Burning

Both the "Burning Monk" and Mohammed Bouazizi's deaths were major sparks in revolutions of their country. The had both burned themselves in protest of what they believed in and they also gave major criticism on the nation's leader of the time. They also both led to a change in government and the dictator fleeing the country. However, there are a few small differences. The "Burning Monk" was a monk in South Vietnam protesting the prosecution of Buddhists, whereas Mohammed was just a normal, hard-working street vendor in Tunisia angry at the dictatorship in his country. There is also a large time difference. While the "Burning Monk" killed himself in the year of 1963, Mohammed Bouazizi died very recently, January 4, 2011.
I think that it is great that they were protesting for what they believed in. However it's horrifying that they took this to the extremes and decided to burn themselves. But I do know that everything great has to start with something tragic. One good poem of Sri Chinmoy about death and how it sometimes is not the end.

Death is not the end
Death can never be the end.

Death is the road.
Life is the traveller.
The Soul is the Guide

...

Our mind thinks of death.
Our heart thinks of life
Our soul thinks of Immortality. - Sri Chinmoy

Triple Entente, Triple Alliance, and the Poem of Fear

The Triple Entente was the result of various alliances of France and Russia, France and Britain, and Russia and Britain. All of these groups were formed solely because of the rise of the Triple Alliance of Germany and allies Austria-Hungary and Italy. The three countries came to be know as some of the most feared countries in Europe, and several treaties and alliances were made to protect themselves from these powers, one of which was the Triple Entente. For more information on the the beginning of World War I and the tangled web of European alliances, please click here.

2. Fear
Written by Montana Hohensee

fear fear fear your not my friend
fear fear fear you are the end
fear fear fear will you ever cease?
fear will consume
fear will kill
because we kill out of fear
fear is a killer
fear tears us apart slowly and painfully
fear will never cease
because fear is unexpected
and fear will kill us all
but fear can be conquered
only by brave soul

For original, please click here.

3. Although I doubt the author did not purposely connect their poem with World War I, they did make an excellent example of the Triple Entente and the Triple Alliance. "Fear fear fear, you're not my friend" is how the Triple Entente was not allies with the Triple Alliance, which in the poem is know as "fear". "Fear fear fear, you are the end," This line relates to how Germany and his allies were a worldwide terror and how many small countries believed that the Triple Alliance could end their society. "Fear fear fear, will you ever cease?" This could be compared to how the naval fleets of Britain and Germany would not cease to grow and would try to outnumber each others fleets. It can also refer to the rise in imperialism and how the German Empire would not settle for the empire they had. "Fear will consume, Fear will kill" These lines are nearly straightforward and tells how the Triple Alliance were terrifying killers; however, the first line can be an example of the empires in the Alliance would consume third-world countries and take over their land. "Fear tears us apart slowly and painfully" The large tangle of alliances during the pre-war time was getting out of control, and one little dispute could get out of hand fast, and get out of hand it did. When Serbian men assassinated the Archduke of Austria-Hungary, a war between the two countries turned into what we know today as the first World War. "Because fear is unexpected, And fear will kill us all" These lines show that it is unexpected how powerful one country can possibly be, but these countries gain power through each other and their alliances, making them worldwide terrors, and believed by smaller countries, their end. "But fear can be conquered, Only by brave soul" This can relate to why the Triple Entente was formed. The three nations knew they could not defeat fear on their own. But together as the Triple Entente they knew they could finish of the German and the German allies together. And together, they conquered.

The White Man's Burden & Imperialism

After one look at the poem, it didn't seem to make sense. Then after a few times reading it and paying closer attention, there seemed to be connections to slavery. After a while I concluded that the White Man's Burden was meant to be the stop of imperialism and the taking over the weaker countries and territories, especially in that of Africa. Kipling seems to believe through his poem that imperialism could be compared to slavery. He also believes that, even though ending the conquering of the weaker countries was a good idea to him, to a white man the idea was, as he put it, a "burden". His justification on the subject I believe was mainly supposed to appeal to the American audience. This is because the United States just left a gigantic Civil War which slavery was a large part of no later than 30 years beforehand. Kipling most likely wanted to see the U.S. take action against the spreading empires.