad de la vida y el énfasis en el respeto a la muerte. En el suroeste de Estados Unidos, al igual que en otros lugares del país, me celebran en las escuelas públicas, en los recintos universitarios, en los mercados y en los museos de arte y cultura. Cada año, tanto los estudiantes latinos como los no latinos organizan festivales en honor mío en universidades tales como las de Pennsylvania, Yale y California. La plaza del mercado de San Antonio se adorna con varios altares y una multitud de estatuillas de muertos. En el Valle del Río Grande se organizan celebraciones en los panteones, los centros culturales, los museos y las universidades. Mi tradición ha viajado hacia el norte y ha enriquecido la vida de aquéllos a quienes ha llegado.

Me han paganizado, cristianizado, elogiado, sincretizado, politizado y comercializado, pero rara vez minimizado porque soy quien usted será, y usted respeta esa realidad. Después de tantos años, la luna de otoño aún cuenta mi historia y lo invita a usted a contar la suya. Espéreme, déme la bienvenida, acuérdese de mí, ríase conmigo, celébreme, crea en mí.

Entonces, cada año durante dos días de noviembre los vivos se encuentran con los muertos para celebrar su amor, su vida y su legado. Es una reunión que sobrepasa nuestra estancia en la tierra y aun más allá. Uno recuerda al muerto sabiendo que algún día él también será recordado. Aquéllos que creen en la dualidad que enlaza la carne y el alma saben que forman parte del ciclo continuo de la vida y la muerte separado por un solo latido del corazón.

Translation by Dr. Lucy G. Willis, retired professor of modern languages at The University of Texas at Brownsville. 

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The Writing Contests, Grants & Awards database includes details about the creative writing contests—including poetry contests, short story competitions, essay contests, awards for novels, and more—that we’ve published in Poets & Writers Magazine during the past year. We carefully review the practices and policies of each contest before including it. Ours is the most trusted resource for legitimate writing contests available anywhere.

Academy of American Poets

Lenore marshall poetry prize.

A prize of $25,000 is given annually for a poetry collection by a living poet published in the United States during the previous year. The winner also...

James Laughlin Award

A prize of $5,000 is given annually for a second book of poetry by a living poet to be published in the next calendar year. The winner also receives an all-...

Leeway Foundation

Transformation awards.

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Stanley kunitz memorial prize.

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Changing light prize.

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Anhinga prize for poetry.

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Southern Poetry Review

Guy owen prize.

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Pen/bare life review grants.

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• May 20, 2023

Unpacking the 2023 November TOK Titles: A Comprehensive IB Solved Guide

The November 2023 titles for the IB Theory of Knowledge Essay have been released! Let's face it – the TOK essay can be very intimidating. With so many topics to choose from and so many ideas bouncing around, it can be hard to know where to begin. That's where we come in. In this post, we'll take a closer look at each of the titles and give you some tips for approaching them.

General Tips to Unpacking a Title

Whenever we approach a prompt, we always want to think in terms of perspectives and counter-perspectives (for those who are familiar with the old syllabus, these were previously known as claims and counterclaims). This allows us to structure the essay within the two selected AOKs, creating four paragraphs directly addressing the title and with consideration of varying perspectives on the title. While the final conclusion that we draw will likely lie somewhere in the middle, or argue that each perspective is more/less correct in different circumstances, it is often helpful to think of the two extremes first before trying to come up with a more nuanced conclusion.

So let’s get into unpacking them – here is everything you need to know about each of the November 2023 TOK Essay titles:

Title 1: Are facts alone enough to prove a claim? Discuss with reference to any two areas of knowledge.

Recommended AOKs: Natural Sciences, Human Sciences, History

For this title, the perspective and counter-perspective are straightforward – either facts alone are enough to prove a claim, or they are not.

Some ideas to think about which support the first perspective:

Facts are objective – By providing objective evidence for a claim, facts can be a highly reliable form of evidence to support claims made by knowers. This objectivity allows for the same claim to be proven across time, in different cultures and by unique knowers.

Facts allow for conclusions to be drawn through logic – By combining an array of established facts, deductive reasoning can be utilised to draw conclusions about the world and produce new knowledge. Often facts form the premises from which knowledge claims can be made, allowing a knower to prove a claim by first establishing a series of interconnected facts.

Facts can be tested – This is particularly important for science-based AOKs which rely upon falsification as an important method of producing new knowledge. Since facts can be tested, the veracity of a knower’s claim is always available to be disproven by empirical evidence.

For your counter-perspective, you have a far greater degree of freedom in your discussion. This is where you can really differentiate your essay from others, as it is your job to decide which other important elements beyond facts alone may be necessary to prove a claim. Some ideas from us:

Opinions – Whilst opinions lack the objectivity of facts, they are often important to proving knowledge claims, as these claims are often unable to be proven by facts alone. Rather inferences must be drawn to create meaning from facts. This can be illustrated through a very simple claim: Imagine for instance that we were trying to prove the claim that Germany were responsible for World War I. Whilst we could drawn upon facts, such as the fact that they issued a blank cheque to Austria-Hungary or the fact that they invaded Belgium in August 1914, ultimately we rely upon the opinions of historians in making a judgement on how important this was in the context of the war.

Personal Experience – Whilst personal experiences only provide anecdotal evidence and cannot allow us to draw broader conclusions, they may be necessary to prove a claim which involves emotion or personal beliefs.

Creativity – Creative thinking may be necessary to prove claims, particularly in the sciences, where facts alone are insufficient. For instance, scientific theories, whilst based in fact, are often dependent on analogies, comparisons and metaphor to explain abstract concepts for which there may not yet be any measurable or empirical evidence.

Title 2: If “the mathematician’s patterns, like the painter’s and the poet’s, must be beautiful” (G.H. Hardy), how might this impact the production of knowledge? Discuss with reference to mathematics and the arts.

This title is far more intricate than the others, relying heavily upon the definitions you impose upon key terms. The concept of the “mathematician’s patterns” and the term “beautiful” must be defined in the opening of the essay, as this will restrict the scope of your knowledge exploration. The way in which we would recommend splitting up this topic would be to first discuss the impact upon the production of knowledge in mathematics and then within the Arts. Some ideas for the perspectives and counter-perspectives which you may explore include:

Beauty in Mathematics – You will want to consider the importance of beauty in Mathematics. This is not referring to beauty in the traditional sense but perhaps considering other ways in which Mathematics may be considered beautiful such as in its way of transforming complex real-world problems into simple symbols which can be solved. This can impact the production of knowledge as mathematicians may choose to ignore solutions which are complex and rough – in other words, ‘mathematically ugly’.

Beauty in Art – In discussing this AOK, you may consider the debate between aestheticism and purpose within the Arts – In other words, is Art merely supposed to ‘look good’ or does it have a greater purpose, and how does this relate to the production of knowledge in and through the Arts.

Title 3: In the acquisition of knowledge, is following experts unquestioningly as dangerous as ignoring them completely? Discuss with reference to the human sciences and one other area of knowledge.

Recommended AOKs: Human Sciences and Natural Sciences/History/Math

This title presents a very contemporary issue which is the questioning of experts and trust in the knowledge produced by experts. Nonetheless, there is a clear perspective and counter-perspective presented by this title – it is either more dangerous to follow experts unquestioningly or more dangerous to ignore them completely.

Some ideas relevant to the first perspective:

Evidence over Experts – By following experts unquestioningly, rather than examining the quality of their evidence and research methods, we fall into the trap of making arguments from authority without confirming that their conclusions are actually correct.

Subjective Experiences – While experts are helpful in drawing general conclusions/findings about the world, they do not account for subjective, individual experiences. This is particularly relevant in the Human Sciences, as theories and claims of human behaviour may not apply to all people due to the uniqueness of humans.

Lack of Progress – It is only by questioning established paradigms and claims made by existing experts that we are able to progress and acquire new knowledge. If all experts are followed unquestioningly, there can be no overhaul of existing knowledge when necessary.

Some ideas relevant to the counter-perspective:

Established Research Systems – Experts are trained in effective research methodologies and have systems to maximise the reliability of the claims they make. By ignoring experts, we are instead relying upon knowledge of laypeople whose claims have not been rigorously assessed for their veracity.

Manipulation and Logical Fallacies – By ignoring the claims of experts and instead acquiring knowledge through prominent figures such as celebrities and the media, we expose ourselves to manipulation and the array of logical fallacies employed by these individuals who have their own agenda beyond the dissemination of knowledge.

Knowledge Framework – Experts develop knowledge frameworks which can guide the production of new knowledge. By ignoring experts, we are often left to deal with problems on a case-by-case basis which can lead to a lack of consistency and structure within the knowledge which is acquired.

Title 4: Is it problematic that knowledge is so often shaped by the values of those who produce it? Discuss with reference to any two areas of knowledge.

Recommended AOKs: History, Arts, Human Sciences

This title has a focus on context and values, integral elements of the knowledge framework within the new syllabus. It also has two clear perspectives to be explored – the claim that it is problematic or the claim that it is not, keeping in mind that across both perspectives, it must be specified how knowledge is shaped by individual values.

Some ideas for the first perspective:

Bias – The shaping of knowledge by one’s individual values can create bias which may impede the reliability of knowledge produced through the lens of these values.

Subjectivity – If subjective beliefs founded in one’s values are imported into the production of knowledge which should be based on facts and evidence, this can be problematic for this knowledge.

Lack of Diversity/One-Sided Knowledge – When entire banks of knowledge are produced by individuals from the same background, culture, beliefs or school of thought, this can lead to the omission of other perspectives on an issue, which can limit the knowledge which is produced.

Individual Perspective are Important – It is often important for a knower to incorporate their own personal perspective in the production of knowledge as this is ultimately the only way in which interpretations and opinions beyond mere facts can be drawn.

Knowledge about the Knower – We can often learn more about a knower, their values and the social norms of their time when evaluating knowledge claims which are shaped by individual values, providing a second layer of ‘knowledge within knowledge’.

Specific Knowledge – Whilst not broadly applicable to people or contexts with different values, knowledge produced by those with particular individual values can be more specific and applicable to knowers within the same value system. This form of ‘insider knowledge’ may be shaped by the personal experiences of an individual, which is an asset to the production of knowledge rather than a hinderance.

Title 5: Is it always the case that “the world isn’t just the way it is, it is how we understand it – and in understanding something, we bring something to it” (adapted from Life of Pi by Yann Martel)? Discuss with reference to history and the natural sciences.

This title touches upon the debate between objective and relativistic views of knowledge and the world. The phrase ‘is it always the case’ allows us to derive two perspectives to explore – it either is always the case or it is not. The first perspective requires arguments which explain why this may always be the case, whereas the second only requires you to provide some exceptions/circumstances in which this would not be the case.

Interpretation creates Meaning – It may be argued that all elements of the world must be interpreted and doing so involves the unique lens of each individual knower. In this way, what we bring to the production of knowledge is our own distinct interpretation of the world around us.

Questioning creates Meaning – We could also consider how the questions which knowers ask are unique and based upon our own individual understanding of the world. This means that something new is created each time a new knower attempts to understand the world, as the questions asked and curiosity of each individual provides a distinct approach to knowledge.

Some ideas for the counter-perspective:

Objectivity Exists – It may be argued that there are some elements of the world which are fixed, unquestionable and objective. These components of knowledge are not dependent upon the interpretation of the individual, as there should be objective standards from which everyone should draw the same conclusion.

Repeatability – Particularly in the Natural Sciences, there are some elements of knowledge which are repeatable and not reliant upon the interpretation of the individual knower. This concept of repeatability is a foundational tenet of the sciences and the production of new knowledge of the world around us.

Title 6: Faced with a vast amount of information, how do we select what is significant for the acquisition of knowledge? Discuss with reference to the natural sciences and one other area of knowledge.

Recommended AOKs: Natural Sciences and Human Sciences/History/Arts

This title questions the way in which we determine whether a piece of information is significant for knowledge. Since this is a ‘how’ question, there are many perspectives which can be explored, rather than a clear binary of perspectives. Some ideas from us:

Selection through Merit – This concept is particularly relevant to the Natural Sciences, as the theories which are ultimately deemed as significant are those which are not falsified. This merit-based approach pits scientific theories against each other to determine which are significant for the acquisition of knowledge.

Selection through Structure and Processes – By establishing set systems and procedures for filtering the vast amount of information available within an AOK, we can make selections as to which knowledge is significant.

Selection through Applicability – When judging what is significant for the acquisition of knowledge, a knower may have to consider the vast amount of information and decipher which piece of information is most applicable to their context, values or specific circumstances.

So there you have it! By now, you should have a better idea about which TOK essay title stands out the most to you and maybe even a few ideas about what to write. But where do you begin? Don't worry, we understand that writing a Theory of Knowledge essay can be a daunting task, but with the help of our expert IB tutors, you'll be on your way to success in no time. Plus, with online IB tutoring available, you can get the help you need from anywhere in the world. Don't let the TOK essay stress you out – contact us today to learn more about our IB tutoring services and how we can help you succeed in your IB studies.

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Essay Writing Contests: The Ultimate List of 2024

Did you know that the very first recorded essay contest can be traced back to the early 16th century, initiated by none other than the renowned philosopher and essayist Michel de Montaigne? In 1580, Montaigne published his collection of essays titled 'Essais,' which not only marked a pivotal moment in the evolution of the essay as a literary form but also contained an implicit challenge to his readers. He encouraged them to engage with his ideas and respond by writing their own essays, essentially laying the groundwork for what we now recognize as essay contests.

Fast forward to the vibrant year of 2024, and this tradition of writing competitions has evolved into a global phenomenon, offering emerging writers from all walks of life a captivating platform to share their thoughts, emotions, and narratives with the world.

In this article, our essay writer will review essay writing contests, presenting you with an exclusive selection of the most promising opportunities for the year ahead. Each of these competitions not only provides a stage to demonstrate your writing prowess but also offers a unique avenue for personal growth, self-expression, and intellectual exploration, all while competing for impressive writing awards and well-deserved recognition.

Top Essay Writing Contests in 2024

If you enjoy expressing your thoughts and ideas through writing, you're in for a treat. Essay writing competitions in 2024 offer you a chance to do just that and win some great prizes in the process. We've put together a list of contests specially designed for students like you. These contests cover various interesting essay topics , giving you a unique opportunity to showcase your writing skills and potentially earn cash prizes or scholarships. So, let's jump right into these fantastic opportunities.

2024 International Literary Prize by Hammond House Publishing

The 2024 Writing Competition beckons writers with over £3000 in cash prizes, publication opportunities in anthologies, and a chance to participate in a televised Award Ceremony. Sponsored by the University Centre Grimsby, this annual contest, now in its eighth year, draws entries from approximately 30 countries worldwide. Entrants can vie for prizes across four categories, gaining exposure at the televised award ceremony and receiving expert feedback at the annual literary festival.

And if you're determined to learn how to overcome writer's block for this contest, we have a wealth of expert tips and strategies to guide you through the process!

Deadline: 30th September 2024

• 1st Prize: £1000
• 2nd Prize: £100
• 3rd Prize: £50

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International Voices in Creative Nonfiction Competition by Vine Leaves Press

Vine Leaves Press welcomes writers worldwide, prioritizing voices from marginalized communities such as BIPOC, LGBTQ+, and individuals with chronic illnesses or disabilities, among others. Submissions, which must be in English and previously unpublished, are accepted from February 1, 2024, until July 1, 2024. Manuscripts can be either narrative (50,000 – 80,000 words) or experimental (at least 100 pages), adhering to specific formatting guidelines, including anonymity to ensure impartial judging. Each submission requires a $25 entry fee via Submittable, and multiple entries are allowed. Entries will be judged based on originality, creativity, writing quality, and adherence to genre, with finalists announced in October 2024, shortlisted in January 2025, and winners in March 2025.

Deadline: July 01, 2024

• The winner will receive a cash prize of $1000.
• Publication of the winning manuscript will occur in 2026 by Vine Leaves Press.
• Runners-up will also be considered for publication.

Solas Awards by Best Travel Writing

The Solas Awards, continuing a tradition since 1993, celebrate travel stories that inspire. They're looking for engaging tales that capture the essence of exploration, whether funny, enlightening, or adventurous. Winners may get published and join a community of fellow storytellers. Entries in essay, non-fiction, and travel genres are welcome with a $25 submission fee.

Deadline: September 21, 2024

• $1,000 Gold
• $750 Silver
• $500 Bronze

Vocal Challenges by Creatd

Vocal, in partnership with Voices in Minor (ViM), announces a creator-led challenge in celebration of International Women's Day, open to all Vocal creators. Participants are invited to write a 600-800 word piece about a woman who has inspired them for International Women's Day in the Year of the Dragon 2024. Submissions must adhere to specific length criteria and can be of any genre or format. Vocal will review entries and create a shortlist, from which ViM will select two co-grand prize winners and ten runners-up.

Deadline: Mar 12, 2024

• 2 Co-Grand Prizes: $200
• 10 Runners-up: $20

Cambridge Re:think Essay Competition 2024

The Re:think Essay Competition welcomes students aged 14 to 18 worldwide to participate in crafting essays under 2000 words, following MLA 8 citation style, with submissions undergoing plagiarism and AI checks. Essay prompts cover diverse themes, such as the role of women in STEM , provided by distinguished professors from prestigious institutions like Harvard, Brown, UC Berkeley, Cambridge, Oxford, and MIT. To maintain anonymity during review, submissions should be in PDF format without personal details.

Deadline : 10th May, 2024

• Gold: $150 cash, $500 CCIR scholarship, digital certificate, interview, Cambridge invite.
• Silver: $100 cash, $300 CCIR scholarship, digital certificate, interview, Cambridge invite.
• Bronze: $50 cash, $200 CCIR scholarship, digital certificate, interview, Cambridge invite.

The Hudson Prize by Black Lawrence Press

Each year, Black Lawrence Press presents The Hudson Prize, inviting submissions for an unpublished collection of poems or prose. This competition is open to writers at all stages of their careers, offering the winner book publication, a $1,000 cash prize, and ten copies of the published book. Entries are read blind by a panel of editors, requiring manuscripts to adhere to specific formatting guidelines, including pagination and font choice. Poetry manuscripts should be 45-95 pages, while prose manuscripts should range from 120-280 pages.

Deadline : March 31, 2024

• Top prize $1,000

Irene Adler Prize by Lucas Ackroyd

Introducing The Irene Adler Prize essay writing contest, offering a $1,000 US scholarship to the winner, with up to two $250 awards for honorable mentions. Open to women pursuing bachelor’s, master’s, or Ph.D. degrees in journalism, creative writing, or literature worldwide, regardless of age. Unlike previous years, this year's competition welcomes applicants from any country. The application period runs from January 30, 2024, to May 30, 2024, with no late submissions accepted. Each application requires a 500-word essay on one of five provided prompts and a completed entry form, both submitted via email.

Deadline : May 30, 2024

• 2x honorable mentions: $250

100 Word Writing Contest by Tadpole Press

With a doubled first-place prize of $2,000 USD, participants are invited from all corners of the globe, regardless of age, gender, or nationality. Pen names are accepted, and winning entries will be published under those names. Previously published pieces are also welcome, with no restrictions. Any genre is accepted, with the theme centered around creativity. Each entry must be 100 words or less, including the title.

Deadline : April 30, 2024

• 1st place: $2,000 USD.
• 2nd place: Writing coaching package valued at $450 USD.
• 3rd place: Developmental and diversity editing package valued at $250 USD.

African Diaspora Awards 2024 by Kinsman Avenue Publishing, Inc

The African Diaspora Award 2024 seeks original works from Afro-descendants, including short stories, flash fiction, essays, poetry, or visual art. Winners can earn up to $1000 USD and publication in Kinsman Quarterly and "Black Butterfly: Voices of the African Diaspora." Submissions reflecting cultural themes are due by June 30, 2024. Authors retain copyrights, and entrants must be 18 or older. No plagiarism is allowed, and Kinsman Quarterly employees cannot enter. Various genres are accepted with specific word count limits.

Deadline : June 30, 2024

• Grand Prize: $1000 cash and publication in Kinsman Quarterly & anthology.
• 1st Runner Up: $300 cash and publication 
• 2nd Runner Up: $200 cash and publication 
• 3rd Runner Up: $50 cash and publication
• Top 6 Finalists: $25 Amazon gift card and publication 
• 6 Honorary Mentions: Publication in Kinsman Quarterly & anthology.

Work-In-Progress (WIP) Contest by Unleash Press

The Unleash WIP Award 2024 offers $500, feedback, coaching, and a feature in Unleash Lit to help writers with their book projects in fiction, nonfiction, or poetry. All writers can apply. So, if you're looking for resources like free Harvard online courses to hone your writing skills, consider entering this competition. Submissions of the first 25 pages and answers to questions are due by July 15, 2024. Multiple entries are okay, but follow the rules, especially keeping your submission anonymous. Unleash also welcomes previously self-published works.

Deadline : July 15, 2024

• Top prize: $500
• Additional prizes: Coaching, interview, and editorial support

Aurora Polaris Creative Nonfiction Award by Trio House Press

Open to all writers, the poetry manuscripts should be 48-70 pages, and the prose manuscripts should be up to 80,000 words. Submissions must be from U.S. residents and must be original works. AI-generated submissions and translations are not eligible. Manuscripts should be sent as a single Word doc. or docx. file with no identifying information, and a cover letter with bio and contact details should be uploaded separately.

Deadline: May 15, 2024

• $1,000, publication, and 20 books

Poetry & Spoken Word Competition 2024 by Write the World

Young writers aged 13 to 19.5 are invited to enter this upcoming competition, with submissions of 50 to 500 words. Inspired by Audrey Lorde's words and the power of poetry, participants are encouraged to craft original poems or spoken word pieces advocating for change and self-expression. Winners, including top prizes for written and recorded performances, will be announced on June 14. Malika Booker, a renowned British poet, serves as the guest judge. To enter, writers should sign up on Write the World, respond to the prompt, and submit their final entries before the deadline.

Deadline : May 27, 2024

• Best entry: $100
• Best Peer Review: $50

Killer Nashville Silver Falchion Award

The Killer Nashville essay writing contests seek to uncover new talent and recognize outstanding works by established authors, aiming to introduce their works to a broader audience. With numerous fiction and non-fiction categories available, writers have the opportunity to showcase their talent across a wide range of genres. The top prize includes a $250 award, and entry requires a fee of $79. Genres eligible for entry encompass crime, essay, fantasy, fiction, humor, memoir, mystery, non-fiction, novel, poetry, science fiction, script writing, short story, and thriller.

Deadline : June 15, 2024

• Top prize: $250

Journalism Competition 2024 by Write the World

In this upcoming competition, young writers aged 13 to 19.5 are invited to participate, with entries ranging from 400 to 1000 words. Participants are tasked with exploring and reporting on significant events within their own country, fostering a deeper understanding of local issues. Optional draft submissions for expert review are available until July 8, with feedback returned to writers by July 12. Winners will be announced on August 9. To enter, writers must sign up for a free account on Write the World, respond to the prompt, and submit their final entries before the deadline.

Deadline : July 22, 2024

National Essay Contest by U.S. Institute of Peace

This year, AFSA is celebrating the 100th anniversary of the United States Foreign Service. They've been involved in important events throughout history, like making decisions about war and peace, supporting human rights, and responding to disasters. Now, AFSA wants students to think about the future of diplomacy. They're asking students to imagine how diplomats can adapt to the changing world and its challenges. It's a chance for students to explore how diplomacy can continue to make a difference in the world.

Deadline : April 01, 2024

• Top prize: $2,500
• Additional prizes: Runner-up: $1,250

In 2023, the world of writing competitions offers a diverse tapestry of opportunities for writers across the globe. From exploring the depths of nature to delving into the mysteries of microfiction, these competitions beckon with enticing prizes and platforms for your creative voice. So, pick your favorite, sharpen your pen, and embark on a journey of literary excellence!

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November 2023 TOK Essay Prompts Explained + SAMPLES

Table of contents

• Writing Metier

The TOK essay prescribed titles for November 2023 are finally out. Since many students struggle with TOK essays, it’s quite good news that IB students have a lot of time to check those TOK prompts.

Psssss…it’s time to check November 2024 TOK essay titles .

No more general words, and dry theory, I’m sharing a list of the TOK titles. I will start with a general list and move further to detailed explanations of each and give you examples. This can help you understand which one you will go for.

Moreover, I believe this can help you get started so that you know what exactly is required of you to work. 

November 2023 ToK essay titles list

• Are facts alone enough to prove a claim? Discuss with reference to any two areas of knowledge.
• If “the mathematician’s patterns, like the painter’s and the poet’s, must be beautiful” (G.H. Hardy), how might this impact the production of knowledge? Discuss with reference to mathematics and the arts.
• In the acquisition of knowledge, is following experts unquestioningly as dangerous as ignoring them completely? Discuss with reference to the human sciences and one other area of knowledge.
• Is it problematic that knowledge is so often shaped by the values of those who produce it? Discuss with reference to any two areas of knowledge.
• Is it always the case that “the world isn’t just the way I is, it is how we understand it – and in understanding something, we bring something to it” (adapted from Life of Pi by Yann Martel)? Discuss with reference to history and the natural sciences.
• Faced with a vast amount of information, how do we select what is significant for the acquisition of knowledge? Discuss with reference to the natural sciences and one other area of knowledge.

If you need assistance with your IB ToK essay , press on the picture above and order your paper. Now let’s move to the explanation part.

Title 1: Are facts alone enough to prove a claim? Discuss with reference to any two areas of knowledge.

This seems to be one of the easiest prompts to work on. But in some cases, when things seem too simple, there is a lot that has to go behind that. The keyword in this case is ‘facts.’ The title asks if facts alone are enough to help prove a claim. Another word that also needs to be focused on is ‘alone.’ The idea is to explore if only facts can help you prove a claim or if there are other factors that are needed as well. 

 A lot of us think that we know what ‘facts’ stand for. In some fields of interest, like math, it is very easy to chalk out what facts are. Say one plus one is two, is a fact in mathematics. But how does one decide what facts are in areas of knowledge like arts and human sciences?

These areas of knowledge are subjective in nature, which means that it can be very hard to differentiate facts in these areas of knowledge. Every area of knowledge that we talk about has a different way of classifying facts.

For example, when we talk about math, we can see that the Pythagorean theorem is based on hard facts, where we talk about how the summation of the square of the base and the perpendicular equals to the sum of the hypotenuse. So we can see that while facts are indeed sufficient in some areas of knowledge , there is indeed more probing needed in other areas of knowledge to help understand things better.

Sample of November 2023 TOK Essay Title 1

Below you can find an example of the November 2023 TOK essay sample on Prompt 1: Are facts alone enough to prove a claim?

To understand this better, it is highly advised that you also go through the different stages of knowledge that exist to help you understand how knowledge is produced here. Does it come solely from facts, or do you also need other types of evidence to help you reach a reasonable conclusion about things? 

Title 2: If “the mathematician’s patterns, like the painter’s and the poet’s, must be beautiful” (G.H. Hardy), how might this impact the production of knowledge? Discuss with reference to mathematics and the arts.

This title is very specific. Actually, I’m finding it super confusing and I guess it will be one of the less-selected November 2023 TOK prompts. Agree? Leave your comments below 😉

It is one that talks about the importance of math and how contrary to popular belief, it shares characteristics that are very similar to arts. Many a time, you must have heard that math is a very creative discipline on the whole. The idea behind this concept is that while the subject is highly objective, it does take into account many different factors, and all of these factors are ones that need to be taken into consideration when we talk about this.

One interesting example that we can see here is the concept of fractals. If you read up more about this, then you will find out that this has a lot to do with the artistic representation of mathematics. This raises a very valid question, which is whether art has only to do with how beautiful something is or is there more to it as well. 

On the contrary, we can also see that there is a lot of evidence that shows that art is not all about being pretty. There is a lot more to it as well. An example can be seen in terms of the paintings and photographs that depict famous wars that happened in the world. While these aren’t pretty pictures, they are pretty much valid and prevalent, and they really help us understand more about different situations in terms of what we think or believe about them.

So the idea is to explore that does mathematics really have any value is the knowledge is produced but does not add any value? So if you go for this prompt, then you have to dispute the notion of this quote, giving your own two cents to the situation to actually explore what this is all about and how you can work your way toward things in the best possible way. 

Title 3: In the acquisition of knowledge, is following experts unquestioningly as dangerous as ignoring them completely? Discuss with reference to the human sciences and one other area of knowledge.

Many students would find this title very appealing. The idea here is to explore to what extent exactly can we trust experts in any field to give us information about things so that we can base our behavior on them. The best way we can look at this is with the help of the Coronavirus pandemic that took the world over by storm.

Health experts told us that we have to get ourselves vaccinated and stay at home for our own safety and the safety of our loved ones. We did exactly so because we realized that this was the best thing to do for people because we trust experts in terms of the knowledge that they have and the advice that they give us about things. 

But what is also important to note here is that experts are not always right. They can also go wrong based on what they think and also have it in them to make mistakes. So this raises a very important question, which is what makes an expert?

So the idea is to explore this in a lot of detail. It would be very interesting to explore this with reference to human sciences, because the nature of the subject is highly subjective, which means that it can help understand what all it constitutes. You can explore this better by looking at what economists have to say about different situations and how that seems to be wise or not.

This is a very interesting prompt if you choose to go about it wisely and have sound examples to support your viewpoint about things. 

Title 4: Is it problematic that knowledge is so often shaped by the values of those who produce it? Discuss with reference to any two areas of knowledge.

This is a very interesting prompt to work on if you take into account the fact that knowledge is produced according to the values of producers. We need to work toward understanding what the main problem is and how knowledge is influenced by different values.

Let’s look at this with the example of slavery. There was a point in time when people didn’t see anything wrong with slavery. They knew that slavery is prevalent and at that time, it was also very common to have slaves. But if we look at how problematic this is today, then you can see that no one takes into account slavery today. In fact, it is looked upon as something that is extremely bad.

So what we can see here is that the knowledge that we have is greatly influenced by different thought processes that make us understand things a certain way. The value system that we rely on here is something very important that we have to take into account if we wish to work a certain way. 

At the end of the day, the knowledge that you have is dependent on what all you have learned so far and what this has taught you. Your lens might become outdated in the future,  but the idea is to help you understand all of this in a much better way. An accurate depiction of things can only happen when you take all of that into account and try to understand things for the better. For some areas of knowledge, the issue of values is not very prominent, while for others, that is not the case.

So it depends entirely on what you choose to work with and how you think that affects the way that you think and work toward things. 

Title 5: Is it always the case that “the world isn’t just the way it is, it is how we understand it – and in understanding something, we bring something to it” (adapted from Life of Pi by Yann Martel)? Discuss with reference to history and the natural sciences.

While this prompt may seem to be a little complicated at first, it is not really that hard to understand. In simple words, you are expected to work toward bringing your own perspective and interpretation of knowledge. It asks you how you understand things and how your interpretation of things makes you add value to the world. The idea here is that all of us have our own thoughts and ideas about things. The knowledge that we acquire is very different, and our value systems are very different as well. So this is something that we have to explore and try to understand in all ways. There is also a very wide spectrum that makes you understand what it means to bring something to the things that you learn. 

With some areas of knowledge, this can be very easy to explain. Say if you talk about art, you can see how artists have their own thought processes when they paint a picture. Even if we talk about an abstract painting, we can see that there is a lot that goes behind all of that, and the main reason for that is that they have a specific thought process that they follow. But how we interpret that painting depends entirely on what our lookout toward things is.

So this is what we need to understand very well. So basically, how well you explore this prompt depends on the type of examples that you come through with and what all you help explain in the best way. So this is something that is very important and is something that you need to pay a lot of attention to, when working. 

Title 6: Faced with a vast amount of information, how do we select what is significant for the acquisition of knowledge? Discuss with reference to the natural sciences and one other area of knowledge.

This title basically talks about big data and how there is so much information in the world that we actually find very hard to understand. You might have experienced a lot of this in your entire student life. When there is too much that you have to understand and study, it becomes really hard for you to retain all of that.

So the idea is to understand what information you will actually understand and retain, and what you will not. The idea is to know that some information is more valuable than others, so you have to be very mindful about what you think and do in this situation. 

Similarly, in the real work, there is a lot of information that we have in front of us. It depends entirely on us what we choose to pick out as more important, depending on what our world view is and what we think is important for the acquisition of knowledge. Search engines have also given us access to so much information that it actually becomes very hard for us to pick and choose what we want to pay the most attention to.

TOK Essay Title 6 Example

Below you will find a link to the November 2023 TOK essay prompt 6 – Faced with a vast amount of information, how do we select what is significant for the acquisition of knowledge?

When we choose some knowledge, and we miss out on some other, it gives us a feeling of whether we are missing out on something important. So the idea is to understand this best and think about what interests us the most so that we can pick and choose very wisely. 

Other TOK essay prompts from previous years with samples

In case you have overlooked any of the past TOK essay titles, along with their examples or topics from previous years, I am providing the links below.

The year 2023:

• May 2023 TOK essay titles

The year 2022:

• November 2022 TOK essay prompts
• May 2022 ToK essay titles

Previous years’ prompts:

• November 2021 ToK Essay titles
• May 2021 Theory of Knowledge essay prompts

Ready to select your 2023 November TOK essay prompt?

With a better idea of what you have to touch upon in each of these, it will become much easier for you to choose things so that you understand all of it better and make a very wise choice. 

You can always count on our service if you need assistance writing your TOK essay. Simply get in touch with our support team or place your order directly to buy TOK essay using our online order form.

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Vasyl Kafidoff is a co-founder and CEO at WritingMetier. He is interested in education and how modern technology makes it more accessible. He wants to bring awareness about new learning possibilities as an educational specialist. When Vasy is not working, he’s found behind a drum kit.

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Essays on November 1st

1 sample on this topic

The array of written assignments you might get while studying November 1st is stunning. If some are too difficult, an expertly crafted sample November 1st piece on a related subject might lead you out of a deadlock. This is when you will definitely praise WowEssays.com ever-expanding directory of November 1st essay samples meant to catalyze your writing enthusiasm.

Our directory of free college paper samples showcases the most striking instances of excellent writing on November 1st and relevant topics. Not only can they help you come up with an interesting and fresh topic, but also demonstrate the effective use of the best November 1st writing practices and content structuring techniques. Also, keep in mind that you can use them as a source of authoritative sources and factual or statistical information processed by real masters of their craft with solid academic experience in the November 1st field.

Alternatively, you can take advantage of practical write my essay assistance, when our authors deliver a unique example essay on November 1st tailored to your individual instructions!

TOK ESSAY GUIDES NOVEMBER 2024

Our new and enlarged (3000-3800 words) specialist publications of TOK essay guides are based on the 2022 Guide Specifications and get you to think about what to do when preparing for your ToK essay.

Essay Guides Nov 2024

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November 2024 Titles at a glance

The ToK Essay questions for November 2024 are usually released in March 2024

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Q1. Responsibilities for pursuing knowledge.

Q2. Ingenuity & its limits in knowledge production.

Q3. AOKs cutting off ties with the past.

Q4. Similarities & differences between hypothesis & speculation.

Q5. Anomalies in knowledge production.

Q6. Knowledge & adopting different lenses.

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ToK Essay Guides November 2024

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Title 3: How might it benefit...?

This title wants you to focus on time...

Title 4: To what extent do you agree...?

‘Hypothesis’ and ‘speculation’ seem vastly different...

Title 5: In the production of knowledge...?

An ‘anomaly’ is not the same as an ‘error’...

Title 6: ...what is gained by the artist...?

This title is about ‘perspectives’ and ‘perspective taking’...

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Emotional Blackmail: An Affair of Every Heart

By Joan Didion

I once knew an eight-year-old named Martha who wrote stories, unexceptional in every way except one: the heroine of each was a nightclub singer, Sandra, whose life was complicated by the constant threat of blackmail. In some stories Sandra was blackmailed by a shadowy Syndicate, in others by her estranged husband (“Mark,” a déclassé Fed); in still others, dating from Martha's costume period, the pressure was applied by the boys at the Land Office, who alone knew that Sandra, a long time before and in another country (Dodge City), had committed an indiscretion so unspeakable that Martha could only hint at it. All Martha's plots turned on blackmail; each of her dénouements was a study in blackmail foiled.

When I asked how Martha had hit upon this particular story line, her mother, a young woman of relentlessly laissez-faire principle, pointed out that blackmail was in fact the prevailing motif in all Martha's favorite bedtime stories, from “Cain's Hundred” to “Have Gun, Will Travel.”

“Every time the telephone rings,” she added, “Martha expects it to be anonymous.” Although we both smiled, more or less at Martha’s expense, there is a sense in which Martha is right: a sense in which blackmail, that fairly uncommon fact, emerges as a commonplace of life. What Martha watched, after all, were our generation’s miracle plays, the ritual dramas in which our deepest tensions work themselves out in symbolic terms. From Euripides to MCA-Revue, Shakespeare to Desilu, no storyteller has ever told us a tale we did not already know. We could scarcely understand the Medea did we not understand that a woman holds the tacit power of blackmail over the man who takes her, as Jason took Medea, from home. (I betrayed my father for you: almost no one says it, almost everyone has used it.) To read Joseph Conrad is to read about blackmail, part of the heart of all the darkness; Henry James would seem inexplicably tedious had we no feeling for the play of power, the startlingly literal blackmail, which operates among all of his characters, pervades every drawing room, shadows each well-rolled lawn.

We have all, in brief, known blackmail. Forget the symbolic trappings, the anonymous telephone calls, the clumsily printed scare notes; forget what the boys at the Land Office know or do not know. What is blackmail, after all, but what lawyers sometimes call it: “the demanding of money or other advantage on the threat of exposure of information, true or false, about the victim.”

Or other advantage: in those terms, to have neither blackmailed nor been blackmailed reveals an absence of involvement, a rather dismal abdication of the game. Demanding an advantage is something we are all born doing, and many of us pay ransom, willingly or unwillingly, as easily as we breathe. Ransom is the telephone call one does not want to make, the letter written only to appease, the presents—from such tangibles as Christmas bourbon to such ephemera as Of course I love you—one gives compulsively. Emotional blackmail is rarely so overt as an on-the-line demand, seldom so extreme as the threat of illness or suicide—although most of us, if we have lived long enough (say twenty years), have heard that one. Most often, we begin paying ransom on cues as barely perceptible as a set of the mouth apparent only to the victim, as subtle as a few words—wasn't the day nice—which translate, in the alchemy of blackmail, and now you've gone and ruined it. There is, and each of us knows it, as much vicious extortion in the lyric “Sometimes I’m happy, sometimes I’m blue/My disposition depends on you” as in thirteen weeks of the Dick Powell Show.

Blackmail is, then, an affair of every heart, as common and as various as the very ways of human involvement: there could be no liaison so idyllic that someone, some time, did not demand an advantage; no commitment so unambiguous that the committed could not wonder, some bleak three o'clock in the morning, who was using whom. Blackmail can operate between parent and child, man and wife, employer and employee; can operate even among chance acquaintances, where it usually travels disguised as good manners. If it is, clearly, good manners for me to try to charm the stranger with whom I am dancing, it is just as clearly—if I am vulnerable (say I feel unattractive, or say my husband is behaving outrageously over by the piano)—blackmail.

I once had a friend who practiced blackmail: perhaps we have all had one. Mine would sometimes ask me to cancel an engagement in order to type a manuscript for him, then arrive toward midnight, the piece still unwritten, and explain that I could type it between four and six A.M., and why was I pulling that long face; not only upon me but upon anyone who would play along, he made demand after absurd demand. “Just this once,” he would say, hinting darkly at “emergencies,” “deadlines,” “saving my life.” Our occasional protests would draw forth no retractions but only impassioned apologies, colored with vivid intimations of his undiagnosed ulcers. (Other times it was angina, and on his most imaginative days it was cirrhosis.)

By Naomi Pike

By Elise Taylor

By Giulia Di Giamberardino

Some of us loved him and some of us did not, but whether we did or not we all acquiesced, helpless before the undertone his every plea carried: I need you. We acquiesced neither because he was charming (most of the time he was notably not) nor because he was a good and generous man (I think he probably was), but simply because he was bold enough or amoral enough or scared enough to make use of what exists in almost every heart: the potentially disabling fear of failure—in some cases neurotic, in others well-founded. I can't count on you , he would complain if thwarted, salting what was for some of us an ugly raw wound. We would see in his reproachful eyes, suddenly, the sister we had failed, the friend we had hurt—all the opportunities for goodness or glory or marks in heaven we had ever muffed, miserably. In brief, he could expose us to ourselves, and we quite flatly bought him off.

Self-exposure: the word self is the heart of the matter, the essential distinction between the blackmail practiced in the flickering land of prime time and the blackmail we all know. In either case, of course, the key is vulnerability; one who has no secrets can scarcely be threatened with exposure, a premise so obvious that it has provided several years’ worth of scripts for “The Untouchables.” Because few of us have anything much to hide from others, few of us can be reached by the obvious extortionist. Put to it, we can live with our indiscretions. What we can not live with, all too often, are the secrets we keep from ourselves. We may call it irrational, but we know it to be true: it is easier to stare down any scandal than to be forced to recall the unkind word screamed, twenty years ago, at one’s grandmother.

There is, of course, nothing irrational about it. We remain, most of us, vulnerable: one thinks of few who have made the peace that frees them from their own Eumenides. Instead, we play games with ourselves. Afraid that we might be, if the truth were known, neither what we would like to be nor what we appear to be, we blackmail ourselves, count ransom in with the rent, one of the costs of living. If we are less than certain that we are as loving as we pretend to be, we can deceive ourselves with excessive proofs of devotion: consider those cliches in literature and life, the children who resign their own lives to care for ailing parents. (Although the parents are conventionally portrayed as the blackmailers of the piece, think, for a moment, not only of the impeccable self-images those children gain for themselves but of, as well, the telling way in which they are relieved of obligations they could not, perhaps, face, decisions they could not, perhaps, make.)

We can do the favors we do not care about doing until our every moment is made dull and aching with resentment we are afraid to admit; we can commit ourselves to interests which are not our own until we no longer remember, really, who or what we wanted to be. We can ignore our own needs in order to meet the needs of others, and then blackmail back with the knowledge that we have done exactly that; we can give over our lives to impossible people, live with alcoholism, chronic infidelity, emotional criminals of the most blatant variety—and in so doing we can gain the right, and rather inexpensively, to place the blame for our thinness, our pallor, our crippling shortcomings, upon those for whom we have given up so much. All the world need do is look at the record: are we not loving, are we not good.

Unhappily, we do not quite convince ourselves. The harder we try, the more exorbitant the ransom becomes: a certain ineradicable honesty lingers on, afflicting us with total recall for every item on the debt we are piling up against ourselves. As Rudyard Kipling once wrote, “If once you have paid him the Danegeld/You are never rid of the Dane.”

Getting rid of the Dane in each of our hearts is, of course, no easy task. It involves admitting that the favors we do for others are done, quite often, not for others but for ourselves, admitting that no one holds us in thrall but ourselves, that we are our own favorite victims. It involves, really, nothing more or less than admitting to ourselves who and what we are, a feat of such epic proportions that those attempting it sometimes seem in the grip of advanced autonarcosis.

And if you find it easier to live with the Dane, then do not weep to me about the Danegeld.