The Western Conference Race, Canucks clinch Northwest Title

Finally, the Hockey Gods are shining upon Vancouver. The first place Canucks, who right now lead the whole of the NHL with 103 points, are looking to carry the Stanley Cup for their first since joining the league in 1970. However, aside from Vancouver and Detroit's dominant control of first and second, respectively, the Western Conference race remains tight.

The Los Angeles Kings, who are in fourth place (with 85 points) behind Division rival San Jose (with 88 points), are looking to finally keep a hold during the playoffs after getting knocked by Vancouver last year in the sixth game of the first round. Behind recently acquired Dustin Penner (who has 2 goals and 4 assists in his first 7 games; 6 points in the last 6 games) and All-Star Anze Kopitar (who is chasing his career-high 81 point 2009-2010 season with 72 already this year), the Kings look to use offense breaks to their advantage. The 4-year extension of Justin William's contract, as well as Jack Johnson's 7-year extension, looks to keep hockey alive in the city of angels. Moreover, Doughty's improved play along side veteran defender Willie Mitchell looks to keep depth and strength along the blue line for a while as well.

The next two weeks and 12 games for the Kings look to be excitingly difficult. However, the Canucks last 10 games only look to further their President's Trophy deserving season. Playoffs will definitely be interesting this year for both Western Conference teams.

#8: Tone

Tone materializes the atmosphere of any piece of literature, whether it be a script, a book, a poem, or a monologue. Essentially, the tone of a story depicts the details of its conflicts and transitions. In poetry, and especially Shakespeare, tone is necessary to convey the correct themes without obscurity. However, tone should also offer complexity in order to give the audience various perspectives on the nature of the language, as well as the story itself. Hamlet, for example, is grounded by its urgently dark tone and offers the audience suspense because of the presented setting. Moreover, tone justifies the presented actions, hostilities, prejudices, and glorifications by stressing certain principles. Without the same tonal quality, King Claudius' sarcastic speeches would sound truly sound and humble; when in fact, he pierces Hamlet's soul by mocking him under shadows and words of false despair. Tone implicitly and explicitly reveals truth behind characters lies.

#7: Diction

Diction is key in developing a rhythm, tone, and deeper connotation to the simplicity of words. Specifically, diction is most valuable in Shakespeare's works. In Hamlet, the differing diction reveals the intents of each character; for example, Hamlet's over-extended and harsh language in his 'To be, or not to be' speech indicate his indecisiveness. Furthermore, the contradicting tones of Horatio and Hamlet reveal a different set of values and outlooks, mostly an optimistic vs. pessimistic standpoint. Additionally, in Laertes' speech for example, diction adds depth to a character's prejudged necessity. In all Shakespearean tragedies, each character is created for a reason; consequently, to most readers demise, Shakespeare intently uses each word for a specific reason. The analysis of diction, then, leads to a greater understanding of a play, character, scene, monologue, dialogue, or soliloquy. Diction enables the audience to understand the language without listening to each specific word. Therefore, although it is highly overlooked, diction is most definitely one of the most important factors in deciphering the truth behind text, especially in Shakespeare's more complex characters.

#6: Imagery

The utilization of imagery, figurative language, and extensive poetic devices help depict a poem's themes through intricate details. Although hard to recognize to the untrained eye, imagery is key in deciphering the true nature of a poem's intent. For example, in Cumming's "Ponder," the repetition of personification evidently paints a rich narrative for the reader. Additionally, the use of such metaphors as "vertical worthless" and "horizontal business" supplies satisfaction for readers who understand the truth behind the disguised 'meaningless' of poems. Such imagery evokes an emotional investment from its audience and, consequently, propels a poem to a higher revelation.

#5: Poetic Sounds

Poetic sounds supply literature with a musical characteristic. In essence, poetic sounds add to the uniqueness of a story, tone, theme, or even phrase. Specifically in poetry, rhyme scheme helps depict the flow of the poem- as either harsh or elongated. Moreover, alliteration and assonance provide a poem with a consistency of emotion. For example, the repetition of 's' acts as a lulling sounds, whilst a 't' would provide sharp diction for more violent imagery. In Shakespeare, imagery and meter justify the emotions of a characters through female endings, specifically evidenced through Romeo's naivety and Hamlet's indecision.

#4: Symbols

Symbols are used in all forms of literature in order to express an author's certain tone, theme, or element. Symbols, usually, are metaphors for a deeper meaning. The subtext of the novel, and story, is therefore revealed through symbolism. In Hamlet, Shakespeare offers a variety of symbols to demonstrate chaos, conspiracy, and confusion of his title character. For example, Ophelia hands out flowers to many characters in Act IV, illustrating her recent insanity. However, on a deeper level, the flower's represent her giving away her innocence, characterizing her purity through blossomed flowers. Moreover, Austen's novel uses symbolism to further comment upon her satirical approach in expressing her novel; primarily, Darcy's Pemberley house represents all the things its owner is- crass on the outside, vibrant and misjudged on the inside. Without a doubt, symbolism is highly important in creating a creative, inventive, and intellectual piece of literature.

#3: Setting

Setting creates the novelty of a story. A sunny overlook of a newly pastured farm. The house of an escaped member of the Third Reich. An insane asylum on the outskirts of one of Boston's islands. No matter the case, the setting creates a visual representation for the audience, reader, or viewer to connect to. Setting depicts beauty through detailed sequences. Setting gives life to a stack of pages. A complicated, intricate setting offers variety to an ever-growing story. For example, Hamlet's travels to England and back to Denmark complicate the conflict, but also give the audience diversity to the play's consistent nature. Setting is key in creating an appropriate atmosphere for an intricate story.